We have been interested in how the history fit together as history (for a person and a geography – hence Scripture relates to geographies as it does to people with over 1200 references to land… heaven and earth is a constant theme which has been replaced by ‘heaven and hell’ as if they are the constant contrasts) reveals what is located in a place or explains what is present now. Marsala did not arrive here this morning, nor did arrive here in 1860 but that era has caught our attention.
A rather graffiti-covered monument!!
In 1860 Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived with his expedition of 1000 from mainland Italy (though it was not ‘Italy’ then) and landed at Marsala – on the westernmost point of the island of Sicily. From there he conquered Sicily as the first part of his vision for a united Italy. This phase finished at the border where Gayle and I stopped and prayed some 2 weeks ago – the northern border of the ‘kingdom of the two Sicilies’. We simply went with our ‘gut’ that we should make that stopping point on our journey and likewise when we entered Sicily in the north east we had a decision to make – go south or west. In our days when roughly planning the trip we thought we would go south but as we got off the ferry, we followed our ‘gut’ and went west to the furthest west on the island, here in Marsala. We did not know o Garibaldi’s landing here, the beginning of the unification of Italy.
The monument above is of two ships and I think we will visit it repeatedly to pray. Been there once, did not sense great traction – but who knows?
What difference does this make? That’s what makes me buzz. Not a clue!!! Doing what believe should do is the key, and yes a theology of land, history and city might indeed suggest that a difference takes place, but the wonderful part of seeking to follow God is never knowing totally what difference our words and activities make.
Sicily – the first place outside of Italia colonised by the republic (pre-Imperial Rome… though there will always be a pull for Republics to become Empires, and often Empires hide behind the term republic).
Patience is needed. I like things to happen instantly, but often it is repetition that makes the difference. Throw the nets in one more time… but we have fished all night, was the reply. We will go again and again, and walk the city and I think slowly insights and revelation will come.
Sicily sits in the middle of middle earth. It has been a crossroads for trade and imperial conflicts. Marsala has a history way before 1860 and we probably will need to go there, but for now praying for something to begin that might make a mark in years to come. Not the unification of Italy through military conquest, but a unifying across Europe. Let’s see… I think ‘my friend’ (as I like to call him!) Paul had such a vision.
I only put the ‘in Europe’ part as this is my geography and I am trying to intersperse comments about our little adventure in Sicily with posts focusing on Europe. But I also add the ‘Europe’ part as I have this crazy idea that in the body of this old continent something is slowly forming… for the sake of the world. And before anyone thinks I am some kind of ‘head in sand’ post-millennialist let me state that all the pre-, post-and a- are (in my humble opinion!!!) mistaken. (More opinion than humility there!) I am simply focused on the job we are to engage with and leaving all that ‘end-time’ stuff in the hands of God, as I find almost nothing in Scripture pointing me in that direction, but a call to live in the light of the coming age and seek to live, act and relate in a way that is consistent with that age.
Been planning to get a tattoo to mark the time in Sicily. Here is my first attempt at a profound design; Gayle is quite dismissive! And to think all my creativity went into it:
Want a clue? Though pretty obvious… I had to shorten John’s words of what he saw (Rev. 21) by substituting a Pauline phrase… though the form of the last word does not appear in the NT. Pretty sure I have got the form of the irregular noun correct – hope so!!! But waiting for Gayle to bring on her improved version.
A few little background notes. Paul left behind an ekklesia (usually translated as ‘church’) in the cities and regions where he went, doing this throughout ‘Europe’ until he was able to claim a fulfilment of Matt. 24:14. Quite a claim! If we were to do a word-association exercise and I was to say ‘church’ my guess is 90+% of us would imagine a building and a service at the centre. If we read James and the section about a rich person coming in and being given the best seat we probably would not first see a meal table but ‘pews’ or seats inside a building. I am not an iconoclast and given that we all prefer to live in buildings I don’t think anti-building is likely to get us anywhere. However, it is the focus of what we are centred on that is more important. Thomas Finger (Mennonite theologian) wrote that ecclesiology is the least innovative area of theology, so much simply being assumed.
