Desert Watch

The Great Co-Mission

John chapter 20 could be described as the turning point of the whole biblical narrative – the day Jesus is raised from the dead. Tears of grief become tears of joy. Despair turns to faith - darkness to light – death to life – emptiness to fullness – hopelessness to purpose.

John is a poet – an artist with word-images. He deliberately parallels his book to the creation account in Genesis. Both Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 start with “In the beginning.” John 20 is the start of new creation – the day Jesus is raised from the dead - the “first day” of the week. Darkness is over the face of the deep but the Spirit has been at work bringing life out of chaos. This is Day One of a new creation.

Imagine witnessing the creation of the universe? Mary Magdalene is about to witness something equally as significant. Mary was one of the women who travelled with Jesus – a female disciple. It is recorded that she contributed to the support of his ministry so she must have had financial means. She was also recorded in Luke as having had seven demons cast out of her. So she had quite a history. Some commentators think Mary Magdalene is the same person who anointed Jesus' feet with her perfume and tears as recorded by Luke chapter 7. Jesus says of that women: “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”

Today she was on a mission – to anoint Jesus’ body again with spices along with Mary the mother of James and Salome (as per Mark).  But the stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty! She runs to get the men – what does this mean? Peter and John come to check it out – “yep it’s empty all right – lets go home”. But something of Mary’s female intuition tells her there’s more going on here.

She can’t leave. I like the old word “tarrying” – sometimes we need to listen to those divine prompts to wait instead of rushing on to the next thing. She hesitated – it just didn’t seem right to go yet. She stays – processing the grief, taking in the moment. We only weep over those we love. There’s a line out of a Switchfoot song that comes to mind: “If it doesn’t break your heart it isn’t love.” Then through her tears she sees something (everything looks like angels through tears!)

“Why are you weeping?” The angels ask. Well it seems obvious to her but out of respect she explains to them why. Then another voice – same question – plus “whom are you seeking?” Who are you seeking? What are you seeking? Where are your efforts being placed? Where is your heart passion directed? Mary’s was directed to Jesus.

She thought he was the gardener! John is referencing the creation account again. Adam was the original creation man put in the Garden of Eden to “tend and keep” it. Now here is the new creation Gardener – the second Adam. Paul – explaining the nature of resurrection and the new creation in 1 Corinthians 15 says “Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man.” Jesus has a physical resurrection body – but she doesn’t recognize him. In the resurrection there is continuity with our current physicality and discontinuity as well – more than mortal. Paul uses the analogy of comparing a seed to the plant it produces to explain this difference between first creation life and resurrection life.

He says her name: “Mary”. She recognizes him.  Someone saying your name brings back all your history with that person in an instant – not facts but emotions. Mary becomes a “sent one” – the first witness of the resurrection! The first messenger/missionary/apostle of the crucified and risen Son of God. He tells her “go to my brethren”. This is the first time he refers to his followers as “my brethren” – they had become his family – born anew of the same Father - my whanau, my family, my people, my brothers and sisters.

So it’s now evening – the doors are locked. Jesus appears in their midst – physical but different. What does he say? “Peace to you.” This is more than just saying “chill out guys its just me”. This is announcing that something has shifted. The Second Gardener who is also the Sovereign of the World has reclaimed the peace or “shalom” that was lost in the original garden. This was announced hundreds of years before by another poet in Isaiah 9:

Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.…

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.

The kingdom of God is a Kingdom of peace – peace with God, reconciliation of races, restoration of the groaning of creation in terms of the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells. The people of the world are gripped by anxiety but we as the sent people of God are called to both possess his peace and to take the peace of God into our broken world.

Sometimes things have to be broken before they can be fixed. At one point Jesus says: “I didn’t come to bring peace but a sword.” God will challenge and judge our abusive structures, relationships and belief systems - but the end-goal is peace. Our message is peace and our method is peace. “My peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” (John 14:27) “Seek peace and pursue it” (1 Pet 3:11). When Jesus sent out his people two by two he instructed them to bring a blessing of peace on a house. This wasn’t just words but something I believe God wants us to draw from his presence – something tangible we can pass on.

Jesus’ pattern was to send out his disciples two by two to places where he was going to come. (Luke 10:1). Like John the Baptist they (and we as “sent ones”) have this task of preparing the way of the Lord. He will come where we take his peace. If we take arguments, anger, criticism and judgment we aren’t preparing the way for him to come. Why? He wants human witnesses to model what it’s like to live in relationship with God. We are broken, imperfect, stumbling people with the life of God within – a treasure in earthen vessels that the glory might be his not ours.

