Here and Now!

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:14-15) 

This is the place and this is the time! Here and now God waits to break into our experience… (Adapted from Be Our Freedom, Lord, ed. by Terry Falla, p. 20.)

Now is the time!

After his baptism, Jesus begins his ministry in proclamation and the message is simple: “Now is the time! God is here! Turn around. Commit yourself to the good news!

It is meant to be like one of those big signs on the entrances to freeways which warn motorists that they may have erred: “Wrong way! Go back!” “Stop now and think about what you’re doing!”

It’s an ancient proclamation—one uttered by many prophets before—great prophets like Isaiah, weird prophets like Ezekiel, minor prophets like Zephaniah, and reluctant prophets like Jonah.

And it is a proclamation for all people everywhere, not just for the people of Israel—Jonah found that out!

The book of Jonah ends with a question, a question posed by God to Jonah: “Shouldn’t I be concerned about Nineveh too? Isn’t Nineveh part of my Creation too? Shouldn’t this message, this gift of insight be offered to all my people everywhere?”

That sign on the highway is there for everyone. “Wrong way! Go back!” “Stop! Turn around! Go back!” “Stop now and think about what you’re doing!”

It’s a strange message. It’s a very different message from most of the messages that surround us: “Bigger. Better. Best” “Faster. Higher. Stronger.” “More, more, more.”

“Stop! Turn around! Go back!” “Stop now and think about what you’re doing!”

We humans are very stupid creatures. We are always looking for the next big thing, the really great hope, the ultimate salvation; and all the time what we are looking for is right beside us, right among us, right between us. “Stop! Turn around! Go back!” “Stop now and think about what you’re doing!”

Go back to who you are and what you need to remember. Go back to first principles, back to basics, back to the foundations of the faith. You belong to God and nothing can change that. Hear this good news! Don’t go looking for fantastic dreams! God is in your midst, now! Stop! Turn around! And look at what is already here! “Stop now and think about what you’re doing!”

But it is not just the people of God who are called to repent, to turn around, to change their minds. In the prophetic books of the Hebrew Scripture, God also repents. God also changes God’s mind. Confronted by the reality of a people who recognise their God, God recognises them. The dance of recognition comes full circle. God recognises us. We recognise God. God recognises us. Here and now! Right now! “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1:15)

Here and now, God invites us into relationship, asking us to stop and think about what we’re doing, stop and know who we are, stop and recognise who God is; and understand that the future is now! Whatever we hope for, whatever we dream of is right here beside us, among us, around us. God is in our midst, inviting us to be in God.

It all seems too easy, doesn’t it?! Like Jonah thought God was being too easy on the Ninevites. There must be something we have to do; something we need to strive for; something that is required to earn this gift.

But that is precisely God’s point to Jonah: “Who are you to say who belongs to me or not? I am Creator, Redeemer and Give of Life. These people are my people; and I am their God.”

Who are we to question whether we are good enough for God; or whether the journey is too easy or too hard? God is God and we belong to God. We need to stop now and think about what we’re doing. We need to recognise God who is in our midst, not over the next horizon, or caught up in the next great plan. And maybe, just maybe in heeding the message, we will accept its hold on our lives. The time is fulfilled. God’s realm is here. All we asked to do is to stop, turn around and accept the good news.