2024-02-03 A Meditation on Eve of War

“1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Ps 46:1-7 ESV)

“10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 16 Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 18 I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Phil 4:10-20 ESV)

On all sides sabers drawn, and the group mind, the ambient place shared, the head-shaking wish that peace would prevail as it seems perhaps to have prevailed in our situation. In our case, at the least, there is something holy, some divine lean-on-me writ in broad strokes; yet we are paupers also, mercifully forgetful of the hardships each citizen of our commune does share. Including we ourselves, forlorn and spiritually bereft of consolation; is this friendship something to lean on? Is our friend and partner actually available, or peeking out from eyes of tears not dried, ears of hectic noise uncalmed, heart of utter sadness unabated; the gift to the community, the presence of a spirit who loves—that love is not the dope talking nor any cynical childhood trauma outletting, but is sincere gesture and something only one future day to appreciate in native, unabused form. One day the absence or fright will itself bear the fruit of patience and longsuffering. For we lean on each other. We thrive under the plain words of endearing affection and togetherness. We learn and we live and we cry and we acknowledge, we reassure and we go full blotto on what endearing terms do bubble forth from the heart.

Why can not we dwell more at the ready, ready for what tomorrow brings, ready for an enemy who infests and plagues, notionally far away and a distant war but no, here and in tiresome form a prophetic spell writ wide, each a prophet and suffering servant of the spirit at work in the air. Each hating on a friend who comes up failure, or who seems not to share in the burden. A madhouse, yet faith: our distant war is a war to make the home base safe. It is a war to make the multi-vocational laborer still useful and valued, errors made all aside, humbling experiences all so much water washing over us; see? We are warm bodies but more than that we are spirits and valued beings. We need all hands on deck. We need that patient overlooking of our neediness. We do not hate as much as people expect us to, and in turn our ill deeds are not hated as much as we fear to think they are. Forgiveness is a spirit, a working thesis, a reality derivative simply on the condition that we can ill afford to harbor vendettas and gross hatreds.