Author Archive

Cherry Blossoms (photo by missjanetb; used by permission)

The winter blasts of cool and snow and clouds have stirred a longing in our hearts for spring. Spring breaks into our world with color and light and magic. For a few weeks the ordinary world around us is lit with brilliant fire. Then it fades.

In this little poem, Ou Yang Hsiu celebrates the glory of spring but laments its transiency. As I read his sweet lament, I am reminded our our transiency and the oh-so-brief glorious moment of our lives.

Spring Walk to the Pavilion of Good Crops and Peace

The trees are brilliant with flowers
And the hills are green.
The sun is about to set.
Over the immense plain
A green carpet of grass
stretches to infinity.
The passerby do not care
That Spring is about to end.
Carelessly they come and go
Before the pavilion,
Trampling the fallen flowers.

Ou Yang Hsiu (translated by Kenneth Rexroth)

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(photo by Raideres. Used by permission.)

The journey of lent is not a journey of morbid self-mortification. Rather, it is the wilderness path of letting go of our own visions of grandeur that we might be surprised afresh by the goodness of God.

Jesus takes us by surprise.

The lovingkindness of God overtakes us with sudden hilarity. All our serious pretensions fall under the weight of love, and we are freed to step lightly in the Breath that blows where He will.

Sitting in a counseling session, I listened to the grief of man wracked by sickness and depression. I faced him. I gave him my serious attention. I wiped my brow. Without realizing it, I spread ink from a leaked pen all across my face.

He laughed and laughed and laughed.

In the grace of my good Jesus, He made light of my serious striving. His gentle joke freed us to laugh in our wondrous world of ink and pens and faces. The dark spell over my friend fell away in the sudden interruption of love.

Jesus takes us by surprise.

Saul sets out on a mission from God: guard Torah, preserve truth, expose blasphemy. A voice penetrates his heart with Light and Light and Light, and flames of Love consume this righteous zeal.

Blinded by unrelenting Light, Paul beholds a vision of God that disorients and reorients him to the Way of the Father. In a flash, his world comes to an end, his world begins.

Jesus takes us by surprise.

Two men stumbling in the gloom of hopes dashed. The kingdom did not come. The Lord did not vindicate his people. The wicked did triumph.

They travel toward Emmaus, they pour out their grief, they share in ache of a lost friend. Stepping into their sadness, a stranger appears with story upon story upon story. He unveils, reveals, and exposes true Light from true Light. In a flash of insight, they behold the hope of the years.

Jesus takes us by surprise.

Lazarus hears his name and awakes to the surprise of being alive.
Mary meets an angel and gives birth to the surprise of all things made new.
Peter lets down his net and catches the surprise of becoming a fisher of men.
I saw a sunrise at the end of a dark night, and stepped into the surprise of a world made new.

Jesus takes us.
And when he takes us.
It is sheer surprise.
Our eyes can see.
Our ears can hear.

In the surprise of our utter powerlessness, we behold the only One who holds our future. And in the mystery of His Grace, we can finally rest.

He is coming
And when He comes,
He will catch you by surprise.

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Those Who Dwell In Silence by Ryo,

Sitting in a classroom in second grade, I looked around at the faces of other students, heard a faint sound of the teacher’s voice echoing in my ear, and wondered if I might be from another planet. Everyone and everything in the room seemed alien, foreign, strange. Somewhere I would feel at home and connected, but in this strange place, I felt like an observer, watching and perhaps collecting information for my home planet. A few minutes passed and the moodiness passed as well. I joined all the other children running across the playground during recess.

This sense of being outside, being cut off, being alienated from the world around me is a common feeling among many people. In fact, some people never feel connected and always feel outside, strange, faraway, alienated.

As Paul writes to the Colossians, he reminds them that they were once “alienated and hostile in mind” but Jesus has reconciled them “in his body of flesh by his death.” Recently, as I slowly ruminated through the opening words of Colossians, I was struck how this emphasis on alienation contrasted with the preceding doxology on the glory of the cosmic Christ.
Paul writes,

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Col 1:15-20Col 1:15-20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ¹⁶ For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: ¹⁷ And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. in...: or, among all ¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; ²⁰ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. having...: or, making  

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Paul’s praises of Jesus soar as he proclaims the preeminence of Jesus over all creation. Using language that reminds us of John 1, Paul speaks of Jesus as Creator (all things were created by him, through him and for him) and as Sustainer (in him all things hold together), and as Restorer (through him all things have been reconciled).

