“11 Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. 13 For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, 16 who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is witnessed of him, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” 18 For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness 19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, 21 but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’ ” 22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. 28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.” (Heb 7:11–28 ESV)

Midst rampant World Problems the evangel is proclaimed as strangely sufficient. Sure, hearts go aflutter and pained around Losses Sustained, around Wild-Eyed abuses or ruinous outlays, on the “wouldn’t ya know it!” the fact some people seem to Hate more than others, yet as to those others who are not so hate-filled, well they have their own sins: the peculiar delight in seeing others aped or in seeing others take up the Hate Blanket. All of us can relate to a dire course of thought, of actions, all needing Motherly, Priestly, Fatherly Absolution.

Because isn’t it, O God-fearing ones, a tragedy how Militantly up in your face the enemy is? That while we talk of Tomorrow’s Wars, they for their part are already hiring up militias and compromising good menfolk, womenfolk, with the dastardly unsubstantiated so-called Theology. Because true Theology, let us name a few carefully entrusted tenets: Christ was the once-and-for-all Perfect oblation and sacrifice. That all sins will be forgiven. Yet they Mock, forgetting no theology exists in a vacuum, but it always must be Preached. Sure, like a good barometer of the times, one theology is worded out, such as that one about the once-and-for-all perfect oblation and sacrifice. True. But likewise the three years of Christ first becoming Christ. And no one today is claiming to be Him, only to Accept from His hand the mercy shown sinners.

More, they say, well if all sins will be forgiven, well what stops the citizen of the church from abusing that right? Again, preach the doctrine of forgiveness, do not parcel it out as a logical axiom or a courtroom appeal. Preach! An enemy has done this. An enemy has argued, well anything done outside Faith must be destined for the rubbish bin. Only this, that you, O sinner, You Too have ownership of this doctrine. You, too, can be forgiven. And it is strangely held hostage, our own eventual License to imitate and mock up a YouTube video or public testimony of being a sinner now repentant. Yes, indeed, some of us may even start to seem rather Quaint in our testimony, because of the sins of a Judas times ten. Of a gossiper or spreader of fake theological Axioms at large. Of the frustrated heart-pounding panic attack of just how Vicious (don’t start talking to yourself!) and just how Denying of Life an enemy can be.

Because our Creed, our Hope, our Testimony is just this: no matter how seemingly Smug, no matter how seemingly Forgetful, we doubly repent: once, as a Prodigal, for sins of the flesh and carousing. Two, as an intellectual (spare us, the judges in the land cry out: too quaint!) for the sins of Axiomatization of creed and personal theology. Kurt Godel and all that. Incompleteness. The error of ever relying too much just on logical deductive reasons.

Because sadly we also can Forget, but to the ramparts because an Enemy said, “Let us make their bondage greater not less; let us show everyone the Fear of God in our vendetta against sin!”. And we, we felt like we were a fellow-traveler, a friend to the church in her hour of that same need that is always and everywhere the church’s plain obsession and urgency. But, they say, let us teach the would-be preacher how sinful and self-serving their congregants are! Would you argue in a court of law that the man is right to abuse the woman because such is a lesson in the cold truths of life? Separation of church and state, means that theology cannot be axiomatized and separated from the barometer, the preacher’s decision as to what the times call for, the preached aspect of any creed. Preach it, sister! Preach it, brother! That God is for us. That any theology can be turned topsy-turvy and anyone’s life of sin hounded until blue in the face, until finally Repentant. But indeed, quaint! We almost start to feel our unchurched deeds were still Good Deeds. In contrast to the financiers’ deeds and the powerbrokers’ deeds. In contrast to those who have argued War is Present much more austerely and obtusely, early on, while simple liberal-mindedness is too precious, too reliant on the rumor we will get our day in court. Fracking means no day in court! The scandals, the plundering, the rumors, these will never allow us to play our Ace of Spades, our hidden hand.

And then to that friend of old, and our intention while protesting the auto-pilot of the sins of others, we Forget to weep. We can work up a proper Commemoration. We can make the distinction between those Enemies addicted to Hate, and those fellow-travelers. They hate us for not being more uptight. They hate us, claiming it is about lust or wantonness or something, but really they don’t care so long as loserdom prevails, so long as people are fussy and uptight. Is that a proper Creedal element? To argue that society even does “work” in whom it consecrates to holy service? That society takes those who ameliorate themselves to any situation, who submit to any situation, who are now “Winners” because of their long-suffering, their decades of Education? 

Let the record show, that Christianity itself is a Christ. Christianity itself is a bit of a secret made public, and it can itself be cause for wild abuses and thefts from civilization. Thefts of Holy Things. Thefts and plundering of Insanely Wise knowledge. We all need to band together, to be for one another the Reason for the Season, Christ no guaranteed once-and-for-all perfect oblation and sacrifice, but a tried man or woman, a possibility sadly cut short all too soon. Each of us is Him. And so to that saint muttering to him or herself, whose heart is pounding with manic fright at the levels of Evil in the land: they too have a hope stored up for them, that God is still in charge and working at large.