In Praise of Clarity

I am abnormal.

Most people probably think that about me, but what I'm really getting at is that I have an abnormality, and it's in one of my eyes.  In my right eye there is an imperfection that is shaped kind of like a sea horse and it resides in the lower left hand quadrant of what my eye sees.  If I am looking at an object I don't notice it, but if I do happen to notice it and then try to focus on it, it always moves away, so I can never focus on it directly. 

I can never get real clarity on this problem, it just sits on the sideline, letting me know it's there, not causing a lot of trouble, but nevertheless letting me know it is present.

I have felt this way about the Christian life from time to time.  We know that sin is present, but we are so focused on the things in life that have our attention we don't really notice it as something that can be addressed directly, because, to be quite frank, it can seem so elusive that trying to get a real handle on it is like trying to focus on that abnormality in my eye--as soon as you focus on it, it darts away again, hiding in the corners of our souls.

It seems to me that as we live as distracted Christians one thing we can struggle with is to get a handle on things that we feel we should know very clearly but don't.  We know that something is not as it should be in the world (sin) but because we are so immersed in it, we don't really know how to identify it.  We know that God shows us things that are right and wrong, but somewhere in the translation of hearing it spoken in a church service or in personal devotional time and then trying to understand it in the rough and tumble of everyday life, instead of crystal clarity there are many questions and doubts.

But even though this is all true I am, once again, in awe of just how great our God really is.

You see, in a few days, our church will be hosting an event where a woman will be talking about her journey as a gay woman who met Jesus and was shown a different way to live through Him.  The Gay community is coming to protest and express their opinions about this event and the message they think will be shared.  And there is a lot of media attention, and tension.  We may be identified publicly as a group that is intolerant, and this could affect followers of Jesus in a very real way--personal attacks, ridicule even loss of jobs.  I say these things because when people in the Bible were asked to stand and be identified with Jesus publicly--things happened. . . .

And yet I still can't stop feeling this deep sense of joy!!

Sure, I'm just as immersed in questions about what it will feel like to be there on that day when there is every possibility that anger, misunderstanding and raw feelings will be expressed.  I wonder what it will feel like to be openly considered 'narrow minded' or even a bigot!  These are natural I think.  But this joy. . . . .what is up with that?

And then I'm reminded of Paul writing in prison--in prison.  He was writing in the midst of a world who probably considered him a failure. To some of his followers, a disappointment; to himself--I wonder if he had times when he questioned his level of "success".  And yet, in the midst of all this stuff he writes this in Phil. 3:7ff:

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering..."  And with all this in mind, Paul says in 3:1 "Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!"

You see, Paul's circumstance brought great clarity to him--things in his life had gotten to the point where he had clarity on what was most important--and the very real presence of Jesus Christ, with him in that prison cell, was enough to overcome all his distractions, all his questions and his soul was rejoicing.

That's why I praise the clarity that comes when Jesus leads us into those times of testing when opposition arises against you as you are being identified as a follower of Jesus Christ; that's why my soul is being filled with joy because even though the times of testing are hard, and you do experience loss, and wrestle with questions and doubt--Jesus holds you close and allows you to have clarity on what really counts--and then your souls sings!!.

Jesus, I know your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven, and thank you so much for the privilege of being identified as part of your Family.  Don't stop!  Don't stop speaking into this dry world, and don't stop allowing us the honor of being able to stand in you in all of this---

it is just too good.

BT