Repent, for the day is near

John the Baptist called the people of Israel to repent and turn around, for the kingdom of God was drawing near. John was inspired by the prophet Malachi (literally: “my angel/messenger”) who had announced that the angel/messenger of the Lord would come to purify his temple and provide justice for widows and orphans, for workers without pay, for wives discarded for a younger girl, and for migrants without rights. A prophecy in the Book of Daniel identified this angelic ruler as Michael (literally: “who is like God?”), who would come and raise the dead, some to their honor, others to their shame.

So what did the Jews think, who were flocking to him to be baptized? Did they pray for justice for those who were oppressed? Did they lust for divine vengeance on their enemies and the restoration of the kingdom of Israel? Or did they fear for themselves to fall short of God’s standard, worried about the fate of their eternal souls?

What did Jesus think when he told his parables about that day? He spoke about the owner who would come to judge the tenants of his vineyard, or the servants with their borrowed talents, or the Son of Man coming to judge the sheep and goats depending on their acts of practical love for the hungry or thirsty, the homeless stranger or the naked beggar, the sick and the prisoner. “For,” so speaks the grateful Son of Man, “whatever you have done for the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done for me.”

And what changed, when friends and family first proclaimed the risen Jesus as the Son of God and the Son of Man who would come to judge the living and the dead? What kind of judge did they expect him to be?

You don't have to be judged

When Matthew summarizes the teaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and Luke in the Sermon on the Field, one of the key points they emphasize is that Jesus rejected judging repeatedly and vehemently. You have to be blind if you feel capable of correcting another. Living in judgment is a harsh life, which can quickly degenerate into misunderstandings, judgment and bitterness. Living in forgiveness and sharing, on the other hand, is a life of abundance and freedom. It is not a life of guarding the balance between two individuals, who both give and take. No, it rather is a life of giving and receiving, of gratitude, grace and generosity.

Continuing in that life is not dependent on the response of the other individual, or the honor that it can bring us among our peers. No, it is ultimately balanced by God himself, “for whatever you have done to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have done for me.” It is faith, or ‘trust’ in Jesus that can give us the courage to try this path. He believes we can and his faithfulness can transform us, when this love becomes part of who we are rather than what we do. Jesus showed a way that saves us from our egos, and transforms us through trust, hope and love. If we take responsibility for ourselves with that in mind, we do not have to judge anybody but rather become merciful and helpful to both ourselves and the people we start to truly understand and appreciate.

There is the marvellous story of Jesus saving the people who would almost have condemned to death a woman caught in loving a man who was not her husband. They want to test whether Jesus’ message of forgiveness could be compatible with the law that clearly says that sexuality is meant to be enjoyed within a relationship of love and faithfulness, that can offer a safe home to the children that may come of this. They are ready to take up stones to kill the woman they caught. Some perhaps out of sensation, other maybe because they fear for their own marriage. But love and faithfulness are not built on judgment and condemnation.
Jesus stays silent. There is nothing he can say that they would be able to hear. So he sits down writing in the sand with his finger, as God once did for Moses on tablets of stone. Nobody seems to know what verdict or commandment he writes down. They keep pressing him. But some, perhaps only a few, are also wondering what it is that he is thinking.

And then he speaks up. A short sentence only before he bends down again: “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Silence descends. Some of the men get it. They leave. And as they leave and Jesus keeps writing in the sand, others start to allow his spirit into their hearts. We must first learn to act out of love, before we can teach others how to act out of love. For love, Paul writes in Romans 13:8, fulfils the law. One by one they leave, until only the woman is left with Jesus. There are no witnesses left to support her condemnation. There is just Jesus and her own heart, open for the words that set her free and help her to take responsibility for herself.

