nothing new.

We speak as though we no longer had "a proper joy and certainty" about this way, or, still worse, as though God and God's Word were no longer as clearly present with us as they used to be. In all this, we are ultimately trying to get round what the New Testament calls "patience" and "testing."

...Dear brethren, our real trouble is not doubt about the way upon which we have set out, but our failure to be patient, to keep quiet. We still cannot imagine that today God really doesn't want anything new from us, but simply to prove us in the old way. That is too petty, too monotonous, too undemanding for us.

And we simply cannot be constant with the fact that God's cause is not always the successful one, that we really could be "unsuccessful" and yet be on the right road. But this is where we find out whether we have begun in faith or in a burst of enthusiasm.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, A Testament to Freedom 443

(For the record, Dietrich's a BAMF.)

hidden treasure.

I'm not sure why the kingdom is such a "hot topic" in my brain right now (Wow. That's kind of an awkward sentence...), but it is. To my disappointment (and yours too, I'm sure), this post is coming later than I would have liked. But I'm just going to roll with it.

Last week, I went to a mid-week service at Antioch Community Church. And to try and describe it in English would not do the service justice. "Off-the-chain", "crazy sauce", and "insane-in-the-membrane" all fail in allowing me to accurately express my feelings towards that night.

If you know me, you know that since reading Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution about two-and-a-half years ago, my life has, well, been upset. No, not "angry" upset. But upset in the "they-were-supposed-to-cream-the-other-team-but-they-lost" sense. In the same way that Jesus flipped Israel's law on its head, my life has been turned upside-down. (I'd like to note that it wasn't the book itself that shook things up, but rather the questions and concepts it raised. In searching for answers, I've turned to the Bible, which has been the sole source of my unrest.)

Anyway, rather than giving you a short synopsis of my life, presenting my reason for starting this blog, or convincing you to read the Irresistible Revolution, I'd like to share with you what the pastor said last Wednesday night.

Matthew 13:44

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field."

I've read this passage several times, but what I never really grasped or noticed was that this man re-hid the treasure. Yes, selling his possessions to buy the field was one thing. But selling his possessions to buy the field that may or may not still contain the treasure was another.

That, my friends, was a huge risk.

After much more eloquently making this point, Carl (the pastor) went on to make a connection between the boredom we sometimes feel towards Christianity. We've boiled "following Christ" down to being nice, going to church, and having a quiet time. And no wonder we're bored?! We're sitting on the bench, while the most exciting football game of all time is being played in front of us. We're like gymnasts laying down on the high beam in the middle of the Olympics - as Carl's analogy described.

We play it safe.

But if the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field that a man bought after selling everything he owned, what are we doing? If we really lived like that, Christianity wouldn't be boring. If we really lived like that, how would our world be different?

How are you living? Are you a part of that kingdom?

(So many questions, oh boy! That's all thanks to Socrates and Plato's Republic, which I am currently reading.)

the kingdom of god.

The kingdom of God is a beautiful thing.

Honestly, there's nothing like worshiping the Creator of the Universe with several thousand people.

There's nothing like sitting in a room full of college freshmen listening to them share their stories, their dreams and aspirations, the things God has placed on their hearts.

There's nothing quite like marveling at the beauty in people as they walk to and from class.

Lately, I've found myself in awe of the way in which God's so uniquely crafted each and every one of us. How he's calling us to different roles in society, to different places around the world.

If only more people realized their potential and paid attention to that call. I feel like society impresses upon young people a pressure to become successful, to make a life for themselves. I saw this quote the other day, and I find it incredibly troublesome:

Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

On another occasion, we could talk about what exactly "finding" oneself implies. But for now, my point is that I certainly don't believe life is about "creating" ourselves. In fact, life isn't even about us - or shouldn't be about us, at least.

I worry that too many kids aren't hearing the right message.

And to them, I want to say that this life is about bringing glory to our God. This life is about humbly following his heart. Falling before his throne. Giving way to his call. Being his hands and feet. Defending the fatherless. Rescuing the oppressed.

Sure, it might bring success. It might even bring money and fame. But I hope that's not all we focus on.

On many occasions, I've found myself sitting in our twice-weekly chapels praying that the Lord would light a passion in the students here. I so desire for people to experience God in the same way I have. To understand him in the rather simple and quite incomplete way I've understood him. To grasp the fulfillment and abundance that's comes with his presence. To have a passion for following him and living their lives for him, and only him.

Ever since I've returned from Tanzania, the concept of creation returning to the Lord has been on my mind. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how Pastor James had a unique perspective on the terrible drought there: it's God's way of renewing the land and calling the people back to him.

And the concept seems to be at the forefront of my mind once again as I read about the fall of man and the flooding of the earth in one of my classes. Since the beginning of time, or at least the fall, creation has been yearning for renewal and restoration. Paul puts it well in Romans 8:22 when he says,

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."

Now, things are incomplete. Now, things are messed up. But someday, "we will see him coming on the clouds of heaven" (as Hillsong sings). Someday, all of creation will return to him.

And until then, I hope that more people will be overwhelmed by his glory, his majesty, and his beauty. So that they will come to grasp how fearfully and wonderfully they have been made. So that they will use their gifts to bring him praise with their lives.

So that justice and love can mark the work of the kingdom,

to point people to the King,

to restore the earth.

May our hope be in Yahweh, whose love is greater than all.

He shall reign forever.