Maybe I am Not Ready Yet…!

             

            This week I came across the following personal confession of a Christian writer: “Maybe I am not ready yet to suffer for the Kingdom of God. My heart is too impure, my soul too divided, my love too fragile.”

            Suffering for the kingdom of God is something we would rather not think about. But recent news events have forced the thoughts upon us. For too long, perhaps, we have tried to separate any form of suffering being related to faithfulness in the kingdom. Especially if we are thinking about undeserved suffering.

            But in the quote above we are made aware that perhaps it is our heart, soul and love that are not ready for this level of acceptance and commitment. It is a topic that is touched on in Scripture. In fact, nearly 150 times it is mentioned by various biblical writers.

            Perhaps the one Scripture passage that hits home on this topic is the following one in the Book of Revelation:

            “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10).

          The apostle John, while in exile on Patmos, is instructed to write this message to the angel of the church in Smyrna. He begins by counseling his readers from that city to not be afraid of what they are about to suffer. That gets at the heart of it all. We who are Christians must daily ask God, Christ and the Spirit to strengthen our faith and not let any kind of fear to debilitate us.

            Spiritual persecution is pictured by John as the devil putting some of them in prison to test them. They are counseled to be faithful, even to the point of death. As a direct result of that faithfulness, a victor’s crown will be given them in the form of eternal life with God—a present and future presence with Sovereign God.

            Are we ready yet to suffer for the Kingdom of God? Christians in other parts of the world already are suffering at the point of giving their lives. May our hearts be made more pure, our souls more undivided in our commitment, and our love stronger so that when the time comes we will be ready to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the kingdom of God!

In Christian love, Curtis

THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE AT REST (3)

You may remember last week that we reflected again on the famous opening quote of Augustine’s timeless classic, Confessions.   In Book I, chapter 1, paragraph 1 there is the following famous insight about human beings: “The thought of You (O God) stirs man so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you” (Saint Augustine’s Confessions,  translated by R.S. Pine-Coffin. 1961; 1983 reprint; New York, NY: Penguin Book Classics; page 21).

             The phrase we want to focus on this week is: “because you made us for yourself.” In one short phrase Augustine has encapsulated rather succinctly the purpose for human beings. God made us for Himself. This implies at the following: covenant, calling, partakers of the divine nature, and love.

            We are in covenant relationship with God through Christ. God made us for his own glory, and we participate in that glory when we surrender to Jesus Christ. This is why conversion is so powerful. It is relinquishing self to God.

            We are called and chosen by God. This gives us our identity. God initiated this calling, and when we respond we are only returning to Him who made us.

            We are partakers of the divine nature. Because God made us for himself, we are not surprised that New Testament writers remind us that we participate and partake of the divine nature. Our very soul yearns for the God who made us.

            We are loved and beloved. The first  reminds us that we are the object of God’s love, and the second reminds us that we stand every moment in the state of being beloved. That is who we are.

“Because you made us for yourself”---This has been the great failing of historic Christianity—religious movements and activities tend be self-centered and not God-centered. If we take Augustine’s statement seriously, then everything changes for the glory of God!      

 In Christian love, Curtis

HOMECOMING

One of my favorite Christian authors is Henri J. M. Nouwen. One of the most gripping books he ever wrote was called, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. He chanced to come across a reproduction of Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son painting. Sometime later he had the opportunity to actually go to St. Petersburg, and see the painting in person there in a museum. Through a friend of his, he was able to sit and meditate on the painting for over four hours. His book contains his thoughts on this experience.

What is unique about this book is that  Nouwen weaves together parts of the biblical narrative, parts of Rembrandt’s own story, and his own reflections inspired by the painting itself. This tri-fold weaving of resources makes for a memorable and remarkable writing that forces one to think of deep issues of the heart.

When his friend introduced Henri to the Hermitage museum, he was afraid that,  with all of the time and trouble it took to arrange a personal encounter with the painting, he would disappointed with the actual picture itself. He maintains the exact opposite. He says, “Its grandeur and splendor made everything recede into the background and held me completely captivated. Coming here was indeed a coming home”(p.8).

“Homecoming” is the dominant metaphor for Nouwen as he views the painting and reflects on the biblical story and how it touches the deep recesses of his own needy heart. This metaphor never grows old or out-dated. In the beauty of coming home, Nouwen maintains that reconciliation, forgiveness and love are felt and extended. This is what makes home so beautiful.

Viewing the painting itself, one sees the son kneeling in front of the father who gathers the son’s head into his bosom, placing both hands on the back of his shoulders. Brokenness embraced is a  beautiful thing. Throughout this entire book Nouwen is slowly but surely building a strong case for brokenness being the ground of our Christian being. Only through our own poverty can we expect to feel the rich embrace of the Father’s love.

In Christian love, Curtis