Trans-historic verticality

Is history, basically, blind fate or providential intention? Unless our vision despairs in front of a completely irrational history, there remains only this alternative which opens two types of reading of history as a whole. If history is only blind fate it escapes any human control. It is delivered to nature as a toy of chance and necessity. Its long run gets lost in the unknown. Its 'sense' can only be found on the strictly horizontal contingent level of the facts and the events.

To such an empirical and immanent reading is opposed the transcendent reading of a providential intention. This one cannot be found on the horizontal line of a simply succession of events but on this other line which cuts it vertically. The sense of history transcends historical phenomena. It is not in the events, it crosses them. Behind the line of blind 'chance' emerges the dotted line of a sense. And this sense does not come from itself. It occurs in the tension with a trans-history. It arises through an Alliance. God writes straight with broken lines… Such is the foolish certainty of Saint Augustin beyond the disconcerting historical experience.

Thus the most important is written 'right'. The horizon is open. The sense is given. A land is promised. At the same time, in the short term of our daily life, we generally find ourselves only in front of the cracks. Such is our condition between uncertainty and risk. The ruptures, indeed, provoke us to the risk of faith. And we know that we exist authentically only through this risk. 

The Christian act, just as the faith, is thus exposed to an eschatologic opening. Everything is already, in a certain manner, accomplished. But on another plan. This is not an alibi for idleness. Because at the same time it does not cease being achieved during our history. That is of our human-divine History.

Eschatology is the vision of the 'ultimate things' - eschata, in Greek - as that of the 'ultimate goals' of man. What occurs 'afterwards'? After the limits of space and time of our human condition. Such a questioning did not cease producing a particular literary genre, the apocalyptic one, One finds it multiform through all times and all cultures. In Judeo-Christian space it was particularly developed between the IVe century BC. and the IIe century AD.

The New Testament is at the same time in continuity and in rupture with the Old one. As for eschatology, in Judaism it concerns the 'final' time whereas in Christianity for Jesus Christ the totality of times is accomplished here and now. It is the 'now' - the kaïros - which is eschatologic. Undoubtedly there is also an eschatologic future which brings new events: Parousia, the resurrection of the flesh, the last Judgment, the cosmic reign of God. But in Christ and by Christ these events are already 'current'. They 'arrive' to us in the existential 'now' of the faith.

There is thus a profound unity in the Christian eschatology between the 'now' of faith and the 'tomorrow' of the full revelation. Jesus is already 'now' the achievement of the eschatology. Tomorrow this achievement will be manifest through the cosmos and visible for all. Already 'now' salvation is carried out in the mercy of Christ. Tomorrow it will be universally manifest.

The tension between 'is' and 'will be' exists only within the time. Eternity knows neither past nor future. Only one eternal present which joins our topicality. Eternity crosses the time in each historical 'now' and provokes it for decision.

The faith lives in this eschatologic tension. The world is already saved. At the same time it remains to be saved. The most important is already accomplished. At the same time, it remains to be achieved. In the tension of this period in between the topicality of the decision is urgent.

Eschatology is not primarily for the 'end of time'. In Jesus Christ the totality of times is already accomplished. Each 'now' is thus a absolute concrete. It has a dimension of eternity in itself. In the concrete topicality lived hic and nunc. Not just a simple 'means of action' or a simple 'wheel' of a historical mechanics.
 
 

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