From the heights of singing the glory of Jesus as the “image of the invisible God,” Paul descends to address the Colossians as a people who were “alienated, hostile in mind, and doing evil deeds.” Listening to these words, I heard the cold, shuddering wind of “alienation” chill me with icy dread.

The very word “alienation” carries the sounds of separation and forsakenness.

Alienation also sounds so very modern. I hear echoes of Paul Simon singing, “I am a rock, I am island.” This little 60s pop song responds to John Donne’s contention that “no man is an island” by expressing the angst of a person who no longer feels connected to the whole, to the continent, to the human race. That sense of being disconnected, being an outsider, being cut-off shows up in our movies, our music, and in our heroes who ride off into the sunset instead of living in community.

Alienation is not only the feel of being aloof or cutoff from the group, it can also be the very real act of a group seeking to alienate other people or groups. The most obvious act in the last 100 years is Hitler’s attempt to dehumanize the Jewish people, alienating them from the German race and attempting to alienate them from the planet through planned extermination. He sought to strip them of their identity, their dignity, their humanity and ultimately their lives.

This extreme example happens every day in smaller, more benign ways. We use language to alienate the “other” in our midst. We mock those who hold alien political views (liberal or conservative). We notice differences in skin color, in dialect, in economic status, and we form communities of like-minded people who look and talk and act like us.

We not only cut people off, we are cut off ourselves. We are left out of groups because we don’t have enough money, we don’t look right, we don’t have the right job, we’re the wrong race, we do or don’t have children, we are the enemy. At some point in our lives, we have and will know the ache of being outside the camp.

When Paul writes to the people of Colossae, he is writing people outside the covenant. They were Gentiles and not part of the covenant community of Israel. In this sense, they were alienated from God and God’s people.

This gets us closer to the heart of the matter. Alienation is not simply a social problem, it is rooted in our estrangement from God, resulting in estrangement from other people and even the world around us. While Israel is the covenant community that receives the revelation of God’s law and God’s purposes, they still experience this estrangement.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul reveals how both the Jew and the Gentile ended up being alienated from God. The Gentiles worshipped created things rather than the Creator and became corrupted. The Jewish people violated Torah and fell under the death sentence of Torah. Both peoples suffered in their exile from rest in the communion of God’s love.

Isaiah captures the intensity of the exile when he appears before God in the Temple. He cries out, “I am coming undone.” His physical body cannot bear the weight of glory and is ripping apart in the presence of YHWH’s Absolute Otherness.

If we go back to the beginning of the story, we see the root of alienation. Adam and Eve turn against one another immediately after rebelling against God. Their self-imposed alienation traps them in an alien land. They hide in terror from the loving Father who created them.

Adam who was called to govern the earth, the skies above and sea beneath experiences deep alienation from creation:

“…cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19Genesis 3:17-19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; ¹⁸ Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; bring...: Heb. cause to bud ¹⁹ In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.  

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In his estrangement, man stands at odds with the very planet upon which he lives. Instead of caring for the plants and animals, he often brings harm and destruction to them.

This estrangement breaks the natural bond between siblings. Cain kills his own brother and then must go “on the run” in his alienation resulting from the crime. From one generation to the next, the separation and brokenness continues and is often magnified. We continue to war and strive with our brother and sister humans and nations.

When Paul addresses the ancient Colossians, he is addressing us. By the power of God’s Spirit, Paul’s word about “alienation from God, hostile in mind and deeds” resonates in our own hearts. We have known this sense of being cut-off. We have known the anguish of self-imposed exile, of self pity, of self destruction, of self hatred.

Sara Groves sings a heart wrenching song about our selfish tendency to hurt and isolate one another. Expressing the suddenness and absurdity of offense, she sings,

“weather came and caught us off our guard
we were just laughing and feelin’ alright
had such a great time just last night
we walked into a minefield undetected
you took a tone and I took offense
anger replacing all common sense”

Then like a showdown in some wild west film, she sings about the duel to the death between two lovers,

“oh run for you life
all tenderness is gone
in the blink of an eye
all good will has withdrawn
and we mark out our paces and
stare out from our faces
but baby you and I are gone gone gone”

In his fatherly compassion, Paul writes a people who have lived under the crushing pain of alienation. He reminds of the Father who is fully revealed in Jesus Christ when he enters into the absolute pain of this alien world. The Son enters into the human world and in the mystery of His love, he bears our pain in his own body.

