No Fairytale... (Love Letter 2)

"Heaven and Earth" is not a biblical phrase meaning "LaLa Land and Science Land;" nor is it labeling two different existences as "real and ideal;" rather, it is two sides of the same coin: this one, real existence. Beautiful. Broken.

We don't like to talk about the ugliness between us, things that lead to death. "We murder to dissect" and compartmentalize, but in making our relationship a fairytale, separated from the mess of reality, we gruesomely undercut the process of being restored as one. Jesus did not ignore these truths, he took them on: "who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification."

Does it offend you to hear that things aren't OK? Peter's fairytale vision was shattered when Jesus announced his process for restoring this one existence, this precious coin, to the beauty it was made for: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Jesus had in mind the promise God made to Abraham, "I will establish an everlasting covenant with you and, through you, all the families of the earth."

"The promise did not come to Abraham through the law but through the righteousness [Good-lookingness!] of faith." We need look no further for the fairytale life, it's right here for us with him who crosses Heaven and Earth, "Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus."