Power from Above & The Beautiful Life
Thou who art over us,
Thou who art one of us,
Thou who are- also within us,
May all see Thee- in me also,
May I prepare the way for Thee,
May I thank Thee for all that shall fall to my lot,
May I also not forget the needs of others,
Keep me in thy love
May everything in this my being be directed to Thy glory
And may I never despair.
For I am under Thy hand,
And in Thee is all power and goodness.
Give me a pure heart- that I may see Thee,
A humble heart- that I may hear Thee,
A heart of love- that I may serve Thee,
A heart of faith- that I may abide in Thee.
Dag Hammarskjold
Introduction
Richard Foster, who is one of my favorite contemporary Christian thinkers, in his book Streams of Living Water (1998) presents six streams or aspects 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 the incarnational or sacramental way. This essay is a summary of my thoughts, experiences and reflections on the charismatic way, the social justice stream, and the incarnational stream.
Life is interesting in the many aspects of it, and in many ways it is challenging. Forks in the road that I have taken are many, and some have taken me to refreshing streams, shaded ponds, joy, and peace. And some to longings, turmoil, loneliness, pain and to digging deep just to exist. In this context of finding a life rich in God, finding purpose, joy, and peace even in the difficult and lonely times that I find these streams of living water to be immensely 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). Connecting with God is the purpose for life even in the midst of the many longings and challenges and each of these three streams are extremely helpful in this purpose.
A pastor recently defined discipleship as God’s plan and process for our healing and restoration so that I am healed of my own brokenness and be in union with God; it is God’s relentless work to have his nature permeate our hearts, aided by my own confronting of distractions so that I am open, available, and receptive to God’s restorative work. Viewing discipleship and the process of restoration in the context of these streams also is immensely helpful.
Of these three, the charismatic stream is the stream that I have had the least direct experience with. Although I have noticed the prompts of the Spirit on many occasions, in decision making, insights, solutions, guidance and provisions, I have not had much experience with signs and wonders, speaking in tongues, healing or prophesy. On the other hand, the social justice stream is something I have felt deep in my bones, I am energized by it, and I want to learn and co-labor with God and be productive, particularly in this domain. As part of the incarnational stream I am learning to look for God’s presence and activity in everyday life and I desire to be transformed to be increasingly self-forgetful and become more of what God designed me to be, designed to love, designed to give, designed to take, designed to be forgiven and forgive, and designed to be in community.
1. The Charismatic Way
Richard Foster (1998) defines the charismatic way as “a life immersed in, empowered by, and under the direction of the Spirit of God.” Foster goes on to say that the charismatic stream focuses on the empowering charisms of gifts of the Spirit and the nurturing fruits of the Spirit. In simple terms we can describe this as being powered by the Spirit of God in everyday life and receiving peace, joy and hope in the process.
Apostle Paul is a prime model of this charismatic life. Prior to the direct encounter with God, Paul was brilliant in his logical thinking, trained by the top-tier theologians of his day, proud, self-righteous, fiercely protective of his culture and his religious beliefs. But God knocked him off his horse and asked him to follow. And from that day on, he was led and guided by the Spirit in his thoughts and action and was transformed. He became humble, willing to be the lowest of the lowest, saw visions of God, visited heaven in this life, changed into a disciple and a follower of God from being a fiercely religious man; a model life of being used by God, being burned and being joyful in the middle of being jailed, persecuted, beaten, a charismatic life lived through the Spirit of God.
In the present age, Agnes Sanford is a notable example of God’s manifestation and power on earth. Sanford described the relationship with the Trinity as being analogues to the relationship between electricity and a light bulb; when the bulb is connected to the source of power, it becomes a light; when we are connected to our source of power, which is God, God’s power flows through us and we become lights that are useful. We burn in a useful way. In this model, my role is to stay connected to God throughout the day and receive the power of God for living, burning, and becoming useful. Sanford herself was part of hundreds of medical miracles by staying connected to God and by exhibiting great levels of faith.
Sanford (2013) believed that we ought to pray for belief, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). She also suggests that the pray-er had the responsibility to become a channel of God’s life and power. Glenn Clark, in Healing Light (2013), wrote that “exposure to the ‘climate’ of faith and love, aided by the warm sunshine of enthusiasm, humor and good cheer is all it takes for the manifestation of God’s power in us.“
Romans 14:17 says “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The life that I live, the love that I have or have received, the work I do, the peace and joy that I have all are gifts from God. I am only good to those around me to the extent that I am connected and filled by his presence.
