All Things New (or, 'Do Our Pets Go to Heaven?')

Hopefully we can all agree that the redeeming act of Christ is not only about saving individuals from their sins, and so allowing them to avoid Hell and one day go to Heaven. We are on the right track if we add that the resurrection allows those ‘saved’ individuals to enter into “the fullness of life” and to “have life abundantly”, to walk with Christ and have a personal relationship with Him, to have Christ dwell in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, and so on. But even that is not the end of the story. What more could there be, you ask?

I think that the inability for people to see beyond this stage is due to an obsessive focus on the individual, which blinds them to the real meaningfulness of the resurrection. Yes, Christianity is about the individual. But it is not only about the individual – and to fixate purely on the individual is, in my opinion, to miss the awesomeness of Christianity, and the significance of Christ. You see, redemption concerns not just you, not just me, but everything. Every. Single. Thing. The planet. The Universe. Existence itself.

This is quite clear in the Bible, which begins with God creating the Universe. The Garden of Eden was what creation was supposed to be like. Sin tarnished that perfection, and as a consequence, everything changed – not just individuals, who would grow old and die, suffer the pains of childbirth, and so on – but creation itself. There would be diseases and natural disasters; animals would kill each other for food; and so on. We all know the next chapter in the play - "for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son..." Normally, we think of "the world" as mankind, but actually the Greek word here is kosmon - i.e., the cosmos, the universe, everything. Accordingly, Christ’s work of washing away our sins does not just make each one of us a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17); it also makes all of creation new.  “He who sits on the throne” declares this outright in Revelation 21:5 (emphasis added): “Behold, I am making all things new.” That includes you and me, who will inherit the ‘spiritual bodies’ of Christ. But it also includes the rest of creation. Animals will no longer eat each other for food, for example – “the wolf will lie down with the lamb” (Isaiah 11:6). Yes, there will be a “new heaven and a new earth”; but notice that in Revelation 21 the New Jerusalem “comes down out of heaven” and descends to the Earth, as opposed to us being carried away to some faraway place.

Alas, we must wait until the preordained time for this renewal to be fully completed. Acts 3: 19-21 (emphasis added) expresses it thus: “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” Until then, just as humans still must engage in arduous labour and suffer the pains of childbirth, so too “the whole creation” is “subjected to futility” and “groans and suffers the pain of childbirth” (Romans 8:19-23). That groaning is the expression of not only pain, but also the eager expectation that one day we will experience “our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body”. In like manner, “creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God”, when it will be “set from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Notice the wording of this final quote – creation will enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Just as man’s sin led to the corruption of the rest of creation, so too man’s redemption will lead to the restoration of the rest of creation.

We painfully long for eternity because God has “written eternity into the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). But He has also written eternity into the Universe itself, which “declares the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). The Universe is not only inconceivably vast and complex, but moreover continues to expand. Now, the expansion of the Universe is not like the expansion of a balloon, because that is merely a displacement of space – the balloon takes up space that already exists. The expansion of the Universe is not like that – rather, it is the expansion of space itself. Why would God create such a massive Universe – one which continues to expand – if everything were just about us? Why not just make the Earth (perhaps along with the sun, moon, and other ‘celestial bodies’ essential to life on Earth, in a version of the teleological models of astronomy prevalent in medieval times)? It is because (I would think) creation is an expression of God’s eternal, unfathomable, and absolute glory, which existence itself literally cannot contain. Although we are “made in His image”, the Universe contains His fingerprints. What makes us ‘special’ is not that we are eternal and everything else is temporal; rather, it is that we, unlike other creatures, have the ability to behold God’s eternal glory, and marvel. It is man, in fact, that is responsible for the corruption of the world (by which I mean 'creation') - we do not need to be saved from the world; rather, the world needs to be saved from our sins.

