What Will You Do?
What Will You Do?
A view of the world in which one part is comprised entirely of "angels", and the other populated only with "devils" is the creation of infants "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms"! Sadly, today many Christians seem completely content with such a paradigm. It's just a fantasy. But it does lead to dangerous conclusions, deluded decisions, and destructive activities.
Such judgement of the 16th C and its Reformation of the Church is one very good example of this kind of carry-on and caper. There are still Protestants and Catholics today who believe themselves "licensed" to mock and knock anything they perceive or imagine to be the "opposition". Whereas in fact, the truth is that there were (and are) saints and sinners, sages and fanatics, both sane and daft, on both sides of this religious divide.
There are but a few, short steps from parochialism to sectarianism to cultishness! Each in varying degrees and ways denies one of the Bible's core principles and values...the basic unity of the People of God,
"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head...there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore." (Ps 133.1-3)
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4.3-6)
The denial (or even the diminution!) of this unity effectively "amputates" certain members out of the Body of Christ, and thereby we rob ourselves and others of the particular richness of His grace which those saints have been chosen to gift to us.
During the latter years of his turbulent reign, King Henry VIII of England executed (willy-nilly?) both Protestants and Catholics. His rule began with an apparently sincere concern for matters divine, but undoubtedly ended in a blood-spattered explosion of self-interest and self-preservation.
With great pathos, historians have recorded Protestants and Catholics arguing their way to their place of execution, as to who was going to be the "true" martyr? Such madness aside, it is now quite clear to me that during those chaotic days, both of the "warring" parties could legitimately lay claim to certain of their adherents having truly and sincerely laid down their lives for Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
One such was the Christian hermit, John Houghton (1487-1553) of London. As a bright and devout young man he had studied law and divinity at Cambridge University and obtained doctorates in both disciplines. He chose to turn his back on academic fame and professional fortune by joining the Carthusian hermits, thus devoting himself to a life of perpetual worship of God and prayer for others.
John's community was widely respected because of the holiness and wisdom of its members, and probably for this reason was target-ed by Henry VIII as a potentially significant ally. At this point in his "wild" reign, the king was seeking by all and every means possible to assert his absolute authority over the Church as well as the State.
The Carthusians of London were asked to pledge with an oath their allegiance to the king as the "supreme head" of the Church of England. They consulted the Holy Spirit and their own consciences for three days, and then declined to so swear. They "could not take the King to be supreme head afore the Apostles of Christ's Church".
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Mt 6.24)
In an attempt to intimidate his people, Henry VIII (after a show-trial) had the prayer community's leaders (including John Houghton) "hanged, drawn and quartered". This strategy blew up in the king's face, as the men died with great faith and dignity.
After he had been hanged by his neck with a rope until he was almost dead, John was cut down and disembowelled while still alive. His executioner then held up the hermit's still-beating heart before his face, and the martyr prayed, "Good Jesu, what will You do with my heart?"
This prayer - most likely learned as a child - cuts to ribbons many modern-day, evangelical-charismatic mores. For John did not in his extremity cry out, "What are You going to do for me, God?" Nor did he pray, "Look Lord, at what I'm doing for You." His supplication, which silenced a city mob more used to baying for blood, was that of a child of God completely and unconditionally abandoned and surrendered to the sovereign and (more-often-than-not) wholly mysterious Will of God!
Should the Lord tarry (and I desperately hope that He does not!) then I believe that we will be remembered by Church History as the "me, not Thee" generation. Because if we are not caterwauling to have our every little, last need met according to the "prosperity gospel", then we're pushing and shoving as hard as we can go to be noticed and known, feted and applauded on the grotesque cake-walk of Christian ministry celebrity-ism!
In New Zealand recently, both the Church and the State's hearts have been exposed. Public figures from both estates have proclaimed (some actually with a modicum of embarrassment) their addiction to money-power and conspicuous consumption. Their hearts have been drawn out before our faces and put on public display. Ought we to be concerned? Yes,
massively so! Because,
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Mt 6.21)
"For the love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Tim 6.10 KJV)
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Mt 6.24)
I think, that in the light of this true Truth, both God and the people of New Zealand probably feel despised by those leaders (both secular and sacred) who love money and power more than them. And the blame for this lies fairly and squarely on our, the Church's doorstep, for,
"Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted...Righteousness exalts a nation." (Pr 11.11, 14.34)
Or to paraphrase these words in the "Kiwi" vernacular: If a nation seems to be going down the "toilet", it's because the Church is not healthy! If a society is in decay, what has happened to the light, the salt, and the yeast?
"You are the light of the world...put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Mt 5.14-16)
"You are the salt of the earth." (Mt 5.13)
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." (Mt 13.33)
John Houghton gave up fame and fortune to serve God as a Christian hermit. What life he had as the leader of a prayer house, was brutally torn from him by a greedy king. But the exposing of John's physical heart, revealed his spiritual heart...and its purity and humility and divinity stirred all of London, shook a tyrant, and moves and disquiets us even today.
The Church does not need any more "hoorah Henrys"...it already has plenty! But we do desperately require an army of John Houghtons!
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Ps 24.3-4)
"Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart." (Ps 73.1)
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Mt 5.8)
