“The universe is made of stories, not atoms.”
Muriel Rukeyser, The Speed of Darkness
I’ve always been fascinated by good stories. My favorite assignments in school required decoding a text’s D.I.M. — our school’s slang for “Deep Inner Meaning”. For me, compelling stories used symbols, patterns, and metaphors to make visible the space between what we experience through our senses and the spiritual world. Acknowledging liminal space and reality beyond what we can experience (https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liminal) gave recognition to my longing to understand the reality beyond our world. This is how Paul describes what I was looking for:
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Corinthians 4:18
Turns out, I’m far from alone in my quest for meaning. It seems like the need to find meaning or to create it is hardwired into humans. Enduring fascination with decoding symbols like the number 666, “the mark of the beast” in Revelation, superstitions and conspiracy theories, as well as the popularity of C.S Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings are just a few examples in contemporary culture. The Bible is far and away the piece of literature most embedded with meaning in symbols, signs and connections. Humans not only try to find meaning, we can send signals through the way we dress, the causes we support, and the ways we use language.
There are infinite numbers of stories to be told and discovered all around each of us.
Out of all the stories in the world, the one I most want to be most tuned into is the story of redemption. What are reliable clues I need to look for? What are the cues I send when I’m faithfully living in that story? Some signals that can be mistaken as legitimate are judgmental attitudes, miraculous works, claiming Jesus’ name without bearing good fruit (Matthew 7), and practicing righteousness in order to be seen (Matthew 6).
We don’t need to be D.I.M. experts or to decode mysterious symbols to understand God’s story of redemption. Scripture clearly tells us that a Christ like character is what we need to be cultivating in ourselves and looking for in those who profess faith:
Love
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-6
Humble Obedience
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
Matthew 25: 34-39
Abundance and Generosity
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22
Trust and Courage
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:10-18
This passage in Ephesians is wonderful — while we might wear outward signs of our belief like a cross (I wear one!) or clothing, Paul flips the script, using Roman armor to symbolize God’s invisible protection.
Where do we need to flip the script in our own lives and perspectives? Take time to pray this week that God will help all of us at South be discerning.
https://youtu.be/zotmQph6xEc?feature=shared
by Sherry Sommer
