Our place in history

Gospel: Lk 10:21-24
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120523.cfm

Today, we are in a period of exponential innovation. Things are changing so fast. We also have access to more information than humans have had at any point in history; so much information that it is hard to discern what is true and what is false. It doesn’t take much effort for us to get lost in a doom spiral or to get polarized against others who think differently than us.

During Jesus’s time, there was a wide array of opinions. A lot of those living around Jesus were in captivity and were hoping for a leader to free them from their anguish. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells them why they are blessed to live in their present time.

When looking at the world today, we can easily forget that we are living in a year of our Lord. Jesus already walked the earth. The revelation has already occurred. Our understanding of this revelation, though, grows as we move through history. We gain further insights about God as human knowledge increases. Those who lived generations before us had no idea what would come after them. We have the potential to know things at a deeper level than all preceding generations. Think about how any relationship has grown with time. This is the same for mankind’s relationship with God. It is such a great gift to have the advances of history supporting us today.

When I think about the Kingdom of God, I see it as a process. It is one of constant striving. We can take steps back and steps forward, We are called to help drive human history to attain the kingdom. I am grateful for those who have helped get us this far; it is now our time to help further make the kingdom a reality.

How blessed are we to live now! The generations before us had no idea how God’s revelation would be further understood throughout history, as we do not know what will come after us. We are blessed to be chosen to live right now.