“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope.”
(Rom. 8:19-20)

Sometimes life can simply be so heavy and hard, a seemingly never-ending battle with the many fruits of sin around us: selfishness, immorality, brokenness, grief, death. All of creation was warped and twisted from what God originally intended when man sinned against Him. St. John Chrysostom says that the reason all of creation was corrupted was because of us: “Because of you, O man… The earth too has received a curse…Creation suffered badly because of you.”

I find comfort in understanding the reasons for things. If I know the why of hard things, it is a source of consolation, which I think is the reason this verse has been so deeply rooted in my prayer of late. Why do things feel so futile? Because in God’s plan of redemption, he subjected it to futility. And here is the beautiful mystery: he subjected creation to that often-infuriating futility IN HOPE. Chrysostom says, “The creation suffered badly because of you, and it became corruptible, but it has not been irreparably damaged. For it will become incorruptible once again for your sake. This is the meaning of ‘in hope.’”

If like me you sometimes feel crushed by the weight of it all, perhaps we can learn a thing or two from creation. St. Paul tells us that all of creation “waits with eager longing”. Eager longing is so different than despair and hopelessness. Even though mankind failed miserably at the fall and brought incomprehensible suffering, God in his mercy makes restoration possible. Mortality will be clothed in immortality; death will be swallowed up in victory (cf. 1 Cor. 15:54). The current state of things is not the end of the story. Let us join creation in eager longing for the “glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18), let us wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises in hope.

. . .

Truth from Scripture:

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?’ The sting of death is sin… But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Cor. 15:54-57

. . .

Wisdom from the Saints:

“Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God protects the soul. Cast your care upon God for you are His and He will not forget you. Do not think that He is leaving you alone, for that would be to wrong Him.”

// St. John of the Cross