On Lingering, Longing, and Leaving

It’s easy to live as though God doesn’t exist. And the reason it’s tempting to live without God is that that’s how our society is set up: everything around us - our political and economic system, our culture, and the fields of science and technology - everything is set up in such a way as to direct our focus entirely on the here and now. We are told that reality essentially consists of “the kind of things we are able to observe in the ordinary course of events,” and therefore, we’d all just be better off lowering our “sights” and forget about heaven.1

The result of living life with this mindset, of course, is that there’s nothing to look forward to, nothing to give meaning to everyday life activities. We eat, we drink, and we marry (Luke 17:27), we buy, we sell, we plant, and we build (17:28), and while there’s nothing wrong with these activities - some of these are just the stuff of human life - if these ordinary life affairs consume us, if they define who we are, we will miss the bigger picture, and we will eventually be overtaken by destruction, just like Noah’s generation, just like Lot’s wife (Luke 17:27, 29).

She, that is, Lot's wife, she came as close to deliverance without achieving it as was possible. She was safely brought out of Sodom, a city doomed for destruction, yet, she lingered, “longing for the delights she was leaving behind.”2 The destruction of Sodom caught up to her, and she perished with the city (Genesis 19:26). She sought to gain her life, but instead she lost it.

In Luke 17:20-37, Jesus bids us to steer away our gaze from this world, and towards heaven. He bids us to be concerned not with the “where” and the “when”, with issues of space and time, the here and now, but rather, we are to focus on the conversion of the heart, focus on God’s kingdom. We are to fix our eyes on heaven.

Of course, it’s hard to be indifferent about questions of the here and now. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to answer the “when” question: when is the kingdom of God coming? (17:20) And the disciples, they wanted to know the “where” question: “Where, Lord?” (17:37). Where will this kingdom be established? To both the Pharisees and the disciples, Jesus’ message is that they’re asking the wrong question. The right question to ask is ‘How do we preserve life’ ? (17:33) Or, “What must we do to be saved?”3

But the answer to this question is also a problem: there’s nothing we can do to be saved. Salvation comes from God, that’s why Jesus came down from heaven.

And when Jesus came down from heaven, in a very real sense, he brought heaven to earth. That’s why he says to the Pharisees: “the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (17:21). His miracles of healing, his exorcisms, and the conversion of the people around Jesus, these are all signs of the “kingdom of God among you.”4

All we can do towards our own salvation is give up our illusions of grandeur and welcome the kingdom of God among us, welcome Christ among us: “Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it” (17:33). So the reason we look to heaven is because that’s where salvation comes from.

But there’s another reason we look to heaven, and that is because of Jesus’ return, his second coming. The first time Jesus came, he was rejected, and he suffered death on the cross (17:25) for our salvation. But he rose from the dead, he is glorified in heaven, and he will come again to judge both the living and the dead.

We await Christ’s return, and this is not escapism: this is real, tangible hope. On that day, we will not need to look for him: “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day” (17:24). Jesus will return in glory.

So let us not seek to gain our life: let us not linger, let us not long for the things we leave behind, let us not be consumed and ruled by our possessions, our relationships, and our desires.

Rather, let us lose ourselves in Christ, who came down from heaven for our salvation. Let us fix our eyes on heaven, let us fix our eyes on Christ, in anticipation of that great day when he returns.

Thanks be to God.

Amen ✠

-----

1- Craig M. Gay. The Way of the Modern World. Or, Why it’s Tempting to live as if God doesn’t Exist. Foreword by J. I. Packer. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998), 6.

2- Leon Morris. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Revised Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 286.

3- Leon Morris. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Revised Ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), 285.

4- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Gospel of Luke. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 3. Ed. by Daniel J. Harrington, S, J. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 266.

Helados "Brasil"

The couple living in the aparment below mine has a phone that when it rings, sounds exactly like the "Brasil" ice cream-man's whistle in Asunción.

While I was a young boy living on Avenida Segunda, the ice-cream man would come by everyday in the summer, announcing his presence by blowing his whistle as he walked the street. As soon as I heard the sound, my mouth would salivate; indeed, I could taste the helado de coco (coconut ice cream) as I chased the ice cream man down the street.

Other neighbourhood kids too would pour out of their houses, without a doubt salivating at the prospect of getting their hands on their favourite flavour.

Whenever my neighbour's phone rings, I feel like getting my hands on 100 guaranies, running out the door and look for the ice cream man. But alas, no ice cream man's to be found. It's just my neighbour's damn phone.

