Dancing in the Rain of Fire and Love: An Academic Essay on the Streams of Living Water

Introduction

Richard Foster, who is becoming one of my favorite contemporary Christian thinkers, in his book Streams of Living Water (1998) presents six ways of intimately connecting with God. The contemplative or the prayer-filled way, the holiness tradition, the Spirit-empowered charismatic way, connecting with God in social justice and compassion, the evangelical or Word-filled way and lastly the incarnational or sacramental way. This essay is a summary of my thoughts, experiences and reflections on the contemplative way, the holiness tradition, and the evangelical stream.

Life is interesting in the many aspects of it, and in many ways it is challenging. I have encountered countless forks in the road. Some have taken me to refreshing streams, shaded ponds, joy, and peace. However, some to longings, turmoil, loneliness, pain and to places where I dig deep just to exist. In this context of finding a life rich in God, finding purpose, joy, and peace even in lonely times, I find these streams of living water to be very helpful. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). As this verse implies, connecting with God is critical to fulfilling the purpose that I was designed for. Yet, I do not see this God in front of me in physical form. I need help connecting with God in spirit and the streams provide a framework and approach for connecting with God, which, perhaps, is more essential than eating and drinking.

Jumping deep into these streams is like dancing in a pouring rain of fire and love from the heavens, with sunshine blasting. I am cleansed thoroughly, burned out all of my foolishness, stubbornness, lack of love, lack of life, fear, and then I step out refreshed and ready to deal with life with a feeling of calm, love, integrity, and patience. This rain is the means to becoming the person that God designed me to be — designed to love, designed to give, designed to take, designed to forgive, and be forgiven, designed to be in community, designed to work, and designed to be an ambassador in His likeness.

Meditating on the spiritual streams made me reflect on key people who shaped the Biblical narrative such as Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Joseph, Job, Solomon, Peter, and Paul. In my limited knowledge, fully subject to debate, I classified Abraham as being Spirit led, Jacob as Incarnational, Moses as being of the Holiness tradition plus Spirit-led and Social Justice led, David as Contemplative plus Spirit-led and Evangelical, Job as being of the Holiness tradition and Contemplative, Joseph as Contemplative and Social Justice led, Solomon as Incarnational, Peter as Contemplative and Evangelical, and Paul as Contemplative plus Spirit-led and Evangelical. It is interesting to note that God did not make His children to be look-alikes but let them be themselves; they were not afraid to be uniquely in their own skin. Second, none of them seemed to be equally focused on each of the six streams but they each had their streams of focus. Third, it occurred to me that being an evangelist may also require one to be Contemplative and Spirit-led. Lastly, while all of these people were flawed, they seemed to grow up, become more attuned with God as their lives progressed to serve their purpose gloriously. I relate the most to Joseph, a fellow contemplative, social justice person, with a business mind-set.

A tree brings glory to God by being a tree. But can a barren wild mango tree be groomed, nourished, cared for to produce an abundance of sweet mangoes to share with its neighbors? This, I think, is where the streams are helpful in my own transformation process, making available paths well-trodden by others for co-laboring with God to be re-formed in the image of Christ (I Peter 2:21), and bear much fruit in the specific way I am designed to be (see Luke 6 43–45).

1. The Contemplative Way

Richard Foster (1998) defines the contemplative way as a life of loving attention to God, a prayer-filled life. Foster also describes it as the “steady gaze of the soul upon the God who loves us”. Green-Armytage states, “A contemplative, makes the love of God his main, his only object in life” (1952, p. 47). Sitting at the feet of Jesus, paying attention and becoming alert to His love, His greatness and His transformative power is yet another way to think about this.

Divine love is at the heart of the contemplative way, and God is its only source. I John 4:16 simply states that “God is love”. So love of God and others is central to contemplative life. I believe that the more I gaze upon God, the better I understand love, and the better I understand love, the more loving I become towards God. The more loving I become towards God, the more loving I become loving towards my neighbors. Everett Harrison states, “understanding of many comes through the contemplation of the few whose hearts have been attuned to the Lord” (1949, p. 249). I love because He loved me first (I John 4 9–10). Although the divine love is at the heart of the contemplative way, this divine love must be given visible expression as love towards my neighbors (I John 3 16–17).

My own times of lack of enthusiasm and alienation for life needs a deeper devotional life, the steady gazing upon God. It is interesting to note that when I do not feel intimacy with God, I feel more alienated from people… feelings of lack of generosity, a mood of complaining, feelings of indifference. And when I feel intimacy with God, I feel closer intimacy with people. One morning when I felt at peace with God, I involuntarily waved even to the neighbor’s cat on its morning stroll. Frank Laubach states, “drive me out of myself and come and take possession of me and think thy thoughts in my mind” (1960, pp. 26–28). Laubach also states that he finds God more by actively listening for Him than by reading or praying or meditating, “I find thee best when I work listening and co-operating not when I am still or meditating, or even on my knees in prayer” (2012, pp. 22–23). Roberta Bondi, who I think is one of the foremost, clearest voices for Godly love says, “as we move away from God we move away from other people, and as we move away from people, we also move away from God” (1987, p.25).

