I am
convinced that a whole lot of liberal theology—false thoughts about God as God
Almighty and sovereign Lord, and mis-truths about who we are, humble, fallen,
worship-needful souls—is slipping under the fence into the sheepfold because of
our human desire to be loved and known.
I recently heard a person speak, words laced and spangled with philosophical
terms to excite the most die-hard esoteric-loving soul, on our need to be
known, to have the eyes of another’s soul seek and know our truest self.
Enthusiastically received, the address encompassed an astonishing amount of
I-oneself-me-my pronouns. I said to my
companion as time wore on, “Guess I won’t be needing this” and placed my Bible on
the chair next to me. Indeed, I didn’t. And the grand finale was a fireworks ending
of social gospel liberal verbiage.
I understand the allure; how many times I’ve
spoken with another person and in genuine interest asked question after question
to get to know them, but never a question of interest asked in return;
struggled or sorrowed only to find that even those who knew, would not
encourage or promise their prayers. But
surely I have failed many too, while my gaze was upon myself, and I did not
hear their cry. Truly, we were heart-woven
for community and fellowship. We are
fully known by the God who created us; yet we also need reflections and
refractions of that with one another: feeling others’ love, being known by
those closest, having the comfort of others entering into our lives and
experiences. Why do we find this so
hard? If Truth has its rightful place,
then it is those who most magnify God, who make the most of Him transcendent
above all human need and desire, who walk closely with Christ, they are those that
best know how to love one another, to enter into a one-another lifestyle. Surely, while there is not so much of the
me-oneself-I in conversation, deep human needs of the soul are thus met
as our gaze together is lifted to the Creator and God of all comfort.
“And what is
God’s glory? It is the ministration of
love. We are not to wait for a union of opinions. We are to begin with a union of hearts. We are to be united, while yet we do not “see
together” (“and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall
see it together” Isaiah 40:5). You and I
may look at the same stars and call them by different names. You are an astronomer, and I am a peasant; to
you they are masses of worlds; to me they are candles in the sky set up to
light me home.
“What
matter? Shall we not enjoy the glory
though we do not agree about it? Let us
join hands over the message ere we settle the dispute about the messenger.
“Ye who
stand upon the shore and wrangle about the number of the waves, there is
meantime a work for you to do, and to do together. There are shipwrecked voyagers out yonder,
crying and calling. They have folded
their hands in prayer, and have heard no answer save the echo of their
cry. Shall they call in vain? Shall they wait till you have counted the
billows that consume them? Shall they
stand shivering in the storm while you are disputing the name of the
lifeboat? What matter how we name the
lifeboat if only we believe in it?
“Come out to
the wreck, my brothers. Come to the
souls who have lost their compass, to lives that have broken their helm, to
hearts that have rent their sails. They
will not ask the name of your lifeboat; even Jacob’s angel had no name. You may not see together, but you shall
reveal together—reveal the glory of the Lord.
You shall be the church of the united sympathizers. You shall see together the face of the Master,
but you shall touch together the print of the nails. Tomorrow, you shall see Him as He Is.” –G. Matheson
Skara Brae: A community settled before the pyramids were built, dated 5,000 years ago and uncovered still largely intact, in a sand dune in the mid 1800's (Orkneys, Scotland). One day we will know the faithful from every era, every time. What an amazing story-telling will reveal God's weaving of human lives, human hearts, His designs.
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