The whole world is experiencing the in-between time as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic. Scholars have named in-between times liminal space: a place of transition, waiting, and uncertainty.
Occupying liminal space can be unpleasant, marked by confusion and struggle. We recognize that we aren’t where we were before, but we also aren’t where we are going. It’s the tension of being in the in-between, an ambiguous and unclear existence.
We have no idea what the future will look like once this pandemic is over, both in our own lives and in our local and global communities. It is an uncomfortable and painful place to be.
To an extent, our whole existence as Jesus’ followers is liminal space. We can see glimpses of God’s kingdom on earth, but Jesus has not returned to earth yet. We live in a world where God’s kingdom is here but not yet realized. We live every day in the tension of “already, but not yet.”
This message is an excerpt from “The uncertainty of in-between time” by Becca Ehrlich in the March 2021 issue of Boldcafe. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter.
Do you enjoy these free Daily Grace messages? If so, donate now to further the ministry. Use the “where needed most” line. Subscribe to Gather magazine for full articles excerpted in Daily Grace.
reply
retweet
favorite