ABSTRACT
Resilience is a fundamental theological and ecclesial concern in the Gospel and Epistles of John. In Johannine language, the ‘world’ is a realm posing risk and danger for the followers of Jesus who must endure persistent trials and resist temptations to fall away or sin against members of their community. Resilience is assured through a number of theological resources: (1) a sober honesty about adversity; (2) the (partially) realised eschatological gift of unworldly peace and ‘eternal life’; (3) inclusion within a new social network, the divine family of the Father, Son, and the children of God; (4) the ongoing divine presence of the Comforter, the Spirit-Paraclete; (5) the example of Jesus who, though he ‘wept’ in the face of grief and pain, did not retreat from his own hour of trial; and (6) the transfiguration of suffering into glory. These resources give way to a range of practices (thinking, obeying, loving, praying, believing) that can be epitomised in the exercise of abiding, the principal Johannine means of promoting and sustaining resilience.
