Looking Back and Looking Forward ...

Saturday, Dez 21, 2019. Christmas is coming, and many of us have holiday to spend time with the family or to take time out, relax and get some distance to our normal duties. It is time to think about life, about MY life. It is time to think about what is really important to me.

What is important to you? Can we quickly check the options? Can we go through what is important to you personally? Let us imagine we sit together over a tee, or perhaps with a glass of wine or beer. Imagine as old friends we talk about what happened in the past 12 month. We look forward into our plans for the next year. What is it that we could achieve. What is it where we failed. What is coming? Are we afraid of some things? Are we looking forward to others?

Important Things and People in my Life …

Perhaps there are people which are important to you. You might have good friends, or a partner, or kids, or parents. Sometimes we really like some people who do not know that we love them, that we care for them. Not all of us take it easy to express our feelings.

Perhaps we can look back and be happy about some things we could achieve. Some write articles or books or other forms of publications. Some of us were responsible for some project and it went well. Others care for people, the nurses and doctors in the hospital. They are happy that they managed to do some of their work well - even if the pressure and stress of work is quite difficult.

We might also think about those tasks which we did not achieve, where we did not succeed. Perhaps we did only a little part of what we planned to do, just because everything went differently from what we would have chosen. Perhaps we did some stupid things, said stupid words, or got into a fight where we should have been quiet (even if we were right).

To me personally, there are many important people and many important things. But there is one core person in my life, which is giving all things and all people the right framework. It is the Lord, the creator, the God of this universe. I know him as God, the father. I know him as Jesus, the son. And I know him as the holy spirit, who fills my heart and my mind. God is both the framework and the content from which I can face my past and my future! Let me explain this a little more …

Jesus in the Past and in the Future …

When I look back, I can face the past month in a calm and honest way, since the spirit helps me. I need to see things clearly, without prejudice towards anyone, including myself. “In Jesus” all my guilt is taken away. So I know that I do not have to fear my own guilt. He is taking it anyway. I can look at it. I can see my failures, my mistakes. I can see where I am evil. I do not need to ignore or deny it.

In the gospel of John, Jesus is called the lamb of God. He is called the lamb in many places. “The lamb” is the title of honor for Jesus, in particular when the revelation talks about his role in heaven.

29 The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1, 29)

Jesus is taking away the sin of the world. This is important for everyone. It means that we can have a new beginning. Today can be a time of a new beginning. Tomorrow can be a time of a new beginning. He has taken away what can destroy us. He is taking away what brings death and destruction. The sin of the world is taken into this death at Calvary. There is so much future in this, when the lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. It takes away my sin, but also your sin and the sin of everyone else - all who believe in him.

Let us take the lamb of God into all our past. Let us forgive, and be forgiven. Let us take the lamb of God into our presence. We want him here and now, in this very minute, to fill us with his mercy, with his thankfulness, his clarity, his peace and his vibrant life. Let us take the lamb of God into our future. Let him be the defining power of what we are, let him be the father, Lord and guide in each and every part of our life. In his freedom, we will experience unbelievable wonders, each and every day. (Roland Potthast)

This is part of the trilogy project “Faith of a Scientist”.