Through the death of his body in the suffering of the cross, he steps into and beyond all human separation. In the love between Father and Son, he rises again bringing our once alien humanity into the unspeakable glory of unending love between the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

Paul writes that our hope is hid with Christ in God, and at at the same time, he says that God chose to “make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” By His life, His body, His action, His lovingkindness, His suffering, we are no longer aliens. He has brought us who were outside His love into the unending circle of His love. At the same time, He enters into us by the power of His Spirit, so that even as we dwell in Him, He dwells in us.

Overcome by this ungraspable love that has grasped us, we fall down in praise and glorify the One who is worthy of all praise and glory and honor and wealth and wisdom.

The next time we feel the cool blast of isolation from friends and family and the world around us, instead of falling under the self consuming power of alienation, we might return to Colossae and remind ourselves of this love that we cannot grasp.

From this place of peace, from the place of absolute rest and protection and love, we come to realize that we are not aliens. We are at home. We are safe. We are free to embrace the outsiders among us. We are free to suffer alongside them. We are free to lay down our lives as we follow the gentle call of His ever-loving Spirit.

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Crystal Garden by Orbital Joe

Not to be confused with the rolling kind, living stones might be more like the dancing kind. Peter speaks of Jesus as the Living Stone, and the family of God as living stones. But before I think about these living stones that take part on a cosmic dance, I might back up to think of the colored, shiny kind. This morning as I read about the breastplate of Aaron, two things jumped out at me:

1. The gemstones are engraved with the names of the sons of Israel. (Exodus 28:9Exodus 28:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:  

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2. The gemstones serve as “stones of remembrance” for the sons of Israel. (Exodus 29:12Exodus 29:12
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.  

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This caught my attention because stones as memorials show up again and again in Scripture. After crossing the Jordan, Joshua builds a stone memorial to the event. Stones are used throughout Scripture to mark boundaries, remember key events and record important information (like the 10 Commandments). In other words, stones serve as testimonies. They last from generation to generation and they continually testify to past events, laws, covenants, or people.

Think of stone: precious or otherwise. It is hard. Rain, snow, storm will probably not sweep it away (unless we’re thinking of sandstone or some other soft stone). It is durable. Then at we think about crystal formations within stones, we encounter stones that can refract and reflect light. We engrave everything from life-death notices (gravestones) to laws to images in stone. If something is “written in stone,” we take that to mean it is permanent.

The idea of stones continues to play a role in the New Testament. Jesus tells his hearers that the stones can “cry out,” bearing testimony to his glory. Paul suggests that our life’s work is either made of wood, hay and stubble, or gold, silver and precious stones. Only that which is done in love will endure the fire. The enduring quality as well as the beauty and rarity of stones, silver and gold make them precious. Of course, Peter suggests that one thing is far more precious even than gold–blood.

According to Peter, there is a fire that even gold will not withstand, but the blood of Jesus and our faith in that blood are more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7, 18-191 Peter 1:7, 18-19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  

WP-Bible plugin). This precious life of God in Christ transforms us into “living stones” built into the Living Stone of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-51 Peter 2:4-5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ⁵ Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. are: or, be ye  

WP-Bible plugin). he links this to our role in the holy priesthood to which we’ve been called. This image of us as living stones in a holy temple of holy priests can then be viewed against another image of the stones: the law. The law written in stone is now written in hearts (living stones).

We bear witness. The testimony of Christ is being revealed in us, and it is to us–not impersonal stones–that God points when he wants to show the “powers” his glory (Ephesians 3:10Ephesians 3:10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,  

WP-Bible plugin). We are living testimonies, bearing witness to the faithfulness of God. In our brokeness, in our frailty, in our weakness, we are being shaped, formed, perfected into a living, precious stones that will reflect the glorious light of Christ throughout the city of God, the New Jerusalem.

