Restoration of All

by the All in All

(Elijah Macleod / Unsplash)

Dear Friends,

I have a brand-new poem to share with you. I can’t stop you from skipping to the bottom to read it now. But I want to share a few musings for context first (even though I think a poem should speak for itself).

Here goes:

As a child in the holiness tradition I was born into, I heard that God’s image in us is tarnished by sin, but our hearts can be cleansed and God’s image restored within. Later, in my young adult years, we were influenced by the wider evangelical movement, and I began to hear the word “rescue” more than “restore,” with less pietistic slant.

These days I am hearing the word “restored” used again, as in “the restoration of all things.” This theme resonates with me, partly because I have long loved and wished to hear more about Colossians chapter one. About all things being held together in Christ. About all things having been created through him and for him (wording from NRSV, italics mine).

One could (and some do) write volumes on these topics. I could write about the experiences of my lifetime as a Christian involved in church leadership, spending time in “the world” (but not “of it” of course!??) and in nature—mountains, seashores, gardens. I have found that everywhere and in everyone there surely exists a deep struggle to reach light, to keep hydrated in body and soul, to remember that we—and all things—are never only alone as individuals. We respond and are responded to. We have responsibilities within families, churches, civic groupings, and our natural environments.

(iStock)

I could write about (and I intend to someday) what is meant by the term “the world” as used by today’s Christians, by Christ followers of earlier ages, and by Christ himself … because what we believe and live out in relation to “the world” matters.

• It matters for the gospel.

• It matters for the life of the Church and the resuscitation of churches.

• It matters for prayers to be answered.

• It matters for God’s revealed plan to come forth as “new heavens and new earth.” (Surely part of the plan is that we cooperate in this process.)

Well, behold, I have written a bunch of words here. But I still think this (newly written) poem says it better in just a few words:

RESTORATION

I love the goodness of God.
I love the goodness of community,
the inherent goodness of creation. 

But from the spirit come groanings,
and from the flock heart-moanings
mid nature's muffled yearnings.

Though broken, obscured, and tainted,
with mercy we’re permeated,
and we are not alone.

Good God, we long for freedom
to see your kingdom come,
your will be fully done.

Restore us, souls and body
to salt and light the world,
to work and welcome the new
together, freed to love.

~Catherine Lawton
    July, 2026

Amen. May it be so.

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