2. The Social Justice Stream
Richard Foster (1998) defines the social justice tradition as a “life committed to compassion and justice for all people.” Foster also discusses the three aspects of social justice, the personal, social, and institutional domains, across all of which I am to receive friends, enemies, rich, poor, black, and white, promoting harmony, truth, and beauty and shalom. I was drawn to this aspect of faith: as a young boy, I remember carrying sticky rice hidden in the pockets of my shorts to my friends who did not have the means to eat a square meal. I also remember gathering and adding bits of coins to the baskets of beggars who came by our house. I feel that practicing social justice is core to me as a Christian and not an optional choice. As the verse says in Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”
A. Nature of Practicing Social Justice:
The core thesis for practicing social justice is that God aims is to create an all-inclusive community of loving persons as in the Garden, with the Triune God himself at the center of this community as the prime Sustainer and the most glorious Inhabitant, both here and now on earth, and also in heaven (Fellowship of the Burning Heart, p. 2). How can we have a community of loving persons, when one is starving and another is hoarding, when one is cold and hungry and another is binging, when one is getting beaten while another is laid up in indulgence? As MLK wrote from the Birmingham jail, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Practicing social justice is often gritty, and often enmeshed in conflict as selfishness rules our world. What is good for poor is seen as bad for the rich; what is good for the immigrants is seen as being bad for the citizens; what is good for the minorities is seen as being bad for the majority. Often fear of opposition stops us from acting on God-led justice initiatives. In this context, fear of the Lord is the counter to fear of man, or fear of the future, and is the starting point for strong faith.
Practicing social justice and compassion is the way, I, a Christ-follower, most directly engage with the world to love and to bring wholeness, peace, harmony and shalom. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). It is standing up for the voiceless, the poor and the needy (Provers 31), at times against powerful opposing forces. It is practicing godliness right at my doorstep, a personal call to mirror God in justice, toughness, compassion, mercy, and love, all intricately woven together, where love meets the one on the road.
Participation in the creation of shalom and practicing social justice in my dominion is central to my existence, a prime reason for being. Engaging in social justice, shalom, forms us to be more like God. Not engaging in social justice takes me away from God.
B. Mishphat & Hased:
Richard Foster uses two words in the context of social justice: mishphat, which is discerning and executing what is right and equitable in all situations, loosening the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, providing shelter and food to the poor and the hungry (Isaiah 58 5–7), and treating all people equitably regardless of social status or race. The other is hased, his graciousness, his courtesy, his compassion, his loving undeserved-kindness and generosity, his steadfast and covenant love: God giving himself fully to another. When mishphat is combined with hased, it paves the way for shalom, a harmonious all-inclusive community of loving persons, the call of our lives, a mission for me with no end.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by such a task and hence being close to God and operating in his guidance and power is key.
C. Key Principles:
Lisa Harper (2016, p.42) shares the insight that humanity’s primary calling is to serve and protect the needs, boundaries, and well-being of the rest of creation. She also suggests that perfection is relational wellness and wholeness. I can relate to that as relational wellness brings joy. Lisa Harper (2016, p.14) further states that, “Shalom is what the Kingdom of God smells like…. It is when everyone has enough. It is when families are healed. It is when shame is renounced, and inner freedom is laid hold of. It is when human dignity, bestowed by the image of God in all humanity, is cultivated, protected, and served in families, faith communities, and schools and through public policy.”
In this context, key principles of the social justice stream are:
· It is Spirit-led and is faith based; becoming self-giving, balancing justice and mercy are part of becoming more like God which is beyond just my own effort and requires power from above.
· My own spiritual transformation is not complete without growth in compassion, justice courage, fortitude, faith, and steadfast love. Heroes of social justice such as Jesus, Bonhoeffer, MLK Jr., were known for their courage and faith; my impact will be proportional to my level of courage and faith.
· It is individualized to my story; although my role is customized to me, I am accountable for practicing social justice and to strive for harmonious relationships and communities. The Lord does not approve walking by someone who is down or being bullied.
· It is action-oriented and requires skin in the game. Change requires action, risk-taking, time, emotions.
· It requires addressing structural issues to provide fair access to education, jobs, medical and legal care, and protecting the weak through changes in policies and law.
Social justice journey is an individualized journey of change, which will require my own transformation along with investments into people and our communities, which is laying our treasures in haven. “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). When I give this to God and pray and reflect on shalom in this context, I now more clearly see that social justice is where the saints go to die, die to self, and paradoxically receive life. Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies it is of little use.
3. The Incarnational Stream
Richard Foster (1998) defines the incarnational tradition as a “life that makes present and visible that realm of the invisible spirit.” Foster goes on to say that through time and experience we discover that everywhere we go is “holy ground” and everything we do is “sanctified action” as the jagged line separating the sacred and the secular becomes very dim, and we know that nothing is outside the realm of God’s purview and loving care.
