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What if the key to a flourishing life was as simple as staying put?

The chances are good that your neighbours are new to town—you might be too. We live in an uprooted world. I have written on the prevalence of nostalgia (homesickness) in our hyper-mobile culture. The effects of such a highly mobile culture include record-high levels of anxiety, depression, and a host of social ills that come from isolation and loneliness.

An (upwardly) mobile culture

More than 82 million people have been forcibly displaced from their homelands due to political upheavals, economic instability or natural disasters. We see these asylum seekers in every city or town. These minority groups have come here fleeing from disasters, hoping for a better life. Yet, a greater number of the people in your city or town have come here to pursue their desires. They, too, left home in pursuit of the good life.

Our world is driven by the lie that “the good life is out there,” running relentlessly towards the ever-evading pot of gold at the rainbow’s end. Our upwardly mobile culture always wants more, driven by billions of dollars in marketing campaigns.

In Christian circles, we won’t easily acknowledge greed as our motive for moving on. We say, “God has opened a door to bless me elsewhere.” But the underlying motive is the same: God’s blessing is over there, at that job, in that place, with those people. We don’t trust that God can or will bless us where we are now. So, to enjoy a better life, I must move on because the good life is not here.

Our culture is not unique in the history of the world. The 12th-century theologian Anselm of Canterbury wrote of restless people in his day. He compared these wanderers to trees that, when “frequently transplanted or often disturbed,” would not take root anywhere but wither and die.

“If he often moves from place to place at his own whim
(or remains agitated because of hatred for the place)”,
this unhappy person will “never achieve stability with roots of love.”

– Anslem of Canterbury, 12th century AD.

The Wisdom of Stability

In his book, The Wisdom of Stability, Johnathan Wilson-Hartgrove describes the perils of our mobile culture. Without roots, we become:

• enslaved by our insatiable desires and ambitions, driven like uprooted bushed over a dry landscape.
• consumers of people and places, using my neighbours and neighbourhood to my advantage with no intention of genuine long-term relationships.
• ignorant of God, who is here and willing to bless us.
• disconnected from Christ, who loved the world and gave himself to these neighbours who live and work with me now.

In the book, Wilson-Hargrove describes how his life and mission was been transformed as he encountered a community in Europe living by the vow of St Benedict of Nursia. This Christian community, living and working in the city, lived by the Benedictine principles of stability, fidelity and obedience. The vow of stability grounds the monk or nun to a life of service within the monastery, receiving each member of this community as a gift from God. In doing this, the monk or nun trusts that God will bless him or her in this place, alongside and through the members of this community.

Stability is the opposite of the relentless seeking that drives our contemporary culture. Stability invites us to stop pursuing a better life elsewhere and rather settle down and seek the good life that God blesses us with here. Stability invites us to accept our limits as gifts, the boundaries that contain the goodness of God. Stability invites us to commit ourselves to a place and watch it change before our eyes. Practising stability means we have to unlearn the habits of culture that state that life is better elsewhere.

St Benedict’s vow of stability is grounded in Jacob’s encounters with the Lord.

A reason to run

In Genesis 28, we find Jacob on the run. His ambition and scheming have soured the already strained family relations. He deceived his father, Isaac, to steal his brother Esau’s inheritance. The fear of his brother and the shame of his betrayal prompted Jacob to leave home to pursue a better life elsewhere. The problem, Jacob would soon discover, is that he was trying to flee from himself – from his greedy and deceitful nature and the shame it caused. Running away from yourself is a futile task, as Thomas à Kempis wrote: “Wherever you go, you bear yourself, and always find yourself.” (“The Imitation of Christ”, Translated by Leo Sherley-Price, 1952).

The temptation to run away from relational troubles is common to all. The 5th century Ama Theodora of Alexandria recorded a conversation between two monks. As the one was putting on his sandals to leave the monastery for good, his roommate wisely remarked:

“Is it on my account that you are going away?
Because I go before you wherever you are going.”

