S h r e d d e d

News headlines on Wednesday this week (In the UK):

July consumer prices rise as demand increases...

Train derails in Aberdeenshire...

Women feel unsafe in German cities...

Man dies of plague in New Mexico...

Sussex homes continue without water in heatwave...

Teenage girls beat pigeon and tare off its wings...

UK economy shrinks more than any Western country...

I sat on the bus heading home from work, in the midst of summer. Normally, the streets would be humming with people, but once you were away from the main shopping centre, the pavements were almost entirely empty, as were the buses. The height of the season, and we're in a state of almost complete severance from what was.

I guess its just the Lockdown, but everything seems to be more acute, more distressing, because of where we are.

It isn't just what I feel either.

At work one day this week, I suddenly found myself in the midst of a spontaneous conversation with several others where all the fears, the anxieties, the concerns and the observations I had been keeping to myself came out corporately and we found ourselves looking at each other, shocked and undone at the state of things, which are clearly in meltdown.

It's not that there haven't been troublesome moments before. Most of us recall 2008 and the struggles it brought, but that was little more than a jolt compared to the magnitude of what is happening now... continually.

This, then, has the feel, the fibre of something far more malevolent than what has gone before, because the truth is those in charge don't know how to respond. The entire world appears to have been poisoned and left comatosed, and there is no clear way to wake it from its dangerous nightmare.

Christians are, it appears, in places, beginning to at least wrestle with the ramifications of this affliction and ask why isn't the church there, front and centre, being seen to be far more engaged in this crisis. If this is, at the least, a death sentence for the weak and the old or, possibly, the death knell for a culture, the church has the only remedy of any value, so this isn't a moment for it to be seen as something that is fading into the background of having little to offer.

What troubles me most is the secularism of our response. When I met with minister this week, he was quick to remind me that the majority of people would think it absolutely ridiculous to be talking about angels and demons, but as another minister stated in a live cast in America this week, this really isn't just a struggle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in high places, and the church is meant to be a company who are very aware of his diabolical devices.

The ministry of Jesus was often quick to unmask such evil, often dragging evil into the light, kicking and screaming. Such moments shake us, but they also show us that these malicious undercurrents are terribly real.

What the world needs is a health that cures the real virus.

S h u n n e d

Image from the move, 2012.

"And here we go"...
The Joker: The Dark Knight.

"You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times"
Jesus - Matthew 16:3.

A very interesting piece of material came across my path this week. Entitled Collapse, it's a documentary from a clearly Marxist perspective on the current state of affairs.
Watching the first 5-10 minutes really tells you all you need to know - the kind of moment depicted above in the movie 2012 could well be close at hand, not in regards to the environment (although there are plenty who would contend for that as our major problem), but amongst the instruments of governance of human society.

Russell Chandler in the concluding section of his 1993 book, Doomsday (a fascinating overview of all the times people thought the world's end had pretty well arrived), talks about how before the final curtain, Jesus tells us there will be a period of extensive 'sifting' - a theme clearly picked up by John in Revelation 18, when he observes the principally economic (see verses 3 & 11) fall that will precede Christ's second coming.

After an initial phase (the first 3 minute introduction), in measure pushing buttons about the fear and consequences of the current pandemic, the narrative of the documentary commences to probe what is happening more extensively in our society - the oncoming collapse of capitalism.

I'm about to enter my sixth decade, so I've certainly seen my share of troubles and anyone who knows me will know that I have some "possibles" in respect to the signs of our times, but what got me is how this documentary is underlining about what is coming, and coming on fast.

It's when the narrative begins to spell out what has already happened that you realise that the apocalypse, in some respects, has already occurred - we are now living in the aftermath; the tidal wave is just over the horizon.

Some people saw this coming. The brilliant movie, The Big Short, tells the true story of how a small group of American investors saw the coming collapse of the corrupt sub prime loans system and made a fortune investing against the banks. Sadly, however, the rot did not end there, and we are about to experience the full measure of the consequences of what has become a global financial nightmare.