The incarnational stream is noticing the presence and activity of God in everyday life. Take our amazing bodies for example. Supported by 206 bones loosely tied together by ligaments and muscles, God designed our bodies, legs, and feet to walk, run and play tennis; designed our hands and fingers to play the piano, draw a piece of art or lift a heavy bag of groceries. He designed our eyes to see everything that we see for sixty, eighty or even a hundred years, and he designed our brains to process eleven million bits of information any given second. These amazing humans are only one of 8.7 million species of life on this earth. This amazing mind of the maker is miles beyond my comprehensions and is immense!
In my life these days, life-giving things include a beautiful flower garden with over 30 species of flowers that I began starting the fall of 2019. For a guy who never even stepped into the backyard to trim the grass, God had a way of preparing me for the loneliness of the pandemic years. Additionally, I have an ingrained, organic pleasure hitting the tennis ball. I can hit a tennis ball on a wall for hours just for the enjoyment of it. This is God’s way of inserting play into my otherwise dull life for which I am thankful. God delights in both the work of my hands and also play.
The most restorative things in life are the simple, everyday interactions. It is having some friends sit with me at church on Father’s Day; it is serving coffee at the church; it is working with our tuition center director on spiritual practices for children; a sweet moment with a couple from the church that I have never met, it is playing an intense tennis match with three guys with very different views of God; it is a long chat with an African-American pastor friend from Buffalo, NY; it is talking to a long-lost friend and his wife from the other-end of the political spectrum. My practice and prayer is to offer all of these relationships to God so that God is in the middle and that I become more self-forgetful (Timothy Keller, 2012), to see all these relationships as part of this blessed life.
Perfect shalom is perfect relationships and successes are futile and fleeting. Meaningful soul relationships and being productive with what I have been given seem to be everything. Dag Hammarskjold (2006) who seems to have had a great perspective on the incarnational life says, “Never let success hide its emptiness from you, achievements its nothingness, toil its desolation. And so keep alive the incentive to push on further, that pain in the soul that which drives us beyond ourselves.” He goes on to say, “Maturity is a new lack of self-consciousness- the kind you can only attain when you have become entirely indifferent to yourself through an absolute ascent to your [divine] fate,” and that “goodness is something so simple; always to live for others, never to seek one’s own advantage.”
Key principles of the incarnational stream are:
· Our body is a portable sanctuary in which God is present and makes everything possible. We are ever learning and deeply depending on him for every good gift, including our breath.
· Incarnational life is rooted in the lives we are living. The very presence of God is manifest in the smallest, most mundane of our daily activities.
· God delights in and values the work of our hands and also play. In the work of our hands and mind God is made visible to those he himself is seeking to reveal himself. God smiles watching his children at play.
· No dichotomy between things spiritual and things secular: Spiritual things and the material things are complementary. God’s invisible grace is made visible in the visible grace and activities by which we live our daily lives.
So What?
One of the most beautiful quotes from Frank Laubach (2012, p.9) in Learning the Vocabulary of God states that the purpose of life is, “To be beautiful of soul and then let people see into your soul”. Laubach has captured the gospel life, the with-God life, in one sentence more beautifully than I can ever imagine. Jonathan Bailey (2020), based on Thomas Aquinas’ writings, says that for something to beautiful it must share three characteristics: integrity, harmony, and clarity. I relate to this definition, and here is the beauty I desire:
Beautiful life is:
· Shalom and harmony in relationships, an abundance of life-giving relationships and community; And allowing people to see my soul, heart, and emotions.
· Being productive with the talents that have been given to me, whether it is maintaining a garden, running a business, supporting a social justice cause, or playing tennis.
· The pleasure of living in the simple attention and general fond regard to God (in the words of Brother Lawrence), in the actual presence of God, in habitual, silent, and secret conversations of the soul with God.
I do not think there is anything more to life that I can control, manage, or succeed in. So help me God!
Bibliography
Agnes Sanford, The Healing Light (Mansfield Center, CT: Martino Publishing, 2013).
Dag Hammarskjold, MARKINGS (New York: Vintage Books, 2006).
Frank C. Laubach, Learning the Vocabulary of God: A Spiritual Diary (Eastford, CT, Martino Fine Books: 2012).
Gary W. Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus: Learning to Live Like the Master (Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks, 2009).
Lisa Sharon Harper, The Very Good Gospel New York: WaterBrook, 2016).
Nathan Foster, Fellowship of the Burning Heart (Colorado Springs, Renovare, 2021).
Richard Foster, Streams of Living Water (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998).
Timothy Keller, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness, The Path to True Christian Joy (Leyland, England: 10Publishing, 2012).
The Holy Bible, New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan House, 1984).
