Be Faithful Unto Death

Revelation 2:8-11 (NRSV) Be faithful until death "And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: "I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.  Like I said on my first day of writing these devotions, the ELCA is certainly giving us a mixed bag (for good or ill!).  Revelation is certainly one of the tricky ones for me, but as many times as I read through this reading from the book (and I just read through it quite a few), only one sentence jumps out at me: be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. I think it is sentences like this that contribute to the ongoing fixation of many Christians with this life being simply a prelude to the heavenly bliss that it to come.  Certainly there is a place for hope for the hereafter.  But it is easy to take too much away from John's writing to the persecuted people that the book of Revelation is meant for.  It's easy to forget Jesus' consistent message that "The Kingdom of God" is now.  We often tend to merge the two - heaven and the Kingdom of God.  They are not the same.   I'm not sure what apocalyptic writing in the 21st century would look like.  While we are not in the US a persecuted group, there are Christians around the world who are.  And for them - and even for us when we are suffering - it is comforting to imagine the great by and by where all our sorrows will disappear. But until that time comes, we have one thing that will sustain us, no matter what is happening in our lives: the gift of faith.  Being faithful unto death isn't a thing to do to make sure we get to heaven.  Being faithful unto death is living into the Kingdom life now.  The "crown of life" image can sustain us both now and not yet.  Let's not forget the now part. Comforting God: You have given us the gift of faith to sustain us both now and in the age to come.  Help us to cling to that faith in times of hardship and trial not simply so that we can imagine life in heaven with you, but so that we may also live fully the richness of the life you have given us now.  Amen.