Life, Death, or Death in life

I recently finished a reread of The Second Coming by Walker Percy - the first reading was probably 7-8 years ago. I somewhat remembered the storyline, and also had some oft-used quotes from the book. I appreciate Percy's understanding of the human condition, and his ability to unpack it within characters and story. The 2 main characters are in process of great awakenings to a) how things truly are, and b) how things might look different. I thought I'd include some portions here...

"There was the cat. Sitting there in the sun with its needs satisfied, for whom one place was the same as any other place as long as it was sunny - no nonsense about old haunted patches of weeds in Mississippi or a brand-new life in a brand-new place in Carolina - the cat was exactly a hundred percent cat, no more no less. As for Will Barrett [main character], as for people nowadays - they were never a hundred percent themselves. They occupied a place uneasily and more or less successfully. More likely they were forty-seven percent themselves or rarely, as in the case of Einstein on the streetcar, three hundred percent. All too often these days they were two percent themselves, specters who hardly occupied a place at all. How can the great suck of self ever hope to be a fat cat dozing in the sun?
There was his diagnosis, then. A person nowadays is two percent himself. And to arrive at a diagnosis is already to have anticipated the cure: how to restore the ninety-eight percent?" (p 16)

"I made straight A's and flunked ordinary living." (p 93)

"One night after the war and during the Eisenhower years the father was taking a turn under the oaks. The son watched him from the porch.
"The trouble is" the man said, "there is no word for this."
"For what?"
"This." He held both arms out to the town, to the wide world. "It's not war and it's not peace. It's not death and it's not life. What is it? What do you call it?"
"I don't know."
"There is life and there is death. Life is better than death but there are worse things than death."
"What?"
"There is no word for it. Maybe it never happened before and so there is not yet a word for it. What is the word for a state which is not life and not death, a death in life?" (emphasis mine p 126)

"Wasn't it possible to believe in God like Pascal's cold-blooded bettor, because there was everything to gain if you were right and nothing to lose if you were wrong?
For a while it seemed that it was possible.
Then it seemed not to matter.
In all honesty it was easier to believe it in cool Long Island for its very outrageousness where nobody believed anything very seriously than in hot Carolina where everybody was a Christian and found unbelief unbelievable." (p 156)

"Ha, there is a secret after all, he said. But to know the secret answer, you must first know the secret question. The question is, who is the enemy?
Not to know the name of the enemy is already to have been killed by him...
The name of the enemy is death, he said, grinning and shoving his hands in his pockets. Not the death of dying but the living death...
Death in this century is not the death people die but the death people live. Men love death because real death is better than the living death. Tha's why men like wars, of course. Bad as wars are and maybe because they are so bad, thinking of peace during war is better than peace. War is what makes peace desirable. But peace without war is intolerable." (emphasis mine, p 271)

(Father Weatherbee speaking) "How can we be the best dearest most generous people on earth, and at the same time so unhappy? How harsh everyone is here! How restless! How impatient! How worried! How sarcastic! How unhappy! How hateful! How pleasure-loving! How lascivious! Above all, how selfish! Why is it that we have more than any other people, are more generous with what we have, and yet are so selfish and unhappy? Why do we think of nothing but our own pleasure?" (p 359)

traditions and fashions

"The Bohuns were one of the very few aristocratic families really dating from the Middle Ages...But it is a great mistake to suppose that such houses stand high in chivalric tradition. Few except the poor preserve traditions. Aristocrats live not in traditions but in fashions."
-- G.K. Chesterton, The Hammer of God (The Innocence of Father Brown)

These words are simply part of the beginning of a short story written more than 80 years ago - a mystery from one of the greatest collections of mysteries - yet they are provoking and profound. Did anything strike you? Sure, the language is dated, with words like chivalric and aristocratic. But there is something to catch from a simple collection of words.

Aristocrats live not in traditions but in fashions. Don't get stuck with the word "aristocrats." - unless it brings a disdain or "not that" feeling to your heart, which might prove helpful for these moments. Think about traditions. And don't relegate your concept of traditions to politics, though they might be one outlet to consider in application later. Think about fashions. Ok, don't get stuck on "fashions" either...think trends. Think gratifications.

What are some traditions? I think of family reunions. A certain type of cake or celebration for a birthday. Celebrating holidays like Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July. Eating something in particular on a certain day, or denying something on a specific day, or perhaps wearing something or saying something on a certain day.

Traditions look back, they have a sense of history, and they span generations. Traditions serve groups of people, sometimes entire people groups, and cultures. Traditions have a lot to do with being known.

What are fashions? Inherently the word "new" comes to mind. The latest this, the newest that. Trends. Colors of clothing. Iphones and "an app for everything" (and which apps are "in" now). Record albums were fashions for a time, then 8 tracks, then cassette tapes, then CD's, and even mp3 players have had their own fashions over the past few years. Atari, Nintendo, Playstation, PS2, PS 3, Wii. Anyone remember Laser Discs?

Fashions tend to only look ahead, with hope of easing the uneasiness. They can make history feel old and less useful, and they may last one generation if the stars align. Fashions serve the people in the know and the people with resources to join the party, and once in awhile affect an entire culture and people group. Fashions have a lot to do with knowing...and wanting to know more...and maybe there's a little more I can know about something even still.

