All Things New?

I feel my first post in this blog should be an explanation of the title of my blog. This title comes from Revelation 21:5 where the one who sits on the throne says "Behold, I am making all things new." It is a promise that the world will not always be as it is; that one day God will transform this world into His kingdom, His new creation. Of course, that is not to say that there is not anything good in this world as it is. Clearly, there are many good things but it is also pretty obvious that death, selfishness, pride, hatred, and violence still corrupt and distort the world in which we live in some serious ways. Any news cast, political debate, or study of history quickly reminds us of this fact.
In the book of Revelation, John paints a picture of a God who is remaking reality, a God who is working to redeem and transform our world through God's own presence among us. In many ways, I believe this idea to be the whole thrust, the broad movement of all of Scripture. The story of the Bible is ultimately the story of a God who refuses to give up on creation but is continually working to heal and restore it, even to the point of taking on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. I believe this mission of transformation and redemption is also the mission which Jesus has imparted to the Church to continue through the power of the Holy Spirit. God is not simply working to redeem this world in spite of us. I believe God is working to redeem this world through us; transforming the world by transforming each one of us and then using us to tranform others. So this idea of all things being made new captures much of what I believe about God, the Church, the world, and my role in it. I long to see God's kingdom, God's new creation take hold in our world.