So he says again “Peace to you – as the Father sent me so I send you”. This is the great mission. God is a sending God. God sent his prophets, God sent his Son Jesus, now God sends us in the same way. Author Alan Hirsh says:“Although we frequently say "the church has a mission," according to missional theology a more correct statement would be "the mission has a church."” God has a mission and we are instruments of that mission. We talk about the Great Commission but this is the great “Co-Mission”. He co-missions them and he co-missions us to go as he went – with compassion, with service, with tears, with suffering, with joy – the attitude that was in Christ also be in us (Philippians 2).

Then he says in the next breath (literally) “receive the Holy Spirit”. Jesus was “anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38) and so must his followers be. Not putting on shows and selling tickets but doing good and healing – moved with love and compassion as he was with this new-creation-Spirit-life in us now that Jesus is risen from the dead. Here again is a parallel to Genesis where God breathes on Adam and he becomes a living soul. We come alive with the life of God in us – new birth – regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Jesus quickly adds that our attitude and message is to be one of forgiveness in line with his nature of restoration not condemnation. Take a breath of God, receive his peace – and forgive.

So where does this leave us? Our method is our message. In our busy anxious world we are called to be like Mary – a seeker of his face. If it doesn’t break your heart it isn’t love. We are called to be people of the heart more than people of the head. Jesus calls us to be his brethren, his whanau, his people - to live in this world as ambassadors of the age to come. Where we go in his name taking his peace he will follow. As the Father sent me so I send you. Peace to you.

Two dead guys

Jesus tells the story recorded by Luke about two characters from vastly different backgrounds. We first meet a named character - Lazarus - who comes from the lowest of the low. He's a beggar, homeless and dying. There's no Social Welfare, no ACC, no Health Insurance - just some hungry dogs licking his open sores as he lies dying outside the rather plush home of the second man.

Character two is un-named even though in this life he is obviously the important powerful person. Inside the strong door and high walls he is partying with his friends. Jesus simply calls him 'a rich man'. Traditionally he's been given the name 'Dives' because apparently that's the Latin word for rich. Dives seems to be in good shape but maybe his over-indulgent lifestyle gets the best of him because within a short space of time both he and Lazarus depart this life.

Scene two is the afterlife where we see now a dramatic role reversal. Lazarus is comforted by Father Abraham and the rich man is in torment. Why? Is this just Karma? Payback for being rich? Revenge of the Universe?

There's lots of possible levels here:

1. The rich man was a member of the ruling class that fed off the poor class; not just uncaring but actually largely responsible for the plight of the poor. He represents the fat cats of society that create conditions where poverty thrives so they can profit from the misfortune of others. The scene represents the reasonable justice of God on those who would live so uncaringly towards the powerless.
2. The rich man was simply too blind to see the plight of those around; preoccupied with his own Very Important Business, like the story of the Good Samaritan where the religious people simply passed by and were not the 'neighbour' that the wounded man needed. If this is the case then the judgement seems a little harsh (i.e. uncomfortable for us middle class people). 
3. The rich man represents the religious leaders and the poor man represents the people they considered unworthy of the Kingdom. Lazarus wasn't playing their religious games so he was an outsider who 'deserved' what he got. Jesus used this theme a lot; the story of the Prodigal Son for instance. He's saying to the religious leaders: "Guys, my Kingdom doesn't look like yours. How about trying to see it the other way around. You've got it totally upside down - wake up!"
4. Perhaps the story is actually about God's Law. As Jesus tells it when the rich man is in torment he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers, Abraham replies that they wouldn't listen even if one rises from the dead, but they have God's Law if they cared to heed it - they are without excuse. Note Jesus is not approaching the Law like the religious leaders; as something to score people against to see if they are 'in' or 'out' (because on that basis Lazarus and the Prodigal son were definitely out), but the Law was about how to treat other people with mercy, dignity and compassion because we are all created in God's image. The Law was given to help us understand God's love and extend that love to the world, not to give us a sword of judgement. 

All these levels are valid. I think we often read God's Law wrong and miss the point. Jesus said that he didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. Yes God will deal with evil because he is just, but stories like this illustrate that we may not always perceive evil as God does. Believers in Jesus are meant to have not just the external Law but God's Law written on our hearts and his Spirit within outworking his care for the world. 

The challenge is to treat the Lazarus' on earth as they are in heaven, and maybe see the rich, famous, powerful and charismatic in this world as the 'Dives' they are - to be pitied rather than to be imitated.  