An invitation to stay put

Yet, the very evening in which Jacob ran away, the Lord appeared to him in a dream, showing a ladder connecting heaven and earth, filled with angels ascending and descending. The Lord said to him:

“I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac… [I’ll give you this land and legacy]… Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

Genesis 28:13-15, ESV

In the vision, the Lord assures this troubled young man that he is not responsible for his own prosperity. The Lord shows him that He is here and active in this very place he is fleeing from. Help from heaven is right here! The Lord promises Jacob:

• My blessing is a gift to you and your children;
• I will protect you and prosper you;
• Your prosperity is not dependant on your ability or effort but first on my goodness and character;
• I am aware you are running away. I am with you and for you – I will bless you still.

Despite his betrayal, deceit, and disbelief, the Lord assured him that He would prosper and protect him. Jacob’s blessing would come not from his efforts but from God’s provision and protection. In other words, Jacob does not need to seek prosperity elsewhere because the Lord of blessing is with him and for him.

Embracing Mission, here

Reading Jacob’s dream in the broader context of Biblical history helps us see that God’s generosity and companionship towards Jacob were for the sake of the world. God is on a mission to redeem and restore creation and chose Abraham and his descendants to partner with him. Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, was invited to embrace the legacy and engage in the Lord’s mission. The Lord would bless Jacob to bless those who surround him and those who would succeed him.

“Your place and community are for you a grace – a gift from God – and a mission. 
We are responsible for the growth of those with whom we live
and for the salvation of many persons.”

Augustine Roberts

Stability breeds Shalom

Our culture pressures us to chase after opportunities, hoping it will leave us better off. But the wisdom of stability teaches us that God is here where we are, and he will bless us for the sake of his mission. The good life is not out there, somewhere. The good life comes from God, and He is with you.

Shalom depends on your awareness and response to the God of peace who is in this place. So stay put and see how God will bless you – and those around you – where you are.

“Most of my life was spent living as a privileged person in an unjust society. Last time I did nothing to help change. At 76, I am not about to repeat the mistake. This time I march. I shout. I scream.” Robin Binckles, author, historian, columnist.

The words above penned by Robin Binkles above capture much of our collective sentiment towards the current political situation in South Africa.  Following the news this morning my heart again is heavy – not because of the nationwide protests, but because of the blatant presidential corruption and political injustice which provokes the marches. My heart breaks for the poor and the vulnerable in our nation who keep on suffering because of this persistent corruption and prevailing apathy.  God save us!

Over the last few weeks I have become increasingly aware of the suffering within our beautiful nation, more specifically the poverty within Cape Town.  As the info-graphic below could explain, privileged people are not commonly confronted with the pervasiveness of poverty, because that is how our social tapestry is woven. We generally work, live and move within our own economic spheres. One can only appreciate the impact of poverty when one crosses over into the world of the poor – even if it is only 5km away.

Looking at this map one can’t ignore the fact that 25 years after Apartheid was abolished a city like Cape Town still lives in racial segregation – primarily due to economic inequality cultivated by a racist regime: according to the latest figures from Statistics SA the average annual household income for white South Africans are still five times more than that of black households.[1] We are still segregated by the sins of our past.

Secondly, we might be unaware of the suffering and poverty around us because our generation is fixated on fun.  People preoccupied with pleasure train themselves to preserve happiness by overlooking pain.  Suffering steals our serenity, so we have mastered mindless indifference – we have become blinded to the surrounding suffering.  Indeed, ignorance is bliss.

What does justice demand in this unjust society?

Essentially, Biblical justice demands three things:[2] firstly, that each person is created in the image of God[3] and therefore all people should be treated equal[4], allowing for equal opportunity.  In this case, the abolishment of Apartheid was a celebration of justice in South Africa, but as the map above shows, economic equality is not a reality and therefore justice has not yet been established.  Secondly, Biblical justice calls for special care of the vulnerable in society – those most severely affected by fallen creation (the “orphan, the widow and the foreigner”[5]). This “care” for the weak and poor requires charity to provide in needs[6], but also necessitates advocacy to call for an end injustice[7] and intervention and liberation to free from oppression[8]. Thirdly, justice demands a generous sharing of livelihood with those in need[9]. The motive for this neighborly kindness is rooted in compassion – the compelling love that emanates from a deep sense of identification with another suffering individual.[10]

