The question was: "Do you say all will be saved?"

I'm in Washington ... Tacoma to be exact. Here's the view from my very cool hotel window...

... where I've had an hour to "freshen up" before heading over to meet with the good folks from Equal Rights Washington for "Taking the Lead"... conversations about marriage equality and coalition builiding in faith communities. Good work. Exciting work. Work that it's an honor to be part of and work that I'm grateful All Saints supports me in doing on behalf of our wider witness to the church and to the world.

So ... since I had a few minutes here in the hotel ... I checked in and watched the end of the Rector's Forum with Fr. Roy Bourgeois (which was WONDERFUL ... do go visit our Forum Archives and check it out next week when the video's up. Trust me!)

And then I checked this blog to see if there were any comments that needed moderated. There were. And one of them was on the post a few days ago about the Christ Church video. The commenter went on for a bit and then ended with a question -- and the question was: "Do you say all will be saved?"

And what immediately came to my mind was this poem by Tobias Haller. I used it last year in my sermon on Healing Sunday and so am offering here ... somewhat on the run ... in answer to that question and in response to the seemingly overwhelming challenges facing us every time we dare to crawl out from under the covers and put our feet on the floor and head out to spend one more day trying to turn the human race into the human family ... to proclaim God's love, justice and compassion ... to work to make equality "the new normal."

More later. Sunday blessings, all!

Nothing will be lost
by Tobias Haller

Beloved sisters and brothers, let me tell you a mystery.
Nothing will be lost. All will be restored.
In the economy of salvation, nothing goes to waste.
Our God is not a God of acceptable losses.
Nothing God has made deserves God’s hatred.
Everything that is was created in love.
Each atom, every blade of grass,
and most of all each human soul,
reposes in the assurance of divine, unalterable love.
Nothing will be lost. All will be restored.

“All? All?” I ask. “What, all?
Even those who turned their backs?
Even those who through free will
rejected you, the Will that gave them freedom?”

“Yes,” says the Lord, “all will be restored.
Nothing will be lost.”

“How, Lord?” I ask.
“How will they be redeemed
who turn away? How will their blind eyes see?
How will their hard hearts melt?”

God answers patiently, “Love will turn them ‘round.

My love turns stars, you know,
it turns the universe; and though a human heart is heavier in my eyes
than a thousand, thousand white dwarf cores,
my love will turn it; wait and see!
All will be restored. Nothing will be lost.”

“When, Lord?” I ask.
“When will the wound be healed?”
“Don’t you know, my Child?” God answers.
“The healing has begun.
It started with the coming of my Son.

This was the new beginning,
just as long before,
when through him all that is was made.
The healing has begun.
Nothing will be lost.
All will be restored.”

“Is it really that simple?” I ask. “Can the wound be healed with a touch?”
“The healing will take a bit longer,” God answers, then pauses.

“O.K., I’ll be honest; it’s you subcontractors, the partners in redemption with my Son.

The specifications are clear,
‘Love God and each other,’
and the plan is concise:
‘one house, many mansions.’

But you seem so intent on constructing outhouses, rock gardens and car parks!
Instead of a banqueting hall you construct fast-food stands!
There are times I regret I extended the work force past Yahweh & Son.
But what’s done is done.

The only thing in all my creation
I don’t mind losing is time.
I’ll have the job done right
if it takes forever,
and we’ll keep at it together until we get it right.

I am not a God of acceptable losses.
I won’t cut corners; cost overruns don’t phase me.
Nothing will be lost. All will be restored.”
And so, my beloved in Christ,

I give you this word:
now is the time for the children to grow up,
now is the time for the heirs to inherit.
Nothing will be lost.
All will be restored.
And now is the time.

The whole world is waiting,
the stars hold their breath,
the wild beasts and cattle regard us with growing impatience,
the birds hover over us, the fish all tread water,
the trees shrug in wonder, or stand limbs akimbo,
and deep in our hearts God’s Spirit is groaning:
“Be reborn, beloved, become what you are and the world will be free.”
The Spirit is crying:
“Look up to the light, your hearts will be whole
and the wound will be healed.”
The Spirit is singing: “My children, my children are home!”

====

Become what you are and the world will be free. And that, my brothers and sisters, is my prayer for each and every one of you on this day. That the healing risen in the wings of the one who loved us enough to become one of us will surround you, fill you, transform and empower you to be all of who you were created to be. That every part of your body, soul, mind and spirit will be restored to a place of health wholeness -- and will rest in the assurance of divine, unalterable love. That God will send each and every one of us out to be vehicles of God’s love, blessing and healing – out into a world yearning to be free – free of violence, hunger, fear and hatred. To be conduits of that power behind us that is greater than the challenge ahead of us.

Because now is the time for the children to grow up, now is the time for the heirs to inherit. Nothing will be lost. All will be restored. And now is the time.