One test for whether your spiritual understanding is sound and correct is whether you can Start Now on doing what needs to be done.
We have, through long history, become used to the idea that constructive, positive action is at the group level - that the individual (here and now) is of no use in doing the work of the world; and therefore a Great Deal of Life is expended in preparation and planning.
For example, in effective politics or business alike, the plan is to build alliances: to work incrementally, to prosecute plans of propaganda, legislation and regulation - then implementation and enforcement...
The only thing that can be started 'now' is the long process of working-towards... whatever it is.
Likewise, in traditional Christianity, and also spiritual work, being a Good Christian is a matter of going-through strategic educational programs, building-up a church-rooted lifestyle - whether based in ritual, participation in sacraments, gathering to worship, meeting to pray or study scripture...
The assumption has been that this long-termism will lead - by accumulation and training - to higher and higher levels of being-a-Good-Christian.
But in the world now - none of these things can be relied upon. The Church is liable to close at any time. Gathering for any purpose is disallowed, restricted, uncertain. Centuries of practice have been obliterated.
Strategic planning is now restricted to the agents of evil (with their Great Reset, Agenda 2030, the birdemic-peck plan, unrolling antiracism etc). 'They' are always busy, busy, Busy nowadays; have accomplished a lot, plenty of immediate tasks; so much evil accomplished since 2020 - yet so much still to do... with a long way to go in eliminating or inverting even hope for the family, Christian churches, truth, beauty and virtue...
On the side of God; it seems that long-term wordly-planning has become either impossible or a snare tending to evil.
The attempt to return to 'normal' life, or achieve institutional stability - to be able to strategize - has misled many into accepting-embracing lockdowns, social distancing, masking, the peck strategy... and whatever comes next likewise.
The more long-termist (within this mortal world) one tries to be; the more one is drawn into The System - because the System is everywhere in public discourse, and only The System provides whatever stability and predictability remain (Ahrimanic evil) - even as it (increasingly) systematically works for greater unpredictable chaos (Sorathic evil)!
It seems that whatever kind of Christian life we try to build for ourselves; must be of a sort that we can begin at almost any moment. Something that we can Start Now. If it entails delay - preparation, planning, accumulation - then it will probably not be attainable; but even if it is attainable, it will require System-engagement and therefore probable corruption.
This is the challenge and adventure of these times for Christians.
And because God the Creator is on our side, and loves us as His children, we can be confident that it is possible for each and every person in all specific situations.
God - through His ongoing creating and care for each individual - will always be-ensuring that it is always possible for you and me and everybody to Start Now!
Our personal task is to learn and discern just what that entails.
I think you are cutting on a leader/follower line. I notice at church everyone seems to have ideas about what the leaders ought to be doing, but few ideas about what they themselves ought to be doing. And leaders are always trying to get followers to do the basics (the "Start Now" things) that have nothing specifically to do with group organization and mobilization but just basic Christian things each of us ought to be doing.
ReplyDeleteFor a Protestant example (apologies to the horror this may cause Catholics LoL): everyone who can read ought to read his bible. But darned if leaders aren't always having to bug people to do this. I mean, if you can't be bothered to read your bible, what are you doing, exactly?
I've always been a bit of a problem in church. I'm self-motivated (maybe even God-motivated) to do what I do and don't like it when someone tells me to march to a different beat, particularly when it comes to the "Start Now" things.
This is very hopeful and encouraging. Thank you.
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