Future Glory

I'm reading Miracles by C.S. Lewis right now.

I'm also listening to a ton of Andrew Peterson.

Today, I found a beautiful connection between something Lewis says in his book and something Peterson sings in one of his songs.

A portion of Miracles by Lewis says,

"For God is not merely mending, not simply restoring a status quo.  Redeemed humanity is to be something more glorious than unfallen humanity would have been, more glorious than any unfallen race is (if at this moment the night sky conceals any such.)  The greater the sin, the greater the mercy: the deeper the death the brighter the rebirth.  And this super-added glory will, with true vicariousness, exalt all creatures and those who have never fallen will thus bless Adam's fall."
 
And as I was listening to Andrew Peterson's song, "Don't You Want to Thank Someone," this portion reminded me of what Lewis said above.

And when the world is new again
And the children of the King
Are ancient in their youth again
Maybe it's a better thing
A better thing
To be more than merely innocent
But to be broken then redeemed by love


You can listen to the entire song below. 



I am also reminded of the Japanese pottery called Kintsugi.  A pot that's been broken is mended with gold, making it even more beautiful than it was before. That's like us. 

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about.

 

Of course, Adam didn't have to sin.  But he did. So did we.  And God did something beautiful about it all. Everything He touches becomes beautiful, of course. 

Lewis says, "But once the Son of God, drawn hither not be our merits but by our unworthiness, has put on human nature, then our species (whatever it may have been before) does become in one sense the central fact in all Nature: our species, rising after its long descent, will drag all Nature up with it because in our species the Lord of nature is now included."

More than anything, these ideas cause me to hope in the future glory.  "Peering into the future, I see gleams of gold," as Lewis puts it.  I was glad to be alive before this, now I am ecstatic about my own existence.  God has, is, and will continue to do something beautiful.  I get to be a witness, more than that, a participant. What a privilege.

"...the glad Creator. He has become Himself incarnate, " says Lewis.

His condescension has made us great. Psalm 18:35

His glory is ours is His.

Amen.