Repent.
Bet you thought that was going to be followed by a “the end is near.” Or maybe you were expecting some fire and brimstone “the gates of hell await you” stuff, or “the fiery pit.” Or even “repent or perish.”
Okay, Jesus actually did say that last one, kind of, (Luke 13:3) but you’d be taking it completely out of context and it’s a bit of a misread to hear it as condemnation.
That seems to be where we most often go with “repent,” though. Change your ways or you’ll be punished. Or ended. Bad things will happen to you if you don’t change your ways. You’ll get what you deserve in the end (said with a threatening tone). I’m sure you’ve heard it or heard it said about someone else. After all, bad people go to hell, right?
Well, some people might find some comfort in hearing that when it’s said about others. It can be pretty easy to rationalize when it’s said to you (am I really being all that bad?) and we’re pretty good at ignoring it. But knowing bad people are going to go somewhere bad can be pretty powerful. So you better repent or else.
If you believe that. I don’t. Being held accountable in this life is one thing, we can effect that here, but saying that you or anyone else is going to “the bad place” in the next life just doesn’t seem right to me. If you preach that God’s love is unconditional and God’s grace is for all - and I acknowledge that not everyone does, but I believe it is - then everyone goes to God. There is no hell in the next life. Yes, I said it. There’s certainly lots of hell here, more than enough, but I just think that we are created in love to be good and we’ll return to that love when we die.
I have lots more to say about that, for another time, but it brings me to my point about repentance, at least how I think Jesus means it. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near” kicks off the ministry of both Jesus and John the Baptist. That wording’s in Matthew’s gospel, at least, and I think the intention is there in the others and throughout Christian scripture. I think it’s fundamental to understanding Jesus.
Repentance is about making a fundamental change, turning away from the bad/evil/wickedness/sin - you can pick your religious or non-religious wording here, they’re all complicated - and returning to the good, turning back to God. I’m saying “returning” and “turning back” because I believe we’re created good, created with the divine spirit in us (it gives us life) and we wander and become distanced from it. I often quote the old anglican prayer, “turn from your wickedness and live” because I think that’s what we do: reconnecting with the divine spirit that’s in us is life-giving. Repentance turns us to the spirit that is good, loving and creative, filled with grace and compassion, connected to all the world around us. It turns us to the life that brings heaven here.
I think it’s really easy to read many of the stories of Jesus as offering condemnation and threatening judgement on “sinners.” But, if the kingdom of heaven is so close, maybe Jesus is simply offering a challenge to change, to repent, and the grace to make space for that change in this life. It’s not about where we might go next, it’s about what we can be and create and live here. So. Repent.