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A few years ago, I led a retreat on weakness, using 2 Corinthians as our text. As I studied the text, it seemed even more apropos because the letter confounds many scholars and appears to be an amalgamation of two or more letters. So even as we study the text, we begin in weakness, trusting the Spirit to reveal the Risen Christ in our midst. As I read Scripture, I try to read and consider the text as received even when the flow appears uneven or unclear, so my approach to 2 Corinthians is to read it as we have received it today in the form of one letter.

Lately I’ve been paying attention to Paul’s language of “in Christ” and in “one another.” He moves between both ways of talking, and I believe we are encountering a way of life that flows from the Father, through Christ, by the power of the Spirit. In other words, we are encountering “perichoresis,” the dance of life between Father, Son and Spirit. When Jesus Christ speaks of being in the Father and the Father being in Him (John 14:11John 14:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.  

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Instead of speaking and thinking in terms of isolated individuals, the Gospel reveals the Creator as one God in a mutuality of three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This idea of mutual indwelling or perichoresis shows up all across Paul’s letters. Here is a quick outline of thinking  about 2 Corinthians in a perichoretic way. (I realize this is rough and is not complete in any way.)

1. Comfort and Affliction (Chapter 1:1-11r 1:1-11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans ^{1 1} Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, ^{2 3} Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; ⁴ And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: declared: Gr. determined ⁵ By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: for obedience...: or, to the obedience of faith ⁶ Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ: ⁷ To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹ For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; with: or, in ¹⁰ Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you. ¹¹ For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;  

WP-Bible plugin) – Paul opens with language of comfort that flows from the “God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are comforted in our afflictions and our comfort then flow to others who are afflicted. The affliction and comfort that we share with other is a comfort and affliction that we also share with Christ in His sufferings. So in a few sentences, Paul reveals a mutuality between himself, the people of Corinth and the Triune God. In this mutuality of suffering and affliction, we may know deep despair that even draws near to death, but we also know the Resurrection life in Christ that flows from the Father by the Spirit.

2. Paul and Corinth (Chapter 1:12-3:3r 1:12-3:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. with: or, in ¹³ Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. among: or, in ¹⁴ I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵ So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. ¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; ¹⁹ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. in them: or, to them ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: so...: or, that they may be ²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. ²⁴ Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: ²⁵ Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. more: or, rather ²⁶ For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ²⁷ And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. ²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; to retain: or, to acknowledge a reprobate...: or, a mind void of judgment or, an unapproving mind ²⁹ Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰ Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: without natural...: or unsociable ³² Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. have...: or, consent with ^{2 1} Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. ² But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. ³ And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? ⁵ But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; ⁶ Who will render to every man according to his deeds: ⁷ To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: ⁸ But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, ⁹ Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; Gentile: Gr. Greek ¹⁰ But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: Gentile: Gr. Greek ¹¹ For there is no respect of persons with God. ¹² For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; ¹³ (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. ¹⁴ For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: ¹⁵ Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) their conscience...: or, the conscience witnessing with them the mean...: or, between themselves ¹⁶ In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. ¹⁷ Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, ¹⁸ And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; approvest...: or, triest the things that differ ¹⁹ And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, ²⁰ An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. ²¹ Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? ²² Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? ²³ Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? ²⁴ For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. ²⁵ For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. ²⁶ Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? ²⁷ And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? ²⁸ For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: ²⁹ But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. ^{3 1} What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? ² Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. ³ For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?  

WP-Bible plugin) – Paul transitions to a key theme that resurfaces at the end of the letter: his relationship with Corinth. As he introduces the relationship, he highlights a bond between him and Corinth that is established by God in Christ (2:21). This relationship, in the mist of the challenges, is a relation of mutual indwelling that has been created and is sustained by the Father in Christ through His Spirit. Paul reinforces the mutuality of relation by highlighting how those whom Corinth forgives, he also forgives. He is bound with them in Christ.

At the end of this section, Paul discusses how the people at Corinth are the “letter of recommendation” concerning his authority and ministry. This twist is fascinating because he does not point to external documents or some hierarchical form of authority but a relational authority that is still valid even when there is tension in the relationship between him and Corinth.

