Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea roar and all that is in it; let the field exult and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96: 11-13)

The scriptures include terrible visions of a final judgement. Here is an alternative vision. Here judgement does not divide but reconcile. Rather than separate between the condemned and the saved, the entire earth is restored to wholeness.

The psalmist may also suggest that rather than a dramatic end-time we should be attentive to an emerging reality. "Tell of his salvation day-to-day," is the second verse. Is the telling to be day-to-day or is the salvation? Is God coming in the future or is this present tense?

In my experience - and in my reading of scripture - God's justice and righteousness are moving through the earth day-by-day, minute-to-minute.

The presence of God is surely cause for awe. On a first encounter, it may even be cause for fear. But the judgement of a loving God is mostly cause for great joy.

Above is a collage entitled Joy by Billie Sumner.