What was Paul up to? Is he simply looking to form groups that are separate from their geography who are expressing a spirituality? If so then we would suggest that it is all about ‘salvation’ to escape from a future. There is that element there… but given that there was already an ekklesia in each place where Paul went we probably have to consider that there is a kind of ‘alternative’ that he is ‘planting’ there. (I like the word ‘planting’ as it is organic and situational.) The ekklesia that was there on behalf of Rome was commissioned to be actively committed to help shape the relevant geography to reflect the culture and values of Rome. Paul leaves behind an ekklesianot of Rome but of Jesus Christ. A company of people whose citizenship was not Roman but derived from heaven. Here then for me is the core clue: this company of people have a corporate purpose – one of enabling where they are planted (organically and situationaly) to mirror at some discernible level the culture and values of heaven. Of course such a company is made up of a mixed-bag, so the restoration of all of us who are ‘mixed’ (should that be spelt ‘messed up’?) is part of the process, but even in our mixed-up-ness we are to be present as agents of helping bring about a shape where heaven’s presence can increase.
[Sidenote: I am not a Universalist, but see a ‘wideness in the mercy of God’ that outworks in two ways – in the ultimate sense any inclusion/exclusion is issue is in God’s hands and not in the hands of any theological system; and the second way in the here and now there are those who are agents of the kingdom who are not disciples (Acts 19 and Asiarchs for me is very key in this approach.)]
Perhaps it is in Europe that an ecclesiology that is diverse – the multiplicity of the small and the richness of diversity – develops. We have that opportunity. Courage and faithfulness to the one to whom the ekklesia belongs and who is the source is required. And finally there is room for optimism. Corinth,for example, a city of around 200,000 in Paul’s day had a mixed-bag ekklesia (understatement) that was not large (Rom.16 shows this). Maybe 0.1% of the population. In desperate need of church growth? Well according to Paul in need of ‘faith-growth’ (but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our field among you may be greatly enlarged, 2 Cor.10:15). If that could happen he could happily get on his donkey and travel to fresh geographies.
I got to be an optimist! And even if that optimism were ultimately to be misplaced I got to keep the central focus of ‘let your kingdom come’, not ‘get me out of here’.
I’ve started so I’ll finish. A phrase from the Mastermind quiz but maybe also a biblical / God phrase? ‘When God began to create / in the beginning’ (dependent on how it is translated – the first one I understand to be the better of the two) relates to the end – a new heaven and a new earth; new creation.
Jesus words on the cross – ‘It is finished’… and yet Paul says ‘making up for what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ’; Paul claims that the gospel (good news message) had been proclaimed throughout the world. Finishes that are real; but somehow they are unfinished finishes that have to be supplemented, not by something different, but by the same flow. So where am I going with this?
There is an end… new creation. How do we move toward it? The pivotal moment of all moments is that of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He is the firstfruits of all that is to come. His resurrection is the guarantee for us and for creation that we are not staring down the barrel of nuclear obliteration but of participating in the rebirth of all things. Paul saw his sufferings as participating in the sufferings of Christ. Not suffering for the sake of it but to release the blessings of heaven for the body of Christ. His life was not a ransom for others but a means of releasing others into the benefits of the ransom that comes through the cross; thus enabling there to be a proclamation to the whole earth (or rather the oikoumene of the Roman Empire). I believe the Pauline gospel (and that term is not inappropriate as he terms it ‘my gospel’ in Rom. 2:16) is on the way to significant recovery, a message that the death of Jesus on the cross initiated a global transformation with a gracious invite to join the movement. (Maybe we can summarise the message as ‘Jesus is Lord and there is a movement of those liberated from the power of sin that you can be baptised into’?)
I have no idea how this all works out. Times and events are not what Scripture whets our appetite with, but direction and process. ‘To’ the ends of the earth and ‘being witnesses’ through the power of the Spirit to the new creation that we see.
