As it was

I wonder if any of you saw Spiderman: No Way Home in cinemas last year? It saw three versions of Spiderman from three different universes, uniting to help save some famous villains from the people they’ve become. It was the highest-grossing film of 2021, so I’m sure you’ve heard of it. And I think the fact that it was so popular says something about our tastes in this day and age. 

What won the hearts of so many fans of the film was the appearance of the previous actors to play Spiderman – Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. These references to older films fill us with a sense of nostalgia, a reminder of how things used to be. Escapism, not only into a good story on the screen, but escapism into our own past. 

It's all over cinema these days – whether it’s the Jurassic world franchise bringing back Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler from the first film, or a new Downton Abbey feature, filmmakers play on our emotions by reminding of us of things we have loved in the past, hitting the nostalgia button perfectly. 

And it’s not just cinema! There’s Dua Lipa’s 2020 album filled with 80s inspired tracks, entitled “Future Nostalgia”. There’s Donald Trump encouraging US citizens to remember how great things once were, and to Make America Great Again! 

This feeling is expressed in the Bible too. Towards the end of the Old Testament, God’s people are in exile in Babylon. We’re actually going through a series at Christ Church Huntingdon on a book all about it, it’s called Daniel. You’re very welcome to come and join us, go to christchurchhuntingdon.co.uk for more details. But in one of the Psalms we read “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion” that’s Jerusalem, where they used to live. 

Well the good news is that for God’s people, a better Zion, a better Jerusalem is coming. And it’s better than all our cinematic, musical or political nostalgia could ever imagine. If we trust in Jesus, we can stop longing for the past, and start looking to an even better future, eternity in the new creation with God. Do you want in? 

Here’s Harry Styles to nostalgically remind us that “You know, it’s not the same as it was” Thank you for listening.

Followed by "As it was" by Harry Styles

Matt Gurtler 2/5/22