A love that has no end – Revelation 21: 1-4    

^“ I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them;  >span class="text">and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.’ 

The week before Easter is called Holy Week and is the time when we share with Jesus his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by His death and resurrection on Easter Day.

In our deepest thoughts, we still hold memories of that first garden, Eden, and of that pure and open relationship between God and humanity.  We still feel a deep yearning for a closer relationship with God than we have now, and continually listen for His voice calling us by name.

God wants our lives to be like a well-watered garden in themselves, a place where we can rest and have a deep connection with Him and listen to His voice.

There are times when this Garden seems so far away, yet there are times when moments of wholeness breakthrough and a feeling of the very real and undeniable presence of God suddenly overwhelms us.  Have you ever stood still and allowed the immense wonder of God and his universe to overwhelm you?  It is a momentous feeling.

We have just been thinking of the Garden of Eden, but there is another garden, the one promised to us at the end of our lives, the Garden of God spoken about in Revelation chapter 2 verse 7.  “To everyone who overcomes I will give permission to eat from the tree of life, which is in the garden of God.”  God’s reward to us is to enjoy His presence for ever.

The circle is complete.  The story of God’s unending love to us through the ages has been fulfilled.

Now the gate to the Garden is open again.  The stone is rolled away and the road to new life is ahead.  If stones do block our way, they can be removed.  Stones of guilt and doubt, of fear and shame, of hesitation.  All that hinders our communion with God can be removed, the stone of exile is rolled away.

Jesus, our loving Jesus, stands at the garden gate to welcome us to His everlasting kingdom.

Prayer – the Collect for Easter 2:

Risen Christ, for whom no door is locked, no entrance barred; open the doors of our hearts, that we may seek the good of others and walk the joyful road of sacrifice and peace, to the praise of God the Father. Amen