3. Mutuality in Covenant (3:3 – 5:10) – Paul’s mention of the letter of recommendation written on hearts transitions to a discussion about the mutuality of covenant with God between him and Corinth and between the contemporary followers of Christ and the ancient people of Israel who followed God through Moses by Torah. The law that was written on stone is now written on hearts but it is the same spirit who is bringing His people into life and glory even as they face suffering and pain. Even as our bodies weaken, we are stilling dwelling in Christ and in one another by the power of God’s Spirit who is bringing us all into glory.

4. Mutuality in Reconciliation (5:11-7:16) – Even as Paul celebrates God’s covenant binding of HImself to His people in Christ, he emphasizes how this is externalized in a life of reconciliation. We are reconciled to God and we are called to reconcile the world to God in Christ. Even as Paul talks about reconciliation, he also talks about his own relationship with the people at Corinth. This reconciliation is not simply between God and man, but must take form in relation between Paul and the people at Corinth.

In the midst of this discussion of reconciliation and Paul’s “open heart to the Corinthians,” we hear a warning about being unequally yoked. Paul raises the idea of relationships that are not based on mutuality in Christ but actually opposes the mutuality in relationship in Christ. While the idea of being unequally yoked is often applied to marriage (and rightly so based on some of Paul’s other comments), I think he is talking about relationships that break up the covenantal love of God’s people. And I think he returns to this later in the letter.

At the end of this section, Paul expresses his love and comfort in relationship with the people of Corinth. This comfort is from God mediated by Corinth through Titus (7:6-7). Paul finds joy in Titus who has found joy in Corinth, and this joy is but the grace of godly repentance by the Spirit. So all their lives are intertwined by God’s Spirit. They are being made into the prayer of John 17.

5. Mutuality Between Communities (8:1 – 9:15) – Paul now steps back from his relation with Corinth to focus on the relation between Corinth and the other churches. There is a mutuality of life shared between all of God’s people, even when they don’t know one another personally. This mutuality takes expression in sharing of life and resources. So even as Corinth prospers, they can strengthen other communities that are weak. Interesting that this passage is often used for giving to the church. Paul is encouraging giving, but the focal point of this giving appears to be from communities rich in resources to those who are in need of resources.

6. Mutuality of Adam and Eve (10:1 – 13:14) – In the final sections, Paul returns to his relationship with Corinth. He works out from the argument that just as the Corinthians are in Christ, so Paul is in Christ, and his authority derives from this relation (10:7-16). Then Paul does something that is shocking and fascinating, he connects his relationship with Corinth to the bond between a man and wife, and even further he connects specifically to Adam and Eve. I think Paul proceeding argument is based on the mutuality of husband and wife and the responsibility that Adam had to protect Eve (and according to Genesis he failed).

Corinth is in danger of being unequally yoked with people and ideas that are in opposition to mutuality in Christ, and ultimately are in service of Belial (7:14) or the seduction of the serpent (8:3). Satan is testing, tempting Corinth, and Paul will defend and protect his beloved no matter how much shame and humiliation it causes him. He is willing to humble himself if the community is exalted (11:7). He is willing to suffer humiliation, stoning, beating, imprisonment and more for the sake of this call in Christ. Of course, we can never forget that Paul is writing out from the mutuality of relation he shares with the Father in Christ by the Spirit. Even though he may rebuke at times, his heart is for building up the community at Corinth and not tearing down (13:10).

As we consider what does it mean to life in the reality of the Triune life of God, 2 Corinthians fleshes out an image of mutual indwelling in Christ in the midst of severe challenges and threats from inside and out. We also see a picture of Adam defending and guarding Eve with his life. This same image is fully revealed in Christ who steps fully into the suffering of the cross on behalf of his Eve.

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Lately, I’ve been wanting post a few quotes from books I am reading. So this is first post. I probably won’t offer much commentary on these, but it helps me track some stuff I find helpful and hopefully someone else will enjoy as well.

“Works of art die as a result of being looked upon by dull eyes, and even the radiance of holiness can, in a way, become blunted when it encounters nothing but hollow indifference.” (Glory of the Lord, volume 1, 23e 1, 23
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23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.  

