“So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Of the three virtues of faith, hope and love, it has been hope which I have struggled with the most recently. All three of these terms have been buried in the shallow “greeting card” culture modern Christianity, and family bookstores, have so eagerly adopted. I have already written on trying to take back a deeper understanding of faith and love, but hope has eluded me. Only has recent experiences given me a fresh perspective on a possible look into the true virtue of hope.

Leaving the Delusion

“Hope” is a word that has been in getting a lot of attention with the last few years of politics, both as a battle cry and as a patronizing insult. Many have become jaded toward the concept of hope since, “what good is hoping for better if you won’t do anything about it?” Hope has become a symbol of delusional thinking.

Hope can easily be a delusion, depending on what we are putting our hopes in. Do we hope we will be richer? Do we hope that “everything will work out” if we just sit and wait? Do we hope that our circumstances will miraculously change? If we are hoping for these things, then we are indeed deceiving ourselves.

What We Should Hope For

“But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal.” – Matthew 6:20

Scripture gives us two clear directions for where we should invest our hope. First, we put our heart and our hope in the life to come. This world will never be the ideal place we wish it could be. If people invest all their hopes in this world, they will always be disappointed. Our ultimate hope is that we endure this life with grace and determination knowing the kingdom of God is our true reward.

“for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.” – Hebrews 7:19

Second, and juxtaposed to the first, we put our hope in the possibility of redemption in this life. No matter the relationship or the person, we are instructed to endure, suffer, and forgive to always keep open the possibility of reconciliation. I believe our deepest darkest moments in life are when we give up on the possibility of redemption either with others or with ourselves. Redemption is the miracle we hope for in this life.

When Hope Reveals God

Expecting a miracle, especially one of our own design, is dangerous. However, when we acknowledge a situation is beyond our control, focus our attention on what we can control, and leave the rest providence we often find in hindsight a divine hand working miraculously toward redemption.

I am going to try something new here.  Below are some thoughts on Heaven from a good friend of mine, and below that, is my response.  I think a lot of people have these thoughts regarding the afterlife, and I feel like this is a good way to draw them out.

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From Todd:

I woke up in a sweat, aliens were fighting to take over earth and my friend Des and I were left battling for our existence. When I left my area, the aliens, which were machines, were attacking me and another machine was fighting me, but no match (no, I didn’t just watch transformers). Running to get Des and let him know it was over, I was scared. I dreamt that together maybe we could make it, but then running to the escape pod, I realized the aliens had set a self destruct and we had minutes left. Running, I knew I was going to die in less than four minutes.

Now I am sweating. I think to call someone, but I don’t. I continue to run. I turn to Des and ask him if he is ready to go to Heaven, I answer to myself “no”….then roll over and I am awake.

Grabbing my iPad I have to get this thought out. Why? Why aren’t we ready to go to heaven? Maybe everyone else is ready and I’m the only one who isn’t. After 42 years on earth, I guess I’m just used to it. I have been going to church since I was born, and Heaven never once came across as a bad place to be… so why not go? Heck, the way most preachers make it sound, we should be lining up to get in…buy we aren’t. As a matter of fact, we fight. Have a crappy life… it might get better. Lose a family member at a young age…work through the pain. Got cancer…most people fight it.

But why? In the bible heaven is described as a place of rewards:

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:12)

“Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward [is] great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” (Luke 6:23)

(I’m sure like most people, the way I have lived my life sure doesn’t deserve any rewards.)

And where God is worshipped:

“And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:8-11)

Am I so selfish? has my life on earth been tainted so much that the thought of “forever worship” is a struggle? What if it was worship on the beach? Or worship from 10am to 6pm with a nice hour long lunch….then would I have the same feelings

Heaven sounds good? Doesn’t it?

18 And the building of the wall of it was [of] jasper: and the city [was] pure gold, like unto clear glass.

19 And the foundations of the wall of the city [were] garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation [was] jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;

20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.

Heck, who wouldn’t want to go? No mention of the restaurants or the nightlife, but c’mon, it sounds good, right?

But my original question remains, now for just you believers in Christ, if Heaven is a place where we spend an eternity with God in a beautiful city, worshipping our creator, why are we scared to enter?