Dress And Dignity

Today I saw Jennifer in a dress for the first time. She bought the dress while in Seattle last weekend and so she tried it on tonight to see which sandals fit best with it. She's planning to wear it at a wedding in Florida next weekend.

She's also planning to wear it at least once while we're in Mexico. We decided that while there we want to go out for a fancy dinner at least once. I'm not planning to take a lot of dress clothes to Mexico. Instead, I hope to take advantage of the opportunity to go to Benetton while there and find myself something nice and dressy. Maybe a dress shirt or two, or maybe some nice dress pants. I also need some black or navy socks.

On a sidenote, I don't know what it is about a woman in a dress. I may go against common convention today, but I've thought for a while now that if a woman wants to impress a man, she should not wear less - that's often a sure way to cheapen her look - but more. Few things if any are more dignifying unto a woman than a lovely dress that covers all, and few things capture a man's imagination as much as a woman dressed "up", not "down".

Jennifer looked magnificent. No matter how good I dress up when we go out for that fancy dinner, she will be the centre of attention. She will eclipse me, and I'm very ok with that.

Pick Me Up (Tiramisu)

Growing up, my favourite dessert was the German Blitztorte. German cheesecake came a very very close second.

Now, my favourite dessert is Tiramisu, Italian for "Pick me up", as in, 'I've just come home from a long day at work and I need a "pick me up"'.

Here's the recipe for the Tiramisu. Jen and made one tonight, our third one in the past 3 months. I guess we both really like it!

* 500g container of mascarpone cheese
* 2 cups cooled espresso or strong coffee
* 6 eggs
* 6 tablespoons sugar
* 1 pkg savoiardi lady fingers
* 1-2 oz liqueur (brandy, Tia Maria, Kahlua, Grand Marnier)

* Separate eggs (should be at room temp for best volume)
* Beat yolks, gradually adding sugar until creamy
* Mix in cheese and about 1 oz liqueur (by hand, not electric or it will separate)
* Beat egg whites until firm and fluffy, then fold into cheese mixture

* Dip lady fingers into mix of espresso and about another 1 oz of liqueur. You have to judge how soggy they are getting. You want them to be damp but not soggy.

* Line bottom of pan with lady fingers.
* Add half of cheese filling.
* Another layer of lady fingers.
* Another layer of cheese mixture.
* Sift dutch cocoa over top, or sprinkle with semi-sweet grated chocolate.
* Best if made day before. Keep in refrigerator. Let warm a little before serving.

Chukanut, Gasworks, and Fremont

Today was Valentine's Day, and I spent the day with Jennifer. We went to Seattle and had a great day together. The weather was comfortable, neither hot nor cold, neither sunny nor rainy.

I picked her up at around 9:20am, and we got onto the 99 southward. We arrived at the border at around 10, and had to endure a 2 hour wait before crossing the border. Aghhhh.... I took the opportunity to take a a photo or two:

Once we finally got across the border we took the I5 through Bellingham, to the Fairhaven Parkway Exit. We followed the signs to the "Chukanut Drive" (Route 11), a scenic road that winds along the northwest coast of Wasthington state. This highway actually reminds me of the Vancouver-Whistler highway (minus the construction!), but on a smaller scale. The road is not as wide and windy, and the views are not nearly as spectacular. Still, a lovely alternative to the concrete jungle that is the I5!

We rejoined the I5 after about a 30 mile drive on the Chukanut, and dropped in at the Outlet Mall in Marysville for an hour. I went to my usual favourite stores, and ended up buying a pair of running shoes. Jennifer, on the other hand, bought a dress. I hope I get to see her wear it one day.

After our quick little shopping excursion, we continued our drive south, arriving in Gasworks at around 4pm. One of the things that always strikes me about the US is how big everything is there. Seattle's a bigger city than Vancouver, for sure, but judging by the sheer size and quantity of "things" - highways, cars, buildings - in Seattle, you'd think Vancouver's a dinky little town.

The first thing we did after parking our car was check out Essentials Bakery. We were both starved, and I'm glad we stopped by there because they make great sandwiches!

I'd never heard of Gasworks until Jen suggested we go there yesterday, and I'm glad we did. Gasworks is basically an old (rusty!) refinery that the city has managed to make into a tourist attraction. Right beside the refinery there's a small hill that offers great views of downtown Seattle.

It was approaching 6 o'clock and we were debating what next, when we ran into a woman who suggested that we check out Fremont, a nice little neighbourhood within 15 minutes walk. We followed her advice and ended up being glad we did, because we were pleasantly surprised by what we encountered there. I'd probably describe Fremont as a mix between Kitsilano and Commercial Drive (although leaning more towards the former). Lots of ethnic restaurants, boutiques, and some eclectic stores.

