Many of us have a fundamental understanding that Scripture – usually Jesus and Paul and the prophets – are guiding us toward a particular destination, an afterlife. But the more I read and study Scripture, the more I think that's wrong.

Throughout Scripture, these teachers seem much more interested in guiding us toward a particular posture, a way of living that impacts each and every breath we take, an embodied self-giving that aligns our lives to the work of God already moving in the here and now.

The salvation of Christ isn't focused on a distant, ephemeral eternity, but on the present reality of making this world we inhabit, the space and emotions and relationships we share, a better place for all.