This is what genuinely troubles me about the pandemic. Everyday, for months now we have woken up to headlines and broadcasts about this 'horror', which has certainly caused a spate of terrible deaths, but this focus has meant, particularly recently, that actual news about the astonishing crash of the dollar, the demise of global trade and the paralysis of our world resulting from this has almost become a footnote even though the extraordinary consequences are going to be with us for decades, if not generations, to come.

You have to ask yourself, what is going on, and why does so much of our current circumstances parallel what we saw in the world nearly a century ago, which lead to the horrors of global war?

The option so often at present seems to be just worry about staying healthy by following the 'guidance' given by those in authority. The problem is, in respect to the quake that's coming, 'stay(ing) alert' about catching a virus is akin to using Protect and Survive to face a nuclear detonation!

This all brings me to what I want to address in respects to the theological ramifications of what's unfolding - where do we go from here if this is so?

It's pretty clear in the current context that the citizens of 'free' nations, including church-goers, are having to adhere to the stipulations that, in the light of the last four months, are being issued by their respective governments, but are we reaching a point where this will change?

The tail end of the lockdowns has been a venue for numerous acts of protest and riot to renounce authority in some form, but there are genuine concerns arising as to where Christians should stand in future in regards to mandates issued that directly impact upon assembly, worship and the health of the church.

The Mockingbird website published a superb piece this week that really probes the nature of where we are and going on much of this - the whole piece is well worth reading, but to just touch on one aspect of what's said:
"Justification and ultimate redemption are not about fixing whatever’s broken. The justification of the Church requires that it first go beyond the bounds of self-salvation. If the Church is the body of Christ, it must not flourish—it must, like all of us, die It must be pitched up at the place of the skull where it boasts nothing but “Christ and him crucified".

And it's how we bring about that kind of 'flourishing' that really needs to concern us right now, which brings me, neatly, to the other item, I came across this week, that speaks volumes to us as Christians. There's one moment in what's declared here that I quibble with (the new understanding of Paul and Justification) as I think it's flawed, but aside from that, this needs to be shouted from the rooftops!

Beyond the social distancing and the masks, the forbidding of the cup and the hymn, lies the real 'light' we are called to fellowship in as wretched sinners saved entirely by grace - let's not loose sight of that as the walls begin to close around us, for only Christ saves, and we're going to need that rescue big time in the days that are just ahead.

Phase T H R E E

"Its a hell of a thing, killing a man. You take away everything he's got and everything he's ever gonna have".  Bill Munny - Unforgiven.

Darkness hovers above us. 

You can feel it but cannot see it. You feel it in your office, your classroom, your social media feed; you even feel it in your body, which shudders with fear at the thought of speaking what you believe to be true. It feels like the world has been turned upside-down. People are acting like they have no God but this is not true, because a God has been summoned: the Cancel God.

The Cancel God wants to cancel you. It wants to cancel everyone you know. It wants to cancel humanity itself. That is its nihilistic goal. It demands you serve or submit. If you do, it promises you will suffer less when everyone dies. You sense this is an ignoble lie, but you are too afraid to question it because you deem the consequences of being cancelled far too high.

So be a good boy. Be a good girl. Say the right things, at the right time, in the right way. Be very careful not to offend, because you are now inherently offensive. Delete your old comments, your old threads, your old self. Get on your knees, and start to apologize, and apologize, and apologize, and apologize …

from 'The Cancel God' by Peter Limberg and Lubimir Arsov.

If there's one thing that's certain to end you, it's apathy.

Westerns show that, time and again.
Just when you think you're safe - blam! - the gunman arrives, and takes it all away. Maybe that's why Westerns used to be so popular - they spoke to a reality that we have to keep in mind, even when we don't like to.

2020 has proven to be a little like the Wild West.
There's been the scourge that's nose-dived the world into hardship (and clearly, there's plenty of that coming), but worse, there's a new 'religion' on the block that knows nothing of compassion and demands total loyalty, and the scary thing is, that most just show the 'Wokeid 2020' virus total apathy!

