The first reading for today begins as St. Paul tells us: “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Rom 8:18) I suspect that when we hear that, we are able to solemnly nod, hoping that once we are in Heaven, all our sufferings will be done away with. And glory? Unimaginable and mysterious – and we are OK with that. We want the world fixed, but at the same time are ready to move on to Heaven – maybe not today, but eventually.
But then St. Paul says it is not just us. All creation waits with “eager expectations” while at the same time is “subject to futility.” Why? Because it has been “made subject to futility” So, all creation is waiting – and not waiting for a when, why, or what, but waiting on us so that creation can be “set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God” (Rom 8:21)
St. Paul is speaking of creation here just as did the psalmists and prophets who pictured hills, meadows, and valleys “shouting and singing together for joy” (Ps. 65:12–13) and the earth “mourning” (Isa. 24:4; Jer. 4:28; 12:4), Paul personifies creation in order to convey to his readers a sense of the cosmic significance of both humanity’s fall into sin and believers’ restoration to glory.
In last week’s first readings Paul described the consequence of sin entering the world through one man (Adam) which, as a consequence, ushered death into the world. It was as though a gateway or bridge was opened and evil now pours into the world, whispering and tempting Adam’s descendants to sin, expanding the network of sin and corruption. Humanity’s fall into sin marred the “goodness” of God’s creation, and creation has ever since been in a state of frustration, “groaning in labor pains even until now.”
Paul is saying that it is all connected. Both creation and Christians suffer at present from a sense of incompleteness and eagerly yearn for a culminating transformation. But we do not suffer without hope, we wait in the promises of Christ. Promises made clear in yesterday’s first reading: “that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
All creation is waiting for the day when we fully embrace and truly become the child of God, the co-heirs of the glory of God – when we will finally be complete, and rest in God.
Image credit: Pexels + Canva, CC-BY-SA 3.0