Landing this post…
I am writing this post as a small addition to the former ones on ‘Europe’. The place where Paul’s gospel had been proclaimed (and later infiltrated and subsumed by Imperial sovereignty) has an offer being given to it. It is found (as always) in the desert, the place where symbolically the powers of darkness dwell – hence the lack of fruitfulness there. Paul’s work is ‘finished’, but the final word of Acts is ‘unhindered’ (ἀκωλύτως). We have a responsibility. And oh yes there is a Jerusalem aspect too. Not one of a king dictating over the whole world, but one that witnesses that the prince of peace died there so that reconciliation – no Jew nor Greek (civilised Roman world) divide, nor slave nor free (economic), nor male and female (creation language superseded). A place of reconciliation. Now that is a dream.
A man imprisoned saw something (Rev. 21). If he could maybe we can dream also? And maybe we will see it if we can see beyond any prison doors (most of which are in our minds) that might seem to contain us.
I am a dreamer that Europe will find a way and humbly serve beyond her borders – even to the places that carry the testimony of recent waves of ‘revival’. There are worlds beyond the ‘whole world’ that Paul focused on. This is the destiny of Europe. To the finish. A perspective.
Perspectives… we all have them, the challenge to faith is being faithful to our perspectives while being open to change. Here is a little follow up to the 12 years of the woman being sick and the resurrection of the 12 year old girl. Christendom. A major change takes place with the conversion of Constantine and the ‘in this sign you will conquer’. The cross of Jesus – self sacrifice, peace through his death becomes the sacrifice of others and peace through inflicting death on others; the irony of the temple of peace (Pax) being built in Rome on the field dedicated to the god of war (Mars). Peace, the Pax Romana, held together through victory on the battle field. What is termed the myth of redemptive violence… and the path that all Imperial structures have followed ever since. The eschatological vision of Scripture is of turning the sword to plough shares. I appreciate we live in the ‘real world’, the world of compromise, but the compromise we are to be involved in is ‘redemptive compromise’, in other words compromise today so that tomorrow might look more like the eschatological future. When we have the cross colonised to defend violence we have a major problem.With this sign!!
God is a compromiser. I know that cos he walks with me. That is a level of extreme compromise. But God is a redemptive compromiser. That God has worked within the confines of Christendom is clear, and we see the same process in Scripture – give us a king… they are rejecting me… OK bring me Saul and I will anoint him. I am grateful (understatement) for the power of the gospel which has made such a difference throughout the globe; the gospel is like seed but so often it has gone out inside the bag of Christendom, thus the drive for ‘apparent’ Christian legislation (though I don’t recall legislation that touches on anger, greed, sexism etc). I am a big believer that the body of Christ is to be the authority on earth – but the authority we have is NOT over people, but over the power of the enemy, that power manifesting as the dehumanisation of humanity.
My take then is that for a real advance Christendom has to be abandonned; we have to walk away from going back to the good old days, and advancing toward the manifestation of love and embrace.
In the first post on Europe I suggested that our theology shapes our perspectives – particularly our theology of God and of eschatology. If God is ‘sovereign’ whose reign is maintained through power and force that will shape our theology. If so the incarnation and the cross becomes some sort of temporary aberration rather than ‘the fullness of deity dwelling bodily’ in Jesus. If our eschatology is shaped around events rather a Person often the events become the focus! Adrio König wrote a book ‘The eclipse of Christ in Eschatology? (I might have the title slightly wrong as that is from memory); sadly true. Armageddon; restore the land even if genocide is part of the process etc.
So much of ‘popular’ eschatology feeds knowledge (same driving force as to why someone might read a horoscope); that drive I do not find in the NT.