I think that one reason that the significance of Christ's redemption becomes obscured (and belittled) in modern Christianity is that Jesus is seen as a person whose existence began at approximately 30 years BC with the virgin birth. It is relatively indisputable that Jesus was God; for example, when He came to earth, he identified Himself with the “I AM” of the Old Testament (John 18:6). In fact, however, Jesus was there right from the start – from the creation of the Universe. In Genesis 1:26, God declares, referring to the plural Trinity “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”; in John 1:3 we learn that “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” Furthermore, just as Jesus was there in the beginning, so too He will be there in the consummation of all things: in Revelation 22:13, Jesus identifies Himself as “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13).

The redemption of Christ is therefore woven into the fabric of creation. An extensive passage from Colossians 1:15-20 (emphasis added) sums this up best:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.”

This association of "things on earth" and "things in heaven" is particularly germane. It implies that Heaven is not some 'never never land'. As C. S. Lewis has remarked in Mere Christianity, our lives in this world contain traces of both Heaven and Hell. After all, God’s original design was for us to live forever on the Earth. Hell, meanwhile, was not even part of the picture – that was created for Satan and the rest of the demons. The redemption of Christ, therefore, should return us to that original Heavenly design (this is not the place for a discussion of Hell, but it should be clear that the non-human parts of creation, which have not sinned, cannot be judged in the same way as the human parts). In fact, the idea that Heaven is 'somewhere else' may have derived from the constant Biblical reference to 'the heavens', which in fact refers to 'the sky' - not to Heaven itself (this is an uneducated speculation, however).

With this in mind, I would like to go on a tangent of sorts to address a question that many of us have probably asked at one point or another – “do our pets go to Heaven?” The traditional response is that animals do not have souls, let alone spirits, and so no, they will not go to Heaven; rather, they will fade away into oblivion like the rest of creation (this response is usually coupled with the remark that it won’t matter, because our affection will be completely directed towards Jesus). But therein lies the flaw of this response – the rest of creation will be in Heaven, because it will be restored, precisely because of Jesus. So yes, I would say that of course our pets will be in Heaven, along with all that is good about creation (and more – a lot more). After all, is this really so outlandish? Isn’t it equally bizarre that our intangible souls should somehow depart from our tangible bodies and find their way to some other-dimensional Heaven? Isn't the Resurrection itself equally fantastical? (This reminds me of the old argument that Christianity is false because it includes miracles, which disobey the 'laws of nature'. Well, duh...)

In his book the Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis suggests that just as we are raised in Christ in the End, so too animals may be raised in us (or at least the animals to which we have had a relationship, such as our pets). Later he even “ventured the supposal” that even “a great deal even of the inanimate creation is raised in the redeemed souls who have, during this life, taken its beauty into themselves” Indeed, he suggests that this “may be the way in which the ‘new heaven and the new earth’ are formed.

“Of course”, as Lewis admits, “we can only guess and wonder.” But the point of this post nevertheless remains: Jesus came not only to save people from their sins, but also, and in so doing, restore all of creation to its original design.

Crossing Over: Breaking Free versus Entering In

Having just returned from a really great Bible study, I feel the urge to write down some thoughts that were inspired during the session. In particular, I find it interesting to think simultaneously about two different 'crossings' that the people of Israel had to make during their journey from Egypt to Canan, and what they could represent for the people of God in today's world.

The first crossing that the Israelites had to make was over the Red Sea, out of the bondage of Egypt and into the wilderness of Sinai. We know from elsewhere in scripture that Egypt is a representation of the world. So, clearly, escaping the bondage of Egypt is equivalent to being freed from the bondage of sin - that is, being saved. However, after crossing the Red Sea, a long time elapsed (40 years, to be precise) until the Israelites actually entered into the Promised Land. So we cannot treat 'being saved' as tantamount to entering into everything that God has in store for us. Indeed, taking possession of the Promised Land involved many more hurdles, not least of which, in a literal sense, was the River Jordan.

