2023-07-02 A Meditation on Dealing With the Flesh

“8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Th 5:8–11 ESV)

Deucing lust, it can seem the program we signed up for was a case of biting off a bit more than we can chew. Lust is like that: a sneaky devil. We banter, give the back-and-forth, mercilessly turn all the discovered illicit passions into pretzel knots, repenting and being made clean. But finding that idyllic place at times calls for acknowledgment: I bit off more than I can chew. I’m caught in the headlights. I have a “new normal” that is anything but copacetic. I must allow that I am better found in my own element, when I repent of the ambition or the massive intake that has proven too much, that freezes, that is mere imagination, that is a wrench in the sprocket of all things copacetic, homely, healing, and passionate for the Lord. For we long to hold on high and mighty to what echelons heavenward we have glimpsed; we never want to go back to “our people”, “our climate”, “our homeliness”.

We observe that irreverently some translate all holy pomp and circumstance into parables or analogies of the flesh. This we do not do. To be found in quieter climes via Christ, is no allusion to lust indulged, but rather the soul found at peace with those erupting desires: times there are when we are at peace with all longings of the body and the soul. When we have purposeful and wise outlook. When we gaze afar, because our own rabbit’s hole and rabbit’s trail formerly in service to a false warmth, is healed and now daring and bold: bold to fellowship, knowing we have long ago practiced the crash landing; we have long ago combined the myriad temptations and partial indulgences with the gift of Purpose and of Resolve. That is, we thrive when on mission and when fully involved. Despite its threat to our minuses: we minused temptation; we dwelt alone and minused longings; we were “perfect” for the sake of maintaining a fast or a condescending glance towards everyone else or to “those people”.

Therefore, to talk someone down from a ledge, is to fully recognize our own foolishness. It is to recognize our own habits of speech that might tempt a listener to scoff or to dismiss us outright: were we therefore tempting them? Was our speech too servile? Were we too contrite? All this by way of lancing the pride on both sides of the dispute: we all want to be masters of our own humility. We want to submit, but only if we can do so free of any coercion. We want to make a fuss about Jesus, but only if our game is the frontrunner.

If ever you’ve been aped in a sensitive moment you know the determined resolve never to rest until the one prodding you is dealt a losing hand. Someone needles you just right, and by golly you will get them for that. Therefore we all of us do this by way of our testimony of Christ. We bend over backwards to make space for the one not quite yet vibing on the same spiritual food. We blame ourselves for the miscommunication. We take on the responsibility of an elder sibling, purposed to making everyone calm and okay. But it isn’t our fault: it is a moment for all sides to reflect on finding their own idyll. That idyllic place is in service to Christ; your Christ may be different from my Christ to a point, however we can exchange notes and observations. Christ is the same yesterday and today (Heb 13:8).

We well know the competitive lunges of others, who want to rule the day; they are thereby healing some, and themselves missing some more attuned involvement. But we are not missing anything: we were told that persecutions would come; we are accepting that amidst our own silence, our newfound patience is rewarded with plain love and invite to greater involvement, when we are ready. Such is the end of addiction to murderous stories (“16 For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.” (Pr 4:16)) and the beginning of being simultaneously “large”, “large-and-in-charge”, but also true to our colors, Christian. And possessed of a list of things Christians do differently.