There is a general consensus among Christians that Jesus will eventually return in a physical form and that He will consummate His purposes and plans by ushering in a final order for the universe and for humanity. Opinions as to how this is going to take place tend to lead us away from coherence and more toward confusion. As a result, anticipation about Christ’s return becomes muddled in an unspoken kind of apathy. Believers jockey for position between the extremist views of dogmatism and sensationalism. On one hand we secure our position as “insiders” while condemning the “outsiders.” On the other hand, we tend to magnify what is evil to the diminishing of what is good, in order to secure a following. How are we able to view the return of Christ as an ever-present experience and a permanent hope? Some scriptural suggestions will be unpacked and examined in the next two posts.
