For the next two weeks leading to the season of Advent the readings will be taken from the Book of Revelation. This style of writing, called apocalyptic literature, is not familiar to us. The closest analogy would be science fiction. Science fiction is not really about Jabba the Hutt or Jedi Knights. The author uses those images from the future to help us understand the reality of the present. Something similar is at work in the Book of Revelation. John the Seer uses exotic figures as commentary on the persecution that the Church is enduring. “Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The Spirit tells the Churches to hang in there in the midst of trials, God will prevail!
