A Change in Perspective Changes Everything
Do you remember the first time you looked through a microscope or a telescope? Things that were invisible to the naked eye moments before were now right in front of you. I’m always fascinated by how a change in perspective can change our thoughts, feelings, and experience.
In chapter four of Revelation, John is brought up to the throne room of God. He shares his indescribable vision, laced with colorful language: an emerald rainbow, four creatures with eyes everywhere, and twenty-four elders who cast their crowns to the throne proclaiming, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Rev. 4:11)
Revelation is quite the book, with imagery and depictions that can be overwhelming. Throughout history, many a theologian decided it was added to the scripture by mistake. Some read it as allegory, though not necessarily of the future. One theory I find particularly credible is that Revelation is an allegory of Rome failing and Israel’s restoration. But apart from any of those ideas, I believe we can engage this book as we would a piece of art or a dream. Seeing the text through this lens helps us open our hearts and imaginations to the incredible story of God creating the world, rescuing the world, and ultimately setting the world right.
If we let it, the scene in Revelation 4 can shift our perspective from people who simply pass through life to people who worship as a way of life.
Creation (represented by the four creatures), and humanity (represented by the twenty-four elders), find their purpose in worshiping the God who was and is and is to come.
Living as people who worship as a way of life can change everything. Instead of overcoming, getting through, controlling, or conquering the moments that make up life, each moment can be a chance to worship the creator of all things. I have three thoughts to help us do this:
1. Connect with the eternal
John sees a door into heaven (Rev. 4:1). We tend to think of heaven as far away and somewhere off in the distant future, but that is not so. It is a realm and section of existence that overlaps and invades creation. One day, as the end of Revelation depicts, there will be no distinction between heaven and creation. Therefore we have to train ourselves to see differently today in order to connect with the eternal.
Earlier this week I was walking my dog, Walter, and he dove into a grove of pine trees. At first I was annoyed because I was covered in water from the dew. But then I noticed the thousands of droplets, each perfectly nestled within the needles. The water radiated the sunlight and green coloring as an emerald rainbow.
2. Experience the awe of God
Creation celebrates the one who was and is and is to come (Rev. 4:8). The Christian faith is founded upon the miracle that the indescribable eternal one, the source of all things, has stepped into creation and will one day set all things right. This is remarkable.
Life is remarkable but we often see a flat world before us. We lose our sense of wonder as we watch days and months tick by and things seem so…describable. Yet how remarkable that we are conscious of our existence - that we can remember our past, experience the present, and dream about the future. How incredible that we can know one another and experience love, joy, and sorrow. All of this flows from the one who has donated life. When we alter our perspective to live as people who worship as a way of life, we connect to the awe of God amidst the everyday.
3. Proclaim God’s goodness
The twenty-four elders cast their crowns before God proclaiming that God’s Kingdom triumphs over all the kingdoms we build. We often forget that.
I think humanity is like being in your twenties. You think you have everything figured out only to discover you don’t really know all that much. Science, history, economics, and political science are all wonderful, but they are not the source or sustainers of life. They rely on existence and, at best, offer theories of how it might work. Any Kingdom based on these disciplines will fall short compared to the Kingdom of God and the wonder of existence.
When our perspective changes to one of worship, these fall in their place and can be used to proclaim God’s goodness. Our mentality and actions shift to encountering the transcendent God by engaging life around us. We move from believing that we’re just a few changes away from the easy life to seeing that every moment of life is full of potential.
