Things I Think…
Today is the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Some among us will celebrate one only…
For me personally, it is the day that my exile becomes official.
This is a good thing…a place of obedience.
Christians are to be a nation within a nation, exiles from any kingdom but the kingdom of God.
Today I not only understand that intellectually, but emotionally and spiritually as well.
A majority of my fellow citizens and the church have combined to choose a path that I believe will lead to chaos and many pains…while I must respect that, I also must speak to it and live through it without fear and with the love of Christ.
Dr. King once said;
“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”
Those of us who will take our place as exiles must do so with that hope in our heart.
I would commend to you in the days ahead to study carefully the book of 1 Peter…a letter written to the “elect exiles’…because that is our identity and the letter contains our marching orders.
If God gives us the grace and ability, we’ll look at it together here.
My own sense of approaching darkness and disorientation has to be informed by the words of God and the prophets He places among us…
It may be that when we no longer know what to do,
we have come to our real work
and when we no longer know which way to go,
we have begun our real journey.
The mind that is not baffled is not employed.
The impeded stream is the one that sings.
― Wendell Berry
Let us go forth singing…armed with truth, faith, hope, and love…always guarding our hearts lest we become what we fear.
Speak words of truth, righteousness, justice and compassion…as loudly as needful to be heard.
Be willing to pay the price for following Jesus…some will think they do Him service by harming you.
“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”
(1 Peter 1:13-21 ESV)
Michael, thank you for cutting through the fog I have been in since the election. I am right there with you in exile and it’s a good place to be. I know who I am in Him and that is exactly the comfort I have been seeking.
Michael,
Thank you for this! I woke up with great thoughts of doing laundry and correcting papers. I had just crawled out of my chair where I’ve been sitting all morning with dark thoughts swirling around in my head. I’ve never even looked at the inaguration; just lost in my thoughts.
Yesterday at church my parent helper tried to engage me in the preschool class about the theories of water released for smelt and undocumented immigrants being responsible for the LA fires. I tried not to engage and who knows if I get reported as “woke” to the elders. Oh well..
I’ll go back and look at 1 Peter and pray tone ready for what comes. The Spanish congregation, friends and second family, are always on my mind.
Laura,
Thank you…I wrote this with no small amount of anxiety.
Exile is where we’ve always been…I think you have always understood that.
Today is one of those days when we’re forced to acknowledge the reality.
I’m hoping that we can be a place of comfort and hope in the coming times…but we have to own both ourselves before we have such to share.
Linn,
You are on the front line of what is happening…you will be in my prayers for daily strength and wisdom from Jesus…
Thank you, Michael!!!
“For me personally, it is the day that my exile becomes official.”
Exile takes many forms. Barth went to Switzerland. Bonhoeffer and Niemöller stayed in Germany and resisted in different ways. Our places of exile will likewise be varied. One thing that will remain the same is our obedience to scripture and conscience. The judgment of history on American evangelicalism has yet to be written, but I believe it will be harsh…
Duane,
I can’t afford to go anywhere if I wanted to…so this will be where I obey whatever the Lord demands.
My guess is that it’s not going to be enjoyable…
Franklin Graham reminded me of a bishop in the German Church in 1933…
Love the Wendell Berry quote!
I’ve been a Berry fan for many years.
Every time I hear some devout fundagelical wring his (or her) hands about ‘persecution’ here in the States, I remember Bonhoeffer and Niemoller and realize just how full of horse manure they (rabid fundagelicals) are.
Bonhoeffer and Niemoller were profiles in real courage, not the fake stuff that present day blow-hards spout from their platforms.
Muff nailed it.