floods, massive oil spills and other ecological devastations, volcanoes erupting, deep economic recession, terror threats, national and global market volatility, civil discord at home and riots on the international scene, rumors of war, and a host of more persistent societal ailments that have been with us for generations. On top of all this our website went down over the weekend without notice and I started getting a soar throat!
[caption id="attachment_1112" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Jesus said: ...take courage, I have overcome the world..."]
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I’ve been told I’m a pessimist. I don’t see the glass half full- I see it empty, shattered in pieces on the table. I prefer to think of myself as a ‘prophetic realist’ – “…the glass really is shattered on the table, don’t you see it?!- What are we going to do about it!?”. GOD has given me, like some of you perhaps, the tendency to see that which needs to be mended in the world. Our challenge then of course is to not dwell on the wounds but to call them out (honesty and truth come first) and then seek the Great Mender, the Redeemer for the remedy. But what happens when it seems like it all needs mending and GOD isn’t giving clear instructions to us on how to act towards healing and redemption?
Also, beyond all that is happening in the world, we ourselves are caught in currents of trouble. Our health fails, our jobs end, our friendships become strained or broken, our families fall into dysfunction, our communities are plagued with strife and disunity. Every element of our personal lives is often beset with trials for which we are not prepared. Job said it best:
‘For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.” [Job 5:7]JESUS understood this it seems and told his disciples before His death and resurrection:
“In this world you will have trouble but take courage; I have overcome the world!” [John 16:33]In the midst of my melancholy at times I get to a place of paralysis. I don’t know how to be an agent of this ‘overcoming’ that JESUS speaks of. I dwell in the first part of His statement ‘…in this world you will have trouble…’ and then forget the rest. But this is not something we are called to accomplish. Yes we are called to overcome in our own choices to remain faithful to following Him- but even this begins in the place when we realize that all that we do springs forth from what He has already accomplished. He has overcome. He has overcome the world. In times of volatility and uncertainty we must rediscover the reality of His stability and His preparing for us a table of feasting in the midst of our trials and ‘enemies’. We must learn to dwell in His overcoming. We only overcome in Him. For me this feasting takes on a particular image. I see JESUS sitting at a table with a new glass sitting upright on the table, with it’s contents joyfully spilling and overflowing all over the table.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.” [Psalm 23:5]
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [John 10:10]
A prayer:
Through fire, O Refiner
I walk with You
Through trials, O Redeemer
I am joined to You
In weakness, O Faithful One
I am yoked to You.
Be strength, be life, be light for me.
Amen.
(video: from the band Waterdeep: ’18 Bullet Holes’.)]]>
When I find myself in that paralysis – especially now, in this time of waiting – I need to remind myself that my ministry of the everyday is real ministry. It is the ministry of kitchen, clothesline and broom. It does make a difference. I bake love, wash out sadness and clean up tears.
Our first and greatest work for and with God is prayer, which can be done anywhere by anyone.
Dear Jason
While reading your post I could feel as some of my own words were there , in writen form. Yes, I have no answers , yes I can see the sickness and sorrow and madness all around, yes, the family I came from has a lot of dysfunctional aspects, yes seems that everybody is crazy and can come as a tsunami over me. As the car is pushed forward, i listen a voice saying “rewind”, as individuals become more and more isolated, I felt called to community, and community is not common unity (bad etymology) is co munis (to be together subjected to the same obligations, and not imune to it). I feel that at the end, we are not alone, we can not go ahead alone, we must be remembered that alone we will not get it. Love bro.
Dear Jason
While reading your post I could feel as some of my own words were there , in writen form. Yes, I have no answers , yes I can see the sickness and sorrow and madness all around, yes, the family I came from has a lot of dysfunctional aspects, yes seems that everybody is crazy and can come as a tsunami over me. As the car is pushed forward, i listen a voice saying “rewind”, as individuals become more and more isolated, I felt called to community, and community is not common unity (bad etymology) is co munis (to be together subjected to the same obligations, and not imune to it). I feel that at the end, we are not alone, we can not go ahead alone, we must be remembered that alone we will not get it. Love bro.
Dear Jason
While reading your post I could feel as some of my own words were there , in writen form. Yes, I have no answers , yes I can see the sickness and sorrow and madness all around, yes, the family I came from has a lot of dysfunctional aspects, yes seems that everybody is crazy and can come as a tsunami over me. As the car is pushed forward, i listen a voice saying “rewind”, as individuals become more and more isolated, I felt called to community, and community is not common unity (bad etymology) is co munis (to be together subjected to the same obligations, and not imune to it). I feel that at the end, we are not alone, we can not go ahead alone, we must be remembered that alone we will not get it. Love bro.
A gentle reminder, Jason, my friend and His. This world is not our home. There is a deeper application of John !6:33, that it seems you are overlooking? That being that this present world has been irreparably tainted by Grandpa Adam's and my sin, and yours….
And that the world to come is a new creation, totally and completely restored. While this present, tainted and corrupted world is destined for the lake of fire.
But i do not accuse you of being ignorant, only of thinking that this present world is redeemable? This is one place the total depravity of John C. comes to bear on our present reality, methinks?
GBY, my friend!
Thank you for the kind words.
All I can say is: I believe in resurrection and I believe that when Jesus walked the earth He spread resurrection where ever He went. I believe we are to walk in His Spirit and be vessels of GOD's resurrection power as well. I wouldn't say that this world is not our home -I would say this age is not our time- and yet we are to be cracks in this present evil age that let GOD's light from the Age to Come shine through in increasing shalom. I'm not saying I do this well -only that I desire to. We must become people of the resurrection, my friend.
Claudio,
I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Thank you for the encouragement. I look forward to talking more soon.
Amen Magdalena! It is the hidden things that hold the most power to change the visible things and especially our hidden times with GOD in solitude and obscurity.
Thank you for the kind words.
All I can say is: I believe in resurrection and I believe that when Jesus walked the earth He spread resurrection where ever He went. I believe we are to walk in His Spirit and be vessels of GOD's resurrection power as well. I wouldn't say that this world is not our home -I would say this age is not our time- and yet we are to be cracks in this present evil age that let GOD's light from the Age to Come shine through in increasing shalom. I'm not saying I do this well -only that I desire to. We must become people of the resurrection, my friend.
Claudio,
I'm glad to know I'm not alone. Thank you for the encouragement. I look forward to talking more soon.
Amen Magdalena! It is the hidden things that hold the most power to change the visible things and especially our hidden times with GOD in solitude and obscurity.