Musings From A Rolling Eyed Turtle

We love before and after stories.  Whether its weight loss or rags to riches or breaking out of addictions or home makeover episodes on TV, we love to see those big changes.  And the greater the change from the before to the after, the more compelling and thrilling the story is. But some of the most compelling and thrilling before and afters are actually found in the Bible.  Take these for example: Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.  (1 Peter 2:10) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  (2 Cor 5:17) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  (Eph 2:13) Did you catch those before and afters?  Allow me to summarize them and use bullet points for clarity: Not a people, now God’s people; Had not received mercy, but now have received it; The old has passed away

In the past two years, many have felt restrained and confined while living under this still present dark cloud of COVID.  Perhaps it’s been through the:   ·          Social distancing and the unintended consequences it’s had on relationships;   ·          Shelter at home orders or the lockdowns that ended up isolating people;   ·          Requirements of wearing face coverings that diminished our ability to communicate;   ·          Vaccination mandates that have put some at risk of losing employment.   Restrained and confined, it sounds like and actually fits the definition for the word “prisoner”. This word “prisoner” appears in Zechariah 9:12 (ESV).  Some versions have translated the word as “captives” or “exiles” or even “hostages”.  None particularly sound like something that I would want to  be! However, if you look at the verse, and this is where you will find the word used in a surprisingly counter-intuitive way, it refers to a prisoner of hope:  “Return