“5 I will visit you after passing through Macedonia, for I intend to pass through Macedonia, 6 and perhaps I will stay with you or even spend the winter, so that you may help me on my journey, wherever I go. 7 For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. 10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am. 11 So let no one despise him. Help him on his way in peace, that he may return to me, for I am expecting him with the brothers. 12 Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. 13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done in love. 15 Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— 16 be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. 17 I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, 18 for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.” (1 Cor 16:5-18 ESV)
Reverence for the simple efficacy of getting things done: Christian pride of action, boost of accomplishment, satisfaction of completion, is never a done deal or certainty. Rather, through a morass of hindrance and in a bout of Genius or of Urgency the soldier of Christ motors through things never taken for granted. That the cipher is complete. That the deed is done. That the progress is ensured.
Because we have this faith in us, wherein a strange momentum of Action occurs precisely in tandem to a theology of Grace, a theology wherein we are not the agents of our own salvation, a theology wherein we do not by any stretch of imagination “earn” our good report. According to this doctrine, we are hemmed up in a straitjacket of hubris at times, of self-interest at times, of reluctance to Give at times. More, the genius Deeds are hidden from sinners, only this: that in Christ strange outlays and avenging, strange lancing forth and perfection, is reached.
To be plain: one’s fuss is around Any accolades for certain “sinners”, whereas another’s gamesmanship or fuss is around Getting to the Bottom of things. It never was—despite allegations to the contrary—one man or one woman who was unconditional Head, honcho supreme, utterly submitted to, as if! As if there weren’t—when two minds band together—untold fields of labor, work to Get Busy with, duties to discharge. The cute games, the “lesser of two evils” arguments made, the faux claim to be “keeping things quiet, sane ‘round here”: these meet with Claim: who and what pays your way? Is your employer interested in preventing the Radical Claims of love for the brethren, of Christianity towards the poor, of Elevation to the lesser people groups? What, per hour, are they willing to pay for a little delay?
No matter, the reverence again for simple efficacy is this: that none of us are getting “rich” around here, nor self-righteous, nor Proud. Indeed, were it up to us, no one would face severe Judgment, perhaps. There would be patience with the nominal pewsitter, rather than a severe Fact of complicity with Evil on their behalf. We have reverence because we meet and we see in each other’s eyes that each is Human and filled with Love. That the cipher doesn’t quite pan out: we aren’t, all rumors aside, pure and solidly unpresentable or unkempt. We are, after all, mere humans like those with whom we dialog. As the city passes by in front of our eyes. As the equation is Made, magic is Spent, laughter is Abundant.
And then to the scarier sins, the total depravity Reminders, of strange compromises or ghoulish tales: a reckless family ruiner on the loose; a prideful cold calculating User at large; an accumulating Passionless one fraught with sin in the mix. These “scarier sins” are not only True but also the solution is Present and Clear Today: focus on accepting Christ’s Goodness; count on our inner demons being slain by the Spirit of Accepting Christ For Us, and we His people. Love on the possessive or possessed one. Peace on them. Wish radical Truth Claims in their general direction, to be lofted High with solemn reverence for just whom and what Christ wants Saved and Rewritten into the Book of Life.
These, some of these, are but well-intentioned children of the priestly guild, and as soldiers around a mantle so heavy at times, the Hope is of simply One Christ who spells the difference, One Presence in the at large gathering who esteems each worthy of a smile sincere and a peace that passeth understanding. We have this power within us, each of us: to imitate the Lover of our Souls, to imitate the one without guile, to hurry after all being not male nor female but One in Christ.
Christ’s silent Witnesses, they betray earthly Concerns but the squeeze—too great for any to handle—is of hateful pre-judgment made by Man not by God. That we should never have presumed… that we are wrong to remind each other of our vocations… that everything would be love and acceptance if only we’d Stop… Stop the preaching, Stop the presumption, Stop the polemic. And the strange Fact is that to a child it doesn’t make any sense: so-and-so… I actually “like” them. Notwithstanding a God in Heaven who humbles the proud and spouts words unplanned and humbling in the mouths of His would-be messengers. The soldier is startled and forlorn at this revelation, perhaps; but also some life lessons are for the mature at heart.