Easter: Whats it all about? The Bible speaks for itself... (pt 2)

I’ve been studying the book of Colossians lately and it provides a different view of Easter from what we commonly see:

• Jesus was present at and powerfully involved with creation: “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Col 1:15) 

• Jesus is the reason for creation: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” (Col 1:16)

• Jesus holds all authority over all things: “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17)  

• Jesus is risen from the dead and the head of all who will follow him into resurrection: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Col 1:18) 

• Jesus is God with us: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him...” (Col 1:19) 

• Through his death he has not just reconciled you and me to himself but one day the whole earth will be transformed and put right: “...and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1:20)

He did all this through the cross – what a event of cosmic significance Easter is and what confidence we can have in God to accomplish his purposes for the world and for us! 

Easter: Whats it all about? The Bible speaks for itself

The Passover was the annual celebration of God the redeemer of Israel who had told them to slay a lamb, cook and eat it and put its blood on the doorposts so they would be spared from the angel of death and from slavery in Egypt.

Luke 22:7-8 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.

Luke 22:14-19 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.  Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins.  For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.” He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

He was changing it around – now God our redeemer who is also the sacrificial lamb so we are not only delivered from slavery and death but we now receive his life.

Fast forward to Luke 23 – Jesus has been crucified:

Luke 23:39-49 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Messiah was the promised one who would deliver Israel from all her enemies) But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?  We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” (Jesus the innocent lamb) And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Fast forward to Luke 24 (talking to the disciples)

luke 24:44-49 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.  And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things. “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Fast forward to Acts 2

Acts 2:1-4 On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, all the believers were meeting together in one place.  Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.  Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.  And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

Then Peter tells them the story of Jesus...

Acts 2:37-42 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles — all who have been called by the Lord our God.”  Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

They lived and experienced the common life (fellowship) – their life was around Jesus life.

Dead Religion?

Everywhere I've traveled through New Zealand I've seen old church buildings. Some are beautiful, some are ugly, some are unused, some are cafes and galleries. What does this speak of?

Our nation was colonised by 'Christian' nations. The gospel was preached mostly with sincerity and pure motives and many Maori received the Good News as just that; the way of peace and reconciliation and justice. The culture of the missionaries was often added as extra baggage and sometimes this had a detrimental effect on the converts of unnecessarily alienating them from some things in their culture which were actually more godly than the culture of the missionaries.

Now nearly 200 years later the buildings they built are shrines to a lost way of life. The communities they represent have moved on with the most used buildings being the pub, the police station and the probation service. Where I rode today (the East Cape) communities are literally in ruins with deserted shops, freezing works and dairy factories. And the churches appear to be in equally bad shape. 

Behind the church building above were family graves. One was a reverend who had died at age 52. A man of God of Maori ancestry. Nearby was a later triple grave of three brothers aged in their teens and twenties, all killed on the same day; with the same surname as the minister. I wondered how that family feels? Did they blame God for the loss of those fine young men? Did they have a living faith? How did that death affect that community?

Can these dry bones live?  Like Ezekiel wisely answered: Lord, you know. What I do know is that God who made the exquisite natural beauty in our land desires that beauty to be reflected in our communities, relationships and families. Religion which has lost the River of Life which Jesus spoke of is dead. Old buildings count for nothing but grim reminders of dashed hopes and an impotent God.  

Truth - what's it good for? - part 2

Jesus is good news for the post-modern, post-christian world. Why? Jesus didn't come to just teach truth or reveal truth he came to be truth. He said: I am the way the truth and the life. 

It wasn't about being clever or powerful (although Jesus was both of those things) it was functioning in a new way based on the truth that the Universe is built on - the character of the Creator - which leads to real life as it was intended to be. 

The apostle Paul didn't impress the big people of his day with his cleverness or power either. He said:

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 

We can't possibly imagine that our cleverness can ever understand the fullness of our creation or even fully understand ourselves. All our great scientific breakthroughs and technological achievements are absolutely primitive compared to the abilities of God our creator. All our human corporate powers, wealth and political clout are just a tiny drop in an ocean before God. What makes us think we can begin to comprehend truth? That's why when God wanted us to know him he didn't send an encyclopedia and he didn't send an army; he came himself in His son - God in the flesh.

And when he wants us to know the way and the truth and the life - the way to the Father - he personally takes our hand; through Jesus when he walked the earth and now by the Spirit of Jesus; the Holy Spirit who dwells inside all who chose to heed his call to follow me.  

Truth - what's it good for?

How come the major world religions all claim to have 'the truth' and debate, accuse, murder and start wars about it? Are they all wrong? Can they all be right?  How come we can 'prove' something yet people still won't believe it? Is the reason perhaps not in what we believe but how we believe?