How come?
How did we get in this rut?

It has to do with how we look at things.

It's really popular to think we need to solve external troubles with internal solutions.
Race, Rights, Rules - if we truly see that by becoming other than we are - tons of actual penance is usually required here and a robust, regular and passionate public espousing of the correct 'right think' -, we can begin to at least placate (but most certainly not appease) the furious demands of this new 'god', that things will be a little better, but there's a serious problem here.

What if our thinking is entirely incorrect?
What if it's a case of our key problem being internal, and until that is fixed, there can be no resolve of everything else?


If we evaluate what is "bad" as being something that really isn't "us" - it's just something we need to purge, like excess weight, incorrect thinking or a bad habit, then we can exorcise evil if we're 'directed' how to do so.

Wickedness, death - these are just 'natural', so if we behave correctly, penitently, we can dissolve these annoyances and become "socially acceptable" people.

Does this free us?
Does this really deal with our deep troubles?

In the opening of Romans, Paul tells us the truth is literally staring us in the face - it's evident that we're here with purpose! What exists doesn't exist for nothing, but that says we have to acknowledge we're the handiwork of another, not ourselves, and that's where the trouble really begins.

To give God His proper place, we have to move aside - to make reference to what's greater than what we think, and the fact that the real issues are much larger than we want them to be.

It's here we buy into our own 'woke-ness'. Rather than look that deeply into our actual needs, we make everything fix-able by our own determinations - our behaviour is fine, however crippled it leaves us and others, our thinking is fine, however foolishly it tries to mask the elephant (or Creator) in the room, because we're clearly not masters of our own fate.

Religion becomes everything to us, because life becomes too scary to face, head on.

That's how we got here.
That's why we now have a new religion that will murder us all.

Paul was right - after phase 1: denial, and phase 2: indulgence, comes phase 3: Apathy before closure.

It really isn't pretty - in fact, it's terrifying.

There is an answer - Jesus.
Look and see, whilst you can.
Before the coming cancel God cancels you!

F A D E

I'm blowing away,
Shadows take my love and leave, 
I'm blowing away,
Shadows keep taking my love and leaving me

So,  money, work, home... future.

All OK?

If we haven't had issues in one or all of those areas so far this year, chances are we will have before too long.

And then there's health.
Has there ever been a time when that issue has been so thorny!
People only have to sneeze or cough now in public and droves of nearby folk can be knocked into full panic mode.

It probably wouldn't matter so much if we could see a silver lining - a glimmer on the horizon even that something better is on the way if we just wait, just hold on a little longer.

Sadly, it's not there.

This year, if most of us are honest, has hit us like a blunt force trauma.
We've looked around for those who have the means to get us out of here - they came in droves at the start with their high hopes, their graphs and their predictions, but where are they now?
Listen carefully, between the poorly set smiles and PR prose, and you'll pick up what's actually going on....

They don't know.

Well, we do know.
There's going to be pain, and trouble and struggle aplenty, and even if one hurdle is leapt, giving us a moment or two of triumph,  you can be sure that this will lead us to apprehending numerous, probably countless others,
especially our own mortality, and the brevity of life not just for us, but for everyone we love.

It's all there to bring us to our knees,
to cause us to realise, it's too much -

that's the purpose.

To make us look beyond ourselves for help.

And the answer.

So, there's really only one question to ask right now,
in the midst of all this trouble.

Where are you going to turn?

Is your life going to merely run out one day soon,
leaving you as food for worms?

Or,
Are you looking further, harder, deeper, into what's going on,
and why.

Religious behaviour is what we do when we go through the motions, because we don't know what matters.

Life is full when we know not just what we are, but why we are.

That manner of meaning and purpose can change everything, even in the midst of all the present madness.

I came to bring life, said Jesus, full and abundant.

Find it today.

