American science fiction and fantasy author Piers Anthony wrote a book several years ago called Bearing an Hourglass. The book is one in a series about the various Incarnations of natural phenomenon (death, nature, war, evil, good). This book focused on a man who was chosen to be the Incarnation of Time. From the moment he was chosen for this role, he began living backwards. His tomorrow was our yesterday, and our yesterday was his tomorrow. The end of his service would be at the beginning of his life. He, thus, lived within something of a complete circle.
Reading the words of Christ in today’s selection from Revelation got me thinking about that book and its main character. “I am Alpha and Omega,” Jesus declares. I am A and Z. I’m the start of the journey and its ending. I am the beginning and the end. Heavy stuff.
These words did not mean a whole lot to me until my wife and I were dating. During her morning devotional one day, she read these words. She could hardly wait to tell me about them. They were so special she even had them put on the prayer book she gave me. “He’s the Alpha and Omega,” she declared.
At the time, and for a while afterward, I smiled as I often did when she had some epiphany over some scripture or piece of writing that, to me, either didn’t speak to me or else just confused me. But one day, I finally got it. “Oh yeah,” I thought, “the beginning and the end.” And, from time to time, those words bubble up out of my subconscious or pop up in the strangest places. Not surprisingly, those times are the ones when I most need to hear these words.
“I am the first and the last,” Jesus declares. I’ve been there. I will be there. I am there. For what you call tomorrow, I can call yesterday.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, Jesus says to us in the Sermon on the Mount. Tomorrow has enough of its own worries. What he didn’t say is, “I know; because, I’ve seen it.” I’ve not only got a good idea what’s there, I’m well acquainted with all its possibilities. So, if you’ll trust me, I think we can navigate those waters together.
Of course, the fact that Jesus has already been there and bought the t-shirt doesn’t mean there isn’t any trouble ahead. There’s nothing in that statement about smoothing out the road or calming the seas beforehand. Some days are like bad storms that blow up out of the west. You see them coming and all you can do is hunker down and ride them out.
But Christ is there. Christ inhabits tomorrow before we do. And when midnight turns today into yesterday, we can always know that whatever lies in the hours ahead will not be faced alone.
Alpha and Omega, thanks for getting to this day before me. My only hope is that you’ve found a way through this particular stretch of the road. Guide me until I reach tomorrow, where I’ll find you there waiting again.
You just took a very special verse and gave it even more meaning and depth. "So if you'll just trust Me, I think we can navigate those waters together." That was a message from Jesus that I needed to hear right now. Thanks for allowing Him to speak through you.