“18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Rom 8:18-30 ESV)

The new norm of strife is quickly adopted, plank after plank, heave-ho after heave-ho. Contributory labors and New Inspiration, Impetus: we strangely adopt Principled Fight while also going no-man’s-land or puzzlement in that it is unintended deeds, or accidental forays, forward positions, that spell the day and win the battle. 

We are, after all, sinners and as such we are after all on a sliding scale of Awareness and of Intent. More, we dally around a strange coexistence of Mastery and Intent, and Accident and Unintended Consequences. On that Day, after all it is asked, will we be cool and in the driver’s seat, or will we be in an atheistic denial that anything spells Good, that anything intends Progress, that anything earns Rest.

Because the center cannot at times hold: our past associations, our former philosophies, our latter day compromises and emptinesses: these are Cool and Own the Day, even whilst being Surmounted and cause for Reflection. We reflect: that God has made a pegboard of Duty and of Thought, winsome and Held, a pegboard that we attach our better instincts to: that God is for us, and we are not bored in faith, not empty in coherence, not lonesome in fellowship, but All Things in a world where we Can Act, and Can Decide, even whilst being part of the Master’s Plan and His Spirit-Led directives.

We are Directed, but we are Expansive and self-owned of our Actions. We think like as of a dear friend, left largely to their own lonesomes by us when it comes to due reward and due honorarium, but also the Prize of God’s Call is strange and unheard of, passionate and wildly High and Lofty, Expensive and Directed. We are directed and rewarded, even as at times we look around us and say, what of the surface meaning of things.

All this and we strangely Earn and Pony Up to the game, to the battle, to strange borderline and liminal line in the sand horror, that anything and one thing can set off Armageddon. So we pray for the spirit of Peace to inspire and to unbore the tired weary Soldier, to end his or her exasperation or frustrated observation as to what oblong and odd reasons are given for today’s War. Would that we could fight for Principles! For Advancement! For known Entities! But instead, hiding such Principle as in the sand, we are mocked and delirious around odd reasons to strife, odd reasons to fight, odd reasons to fight a war the historians one day may see as Principled, but that mocks the soldier’s attempts to say why and where and how their forward Punch and Jaunt is directed… today.