End of the Stream
"I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1).
As I've mentioned at least once before, I love waterfalls. In a previous post, I discussed the different perspectives of looking at a waterfall from a distance versus the view from behind it. But there is another perspective – seeing it ahead as you're floating down the stream.
From that view, it appears as if the stream is coming to an end. But as we all know, that's not the case. Rather what looks to be the end, winds up producing the most beautiful billows of cascading falls as the stream moves over the edge and ever onwards into new rivers, rivulets and creeks.
In our upcoming epistle reading, Paul shares that his time to depart this life is coming soon. He uses the image of being poured out like a libation, which in the Old Testament was a drink offering poured out at the altar as the final sacrifice among others – symbolizing the dedication of one’s life to God.
But how did Paul know his death was coming soon? Maybe the Lord told him. Or perhaps he could simply see that the tides were turning as Christian persecution was on the rise. And as a prisoner in Rome and one of the most prominent believers in the Empire, he likely would have realized that such a turn could mean only one thing for him – execution.
But Paul gives no indication of despair. Rather, he reflects on his service to the Lord and anticipates his future in God's presence where he'll be rewarded for his life of faithfulness.
Friends, if we could see far enough ahead, we'd all be able to view the end of our own "stream" here on earth. But as believers, we need not despair nor fear. Rather, like Paul, we're called to live in a way that will allow us at the finish line to echo honestly his words: "I've fought the good fight. I've finished the race." And let's remember that when that day does come, it won't mark the end for those who belong to Christ. Instead, because of his sacrifice on our behalf, our journey over the edge of that stream will one day have us reveling amidst the beauty, joy and bliss of the waterfalls that billow into the river of life and flow among God's eternal kingdom.
Fr. Darin+