Focusing on the needs of others and less on myself seems to be the path, the solution. Again Laubach states, “My child, when you pray to Me of your own little troubles and doubts, your prayer is pretty thin and small. When you reach out to help other people by offering yourself as a channel for Me, your prayer becomes at once large and noble” (2–12, p. 47). I do think that actively listening to God leads to focus and love towards others.

2. The Holiness Stream

Richard Foster (1998) defines holiness as living a life that functions as it should, as God designed it to be, and the ability to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. Although this definition may sound straightforward, it is profound and deep because only God fully knows what He had in mind when He designed me and you. In my fallen nature I do not possess full knowledge of my own purpose as God sees it and hence it has to be derived in a form of indirection, listening to my own heart and listening to God’s whispers. And only by dwelling and walking with God in friendship, and only by following His model of sacrifice on the cross that I can begin to understand what I am designed to be and then make progress in holiness.

God does give me clues as to how and what I am designed for based on life experiences, sprouts of joy and tears when I am involved in activities that I am designed for, co-laboring with God. In my specific case, I think God’s design for me is, first, to walk with God, second, to use my logical reasoning and problem-solving skills along with other God-given resources to set up and run support organizations for those in need, in poverty, in need of quality education, in need of health care. Third, I am designed to be in community with brothers and sisters in friendship, care, and affection, and fourth, being in athletic activities such as playing tennis, enjoying nature, and designing and curating flower gardens.

On the other hand, I do not believe rule-based religiousness has been helpful in my journey. I do not believe that I have the power to fulfill the unlimited set of rules. I also do not believe there is one person who can follow all of the high standards set in the Sermon of Mount such as do not have lustful thoughts, do not be angry, do not worry, do not store treasures on earth, love your enemy. Even apostle Paul lamented, “we know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Romans 7:14–15). If that is the state of Apostle Paul, rules are not going to save me. Further, any time I rely on following a set of rules for my holiness, I am also discounting the rightful role of God and becoming self-righteous. As the Scripture says, what matters is my heart: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts — murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). If my heart is right with God, it is right towards my neighbors also.

Bonhoeffer is a good example in this context. Bonhoeffer stood up to the mighty evil of the Verfuhrer. If Bonhoeffer had succeeded in killing the Verfuhrer as he had plotted, violating the fifth commandment, would he be considered less holy? Would he be considered more holy, if he had succeeded in killing the Fuhrer and saving a million people? Bonhoeffer stood up tall against evil, just as Martin Luther King Jr. did for social justice, just as Mahatma Gandhi did against the might of British occupation in India, just as Mother Theresa did against poverty and illness, just as David did against the evil Goliath, against all odds, each following God’s personal call. Following and obeying God’s call for my life is what can transform my life to be holy.

Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed in our hearts, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This heart transformation is only possible by the indwelling of God, “By dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6).

My tendency when life does not go the way I desire is to look for solutions I can control, trying to fix things my own way. Leaving things in God’s hands and patiently waiting is the hard and perhaps the holy way. In Knowing God JI Packer (1993) provides a helpful perspective:

Leave to God its [life’s] issues; let him measure its ultimate worth; your part is to use all the good sense and enterprise at your command in exploiting the opportunities that lie before you (Ecclesiastes 11: 1–6). This is the way of wisdom. Clearly, it is just one facet of the life of faith. For what underlies and sustains it? Why, the conviction that the inscrutable God of providence is the wise and gracious God of creation and redemption. We can be sure that the God who made this marvelously complex world order, and who composed the great redemption from sin and Satan, knows what he is doing, and “doeth all things well”, even if for the moment he hides his hand. We can trust him and rejoice in him, even when we cannot discern his path.”

Believing that God does all things well takes much faith and trust on my part.

Lastly, I think the four principles that Richard Foster (1998) lays out in describing the life and words of Bonhoeffer are very helpful in this holiness journey:

1. Freedom through self-control and freedom from false religious obligations and inhibitions.
2. Willingness to act and do what is right, what is needed. Freedom comes with the ability to act when action is required.
3. Willingness to Suffer: laying my powerless hands, my struggle for justice into the mighty hands of my maker. And willingness to participate in the sufferings of Christ by paying less attention to my needs and participating in the sufferings of those who suffer, existing for others.
4. Not fearing death: treating death as the highest moment of freedom.

