2023-04-28 A Meditation on a New Generation

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Co 1:18–21 ESV)

To a body decaying, decrepit from abuse, the years catch up and the horror storylines reverberate. This is not we ourselves, but our milieu. This is indeed us, as we age, as we adopt a measuring line, submit to meager sets of accomplishments: better for the corpus if we stay in gentlemanly remove, right? Greater mysticism, right? Duty-bound hearts are ours to own up to, if only we have time and circumstance to “be good people”.

The right to claim ourselves beneficial to society, comes with it not an arrogant boast but rather all is luck of the draw. Today, this will be useful, versus the observation as neighbors go blotto on their personal choices. We rediscover ourselves as creatures to watch steadily. Keep an eye on ourselves. Note this foible or that wowser panicked outlay. We even begin to fear to become too sapient, lest our personal relationships develop a line of cynicism. We fear to rock the boat, or shake the apple tree. We try to be people pleasers. We cave in to unsavory expectations launched our way. Unsavory dismissals and less hopeful assessments.

Oh. I am indeed a blight to some. Oh. I am indeed a scourge to others. Oh. That came with a wham, the end of basking in delightful affections, residing in a happy house humming along, a neighborhood of shire qualifications, home and where the heart is.

Then really to do spiritual warfare, as our own stomachs unexpectedly go the way of our disgorging neighbor and cultural milieu: we are sickened and sundered, affected and near to judgment. Our better angels indeed siding with us through the trials, but wow the bruises. Wow the stark realization and end of less introspective, more pleasant days.

We know a path none or few find, to be that hour in lonesome duty and obligation. We are duty-bound and qualified, no we made no enemies lightly or intentionally, but here we are seeming to some to be on the wrong side of history. Here we are the persecuted and the hated. Here we are the ones writ large as losers. And the counsel, find good authority, find a career that you can stomach, all this is moot when judgment is nigh.

Today we are sickened and know patently the rambunctious harrowing splurges of friend and neighbor and of our milieu. Our time is a time for judgment, a judgment of the ages, wise counsel in some hands precious, and other things thrown out by an inheriting yet juvenile and up-and-coming age. Mighty last-made-first, and as our fearless leader Jesus did rob all things from the wise inheritances of the scribes and Pharisees, though at cost untold, losing His very life, as He was a professional and a winner, He proved the error in thinking ourselves only as positivity people. Our positives are no cause for our salvation. Our positives fumble and stumble around any honest self-assessment; there but for the grace of God go I. There, I am sickened or petty or distracted. There, I await a Cause, a Purpose, a Mandate, whence all my petty questions are immediately answered. Buy the book. Give the embrace. Live large, because you have accepted living small. Company men and women, fit and duty-bound for the service. Ready and willing to eek out a small notch in the cumulative achievement. Yet, as just stated, so much we inherit already moth-ridden and good for naught.

Trust that truth will come from unexpected quarters, and know that dynamic wherein all one’s boast and pride and family and career is upset. Yet do not be impatient, but rather be sure and certain to pick back up again, way set back, but intentional and purposeful, building and etching once again, determined life hive life, to assert one’s own value as a living, breathing, being, as others scoff. For, we are once again on the side of right, on the side of the One who dignified our cautious existence with a Name called Christian and some sort of leader called Christ.