I’ve recently wondered about this weighty theological term redemption. You see, I’m not sure we understand its implications very well. While driving near a bay in Guam looking out over the pacific from a small cliff I had these dramatic, sorta cheesy thoughts. I jotted them down either while driving or shortly after. Even though it’s rough and a little embarrassing, I’ll write them out for you:
“Just how far and wide do the echoes of redemption resound? We have restricted this redemption word by only letting our post-life souls enjoy it. We haven’t allowed ourselves to dance wildly in our own redemption. Austin, let go of redemption’s throat. It wants to breathe.”
I know I was moved by the waves and the beauty of the water and the vastness of the ocean, but looking past my over-dramatized writing I wonder what we’ve done to God’s redeeming work in our lives. I worry we’ve short changed him and his power to ONLY apply to our afterlife. Surely the kingdom or heaven, the miracles, the cross, the resurrection, the words, the parables… surely they weren’t intended to “merely” protect and reward our after we die.
What if our redemption changed and made beautiful the way we spend our money? What if we extended this “making right what’s ruined” by making sure we don’t over fish tuna, or what if we gave our possessions away rather than hoarding them? What if we talked sweetly to our parents when they didn’t deserve it, or what if God made right the way we kiss and hold hands and hug each other? What if God’s redemption gave us a nice and hardy push toward the path Jesus walked called the kingdom of heaven… maybe then we wouldn’t have to wait for heaven to be transformed and happy… maybe we could experience heaven in an aids hospice or on a hike or kissing a pretty girl or while giving a kid new shoes or singing at the top of our lungs.
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while reading your thoughts Austin, I said to my self, "what exactly does redemption mean?" so, as I so often do, I went to dictionary.com and this is what I found:
1. deliverance; rescue.
2. Theology. deliverance from sin; salvation.
3. atonement for guilt.
4. repurchase, as of something sold.
Although this gives us an idea of what this word might mean (and i really like a few of these), it's so much deeper than this! I think this word must be something we have to experience to even have the slightest understanding.
Redemption has always been a bit blurry with me as well. I can never seem to get a grasp on it's true deffinition, it's worth. Personally, I don't think one really can explain or fully understand what it means.
My understanding of it would be a word close to God's love. We don't deserve it. Not in the least. Yet ask, believe, and Ye shall recieve.
Redemption is a word so full of love and pain and glory, I think we can only understand it when we meet it'g giver.
i like ya'lls thoughts a lot. a "redeemer" in the old testiment would buy back someone enslaved due to debt or war or whatever... they would literally pay their debt. a redeemer would set someone free and give them they're life back.
in the case with Jesus another definition might be to make right what is wronged, although we have a word for that... reconciliation. i agree with bryan in that we can best understand it by having it happen to us, but in the FULL, overwhelm all areas of life way.
the scary question to come out of that is...
"if we're only looking forward to the end redemption. if redemption has only been allowed to change 'where we'll end up', then has redemption really taken place?"
"many will say to me on that day...."
i don't intend to scare. but it's possible to play church and never Jesus actually give you a new heart.
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