O-C S 10) The separating Power of Things Present

Just to dip into Morrison again - in that list of things that cannot separate us from the love of God like neither death nor life, angels nor demons....he chose three words: neither things present (Rom 8:18).

He warns that things present, everyday tasks, can blind us to the great realities of God's love in Christ. 

- because of their exceeding nearness.  You can blot out the sun with a coin if you only hold it near enough the eye.  The round of present duties....absorb us, commanding every energy. Near things are so swift to tyrannize...we all need moments of withdrawal. To halt a moment just to say 'God loves me', 'God is here'...to take away the coin to see the wonder of the sun.

- because of the difficulty of understanding present things.  It's always easier to understand our yesterdays...but it is difficult reading love in the dark characters of present things. 

- because of the distraction of things present.  Life isn't a little bundle of big things; it's a big bundle of little things.  What things escape us in our unending busyness.

Jesus gives us the perfect example of untiring labour and unruffled calm. He gains the conquest over things to come. When Calvary was coming He was joyous. He set His face steadily towards Jerusalem. Yet....never doubting the love of God to him, certain of it in his darkest hour, through broken days , through never-ending calls.... not only did he master things to come, but he did what is often far more difficult - he mastered the separating power of things present. Do not forget He did all that for us. In a deep sense we do not win our victories; we appropriate the victories of Christ. That's why the apostle says: 'All things are yours - things present, things to come - for you are Christ's and Christ is God's.