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Great description of our the reaction against modernism in our age – “There have been ages of representation in which it was natural to experience the kalokagathon (the beautiful and the true), so much so that the temptation was always at hand to slide back from the primal form into the derived forms–so rich was the abundance of forms offered. When these secondary forms come to decay and are regarded with suspicion as belonging to an ideology, then it is both easier and more difficult to find one’s way back to the origin of form. It is more difficult because our eyes lost their acumen for form and we become accustomed to read things by starting  from the bottom and working our way up, rather by working from the whole to the parts. Our multi-faceted glance is, indeed, suited to the fragmentary and the quantitative: we are the world’s and the soul’s analysts and no longer have a vision for wholeness.” (Glory of the Lord, volume 1, 25e 1, 25
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
 

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Joyeux Noel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424205/)

The other night as I was sitting with friends discussing faith, movies, poems and more, one lady asked about Jesus’ statement,

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matt 18:20Matt 18:20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  

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She was wondering how does this verse relate to the idea that we are “in Christ.” If we are “in Christ,” what is the difference with His promise to be in the midst of us. Isn’t He already in the midst?

One man began talking about how that statement precedes a discussion about forgiveness and how Jesus connects his presence to unit divided people in Him. (There’s much to ponder in this). This discussion spilled over into today (via email) and the film Joyeux Noel came up as a dramatic representation of this. As I listened and pondered the various thoughts, I made a few notes this morning and thought they’d fit here.

If you think about this in light of the Lord’s prayer, you’ll note that the prayer is in the plural pronoun of “our.”

Our Father who art in heaven…forgive us our trespasses….deliver us from evil

The modern world has had difficulty thinking in terms of “us” and instead focused on “I” (as in the individual). But Jesus and the Father reveal a way of life that both affirms personal existence while placing that personal existence in an inseparable relational context (onto-relational). It might be interesting to notice all the ways Jesus speaks of our existence in relational ways as opposed to individualistic ways. The Eastern world gets the idea of the group, but often loses the idea of the person. There is a longing to merge into oneness with the cosmic spirit. Even some Christian mystics used language like this.

But Martin Buber helped me see the the goal of communion is not lose of personal particularity but step out into encounter between the I and the Thou. So we live in Christ, we live in one another, we pray in one another, we suffer in one another, and yet we are each members (arm, foot, tongue, ear, hands, etc) with distinctive particular gifts. In one sense, this is a form of the Triune life revealed by Jesus being lived out in the midst of His people (His body). From distinct personalities to distinct bodies and distinct histories, each of us is unique. But our uniqueness is not to be understood outside of “one another.”

Our particularities are meant for one another (Rom 12, 1Rom 12, 1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 ¹ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  

WP-Bible plugin Cor 11), so to pit my particularity against another person’s particularity in competition is absurd in light of who we truly are in Christ (thus the letter to the Corinthians). Thus it makes no sense to speak of “my own personal Jesus.” Because once I am grafted into the vine, I am grafted into the community of faith in Christ and into one another. For me, the Gospel of John and the letter to 1 John capture the essential nature of who we are as being in one another (in Christ, in one another). The so called post-modern culture focuses on a longing for connectedness that was absent in the modern world of the individual. This makes our ears alert to this call to community. Yet outside of the Triune revelation of God, this impulse toward relationship and community will change individualism to tribalism. The interdependent community becomes a self-contained unti pit against other communities. (Buber calls these communities of affinity.)

My community vs your community. Red state vs Blue state. Home church vs traditional church. Man vs Woman and so on. Each community of affinity builds part of its identity by noting the communities they are opposed to.

Only in Christ can we discover the way (the truth and life) to live as distinct persons in relation with other distinct persons in a distinct community in relation with other distinct communities. This is the fulfillment of the 12 Tribes who are not at war with one another but join under one head, King David. King Jesus brings and is bringin all the tribes of the world under one head.

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Flight into Egypt - He Qi

Last fall I spoke to several groups on the theme of leadership, power and authority in business, civics, church and family. Instead of using sociology or other social sciences models for leadership, I attempted to think within the framework of Biblica revelation. Starting with a study on Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Torah, I noticed patterns of contrasting leadership models in the Old and New Testament. For simplification, I focused on the contrast between two Semitic words used for leaders: adon and baal. (For a more complex set of comparison, check out Eugene Peterson’s “Follow the Leader“)  In Hosea 2:16-17Hosea 2:16-17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. Ishi: that is, My husband Baali: that is, My lord ¹⁷ For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.  

