“27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27-36 ESV)

Faith meets expedience, as monolithic enemies reveal themselves to have personality, quirks, needs, community, faultlines, humanity. Expedience means that we got to do it ourselves! Every moment, we individually are the conduit for Accomplishment against the warring alternate, duality, opponent. And this being no political or designed arrangement, rather a reflection on strange days, ways, and means oblique: some are positioned, forward assets to Accomplish, to seed the right words or pass on the correct message; and they ask, how can all this be done if we don’t “see” it unfolding, being done in front of our eyes? Because of invisible channels of communication, a gesture, what we Preach is Christ and Him Crucified; what we are is plain for all to see; our Humanity, common and pure, is quietly urgent, quietly bespoke, quietly Mission Central.

Because haste, angst, panic, is an easy alternate route; we confirm strange mentalisms or thoughts around cynical expedience. But the Gospel is first well-made, hewn for Success, humor, largesse, it preaches to us to continue blithe in the Faith once Received. It spells out Success in the haste or militantly timed warm sit-down for a brunch or cup of tea. The soldier ducking into “normal” society in all Haste and Speed, because in two minutes she or he is Deployed to the mission central front.

Gospel entreaty, missional forward Arrangements; it is why we learn to Love and learn to Suffer, learn to Persist, and learn to be Grand-minded, masterful, composed and True. We learn, in all things, to Attest to the Reign, reign of Christ. Via knowing His Spirit called Paraclete.  Strange the surrounding Peace but War, of a social circle, a cohort who follows and blesses and protects, loves into Being a central figure who is Service, who is Mindful, who is Firm, who stands by us through it all. For this, there is no hurry, no undue haste, no wreckage from speed: we are haste and truth in all things, but only because we are Anointed to be middle men and women, to be conduit and enabler, to get it done in ways we only can, not confusing Faith with sitting back; urgent to save souls, to save humanity’s corners and communities and peoples, a garden or Body most Holy and True. This Garden is Advanced in ways most Simple and Shared. This Garden knows the meekness, knows the sensitivity, the tears, the vulnerability, for which the armored clan fights and shelters. For which all of us Pray and Serve, coming into our own through the “Front Office” of wartime peace. Joy in the fight, notwithstanding Loss in the fight. Notwithstanding the horrors seen, we refuse to budge on the Principled Stand. Called Christ. Called Personhood. Called Embodiment. Called Humility. We believe in a Person, who radiates with spiritual Joy.