The Manifestation of the Sons of God
Romans 8:19
INSTEAD of uselessly debating the problem of evil, you would do better to listen to the heart-rending cry of Creation enslaved, corrupted, longing for peace and the reign of God.
You see what the nations have come to: their civilization and their wisdom end in a vicious circle of conflicting interests, lying and fear, armaments and wars. When will faith come to break the circle? When will God's love cover the earth?
You sense also how vain are social upheavals; they are simply, as Bonaparte said, "turning over the dung-heap"; the human heart remains unchanged. Who will change the heart of Man?
The message is there, however-the message that would create new men and save the world. Only the faithful messengers are lacking. The obstacle, the great hindrance to the spread of the gospel, is that we, its champions, have not become "sons of God." The world will believe in the power of your Master when it sees it manifested in you. Thus the whole mournful creation in a sense is waiting upon your conversion.
You cannot know what an immense work will be set in motion by the manifestation in you of a "son of God," but you can see the distress of the world. If you do not thirst sufficiently to be transformed, to see the work of God fulfilled in your heart, reflect that the whole Creation awaits your decision, and that your hesitation delays its deliverance.
By Philippe Vernier