Jack On The Box

I was recently moved by a chapter in Doestoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov called From the life of Elder Zosima. In one section of this chapter Elder Zosima’s early life is explained, focusing particularly on the influence of his brother who died of a terminal disease at the age of 17. Just months before his brother died he had some sort of conversion experience, turning him from a bad-tempered cynic to a poetic armchair theologian. (See below for more)

Although most of what he recalls his brother saying is sentimental twoddle as far as Christian theology is concerned (eg. ”life is paradise, and we are all in paradise, but we don’t want to realise it, and if we did care to realise it, paradise would be established tomorrow’ and repenting to birds in the quote below), I was struck when reading the following paragraph at how easy it is to be dull to the magnificence of things we see every day.

‘The windows of his room overlooked the garden, and our garden was a shady one, with old trees on which the springtime buds were forming, and where the early birds came to rest, twittering and singing through his windows. And suddenly, as he looked at them, lost in wonder at them, he began to ask them for forgiveness: ‘Birds of God, birds of joy, you must forgive me too, for against you too I have sinned.’ No one was able to understand this at the time, but he wept with joy: ‘Yes,’ he said ‘all around me there has been such divine glory: birds, trees, meadows, sky, and I alone have lived in disgrace, I alone have dishonoured it all, completely ignoring its beauty and glory’.

Then yesterday as I was mopping the church balcony I listend to a biographical lecture of C.S. Lewis given by John Piper. In this lecture John commented on Lewis’ unique appreciation for the seemingly ordinary:

‘When I read Lewis’ experience of the world and how awake he is to the reality of the world, I see Christ more clearly. Lewis gave me an intense sense of the astonishing realness of things. He had the ability to see and feel what we don’t. He had what Alan Jacobs called ’onnivorous attentiveness’. He helps me to wake up in the morning and be aware of the firmness of the mattress, the warmth of the sun’s rays, the sound of the clock ticking, the coldness of the wooden floor, the wetness of the water in the sink, the sheer being of things; what Lewis called ‘quiddity’ –  the whatness of reality – it’s just there! There didn’t have to be water, imagine a world in which there is no water and then one day someone says ‘I’ve got something to show you’… you would fall down and say ‘that is amazing!’ But you never say that. Lewis does.’

 

 

How easy it is to overlook beauty and majesty in the things that God has placed around us for our enjoyment! Ishould be attentive to the wonder of creation not only when I climb a mountain but also when I look out my window, run the tap, see light reflecting in a glass or feel supported by a bench.

YOU ARE HERE: (Living in a post-fall world)

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

(From Genesis 3)

YOUR DESTINATION: (New Heavens and New Earth)

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. THEY WILL SEE HIS FACE [the Climax of the Bible], and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

From Revelation 21

YOUR ROUTE: (Jesus)

‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’

John 14:6

I was struck by the honest words of Chris Carabba in a song called ‘get me right’ from Dashboard Confessional’s latest album. I heard him play this song live in Cardiff Student Union last year – he introduced it as a song inspired by a Southern Baptist lady he knew who when hearing about his shenanigans on tour, told him he needs to get right with the Lord.

Jesus, the truth is I struggle so hard to believe. I need my maker to cure me of my doubting blood, to drain me of the sins I love, to take from me my disbelief I know it should come easily, but it remains inside of me it battles and devours me, it cuddles up inside of me, it whispers it convinces me I’m right.

These lyrics reminded me of the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 36:1+2

36:1 Transgression speaks to the wicked
deep in his heart;
there is no fear of God
before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes
that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.

‘The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law’ Deuteronomy 29:29

What is the origin of evil? Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden? Why doesn’t God put an end to all suffering right now? Etc Etc

Answer? I dunno.

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.

Ecclesiastes 5:2-3

I need to remember this – prayer is not nattering away at God like he’s my buddy. God is in heaven and I am on earth. In this passage God warns us to slow down, think about what we’re saying and think about who we’re saying it to.