Christianity is not for the faint hearted. It is not for the feeble minded. It is not for the intellectually lazy who can't be bothered to question the assumption that life on planet earth needed to begin a very long time ago in a very small way to allow it enough time to develop and grow larger.
My God is certainly not small and doesn't need huge amounts of time to achieve anything. He can speak life into existence. He doesn't need to limit himself to our finite understanding.
I have the image above pinned up in my kitchen. It was sent to me by a man who loves C S Lewis 's novel ' The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.' Many a rainy day has seen us both seated infront of the movie, watching the same story unfold over and over again. Even though we have both seen it too many times to count, it still brings comfort. It opens a door into a world where there is a kind but powerful magic at work.
Our understanding of the story of the kingdom of Narnia is very different. I am very like Lucy, I have lived my life with a child like faith and I see the supernatural all around me on a daily basis. It would be exactly true to my experience of God to tumble through the back of a wardrobe into another fairytale world.
My friend however is more drawn to Edmund. He might follow me into the back of the wardrobe out of curiosity. But his discovery of another magical kingdom would be laced with doubt. He might enter into the arena of reasoning and lead himself down the path of confusion. He has a sweet tooth and an ego that both love to be fed. Just like Edmund he could easily be tempted by power and Turkish delight. He is very familiar with being double minded. One minute he believes, then in equal measures he doubts.
I could run into the lion in the woods on any given day. My friend would need some convincing that what I said I saw was real.
And yet, although we are very different, we are both equally committed and involved in the story. He approaches with a deeper understanding of forgiveness than I have. He understands how it is to doubt in a way I currently don't identify with. In the end he is also the one who is familiar with the work of the witch and is able to expose her.
Although our identification with the story line is very different, every single time we watch it, we are both always moved deeply by the image of Jesus portrayed as a LION. And that is why he sent me the card with an image of a lion entering the sea that now lives in my kitchen. Because it is not the normal image of a lion on the African plains it tells another story. And that is why it sits in my kitchen watching over my coming and going.
Below is a description of Jesus taken from a paraphrase of the original Bible passage.
Isaiah 42 ( The Message Translation)
[1-4] "Take a good look at my servant. I'm backing him to the hilt. He's the one I chose, and I couldn't be more pleased with him. I've bathed him with my Spirit, my life. He'll set everything right among the nations. He won't call attention to what he does with loud speeches or gaudy parades. He won't brush aside the bruised and the hurt and he won't disregard the small and insignificant, but he'll steadily and firmly set things right. He won't tire out and quit. He won't be stopped until he's finished his work-to set things right on earth. Far-flung ocean islands wait expectantly for his teaching."
I love the way these new fresh words add life to an old over familiar Bible passage.
Next week I will be celebrating 2 years of writing this blog. On Thursday if nothing changes from the point at which I write this post,we will also be one day away from leaving the EU with no deal. And since I expect the country to be in a place of emotional turmoil, I thought I would get this in early. A reminder of what I wrote a few months ago back in December.
'The land of the giants and the city that mothers the world is being realigned.'
I believe that every single nation on this earth has a specific identity and destiny in God's grand plan. Wherever you live on planet earth I hope you have a sense of what makes you unique. What makes you tick as a culture. What your identity is. The role you play in the world.
Could it be possible that the natural world around us also reflects what is going on behind the scenes in the supernatural? You might be a nation called to show neutrality, a place of refuge. A country of shelter nestled in mountains, such as Switzerland. Your geography, a natural extension of your divine calling as a nation. You might be an ancient culture of such magnitude, your sheer size and number causes the world to stagger in fear, such as China. You might be a nation of singers and dancers. A simple place where life is slow but there is deep happiness and joy, such as the Caribbean islands. You might be a nation of entrepreneurs such as the Nigerians. You might be a nation of excellence & precision such as Japan. You might be a warring nation. You might have been given a tiny strip of land and called 'the chosen people!' In which case you will always incur deep resentment, anger, jealousy and your nation will cause huge offence to the entire world, as Israel continues to do.
