Finally, we imagine Christ the Omega:
We also use the term “Christ” to indicate the fulfillment of the Universe when God is fully present in it. Teilhard de Chardin would suggest that, neo-Darwinians notwithstanding, the whole purpose of the evolution of the universe and all that is in it is to have the “Christ” blossom.
With our feeble understanding, our very limited experience in time, it is quite frankly impossible for us to imagine what such an ultimate state of the Universe might look like. Any speculation on our part would simply be a projection of our limited experience into a distant future. Rather, let us simply say that, while we have not a clue what a Universe filled with God might look like, we do know it will have certain characteristics. Isaiah tried his hand at describing these. We even see the author of Revelation try as well. The lion lies down with the lamb, swords are turned into plowshares, a “New Jerusalem” comes to earth, with a tree-lined sacred river for the healing of the nations, and God shall wipe away every tear. Touching images, but that is all they are. At least they point to a time of celebration of unity within diversity, an absence of any form of violence or pain or grief, a universe of respect, compassion and distributive justice.
Perhaps we are a bit like the medieval stonemason, who carves away at a couple of magnificent capitals for columns in a monumental cathedral which he will never see completed. He has a vague idea of what this edifice might be like, and what his small contribution is to it. He knows he won’t ever see the fruit of his labour, and yet he labours on with this vague vision in mind… We are part of the building up of the Christ, though we know little of what it is, how it will come about, or what it will look like. We do, however, know what our part is: to bring about a celebration of diversity, to eschew all forms of violence, to work toward compassion and retributive justice. This is the “Christ Project.”
Meditation:
What do you think are some of the characteristics of the Christ-Omega? In your mind, to what extent are compassion and distributive justice foundational components of the vision of the New Jerusalem as you see it? How does this meditation make you feel? What stumbling blocks do you experience to this way of seeing things?