This 'second crossing' is more difficult for the Christian. When we crossed the Red Sea, we were running from death, which was 'biting at our heels' in like manner to Pharoah's chariots. Making the leap of faith in those circumstances was a no-brainer. This time, however, we are not running away from death, but rather into life. Having already been freed from the curse of Egypt, we must now embrace the blessing of Canan. Although this land is "flowing with milk and honey", it is also ridden with trials and tribulations - think of the marauding giants, walled cities, foreign gods and cunning enemies that awaited the Israelites. So by crossing the Jordan, we are willingly entering into a battle, rather than running away from one.

Many will not make this second crossing, lingering instead in a sort of limbo. Although the Israelites loathed it, they had become comfortable in the wilderness, and were not willing to make the second crossing. Likewise, it is possible to be saved from condemnation but not fully 'enter in' to what God has in store for us. Like the Israelites, people that linger in this wilderness will wander aimlessly. They will feel an intense dissatisfaction, deprivation, and alienation, even to the point of yearning for the days of Egypt, when, although they were enslaved, at least they had some kind of 'home', and did not have to rely on divine provision. (Or, if they grew up in a Christian household and have been Christians for as long as they can remember, they may envy the otensible freedom enjoyed by non-believers to partake in the things of the world). Like the Israelites, they will construct idols (Golden Calves and so on) in an attempt to fill this void, ultimately leading to further misery and death.

Just as God had to wait for a new generation to emerge before leading the Israelites into Canon, there is almost a second rebirth that must occur for us to make the second crossing. Rather than lingering in the 'death in life' of the wilderness, we must embrace 'life in death'. Indeed, this rebirth must happen on a daily basis, even though we are already saved; we all have the potential to linger in the wilderness if we so choose. Perhaps not coincidentally, Jesus Himself was baptised in the Jordan, setting an example of how to enter into the life which He came to give so abundantly.

In short, breaking free is not the same as entering in. Although they are both part of the journey to the Promised Land, they involve distinct 'crossings over'. Moreoever, it is possible to make the first crossing, but not the second - to become trapped (or rather, to trap ourselves) in the limbo of the wilderness, freed from the yoke of slavery but wandering without purpose, ticking off the days until we 'cross over' into the afterlife but never 'crossing over' into the life that God has prepared for us and promised us.

The Path of Virtue

Pre-Script: This post will be brief and probably unedited due to time constraints.

Yesterday I had the privilege of doing something that I really love – walking in the Lake District. Besides the stunning scenery, the rich, fresh air, and the invigorating exercise, something I always appreciate about this pastime is the symbolism of the journey (see my previous posts on walking). On the way to your goal (the mountain peak), you experience hardships and blessings; you make choices and face their consequences; you work hard and reap the rewards.

On this particular walk, I (re)learned two virtues in particular. The first was patience. Normally on a walk, I like to do the hard part first. On this walk, however, I had to walk for almost an hour before starting the ascent. I began to grow very impatient about half an hour in, and decided to try to cut across country rather than follow the path. As is so often the case when we lean on our own understanding, or follow the way that seems right to us, this ‘shortcut’ ended up becoming more of a ‘long-cut’. Sure, it was shorter as the crow flies; but I ain’t no crow, and had to traverse a thick bog for about a mile. When I finally reached the base of the mountain, my boots were soaked through, my spirits battered. If I had only followed the path set out for me, I would have reached the same destination in less time and with far less hassle!

I learned the second virtue – faith – shortly thereafter. My plan was to climb the mountain via a path that followed a waterfall. Although the path was marked on the map, I couldn’t make it out standing at the bottom of the falls. I again decided to take a detour, which again cost me greatly. Furthermore, when I arrived at the top of the mountain, I could see that there was indeed a path next the falls. So not only did I take an unnecessary detour, but I also missed out on seeing the waterfall. This reminded me that, even if we eventually reach our final destination, a lack of faith can mean that we miss out on the blessings that God has for us.

I was reminded of other virtues as well, not least perseverance – the will to keep climbing, to keep ‘pressing on to the prize’, despite heaving lunges and burning legs. I was reminded of gratefulness – not taking for granted the incredible place that I was in. I was reminded of wisdom – assessing that a steep gully was not the safest route of descent. And finally, I was re-reminded of patience – descending carefully with small, purposeful steps.

