Book 2

As the second week of January ends, I want to post some thoughts on the book I read this week. It's called "Rumors of Another World: What on Earth Are We Missing?" by Philip Yancey.

My first comment....I've read several of his books already. This was not my favorite. Maybe that's because I was really impressed with some of his others. Particularly The Jesus I Never Knew.

But this book was good, and if I had it to do over, I would read it again.

He divides it into three parts; What Are We Missing, Signs of Disorder, and Two Worlds.

In the first section, what was noteworthy to me as a married person was the chapter on Designer Sex. He makes this comment:

"Marriage as a social construct is arbitrary, flexible and open to redefinition. Marriage as a sacrament established by God is another matter entirely."

I think too often, we in the church are not viewing our marriages as sacraments. This is probably one of our poorest witnesses to the world. We hold this sacred covenant in no higher regard than those outside the church. How can this be?

He also talks, in the first section, about God Loving Adverbs, which I quoted in a previous post. From that chapter, my favorite thought was this:

"One day it occurred to me that perhaps I should look at every human relationship as a tool for character formation, including every encounter with a surly clerk or selfish neighbor or demanding relative."

How different would our lives look, if we practiced this?

Second section....one thought for you. He quotes G.K. Chesterton, one of my favorite writers:

"There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumluate more and more. The other is to desire less."

"The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want." Do we really live that???

Third section: Two Worlds. I had more highlighted portions in this section. Maybe that's because I've been mulling over the Kingdom of God stuff. It really is too much to address in one post, or even several, or even in a lifetime of posting, but I want to include two thoughts of his here:

"Jesus spoke of his role before birth and after death and his years on earth as a period of transition. That point of view changes everything. He established settlements of the city of God while living in the city of this world."

And...

"Perhaps that kind of shared secret [a hidden secret-a rumor of another world] was what Jesus had in mind when he told his critics they could not pin down the kingdom of God: "The kindgom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." In prisons, in catacombs, and even in the corridors of power, his followers whispered the provocative secret that our planet, marked by violence, decay, and death, is not all there is. We will live again, in bodies made whole, in a world made whole."

As I ponder the whole Kingdom topic, this is something I know. As I catch glimpses, my heart beats a little faster. My yearning to see a little more increases. My desire to live in it fully deepens. As that Pearl begins to materialize before me, my longing becomes more unbearable. Maybe I'll someday be willing to sell all I have for it. (Matt 13:45-46) Maybe someday I'll live in such a way that others will see that I truly believe it.

Friendship

Here’s a thought. And it may not be supportable from Scripture, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway.

I’ve been looking at the life of the apostle John. Many times in the Gospels, his name is linked with Peter’s. Apparently, they were friends before they met Christ. They seemed to be in the fishing business together. They often accompanied Christ on various trips, sometimes also with James (John’s older brother…or at least there’s some evidence to support the idea that James was older). Christ sent John and Peter to make ready the last Passover meal. These two were the ones to run to the tomb after they heard about the resurrection.

In the book of Acts, we see Peter and John being sent to Samaria together. (Which is another interesting diversion in itself).

Then we come to Acts 12. James is killed by Herod. And Peter is imprisoned. Can you imagine John’s emotional state at this point? His brother is dead and his best friend is facing the same fate. John was a flesh and blood person. Yes, he was an apostle. Yes, he had an intimate relationship with the risen Lord. But he still knew pain and sorrow. He still felt loss. I can’t imagine how difficult this particular day must have been for him.

We believe that John was the only apostle not martyred. He lived to be an old man. He outlived all the rest. In some ways this must have been very lonely for him.

Peter survived this attempt on his life. God intervened. I know that God alone knows the reasons He had for this. He had plans for Peter. Peter continued to be a powerhouse for the early church.

But what about this? I think that maybe part of the reason God saved Peter from death in Acts 12 was because of John. I think maybe God knew John needed his friend.

Like I said, I have no Scriptural basis for that….it is solely my imagination. But I do know this. God loved this man, the son of Zebedee. Would He have spared John’s friend as He worked out His purposes on this planet is it pleased Him to do so?

What I know of the nature of God leads me to think that He would.

