2023-12-31 A Meditation on Theoretically Perfect Employment

“16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.” (Matt 10:16-23 ESV)

Neither a child’s dream nor a patient adult’s grind, the occupation in the Army of the Lord is somehow rich. We dream as to working with our pluck and intelligence. We aim to work with our all-systems-go suitability for said Army. We are the one’s duty-bound and under head and master, spymaster and master at arms, suited and ready with cherished or rather utilized tools of the trade. Our tools are spiritual, utility and preservative, preserving of life and yet also common-place and freely, widely utilized. We long thus to rise ennobled and proud, this day uniformed and equipped, with said tools and weapons of the trade: the trade of being found giddy or ecstatic in said Lord’s Army.

We are excitable, for it is a childhood dream of sorts, some fantastical perch wherein we lovingly and gladly put life and limb on the line, for the better sake of things, for the quality of employment ‘round here, for the child’s excitement at a secretive broadside, a march, a mild matter for enjoyment and laughter.

Both enjoyment and laughter, we adhere to, for our Salvation is no matter of good deeds yet our good deeds overflow, in super-abundance and in delightful occupation. We are occupied as those secret agents “alls grown up” now, particular and punchy whilst also heroic and daring. We dare to enter the wartime milieu, the frontlines, the cocktail party of slick thought-war, and the trenches of smart material-war. What we are is plain for all to see, people of an enigma and a mystery, people luscious to get to know, adorable in their quiet manners held or rather mysteries untold: lead us, they say, guide us, they murmur. We recognize vast accomplishments society-wide; in this era there is already a war underfoot, underway, people already consigned: where, we ask, is the leeway and the space to operate? Is it not in that inheritance already spelt out, namely, of a Christ and an agency called “discipleship”, of whom many have heard “through the grapevine”, and even more have lauded the opportunity thus to join up hands, to divert attention towards, to become hands and feet of the Lord?

For a saturation point is reached vis-a-vis society, a point wherein already so many secretive or rather proud boasts, colors proudly worn on the sleeve, are joined. To be proud and effusive is also to have one’s learned, educated, reasons: these are not “secret” so much as “withheld”, lest the uninformed be misled into thinking it some paltry creed or litany of yawning facts.

No, our perch is informed and educated, a product of life experience which finally adores and adheres to Christ as found On High, telling the people of His surmounting of Man’s sin, telling the people of His simple yoke and easy burden (Mt 11:30). We are excitable because as a society we have traversed the scary night of the soul. We are alert and awakened this morn unto receptivity, of the secret Lord, of the more secret personal Peace, of the quite quiet eagerness to Share.