ARBEL AND THE PARABLE OF THE WEEDS

Today was an amazing day.

Conquering Fear.

I knew that I had, to a certain extent, conquered my fear of heights. Arbel has, since June 2006, been a symbol of walking in faith. Literally.

That first time up Arbel, I remember, following Tom Grimmius, smug in my relative youth and physical fitness, as if by the sweat of my brow and the labor of my hand I was going to fight gravity and singlehandedly pull myself up the mountain. Forgetting why God had me there in the first place.

And then, the moment of fear. Of looking down at what looked like an impossibly wide chasm, spanned only by the tiniest sliver of metal hammered into the side of the mountain. I was seized.

All I could think was, “Don’t look again or you will be walking back down to the bus.” And that wasn’t’ possible. Not the shame. Not the defeat. RVL would not have permitted it. I would have had to fly back to the US.

So I said to God, “I know you did not bring me here to die on this mountainside in Israel.” And I stepped out in that faith. And like Tom and everyone else before and after me, I crossed over.

And that story has been a standing stone in my life since.

But today I put up another stone in that place.

I was excited to see Arbel again this morning, October 3, 2008. The same place, but two years further on my walk. And in the company of some of my closest friends. Surrounded by love.

I had no doubt that I was going to do it again. I was somewhat curious – how wide was it, really? Would I have the same fear, only more confidence? Would I even remember it the same way?

The hike up was more challenging than I remembered. I am not in the same condition I was – older, fatter and not as diligent in my training. It was showing, in my panting and on my pulse monitor. Praise God for the cool breeze and the stops along the way.

As we drew nearer, the adversary started again. “It will be even tougher this time. This path is too narrow. Give in to the temptation – throw yourself off. Your overconfidence will kill you this time!”

And then, it was there. Like many giants, it wasn’t as big as I remembered. In fact, it seemed so trivial, so insignificant, I almost laughed aloud. Like brave Sir Robin at the bridge, I thought, “That’s easy!” And I crossed over again.

We all gathered at the top. I shared how I think we make life harder than we should. By not believing God. By not believing in His power. By not believing His Son, whose yoke is easy and the burdens we carry in His name are light. Knowing that we are called to encourage one another, I shared my previous fear and my current victory.

It seems to me that it often happens when we are vulnerable, when we are intimate, when we create a safe place for the truth, the same intimacy and truth comes to the surface in the other hearts in that place. Today that heart was J___’s. She said, “Karl, that place was scary for me, too. Thank you for sharing – it strengthened me.” Chazaq indeed. What a blessing. What a sister. What a God.

Then we came to the hardest part – the way down. The way that, two years earlier, in a moment of community building, Scott took the feet of the woman on the cliffside above him and placed them, gently, step-by-step until she was down.

With colors flying, the banner of faith in Christ and confidence in His Father’s power, today, we all got down that mountain. Easily. Fear had no place there.

Praise God.

I pray that you make it up and down your mountains, fully confident in the hope of His Son, our Lord and Christ.


Wheat and Weeds.

There is evil in the world. No one who sees the news, both foreign and domestic, can doubt the very real battle that goes on every day. From the innermost rooms of our hearts, through the hearths and halls of our homes, to the streets of our villages and cities, across this nation, this globe – a darkness spreads through the land.

A light came into that darkness and has not been overcome by it.

So, then, how does His kingdom come? Does it come like a mighty wind, blowing down the foundationless strongholds of our adversary? Does it come like a thresher’s scythe, a winnower’s fork, an unquenchable fire?

Not yet, John. Not yet.

No one knows the day and hour the Father has appointed for the Son of Man to return. But we know what His Son told us the kingdom is like now: wheat and weeds. Shalom and chaos. Together, for now.

I’d like to think it is not just because the process of separating the weeds from the wheat runs the risk of destroying the good. No doubt it does – that was our Lord’s point. But what about this:

My youngest son once said something I have heard many Christians say, something they have picked up along the way. He said, “I just want Jesus to come right away.” I looked at him with all the love and attention I could muster, and asked what he thought would happen. Of course, he said that Jesus would take the believers to heaven. And what of the unbelievers, I asked? Well, they would go to the other place. And then I asked, “Do you really want to deprive them of the opportunity to repent tomorrow?”

I wonder if Our Father is waiting. Oh, I know He is, He told us so. But I wonder if He is waiting for us to believe in the transformational power of His love. A love so strong, that even the weeds, like ten lepers into healthy men, are transformed into wheat. Into something clean, and holy, and pleasing to God.

Father help us to live with the chaos around us. We are the light of the world. Light in darkness. Wheat in weeds. Help us to believe that your kingdom is here, is now, on earth as it is in heaven.

I know you are willing. Be healed.

Shalom

KTR