“2 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” (Gal 2:1-10 ESV)

Vision continues, to do what any human judge demures or doubts we can do: to testify, to dance even after the music has died down. We cannot let ourselves be judged by our fellow man. The arena is Real and beckons for utter perspicacity and courage, to pick up where the music left off: hearing echoing murmurs of the dance the night before. Are we still “Christian”? Yet we adore the posture called Christ-like wherein true sin is our basic confession and penitence, and all that not to spook one another, but to honor as Holy that which is unseen about the Father and the Judge.

The fact some good folk called out Christ-work as some brand of truth-gathering, intelligence, crazed prophesying, the “somos simpatico” (“we are nice”), the fact we glean a top-secret infusion: this, because those churchfolk capable of forgiving us—literally forgiving us—are also surrounded by murmurs and demuring rebukes. Yet to hear the joy in a voice of a fellow worshipper: this is miraculously healing.

The top-secret nature is what any citizen of the community already knows: just who, how, and why we do things ‘round here: the enemy is chomping at the bit, ready to swoop in a compromise, and thieve, and corrupt, and disqualify. Yet what we are is plain for all to see! Our religious themes… these are shared publicly and written of and preached upon and used in mutual fellowship and the greetings therein. Others, even, are more focused and conversational than we are, perhaps. But the excitement is not constrained nor put in a bottle, but gives light to all in the house. This is no secret, yet is maligned and bad-mouthed most of all.

Each citizen therefore has passed a qualifying exam most cutthroat yet—having passed—most sublime. Beauteous. We are what we say we are: Christ-followers. We get the briefing and respond in kind: what is on the mind of the Church these days? And to that Church: both bastion of some brand of weird levels of forgiveness, and some fright factor and name-calling. Because we judge one another. Because we are frustrated. Because we can’t stand seeing some unrepentant sot captivating the heart of the gathering. Only: who is unrepentant? Church truly warms us and invites us… and all this, to call up our inner man, inner woman, not to fall nakedly into the loving arms, but to whistle and speak, ministrate and bequeath, a perch all our own called Gospel Living. Because of the love on display. Something radical and unbecoming of the secular sort of folk. Something that warms the souls even of the criticizer or the critical one. Something, wherein we agree in principle to being Christ to one another. Because we are officers of the State, of the Mission, top-secret yet plain—in jubilant fashion—for all to see. “For I resolved to know nothing amongst you except Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2).

There is always on display some lockdown, frozen nature, of “tell us what’s in it for us!” mentality around the hype. Hype often overexaggerated: yes, that was a neat film, but no, it isn’t some priceless excess: you can make your own film for a few million in cash. Our “film” is Christ for us, our own shrill voice making gosh-darn obnoxious claims and bold assertions, even if those are overexaggerated in the ears of the hearer. Still, we’ll work with it. With the Christ-event in our lives. With Him arriving, giving the convert some notion of contrast that the staid churchgoer might lack. Thus, to the witness and to the testimony! The loving arms… partake so that you, too, might give back Love. Might inspire with manly, feminine, goal-oriented Christ-like display. Because the fellowship is a given, to recognize that the church gets some things right… this is no concession to a blase “Society sometimes just works”, no concession to “Calvinism and original sin are all wrong”, but rather is an adrenaline shot in the arm: see your whole body, mind, and frame Healed. Because what is trash is in the trash, and what is noble, holy, and true: this is bursting forth at the top.

Dare we say: all things shall be seen in the light of Christ. We might, after all, need to take a day to contemplate this mystery! Because anything not in the light of Christ, is in some weird way still echoing shadow and aspect of the Christ event. Christ for us, in our lives, and those not willing to talk in such terms, to them it is still shadow and weight of glory. Only of untold origin. Only of not rising up to accept Christ for you, Christ for me. The mission of forging penitence, of forming self-reflection, of fomenting righteous rebellion against received wisdom. That, good sir, good ma’am, is not the whole story. Something is occurring on an invisible and un-acknowledged level. And if irate, if perturbed, nonetheless the Good Judge is forming mini testifiers, apostles, prophets, and saints. Who are primed to see all the world in rebellion and war and insane signatories before His coming again in Peace and with a shout as He descends from the sky. To save the lost and heal the brokenhearted. If that is us, then willingly accept He is for us.

Covert activity, intelligence work, deeply held “insane” beliefs: each pushed to the brink of madness, yet still coherent around some deep, unacknowledged, living Witness: we must be bold to live in a liminal and to many invisible realm: not letting others be our judge, even though we invest all we have and take on the burdens, the successes and efforts, of our friends. We have a font to drink from that not all have! We are Informed and given situational awareness. We are poked and pushed and shepherded to the mentalist’s life progression and cultivation of friendship that isn’t a judgmental friendship. Were we competing? No, not ever! There is ying and there is yang, appropriateness and living together. The myth that all things devolve to a war between male and female, between left and right, rich and poor, between landlord and serf, between master and servant: instead focus on the fact of affections formed and of desires channeled into conversation most benign. Friendly, even, if not for just how much is on the line, how much at stake. Worlds coming together, and who better than two seeking, fishing together, conversational entities? This is a mystery, and applies to friends near and to friends far, to new friends and to old reliable ones.