“5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. Final Instructions 12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people. Greetings 19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord. 20 All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. 21 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. 22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. 24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Co 16:5–24 ESV)

Any encounter and the die is cast from which either Gratitude is gently reminded, or belligerence remedies, tries to remedy, the obstinance, the awfulness, the contravariant Posture. Because war is declared always, to some tune of Tragedy unfolded. Go one more mile in such-and-so’s shoes, it is said, before allowing that Contentious Spirit in.

But no, not only is it too hurried-up, but the Declaration is begging to be Illuminated, Educated, Informed just a bit more first of all. All things told. A little Enlightenment, please. Or so we might imagine.

Our imagination also mourns that some dastardly opponents are literally not even hip to the game, not inducted into the set, not on the same playing field; and why mourn? Because graceful Exit, timely Surrender, life-saving Appeasement: these things are missed. Because some Obstinance or Refusal was discerned, in a glance, in an early eerily betrayed Mindset and Posture, and it went Contagious. It aped and massaged and Curated some Demonic Spirit. Mollified, terrified, outdone: it is a spirit who to more Civilized Souls is ramshackle and Contrived. Unbearable and free-floating.

Talk through the Frustration. Walk gingerly through the Minefield. Self-soothe and self-coach through the Batty Exasperated screaming match. Go back, again, to that sense of Dutiful Man, Woman being of a set Not to wage war against those fellows in the campfire setting, those who are entered upon the Perimeter and Realize that ostensible Ghouls, Frightfully Scary souls, are Approachable after all. Strange days, and then to that Gratitude for simply warm souls near to us, because we were Occupied with Duty and Labors and Tasks. That we could therefore be Peace to one another. A common Enemy? Only as seen through the lens of Extensions of Ourselves. Our own Fears writ large, talked or stolen into Existence. If we think logically, then the enemy mocks logical certitude. If we think calmly, then the enemy mocks unbelligerence. If we think lovingly, patiently, with healing succor, then the enemy mocks Weakness, Misunderstood Violent Callings. They Call for more attitudinal, demonstrative Wicked Violence, and we refuse to be gamed, baited, hurried-up.

Sure, we know Christ’s coming Reign in Glory, as a military Victory coming down from the skies. But we do not therefore get Confused as to our Place in the Formula. Christ, for His sake, we have surrendered All Things, that His Name be glorified not our own. More to the point, speak softly and let your good manners carry a big Hound, a Dog in the fight, a Threat so unsubtle, yet sublime, a big stick. A weird way Christ assigned all Loserdom Zealots to embrace His religion, while those who said religion would “Save” may be the latecomers and wanderers, the “Cool cats” and those who mocked the loserdom. God used His enemies to advance His Kingdom on earth? Only let it be a homecoming so welcome, to roost once again with Mother’s Love, Father’s Love, a Zone most jealously fought over, our “War” and Coming Kingdom Prophesied and Enacted.