I believe that you should have a sense of who you are as a people group and as a nation and why God created you.
Would I be wrong in stating that Britain's geography is clear for all to see? Take a look at a map and you will notice that we are a break away piece of land. The tectonic plates have shifted and we have been broken away from mainland Europe. It is a simple fact that cannot be denied. We are an island nation.
Nations get associated with symbols. For South Africa it is the Springboks. For France the Cockerel. America will forever be linked with the image of an Eagle. Time and time again the imagery used over Great Britain is a LION. This alone is the animal that most symbolises our calling and our destiny.
My understanding of Great Britain is that in God's economy we are called to be a courageous nation. A righteous nation. An influential nation. And most of all we are called to be a Christian nation.
I say this because now is not the time to draw back in fear. The course has been set. We are heading towards leaving the EU and it's time to face this reality with courage and not fear. My church has a slogan that goes like this ...
GET YOUR BRAVE ON!
It is a word spoken over the women in the church to be courageous and fight for the truth. To look after the overlooked. To stand in the gap for those who need defending. To wrestle for the hurting. To love deeply and bravely.
If God could speak right now to Great Britain, I imagine He might be saying ...
'Take courage Lion heart. Your nation is being realigned.'
The seasons are changing and we don't need to be afraid. It is possible that in the next couple of months we will have left the EU and will be facing a general election or a new party leader. In the midst of all the focus on BREXIT possibly the greater shake up has been an exposure of anti-semitism in the leadership of one of our political parties. This is no small thing and should not be overlooked or underestimated.
Just a thought but could it be possible that Brexit was just a catalyst used to reveal the underlying issues in our country, from the young to the old. From the voters to the leaders?
I have had to examine myself and ask the question ... ' What has risen up in me as a result of this turmoil?'
Anger? Resentment? Contempt? Self righteousness? Fear? Pride? Panic? Confusion? Sorrow?
Take note and understand what has been caused to rise to the surface.
Obviously these are just my opinions. You can chastise me for wrongly interpreting the signs of the times. But if I am like a Lucy in the story of Narnia, then I would humbly tell you that these things do have to happen.
So as we face the days ahead, GET YOUR BRAVE ON and TAKE COURAGE LION HEART because we are closer to the end of the story than we were at the beginning! We might just be facing our finest hour.
Isaiah 42:[10-16] SING to GOD a brand-new song, sing his praises all over the world! Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with all the far-flung islands joining in. Let the desert and its camps raise a tune, calling the Kedar nomads to join in. Let the villagers in Sela round up a choir and perform from the tops of the mountains. Make GOD's glory RESOUND; echo his praises from coast to coast.
GOD steps out like he means business. You can see he's primed for action. He shouts, announcing his arrival; he takes charge and his enemies fall into line: "I've been quiet long enough. I've held back, biting my tongue. But now I'm letting loose, letting go, like a woman who's having a baby -
Stripping the hills bare, withering the wildflowers, Drying up the rivers, turning lakes into mudflats.
But I'll take the hand of those who don't know the way, who can't see where they're going. I'LL BE A personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them- sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute." — GOD!!!
( The Message Translation )
Next week, potentially on March 29th, I will continue to look at the LION placed on the pinboard in my kitchen and I will remind myself that we are part of something much greater and more amazing than any story book.
"It would be incorrect to conclude that God didn't have a heart for certain parts of the world. He just sees the necessary order and process that we don't see. He always leads us to build for the big picture." Bill Johnson.
As a nation we may have many plans in our hearts but it is the Lord who will ultimately direct our steps.
Our future awaits us. I believe we have walked right into a divine appointment & collided with our destiny.
C S Lewis wrote a dedication and preface at the beginning of his novel ...
My Dear Lucy,
I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say, but I shall still be ..... your affectionate Godfather,
xx C S Lewis
' Take courage Lion heart.
The land of the giants and the city that Mothers the world is being realigned.'