This was indeed a path of virtue!

Re: Work

As usual, as soon as I post a blog, new ideas come to mind that should have been included in the original post. This time, however, the ideas came from a good friend, Ryan Warren, who recently gave a sermon on "Work, Rest, and Play" (http://www.providenceconway.org/sermons/sermon/2014-02-23/who-we-are---rhythms:-rest--work--and-play). I listened to this talk shortly after posting my blog, and found that it was rich with insightful content. It also gave me some new ideas on the theme of work.

The first thing that Ryan's talk revealed to me was that our time is not spent only working or resting. There is also a third use of time, namely playing. This is important, because it shows us that we are actually meant to live life, and enjoy it "abundantly", rather than base our lives on producing. We are not on an endless sequence of work-rest-repeat.

Relatedly, the differences I mentioned in the original post between 'worldly' and 'redeemed' work are illustrated quite vividly in the Old Testament. The Israelites' bondage in Egypt was the epitome of the worldly conception of work - it was forced, assembly-line, laborious work with scarcely enough rest to allow for continued work (and certainly no play). Furthermore, the worth of the individual was measured in terms of what they produced, as each person was assigned a minimum quota of, say, brick production. If the quota was not met, the worker would receive harsh punishment. This is a clear reflection of 'the Law' - the never-ending yet impossible compulsion to earn one's own salvation, and the devastating consequences of failing to do so.

Not coincidentally, the Israelites' slavery in Egypt is also reminiscent of work in modern times. The working conditions, for instance, resemble Marx's description of factory labour during the Industrial Revolution. Continuing in a Marxian vein, the system of labour in Egypt reflected the commodification of work in modern society, whereby work is treated like a tradable commodity ('labour'), to which an exchange-value can be assigned. This implies that, in modern society, as in the Law, our worth is measured by what we produce. Furthermore, the use-value of work - its intrsinic worth - is lost. So, although we are not technically slaves in the capitalist system, we are enslaved by its fundamental laws.

I am not advocating an overthrow of capitalism, which I don't think would sit well with the rest of Biblical teaching (slaves obey your masters, anyone?). But I do think it points to the need to reform work: to make it more intrinsically valuable, and not to priortise it above rest and play, all three of which are God-given. Of course, in a fallen world, there are always some menial tasks that must be performed by humans, even if robots are performing more and more of these, and even if work reforms (such as job rotation) mitigate their tediousness somewhat. Personally, as I elaborate in my PhD thesis, I think that even these forms of labour can be 'redeemed' in a cooperative setting, which provides a sense of community and purpose (a point which ecohes Durkheim's musings on the division of labour). Again, I think that this form of menial-yet-purposeful labour, performed in a community setting, reflects much of what it means for work to be redeemed, whether in terms of 'good works' or simply your 9 to 5.

That said, this type of work reform may be a pipedream. Nevertheless, even if we remain within the present system of wage slavery, we must learn to let Christ redeem our work, and our rest. As Ryan points out in his sermon, when the Israelites were freed from bondage, God actually commanded them to rest on the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 5:12–5:15), just as Adam and Eve were commanded to work. The purpose of this rest was to ensure that the Israelites remembered from whence they had come, and how they had been delivered. We must constantly remember that, through Christ, our lives are also redeemed - even the menial (and possibly unjust) aspects of it.

Redeeming Work

Work as Evil

Work is traditionally perceived as a necessary evil – a means to the end of income, and ultimately consumption, without any (positive) intrinsic value of its own. This is, incidentally, also the characterisation adopted by mainstream economics, which treats work as merely ‘disutility’ – a welfare cost to be weighed against its extrinsic benefits of income and consumption in the allocation of time and the exertion of effort, which involve trade-offs with leisure. In short, neither mainstream society nor mainstream economics have much ‘time’ for work, given their shared preoccupation with the consumption side of the economy. It is clear, however, that work is something more – something intrinsically valuable. After all, unemployed people are rarely happy – not only due to their lack of income, but more fundamentally, due to their lack of purpose, self-actualisation, or motivation.