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From Yaholo:

From a personal perspective, and as another friend of mine once said, it is not that I am afraid to die, it is that I am ashamed to.  I have a strong drive to want to accomplish some level of good in the world. I want to raise a good family, and be a reliable provider.  I have much I wish to teach and instruct others, so that knowledge I have fought for can continue after I am gone.

Of course, I am sure there is a lot of vanity here.  A desire for a legacy, the hubris to think I can make an impact on the world, and the lack of faith to think that God cannot use my work after I am gone.  I am aware of all these traits, but never-the-less believe I have some honorable motivations to live.  If death came early, I wouldn’t meet it without regret.

I also tend to disagree with the whole “afterlife as a goal” mindset.  There is a purpose for this life, and there is something divine and holy in our struggle.  Christ himself said that eternity is “knowing God” (John 17:3).  Knowing God is a life we start now, not after we die.  I think it may be a disservice to throw away the value of this life and only think about the next.  Heaven may be a great a rest, but our work is here.

Technorati Tags: afterlife, heaven

Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple… Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?… Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?” - Luke 14:27-28,31

There is a big difference between innocence and naivety.  Sadly, we tend to attribute virtue to both.  In fact, I am not sure there is much virtue in either.  While innocence can be the absence of evil, naivety is the void by which evil will inevitably fill a soul.  Jesus was an innocent, but certainly not naive.  Even more, Jesus warned us against naivety and taught us to prepare for suffering and hardship BEFORE beginning the tasks before us.

I have seen so many, myself included, who have set out to do some measure of good in the world out of a sense of injustice or righteous indignation only to have their efforts cause more harm than good.  We look at the failings of others, judge them harshly, and then set out to prove them corrupt while we are “holy”.  In the end, we become surprised by the burden of work, the depth of the darkness, and lack of return.  At this point the naive become jaded, cynical, and filled with self-pity.

Doing “God’s work” isn’t easy or fun and often harsh and difficult.  Those who do not count the cost of serving Christ are doomed from the beginning.   We are not called to work for worldly benefit or comfort.  We called to work because the work needs done.  The reward is that when one is able to throw themselves into the divine labor of charity they will find themselves working right along God.  It is for the intimacy of the Holy Spirit that we give without thought of return and work with care for fruition.

“He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.’” – Matt. 18:2-3

Whenever I find a verse in Scripture that doesn’t seem clear, I keep it top-of-mind. I can’t help it really. Matthew 18 has stuck in my head for years. Becoming like a child has so many possible meanings, and Jesus places such a high importance on being “childlike”, I was not content to settle with traditional answers. It wasn’t until recently, being a father and a teacher, that I have begun to understand this passage. The most valuable spiritual trait of a child is unknowing.

It is amazing how much adults think they know. We have the whole world figured out. As our excuse, we have to get up everyday and fulfill a litany of obligations. It would be hard to do this, day in and day out, if we didn’t place a certain level of important and permanence to our actions. In the end, however, it is all an illusion. Our view of reality is small and warped, and our actions are little more than barely conscious plankton riding an ocean wave. In the words of the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity”.

Children know nothing, they are a blank slate. They look to the world, to others, and to God as ready receptacles of learning. They are seeking truth, not pausing for a second to assume they have already found it. Children place great trust in those who teach them. It is their greatest strength and greatest vulnerability. To take the instruction of another gives them power over you, a power which Christ demands we surrender to Him so that we may learn holiness.

Perhaps that is why adults stop learning, we don’t want to be vulnerable. We are afraid of being fooled or made fools of. Maybe that is why we are so hesitant to jump with both feet into a relationship with Christ, and instead wade our toes in the shallow pools of religious exhibition. We like the perception of control that comes from a limited material existence.

Unknowing is a common term in Christian Mysticism, but it took me a while to connect the dots to Matthew 18. The Cloud of Unknown by Unknown (most ironic author ever) is also well known staple of Christian Mysticism. It is a discipline the sages have taught and pleaded with us for years. We are so quick as adults to feel like we have an answer for everything. Not just as religious people, scientists, doctors, and philosophers have always been quick to claim to claim they have things “figured out”. (Remember “Humorism”?) It makes us feel safe to think the world is no bigger than we are.