3. The Evangelical Stream

Richard Foster (1998) defines the evangelical way as a life founded upon the living Word of God, Jesus, the written Word of God, the Scripture, and the proclaimed Word of God, which is living as citizens of the kingdom of God on earth with the help of the Spirit of God, as witnesses, for others to see and long for a life in the kingdom of God. Richard Foster states this nicely as, “We are enabled by the power of God to take the word of the gospel into our hearts in such a transforming way that others, seeing this, want it for themselves” (1998, p. 187).

To elaborate on these concepts, the evangelical stream is:

Invitation to live in the kingdom of God here and now as beloved disciples and citizens: it is a call back to reclaim our citizenship, to live in this kingdom under the loving, protective wings of God, as His friends and disciples, as beloved image bearers and ambassadors.

Citizenship and Transformation are by grace alone, by faith alone and by Christ alone: this citizenship is obtained only by our faith in Christ as savior and God, and by His grace alone. We cannot buy our way into this, and transformation is a slow and long process.

Scripture is a Thin Place between God and Us: Scripture is the living, breathing thin place between God and us through which the presence of God breaks through to us to guide us how to live, love and receive joy and peace, as modeled by His Son, Jesus (Chris Webb, 2011). Scripture is God-breathed and hence has utmost primacy.

Being with Others, Being a Witness: Being able to love others comes to us by God’s grace and by studying, learning how the Master was with people in the Gospels. Other models include Mother Teresa with the poor of Calcutta, Frank Laubach with the Filipino people, Billy Graham who called back the people to God in the middle of social upheaval and confusion. We too are called to be a witness by living the kingdom life, learning the art of being with and loving others, inviting them to journey together.

In the current social milieu there is massive confusion about what evangelical Christianity stands for. Mahatma Gandhi, a staunch Hindu and the father of modern India famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” It is hard to disagree. When I look back at my own life as a Christian, I have to take some of the responsibility. My own transformation is still a work-in-progress.

A contrast is the life of Bonhoeffer who gave his life joyfully to the cause of the Jews against the Verfuhrer. Bonhoeffer’s concept of a religionless Christianity, freed from false religious obligations and inhibitions, open to serve all people, participating in the sufferings of Christ on the cross by paying less attention to our own needs and by participating in the sufferings of those who suffer and rejoicing with those who rejoice is a great model of living in the kingdom of God here and now, being a witness, following the Master.

I am eternally grateful to the many evangelical witnesses to India including Amy Carmichael, C.T.E. Rhenius, Robert Caldwell, Sarah Tucker, E. Stanley Jones, Mother Theresa, Apostle Thomas, whose memorial exists in my home away from home, Chennai, each of whom exemplarily modeled the Master.

So What?

One of the most beautiful quotes from Frank Laubach in Learning the Vocabulary of God suggests that the purpose of life is, “To be beautiful of soul and then let people see into your soul” (2012, p.9). Laubach has captured the gospel life in one sentence more beautifully than I can ever imagine. Beauty in this context I think connotes goodness, kindness, wisdom and perhaps many more things. Jonathan Bailey (2020), based on Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy, says that for something to be beautiful it must share three characteristics: integrity, harmony, and clarity. I relate to this definition, and I have also tried to define what a beautiful soul is in practical, everyday terms, and have tried to contrast this with what a beautiful soul is not, as below:

A Beautiful soul or life is:

Being kind, being effective, producing good fruit, being functional- doing what I am designed for, standing/acting against injustice, upholding justice, being merciful and selfless, loving deeply, hospitable, having no fear, and having a victorious outlook.

A Beautiful soul or life is not:

Rich in possessions or money, popular, powerful, possesses great knowledge, good looking, possesses high levels of knowledge or education, achieved high levels of worldly achievement, philanthropy, social change.

This definition is my own subjective view, and you may view your own very differently. But the point is to have a personalized direction. My late mother Grace, my late grandmother Mary, mentors such as John Klingbiel and P. Solomon have provided rich examples to follow in becoming beautiful souls. The spiritual streams discussed in this essay provide great direction as well. My life would be worth its while if it comes even close to this definition.

Bibliography

A.H.N. Green-Armytage, John Who Saw: A Layman’s Essay on the Authorship of the Fourth Gospel (London: Faber and Faber, 1952).

Chris Webb, The FIRE of the WORD: Meeting God on Holy Ground (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2011).

Everett Harrison, Jesus and His Contemporaries (1949).

Frank C. Laubach, Thirty Years with the Silent Billion: Adventuring in Literacy (Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, 1960).

Frank C. Laubach, Letters by a Modern Mystic (Colorado Springs: Purposeful Designs Publications, 2007).

Frank C. Laubach, Learning the Vocabulary of God: A Spiritual Diary (Eastford, CT, Martino Fine Books: 2012).

JI Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 1993).

Jonathan Bailey, The Eternal Journey: Daily Meditations on the Stages of Transportation (Denver, CO: Renovare, 2020).

Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998).

Roberta Bondi, To Love as God Does (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987).

The Holy Bible, New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan House, 1984).