God frequently dismissed corporate worship whenever social justice was not practiced in Israel.[11]  The care for the weak, poor and marginalized is essential for a living relationship with God because God personally identifies with the lowly, weak and oppressed.[12]

Injustice and oppression in society therefore require deliberate social intervention programs to ensure justice for the weak and the marginalized.[13] Since injustice is the result of the inherent corruption of man (i.e. sin), true and lasting social reformation requires the renewal of the human heart. And that is exactly what the gospel of justification by grace does, as Yale theologian Miroslav Volf discovered when he reflected while walked through the dispirited inner city of Baltimore.

“Could the hope for inner cities lie in part in the retrieval of the doctrine of justification by grace? How could the dead streets receive life from a dead doctrine? Imagine that you have no job, no money; you live cut off from the rest of society in a world ruled by poverty and violence; you are pre-judged for the color of your skin—and you have no hope that any of this will change.

Around you is a society governed by the iron law of achievement. Its gilded goods are flaunted before your eyes on TV screens, and in a thousand ways society tells you every day that you are worthless because you have no achievement… But the gospel tells us that we are not defined by outside forces. It tells us that we count; even more, that we are loved unconditionally and infinitely, irrespective of anything you have achieved or failed to achieve. Imagine now this gospel not simply proclaimed, but embodied in a community. Justified by sheer grace, the community seeks to “justify” by grace those declared “unjust” by a society’s implacable law of achievement…. A dead doctrine? Hardly!”[14]

Thus the Biblical justice happens when God’s Kingdom manifests to liberate individuals and a community at large from the corruption of sin[15] resulting in societal regeneration and reconciliation as he “make(s) all things new.”[16]

What does justice for the poor demand from me?

It is important to note that Biblical justice demands the care for the poor, weak and marginalized not primarily from the state or the temple, but from the neighbors. This is evident in the legislated Year of Jubilee[17] and its principled application in the early church.[18]  Jesus made that exact point with his parables of the Good Samaritan[19] and the King’s rewards to the righteous.[20] Yes God does command justice in the judicial system and government[21] but primarily God expects it from his people to ensure justice for their neighbors.

The overwhelming need and violence within our country is intimidating, but justice simply asks “how shall you love your neighbor as yourself.”[22] So how could you respond?

Firstly, open your eyes and your heart to see the need and meet the needy. It is often lamented that the biggest accusation against the church in the West is not that we don’t care for the poor, but rather that we do not know the poor. And this is certainly true for our economically divided society. We honestly do not see the needs of the needy nor do we hear their cries, therefore we don’t feel or respond.  Therefore, make a friend who is vulnerable and poor – and listen in order to hear and understand their struggle.  Don’t give from a distance – build a lasting relationship first.

Secondly, don’t be pacified by the enormity of the need out there. “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.”[23]  Do what you can, share what you have.  But “do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.”[23]  Work towards dignifying a person and his or her legacy by empowering him or her out of oppression. And remember, “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”[24]

Lastly, don’t become cynical, thinking that this is the way it will always be on earth.  The Gospel truly changes societies and nations for the good – not just secure people for eternity. For that reason trust in God as you keep on praying “let Your Kingdom come, let Your will be done! On earth as it is in heaven!”[25] Imagine what could your city look like when the Kingdom of God manifests, and pray for that! Strive to let heaven invade earth.

Like Robin Binkles I must admit that “most of my life was spent living as a privileged person in an unjust society… [and] I did nothing to help change… [but] I am not about to repeat the mistake.”  So Lord, let your Kingdom come! In me and through me.

[1] Pitjeng, R., 28 January 2017, Stats SA: Black households continue to be excluded from the economy, Eye Witness News online: Johannesburg. Available at http://ewn.co.za/2017/01/28/stats-sa-black-households-continue-to-be-excluded-from-the-economy. Last viewed 18 March 2017.

[2] Keller, T. 2012, What is Biblical Justice? Relevant Magazine, 23 August.

[3] Genesis 1:27; cf Acts 17:29.

[4] Exodus 22:1; cf James 2:1.