We ended up having dinner there, at Jai Thai, although not before returning to the Gasworks hill for some nightshots of downtown Seattle.

We left around 10pm, tired. In fact, I was so tired that I had to stop at a rest area along the highway on the way home, I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I napped for about 30 minutes, before waking up (cold), and driving back to Vancouver.

We didn't have any hassles at the border this time, which is nice, because the last 3 times I'd crossed the border coming back into Canada I had to pay duties on my purchases. This time I didn't have to.

All in all, it was a very good day. There were two disappointments, however, one for Jen, and one for me. The major disappointment for Jen was that we didn't go to the restaurant we'd hoped we would for dinner. After driving around for close to an hour before finding the Kingfish restaurant, she was very disappointed to find out they had a two hour wait for dinner.

My disappointment wasn't a biggie, but nevertheless worth mentioning. Jen slept the whole way home. It would've been nice to have company on the drive home, but as it was, it felt pretty much like I was the only one in the car. Upon hitting the highway northward, she didn't even last 5 minutes before she conked out. She says she "couldn't help it."

Not Again...

I've had horrible lower back pain again since about a month ago, so today I went for my first session of massage therapy in Abbotsford.

I'm not sure what to make of this pain. Is it the result of sin, is it a test from God, is it Satan's work, or is my body just getting old!!?? The timing couldn't be worse, as within the next 6 weeks I plan to make some big vocational decisions and dealing with this pain is rather distracting (not to mention I'm going to Mexico in less then 3 weeks .. the last thing I want to worry about while there is back pain!).

After massage therapy I went to mom and dad's for dinner. As usual, mom prepared "just a little meal", composed of two main entrees plus a meat dish plus two salads. For dessert: German cheesecake.

Casting Down Our Crowns

I was amused earlier this week when I read about a bus advertisement campaign that’s happening in London (England) right now. It’s a high-profile campaign paid for by various atheist and humanist groups, who’ve put the following message on 800 city buses: “There probably is no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

I was even more amused when I read on the weekend that various Christian groups are countering with their own ads which will run on buses next week. One group is responding with “There definitely is a God.” The Russian Orthodox Church is responding with a better one: “There is a God. BELIEVE. Don’t worry and enjoy your life.” The best response though is an ad which quotes Psalm 53:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.”

I’m not sure how effective a bus advertising campaign will be in terms of convincing people that there is a God; perhaps a better way to go about doing that is sharing with someone the contents of Revelation 4, because in this reading we get a glimpse of the magnificent glory of God, and the response that this vision leads to: it leads to praise and worship.

There is a God. He’s the God of creation. He created all things, and by him everything exists (4:11).

The chapter begins with John taken up into heaven “in the Spirit” (4:2), he’s given a vision of the heavenly realm by the Lord, who says to him: “Come up hither, and I will show you what must take place after this” (4:1).

And the first thing that he sees in heaven is One sitting on a throne (4:2). He’s referring to God here, but words escape him in describing God, because “there can be no immediate vision of God.”1

God’s majesty is just too unfathomable, words cannot describe the beauty of God, and so the best John can do is to convey an impression. God is like precious stones - jasper, carnelian, and emerald - jewels that radiate splendour (4:3).

And flashes of bright light radiate from God, and peals of thunder can be heard. And the dazzling light and sound are further amplified by a rainbow, a rainbow that reminds us of God’s mercy, God’s covenant with Noah, God’s covenant with all of us. John witnesses the magnificent presence of God in this vision.

Next, John describes what’s happening around the throne, and what’s “taking place” (4:2) there is one thing: adoration. All creation, all angels, all the saints are singing constantly. Everyone and everything is ascribing worth-ship, ascribing God worthiness of praise (4:6-11). It’s a wonderful picture.

Creation sings the praises of God (4:6-8). The four living creatures we read of - the lion, the ox, the face of a man, and the flying eagle - they are creation, all that lives and breathes, including angels, and men and women, the pinnacle of God’s creation, they all sing God’s praises; and not only living creatures, but inanimate things too: mountains, rivers, stars, all creation worships God.

The four living creatures are seated near the throne, or rather, God is near to the living creatures, God is near his creation. And so in response, all creation, all of us sing: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (4:8).

The communion of saints in heaven too praise God (4:4, 9-11). These are the twenty four elders we read of, dressed in white, and wearing a crown on their heads (4:4). These are our brothers and sisters, who have faithfully gone before us, they have shown us the way.

They are wearing white garments of victory, they are seated on thrones like kings or royal priests, wearing crowns: they fittingly represent the heavenly counterpart of the earthly Church.