Despite all the fear and uncertainty that comes from unknowing, there is one out-shining benefit… Discovery! I am jealous when I see my son’s eyes light up as he learns and discovers the wonders of the world around him. I envy the journey he is on. I realize how I could still be on that journey myself if I just let go of my own assumptions as well. The kingdom of heaven is eternal and infinite. So to live in it you must have a mind that is infinitely capable, the mind of a child.

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Related (and where I reused the photo from): Precious Childhood Memories

Technorati Tags: childlike, Christian Mysticism, like a child, unknowing

There is no greater virtue a person can have to foster spiritual growth than humility, and no greater poison than self-deprecation. It has been surprising to me how intertwined and confused these two very different concepts have become. As an almost humorous phenomenon, self-deprecation seems to have taken over from an “I am more humble than you are” contest in religious social-status struggles. Despite the cause, telling the difference between humility and self-deprecation is both a relief and a wake-up call to those striving toward holiness.

Self-Deprecation is a lie, manipulating both yourself and others.

There is a lot of “I” in self-deprecation. “I am a bad person”, “I am not worthy”, “I am not important”, “I am worthless”, etc. Ironically, those who think they may be practicing humility are very self-focused. An attitude of self-deprecation is manipulative, and is ultimately used as an excuse for avoiding responsibility. “I can’t do that, I am not talented enough, smart enough, experienced enough”… and so on. It can also become a way to defer responsibility to others under the guise of humility. “Oh, you should be in charge of that, you are much better than I am…”

Allowing the confusion between self-deprecation and humility to fester in a church or religious organization has it’s own painful consequences. Too often, people who show confidence and courage in their ministries are rebuked as being “arrogant” or “prideful”. Since self-deprecation is easier to impersonate outwardly than humility, people will use it as a way of “one-upping” others in political situations.

Pride is not the opposite of shame, but it’s source.

Using the word “pride” in a sermon is like using the word “Nazi”, everyone agrees it is bad and you can unify an audience quickly by speaking against it. However, the knee-jerk reaction people have to pride is shame. “If I don’t feel bad about myself, I must be prideful.” This attitude is all flavors of wrong.

The truth is, someone who is truly humble and has no pride, does not feel shame. To be truly humble is to have a clear view of our reality. To follow Christ, one accepts the duality of both being a sinner and the potential to be holy. How can someone who has already acknowledged their sin, and committed themselves to pursuing holiness, stumble into shame when their sin is revealed? We do not pursue holiness because we are worthy but because Christ has enabled us to do so, how can we then concern ourselves with our worth?

Those who have pride want others to see them better than they really are, and shame is experienced when our real selves are exposed.

True humility brings joy, liberation, and draws us closer to others.

“Truly, I say to you, unless you repent and become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3-4

“Those who are indifferent to praise or blame have great tranquility of heart.” – Thomas a Kempis

Yes, we are all sinners, but that is whole point of Grace. If we were constantly tied to our past, what hope have we to grow? Parent and teachers want their children to grow, to learn from their mistakes, but most of all to move forward. What kind of child would come from a parent who constantly reminded them of past mistakes? All of us who love our children care little for their mistakes, but are passionate for their successes. God views us, His children, in much the same light.

So why then does Scripture speak so much about the importance of humility? Humility is important because it is all part of becoming “like a child”. We accept that we do not know everything, or much at all, so that we can be supple of mind and not ridged when life throws unexpected things our way. We accept that we are sinners and that we are forgiven so we are not crushed as our faults are exposed in our pursuit of holiness. We listen to others because we respect them.

The truly humble are unshakable. They cannot be shamed because they have no false self-images. They cannot be discouraged when they make mistakes because they expected them. They cannot be stagnant because they love instruction, and always know they need to learn. They cannot be taken advantage of because they have no ego to stroke and pay no heed to the insults or complements of others. The humble live only as seeing themselves before God, and no other opinion matters. They are never content to stay put but never frustrated with their progress.

The humble experience great joy because life is a challenge and they are no longer in their own way.

Technorati Tags: Christian Mysticism, humility, self-deprecation