If someone lives outside of that initial cradle for the gospel (Europe) they need to live out their life in that context; mine is here, hence I have to shape my hope based on the cross in this context. My hope is that we can embrace the end of an era, dig deep and discover that maybe we are closer to a NT context (muti-faith, multi-cultural) and so might find that the gospel is better having been shed of the Christendom clothing. It is not longing for the ancient past (shipwrecks, beatings, crucifixion, martyrdom – not my ‘hope’!) but a desire for a future that will enable there to be a push around the globe. Rejoice wherever we see people come to faith, but I suspect the train carriages will follow where we have gone. And take seriously the need to find a new path into the future even if we are labelled ‘post-Christian, secular’ Europe.
I am certainly not saying that the path will be easy and there might be marginalisation in the process. The desert is the place… it was the place that Jesus was offered economic, political and a religious framework. Turned down and returned in the power of the Spirit.
Over the next few posts I will intersperse perspectives on Europe with a few comments on our journey… maybe half-way down Italy now with last night, today and tonight to be spent in Terracina. Sleeping under an ancient temple to Jupiter – well not under it literally, it simply sits on the highest point about 1km from where we are. Maybe if we get closer we will feel to give it a kick but seems pretty much without any current influence. We are here as we are within a short distance of the old ‘two Sicilies’ border that cut off the papal states to the north and the so-named kingdom of the two Sicilies to the south – two Sicilies as there was a base in Palermo (Sicily) and Naples/ Napoli (mainland of Italy). That border is our focus today. But this post is about Europe, as also is our journey and interaction with Sicily these months!
We all have perspectives and they are influenced by (in no specific order) our personality, experience, theology – particularly of God and of eschatology. It seems to me the most important thing is we act with authenticity and integrity – true to ourselves and to our convictions. I need to be open to correction, to change but I am not about (nor should I) to change easily. My convictions are mine. Not quite in the same league but before Jesus laid down his life he made the statement that no-one could take his life from him. We are not to be swayed easily. On some areas of theology I am in the minority (historically and currently) but I am not about to count the votes and go with the majority. I write that simply to say should you read these posts there is no need to agree, but they might explain the why’s and what’s of our lives.
There is perhaps a predominant view that Europe is post-Christian and ‘secular’, thus being without any real hope. Mine is that it is the centre of hope!
Two Stories
Nothing exegetical in what follows but for the past 25+ years the interlinked stories in Mark 5:21-43 have been important for me. They are the stories of the woman with the continual haemorrhaging issue and Jairus’ daughter.
In summary a woman who a) has been deteriorating in health for 12 years and b) whatever ‘solution’ the doctor provide do not improve her condition but c) she is getting increasingly ill. And a) a young girl born 12 years before with b) all the hope and joy that a new birth brings but c) one day falls ill and dies.
Maybe you are ahead of me but I see the ‘sick woman’ as a picture of Europe and the young girl as a symbol of where the hope and enthusiasm lies.
Historically, Europe was the cradle for the gospel, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth was understood by Paul to be throughout the oikoumene of the Roman Empire (e.g. Col. 1:6). From Europe beyond, but by the time the beyond was happening the ‘clothing’ for the gospel was that of Christendom – the making of ‘Christian nations’ (an oxymoron), with privileged and dominating position given to that form of Christianity. (Maybe this is why ‘Christian’ votes often go to the authoritarian option – perceived as more like God!!!????) My simplistic approach is not-perfect but not privileged pre-Constantine but centralised, institutionalised, dominating and oft-times oppressive post the ‘conversion’ of Constantine. (For a much better insight try Roger Mitchell’s Fall of the Church (Amazon link – will seriously need to repent today… but at least you can see the book there and order elsewhere.)
Thank God for Africa, far East, South America where there is a vibrancy and a rate of conversion to Jesus that should make us envious… that to me is like the young woman. Hope, hope and more hope. The future… But…
Imagine that the Christian faith is like a train on a track. The front carriages are the church in Europe, followed by other later Western filled carriages, followed by the places where faith in Jesus is vibrant. And the train-track has run out and would have needed to cross a bridge to get to the future. The first carriage(s) has fallen over the precipice – but the ‘problem’ is that it is one train… the other carriages are on the track, and go join them and do the charismatic two-step and rejoice but they will also follow suit. The young girl will speak of the future until…
My perspective!