In the Beginning Was Work

What is the Christian conception of work? It should be noted that work is intrinsic to creation and the Creator. On the seventh day of creation, God rested, thus implying that some form of work – some exertion of effort – had occurred on the previous six days. This creative work could not have been evil, for sin had not yet arrived. Indeed, God said of His creation that ‘it was good’. Of course, just because the product of the work was good does not imply that the process of work was also good. However, creation is a unique form of labour in that the product and the process are inextricable, which is why creation is able to continually recreate itself.

Furthermore, the product and process are in turn inextricable from the producer – a work of art, and its creation, are inextricable from the artist. This stands in stark contrast to, say, assembly-line work, in which no single worker is able to identify her unique contribution to the production process, given that each worker is exposed to only a small part of that process, and given that each worker’s job can be easily replaced by another worker, or even a machine. Therefore, if God is good (which He is), then the process and product of His creation must also have been good. Indeed, this is why creation bears the ‘fingerprints’ of God – “the heavens declare the glories of God” (Psalm 19:1).

Creation does not only bear the signature of the Creator; it is also, in part, a self-portrait, because God created man “in His own image”. Part and parcel of being created in His image is that man has a unique, God-given ability to create, and to participate in the continual recreation of the earth. Indeed, the ability to work is also a responsibility: as products of God's work, we are also charged with producing. As Ephesians 2:10 tells us, "...we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Indeed, Adam and Eve were not meant to merely sit on their laurels, idly watching eternity pass by, but were charged with the task of maintaining the garden (to "work" it, in the words of Genesis 2:15), and multiplying the human species. However, this obligation to work was a far cry from the masochistic, Presbyterian sense of arduous labour as a moral duty. On the contrary, as an intrinsically creative process, gardening is one of those rare forms of labour that, even in post-fall, modern society, is widely considered to be enjoyable and therapeutic, rather than tedious and wearisome. (This is even truer of the commandment to “go forth and multiply”).

So before sin, there was work, but no ‘labour’ in the sense of ‘laborious work’. After sin, however, the relationship of man with God, the earth, and each other became less harmonious: although the producer (God) should be inseparable from the product (man), sin separates the two, as symbolised by Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden. This separation leads to a corruption of the process (work), resulting a conception of work that more closely resembles the one that is prevalent today: man is now obligated to till the soil through arduous labour in order to consume and survive, while 'going forth and multiplying' now involves painful ‘labour’ during childbirth.

The Labour of Love

Along with everything else, the redemption of work’s original design – a return to the Garden – comes through Christ. Salvation is a process of recreation: it involves the resurrection of the dead, crucified self (2 Corinthians 5:17), a process that must occur on a daily basis (Luke 9:23).  Indeed, the cross (or tree) on which Christ died mirrors the Tree of Life. Through the love of Jesus, work can (again) become not just a means (for good works are not the means of salvation), but rather an end in itself – the fruit of our faith and the overflowing of our love, rather than the punishment for our sin and the compulsion of the Law.

Not that work is necessarily easy, or even meaningful. In Ecclesiastes 2:22-3 (see also 3:9), Solomon bemoaned the inescapably arduous and futile nature of work: “For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labours under the sun? Because all his days his task is painful and grievous…” He particularly mourned the futility of working for the sake of rivalry (4:4) and mammon (4:7-8; 5:13-6), which would never bring satisfaction. These instrumental, extrinsic motivations for work are precisely those that predominate in modern society. No wonder, then, that Solomon saw these forms of work in essentially the same light as modern economics - as a trade-off with leisure: "Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. There was a certain man...there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, 'And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?' This too is vanity and it is a grievous task" (Ecclesiastes 4:7-8).