These too join in the constant praises of God, whom they boldly call “our God” (4:10). They fall down before him, they cast down their crowns before the eternal God, singing: “Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created” (4:10-11).

God is indeed worthy to receive glory and honour and power. He is Holy, he is Lord, he is Almighty, and he is eternal. He is the God of creation. By him everything exists. So let us kneel down, along with creation, along with the saints, and let us cast our crowns before him and worship him.

Amen ✠

1 Wilfrid J Harrington, O. P. Revelation. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 16. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1993), 79.

Languages

It's difficult dating a woman who has a very different view of the world than I do. Whenever we speak about worldviews we inevitably come to the mutual realization that we speak two different languages.

I find this chasm alienating.

Evensong's Home

After a month of continuous preaching at Evensong Tuesdays, I had the night off tonight. Still, I was drawn to attend this most wonderful service of liturgical prayer.

Evensong is home for me. It's my home because of the simplicity and beauty of the service, and because of the communal meal we share afterwards.

I began attending Evensong at a time when my soul was in a tremendous state of upheaval: anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. The silent and contemplative format of the service invited me to slow down and let God deal with me. We live in such a noisy world, we glorify noise actually, and in this noise we can barely hear ourselves think, nevermind hear God speak to us. But speak to us he does. We just need to slow down and listen. In places of silence flows Life, in places of silence flourishes communion with God, communion we all so desperately seek.

The interesting thing is that at first, I didn't really like the community, I didn't really like the people. The reason for this was that I had very little in common with most of the people attending the service, they were all very different from me. Dinner conversations were uncomfortably quiet.

But such is the power of God, that He draws a crowd of the most unlikely people together, not because they have the same "preferences" or "styles" or "interests", but because they realize their own need, a need applicable to us all, salvation. And the reason we meet and sing God's praises each week is because this need has been "met", "fulfilled", "accomplished" in Christ Jesus, God's "Yes!" to this world, God's "Amen" to us. This work of being drawn together, then, is not our doing, it's all God's doing, it's him calling us together to be the Church. I's all an act of pure love, grace, and mercy on God's part.

What a privilege it is to witness transformation. Not only the transformation of others, but our own. It's what the monastics call "continuous conversion", a constant re-directing of heart, mind, and body towards God, a continuous transformation of soul: from death to life, from dark to light. What a blessing it is to go from disliking a group of people to enjoying a weekly meal with them, sharing lifes ups and downs. This is the core of the gospel, the good news: In Christ, we have reconciliation not only with God, but with neighbour too. Indeed, we have reconcilliation with all creation!

I'm already looking forward to next week. It's my turn to preach. The text: Revelation 4. I can't wait.

Commercial Drive, Abruzzo, Al Watan

A busy day it was! I wasn't in a mood to play futbol, so I watched it on tv instead.

At around 1pm I went to Abruzzo Cafe, the only decent place to watch futbol in the entire city. The reason I say it's the only place, is because the atmosphere there is just fantastic. Futbol fans from all over the Lower Mainland congregate there in order to watch games. Every single day, games from all over the world are shown at Abruzzo via satellite (this is one of the few times I say thank God for technology!). After church and Jen's place, it's my favourite place to be.

Anyways, so I watched a soccer game from the U-20 South American Championships: Paraguay 1 - Argentina 1. It was a great game, and Paraguay played very well. the albirrojitas have a similar playing style to the seleccion mayor.

After the game I went to pick up Jen, and then we drove back to Commercial Drive and walked around, taking pictures. It was a great day to walk around, as the weather was crisp and chilly, but clear: not a cloud in the sky.

At around 5:30, we returned to Abruzzo (surprise surprise!), to watch another game from the U-20 tournament. Jen also ordered a sandwich, while I ordered a latte. Jen's keen to learn about the game, since in 4 weeks' time we're going to Mexico, and while there, we plan to attend two games: Pumas - Tigres (Estadio Universitario), America - San Luis (Azteca).

For dinner we went to my favourite place: Al Watan. We had Chicken Tika Karahi (boneless chicken cooked in a thick sauce with ginger, garlic, tomato and freshly ground spices) and Haleem (ground lentils and shredded beef prepared in special curry). Of course, we got staple side-dishes to go with our main meal: rice, and Naan (soft, fluffy leavened white flour bread). The clincher though was the Al Watan tea. After coffee, this tea's the best hot drink on earth.

Incidentally, tonight's dinner was my last dinner before the fasting season of Lent begins. This year my fasting regiment's a little more rigorous than usual. Nothing like a bit of askesis to toughen up the soul.....