2025-03-22 A Meditation on Advantage

“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” (James 1:2-6 ESV)

The advantage may rest with those fresh off a spiritual trial. These trials keep us awake. They induct us into a Mystery inexplicable, words many spent to illustrate it, yet inexplicable: the sheep and the goats, applies. The saved and the question-marked applies. Give ear, all who will hear! That also applies.

That is, organizational mindset, course of action, planned outlays, assessments and pars for the course, these cannot accurately Compose or Ascertain the reality of war waged. The reality is always hiding something a bit too Religious to voice in the public square, that Resurrection is already giving the oomph needed to march forward, that nothing went “According to plan”. That we trembled and gears clicked and spun, eventually—see Christ eventually stand tall again—ratcheting into place, and announcing, the victory day is ours.

That is, in a more ideal world—and let’s face it, most of our thoughts entertain some simple notion of Logic and Calm—in a more ideal world we’d take the day off to pursue Radical Spiritual new experience. To investigate what we’ve come to understand. To harbor deep internal thoughts around what we’ve seen and heard. Only this is Life: that such time is not ours to borrow, against a creditor who is so High Art, so Sublime, as to give us pointers but no time to sit around reflecting, introspective. He will continue to Give Us Pointers, if only we would take on Trust, make the Faith Leap, the Trust Fall, that He intends never to abandon us.

That is, a veritable Certainty and Bedrock begins to be His High Art and Composure. His chalked-up victory tally, this one: In! That one: In! To be Saved is to know in an instant All Mysteries, only then to laugh a bit at what most Basic trials we are put through. To cope with the lustful thoughts (never completely absent, this side of Eternity). To cope with the what-ifs. To cope with the impetus we felt, to Communicate despite all those caveats. To spell out a Plan, despite all that hampers it. To Embody a Friendship, despite the whispers.