I have (past tense) spent many months in Brazil. Huge the shift that has taken place there with coming to faith. But still huge manifestations of occult power. I have often said that 2% of a population with faith should have long-time ago shifted all of that nonsense. But I have been present inside a secure conference centre where each entrant has to have a pass to enter and voodoo priests have materialised inside with poison for our food! That should not happen… but if our focus is on power we will feed such manifestations. (To be clear I am all for the miraculous, healings and deliverances but the container is ‘presence’ and not simply power – another post another day?)
Europe. We will continue to be enthralled by what is going on elsewhere and I hope we stay deeply impacted by the wonderful transformative power of the gospel, but all of that can be like the doctors coming to the aid of the woman in the story. ‘Rather than getting better… spending all her money…’
OK I have made a start. The woman has to touch the garment of Jesus; the young girl will be discovered to be also carrying a gene that means maturity will not be reached. Work to be done in Europe for the woman is healed when the focus was on getting to the young girl. Hence my hope, my enthusiasm; but not to restore something that has been. No making that form of Christianity great again. Travelling paths we have not trodden before, but ancient paths that will show in spite of understandable despair we carry the same story I wrote of yesterday – in an obscure middle eastern province one person has been raised from the dead. Maybe sleeping under the temple to Jupiter is a good reminder – that was the Pauline world and they had much opposition but the gospel is the power of God to salvation – to the Jew first (religious power losing its hold) and also to the Greek (the sophisticated way of describing the oikoumene of the Roman Empire). The Pauline gospel, not the Martin gospel, nor the Reformed gospel, nor the gospel that is often on offer.
Let Europe be the place of discovery and restoration.
I am making an interlude in my pre-70 posts (resuming tomorrow) as we (the corporate ‘we’) are beginning to see an important shift in our world.
Quite some time ago Gayle had a very significant dream – she has many but I have never witnessed her so impacted as a result. The dream as we understand it focused on Europe as the place where a response took place and it was a huge protest about the situation for the Palestinians in Gaza. We are beginning to see this right now – and we have to have huge respect for the protests within Israel itself – in cities, in concerts that suddenly erupt in protest, in airports. It is happening, or at least beginning to happen.
I appreciate there are differing views on Israel, the land and ‘eschatological’ events but currently the level of genocide with the complicities of many of our nations and mega-companies is beyond intolerable.
The second part of the dream was as a result of the European voice on Palestine was that of a serious shift in the banking / economic world. The focus was on the children. A major ‘god’ to be confronted in the Old Testament was Moloch and it is the continuation of that alliance that is what drives so much of the global western economy. That ‘spirit’ is placated and will bless today if we are willing to sacrifice the next generation (child sacrifice). We have to see a return to ‘seedtime and harvest’ – we sow today for the future harvest, so much of what underpins the economic western structure is that we borrow from a future that has not yet appeared to fund today. Global debt… If we as individuals were to run our finances in the same way we would be imprisoned.
I pause on my reflections because soon I will not be here (even if I live to my 132 fantasy age!!!) but it is all about the children. ‘Take off your shoes Mr. Banks and play with the children’ was where Gayle’s dream ended. ‘And a child will lead them’ (Is. 11:6).
Follow the money… otherwise we will not see clearly and will not sow to a future where (the subsequent verses) come into view:
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
We have entered a major crack in time. 2008, 2020 and now 2025. We watch, bear witness.
The global world order is changing. No amount of trying to restore a former order will succeed. In every challenge that changes order there is the opportunity to sow into the future. Europe could be left behind -and by that I am not referring particularly to trade and commerce but spiritually. If Europe can learn how to get on board then there is a major contribution to be made.
