Why is this repeated? After all, John said the same thing just two verses earlier. I suggest it is because most people don’t struggle with the Alpha or the Omega. They know God looked at creation and declared it good. And they know in the end, in Heaven, things will be good. But where people have a hard time is in the middle. They question and struggle with the things going on presently. ‘Why is this happening? Why didn’t God do this? Where was God when that happened?’ they cry.

So what does a pastor, a theologian, a poet do? He whispers in peoples’ ears over and over again: God is in control. God is on the throne. The same God Who did the good work in the beginning is here in the middle, and will come through in the end.

And that’s what we must do. We must whisper over and over in the ears of our teenagers, our friends, our neighbors, ‘God is here, and He’s going to see you through.’