2025-03-29 A Meditation on Heavy-Lifting

“3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet 1:3-11 ESV)

The way life finds its proper outlet, all inclinations and habits surrender to this kind of Discipleship: the heavy-lifting of the Spirit, an obstinance or boldness in the face of a million voices saying “No”. So we hope: that after all that time spent chastening, fasting, externalizing and grasping consciously, that an added bonus arrives: strength for the journey. Courage for the expedition. A way around all that negativity, that lances forward Boldly. Because, simple obedience makes no guarantees. Simply staying within the lines, will end up mocking the disciple and his or her ambitions.

The heavy-lifting is to Allow, in grandiose style, Arrival and Ascertainment: we ascertain Strength for the journey, Insight over and against the naysayers, a Mandate pleading or rather patiently yearning, to be Released into the scene, into the wild, into the formula. And that Summit, most divine Dialog, Peace and respectful appreciation for the Mecca of a location, a situation, a backdrop: this summit Hears and Rewards the patient prayer warrior even in her or his Persecuted (“Take up a sword, at this juncture”, quoth the Christ of New Testament writ) state. Even in a thousand voices imploring some more catch-what-may faux “obedience”, when True Obedience is risk-taking and obtuse to the pundits and Boring to the aestheticists who hate. To wish upon a Star, that Star being Christ: God with us, the Father beholding and presenting the Son, to the world, to be enigmatic or rather a mystery religion, a gnosticism, a Wisdom Literature, a Gestalt and society primed, so many prayers muttered and songs sung in hymnal unison, impromptu, a Religious set now host to the “God has no grandkids” wisdom of a Psalm sixteen: that the Inheritance itself, so Holy it is, that it sacrifices its own Heir in the Name of righteousness.

Anyone who has known strife, knows the Hope of a patient condescension until the Child in us is fully reared. Knows the aversion to a turf war played out or a mistaken Slight most public… only this, that the fellowship is of stronger mettle than to worry: these things are being Talked Through. The Summit… it is possessed of a Strong Vision of what man does to his or her fellow or gal, and declares a ceasefire if it can declare a New Heir, inspiration, cause, Christ. Something spiritual. Something post-mourning, post-mortem, that winning lady or gentleman who taught a Lesson with their turning the other cheek, or offering up a dollar to the one who robbed them, or patiently Loved on their pro bono Beautiful and inspiring saintly Effects shared with the poor. The poor share with each other. The right each has to wear their heart on their sleeve: this is Holy and Righteous and True to inspire Belief, and to find—like two lost souls on a desert island—some baby words or even some patient condescension to the sins of the other person.