WP-Bible plugin, the Lord rejects the name of baal for himself:

16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ 17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. (Hos 2:16-17Hos 2:16-17
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. Ishi: that is, My husband Baali: that is, My lord ¹⁷ For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.  

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Why does he reject that name? And what might we learn about lordship, rule and authority by contrasting the two words for lord: adon and baal? That’s what I explored in the talks and what I hope to explore in these blog entries. I am also attempting to record each entry, so you can listen along if you choose (provided I figure out the audio upload part).

As you think about the contrast between adon and baal, look at the picture above by He Qi. Jesus, the Lord Supreme of the Universe, is seen as an infant, relying on frail human parents to escape from the threat of the power-mania of Herod. In the background of the same picture, we see the symbol of Egyptian power and rule, a Great Pyramid. This contrast of Jesus, power in embodied in human form, with Egypt, power embodied in overwhelming images, might help us begin to think about adon and baal in our own realms of power relating to family, business, church and civic spheres.

 

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Adon vs Baal, part 1

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The Road

What happens when the world comes to an end, and you’re still here? As I watched the “The Road” last week, that seemed to be the question burning in my mind. The story never tells us why the world dies, it simply immerses us into a world where everything is dull grey. Trees, plants and all wildlife are dead. A few shell-shocked humans remain. To continue living means finding some old canned food that survived the end, or eating other survivors.

Into this dark and devastated world, a baby is born.

Is this a cruel joke? How can you raise a child in a world where everything is dead or dying?

This film was released in Knoxville during the Christmas films. While theaters were packed with audiences enjoying heart-warming, family inspiring films, a few of us stepped into the darkness of night to watch a bleak and anguished look at a father and son attempting to survive when all is lost. After the film, my friend who watched it with me suggested that I have a depressing taste in films.

On the surface, this film is depressing, horrific, and deeply disturbing. The cannibalism alone is enough to drive most folks away. Yet what I witnessed was an unexplainable hope. The father was determined to take his son South to the possibility of a better place. A deep, unexplained hope drives the action of the film. How can you have hope when everything is hopeless?

In a film where God seems to have abandoned his world, a transcendent hope shines into the heart of a small boy who is seeking to “keep the fire inside” alive (this hope might be compared to the film Children of Men). As I watched the film, I kept thinking of the dark struggle for many Europeans during the 14th century. Famine, crusade, raiders, revolts and the black plague devastated entire regions. Many people assumed God had plunged our world into judgement with no hope or respite. A “cult of death” sprung up as people became infatuated with the death that lurked around every corner. Instead of promoting repentance and righteousness, this dark century plunged many people into darker actions.

Hopelessness and suffering and struggle to survive can strip us of all that we call human. As Maslov’s hierarchy of needs are stripped down to the most basic needs physiological needs for existence, we may begin to look and act like every other animal, fighting, killing and eating to simply survive. How then does a father teach his son to “keep the fire inside” alive? And yet, again and again the father and the son discuss why they will not eat other humans and why they will not violate other humans and why they must continue to live with some sense of honor and moral restraint.

In this deep and unexplainable drive to live for a better day, I saw a glimmer of transcendent hope shine through. In the midst of the devastation of the 14th century, some people did cultivate hope, some people did not lose faith, some people discovered an unshakeable hope. This hope is not the articulation of hope in Christ and his resurrection, but it is an God-given pre-Christ hope that is still waiting to hear the reality of the Good News again.

In the middle of the film, the father and the son take refuge in an old abandoned church building. This broken down structure provides a moment of sanctuary in the midst of an arduous journey toward hope. I have met people who are walking on that road toward hope, fighting to preserve some sense of humanity while they face inner demons. I’ve known a couple who lost hope and are no longer here.

Just because a person makes good money and has nice things does not mean that they are free from battling that road of encroaching darkness. Like the broke down church, I, in my own brokenness, might give refuge, sanctuary to those around me. Thus I cannot watch a film like this outside of my own Christian faith.

A movie like “The Road” reminds me that there has already been a natural cataclysm, sending humanity on a downward spiral. And yet, God has not forsaken us. He enters into the cataclysm, the suffering, the darkness of human pain and sin. In Christ, the broken, sin-scarred, fatherless humanity has been taken up into God and redeemed. In that hope, I live and move. In that hope, I am called to join the action of my heavenly Father by extending grace and love and kindess in the midst of the messiness of human existence.

