Broken Pieces

It's probably for the same reason a nuclear apocalypse has the same mysterious and novel appeal as a zombie apocalypse.  At least this seems to be a prevailing cultural anecdote.  Nuclear fallout is both a terrifying and awesome display of global consequence.  And though you have no sight of the irradiative atomics that pummel your flesh, you know that when you step out that front door you're walking into a saturating nuclear bath.

The same can be said of the Holy Spirit's capacity to move through the worship of the saints.  If all it takes is 10 seconds of CBN to bring on the water works, you know that you've just found yourself in a radiant bath of eternal grace and unfailing love.  Though the Holy Spirit cannot be seen with regular eyes, He moves on both a global scale and a personal scale.  We don't have a ticking Geiger counter to detect the Holy Spirit's presence, but there are other ways.

These passages can be confusing or even a source of annoyance, disappointment and pain to many.  The uncany irony here, however, is that it is only after the experience of a bath in the radiant and saving grace and unfailing love of our saviour through the Holy Spirit that these passages become as clear as the sky is blue.

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. - (Lamentations 3:22 [KJV])

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. - (Psalms 34:18 [KJV])

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - (Mathew 11:28-30 [KJV])

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. (Daniel 3:17 [KJV])

For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. - (Hebrews 2:18 [KJV])

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. - (Hebrews 7:25 [KJV])

Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and animals.  How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. - (Psalms 36:5-7 [NIV])

What often struck me as alien about these verses is the precedent.  Why would a deity be bothered?  Let's not forget that the eye-witnesses attest to Christ's compassion (Mark 6:34).  I believe the linchpin is in the verse following Hebrews 7:25:

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; - (Hebrews 7:26 [KJV])

The key words are "He became us."  But as I said before, this doesn't make sense until after taking a bath in the grace of God.  It's a complete waste of time trying to figure this out cerebrally.  Instead, give yourself permission to take off the radiation suit and step outside into the radiant bath of eternal grace and unfailing love.

Giving Up

It's time to give-it-up already. Cryptic wisdom that bites at my heels oh about every five to ten years or so. Give-up what? and isn't giving-up generally a hallmark of weakness? Giving-up control of your life, essentially what Christians call dying to self. And yes, this act of giving-up is most definitely a hallmark of weakness. Humans don't actually posses the strength to lead a life that works. I believe it is this basic misconception that is responsible for all the suffering we witness or even experience.

Human beings have a natural affinity for strength, excellence, and beauty. To cling to self-defeating and weakness would be contrary to our nature, and it is, however all we have to go on is self-perceived weakness and self-percieved strength, which is hopelessly myopic.  If we are intended to seek out strength, excellence, and beauty, then how can it possibly make sense to take one's own ego and will and sacrifice it on a crucifix? The answer is here in Zechariah 4:6 cross-referenced with Revelation 11:

Zechariah 4:1-6

¹ Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. ² He asked me, "What do you see?"
I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. ³ Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left."
⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?"
⁵ He answered, "Do you not know what these are?"
"No, my lord," I replied.
⁶ So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

Revelation 11:4-6

⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

The key is in understanding that God insists that His children replace their own will and strength with His. There is no sign of conceding weakness in the passage above from Revelation 11. The reason for God's wrath here in Revelation 11 is similar to His wrath against Sodom and Gomorrah, and if you know your bible you'll notice that turning the waters into blood was precisely what Moses did in order to persuade the Pharaoh to free the enslaved Israelite people. So what's God trying to say? if I truly value excellence, beauty, peace, love, joy, then I must let His Spirit override my own will and ego otherwise I'm going to mess-up and be utterly clueless as to whom it hurts. Ignorance truly is bliss, a bittersweet conundrum.

Some believe that God wants one to live and to continually improve oneself to become a better human being.  What does the bible actually say?  I think Mark Gunger puts it most succinctly condensing the gospel into a phrase.

"But this is backwards! surely this is an incorrect interpretation because it's all upside down and backwards!" well, Matthew 5:1-12 suggests that the gospel is intentionally upside down and backwards.  Honestly, what do you think it would take to lead an incurably self-centred species to transcendent holiness?  Answer: it would almost certainly mandate some backtracking and forgetting everything you know.

The popular notion is to simply strive to become a better version of oneself. Putting faith in that idea makes it impossible to have communion with God because it is still self-focused and the scriptures command Christians to die to self.  I may be a capable, noble and commendable human being, but communion with God requires heading back down and taking a different road.