“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8 NLT)
Jeanne Calment was born in France in 1875. She survived two world wars, met Vincent van Gogh, and lived a generally leisurely lifestyle. She died in 1997 at the age of 122, having lived the longest documented life in modernity. Compared to Methuselah, who Genesis tells us lived to be 969 years old, Jeanne Calment was still quite young. Yet both of them pale in comparison to God Himself. Even taking into account the everlasting life that comes from a relationship with Jesus, there is no similarity between God’s longevity and ours.
In his missive from the island of Patmos, John uses the Greek letters of alpha and omega to depict the forever nature of the Almighty—He is the first that ever was and is the last that ever will be. God is not immortal, which is to be born but not die; He is eternal, without beginning or end. The originator of time itself—God eternal—stepped into our time and space so that we might come to know the Alpha and Omega on a personal level.
If we are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus—the Alpha and Omega in flesh and bone—we too should be building relationships by stepping into the unique times and spaces of those around us rather than simply inviting them into ours. Make plans this week to practice this by volunteering at a local shelter, shoveling your neighbor’s driveway, visiting with seniors at the local assisted living facility, or some other way of connecting with people where they are.