“5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7  You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8  putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.” 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:5-18 ESV)

The overall framework is of a coming into our own through the church, she makes beasts of men and women in the sense of Polished, Smooth, Magnanimous, Postured, Veritable Tycoons: and the only concern is that she or he, the created one, stays and is submitted to the Church. Not wandering off, using said new beastly capabilities for their own purposes, purposes of greed or lust or caprice or lazy observance.

To submit to the Church is to condescend—this will offend the sensibilities of some church-goers—to put aside all other life’s ambitions in the Name of Service. It is Duty and Rigamarole Sublime, Servant-Minded, Holy, not demanded of us but our willing and opportune Choice. We Could, after all, have become the grand master of secular worlds, of this career or that, to become a veritable tycoon and one Spoken Of with a mix of adoration and dread. With a mix of Proud Personal association and of Boast. For, the secular careers, these Mission Outlets in a Christian society, are never to be faulted—unless substantial evidence points otherwise—as less Holy than the church, rather to be found as their own brand of church with all its trappings, mercy, grace, space to grow, Sabbath, wonder, awe, guild-mentality.

Look at a map, and watch a film, or browse the internet: the world is more than this manageable assemblage of continents, or of Nations, or of people groups, religions, and so on. There is this weird and wonderful sense of ant colonies: that every square inch of space, if occupied, is its own microcosm, and who knows who can percolate to “the top” or if there even is an agreed-upon “top”. We would like genius to be upwardly mobile, and thus it is in part, and in other part communities protect their progeny from a big and scary world. But the few degrees of separation, the ability to get the momentary—if only one cursory glance—attention of the best step squad, if you’re a dancer, of the political bigwigs, if you’re leaning in that direction, of the artists, if you have written a script, of the engineers, if you’ve designed something… this is Holy and we Adhere to a rhythm and dance wherein Faith dictates it to be entirely possible: one man, woman, has Global Managerial Style. And this weird fascination of a person Evolved to the small communes, but now technologically minus evolved aspects, matched to the global village: this is both awe-inspiring, and call to work, to action.

Because it is Community at the top: people mutually admiring each others’ gifts, perhaps, at least fond and listening to each other. The catch—that our newly-minted personal Gifts must be laid at the altar of Church—should be a welcome counterpoint to base dreams of lust or of manipulating what rights we do have as messengers of Christ. More, ample Space meets headstrong facing of the hurricane: ample Space as in room to grow, to theologize, to dream, and the hurricane: that life is curt and brief, about challenging us as to whether we’ve even earned Salvation yet.