Picture this. On holiday in Whitby, walking along West Cliff, looking out to sea. It has rained all morning, and is now reduced to a dreich mizzle. The sky lightens as the sun turns some of the clouds into a festival of cream and grey Lalique. Then, across the horizon, overarching two Victorian repro street lamps, a rainbow in watercolour lightens the sea and surrounding dark clouds.
Such beauty in a world that can be made to turn ugly, suddenly feeling unsafe and somehow darker. There are different kinds of darkness – hatred, lying, cruelty, racism and prejudice, violence, etc. – there is always an etcetera.
But, and this is the truth of the rainbow, there are different kinds of light – love, truth-telling, compassion, respect for persons and welcome, peace-making, etc. – here too, there is always an etcetera.
These are uncertain times, and one way or another we’ll have to choose how we will work our way through them towards a renewal of our shared life in our local communities, embracing and living into our wider social diversity. Looking at the photograph of those two street lamps, framed by an over-arching rainbow, I’m wondering what it might cost us to live towards the light as we work together at negotiating the cultural shifts we are living through. Speaking truth with bold humility, practising compassion as a habit of the heart, answering hate with love, overcoming fear with hope, converting complaint into gratitude. These would be a start.
Perhaps we can draw energy from this defiant confession of faith in Christ the Light of the World: “The light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1.5
Tapestry I designed as a visual interpretation of John 1.5. Completed Easter, 2021. (c) Jim Gordon.
That line comes from stanza 77 of a long four part poem by Giles Fletcher, a 17th Century Church of England clergyman. At a key point in the poem Fletcher strings together a catena of metaphors describing who and what Christ is to the sinner seeking mercy. Here is the whole stanza:
He is a path, if any be misled ; He is a robe, if any naked be : If any chance to hunger, he is bread ; If any be a bondman, he is free ; If any be but weak, how strong is he ! To dead men life he is, to sick men health ; To blinde men sight, and to the needie wealth— A pleasure without losse, a treasure without stealth.
I first came across these lines in an anthology of poems on the life of Christ. I memorised them, not knowing they came from one of the great epic poems in English religious literature. In my own spiritual life this one stanza ranks alongside John Newton’s ‘How sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer’s ear’; and from a very different source, Bernard of Clairvaux’s long paean of praise to the name of Jesus found in his sermons on the Song of Songs.
But it was that first line that etched an image on my mind and spirit that I can’t forget, and which comes alive and visible on many a forest walk! Those who know me have plenty of evidence here and on Facebook that I like to photograph paths.
‘He is a path, if any be misled…’
That solitary line is an inner invitation every time I see an image like the one in the photo above. It isn’t hard to imagine that the light at the end of the path has its own devotional nudge towards the One who is the path, and the light, and the companion on the way.
Such a tenuous thread seems the providence of God. A 17th Century puritan poet priest writes an epic with hundreds of stanzas, it was published then largely forgotten, revived again when published in the 19th Century by the Scottish literary editor Alexander B. Grosart. Neglected ever since apart from the occasional stanza harvested into anthologies of religious poetry.
And in one such anthology, I read it in my late twenties, when stanza 77 became part of my devotional vocabulary, and that first line has since been a kindly corrective, a gentle reminder, a summons to courage, and an assurance of faith:
God be in my head, And in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, And in my looking; God be in my mouth, And in my speaking; God be in my heart, And in my thinking; God be at mine end, And at my departing.
Jesus the Prophet, you spoke truth to power and you spoke peace to the troubled, love to the unloved and hope to those whose lives had stopped working. Whenever we come across people who are broken,
God be in my mouth and in my understanding.
Jesus the Friend, you looked with compassion on people who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. You looked right through the leaves of the sycamore tree and saw Zacchaeus. Whenever there are people around us who are struggling and lonely
God be in my eyes and in my looking.
Jesus the Truth teller, you spoke in defence of the woman caught in adultery, you spoke the name of Legion and brought him back to freedom, you spoke forgiveness to all who were open to receive it. Wherever there are people who need to hear a supportive voice
God be in my mouth and in my speaking.
Jesus Heart of the Father, your heart broke for the suffering you saw around you, and you wept at your friend Lazarus’s grave, and your heart went out to the poor beggar and the rich young ruler. Wherever and whenever we too witness suffering we can help, and hurt we can help to heal,
God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, Lord of Creation and giver of life to us all, Saviour who died for the sins of the whole world, and for us. Give us strength to understand, to see, to speak, and to think as those who try every day of our lives, to follow faithfully after you.
Proverbs 18.1“An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends;
he defies all sound judgement.