However, the 'good works' that we are to carry out are a different sort of work. Although they are bound to provoke persecution (Matthew 10:16-23), they are never meaningless, because they are not the result of a fallen world, but of the redemption of that world. In this regard, we can take lesson from Paul, who, despite being shipwrecked, imprisoned, and even stoned, continued to rejoice in his work. As he exhorts in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Part and parcel of this form of work is working with, and for, each other, rather than only for the self and against others - cooperationg and serving, rather than competing and enslaving. Indeed, the meaningful nature of 'holy work' is reflected in the juxtaposition in Ecclesiastes between working in competition with fellow man (4:4) and working in cooperation with him (5:9-12) - the former, as an inherently destructive form of labour, yielding only strife, the latter, as an inherently creative form of labour, yielding a multiplication in production.

Moreover, the work that we carry out on Christ’s behalf is not the outcome of our own exertion. Rather, as new creations in Christ, we enter into the work that has already been accomplished on the cross, which represents a return to the creation of the pre-sin garden; equivalently, the "good works" for which we created reprsent the same "goodness" that God declared about his creation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10). Thus, Jesus declares on the cross, “it is finished” (John 19:30); but at the same time, Hebrews 4:3 tells us that “…His works were finished from the foundation of the world"; or, as Solomon expresses it, "I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by" (Ecclesiastes 3:14-5).

The upshot is that, although we must carry our cross daily, we are participating in a finished work (that is just as well, because the work of salvation would be too much for us to bear!). We are able to do this by the help of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, who carries out a work in us so that, thanks to Christ's work for us, God can work through us. The goodness of God's work in which we participate, deriving from His timeless, pre-, peri-, and post-sin plan, is succinctly expresed in Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

The Rest of Grace

In Ecclesiastes 2:23, Solomon laments not only the arduous and meaningless nature of work, but also the lack of rest that accompanies it: "...even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.". However, just as we participate in the work of God the Creator, Christ the Redeemer, and the Spirit the Helper, so we participate in Their rest.

Firstly, as we are created in God's image, we are to take time to reflect on and enjoy the fruit of our labour, just as God rested from His labour on the seventh day after declaring that His work was good (Hebrews 4). Thus, immediately after lamenting the futility of work, Solomon states that “There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labour is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God” (Ecclesiastes 2:24; see also 3:12-3 and 5:18-20). Note that this rest is not mere idleness, but is rather inseparable from the work preceding it.

Furthermore, as new creations, thanks to the finished work of Christ and the work of the Spirit within us, we also participate in Christ’s rest. This is a unique form of rest, in that it results from His work, not our own; it is a rest of grace (note, however, that it is still the result of work). As Romans 4:4-5 tells us, "Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness." In other words, we receive the income, consumption, or leisure resulting from a work that was performed by Christ, not by us. As Jesus tells us in Mathew 11:28-30,“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” In a sense, the cross reverses the work-rest sequence: we receive His rest before we perform any works on our own account, and, in reponse to this love and grace, we are motivated to carry out the good works for which we were created - we become "slaves to righteousness", to use the parlance of Romans.

This is represented symbolically by the six hours for which Jesus was on the cross, corresponding to the six days of creation - a juxtaposition of death and life. Furthermore, if Jesus died on a passover, it is as if He is performing His work at the same time as everyone else is resting! This is further illustrated if we consider that Jesus was resurrected at the same time as His death, three days later - so whereas the Father rested on the seventh day, Jesus' first hour of resurrection (or 'being risen') was the seventh after being crucified three days earlier. The new life of Christ, which we also live, involves a paradoxical simultaneity of rest in work, of life in death. This is well worth remembering on those wearisome Monday mornings!

Concluding Remarks

Through Christ, the original design of work as a life-giving interaction with creation, the created, and the Creator, can be redeemed. The laboriousness of work that we currently experience on a daily basis is therefore a temporary ‘hangover’ of the fall, which will eventually subside when He makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). Until then, creation will continue to “groan” and “suffer the pains of childbirth”, eagerly and anxiously awaiting its restoration (Romans 8:22). In the meantime, however, through the finished work of Christ, we can participate in the work and rest of creation and redemption. I therefore leave you with Jesus' exhortation to his disciples (Matthew 9:37-8; Luke 10:2): “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”