Don't condemn yourself, as you should not condemn others

It is fascinating to see that Jesus links our judging-others with judgment-over-us. And does it not seem that this not only applies to our relations with other people or with God, but also with ourselves? Look at how I John 3:20-24 puts it:

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to trust in the name of his Son, Jesus (meaning “God saves”) the Messiah, and to love one another as he commanded us. And so it is that who keeps God’s commands lives in God, and God in him. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

This is why the Gospel of John (3:17), reflecting on the spiritual impact of Jesus, writes: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him!” For John, the act of salvation, however, cannot be separated from a sense of judgement. Jesus does not want to judge anyone, but by his very presence, people are confronted with a choice: do I leave this hellish and temporal life of judging others and myself, or do I enter the eternal realm of forgiveness? Do I keep his command to love and forgive? For if I continue to judge and condemn others, I condemn myself. His spirit within us pleads with us not to condemn ourselves but to understand the true nature of sin, righteousness and judgement (16:7-11). For sin and righteousness ultimately come down to living without or in unity with God as loving Father of all. And his ultimate judgement is that the evil that rules in this world stands exposed and powerless.

An ending to get us started 

For the followers of Jesus, the expectation of a day of judgment that would end the power of death and the rule of evil remained, as we can read in the nightmares and dreams written in the Book of Revelation. But the idea that the Son of Man who is about to come to judge the living and the dead is not some high and mighty angel, but rather their very own friend and brother, changed everything. Satan, the accuser before God’s throne and the voice whispering in their ears, is kicked out of heaven (Revelation 12:10, Luke 10:17-18). In his place, their friend Jesus is standing there as a high priest reconciling his people with God (Hebrews 4:14-16) and receiving the authority from God to set them right. His reluctant and silent judgment is not to be feared or postponed, but rather to be embraced as our entry into the kingdom of his love.

And here the cosmic story of Jesus must end. Not with his crucifixion and resurrection. Not even with his ‘happy end’ in heaven. But rather as one who is about to return, as the one whose footsteps we hear around the corner with joyful anticipation. His nearing and growing presence both confronts and comforts us, urging us to take responsibility for ourselves and showing us how to let go and trust his spirit within us.

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The Last Judgement is a prominent theme in the Quran and Islamic tradition. The overall scenario largely follows Jewish and Christian apocalyptic expression but includes the victory of Islam over these preceding and competing religions. There will be a time of war, when the victorious Mahdi (a descendent from Muhammed) leads the true Muslims. He will recover the Ark, the Holy Grail and the uncorrupted texts of the Thora and the Gospel (the idea is that Jews and Christians have corrupted their sacred books). A false Messiah from the east will seduce many people – but especially Jews -, and threaten the Muslims.
Then, as armies from the west (under the names of Gog and Magog) are approaching, Jesus returns as the true Messiah. He, the son of the virgin Mary, had never died - someone whom God had made to look like him was crucified in his place - but was kept in heaven for this day. He destroys the armies of Gog and Magog in Syria, and he establishes Islam as the only correct way of serving God. and reigns in peace for 40 years until his death. This end-of-days scenario explains some of the attraction to radical Muslim youths, when ISIS claimed to have established a Muslim caliphate in Syria.
Jesus is shown in white on the top of the stairs in the middle along with – it appears –Mohammed and perhaps Moses below him. Below them the nations gather and the dead are resurrected. Everyone is judged by the angels holding the scales. The evil-doers are thrown in a fiery and beastly hell (bottom left), while the righteous ones celebrate true religion and receive their place in Paradise where Mohammed gives someone to drink from the fountain (top left).

Suggestions for dialogue

A moderator can explain the dialogue steps and invite people to contribute:

• Check in with yourself. Share with each other how you are in this moment. Then take a moment again to seek stillness, humility and openness. 
• First round: Share something from the text or image(s) that stood out to you and that you would like to explore with the group, briefly indicating the thoughts and feelings that it evoked within you. Listen to the others do the same: what resonates with you? Responses in this round should be limited to questions for clarification.
• Second round: Name one or two things that resonated with you from the things that others just shared. 
• Third round: Having heard the group, the moderator names the main topics for exploration. The moderator may also propose a common thread that emerged in several topics. The exploration normally starts with asking the person(s) who brought up the topic to expand on it.
• Leave room for silence and contemplation. 
• Check out by sharing what you take home from this dialogue.

These suggestions are an adaptation of the Estuary protocol. Look for more at https://www.estuaryhub.com