[5] Deuteronomy 10:18.

[6] Deuteronomy 14:19, 24:19-20; James 1:27.

[7] Isaiah 1:17; Proverbs 31:8-9.

[8] Psalm 82:3-4.

[9] Deuteronomy 15:1-14; 1 John 3:17-19.

[10] Luke 10:26-37; cf 1 Corinthians 13:3.

[11] Amos 5:23-24; Isaiah 58:1-14; Micah 6:8; Matthew 23:23.

[12] Matthew 25:34-40.

[13] e.g. Acts 6:1-6.

[14] Volf, M. 1997. Shopkeeper’s Gold, The Christian Century, 12 November, p. 1045.

[15] Psalm 76:9; Romans 8:20-22; 3:23.

[16]1 Corinthians 5:17-20; Revelations 21:5; cf Colossians 1:20.

[17] Deuteronomy 15:1-14.

[18] Acts 4:34-35.

[19] Luke 10:26-37.

[20] Matthew 25:34-40.

[21] Proverbs 16:11-14.

[22] Matthew 22:39.

[23] Proverbs 3:25, Deuteronomy 15:4-5; cf. 1 John 3:17-18.

[24] Matthew 25:40.

[25] Matthew 6:10.

God promises a new you.  The story of the Bible from beginning to end reveals God’s engagement with humanity to renew mankind in a very personal and profound way.  Throughout the Scriptures we read the promises and provision for receiving “a new heart”, “a new name [or identity]”, “a new creation”[i], collectively being “a new nation” inheriting “a new heaven and a new earth”.[ii]  Therefore we are encouraged to “be renewed in strength”, “be renewed in spirit of your mind” and holistically “be transformed”[iii] by God’s grace; for “His mercies… are new every morning”[iv].

What God had purposed and promised in Christ is a complete transformation of your being; in short: A NEW YOU!  Not a superficial MAKE-OVER that focuses on outward appearance or behavioral modification but true transformation of your nature, character and destination.  And this is good news!  God had always in mind to forgive and remove the sins that cause decay and destruction.  Often the concept of sin is perceived as fuzzy and very “religious” – as though it is something wholly removed from the “real” world.  But the truth is that “sin” simply means “failure”, “shortcoming” or “imperfection”.  So God’s plan for our renewal and regeneration is to remove the cause and result of our inherent imperfections, shortcoming and failures. His plan is to remove all separation, suffering and sadness as he “make[s] all things new”.[v]

This process starts with being “born again”, a renewal of the spirit or heart – a core change of the person.[vi]  In Jesus’s substitutionary death he exchanged our sinful nature for his righteousness [vii]  – by this we are declared just before God and naturally long for goodness.

A new confidence: freed from your past

When God makes you new he restores your confidence before himself and the world.   One good illustration of this was when Joshua, who was high priest in Jerusalem around 500 BC, stood ashamed before the Lord with Satan accursing him (Zechariah 3:1-7).  The reason for the shame and accusation was “filthy garments”.  Joshua was in a predicament: he was the high priest, mediator and intercessor between God and man, but now his “garments [were] filthy”.   He was a man who has served God for a long time, has been appointed by God and honored by men.  But now after having served as an example of holiness and godliness for many years.  Yet this godly man no longer had confidence to minister before God and men because he felt ashamed about his sins or failures – which God knew, and possibly some people (“filthy garments” and “iniquity”).  So he lost his confidence as high priest.  Yet the Lord did not lose confidence in his servant Joshua, and moved powerfully to restore Joshua to serve the church powerfully.  Firstly the Lord quieted the voice of accusation to clear his conscience, and then instructed the change of clothes to remove his shame before God and people.  This is powerful illustration that our righteousness and holiness is graciously imparted by God, not from our goodness.  But then the Lord also reaffirmed Joshua’s office and ministry of high priest by issuing him a “new turban” – he had renewed confidence to not only stand before God with a clear conscience, but the Lord affirmed him in his authority and ministry.  After his failure Joshua felt guilty, ashamed and disqualified.  Yet his meeting with the Lord delivered him from the accusations, guilt and sense of disqualification.  The Lord removed his shame and restored his confidence before him and people.  Likewise we are encouraged “Don’t lose your confidence – it has great reward”.[viii]

A new identity: free from your failure

“A man is valued by what others say of him.” [ix]  How true!  Your self-view or reflective identity is shaped by how people relate to you – what they say to and of you, and how they treat or respond to you.   And in an imperfect society with broken people the identity derived from others is often hurtful and shameful.

