I have a practice of sending morning texts to my family members. Sometimes it’s a meme, or a photo from the past, or just a quick morning hello to start the day. As I’ve continued this practice, I’ve come across lots of memes and cartoons and other silly things that seem to not only flourish but multiply on the internet. One of my favorites is this: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

The joy of Christian faith is that the God who entered human history in Jesus of Nazareth, the God who is present in the here and now through the power of the Holy Spirit, that God will one day come in glory. In Jesus, God is telling us that everything will be okay in the end. No hurt is permanent, no sorrow is absolute, no loss lasts forever, no defeat is insurmountable. This joy is not a denial of the reality of suffering. If the life of Jesus tells us anything, it is that suffering, discouragement, disappointment, frustration, and even death, are very, very real. And yet, amidst that reality, Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of God will overcome it all. God’s love is so great, it will conquer all the world’s horrors. God’s love is so prodigious, no evil can possibly prevail against it. Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.                                              Revelation 21:4 (NLT)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]