This Easter morning, I was listening to a podcast from my
favorite philosopher/theologian/counsellor which dealt with the problem of
life. He said that he once
believed that the greatest problem of life was dealing with the guilt that is
inherent in our human nature. We
are by nature sinners, and we are always struggling to deal with the problem of
guilt and shame. He said that
Christianity has an answer to guilt and shame—forgiveness—an idea which is most
uniquely and profoundly expressed in Christianity. Okay, I agree with all of that. First, all of scripture speaks of our bondage to sin and our
need for forgiveness. Second, this
has played out existentially in my life.
When my wife forgave me for significant transgressions against her, it
produced a freedom from guilt which liberated me from my need, my drive, to be
perfect. This gave me freedom from
trying to control everything in my life. What a life-giving moment! It was a huge step forward for our
marriage and for my relationships with everyone in my life.
So, forgiveness is huge—it can change our lives in dramatic
fashion. But, there is something
more important than forgiveness (dealing with the guilt problem). According to my friend, the greater
problem is dealing with reality—the fact that the world always wins. We will always run into issues that are
not solvable (whether they are personal or public)—if we live on the world's terms.
Whether the problem is an impossible elderly parent, a difficult boss, a
child that flees to the opposite coast to live, the Debt Crisis, the present
political acrimony and polarization in the U.S., the schism in the Anglican
church, or the ultimate victory of
the world over man (death).
After listening to this podcast, I switched to music to
finish my walk—“Die, Die, Die” by the Avett Brothers. “She’s fighting with the sky, she thinks she can. Livin' within a lie, —she thinks she can. But nobody knows what lies behind
the days before the day we die.”
What does lie behind those days?
Ultimate reality. Reality
is the ultimate problem. We
proceed through life fighting against obstacles—the loss of a job, a difficult
spouse, etc. We think we can come
up with a way to defeat whatever problems assail us—whether it be political
mechanations, working harder, or appealing to a higher authority. But, thankfully, ultimately, we run up
against a problem that we cannot solve.
We run up against the harsh reality of the world. Only when we do will we begin to
realize what “lies behind the days before the day we die.”
Holy Scripture has a remarkable answer to the problem of
shame and guilt—forgiveness and absolution from the creator of the
universe—“Grace”—the most beautiful word in Scripture to a thirsty sinner. But does forgiveness solve the defeat
that we receive at the hands of the world? If not, does Holy Scripture provide an answer to reality?
Yes, Yes, Yes!
The Kingdom of God has been ushered into the world through the life and
death of Christ. For years, I have
wondered two things about Jesus’ ministry: a)what did He mean when he talked about the Kingdom of
God; and b)why did He talk so much
about Hell. Both of these
questions are answered when we realize that there is a greater reality (which
“lies behind the days before the day we die”). This greater reality is the Kingdom of God. Why did Jesus talk so much about
Hell? Jesus wanted to alert us to
the fact that our focus on conquering reality is misplaced and
unachievable. First, reality is
Hellish—any victory over it leads only to a temporary reprieve from the hellish
effects of reality. Second, we
can’t conquer reality—even if we live lives relatively free from cancer, death
of loved ones, poverty, etc., we will ultimately die. (When I was young, I thought that 90% of people lived fairly
comfortable lives—it is just the opposite. What’s more, the unlucky ones are the ones that lead fairly
comfortable lives, because they may never come to grips with the ultimately
futility of our efforts to conquer reality.)
Christ wanted us to realize this—the ultimate futility of
trying to have victory over this world.
Christ wanted us to realize that there is a greater reality—the Kingdom
of God. If you look for it,
you can see it. The victory over
reality comes when our egos are conquered, and we become one with the Creator
through the inhabitation of the Holy Spirit. What does this look like? What sort of experiences does one have when one becomes a
citizen of the Kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God is like my relationship with my
wonderfully disparate group of FB friends—from all manner of religious beliefs
(Protestantism, Catholicism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, and there may be
others), to all regions of the country, to all different segments of
society. The Kingdom of Heaven is
like my wonderful Life Group at church—a group of believers from an array of
all types of religious backgrounds
(Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Atheists, Wickens, etc.), different
ages, different jobs—all drawn together by the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom of Heaven is ruled by a God
who loved us enough to give His life for us.
The Kingdom of Heaven is free from sin—it is a place where
our relationships with God and man are expressed in perfect love. The Kingdom of God is available
now, in part, but not fully. When
parents and children are honest about past hurts, and reconciliation occurs,
the Kingdom is present. When siblings
forgive one another, the Kingdom is present. When spouses behave unselfishly towards one another, the
Kingdom is present. When we
reconcile with those who have broken our trust, the Kingdom is present. Finally, when the Kingdom is fully
manifested, we will live in
perfect harmony with others and with the world. No more hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, genocide, infant
death, poverty, famine—it will all go away. The Kingdom of Heaven will find its
ultimate expression in the remaking of our reality—from a world where death and
sin have great sway to a world without sin and death. What a glorious day that will be!
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