2023-05-10 A Meditation on an Existential March

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal 6:9 NIV)

Many are the expectations of dedicated work, of experiential learning, of readiness for the Christian’s war. But all these are but empty hope if not expecting untold and unexpected experience.

Much ado is made about distinctives, who is making progress, who will be shown to be on the right side of history; yet the distinctive is a little more stark than what we can generally stomach. We are saved as though by a miracle. As though by a comprehensive sensitivity, sanity, appropriateness, and duty, to walk lightly yet with composure in this ill earth. Those who know themselves to be God’s people do cherish their sandbox, their playpen, their world gifted unto themselves. For this holy future world is determined to save us, regardless of false parables.

Regardless of the notion that all people are a few degrees different from each other: no, we have radical distinctives, and time-worn gifts. We have a solution to a Problem deep and broad, the problem of human sinfulness.

We, some of us, hear the news of distant wars and homebound analogous strife, and to our formed and reactive selves it is no sweat, no skin off our back, no imposition. No, we were formed in the belly of the beast. We were grown in turf wars and family disputes. We knew a certain level-headedness and composure insofar as the times they were judging, and the streets they were efficiently testing. The day’s strife was too great for any one man or woman; we gathered together, and we sacrificed the promising futures to an emergency need Today.

The existential realization, therefore, is caught up in a certain sense of reactivity, almost called trauma. It is a warzone mindset, that does burst forth with good cheer and contentedness. We have been weaned from our parents’ and teachers’ discipline, to have holy and sublime understanding of our own faults. We have ceased to judge others, knowing ourselves to be prime target for judgment day. We long for a future day when what is brought to bear, what comes to pass, is some holy wealth we have scarcely experience with on this earth: the provisioned-for heir; the accouterments such as only wealth can afford; the state of blessed rest and prospects looking forward. No, we may prefer not to know of such dichotomies in Man’s estate. We may wonder what it would be like, if our war was ended. Would we still have cause to get up each day? What would we do with our time? So, we are natural-born soldiers, and this in service to blindingly efficacious, helping, servant-minded, deeds. We can change the world, by holding lightly our own existential march. Each step is so divested of pride and mammon, that our bedrock is simple cheer. Our bedrock is a longing and a satiety Today, for Tomorrow writ large in our dream and our purpose.