2023-10-03 A Meditation on Dissuasion
“24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”” (Ac 26:24–29 ESV)
It’s very important to understand what it is to be dissuaded. Persuasive points antithetical to what climes we live in, so-called imagination labeled and called out, a spiritual attack but an attack sensible to the senses; this is our frontline. To remain steadfast, hope-filled, reminded of the Truth that the great Discipler Jesus imparted before His death: recall the complete forlorn and ignominy of that sad overnight, the savior Somewhere (on a Cross), and we… we helter-skelter, wondering how to ingratiate ourselves with what local and persuasive, dissuading, spirits dwell around the fire pit.
The soldier is no fanciful dreamer, but has substance and curriculum taught, retained, making steel the eyes and gaze, unapologetic to a less fraught or less tense wishful thinking: the antithesis is anti-war (yet we’ve seen battle lines drawn), anti-fight (yet we’ve seen the hot-knife-through-butter of taking advantage), anti-weapon (yet we’ve learnt to reckon via a loaded weapon, a dangerous weapon wielded, called our trained testimony).
Trained testimony, like radical ascertainment: this much I know; this much I can wield, from the right vantage point; this much is love, no domineering or use that is incorrect, no advantage-taking, but love: to love the belligerents of both sides. To love the blatant use of spiritual warfare to wage the good fight. To do this because there is a platform called Mockery, a platform called Win-At-Any-Cost, a platform called Humiliate. We are those who win, but not at the expense of our principles. We know that our innocent first forays have offended, and driven crazy a self-delineated counter-offensive and enemy. They decide to be in enmity, and we mourn what beautiful landscapes were on the verge of coming to bear on the situation. Yet no matter: the horrifying dream is of untold discord, discord contagious and pestering, infesting and ruining. Yet the plans belong to God not to ourselves. The plans help us as though walking by blind-man’s cane or wheelchair until the Resurrection life becomes our miracle and our healing. We were not, after all, barking up the wrong tree. We were not, after all, imagining it all. We see the signs and we see the together callings, to see what is writ in the sky and humming in the senses. We sally forth confident and possessed, of a Teaching, an Authority, a Leader whom they dig in for, to do battle with Anything labeled “Gospel”, to seek out, to spoil and to uncover, heavenly Enabler and Coded Warrior, who sends and who situates, knowing the Message to be offensive, and then the message is confounded with our own guilty consciences, but today the Call is bold witness, to reckon mightily with that Church that does pray… for us, for all people, in certainty our errors are benign now washed in the blood of the Cross.