I have (and still do) hold to a two-fold movement in the NT. Jesus dies in Jerusalem stating that no prophet can die outside of that city, for religious restrictions have to be broken in order for the promises to Abraham to be released by the Spirit. Paul then travelled throughout the then known world (almost) with the implications for society. We have reduced the effect of the cross to a possible internal transaction (you can have your personal sins forgiven), reducing the overcoming of all powers in order that there might be a new creation… Paul’s message was that the Caesar reign was over (for Caesar’s imperial rule was the earthly image of the demonic realm that seeks to subjugate all humanity in that ‘kingdom’. Jesus, not Caesar, was ‘king of kings and lord of lords’ (titles accorded to Caesar) and a new era was present – an era of liberation of humanity.
A twofold movement – from Jerusalem to Rome – Jew first then Greek / Gentile:
καὶ κηρυχθήσεται τοῦτο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, καὶ τότε ἥξει τὸ τέλος (Matt 24:14… Greek text not to be clever but a few interesting points within it).
And this gospel of the kingdom (same word for kingdom of God and also the Empire (of Rome)) shall be proclaimed (a public message) in the whole civilised world (oikoumene – the word used to draw boundaries of what was in and out in the sense of Roman Empire) for a witness to the non-Jewish peoples (ta ethne – used to distinguish from ‘the people’ of God, in other words Gentiles) and then the end (telos not eschaton) will come.
The second element that captivated Paul with his ‘I want to get to Spain’ – the Western end of the Roman oikoumene. OK… the then known world with an all-but one world government… except for the Empires that co-existed at that time (and before and after)…
Europe – a pivotal time for something that recaptures the Pauline proclamation with a reach now beyond that world he operated in. The Far East waits. What will that look like… 2040 we will be able to look back and see how we responded. There is more at stake than global trade wars and what currency is the reserve currency. And then… yes the Middle East. The place where the prince of peace died in order that there might no longer be the divisions of Jew and Gentile (Arab – close cousins!, caucasian, Asian/ East Asian); those who control the finances and those who serve to maintain the economic inequalities; the patriarchal system… War about boundaries can hide the desire to hold things in a proper way…
There are various quotes about history repeating itself. Here are two such quotes:
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. (George Santayana). Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. (Winston Churchill).
And Mark Twain added a nice little nuance:
History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Not sure where this post will go but here are a few background elements that provoked me to write this morning.
I have been agitated over the various ‘again’ messages these past few years. ‘Again’ that looks back is not based in the eschatological vision of the New Testament. ‘I press on’ was one of my readings this very morning. Hence my seeking to understand how to align (chronological) time with heaven’s (‘kairotic’) time.
Late 1990s / early 2000s a major emphasis was the rolling up of the Roman way which culminated in Steve Lowton initiating a walk from Whitby (UK, where the Celtic church effectively submitted to the pattern and teaching of Rome in 664 AD/CE) to St Peter’s Square, Rome to bring that focus to a conclusion.
The strong belief that the Gospel is not from this world but is for this world. It is not political in the sense of ‘capitalism vs socialism’, or any other such supposed polarities but is deeply and essentially political with the language used being both explicitly and implicitly political.
Jesus was offered to become the Caesar of the then Roman world – he was offered the oikoumene, the term that was used of the Imperial territory.
Paul’s great desire, and understanding of ‘the gospel to the nations and then the end shall come’ was that of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Spain.
And of course my understanding of the book that shapes us is that we do not have within it ‘history written in advance’ (popularised as ‘the bible predicts…’) but as a provocative call to shape the future through our actions, relationships, prayer in the power of the Spirit.
There are other aspects I might wish to add, but the above will give a something of a window into any bias I carry!