Spoiler: In the final moments of the film, the little boy has reached the Southeastern shore America and is walking down the coast. His father has died from the strugge of the journey. He is alone and trying to “keep the fire inside” alive. A man approaches him, and the boy holds up his pistol with one bullet. The man tells the boy, “I want to help you.”

A few moments later, the boy meets the man’s wife, children and pet dog. They welcome him into their family. The struggle to survive may not be over but the film ends with renewed hope as a new family ventures into a new world.

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Everywhere he looked, “glory.” This autumn sunset marked finale with a stream of gold soaking on every tree, every home, every person. The end was at hand, and the world transfigured into halls of heaven before his eyes.

For the past seven days, Mikhail had celebrated sukkot with his family and his village. His people sang songs of praise unto HaShem for blessing the harvest. His people entered into the sojourn of ancient Israel, traveling across the wilderness and into the Promised Land.

During times of abundance and during times of lack, his people trusted in the Holy One to sustain them. During times of joy and during times of suffering, his people sang songs, prayed prayers and lived in humble obedience to the word of Torah.

Tonight as all things came to an end, Mikhail and the people would gather to hear the final words of Torah, the commands of Moses preparing his people to enter into the Promised Land. Tonight as sukkot faded into Simchat Torah, the people would rejoice in HaShem’s wondrous gift of Torah to His people.

HaShem gathered, remembered and sustained his people through Torah. When their world seemed to be unraveling, Genesis reminded them that HaShem created all things and had the power to sustain them. Exodus rehearsed the call from slavery to salvation and HaShem’s unstoppable mercy in the midst of their stumbling steps. Leviticus reminded them that they were a priestly people called to stand before HaShem on behalf of all nations and to stand before all nations on behalf of HaShem. Numbers captured the great and faithful guidance of HaShem across the wilderness. Deuteronomy prepared them to go forth as a strong and courageous people with the gift of God’s wisdom to live in the land.

These stories and prayers and commands gave order and hope to Mikhail’s little village. Like their forefathers of old, they seemed like a small insignificant group of struggling people, yet they lived and walked and danced before the Creator of all things. They existed because of His good pleasure and they could rest in His lovingkindness.

Their suffering simply echoed the suffering of their ancestors, and HaShem walked in the midst of the dark and the light days. Tonight they rejoiced in His gift.

The scrolls of Torah encircled the dancing congregation and the people sang and danced and laughed and rejoiced in the goodness of HaShem. The rebbe stood before the house and prayer and faced the people, singing,

Come, bless the L-rd, all you servants of the L-rd,
who stand by night in the house of the L-rd!
Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the L-rd!

The congregation erupted in shouts of praise for the great gift of light, of truth, of wisdom proceeding from the holy mountain of G-d. All the people sang aloud,

May the L-rd bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!

Like the earth in flight, the people spent the last 12 months circling through the wisdom of Torah. Tonight as the final words are read, they return to Genesis, back to the beginning, back to the creation, back to Garden.

Mikhail remembered this night as the time when his people seemed grow young again. All the world seemed fresh like a newborn babe. Even as he prepared his heart for the end, he felt as though he stepped into the beginning of all things.

Tonight he stepped back into this world of childlike wonder and faith. The stars overhead and the dust beneath his feet all seemed to join in the dance of the family of God. Joy pulsed through his veins as music echoed from his soul. Like the Hasidim of old, his people lost all sense of time as minutes turned to hours and mourning turned to rejoicing.

In the last hours of the night, a few people remained awake. A few people continued talking and remembering. Mikhail sat in the midst listening, soaking, breathing in the life of his people. This communion of hearts burned like a living fire: a fire that had passed from parent to child for centuries and longer.

As the sun dawned over the distant hillside, he knew this life was finally over. He shed tears of joy with his people as he prepared to leave for Palestine. He would probably never see them again. But golden fire of their song would burn within and he would join that fire to the fire of his brothers and sisters from other villages in distant lands who all had traveled home to the land of his fathers.

Today Mikhail entered into the sojourn of ancient Israel, traveling across the sea and into the Promised Land.

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