Most people would seem to fall into the fashionable traditionalists category, or maybe traditional fashionists. We are caught somewhere in the middle, honoring both sides of the coin. We swing one way, then the other...maybe based on the people we're with, the work we're doing, the time of day or year, the resources we have available.

Where do you find yourself in this tension between fashions and traditions? Is it different then yesterday? What affects your perceptions of fashions and traditions? Does something from either side bring shame, or make you want to keep it secret/out of the public eye?

Of course, Chesterton is not just making a statement about the tensions between fashions and traditions, though they are part of the picture. Few except the poor preserve traditions. Ahh, it is also about preservation. Why do some people more faithfully preserve things, while others bounce from one to another? Is there anything worth preserving? What do the poor have to offer? What's the rub with aristocrats, with people who have more access to more variety of resources?

Good things are worth fighting for...but they do involve a fight. It takes offensive and defensive maneuvers in order to preserve these good things. And preservation usually takes place swimming upstream: the minute you relax, the world changes up and your senses are pulled in a plethora of stimulating places...fashions...trends. These are not necessarily evil places, but when they focus heart, mind, and spirit on simply knowing (facts, pleasures) instead of being known (family, friends, relationships, communities), they can be a danger to person, group, village, and even a nation.

Walker Percy wrote "Bad books always lie. They lie most of all about the human condition." Most fashions and trends do as well. But most traditions are still worth fighting for and preserving.

integration, delight, and renewal

In Genesis God reveals the establishment of His Kingdom. It is one that contains Integration, Delight and Renewal. These are not pipe dreams or goofy notions, but rather where we are headed in part on earth and in full when Christ returns.

Integration sets right the brokenness that pervades since the fall of mankind in the garden. It once again sets in motion the purity and unity of words and action, deeds and decrees.

Delight reminds that God created and recreates with the intent of goodness and freedom. So often I am bound by the laws I put on myself and my perception of how to please God. I often lose sight of God's delight in me, as well as my freedom to delight in and enjoy what is good in His creation. Instead I am enslaved to trying to be perfect in words and thought, or acts of penance to try to regain some sort of perfect status.

Renewal is the source of hope for the believer. God is the God of renewal, and He brings His promises to fruition and loves us perfectly and faithfully.

There are 2 keys to seeing Integration, Delight, and Renewal brought to reality on earth. First, the PEACE of Christ must rule our hearts. We must rest in His promises and find contentment in calling. This true peace brings freedom, and overflows into the lives of other people beautifully.

The other critical factor is the WORD of Christ dwelling in us richly. What a beautiful image, that the Almighty God would choose to live in us and do so gloriously. He does this through His Word, which should be on our hearts, taught diligently to children, spoken about and brought to life when at home, at work, waking up and while preparing for sleep. And it is His Spirit that transforms us through His Word and brings peace.

May God transform my heart and our hearts so that this becomes reality more and more. For His sake and the sake of His kingdom and glory.

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:15-17)

from proverbs 16

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the Spirit. Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil. When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice. The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. (Prov 16:1-9)

“The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” (v 1)
Man does all he/she can to plan out life: setting goals, networking, finding the right timing. These are not bad things, but they are limited to the flesh. Unless God’s Spirit is powerfully present, they are just the best-laid plans susceptible to optimism and pessimism. They miss out on hope, and true hope reveals the presence of the Holy Spirit. The mouth and tongue are great tools of the LORD.

“All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the Spirit.” (v 2)
I don’t need much convincing to believe that “I know best”. I can justify all I want and use the best ideologies and scientific methods, but miss out on glorifying God if I neglect my spirit. This is the purpose of confession, of repentance, of renewal: this is God transforming my heart and mind to be more like Christ.

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” (v 3)
When we rely on Christ and trust in God’s faithfulness, we have a better ability to see God’s work in, around, and through us. It doesn’t remove pain or suffering, but strengthens us to enter into hard things with the only hope that can sustain us.

“The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” (v 4)
Yes, the sovereignty of God must be laid plain. The believer finds rest and true contentment in God’s sovereignty, but knows not to throw this idea around without thought and intentionality. Humility and compassion are vital.

“Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished.” (v 5)
If we take the Bible seriously and live by faith according to His promises, we must see the arrogance of every heart—the flesh—and continuously be moved toward repentance and renewal.

“By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.” (v 6)
Do I rely on Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to deal with my iniquity? Do I really believe that my heart needs a Savior, that I have unclean lips and am dressed in filthy rags? Unless I go to these places, my faith is just like self-improvement tactics and trying to be a “good person” who is simply “happy” (and “deserving to be happy”). Salvation comes through a steep cost, and we should pray for hearts to see the extent of our sins even as we ask for His blood to cleanse.

“When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies be at peace with him.” (v 7)
This is the fruit of trusting in Christ, that others begin to experience joy and peace. The Spirit changes hearts. We don’t try to please God simply in order to get along; No, that is much too cheap. We please God because we were made to glorify Him, and in the process we are able to experience miraculous peace through the power of His Spirit.

“Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.” (v 8)
We must always treat others with dignity, love and respect. This is the entry point toward real relationship and opportunities of real mercy and compassion.

“The heart of a man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (v 9)
This is the source of unity and reconciliation. When believers work together for God’s kingdom work, God produces fruit beyond any human effort or imagination. We must believe that God’s ways are beyond my ways, and only through His power these things are possible.