In Europe this past weekend the clocks were advanced an hour… personally I like the artificial time with lighter evenings ahead, and in Spain we are actually 2 hours ahead of solar time due to small aspect of Spain being aligned to a certain dictator in Germany’s past! Not a good reason but the outcome sits well with me!
For the past 2 years I have been seeking to understand the relationship of the clock that never lies, tick tock, what we can call chronological time, and the timings of heaven when there is an inbreaking – what we might term ‘kairotic’ time (made up word). Time and space are related both scientifically and also biblically, so I am aware that those two elements – boundaries and time – will always be under threat. And right now they are seriously being threatened at a global scale. Compounded by voices that call for a return to ‘Christian’ values, so often meaning back to christendom, rather than a return to Christ. We do not need nor desire a return to Christianity but a return to Jesus, with many of needing a new birth experience in order to perceive the kingdom.
We see issues of timing in the encounter at the wedding (John 2) with Jesus seemingly needing to adjust his view about it being his hour; we have the classic regarding the Isacchar clan who understood the times (kairos in the LXX) and what Israel should do; we read that Jesus came in the fullness of time…
Without some kind of shift and alignment of the clock / calendar to heaven’s agenda we are into a protracted season of conflict and darkness. We might be headed there anyway, but if there can be an alignment we will get through this time. All goes to say I plan to put out a video in the next days that might take this further – and with all the wisdom I have(!!!!) what more do we need? (Please no answers to that as I am only too aware that my middle name is not ‘wisdom’… but if we all have a little bit of sight we might just see a little more than we did yesterday – maybe).
Yes, it feels like we are moving into a very dark period with autocrats and dictators, often unnecessarily cruel ones, ruling by whim and decree across too much of the world. I have long thought that climate change and the instability it causes would push the global political order to the right. People seek stability and safety. Strong men and women promise it, though often the cost of it is very high – compromised morals and loss of your soul if you are in the ‘in’ crowd, and anything up to death if you are in the ‘out’ crowd. If you listen to their words closely, much of this is a response by ‘climate denialists’ to the changes transforming our world.
I assume we all hope the darkness will not last long. In the meantime, the disruption does give opportunity for another kind of realignment. Instead of aligning with the darkness why not use the disruption imaginatively to align with light? Many world leaders today are trying to rescue a global trading order trashed by Trump yesterday. And yes, we need it stabilized for the moment. But is a global trading order viable in a time of constant climate crisis? Probably not. So let’s also use this time to strengthen our own local economies. Let’s make sure each of our cities has the capacity to feed itself except for the few things it cannot possibly provide. Vertical farms can supply fresh greens in great variety to cities. Local people can grow all manner of things with various measures to protect from less friendly weather. We can support our local institutions, regenerate them. Grow new ones.
As we seek to support those harmed by the chaos and destabilization we could at the same time be growing something better for the future. It means most of us who are observers, even informed observers, will need to step out and put in some effort. Get to know our neighbors. Get to know how our municipality is managed. Use our voice and our hands to build something that works. That exhortation is for me first and foremost.
I think the worst part of this new and emerging world order is the gratuitous cruelty and dehumanization of anyone who is not considered part of the privileged group. That is what we must counter strongly. That requires courage and many of us will have to dig deep and rediscover our capacity for that in the coming days.
Yes, it seems as if the act of trying to impose Christian values on society rather than demonstrating the gospel must delay the coming of the kingdom. It becomes more malign when people who claim to be committed believers come into alignment with political systems and give traction to anti gospel behaviour. I can see how this could bring in a season of darkness and conflict. But there has been some recent backlash against this movement and so maybe the light can come in somehow? It just seems quite unbelievable though that such incredible and almost blatantly obvious deception can have crept in like this to the body of Christ. I pray for that shift and alignment to heavens agenda to come and very soon before we descend into total disorder and chaos and followers of Jesus are seen as those cheering on the enemies of all that is kind and full love!! Thank you Martin