patience – Perspectives

The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works (2 Cor. 12:12).

Not sure Paul was an easy person to live with, and of course there were times when he got things ‘wrong’. But he has such incredible insight, this verse included. The Corinthians were easily impressed so it would seem, this pushed Paul into some ‘foolishness’ where he said he could compete with anyone they suggested, recounting one of the times he went to the ‘third heaven’, here though I think he moves right away from foolishness as he puts two aspects together as indicating what marks out a true apostolic calling. The miraculous, those immediate and tangible changes with a before and an after, and the overriding context of ‘great patience’. Not one without the other. The combination presents a challenge.

Patience… seems to have a connection to trials, tribulations and even suffering. If we see following Jesus at the level of ticket to somewhere a lot of difficulties make no sense, for all we should expect is a good life with troubles truly far away from us… if however alignment with Jesus, incorporation into his destiny (predestination – all to do with being caught up into Jesus’ destiny) then we are part of the body that is in partnership with heaven to see the transformation of the world. Hence, my little context, and my little responses are so important for the future of the world. If I can respond to God with a ‘yes’ (which will necessitate at some point a ‘no’ at the human level) I am making a contribution to the future. It is as if my life is connected to someone else’s – and I might have no idea who they are – and as I pull for the future and wonder why the resistance is there and think what is wrong with me… I need my eyes opened – you are pulling more than you realise.

Patience. Oh yes. I am asking for another 500 years (not for me personally… my delusions do have limits) so that we contribute now to what is coming; that we begin to see not simply the collapse of so much (that is on the way already) but the seeds sown for the growth of something different.

These next couple of decades will see a different world all around us, with a level of issues that will feel overwhelming. At some point there will be a series of major catastrophes and the continual growth of the world population will decrease quite dramatically (I have been seeing this for the past 8 or so months). Huge issues… and (if I ever got myself another tattoo it would read:

Καὶ εἶδον οὐρανὸν καινὸν καὶ γῆν καινήν·

For all you linguists out there… of course it reads… but more importantly for all of us who claim to follow the Lamb who went to the lowest point for the redemption of the world:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth (meaning ‘a whole new creation’).

My context has changed, my activity has changed, my priorities at a day to day level have changed… but some things can never change. This is where we are headed. Patience… John the author of Revelation introduces himself with

I, John, your brother who share with you the persecution and the kingdom and the endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Endurance / patience (same word as Paul’s in 2 Cor. 12:12).

That is so evident… Visions, conflicts, catastrophes… endurance evidenced that he is still there saying ‘AND I saw…’

I am convinced there is a new apostolic mantle waiting to be embraced – not by this apostle or that one, but by a collective people. It is not that we have entered a new ‘magic’ era and suddenly there is a ‘new move of God’ it is far more that old ways are exhausted so there can be a new beginning. All moves of God are from the past – a cross and an empty tomb – and from the future – a new creation.

I guess the jury is out, hence I am not looking personally for another 500 years, but am very focused on these next 16 or so years. And into this, indeed, signs, wonders and miracles.

Much more to be said!!

So here we are with another of those dates that come round once a year. Some are global changing, even if we have the dates wrong – the ‘big’ dates: Easter, Pentecost, Christmas. Then there are the personal dates – birthdays etc… They seem to mean something if there is some kind of link to the growing number we experience and the development of who we are in becoming who we are. Then there are artificial dates, and this one is perhaps one of the better ones – April fool’s day.

Once a year it seems appropriate to have a day that reminds us how foolish we can be. Paul tied two aspects together within a sentence of each other. He was a fool and he was an apostle:

I have been a fool! You forced me to it… The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works (2 Corinthians 12:11,12).

He was a fool, forced into it by the people who were not up for rating him, so he boasted in his transcendent experience of being properly in the third heaven. Should he have done that? I think even for Paul the jury was out whether he did the right thing or not. There are clear transcendent experiences, angelic visitations and other experiences that are very difficult to really work out what ‘happened’ – and that probably is not the question we should be asking as it makes what we understand, can touch, feel as being the only reality. Can we process the realities that are beyond that?

Even if Paul was OK in the ‘boasting’ that he puts out there, it is probably a sensible conclusion that he only mentions one of his experiences, thus it probably means we should be very careful in what we share, for the effect is that of exalting ourselves in the eyes of others – not really the ‘kingdom’ way to go! Paul indicates the way to go is to boast in our weaknesses: not the material that sells books!

Then off he goes to what he is sure about, his apostolic call, in spite of his weaknesses. That long term vision that manifests in the immediate. The immediate of the miraculous and the long term vision that accompanies ‘utmost patience’.

If we are open to being a ‘fool’, of recognising (at least once a year) that our maturity does not accord to our age, perhaps it might open up for us getting connected to our purpose and embracing that our contribution today is for the long-term future.

[Perhaps an aside: I am currently focused that perhaps we have been wrong to focus on ‘power’ and attribute to God ‘power’… Maybe it is presence not power that is the major attribute – did creation spring forth as a result of God’s creative power, or his creative presence – yes has implications for the ‘how old is creation’ question and a whole bunch of others. But if this is not an aside – Paul is present and the miraculous takes place… I know if this has any legs I have a lot of ‘power’ Scriptures to work through, but hey ho! Aside or not – April fools day maybe tells me to be present – warts and all – or maybe in Paul’s language – as a fool and as someone appointed within God’s order, even if that appointment is undefined or small.]

Tag: patience

…with great patience

April 1… what is this day called?

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