Our beginning and our end

Our beginning and our end

My thoughts went immediately to the book of The Revelation when I read these words, “our beginning and our end”, from this Collect for the Second Sunday of Epiphany. I would be the first to hold my hands up and say that I find the book of The Revelation difficult and confusing — so please don’t expect anything too dramatic in this post.

Given my lack of real understanding of the book of The Revelation, why is that where my thoughts drift to on this occasion? One of the recommended readings for use at funerals is Revelation 21:1-7. It’s the one our Priest at Godmanchester would usually choose if the bereaved family have no preference themselves. So it’s a reading I’ve heard, and indeed read, quite a lot. It is also the reading I chose to read at my brother-in-laws funeral last summer. The words that form the link in my mind are to be found in verse six, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

This is God speaking to St John in his vision, that is the book of The Revelation. As I understand it, the word translated here as “beginning” doesn’t simply mean the first point in time, but first in the sense of source of all things. And the word translated here as “end” doesn’t simply mean the end point in time, but the very goal of time, what time and life is striving to achieve. So what’s being said here is that all life begins in God and ends in God.

It’s hard to think of anything more magnificent to say about God. And at first sight it might seem to remove God to such a distance that we’re no more to him than flies on a windowpane. But the rest of verse six goes on to say, “To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” All God’s greatness is at the disposal of humanity. “God so loved the world that he gave…” (John 3:16). The splendour of God is used to satisfy the thirst of the longing heart.

That’s the love that God has for each and every one of us. That’s the love that we’re reminded of in this prayer on this Second Sunday of Epiphany.

Eternal Lord,
our beginning and our end:
bring us with the whole creation
to your glory, hidden through past ages
and made known
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Additional Collect for The Second Sunday of Epiphany
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council