“4 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. 6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? 8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, 12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. 14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church. 18 Some are arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. 21 What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Cor 4:1-21 ESV)

The exuberance of the moment: while some capitulate and cavil (their obstinance, their ill-will is plain for all to see), to others the moment overflows with the Ability to Confront. We being social beings, we are Able to bring home anything at all that is a presenting sin, to the man or woman who in that hour is lauded or despised. To the man or woman who it can seem is “getting away with things”. To the man or woman whom we like in all sincerity.

No fluke occurrence, no non-endemic trait, no presenting worry: each Christian in their own right is a Priest of conscience. A priest of solemn Duty. A priest of healing. The art of healing, no “works righteous” instruction to “calm down”, “feel the love”, “lose the rogue aspects”, but rather deep appreciation: it is Law that brings about Sin; people feel accused, and make a guilty expression; people feel pressure, and give in; people feel Expected to Fail, and then do fail.

The Healer’s duty is gamesmanship around first and foremost: trusting and imputing that Trust to the sinner. No greedy endeavor to remake their entire lives in the light of a false narrative (for, sin not repeated is no narrative, but rather it is an occasion for Grace, a blip on the radar, an imagined problem), but rather a winsome endeavor to greet the sinner with manifest Destiny in our eyes and in our handshake.

The fact is, we mourn when called to mourn, and celebrate when called to celebrate; your definition of “Sin” may be different from mine, but together we have met a Soldier called Christ, who lives in our hearts and bears much good fruit in our lives. Ill will doesn’t wish to see the fruit. Ill will gets all persnickety on a self-righteous tear. Ill will confuses “scout’s honor” (the good notion of people speaking always in sincerity, attesting to things they really do believe in their heart of hearts that they “saw”), with gossip, murderous gossip, eagerness to see others fail.

But all this pales in comparison to the Work before our eyes today: war, and that no mere parable from Christ, but literal War. The best in our midst, perhaps already hemmed up in the sick bay; but the rest, those of us called to Fight, do so around Faith in some secret society most daring, benign, warring, and universal. Nations universally join ranks to Avoid those scary and heartbreaking wartime frontline scenes.

All this pales in comparison to the uncompromised Mission to save humanity from certain decimation, death, hunger strife, minefield, and radiation. From poisoned crops and ill farm animals. From shuttered homes and ends of community daring together endeavors. We are those who are called in our own little stead, to Rise Up and know: war is already won or lost on the basis of innocent deeds done, deeds done in faith, deeds we might have opted out of, but with a zany Pressure Zone we opted in to: we did the generous deed or the cautious deed, we saved lives, even, by our forethought, our prophecy, our instinct. And if we are then attacked, starting to murmur frightfully or what not, well that is something to work on but be Reassured, O Soldier, that your deeds in Faith are not lost. Nations will rise up against nations, and all for the sake of some Peacetime simple Encounter, lovers or friends, something not only not lazy or indulgent, but Urgent and Beauteous, a demon hiding out near to the celebrations, but no, we are determined to let the bald-faced Love rule the day. And when that day comes, that it no longer is season and ripe for planting, when now it is time for gestating or going ecosphere, circumscribed and non-engaging with the neighbor, well: be sad, but also glad, that we still man the checkpoint and populate the perimeter, because we would rather give our all then to concede to retreat or Satan.