Essentials

Short and sweet today.
I recently discovered the superb work of Alisa Childers on countering 'progressive' religion with classical Christianity.
Here is a brilliant example of what that's about, spelling out why it matters.

Enjoy!

Beyond

"In storms it seems we have two systems of response. We have the normal bodily response, which is fight-or-flight, fear and anger. But another style of response emerges from our souls, from that core piece of ourselves … and this response is an aesthetic response. 

It’s the one that causes us to hunger for beauty, to be called by beauty, to partake in beauty, to pay attention to compassionate actions, to sacrifice for a neighbor, to keep a neighbor safe. These actions and these acts of beauty, like the Sermon on the Mount, often involve flipping the script, upending values. On one level, these acts of beauty and pure gift and loving care are radically illogical. They are vulnerability in the face of danger. They are gentleness in the midst of bitterness. They are compassion in the midst of strife. But … these are the acts that have the power to open hearts, these are the acts that have the power to shock a revolution in our culture and in our consciousness".

David Brooks.

I don't know how it's been for you, but if I were to take a guess based on some of my own experiences, I'd say there have certainly been times where you have felt very vulnerable of late. Whether its been the lockdown, the threat of the virus, worries about work or education or just being able to be 'normal' again, life has often proved to be about concerns "way bigger" than routine, that are real and troubling for each of us, especially as the answer to pretty much all of these trials is that, well, we don't know if, even when, things can be the same.

Our initial response is pretty predictable. Those 'little' worries about practical things begin to mount up, especially if there's an event (or series of them!) that bring the angst rushing forward arises, and we find ourselves overwhelmed by circumstances or feelings that leave us incapable of resolve or at least a manageable solution.
I recall sitting on a bus some months ago, watching the numbers traveling to work each day dwindling down to just one or two and thinking "what is going to happen next?". What unfolded, of course, was just plain weird. It has been one of the most uncertain times of our lives.

The quote above, however, says there is a flip side to the trauma, which is beyond the norm.
Naturally, we should only get particular reactions to this threat - what evolution deems 'fight or flight' - and given the nature of this menace, the reaction we would expect is one of panic.
We certainly saw something of that in the pillaging of the supermarkets, and the flip side in the violence of the last few weeks, but even as the stampede for particular household goods was under way, we were already hearing of incredible acts of selfless giving for the sake of others, often total strangers.

Perhaps one of the most enriching things to come out of this entire trouble has been that people have found ways to care for each other in a deeper fashion, and, as a result, discovered that even amidst some of our deepest pain and hardship, there is a wealth of meaning, of beauty, to be discovered, that totally overwhelms us.

One of the things I've always enjoyed about good movies (you know, the ones that say something genuine about us) is the way that they get to me - making me laugh or cry or just become overwhelmed by what I'm encountering in that scene. Good stories reach inside us and say 'this is what it's really all about - this is what counts... this is being human'. They drive us to a place where the richness of our existence is affirmed and esteemed by saying 'this is good', and we respond in a way that says, 'absolutely'.

Beyond the worries and the weakness, beyond the failure, there's a genuine, diamond-sharp reality that says we are here to know something far better than just surviving, and if we take those harsher moments and use them well, we will unearth the greatness, the overwhelming significance, of love that can encompass all of life and make us wealthy, even amidst our hardest trials.

As Jesus Himself noted, "Don't be anxious about life - what you'll eat or drink or what you'll wear. Isn't life about more than food, or your body about more than clothes? Take a look at the birds. They don't have barns for stores, but their Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of more value? Will worry add even a single moment to your lives? Look at the flowers of the field. They don't toil, but even a great king like Solomon wasn't as beautifully dressed as them, so why do you worry about clothes? Seek first God's goodness, and everything else will be taken care of" (Matthew 6:25-33).

We all know that when we put love first - our love for each other - things are so much better. Life is at it's best when God's love can become ours, even in the deepest trials.

