In preparing some remarks for a local congregation recently, I worked with a passage that comes early in the gospels. It is well-known that the message of Jesus was that the kingdom or the reign of God was present. I know some folks today who like to quibble with the idea of kingdom. It is a political term. I am not particularly fond of it, but it is the term the gospel writers use to describe the work of Jesus. Certainly, kingdom was a term familiar to most people in that day, surely to the Jewish community.
What was novel in the message of Jesus was his proclamation that it was here and had come now. Maybe that is when his trouble actually began. In Mark’s gospel Jesus clearly raised eyebrows in his first instance of public ministry. He entered the town of Capernaum where he went to the synagogue and began teaching. And in the same story, he also healed a man. It is surely the case that the gospel writer wants the reader to understand this is what the coming kingdom looks like.
In reflecting on this story, I realize that brought an urgency to the kingdom and to the work of the kingdom. Most of us probably know what urgency means, but it is also probable we never spent any extended time thinking about it. I invite you to do that just now.
Dictionary definitions are often helpful. When you look up urgency, we find the dictionary says it means “importance requiring action.” That fits very nicely the kingdom situation we just referenced. If we look a bit further, urgency also can mean “insistent.” Something that is urgent is insistent---it is always there demanding we do something. Clearly, what is at stake is something that is important, pressing and demands that we act.
When Jesus begins his public ministry, he is proclaiming a kingdom---a presence of God---that is urgent. It is important and demands our action. The four disciples Jesus chose right before this ministry in Capernaum responded to the urgency of his call by following him. Did they go with him to Capernaum? I would think so, since it says “they” went there. If they responded to his invitation to follow him, why would they not be excited to begin their own share in this kingdom work? They felt the urgency and they acted. In this sense they modeled what all of us should do.
As I pondered the idea of urgency, I realized it sits between two more extreme possible experiences. On one side of urgency is lethargy. Lethargy means that we lack energy and any enthusiasm for something. It might be for any number of reasons. We might be lethargic because we are depressed, lonely or simply don’t find the kingdom or anything else appealing. Lethargic people do not find life very interesting or compelling. They don’t want to do anything. They don’t make very good disciples or friends!
I believe there is much about our culture that can make us lethargic. This is especially true for folks who are relatively comfortable. If life is marginal---not enough food, sick or broke---life is probably not lethargic. We are under the gun to make something happen---eat, get well or get some money. But if I am comfortable, I can have things like social media and all the other electronic distraction. I can aimlessly scroll through Facebook or Twitter and feel “engaged” while doing nothing.
At the other end of lethargy is frenzy. Frenzy is as far from urgency as lethargy was. Frenzy feels like busyness on steroids. Time is flying by and so are we. It often comes with some undue pressure. Frenzy feels like engagement, but it is not. It is unproductive. Frenzy is intense activity, but is inefficient and unaccomplished. Typically, there is nothing to show for it. Frenzied people often feel tired, but can’t unwind. There is no satisfaction in frenzy, even though it feels busy.
Urgency is in between these extremes. Urgency knows something is important and I engage and act. There can be pressure, but it is the pressure to get on with it. Just as Jesus went to Capernaum to begin his ministry, we are to get with it to. I want to be involved in kingdom work, too. I want to teach and heal and all the rest. The world sorely needs all of us to be doing this. We have problems to address.
If we are lethargic, then nothing gets done. We can have a hundred reasons why we don’t do anything, but the bottom line is we do nothing. The world needs us and get can’t or won’t get off our duffs! If we become frenzied, then we might generate smoke, but no fire. We will look like we are busy with things, but there are no results. Nothing happens. This only heightens our frenzy and crazy things can happen.
I leave you with this question: if the kingdom comes to you, would you feel its urgency?
Those of us who have read theology or, perhaps, those who are people of faith and are old enough might well recognize this title as a reminder of the late Jewish philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber. I remember reading Buber’s book, I and Thou , when I was in college in the 1960s. It was already a famous book by then. I am not sure I fully understood it, but that would not be the last time I read it. It has been a while since I looked at the book. Buber came up in a conversation with a friend who asked if I had seen the recent article by David Brooks? I had not seen it, but when I was told about it, I knew I would quickly locate and read that piece. I very much like what Brooks decides to write about and what he contributes to societal conversation. I wish more people read him and took him seriously. Brooks’ article focused on the 2016 contentious election. He provocatively suggests, “Read Buber, Not the Polls!” I think Brooks puts
Comments
Post a Comment