“24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” 30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”” (Acts 26:24-32 ESV)
On one careen or another, the statesman of the faith bellows one admonition after another, one tick-tock clock is ticking order after another, one gentle persuasion or concession to the simpler things as well: but in this bravado, this brave walk, an unheard of tin-can walkie-talkie invites itself: do we, as statespeople of the faith, allow the unscripted, unprompted, dialog with a complete stranger? What would it mean to talk across borders? What pride or rollicking gestalt would we put aside just to see that Strange confluence, two perspectives strangely coming together and making some brand of Inquiry towards each other, some brand of interruption most hallowed, some brand of taking out of the proud comfort zone.
Because the world is rife with common concerns, the faith warrior no exception to noting that hands are presently in the cookie jar, so to speak. The faith warrior has no reason to go on a solo tear, when these talking partners are real and Out There. These dialog partners and fellow laborers. And it will… the temperature will Change a bit “in here” as the stratagems are broached in ways that begin with an odd Hello.
What drives the opponent mad is just that wars are started minus said enemy’s conceit or stereotype that everyone is “in it for themselves”. Money is the reason, they say, or influence. And Christ taught His people well that at any juncture there is already cause for war, especially, rather, to the Christian there being no other way, a war begun by one’s self sacrifice. And this apes the opponent, calms them perhaps, but apes them nonetheless. That the wild Tear that the enemy is on, can be caught up and convicted via someone’s selfless act of Service.
We pray, therefore, that the mission will be understood in sober Selflessness. That the prize will still be our own Christ-like cadence and walk. All this amidst hands in the cookie jar and enmities, rivalries rooted in jealousy and out-competing each other: who has the “better” gospel? Life is rather Stark, all things told, in that there is no substratum of Quiet and Calm, except that we avidly, preemptively, live into the Calm and Quiet of His actionable Resurrection: deeds Actionable and worthy, that we can enter into with aplomb and Peaceful fighting spirit.