Midwives of the Reign of God

WORD 2day: Tuesday, 30th week in Ordinary time

October 26, 2021: Romans 8:18-25; Luke 13: 18-21

Paul gives us a vivid imagery of the whole creation - the entire universe is waiting to be recreated, be made new, be born anew, to give birth to the new earth and new heaven... Jesus likens that recreation to the coming of the Reign of God. Reign of God, in fact is the recreation of the entire reality - physical, psychical, personal, interpersonal and cosmic - a recreation in the Lord!

The creation and the renewal... what is our role in it according to Paul? We who are already made new in Christ are invited to be facilitators in this process of re-creation; that is, midwives in this process of new birth. We are called to assist the world in bringing forth the Reign of God into this world like a large plant, or a seasoned dough.

The plant needs the seed, the right nurture and protection that it grows into the bush that it is called to be. The dough needs the yeast in the right tiny measure and it processes the entire portion of dough making it edible and tasty. So are we called to remain in the world today, little by little transforming the world into the Reign that has been initiated by the Lord.  That is where we belong - to the Reign, to that promised reality of God's fullness and bliss.

The call to us is clear: that we understand where we belong - to the Reign and not to world. Let us strive for the ultimate renewal - from within, not a mere external adjustment. The world looks to us, the entire creation groans with pains of childbirth and we are called to be midwives in the process of the new birth!