“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.” (Ga 2:1–10 ESV)

Briefings abound, and to the Christian entail something non-static about their faith: we operate under guidelines and actionable items, living theologies, vocal Word, prophetic utterances, just as to how and who the Christ is to His people, what He is doing, how we can “help”, whether it is the season to mourn (Christ has died) or to celebrate (He is Risen!).

The situation, then, requires each acolyte of the Faith to reason in mortal combat with their own sinful ideas and patterns of thinking: to reason as Theologians, everyone from the weird Christian in ivory tower, to the washerwoman or man who utters prayers just of Escape from the financial insecurity, the unhealed pain, the oppressive thoughts or compromised life styles.

This Call to be theologians, means we do in fact Mourn Christ’s death—if we are Christians—even though it was all “according to plan”. He could have, would have, done so much more, and to jump all over the snickering claim that “We got Him! We killed Him!” is to loudly and laudably announce Christ is not held down by the Grave. But oh, what a tragedy.

Then, the would-be theologian practices Actionable Items, that theology is always preached not logical platitudes. Theology plays a match of football, rugby, a Shove and yardage desperately fought-over. To volunteer as ensigns, to work for The Man, (or The Woman) not because our good works will save us, only just because. Because He Died for us. Because what a gift, there to be able to sign our name, and to volunteer our life and being.

The Briefing, then, is a Call to arms around just where in the Christ saga, story we are… as a cohort and as a community and as a Christian Military. One arm of said military is Certain God is a friend of the poor; another arm is vouchsafed around the notion God is interested in apologetics directed towards the liberal elite, or towards the awkward or intellectually-branded mind; a third arm works on a Resurrection Certainty, that forms trans-human trends, cross-platform Platitudes and Truths.

The Briefing is that—blink and witness, wink and observe, semaphore and Code Speak coming across the radio—we do not spoil the fun as if Christ is so super-human that we can spread His Name without recompense, without retribution or murder. He was killed because His King claims came before the wrong people. And this, first, He was nothing without His twelve, each was share-holder in the Event, but first, it is a Tragedy. Yet when Christ comes again with militant strength (as Scriptures do prophesy) it will be a very different kind of Coming Together. Indeed, we almost want to correct the scriptures on this point: that Always, our Leaders—if they be servant-minded—are persecuted. Always, and why should this one be faulted as a type of Christ any more than that one, if they are head honcho to so much, if their word never falls to the ground unanswered, if they are like the Centurion who appealed to Christ, a man with men under his authority, to whom he says, “Go” or “Do this”, and they obey.

The Demons and Spirits know Paul, certainly know Christ, and Obey. What is an evil spirit, after all, but something that even—being Alive—might have been grace and unction up until said time that a superior, that Christ Himself, arrived on the scene? And then, just as the underevolved resolutions or gameplans, seem rather cave-dwelling in scope or less inspired… just as in fact the Opposite is true: that Man, inspired Mankind, speaks for the Ages, a word two thousand years ago, have we Evolved beyond said ken? No we haven’t; parables and Christ-events appeal not to some heights of evolution, but to a dastardly eternal fight with good and evil, with sin and righteousness, with oppression and liberty.

To those Inspired, the briefings come quickly and urgently, that this strange under-evolved panic attack or lustful pursuit or greedy hoarding, is quite apparent and visible, like a babe in diapers. Out of love, we who today are Gesticulating Cross-ward and thinking Deep Thoughts, we do dalliance with the disgust and with the childish growing pains. But also we are not so smug as to claim a superior parenting attitude towards an Enemy, however fussed up and messy their reach has become. No, we there dignify the matter with Fight, with the empty-of-self-righteousness dastardly Opinions and Responses. Yes, we hate that we can’t go the “better man route”. We hate that we have to have skin in the Game. And we hate that our response ain’t “perfect”. We mess up. But God aside from humbling the Proud, does battle on our behalf, according to that Situational Briefing, where many souls are called to sacrifice, but where the undercurrrents and breaths of life are assuaging, reassuring, kempt home most salutary to the Soldier. We will get this thing. We will let good breezes assuage. The entire kit and kaboodle is Ours to Own.