Scripture’s Forgotten Cord

Scripture holds two major threads that are intertwined to create the entire movement of scripture, to weave God’s tapestry of his plan for us. The first one we know well – it is the Scarlet Thread of redemption, salvation.

But we have largely lost track of the Golden Thread, our shepherding role over creation. God created us to have gentle and eternal dominion over his entire creation as His loving hands and feet (Gen 1:26-28; 1 Cor 6:2-3; Heb 2:5-9; Dan 7:27, 12:2-3). Our redemption in Christ (as wonderful as it is for us individually) is, from God’s perspective, merely a beginning. It restores us; we are now spiritually alive – true, original humanity. We are thus (with spiritual growth) capable of being God’s total image, his representative shepherd-rulers.

God has an eternal purpose for us as shepherds (Heb 2:5-9). If we are faithful to him now, he will use us – as mature reflections of himself – to shepherd his Eternal Kingdom (Luke 16:10-11, Rev 2:26-27). God’s ultimate objective is not simply to redeem all humankind – but to have redeemed humankind restore his loving, just, and gentle reign over a fallen creation.

Let’s embrace BOTH cords, the Scarlet and the Golden, that together make up the tapestry of God’s Word.