This months’ watch material comes in three related
parts. The first relates to the current state of our nations and the continent
of which we are a part, the second to God and chaos, and the third addresses the
feedback that we have received on nation states, Israel and the divine nature. So there
is plenty to pray into and challenge our mindsets with and then relate to our daily
life in the world!
1. THE STATE OF
OUR NATION AND CONTINENT
A recent letter calling British Christian leaders to
prayer begins: “The United
Kingdom is in great trouble. The economic
problems have exposed the moral and spiritual bankruptcy of the nation. The
foundations of our society are being shaken.” Although I recognise the need for
united prayer and appreciate the sense of responsibility of friends and
colleagues involved in this initiative, I find myself distinctly uneasy at the
assumptions behind this call to prayer. While I agree with the conclusion that
the foundations of the nation are being shaken, I regard that fact as the desired
conclusion of three generations of revival, two decades of intercession and an
extraordinary season of prophecy. The signs are that the UK might be
getting OUT of trouble at last! And while I recognise many moral and spiritual
failings in the nation, it seems premature to equate the economic problems with
moral and spiritual bankruptcy. It may rather be that the exposure of the moral
and spiritual bankruptcy of our western economic system is a sign of impending
moral and spiritual revival. That God is pleased with the desire for justice
and concern for the environment of many young sons and daughters of peace out
there who haven’t yet discovered him personally. These alternative ways of viewing
what is happening can be applied to our whole continent so let’s all take courage
and think about praying along these lines.
2. GOD AND CHAOS
A few of us from France, Germany and the UK have just spent
several days in prayer, discussion and
prophetic interpretation together in the ongoing attempt to understand and
impact the times we are in. We found ourselves led to consider the relationship
between God and chaos particularly in the light of the current economic shakings
and recent scientific discoveries. We concluded the following: (i) God created
out of chaos not out of nothing (Gen1:2). Chaos is not negative but the basic
material of creation and life (Jn1:3). This is a helpful corrective to the
weird idea promoted by Augustine that God must have created out of nothing and be
entirely separate from his creation because it is in some way contaminating. (ii)
Whenever something old needs to be completed and a resurrection needs to take
place and bring about new creation, fullness, the kingdom of God, then shaking
is necessary to precipitate the new, and this makes for a season of chaos
(Heb12:26-27). (iii) The current shakings and chaos need to be embraced in
faith in order for the kingdom to come. This faith is not passivity, but
faithfulness to the love and mercy of the kingdom of God
whatever happens.
3. RESPONSE TO THE
FEEDBACK OF THE LAST MONTHS
Nation states, Israel and the divine nature. The
full text of the feedback can be found on the blog at www.daywatch.eu
i) Nation states
It has been suggested that the nation state is a lot
older than 500 years. I agree that the state, and particularly the city state,
of course goes back to Plato and beyond and was the building block for empire,
understood as the means of the domination of the many by the few and featured
by the devil in his temptation of Jesus (Lk4:5-8, Mtt4:8-10).My point is that the modern western nation
state as the supposed vehicle for peace over a territory and its inhabitants is
the child of Christendom (the word we use in English to describe the marriage
of Church and empire). This nation state is a new sovereignty that has been
established in the cause of peace, which the church has been dependent on and
legitimated, but to which it has given away its responsibility and the future
hope for this world. If this is correct then the nation state is in part a
Christian construct, but definitely not a kingdom one. Like empire itself God
can use it redemptively, but it can never be the primary means to the kingdom of God
because the domination component is antichristian and in the end opposes the kingdom of God.
(ii) Israel
On the basis of a Christological hermeneutic, or put more
simply if we interpret the whole of scripture through Jesus as its fulfilment,
then we have to conclude that the nation of Israel was the primary agent of the
kingdom of God before Jesus came, but is fulfilled in him. Neither he nor his
church replaces Israel,
but they both fulfil its responsibility as the primary agent of salvation. Israel is now
the recipient of salvation together with the other nations, each having their own
specific redemptive gift. However these national identities are distinct from
the nation states that shackle them. The state is an empire based form of
captivity that the kingdom
of God has come to
destroy. This includes the nation state of Israel,
which ultimately works against the kingdom
of God like all empire
based constructs.
iii) The nature of Christ
I suggested in the first Daywatch guidelines that the
words kenotic and kenosis are good words for describing the way of life in the kingdom of God. I based this on Paul’s use of the
term in Philippians 2:7 to describe Jesus giving himself in love in contrast to
the empty glory of seeking ones own way (Phil2:3). The question has been raised
of the usefulness of ascribing the words ‘kenotic’ and ‘kenosis’ to Jesus’ way
of life. I’ve no particular axe to grind about this, and take the point that some
people might get a bit put off if they Google or otherwise explore terms that
some people have used to suggest that Jesus somehow ceased to be God when he
emptied himself. The same contributor has suggested that we build up a glossary
of such terms on the blog so that people will know how we are using them. While
this could be a good idea, it has the tendency to suggest that we are trying to
arrive at certainty here, rather than risk a chaotic season. I prefer the
latter at this point. To clarify, when following the Christ of the gospels we
encounter one who pours his love and power out for others, rather than holding
on to it for himself. I suggest that far from this suggesting that he is less
than God, it suggests that this is what God does too.
Blessings,
Roger and Team
PS The team is NOT just me, and now that I have got
things started you can expect to hear more from the others!
Considering the times we live in right now, people seek peace within their faith and religion. It is the right way to wait for kingdom of god to come and i think most of those who suffer or are in need do this usually. It's the natural thing to do, we tend to remember god when we need his support most. I guess returning to god is the only good result of these times.
