We Are The City Harmonic Muestra

"Maranatha"

Like many, I watched in sorrow as the chaotic situation in Ferguson and other areas of the country revealed anew our brokenness. I grieved as city streets became trenches across the country and bitterness and injustice fueled the fires of racial tension. Our society cannot heal itself, I thought, and I couldn’t help but personalize Jesus’ prayer on the cross: ”forgive us, for we know not what we are doing”. The truth is, without a change of heart and a changed life--a change born of devotion to Jesus and the work of the Spirit, we are truly doomed. Helpless. Destined to repeat our failures.

There is a phrase in 1 Corinthians 16:22 that appears only once in the entire Bible, but we know that it became a slogan for early Church.  As Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church about living faithfully and standing together as One Body, he reminded them of our hopelessness--our curse--without devotion and love to Christ. And as the Church would later find itself facing severe persecution across the known world, this phrase became a greeting--a recognition that Christ, not Caesar, was Lord.

“Maranatha”, they said. 

Interestingly, translators have long debated what to do with it.  It seems as though, because of the way the it was written, it could mean either “Our Lord has come” or “Come, Lord Jesus.”  It dawned on me that perhaps we live in between both.  Perhaps both are right.  And as we speak the phrase today, we speak of both realities.  Christ has come - He is Lord - and we are to live in light of that in this present reality.  And yet, Christ is coming, and we should eagerly anticipate His return.  In this now-but-not-yet reality, “Maranatha” might mean Justice for the hurting because Christ has come. It may also mean recognizing that we haven’t got it figured out, and that we need Jesus’ help. 

“Maranatha” is a call-to-worship in a broken world.  It is a call to recognize that Christ can bring hope and wholeness to our selves and our societies today, but also that ultimately He will return and make everything right again.

-Elias Dummer, The City Harmonic