The contrast between the way the book of Revelation and the Gospel of Luke talk about the end of history can shape our spirituality. Revelation uses exotic images — dragon, 1000 year long reign, large white throne, book of life, pool of fire. Jesus in the gospel is more down to earth: “Consider the fig tree.” Given the popularity of the “Left Behind” series many people are fascinated by Revelation. The danger in looking for God in the extraordinary is that you can miss God in something as ordinary as a tree going to bud. Finding God in the ordinary seems to reflect the style of Jesus who, in the parables, showed that something as everyday as a woman breaking bread reveals the presence of God.
