Do You See What I See?

“Charlie Brown, this is an excellent day for lying here on our backs and watching the clouds!”  “I couldn’t agree with you more….what do you see in the clouds, Linus?”  “Well, over there is a representation of Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.”  “Good grief!  I see a bunny and a horsey and a floor lamp…and, of course, the little red-haired girl…”  Scriptures for this upcoming weekend are geared to the dreamers, the visionaries among us.

The first vision is described by Luke in the 16th chapter of Acts, vv. 9-15.  Stymied from doing more ministry in Asia Minor, Paul reports a vision of a “man of Macedonia” asking for his help.  This wasn’t in the original game plan, but they went with all speed to Philippi, the district capital.  There, Paul & Co. found more receptivity from Lydia and her cohort of women than from the “men of Macedonia”.  Was Lydia also a visionary?  She was certainly caught up in the work of the Spirit, and undoubtedly paved the way for a local congregation to grow and prosper.  Notice that the community continues to grow, to become more diverse and world-wide. David G. Forney reminds us that “visions from God are surprising things, for they utterly transform us and alter our course.”   (FEASTING on the WORD, C 2:478)

Vision #2 (Revelation 21:22-22:5) is that of John the Divine, who beholds the City of God pouring out of Heaven: “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”  The Temple of Jerusalem was considered the world-navel for generations–but now there’s no need to box God in, because in God is the centering of ALL the nations.  To those living in memory of the recent destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and to those remembering in holy- history the downfall of previous temples, this seems like a welcome permanence:  at last, the New Jerusalem will be indestructible!  Take THAT, you ruthless empires of the world!

The Vision of the Gospel (for today) is found in John 14:23-29, during Jesus’ long farewell discourse at the Last Supper.  Jesus calls the disciples to envision the coming Advocate, “”who will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”  What?  There’s more?  He knew that any movement wouldn’t survive and prosper without a central source which would be a template for centuries of ethical choices.  This vision deals with permanence, again–a new community is already being formed to be seen with the eyes of the heart.

I gotta confess that my lack of imagination limits me in what I see in the clouds.  I was much better at this sort of thing when I was younger and not so cluttered up with rational doubts and fears.  The trick, I suppose, is to push away world-time cataracts so that my visionary eyes can be renewed.  Help me to do this, Lord:  I’d like to see and be part of the Big Picture…

God Bless Us, Every One                         Horace Brown King

My encounters with the lectionary readings for the upcoming weekend can be witnessed every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com