2024-01-19 A Meditation on Bedrock
“12 Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.” (Prov 23:12 ESV)
“2 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Co 2:1 ESV)
On some level divine, sublime, a patient narrator, our God the Son, God the Spirit, God the Father Three in One, retells and rehearses the simple coherent line: that ours is a new default mode, a mind tessellated around Hope, a back-to-basics so encouraging and, we with our multitudinous words, only try thus to tap in.
To hear the delightful story of Man looking heavenward not out of ambition nor pride, but because the heavenly was found in a Samaritan, who upheld a good response to a wounded and left-for-dead man. The heavenly was found in basic dichotomies between walking by faith not by sight. The heavenly was found in exuberant Peace, overflowing vats of mind-space and careening, wild-eyed, wondrous thoughts.
There is no need for fancy language, just some telling that is more than a crutch, that is, that leaves us not hemmed up or constrained, but effluent and astonished in mind: our very “alternate” mode is incorporated, there being no “church-me” and “secular-me”; nothing we are guilted about nor anything outside of Jesus’ line of inquiry over and against our venting or letting our guard down. We let our guard down for this One, the Christ, in trust and in buoyant certainty.
For, the better thoughts follow the weaker thoughts, it would seem. We are inspired post-action, with “what-if’s” and “shoulda-woulda-coulda’s”. Our meditation is only breaking the seal: there remains a world to discover and ample output to put to paper. Yet so too a strange stasis, a peace, a complete revision of our Default, of our adopted status, of the fluent words that flow from a heart Owned, Given Over Unto, the Jesus and the Christ.
Take no thought to climbing higher, but rather in modesty and humility, in contrition and in real stuff, turn the abundant world of one’s own existence, over unto a miraculous Resurrection from the lists and the confessions. Ours is a world reclaimed and unapologetic, no sorrows nor reluctant apologies ad infinitum, but One confession, and One hearing ear, and One new life out of the ashes.
Out of the relics of our thoughtful self-inventory, came a courage untold. Pizazz, sound barrier, lightspeed, God made us no longer afraid of the anti-religious, the haters, for in the hatred of established religion, there is still the question: are you saved? There is still the warmed heart that is unapologetic. We needed Him, as much as He needed to know Something, Anything was earned, established, in the books, hope for tomorrow; anything or something from His labors. Only it seemed all was dispelt and lost.
The soldier therefore is no clutcher of false assurances, but allows that a Default modality and new frame of being, goes to the core. Goes to the unconfessed areas and thoughts, turning them to overwhelming bounty. Bounty of Promise, of Words In Season, of Hope Filled Encouragement. The Christian delights, because of being upheld. The Christian soldier is no longer in error, but rather abides as that simple storyline is whispered so clearly to his or her ear; all our deeds become One with His. All our delights become Man’s largesse rather than his penny-hoarding hideout. We do not hide out accounting for each and every misdeed by way of some awful purgatory, but rather Celebrate by way of some amazing Victory. Be yourself, Man! Be yourself, Woman! These are things mysterious and long-sought by some, but Today, if you hear His voice, they are yours to claim!