Clarity

Prayer can be hard Dear Reader. The idea of talking to an ever listening God, who seems not to respond in the way I want. I sit and dream, what was it like for Peter, John, Matthew, as they sat at the very feet of Jesus? How simple I think it must have been to find out the truth of the world from the very lips of its creator. What wonders did they have revealed and described to them?

Then I take the time to read the biblical text.

Jesus was a Rabbi, and used the ancient technique of the people he had formed, to teach via questions.

I ask myself,  could Jesus describe to Peter a heaven in terms he would really understand? Do words even exists to do this?

I read the accounts of the life of Jesus with his disciples, and I read the honesty of those who choose to speak up and have their words recorded.

The disciples were confused, they knew someone special was with them. They sensed that the Kingdom of God was near, but who Jesus was, that was clouded. Flashes came through. Peter understood he was the Messiah, but then didn't want that same Messiah to fulfil his sacrifical calling.

James and John wanted to be near Christ, to wield power!

Judas never got it at all!

Thomas, a person who is recorded as doubting, seems over named. The world has recorded him as "Doubting Thomas", yet it seems to me, he was until that point in good company, as all the disciples doubted or failed to recognise who Jesus was.

And Jesus, well Jesus answered people's questions with more questions! How annoying, why didn't he just give a straight answer, can't he hear what we are asking? Can't he get what we are trying to understand?

Then I start to understand, how can you teach the mysteries of the universe to us. In small steps only.

I could no more accept the right answer than a two year old could grasp the workings of an internal combustion engine. The child doesn't have the vocabulary, the experience, the comprehension.

Yet this same child could grow up, and become an engineer.

When did this take place?  How did comprehension come? By slow patient learning. Using the things I can grasp to help build up the things I previously couldn't.

Then revelation comes. Jesus left his Holy Spirit, what was denied the Apostles for most of the time with Christ is given to me so freely. Only at the end did they start to comprehend. With it they showed humility, recording their "stumbling in the dark" , highlighting their most foolish moments, so I, a private sinner, could in anonimity learn from them and listen to the call of the Kingdom.

This Spirit, oh this Spirit, how glorious He is, for in Him, I can ask, I can listen, and I can hear the questions coming back to me. Rabbinic to the last, my God questions me. Probes me, makes me look to my life and ask "How did you respond when you did this?"

In reflection comes vocabulary, and in this comes comprehension, and slowly, oh so slowly, comes clarity.

God is never silent, he is talking in the only ways He knows I can understand.

So now I can sit at the feet of the creator and give thanks to the Holy Spirit, I am answered.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Efficient

Dear Reader in today's economy we have intense pressure to be efficient. Many times this pressure to be efficient takes priority over being effective. Our world can look at things and say, "how do we make this happen faster." Yet somehow "Jesus the Carpenter" was completely effective in his calling in the time and circumstances he found himself. This may not seem all that amazing at first, but upon reflection, it might have more benefit. Jesus could have come to earth at any time, if he had arrived now, instead of taking days or weeks to walk around Israel he could have driven. Instead of talking to one's and two, and managing "a large crowd of 5000", he could have used the internet to reach millions. Instead of relying upon "eye witnesses", he could have posted his Resurrection on Instagram for all to see. But Jesus didn't For some reason the time He came and the way He came was perfect. Efficient, maybe not, but effect
Read more

Same

One post I watched, had a line "In reality, there is a lot more that makes us similar than makes us different" It's good to remember. In fact, the thing which makes us all similar is being made in the image of God. During a war, authorities are at pains to paint the enemy as something different, even to labelling the enemy with names to differentiate the people we are fighting against. If we can de-humanise the enemy we will be more effective fighters. Jesus points us in the opposite direction. He reminds us that we all are similar, and all need a way to salvation. For those who accepted this salvation, it is the first step of many, which imparts a direction to life previously not thought of! We are to see one another not in pessimism and fear but rather hope and love. For the Christ Child saw that his life was to be given to all nations and all peoples of all times. We are the same in the need to be saved, we are the same in that this salvation is universal i
Read more

Connectivity

We are Dear Reader, far more connected than we realise, our lives, like some giant game of ' jenga ', seem to have such affect on things we thought immune, as our human reason perceives it. This lack of knowledge is further intensified, when sinful nature is added to the equation. For in this situation we deny even obvious connections, or possibly choose to believe the lies sallied forth by the world. Follow my example below: Divorce is seems, according to worldly sources, does not affect children, they are built to withstand it, therefore go right ahead.- If you have accepted this falsehood, then you walk on shaky ground. Dear Reader, look to the many broken souls which wander dream like, through life, unable to function in maturity because of broken marriages when they were a child. Now Dear Reader, please keep with my trail, i acknowledge divorce can and will happen, and many who have gone through it feel all sort of emotion, deep emotions, which may need release on a frie
Read more