One definition of sin is to be curved in on ourselves. Friendship by definition looks outward, considers others, thinks of ways of helping, affirming, and supporting others in what their lives are about. Pursuing selfish ends, putting all our energy into what matters to us and what we want, “defies all sound judgement.” Jesus said, “If anyone will come after me let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me.” He also said “Whoever loses their life for my sake and the gospel, will find it.”
Tuesday
Proverbs 18.2 “A fool finds no pleasure in understanding,
but delights in airing his own opinions.”.
We all know them. Those won’t stop talking know-it-all people, who love the sound of their own voice, and have the world sussed out, they think! In Proverbs, good ‘understanding’ means much more than mental grasp of information. Understanding is growth in wisdom, and comes from reflection, hearing the views of others, being humble enough to be teachable. Those who air their own opinions are scattering chaff, not seed. James has good advice about such loud self-projection: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” (James 1.19)
Wednesday
Proverbs 18.8 “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to a man’s inmost parts.”
There are two kinds of gossip. 1) Talking of people in ways that are untrue and unfair, but it makes us feel better because we enjoy putting down people we dislike! Such words are satisfying, delicious, and nourish hearts hungry for knowledge of someone else’s faults, mistakes or weaknesses. 2) The second kind is where what we pass on is true enough, but it is information entrusted to us in confidence, and sharing it risks undermining someone else’s reputation and social standing. Either way, gossip is profoundly unchristian, and breaks the basic principle of “Speaking the truth in love.”
Thursday
Proverbs 18.10“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.”
The name of the Lord refers to the promise-keeping, faithful God of the covenant, who surrounds his people with protective care and unfailing mercy. Proverbs isn’t just a handbook on how to get on with others, how to live responsibly, and how to get the most out of life. It’s all of that, but all such practical wisdom and lived experience is undergirded by obedience to God, and loving trust in the One who requires of us righteousness and justice. Whatever threatens or happens, safety is found in God who is an unassailable fortress for the righteous, “a very present help in time of trouble.” Wisdom that matters is to know where to flee when life falls in.
Friday
Proverbs 18.11“The wealth of the rich is their fortified city
they imagine it is an unscalable wall.
Money doesn’t buy everything, we know that. But wealth does bring power, and power is always desperate to defend itself. Jesus warned about a man who built bigger barns with a view to the good life. If someone only lives for profit, then they are living an unprofitable life. Why? Because they are smothering their soul under a weight of accumulated responsibilities, anxieties, and runaway greed. Instead of security they create insecurity, the fear of losing everything life is invested in. “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things fall into place.”
Saturday
Proverbs 18.13“He who answers before listening –
that is his folly and his shame.”
It’s rude to interrupt. Proverbs says it’s also foolish. Whether, and how we listen to others is one of the hallmarks of wisdom. An interruption is a power play, claiming the right to be heard rather than acknowledging the importance of this other person and what they are saying. If we insist on speaking, we are simply reiterating what we already know; if we listen, there’s a chance we’ll learn something! Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is strength harnessed to purpose, an intentional restraint for the sake of others. Very often, the most loving thing we can do for someone is to listen, meekly,.….without interrupting!
Sunday
Proverbs 18.19“The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge;
the ears of the wise seek it out.
Knowledge, discernment, understanding, wisdom; those are real gold, valuable qualities worth seeking and acquiring. To know God, to discern God’s ways, to understand God’s law, to prize wisdom above prosperity – these are the goals that bring fulfilment and a life worth living, and worthy of the God whose gift life is. Or as Peter says: “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
Looking forward to this being sung as one of our prayers during our service this morning. The theme is “Words Matter!” The Test is James 3. 1-12.
By the time our words are spoken they are beyond our control. They cannot be unspoken. A Christian ethic of speech requires an intentional discipleship in our discourse, looks to Christ as arbiter of our conversation, seeks to articulate love of neighbour and enemy as the twin requirements of words spoken or written, and undertakes regular review of what we say, how we speak, and who we show ourselves to be in our ways with words.
This prayer from a 16th Century Book of Hours invites us to seek the help of God in learning to choose our words carefully and speak with a Christian accent that is clear evidence we’ve been spending time in the company of Jesus. (Matthew 26.73)
The Atonement and Christian Life, Adam Johnson (Baker: 2024)
This book is part of a series that aims to look at the Christian life through the lens of several doctrines related to the Christian experience of salvation, with an impetus towards praise and worship. Hence the Series title Soteriology and Doxology.
Does this book achieve those aims? Yes, but with reservations. First the significant positives:
The Introduction explains several of the key concepts required to understand the need for, and the nature of atonement. Johnson makes a case for thinking of atonement as an event of healing that reaches from the human heart to the whole creation. In Jesus, God heals what has been broken and diseased by sin and its persistent and pervasive evil consequences. The person and work of Jesus in bearing the deathly consequences of sin on the cross (sickness unto death), and overcoming death by his resurrection (healing), is God’s great act of atonement.
