2023-11-11 A Meditation on Enforced Humility
“7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” (1 Co 8:7–13 ESV)
Radical utility, in poor-man’s guise the militant accepts a Tomorrow that shall judge Today with a murmur of approval. Tomorrow they shall see what, today, is one man’s, one woman’s inner dynamic and outlay. Today the hero serves, meager compensation; tomorrow they are the untold mystery element that caused the whole edifice to rumble along.
Noise, spiritual battle, we do well to pause a moment and reflect on all those ways we are forbidden from attesting to the reality of a spiritual war. We are called vainglorious or delusional. We are labeled crazy or self-righteous. Yet the temptation and noisy groans of false, faltering spirits, do tempt: noise, spiritual battle ahoy.
The battle simply to have by now accepted that one is forgiven all one’s sins: this means no duration called “Purgatory” but the half-crazed expression of the newfound believer. Who this day is sure of one thing, that this God lazily worshiped and habitually tended unto, is vivid and acting Today, with alacrity and verve. So we bandy about nice thoughts of a God who truly Saves. We are soldiers of a mettle, a quality, nearing unto the illegal: who dares to claim such confidence, such poise, such remarkable Calling unto the broadside in this war, a forward position and massive array of soldier and captain, of laborer and author in a fighting world.
A world teetering and in the hands of those both proud of what they defend, and cautious to escalate. Such are each of us, gladly putting aside vanities or deeper fantasies, to write the creed on today’s battlelines. That no battle is beneath us, be it the societal tug towards ridiculing our poor or beggarly elements, the homeless, or instead the middle classes enmeshed in so-called sins and conveniences. Whom the church hates. Who we exorcize by self-righteous deeds of so-called service, yet Today: today if you hear His voice, welcome the psychedelic mind trip wherein we rest nurtured, cuddled whilst grandly making our peace. With the Holy Spirit’s strange courage, strange power to walk as though on nothing but water. In the disco or the nightclub, not literally perhaps, but free of judgment of these… let’s face it: these our peers in class warfare. Together we do well to invite the complaints and petitions of a lower class. Of a benighted religion. Of our own prerogatives that cause us to plead “Noise!” and “Distraction!” to the cultural differences and moral stands.
We learn the better, if our enemy won’t eat meat, ourselves then not to eat meat. So that we can have a proper space, a forum, where that future war on our doorstep now is decided: are the battle lines cultural? Are they nationalistic? Are they racist? Are they class-based? All this as head meets furrowed brow, momentarily in phantasmagoria of a divine proportion, and then rested and held in the embrace of our God and our Savior, this Jesus who knows the limits to man’s extent and purview, and where all is cast off, leant upon, the King. Who rules that we might discover life upon life on the other side of dying. Dying unto our causes that frustrate or beguile. Dying unto our encounters that cause a chip to rest on our shoulders: “I just don’t like these people”.
Better to be poverty-stricken in friendship, a meager dozen or a few, if it will cause us to be modest in the social life of our new peers. To discover each other and boldly to Preach: what is our creed, our modesty, our lancing forth proudly? What is the Savior of the World to each of us? How can we share?