the english language is fun because, although it can be cumbersome and arrhythmic sometimes, the poetry of it allows us to use the same word in one statement to mean two very different things, allowing the idea itself to work on a number of levels.
take the rather familiar Christian phrase waiting on the Lord.
typically, we think of this a having something to do with being patient and faithful- of enduring the passing of time in order to see something that we hope for come to realization in Christ. scripture resonates with this one... just go to biblegateway or youversion and type in a search on 'how long Lord.' there's lots there.
how long, Lord?
the psalms and many of the prophets resonate with this cry because it is the cry of humanity against the established order on fallen planet earth which is the order that comes to be when the oppressor is given what appears to be full reign:
in his book Forgotten Ways, alan hirsch defines 'movement' as:
in his book Forgotten Ways, alan hirsch defines 'movement' as:
a group of people organized for, ideologically motivated by, and committed to a purpose which implements some form of personal or social change; who are actively engaged in the recruitment of others; and whose influence is spreading in opposition to the established order within which it originated… (Hirsch, p191)
and so we find ourselves engaged in a movement, a coup d'etat to overthrow the established order through the uniting and serving together of a forgiven, grace and mercy-receiving people. often, in our movement and our passion for the cause of Christ, we act rashly, enacting our own activistic response to the 'how long, Lord?' question.
and so we find ourselves engaged in a movement, a coup d'etat to overthrow the established order through the uniting and serving together of a forgiven, grace and mercy-receiving people. often, in our movement and our passion for the cause of Christ, we act rashly, enacting our own activistic response to the 'how long, Lord?' question.
kinda like when moses kills the guy for beating up a hebrew slave.
God's response to moses' well-intentioned violence, his righteous rebellion on the service road, is to give him forty years in exile to think about it... forty years in the wilderness to prepare for forty years in the wilderness. eventually, moses comes to the place where he is able to truthfully say 'i can wait.'
however, typically we would refer to all this as waiting (or not waiting) FOR the Lord.
how does one wait ON God?
i worked as a waiter at a restaurant during high school. it was a painful experience for two very different reasons. the first one is easy to talk about, but the second still makes me wince.
this restaurant boasted the best chowder that interior british colombia had to offer. the stuff was, indeed, amazing: rich and tasty but with a consistency to rival tar. this stuff was THICK. anyway, people would come from all over town to enjoy a bowl of this famous chowder and i was there to bring it to them in a timely fashion, with my short-sleeved shirt well pressed and my orange bowtie (with, of course, matching mini-apron like the kind you wear when you're working a bingo) straight and symmetrical. as long as you adhered to a few basic rules, the tips came rolling in tax free- this was, of course, what the apron was for.
in any event, it was a beautiful arrangement until that one evening when i stepped on something rather slippery, lying facedown on one of the hardwood steps. the chowder flew through the air and yet with gymnastic grace i managed to catch it all, lest it stain the carpet and the cost of cleaning come out of my pay. i hurried into the kitchen with the chowder burning the flesh off of my left arm, stuck my head into a pile of clean bar towels and screamed.
this was, however, not the most painful event- especially since it only occured once. the most painful of my food service industry experiences came regularly- once a week, in fact.
every sunday night the Christians would come in and take over the restaurant, singing Grace before gracelessly demanding record-breaking service, leaving an Oh By The Way, You’re Going to Hell tract as a tip…
yeah. that was way more painful and the scars still haven't healed.
see, everyone knew that i was one of them- that i was the churchgoing type- and so i was guilty by association. so was Jesus.
no, his scars still haven't healed either.
see the thing about this is that Jesus' scars are found on the hearts of others, for he bore all of the pain of humanity on behalf of us all. every time those who lay claim to the salvation afforded regular everyday people through the blood of Christ, they do an unpardonably poor job of representing Christ, of bearing his name, of loving another and enacting that love, the wounds delivered through these abuses are received by Jesus as well as the other person- and whereas Jesus forgives and saves, others often do not.
these are the things that harden hearts, making it easier and easier for people to reject Christ because Christ's people can be so inward in their focus.
we all make mistakes. we all go down in flames over this or that expression of our seemingly ongoing fallenness, and yet God in his mercy, grace and incomprehensible cosmic patience, continues to forgive us seventy times seven. the challenge before us is to see what needs to be seen and grow closer to and more lovingly involved and engaged with God and humankind as a result of this seeing.
how does one wait ON God?
i worked as a waiter at a restaurant during high school. it was a painful experience for two very different reasons. the first one is easy to talk about, but the second still makes me wince.
this restaurant boasted the best chowder that interior british colombia had to offer. the stuff was, indeed, amazing: rich and tasty but with a consistency to rival tar. this stuff was THICK. anyway, people would come from all over town to enjoy a bowl of this famous chowder and i was there to bring it to them in a timely fashion, with my short-sleeved shirt well pressed and my orange bowtie (with, of course, matching mini-apron like the kind you wear when you're working a bingo) straight and symmetrical. as long as you adhered to a few basic rules, the tips came rolling in tax free- this was, of course, what the apron was for.
in any event, it was a beautiful arrangement until that one evening when i stepped on something rather slippery, lying facedown on one of the hardwood steps. the chowder flew through the air and yet with gymnastic grace i managed to catch it all, lest it stain the carpet and the cost of cleaning come out of my pay. i hurried into the kitchen with the chowder burning the flesh off of my left arm, stuck my head into a pile of clean bar towels and screamed.
this was, however, not the most painful event- especially since it only occured once. the most painful of my food service industry experiences came regularly- once a week, in fact.
every sunday night the Christians would come in and take over the restaurant, singing Grace before gracelessly demanding record-breaking service, leaving an Oh By The Way, You’re Going to Hell tract as a tip…
yeah. that was way more painful and the scars still haven't healed.
see, everyone knew that i was one of them- that i was the churchgoing type- and so i was guilty by association. so was Jesus.
no, his scars still haven't healed either.
see the thing about this is that Jesus' scars are found on the hearts of others, for he bore all of the pain of humanity on behalf of us all. every time those who lay claim to the salvation afforded regular everyday people through the blood of Christ, they do an unpardonably poor job of representing Christ, of bearing his name, of loving another and enacting that love, the wounds delivered through these abuses are received by Jesus as well as the other person- and whereas Jesus forgives and saves, others often do not.
these are the things that harden hearts, making it easier and easier for people to reject Christ because Christ's people can be so inward in their focus.
we all make mistakes. we all go down in flames over this or that expression of our seemingly ongoing fallenness, and yet God in his mercy, grace and incomprehensible cosmic patience, continues to forgive us seventy times seven. the challenge before us is to see what needs to be seen and grow closer to and more lovingly involved and engaged with God and humankind as a result of this seeing.
to be good waiters.
what are we waiting through?
what are we waiting for?
who are we waiting on?
what are we waiting for?
who are we waiting on?