The format of all the books in the series is quite prescriptive. Each volume explores the respective doctrine by its location in the creedal tradition (Apostle’s Creed in this case), by establishing its foundations in scripture, then showing how the doctrine develops in the tradition history of the church, before offering a contemporary and constructive account, and finishing by demonstrating the leverage the doctrine has on the lived experience of Christian faith. All of this Johnson achieves, at times with verve and a freshness of approach that genuinely engages the reader in reflective praise.
The chapter on the Apostle’s Creed is an exposition of atonement refracted through each clause – it is a mini education in crucicentric dogmatics. Scriptural warrant for a theology of atonement is woven through such concepts as covenant, law, Sabbath, sacrifice, temple, land and exodus. The chapter on the history of the doctrine is an overview of fruitful developments and wrong turnings, including a more sympathetic account of Abelard. The constructive chapter majors on the Trinitarian implications of atonement, and especially clarifying the often understated role of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus. This was a key chapter for me, an argument that rebalances the inseparable operations of the Triune God.
It is the final chapter over which I hesitated most. The intention was to argue that the atonement in the Christian life is a living into the forgiveness, reconciliation and impetus towards unity in Christ made possible by believers ‘being in Christ’. Much of what is said in this chapter presupposes a Christian community, forgiveness and reconciliation as imperatives for all who constitute the Body of Christ. That case is both obvious and in need of constant repeating, and it is well stated here.
But in this chapter, despite making the carefully argued case for repentance, accountability, and restored relationships through frank acknowledgement of wrong, I am left with a quandary. What is forgiveness, what does it achieve, why is it imperative, when we encounter the person who is intransigent, unrepentant, or even convinced they have done nothing wrong? In other words, when Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”, does that mean that forgiveness from the forgiver’s side is not conditioned by the attitude of the person who has wronged us? I think it does mean that.
But that in turn raises, for me at least, the possibility that Johnson’s account lacks the possibility of radical cost, leaving unconsidered the scandal of forgiveness as unconditioned goodwill, as costly perseverance in love when there is no reciprocal response. Do we go on loving our enemies when they still hate us, and does that love really, and truly, require persistent forgiveness, to seventy times seven? I think Jesus meant exactly that.
There is a Doxological Interlude at the end of each chapter, a short quotation from various sources that leads the mind from intellectual engagement to praise and worship. There are useful indices of subject, author and Scripture, and a fine Bibliography – these are important as further research tools. Adam Johnson is an accomplished theologian whose other work on the atonement includes a very fine book, The Atonement: A Guide for the Perplexed; he also edited the massive T&T Clark Companion to the Atonement. This more accessible book is an excellent starting place and a rewarding companion to these two more substantial volumes.
Matthew 4.3-4”The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Words matter. With words we tell truth or lie, we heal or wound, we lift up or humiliate, we inform or mislead. The life we lead can be indexed to the words we say, and the words we say reflect back on the God we serve. Jesus’ answer to the temptation to bend the world to his own interests was not to abuse the power of words, but to listen to what God says. Obedience to God starts with careful listening to God’s words and finding in God’s Word the way, the truth and the life.
Tuesday
Matthew 12. 33“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit.”
Matthew 12.33-37 contains some of Jesus’ most uncompromising words about human speech. Christians are called to live into a Christ-like ethic of speech, to be the kind of people who speak the language of the Kingdom of God. “Speak unto others as you would have others speak unto you” should be a post-it on the keyboard or phone screen. Would we change our ways with words if the fruit of the Spirit were introduced as quality control? If a mind is truthful, and a heart compassionate, then words display the fruit of integrity, kindness, trustworthiness and relation building.
Wednesday
Matthew 12.34“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil, say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Jesus is addressing religious leaders who are out to get him any way they can. They distort his words, twist the truth, present ‘alternative facts’, and use their power to try to silence the truth. In our time, when someone is criticised for saying something truly offensive they apologise and say “That’s not who I am.” That is not repentance. That is denial – “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” What we speak is an index of who we are inside, how we think and feel, how we view other people. The words we speak are the audible fruit of our inner life. Our words matter!
Thursday
Matthew 12.35“The good person brings good things out of the good stored up in them, and the evil person brings evil out of the evil stored in them.”
What do you sound like when you speak? Do you ever play back in your head what you shouldn’t have said? I do, and sometimes it involves an apology. At the very least, repentance for words we have spoken, that have hurt or diminished others, should involve our honest recognition that we did indeed speak those words. To say “I didn’t mean it!” may be true, with hindsight. But at the time the person on the receiving end heard it as meant. Perhaps we could use this prayer: “May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord.”
