The Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with Father Henri J. M. Nouwen DAILY MEDITATION "Heaven and Hell" for Wednesday, 14 December 2016

The Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with Father Henri J. M. Nouwen DAILY MEDITATION "Heaven and Hell" for Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Photo courtesy of SDGimagery.com
Is everybody finally going to be all right? Are all people ultimately going to be free from misery and all their needs fulfilled? Yes and no! Yes, because God wants to bring us home into God's Kingdom. No, because nothing happens without our choosing it. The realisation of the Kingdom of God is God's work, but for God to make God's love fully visible in us, we must respond to God's love with our love.
There are two kinds of death: a death leading us into God's Kingdom, and a death leading us into hell. John in his vision saw not only heaven, but also hell. He says: "The legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and the sexually immoral, and for sorcerers, worshippers of false gods or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur" (Revelation 21:8). We must choose for God if we want to be with God.

For further reflection...The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.[Revelation 22: 17]
Your response...Who do you know who needs to say "Yes!" to God's offer of life and love?

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The Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with Father Henri J. M. Nouwen DAILY MEDITATION "Anticipating the Vision" for Tuesday, 13 December 2016

Photo courtesy of V. Dobson
The marvelous vision of the peaceable Kingdom, in which all violence has been overcome and all men, women, and children live in loving unity with nature, calls for its realisation in our day-to-day lives. Instead of being an escapist dream, it challenges us to anticipate what it promises. Every time we forgive our neighbor, every time we make a child smile, every time we show compassion to a suffering person, every time we arrange a bouquet of flowers, offer care to tame or wild animals, prevent pollution, create beauty in our homes and gardens, and work for peace and justice among peoples and nations we are making the vision come true.
We must remind one another constantly of the vision. Whenever it comes alive in us we will find new energy to live it out, right where we are. Instead of making us escape real life, this beautiful vision gets us involved.

For further reflection..."Keep yourself in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."[Jude 21 (NIV)]
Your response...What can you do today to experience a taste of the peaceable Kingdom that Henri describes?

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Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Scripture chosen by L. Yeskoo.
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