Making All Things New
We are living in a season of division. We have been physically divided and isolated due to the pandemic, and, at the same time, we are experiencing racial, social, and political unrest that is fracturing our nation. It feels like there is pressure from every side.
What does it mean to be daughters and sons of God at a time like this? With all of the division in our world, how can we participate in reconciliation? With everything going on, how are we going to stay safe at school? These are good and difficult questions. The mess of the world can be overwhelming and disheartening, but the answers to these questions can be found by leaning into the truth of the Gospel and God’s promise to make all things new.
Revelation 21:5 says, “And He who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new…write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”
While the phrase “making all things new” refers to God’s power and intention to do so, we believe that it is also an invitation to His followers. Throughout the Scriptures, God invites humanity to partner with Him to make things new. The Bible speaks of a God who works in and through His people to confront the pain of this world and bring about goodness, justice, and renewal. Jesus sets an example by seeing the brokenness in the world and engaging with it. He doesn’t ignore it or move past it; He confronts it, and His resurrection ushers in a new reality where life can spring forth for individuals, communities, and the whole world. As followers and imitators of Jesus, we are called to do the same.
In Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, we gain a deep, biblical vision of hope, love, and joy. When the circumstances seem hopeless, and everything is lost, God is still able to move. Jesus invites us into a sincere hope that fuels our partnership with Him as He makes all things new.
At a time like this, being a daughter or son of God means that the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is alive in you. Because of the Holy Spirit, you have everything you need to engage in the kind of reconciliation that Jesus did. Not only are you empowered, but you are invited. You are called. While it might feel like there are more important things going on in the world than attending school, we invite you to view it as a crucial season of growth, refinement, and training so that you can confidently participate in God’s redemptive purposes in the world. Your time in college is for learning, exploration, discovering new things, engaging with new ideas, and dreaming about what the future can be.
You see the division in the world. So do we. You see the need for the Gospel. So do we. You feel the pressure from every side. So do we. And we are ready and willing to face it. Joyfully embracing the effort, sacrifice, and perseverance required of lives marked by faith, we stand. We choose to partner with Jesus and refine the gifts he has given us so that, together, we can make all things new. Though we do not know what lies ahead, we know the God who calls us to move forward, so it is with joy that we begin a new school year. We are excited to see all the ways that God will use our time together, in person or virtually, to usher in His Kingdom both today and in the future.
August 31, 2020 | Articles