As I see it people fall into three ways of how-to-believe. These are sometimes called pre-modern (or medieval), modern and post-modern. 

For the pre-modern truth is community-based, tribal, and corporate. For them survival means being part of the community and holding to accepted established belief systems. Radicals are not tolerated and regarded as heretics to be burned or exiled. Truth is based in traditions which are normally just accepted as part of life. Many of the great world religions are still in this realm. You believe because your family believed and your community happens to be Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or whatever.

Truth for the modern is based in science and reason. If something can somehow be 'proved' or 'disproved' then it is regarded as true. Debate is based around reason, knowledge and experimentation. Many live in two worlds; clinging to their 'faith' in a pre-modern way while living out in the 'world' in a modern way. This produces a crisis for many because they can no longer tolerate the double-think. When they apply modern thought to their pre-modern traditions they didn't stack up so they abandon their religious heritage or just gave lip service to them. 

Post-modernism views truth another way. Truth is no longer in terms of absolutes derived from either community tradition or from scientific deduction. To post-modern thinking neither of these approaches have helped the world but have just lead to factions and wars so they are rejected. Truth is instead experiential, relational and relative. 

Negatively this has lead to a tremendous loss of hope; as young people in particular are given no clear values or goals or answers to life's big questions. Outcomes of this hopelessness are self-harm, binge-drinking/ drugging, promiscuity and suicide. Is the answer to go back to traditions because they give us a moral code and an ordered society? Or is the answer to 'prove' through science or reason that my set of 'truths' is superior so we should all live my way? Like it or hate it there is no way back.

But there is something very positive in post-modern thinking. It's not so much about what we believe but how we live. People are sick of the hypocrisy of religious people who believe in absolute truth and just want to convince everyone else they are absolutely right by manipulation, hype, intimidation or force. Post-moderns are looking for authenticity. They are looking for example. They are looking for character. They are looking for truth with arms and legs; truth with actions; faith with corresponding works. Does this sound familiar? Like something Jesus might have talked about and modeled?

Cat Stevens

I bought The Very Best of Cat Stevens on iTunes yesterday. His 70's albums (Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, Catch Bull at Four) were quite formational in my early teen years. I still think this is some of the best music ever recorded.

The thing that touched me then and still does now is the cry I hear for something beyond the superficial world. Cat Stevens and other artists around that time (late 60's early 70's) began asking questions that previous generations generally took for granted - a move (among other things) from a rationalistic modernistic view to a post-modern view where the values of 'science and progress have all the answers', and 'the world is getting better' were questioned. We had the threat of nuclear war, pollution, the assassination of Martin Luther King and JFK and Vietnam as evidence that science and progress did not answer the inner need of humankind.

The post-modern view rejected the meta-narrative handed down from previous generations, some rejecting in the process that there could even be a big picture that gave meaning to life. Others found an alternative story they could relate to. The questions Cat Stevens was asking lead me into a search for spiritual reality and a meta-narrative which I found in the story of Jesus. Stevens (real name Steven Georgiou) sought through Buddhism, Zen, and I Ching, Numerology, tarot cards and Astrology, finally to settle into Islam; changing his name to Yusef Islam and leaving music for 25 years.

He has found his Peace Train in Islam, speaking out against those who practice terror and killing in the name of Allah. I have a great deal of respect for his humanitarian work and efforts to bring peace.

Islam as a religion / philosophy at its core seeks to submit fully to God (that is what the word means). It is based on the same law given to the Jews and seen by Christians in what we call the Old Testament. Like Judaism and Christianity Islam is monotheistic, believing in one true creator God. Islam believes that both Judaism and Christianity are perversions of the true way. The follower of Islam seeks to please God through keeping the law, which has been codified into five pillars. 

Just as in Judaism in Jesus day (and to a degree today) there are those in Islam who believe submission to God is a matter of personal peity and treating others justly and those who seek submission to God through violence and military might imposed on those who do not obey their laws. Christians have also fallen into these camps over history. 

The key difference between Islam and Christianity is the place of Jesus. Islam regards him as a human prophet of God as were Abraham, Moses and Muhammad. Christianity regards Jesus as the unique Messiah, God in the flesh who came to reveal God to humankind and make a way for humankind to be reconciled and reconnected back to God through his death and resurrection on behalf of fallen humans. The New Testament teaches that submission to God is not actually possible by human effort - we stuff it up! It's only possible by the work of the Holy Spirit within us restoring us to relationship with God.  

End of lesson - more another time.