Listen

Look, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. This is so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is and was and is coming, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:7-8

Think

“Look! Mama, look at that!” I hear this phrase no less than 50 times a day as I drive my kids to school, play with them at parks, and watch them build magnet tile creations (again). They notice when I say “Oh wow!” without actually looking in their direction. Seeing what they see requires I stop my to-do lists to pay attention.

“Pay attention!” John writes to the churches. He wants them to notice Jesus. He wants them to stop their pursuit of all the things their culture promises. When they do, they will see Jesus. The Lord who was wounded, tortured, killed, and raised from the dead will return. Jesus’ power and glory will burst into their midst. Will they have eyes to see?

John’s vision of Jesus’ return might seem like a scene out of a fantasy movie. Paying attention to this vision seems strange. But maybe John uses these bold images to lead us outside the ways we typically think about Jesus so we can see him more clearly.

Jennie Barber

Pray

Alpha and Omega,

My attention is pulled in so many directions.

Help me look — up, out, and in to see you moving in my life.

Amen.

Go

Go from the throne of grace,

Share God’s extravagant love,

Reveal Jesus’ breathtaking mercy,

Witness the Spirit’s transforming power,

Go boldly, with your heart wide open.