I do not find it a great surprise that in our historical setting we have conflict within the Western world currently, as the conflict area is over the ‘offer of the oikoumene‘ – the offer to shape the territory that can express the Roman order with a ‘God-order’. Hence I respect those who are writing about how Judeo-Christian values are what has shaped European / Western culture but the conclusive appeal is normally that we need to revert to Christendom. ‘My kingdom is not of this world….’ The sword does not belong in that kingdom but as Paul points out (with great irony) in Romans 13 to the world of Imperial authority. Today the Italian PM (Giorgia Meloni) heads to Washington to represent the EU… I am not suggesting this is sinister but I do read it as a sign. Will the West be held together as ‘Christianised’ or will there be a division that will allow space for the radical followers of Jesus who are to be like the wind to manifest? (I have said for decades that the strength of Islamic ‘sharia’ law is that of Christendom. The very thing that is thought needs to be brought in place to hold the ground is the very thing that tills the ground for all levels of terrorism.)
At this critical point of history, in the shift from the West to the East, we have much work to do if we are going to find an increase of pace in the right direction. Jesus died in Jerusalem so that the Gospel could go West and bring down the Roman order – surely it is significant that Paul’s Gospel is best outlined in some detail in the letter to the ‘Romans’? – but there is nothing in the NT about the work to the East. Unfinished work.
I am no great student of history but the shift from Republic to Empire in Rome seems to carry a lens through which we can see what is happening currently. Rome was effectively an Empire before it became an Empire, but the shift came in a defined way through Julius Caesar and solidified with Augustus (in power 27BC/BCE – 14AD/CE). Jesus appeared at the ‘fullness of times’ into that era, hence what was happening in the world at that time is highly significant.
Augustus… The early signs in his reign was of the Senate allowing him to bend the rules without pushing back; of he introducing unelected people (including those of his own family) into decision-making roles, and the move was made effective through the support of the ultra-rich of Rome. (A simplified summary but one that can be expanded on should one choose to read a history on Rome.)
Through his actions Rome became what it always was – an empire in disguise. Honour was given to the god of peace (Pax) with the phrase the Pax Romana being held up as something awesome, but visit Rome and you would have seen that the temple to Pax was built on Mars field (Mars the god of war).
History repeats / rhymes.
We are in this critical period. My prayer is ‘Europe do not concede’, or better… come on those of you born from above and act like the wind. No one really knowing where you came from, or where you are going but influencing the future through helping to hold a shape for all kinds of wholesome aspects to come through.
My reading this morning was in Philippians… a city that Rome had named as being Imperial. Those who lived there were to work to make sure that Rome’s values prevailed. Into that Paul wrote that their citizenship was in heaven (nothing to do with going to heaven when we die) and therefore in that context to ‘stand firm’ in a way that was consistent with those who were waiting for a Saviour to come from heaven to earth.
Many aspects are converging. Global crises. History rhymes. Fullness of times. West and East. Christendom or Jesus.
I am currently reading the desire of Israel for a king (1 Sam. 8), and clearly something so deeply disturbing going on. The request is so that they might become as one of the nations (ta ethne – the Gentiles) and that the king might go before them and fight their battles for them. Even if we removed ‘God’ from our world view the alternative to there being a monarch (or dictator) is an awesome vision. (I think there are some keys in the ‘meals’ of the New Testament where they take place at so many different levels – another post, another day.)
Jump forward to the NT and we have the ‘we have no king but Caesar’ proclamation in that first Easter week; on the cross is nailed ‘king of the Jews’; Paul seeks to release in city after city an ekklesia when there already was an ekklesia present there. The city ekklesia being more than a city council as it had more powers than any current council and was mandated to implement Roman values and Roman culture into the territory where it held jurisdiction. To suggest that the Gospel at heart is not political is surely to miss how Paul’s proclamation was heard – ‘these people are proclaiming another Caesar’!
I am deeply troubled by our global crisis and without something that arrests its direction we will in a few short years be living in a world that has a few kings that seek to subjugate other lands.
Europe. Those who have been touched by heaven’s grace within this continent. I guess for some 25+ years many of us have been calling for something fresh in Europe, for something to appear that knows that we can learn a lot from the past but that the past cannot shape us as we move forward. I am deeply grateful for the advancements of the Gospel within this continent in the past, but we also need to understand that those were contextualised. The Reformation was not the final word! Theology and practice has to be revised; what it means to be Christian community and what it means to be community likewise has to be revisited.