However, our identities are mostly derived from how people experience us; we are named by our habitual behavior – whether good or bad.  We know people as either a sweetheart or brute, a workaholic or drunkard, a pervert or servant, a thief or a giver, a peacemaker or a fox; the list of labels go on and on.  Our habits shape characters which shape our identity.  But when God renews your nature he gives you “a new name”, a new identity.[x]  He not only renews your heart or your confidence, but also your character and identity.

One such example is Jacob.  His life was characterized by deceit and betrayal, and wherever he went he left a trail of broken relationship and angry people.  In fact, his name means “deceiver”, “liar”, “schemer”.  After cheating his brother out of his inheritance he fled for his life (Genesis 32ff).  But that night Jacob was met by the Lord who made a covenant of protection and prosperity.  Yet Jacob did not change deeply.  Yes, he was prospered by God in spite of being cheated for years, but Jacob’s relationships in his home and with his family was characterized by deceit, suspicion, manipulation – all lies.  Years after fleeing his father’s home Jacob again fled the home of his father-in-law.  By this time the Lord had prospered him tremendously, but he did not have peace.  He could not remain with his in-laws because of the damage of deceit.  Yet he could not return home to his own land which he cheated from his brother Esau, fearing the wrath of this skilled hunter.

As Jacob was nearing his home country the fear was mounting and Jacob did what he always did: he cowardly schemed to appease his brother.  But Jacob’s reality was screaming too loudly; the destruction of his character flaw was undeniable.  Jacob no longer wanted to be a known as a deceiver.  So that night Jacob went across the river to meet the Lord (Genesis 32:24-28).  He wrestled with the Lord all night, and would not let him go until the Lord changed his identity and his walk.  He persisted until he was truly a new man.  Jacob, “the deceiver”, was transformed into Israel, “prince of God”.  Jacob got a new name, a new identity.  His walk literally changed so that everyone who saw him could see that something happened, and that Jacob was a new person.  But also his legacy changed that night – his descendants are not known as Jacobites or “deceivers”, but rather Israelites or “princes of God”.  God made Jacob a new man with a new identity and new legacy.

A new you

Both Joshua the high priest and Jacob’s life examples are reserved in Scripture for our encouragement: God is on a mission to redeem lives, so that in Him we are not slaves of our past or slaves of our passions.

Joshua’s story reminds us that even when we fail and Satan accuses us we need not hide in shame.  The Lord forgives and restores us so we can confidently continue to serve and represent him to the world.  Failure does not imply finished.  Our confidence before the Lord and the world comes as a gift from the Lord, not our performance.  Does the memory of your failure fil your with guilt and shame?  Stand before the Lord in humility, and see how he stills your conscience, cleanses your heart and restores your confidence.  Your life is not over; “his mercies are new every morning”![xi]

Jacob’s story reminds is that is never too late to redeem your identity, your walk or your legacy.  The Lord makes all things new!  Does your life reveal cycles of destruction from a character weakness? Do you feel embarrassed by your habitual flaw?  Cross over to the Lord; come alone. Don’t let go until he blesses you; wrestle with him until he changes your walk, until he redeems your identity, until he renews your legacy. See how he makes you new!

 

[i] Scripture references in order Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26; Revelations 2:17; 3:12; 1 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 2:9-10;

[ii] Revelations 21:1

[iii] Isaiah 40:31; Ephesians 4:22-24; Romans 12:2

[iv] Lamentations 3:22-23

[v] Revelations 21:5

[vi] John 3:5; Ezekiel 36:26

[vii] 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 5:21

[viii] Hebrews 10:35

[ix] Proverbs 27:21

[x] Revelations 2:17; 3:12

[xi] Lamentations 3:22-23

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