I offer three tools for humanity’s spiritual garden—a Clock, a Key, and a Net. The tools are universal in nature, but they are contained within the ancient writings of the Judeo-Christian faith perspective. These tools address the subjects of time, language, and organization, respectively. I like to think that the tools will help us on the road ahead, if we trust them enough to use them.
Presently, no one is asking for these three tools, at least not by name. Nor do people believe they need a different type of clock, or a key of commonality, or an organizational net. However, people are searching for the wisdom that these three tools provide. For the purpose of spiritual orientation, the human spirit needs timekeeping wisdom. For the purpose of international dialogue with people of all faiths, or no faith, we need the wisdom of a common tongue. For the purpose of meeting human need, at the local level all over the world, we need organizational wisdom.
I believe in the notion that God gives us what we need, before we know what is needed.
In many cases, I believe God gives us what we need, before we even know how to ask for help. Over the past decade I’ve read many books and thousands of articles, blogs, posts, and tweets that have been published by church leaders. From a big-picture perspective, the following paragraphs sum up what I hear Christians talk about, as they discuss where the church universal is headed.
On the subject of time, the church is deeply divided. Some leaders claim that the end is near. Others question, “The end of what?” Some leaders have asked, “Is Jesus ever coming back? If so, what exactly are we looking for in a second coming? When do we expect it?” The first disciples imagined the second coming in their own lifetimes. Yet, that didn’t happen, and it’s 2,000 years later. In other words, “How long, Lord. How long?”
On the subject of language, Christians are bitterly divided. We can’t seem to agree on anything. If we are honest, our efforts to explain our belief in God, Jesus, and Spirit has only splintered the faith into bits and pieces. Presently the body of Christ projects the spirit of division. The body cannot speak with a pure lip, or stand shoulder to shoulder in one accord. We desperately need a common language that would unite us, instead of creating further division.
On the subject of organization, the church is presently stymied. Nearly all church leaders wonder how we might organize more effectively, to have a greater healing presence within our communities. Christians want to carry the Christ light, from the church building, to their geographic neighborhoods beyond the building. How might we organize in order to accomplish this?
So, in our feeble ways, many Christians are seeking more illumination regarding time, language, and organization.
The church is in fact searching for a Clock, a Key, and a Net—not by name—but by the intended purpose of each of the three tools. However, our requests come from a guttural level of communication, where the silent, undefined groans of the human spirit are often expressed in restlessness, discontentment, frustration, or outright anger. This inner language of the heart is the language God most readily hears, when human words fail us.
We may not be expecting to receive A Clock, A Key, or A Net, but in God’s time, we will need their power to inform the human spirit. In time, we will be drawn to the illumination that each of these tools provide. If you believe that the church could benefit from an increase in spiritual illumination, then I invite you to share this blog, as we seek to create a healthier church of tomorrow.