Walls, trenches, death, and wine.

"...he must desire life like water, and yet drink death like wine."

Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

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“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Revelation 12:10,11). Don't you just love that overcoming doesn't involve survival? That Jesus can say things like, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:28-31), and keep a straight face? They'll kill my body, but my soul and hair will look good!

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I'm thinking of sandcastles at the beach. I enjoy building them, but also enjoy trying to come up with moats and seawalls and trenches to divert the tide. I know it's futile, but I still can't help myself. It doesn't really matter how many ways I try to protect the castle, the sea will take it on the next high tide. I'm not going to apply this as you might think.

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We never know how we'll face that last moment. It's inevitable, but no matter how much we consider it, I suspect it's nothing like our imaginations. "He who has found his life will lose it, and He who has lost his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; 17:33). As much as I enjoy building the castle itself, I enjoy the walls and trenches a whole lot more; away from the center of attention, away from the imaginary throne room and luxury suite at the top of the tower, away from the games of the courtyard and the hierarchy of the grand table in the dining hall. Let me build walls and trenches. Instead of living for the accouterments of Babylon (build of the grocery lists of Revelation 18:12,13), let's make a daily habit of facing the inevitable tide, embracing the moment in Christ, knowing it to be a taste of the eternal. Work, work, work, knowing that it will be swept away tomorrow and the deeper sea imagined in the trenches and ignored in the court will be all the reality there is tomorrow.

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"...let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1,2). Where the the throne of joy? Just over the hill (mixing my metaphors now). Hmm. There seems to be something in the way. Cross, shame. Ah, but the other side...drink deep the cup, choke down the dregs, practice that wildly insane look, and smile as the tide comes.