We do not need a king; truth is no country needs a king / dictator, the result of such a move will only be oppression and we should not be surprised when such a person exhibits demonic behaviour… the story of Saul. We should not look (in the body of Christ) to where there are great claims of success (though there is much we have to learn). What can we do? Where will we go?
The history books will tell us what we chose when we look back post-2040. I sincerely hope that it will not be a few political voices that seek to call for a new order within Europe. Let the body of Christ in Europe stop following the kings we anoint (when we do we come under that ‘anointing’) and be brave enough to dream, pray, and eat our meals that demonstrate the Roman way has indeed been rolled up.
The future of the globe as is means that Europe will be sidelined. The globe will be carved up 3-way and those who centre on technology will at some levels transcend the carve-up. On both counts Europe will be sidelined and become irrelevant. Seems like a wonderful context for those who want to live out their lives for something this world needs.
Not a king to be like the other nations; but let us move away from our dictators (king) and learn from Europe where the old way of dividing people has diminished. I do see a ‘new Europe’.
During Passover for the Jews of the Diaspora there would be a toast ‘next year Jerusalem’. What about us in a year’s time? Tough decisions are made by politicians and from the arm chair they can be easy to critique. My focus (and not necessarily one for everyone) is of a new Europe that might point a way toward the future. We await a Saviour from heaven (not we wait to go to heaven!) and not till then will there be the end of death, destruction, sin etc; not till then will the powers (sin, death and mammon?) be finally defeated but as we align ourselves with that eschaton we pray, work and hope (give an answer for the hope that is in you) for manifestations in the here and now of what will take place universally then. I don’t think I am being melodramatic to suggest that we are seeing an increase in pace of a new global matrix.
Around 2 years ago I was praying, looking at a map of the world and suddenly the American southern hemisphere (what we term ‘Latin America’) moved eastward and was located under Europe replacing where Africa is currently, and at the same time the African continent moved east and relocated under China. India did not move. All three aspects struck me and I suspect that in some way we are about to see re-alignments play out over the next – who knows – 2-3 years.
There is a move to the East with some kind of new world order coming into play. All the attempts to ‘go back’ or to redefine our futures simply along the ‘Christianity got us here’ so we must resist all change does not carry the weight to bring in a good future… reason being is it is more dependent on Christianity than on Christ.
Understanding ‘trade wars’ is beyond me, but for sure trade is no small theme in Scripture so I am not surprised that for now conflict over trade is central.
So what are you looking for? We have got to see way beyond ‘my investments are decreasing’. Please!!! John said he ‘saw a new heaven and a new earth’; Martin Luther King said ‘I have a dream’. Both spoke into situations that were not looking too promising. One locked up on the Island of Patmos; the other soon to be assassinated. But eyes that saw. The powers were not in agreement with them – how things were was going to be what was maintained… but those two saw.
As those Jews outside the land raised their glass at Passover with ‘Next year Jerusalem’ we are about to come to our ‘Passover’ where we focus on proclaiming his death (victory over all powers that resist the future) until he comes.
The hope that is within me is so key. Not a hope that is outside but within, that cannot be squashed.
This is why I am focusing on ‘reconciliation’ in every aspect of life. And if we focus on life for sure Jesus will be present at some level. His death is probably better understood from the ‘other side’ – it is a presentation of a perfect human life to heaven… representative life, for me, for you, for the world.
In this time of global flux and resultant change we learn not to simply hold on to what has brought us thus far (and probably served us well) but to embrace uncertainty of what we hold / held firm to (what not who). I know since the beginning of this year Gayle and I have been raising many issues as we know transition is here. ‘Next year…’ might be a change of location, maybe not, but each year we proclaim ‘next year more of the kingdom of heaven’ not a greater meeting but greater shalom in our streets.
Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its shalom you will find your shalom.
Next year then is not ‘next year Jerusalem’ but ‘next year here’.
