Friends, I have not studied the book of Revelation. Neither have I studied G. K. Chesterton in any depth. So, the Chesterton quote that today’s first reading brought to mind is among his most popular:

“The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon. Exactly what the fairy tale does is this: it accustoms him for a series of clear pictures to the idea that these limitless terrors had a limit, that these shapeless enemies have enemies in the knights of God, that there is something in the universe more mystical than darkness, and stronger than strong fear.”
-From The Red Angel by G.K. Chesterton published in Tremendous Trifles, 1909

The book of Revelation is not a fairy tale, but a mystical vision; still, they share themes and symbols, like the dragon. I have always loved stories, especially fantasy stories. I’m a sucker for a good hero cycle, a well-crafted redemption arc, and a clever reveal or plot twist. Stories like that may be literally fictional, but they can powerfully tell deeper truths about human nature, good, and evil. Stories are most powerful when they echo the Gospel truth we believe: good wins, love wins, because Christ has already defeated death and darkness and invited us to come with him into new life.

“Here God lives among his people. Blessed are [those] whose strength you are! They go from strength to strength,” the psalmist proclaims. The last line of the psalm and the last line of the Chesterton quote speak of strength. Perhaps it is the strength to go forth and do great things for God. As I write this, though, I think it is more like the courage to stand up and listen as God speaks, as the Gospel verse calls us to do; the courage to lean on God in the midst of strong fear, and to see our fears for what they are; the courage to love those we find difficult to love; the courage to continue acting on the belief that Christ has already won, putting one foot in front of the other, one day at a time, as we continue working towards the Kingdom. The old is passing away and we are invited to be new in Christ.

“A New Creation,” from A New Creation by René Clausen