Friday
Matthew 12.36-37 “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
This is one of the most serious and searching sayings of Jesus. It is first spoken to powerful people. ‘Empty’ words are those that add nothing to the wellbeing of those who hear them. That includes, but is not limited to, inciting hatred, outspoken ridicule, articulated racism, truth-twisting to deceive, sarcasm that wounds, gossip that damages reputations – every word that makes life harder or less safe, that aims to diminish rather than affirm, that is intentionally offensive or abusive, every one of them will have to be accounted for. I genuinely tremble for much of the speech that has become characteristic and normalised within our society. “Lord have mercy.”
Saturday
Colossians 3. 17“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Words and deeds go together. Actions speak louder than words, sometimes. Words are themselves speech acts, they do things and get things done. Both words and deeds spring from the heart, and a Christian heart is already given. Words and deeds are done in the name of the Lord Jesus. Speech and behaviour are the outflow of the love of God poured into our hearts, and so our words and actions are to be formed in minds and hearts responsive to the grace that has forgiven, renewed and enabled our whole being. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly”. So speak, and so act.
Sunday
May the mind of Christ my Saviour, live in me from day to day,
By his power and love controlling, all I do or say. (Kate Barclay Wilkinson)
This hymn was a favourite consecration hymn at Keswick holiness conventions in the early 20th Century. This first verse is a good concluding prayer for a week reflecting on the power of words to do things, and make things happen. To be in Christ, and to know Christ in us, is to experience the guidance and enabling of Christ by his Spirit. In a world where words are regularly weaponised to injure and harm, Christian speech must bear witness to the truth-telling, peace-building language of Christ’s Kingdom.
The painting ‘Stilling the Tempest’ is a powerful visual exegesis of Mark 4.39 and Jesus’ command, “Peace! Be still!” I first came across it in the wonderful volume by Jaroslav Pelikan, Jesus Through the Centuries, a book I used as a text book teaching a module with the same title. This was one of the images a number of students found moving, and it always provoked discussion.
Jesus with a Chinese face, is standing in the place of command at the prow of the boat. Mountainous seas with real mountains on the horizon, the whole scene a cauldron of threat and danger. The desperation of the oarsmen, the loss of control signalled by their lost rhythm, the faces set in expressions of fear or determined resignation, all conveyed with power. In the foreground a massive billow, reminiscent of a tsunami and originating under the boat, heads towards the viewer of the painting.
But the dominating figure of Jesus stands with arms outstretched and hands raised, upright and balanced in a boat tossed by elemental powers doing their utmost to overwhelm. Of course he stands in a cruciform gesture, redemptive and powerful at the same time. His authority over the waves and the wind is emphasised by the disciple clinging to his legs, while another has his arms raised imploring Jesus, and yet another clings to the mast but strains round to fix his eyes on Jesus.
It is an astonishing achievement which captures the full force of the storm just before Jesus speaks. The sea is in full tempest mode, the boat is riding a tsunami, the land is miles behind them, and left on their own, experienced sailors as they are, they are doomed. Except for that dominant cruciform Jesus, about to command stillness.
Yet Mark says clearly that Jesus was at the back, in the stern of the boat, asleep. In the picture Jesus is shown to be high and lifted up, at the front. This is of course artistic licence, but making its own theological point; the artist’s interpretation is supported by the verb Mark uses which is an intensified form of rising, describing Jesus’ action as standing up to his full height. And the place of authority and the highest point is the uplifted prow
Perhaps the reason the picture is called ‘Stilling the Tempest’, a title which uses the present participle, is precisely to convey the urgent authority of Jesus, striding from stern to prow. The picture then becomes a portrait of that moment just as Jesus is about to speak two commands; to the wind, “be quiet!, and to the sea, “be calm!”
The Chinese artist, Monika Liu Ho-Peh, has captured that dramatic split second, when with oars all over the place, sails ripped, bodies exhausted, impending doom is forestalled and frustrated by impending deliverance. And that is exactly how Mark portrays Jesus.
Psalm 42.1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.”
Desire is one of the most powerful drives in human life. That inner feeling of wanting is felt as lack, and it is only satisfied when fulfilled. That’s true of ice cream on a hot day, buying something we have saved up for, celebrating the birth of a child, or a reunion of close friends after years of being separated by geography. Then there’s the deer desperate for water in a dry land, because water is life. And it’s that image of desperation that best describes the longing for God, the desire to know God more intimately, and for us to be known more deeply by the One whose goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives. Longing is desire to know more of our Lord Jesus: “More of his saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me.”