Delivered

Nobody to rescue me, Nobody would dare, I was going down for the last time, But by His Mercy I've been spared.
Not by works, But by faith in Him who called, 
For so long I've been hindered,
For so long I've been stalled. 

I've been saved, By the blood of the lamb.

Bob Dylan - Saved.

I saw some incredible video footage this week of parents saving children.

In one clip, a father saved his two boys from certain death as he ran in front of a careering vehicle to snatch them out of the way. In another, a father jumped a fence at least his height and swan dived into a swimming pool to rescue his daughter who had slipped on the edge and fallen in. Gripping moments that make you both shudder in horror and tremble with relief.

Moments like that, of course, happen everyday, and not just between family members. History is filled with examples of people who have given entirely and totally of themselves to rescue or save someone else - even perfect strangers. We often talk about such sacrifice as something that epitomises the greatest thing one person can do for another due to just how full, how complete,  such a giving can be, but we also need to be aware another kind of giving, just as entire as well, that endures hardships in a much deeper fashion.

This week I watched as a family member made a choice that may well cost them dearly, in respect to sacrifice for another, for the rest of their natural lives. It reminded me that everyday in our world, countless numbers of people are making those kind of costly sacrifices for one another, often without any recognition or support or abiding assistance.

Love like that is so precious.

When it comes to God's giving of Himself to and for us, what kind of love is it that we see there?

The answer is both. 

God plunged Himself into the very midst of our severance to hang on the cursed tree at Golgotha to free us, but He also lived a life here carrying the weight of our pain, so the Prophet speaks of Him as a 'man of sorrows, acquainted with grief' (Isa 53:3). One glimpse of that agony is expressed in the story of the death of a friend (see John chapter 11).

When we begin to unpack the nature of God's immersion into our trouble and need, we understand that it was by necessity total in respect to becoming entirely human - the act had to be entirely genuine. When the Lord gave us His Son, as one preacher put it, He gave us His all - nothing was held back. 

There's a flip side to that.
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus saves all. That's what is shown in John 3:16 (even if Jesus goes on to show us why some are still beyond that rescue).

Note that.
The only things that are not redeemed are sin (that which twists what is good) and death (that which removes what is good). Everything else is rescued - the world is saved by our Father's love, in the giving of His Son.

When you see the rain fall or the sky brighten, when you encounter the silent radiance of the sun rising or setting, the song of the birds, the sweetness of the dew of the grass, when you know the warmth and goodness of family and friends enjoying a meal or at play and the love of a husband or wife, you are encountering something that is meant, continually, to be good.

If you want a notion of what creation regained is like, look at and encounter these things, because there you evidence what God loves and what Christ has come to restore.

We love, even when it costs, because we know it is worth so much to give and receive genuine affection - it's what makes everything worthwhile. In the new creation, everything will be defined by that love, and that will make its worth beyond rubies and emeralds. Love will have gained the treasure of making everything 'good' (holy) and thereby eternal.

There are, in conclusion, two key truths to see here.
God has completed His purposes for His handiwork in His beloved Son - the cross and the tomb speak to that - but God is, each moment, bringing more of that great truth home to His work in so many ways. We know that the new is soon to replace the old, but we also know that amidst our current living, God is seeking to convey the astonishing reality of that splendour to us, even amidst our most difficult times.

We have been saved.
We are being saved.
We will be saved.

From before the first words were spoken, The Lord has had in mind one outcome - a life defined entirely by this love. That is the rich splendour He has in store for us if we trust in His mercies.

Consider, then how this is worked out in the light of two extraordinary statements in the heart of the book of Hebrews.
Jesus is spoken of as having an unchanging, eternal priesthood (verse 24) and because of that, as the Amplified Bible puts it, "He is able to save to the uttermost - completely, perfectly, finally and forever - those who come to God through Him" (verse 25). Let the scope, the magnitude, the amazing wonder of that sink into every pour of your heart and mind and the marrow of your being. That is the love which has been made ours, which made the world, and will bring about its true beauty!