March 10, 2010

Hebrews 12

The book is really revving up to the finale - or perhaps this is the finale and chapter 13 is the wind down. But there's a lot to talk about and it's all beautiful. I apologize about the lateness of this entry.

"Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." That's the first verse of this chapter. There are more allusions to come and more distinctions of the Old Jerusalem to the New and the gifts given the saintly of our ancestors against the gifts promised to us, but that's the message meant to be the takeaway.

Sin clings, surrounds us. We cannot escape it. That's why we cut out everything that causes us to sin that we can and never forget to return to Him immediately. Perhaps there's more that we could do - after all, every individual sin was unnecessary, so why do we say that sin is unavoidable in aggregate? We're letting ourselves off the hook.

But perhaps the next verse is the real message, "looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." Because that's different.

Just keeping our head down and not breaking any (big) rules so that we get to go to heaven someday and be happier than any of those paltry things would have made us - well, that's not a good reason to do something really. Because life is happening all around you and it's His gift so why the hell would you waste it? And that just puts you under the control of something - it's voluntarily surrendering your free will and your own responsibility for your conscience. And the knowledge of good and evil can be a heavy burden, so it's almost understandable, but we ate the apple and so gained the responsibility to work out the harsher world's complexities for ourselves. We'll always have help, we should not be afraid.

But bearing our burdens with joy, seeing our fellowship with God Himself in bearing those loads, and bearing, as Jesus did, others' loads for and with them, that is our calling. To bear the weight of not holding on to anger and hate when they are so much easier than forgiveness, to bear the load of knowing our sins have taken us further away from the ones we love, to bear the weight of the pain we cannot fix with those who cry out, to bear the load of our Fallen World and the pain that comes with not being able to fix all of its woes. To bear the weight of trying ceaselessly in any case.

The Kingdom of God is here, the New Jerusalem will be built when Jesus returns, but we are living in the Kingdom of God. It's what I always think about during the middle mystery of the Mysteries of Light. Jesus came down to declare the Kingdom of God had come. God is here, moving ceaselessly among us, shining through where we permit Him. We are full of His love and light and, at our best, sharing it unceasing with others.

That is our delightful burden, our light yoke. Let us bear it well. The world is new, and it is beautiful, and Spring has sprung on a weary, cold world. The rain has fallen at last on the barren world into which Adam and Eve and their children were flung. So let us act like the redeemed children of God that we are.