Mid-term elections have come and gone and, despite apocalyptic campaign adds, the world did not end after all. In fact, quite the opposite is true. The rotation of the earth still takes a full 24 hours, and New Year’s Eve will fall on the 365th day as scheduled.
In the days to come, we will see if our elected officials can turn cheap talk and bitter rhetoric into actual legislation. Many of them will find that, despite the excitement of campaigns, the daily grind of governing is not all that spectacular. Much of it is downright boring and routine.
This reminds me of the Christian life sometimes. When we become a Christian, we most likely make the decision in the throes of lofty, redemptive rhetoric. Our conversion experiences and baptisms, first communions and commissionings are exciting events. Enthusiasm runs high. We read our Bibles with fervor. We can’t wait to share the Gospel with everyone we meet, even our pets.
Eventually, we realize that our journey of faith is not always so emotional. We have to do the hard work of living out our salvation on a day-to-day basis where our jobs, families, neighborhoods, and hobbies intersect. We put one foot in front of the other in the midst of messiness and conflict, fragile families and failing economies.
The difficult task of walking with Christ can get mundane. We can easily forget to pray or read our Bibles. Our ancient, sacred traditions do not always relate to our current culture. In all honesty, even clergy can become bored now and then.
Like politicians who must eventually govern in spite of the excitement of an election season, we must eventually get to the place where we relate to Christ with unyielding love despite emotional whims that come and go.
It’s like practicing scales repeatedly on a musical instrument. It is tedious work, but it allows students to master both the instrument and the notes. By the time the student performs, she knows those notes so intimately, she makes playing the instrument seem easy. The regimen of a committed life fully transforms random notes into prayerful music–a work of art made in honor of art’s Master.
In Luke 7:18-23, John the Baptist sent messengers to ask Jesus whether or not Jesus was the messiah, God’s anointed one, who would usher in a new era of God’s salvation. Everyone back then, John included, expected the messiah to come on the scene in a blaze of glory, raising an unstoppable army to overthrow the Roman Empire.
John had his doubts about Jesus because Jesus did not raise an army. Jesus did not campaign to raise funds from the aristocracy. Rather, Jesus spent time with the poor and powerless. There was no demonstration of military power, only an anticlimactic Gospel message that emphasized reconciliation and forgiveness over violence and retaliation.
Jesus’ was a sluggish movement that inspired a consistent work ethic instead of heated speeches. Consider that Jesus’ ministry took place over a three-year time span that began after thirty years of preparation. The four evangelists–Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John–only record the most exciting moments in this history; the rest was just daily grind stuff–Jesus changed the world with baby steps and a simple dedication to God’s will.
We often move from one experience to another, overdosing on entertainment, over-stimulation, and sugar-highs. The Christian life, however, is one lived out in conformity to a God that is not always so exciting. 15th-century saint, Thomas A’Kempis once wrote: “Thou art called to endure and to labour, not to a life of ease and trifling talk.” That’s good advice in an age tall on promises but short on long-term commitment.
Baptist Spirituality 