Laughing Now

It was late at night not long ago, way past midnight, and I was thinking—thinking about these two things: God is love and Jesus is the Savior of the world. (You’ll find these two thoughts in the fourth chapter of First John.) Just thinking about these two things made me want to laugh. The urge to laugh seemed like a mystical and holy thing. I wrote these words down…

Laughing Now

Something is happening to me
Something is bubbling up in me
Like I’m about to laugh
Like I just heard the best news
Unexpected—but always longed for
A secret—that I’ve always known
Everything is going to be alright

I believe!
Like never before
I believe in Jesus
I believe what the Gospels tell
What the Creeds confess
What the Bible says

But it’s more than that
How can I explain?
I believe this is greatest wonder of all
God became human
To heal humanity

I believe Jesus is All in All
All things are summed up in him
He is the restoration of all things
He is the Savior of the world

I believe beauty will save the world
I look at the cruciform and I see that beauty
Arms outstretched to forgive and embrace
Even the enemy
With his wounds
Healing a world gone wrong

Sin forgiven
Satan defeated
War abolished
Hell plundered
Death destroyed
Creation restored
All things made new

All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well

I believe the gospel John gave
The Galilean carpenter who is the eternal I AM
Bread. Light. Life.
Gate. Vine. Truth.
Water. Shepherd. Resurrection.
I believe we can eat his flesh, drink his blood
And live forever

I believe the vision John saw
New Jerusalem. New Heaven. New Earth.
I’m laughing now because I believe these things
I believe it when Jesus says—
Behold, I make all things new!
I’m laughing now because I believe that in the end
Love wins

Love believes all things
Love hopes all things
What would love believe about God?
Believe that
What would love hope for humanity?
Hope for that
And while you’re at it—
Laugh now
(If just for a little bit)

BZ

(The painting is “Laughing Jesus” by I Gede Sukana Karina)