More Kingdom Thoughts

I've been having more thoughts on this kingdom business. You know, the funny thing is, once you start thinking about a subject, it seems that it starts popping up all the time in the most unlikely places. It's like God is saying to me, "Are you ready to get down to business? Are you finally seeking My kingdom? It isn't as hidden as it appears. Just open your eyes."

If we look again at Matthew 6, we are reminded that Christ's directive to seek first God's kingdom came after a discussion on provision for our basic needs. But now I want to look at the verses just prior to that.

Verses 15-24 tell us not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, but rather treasures in heaven. That is, our treasury is not Ft. Knox, or some Swiss bank account, or the storeroom of some dictator's palace. Our treasury is located in the kingdom of God.

Paul writes to the Ephesians that there are other realms than the one we see. He tells us in 6:11-12 that:

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

There is a world we live in, the world we see. But as Philip Yancey says, every once in a while we hear rumors of another world. This world is the kingdom of God.

There are some things about the movie "The Matrix" that I really like (and no, it's not the overwhelming violence). In some ways, it has a decidedly Christian message to it. Neo is part of a world that he thinks is real. It's not until he's transported out of it, that he comes to realize that nothing at all in the world he called home is real. It is worse than unreal; it sucks the life out of man. Literally.

Derek, my son, just finished a book that is on my to-read list. It is a little known C.S. Lewis book, the one Lewis himself considered his best work. It is called "Till We Have Faces," and it is the re-telling of the Cupid and Psyche story from Greek mythology. The interesting thing is when the main character, Orual, tries to "rescue" her sister Psyche from the place she has been "kidnapped" to. Psyche sees a beautiful kingdom where she is living; Orual sees only a forest. At the end of the story we find out though, that it is Psyche's kingdom that is real after all.

The kingdom of God is in the heavenly realm. But it is not a man-made kingdom. And for that reason, it is not confined to the heavenly realm. It reaches down and touches earth. Sometimes it is gloriously apparent to all. Other times, only a chosen few get a glimpse. But for those of us who strive to walk with God, the kingdom becomes more vivid all the time.

The Kingdom of God

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He addresses worry. Specifically, worry about the future and provision for it. After a couple paragraphs of dialog, what does Christ finally say?

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matt 6:33)

There are several important concepts in this one little sentence. First, the easiest. What will be given to me as well? If we look at the verses that come before, He is talking about food, drink, and clothing.

Do I really believe that? Does my life reflect that? Do I go through my day, consciously seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness, before I get my coffee or my breakfast? Or before I decide what to wear? Or before I consider how I will even get these things? Do I seek God’s kingdom before I make sure my own is secure?

Secondly….what is His righteousness? Well, what it isn’t, is my righteousness. I think this is a snare for Christians at times. If we are clothed in self-righteousness, we become an offensive thing to others, certainly not the salt and light that Christ has called us to be. It is His righteousness that we are to seek, to desire manifested in our lives. I truly believe the lost world sees the difference. They may despise both, but it will be for totally different reasons. Those who are seeking God will respond to His righteousness displayed in us.

Thirdly….what exactly is the kingdom of God? The verse isn’t necessarily telling us here to seek God, rather His kingdom. Sometimes, even the Bible is a little confusing as to what this kingdom is. Is it here on earth, or is it heaven? It tells us that the kingdom is like a great treasure, that a man will sell all he has to possess it. It tells us that it is like a mustard seed, that though it is the smallest seed, when it grows it becomes the largest plant. Matthew 13 gives us several other things that the kingdom is like, but it still seems a bit allusive.

What I’ve concluded is, that the kingdom of God is where God reigns. Where His purpose and will are supreme. To use someone else’s term, it’s “already, but not yet.” But I am to seek it. I am to seek God’s reign, to desire His purpose fulfilled, and to give my life to that end.

I think seeking the kingdom is different from seeking God, because it takes the emphasis off of an individual relationship – that is, between God and me – and focuses on community. To desire God’s purpose, means to work for the building up of His church. This may be sharing my faith with those who are seeking God, or it may mean encouraging and edifying other believers.

But at any rate, the kingdom is not just about me.