Living for the Future

So I am hooked on a new show.

Hillary and I don't have cable, but we sometimes watch shows posted to the Internet. "LOST" has been our addiction for some time now, but as "LOST" heads into its final season, ABC has begun airing a new show, which I believe is intended to catch all those "LOST" fans who will be without their favorite show in a about a year: the new show is called "FlashForward."

The mysterious premise of the show goes like this: all of the sudden, on October 6 of this year, everyone in the world blacked out for 2min. 17sec.--everyone in the world at the same time. Not only did everyone blackout, however; during their blackouts everyone saw what appeared to be visions of their own individual futures 6 months from the present. Whether good or bad, everyone saw what the future could/will be 6 months from now.

Obviously, mass chaos ensues following the 2min. 17sec. of blackout, once everyone reawakens. However, once the pandemonium settles down a bit, people start to ask themselves: are the visions real? Will I really be __________ 6 months from now? If their vision was good, the person becomes extremely hopeful and embraces the future. If their vision was bad--or, if the person only saw darkness during their blackout--the person fights to resist the future.

I need not draw the whole plot out or give away any more. However, I simply can't stop thinking about the parallels that could be drawn for the Christian life. What I mean is this: for those who see a hopeful future 6 months from now in their vision, life becomes an extremely joyous adventure, one the person can embrace wholeheartedly, even somewhat recklessly. For instance, one character literally had a gun to his head when the blackout occurred, but as a result of having a vision of a bright future, he woke up 2min. 17sec. later with hope and joy. Another character [sorry, I'm giving away just a bit more] needs to have a fairly dangerous surgery, but since he has also had a bright vision of his future, he goes into the surgery relaxed and even a bit eager!

I am immediately reminded of Jeremiah 29:11--a promise made to the people of God centuries ago which still speaks to the people of God today: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" I am also reminded of the ultimate, two-fold hope we believers have because of Christ's resurrection: (1) the hope that we too will be raised to new life! (2) the hope that Christ will one day make all things new, giving us a new created world in which we will finally live in completely restored relationship to God.

We too are given a vision of the future--and this vision is recorded in the Scriptures. (I'm not just talking about the Book called "Revelation"; I'm talking about the whole narrative of the Scriptures, which culminations in Christ's return and the recreation of all things.) We too can live with hope for the future.

Not only that! We've got it even better than those who had good visions in FlashForward, for we have received the Holy Spirit! The Spirit of Christ enables us to bring a glimpse of the future into the present, through his movement in and through the Church. The future has broken into the present, and we live in the "already/not yet" with hope, because we know that our future is bright in Christ!