Day 3624 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

1 Peter 2:21 NIV

For, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” And is not this precisely what, as we discussed yesterday, our faith is supposed to be? You and me alone with He who is our King?

Because, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” And this is exactly what Christ came down to do within what was a laying down a life in order that to whom much is given much is then offered in return. For faith is not at all a solitary venture in that, while it is a matter held in hope by one alone, said hope is held in another who is then the second with whom we thus walk yoked toward the perceived fulfillment of said hope.

Problem is that faith is in fact quite a lonely venture as undertaken within a world vastly lacking in understanding as to both why and where this strange street leads as both won in Him whom the many cannot see.

Indeed, this is exactly why so many find our faith still as foolish as ever before, perhaps even more so. It’s because it’s to most nothing but a fairy tale in which we tell this tail of a Lamb behind whom we now ache to follow in what is a fealty that the world sees as something of a childish belief as placed within what they can only perceive is an imaginary friend. Yes, the world looks at us within all our solemn prayers and strange pursuits and thinks we’ve lost our minds.

And for once they’re right!

For we have. And not only that, but beyond our minds we’ve also lost our eyes their ability to worry toward wants only worldly. We’ve lost our hearts as held heavy in what’s long been but a stone-like state. We’ve lost our interest in satanistic games and the sadistic prizes won therein. We’ve lost ears willing to waste the time trying to hear about how we should care about whatever everyone else still wants of here. We’ve lost our devotions to the commotions of cultural constructions. We’ve lost our lack of courage as considered necessary to continue seeking only the comfort of a world’s welcome.

We’ve even, as far as we’re concerned, lost too the common concern as considered over life. Rather we’ve now bought this belief that says indeed that for us to live is Christ and die then gain as when we do leave behind this side of this eternal divide, home is what we know we’ll find.

Alas, it’s such outlooks as this that have painted us as those apparently perfectly pitiable in the opinion of those nearly perfectly pathetic and entirely too petty to perceive it. And it’s this dividing difference of direction that’s defined in us an indifference in regard to such problems as pain, punishment, persecution. In fact, that’s kind of what’s considered within this passage of Peter’s first entry into the NT. This context is speaking to slaves and the asking them to humbly submit unto their masters as done in reverence of God.

How strange is that within a world in which we even hate our bosses who pay us for our time?

And this is just one of many oddities as won within this walk in which we walk not alone but rather just lonely at times. And this isn’t to say that we feel alone as in Christ we know we’re not. Instead it’s more said in terms of the turnouts dwindling as measured in the growing quantity of those who turn away. Because such is bound to come as we become more and more unlike this place in which so many seek to be liked that they’ve become just like those from whom they seek such an acceptance.

Thinking us odd for our belief in that we’ve been accepted by the only voice that sounds an opinion that counts.

No, unfortunately this world is still quite stuck to the counts as considered within the counting of courtships and community. Indeed, such things as the number of followers we’ve fooled and the number of those we’ve yet to find, these are among the greatest concerns within this world’s way. And it is this worldly way in which we weigh the weight of this yoke walked in agreement with He who is not only our friend and neighbor but in fact our God and Savior.

Or imaginary friend, depending upon who you ask.

And actually, in continuing to consider our verse from yesterday in regard to the weight of His yoke and the burden there borne, I’ve found myself contemplating as to the true heaviness of this hope into which He’s asked us a share in Him. It seems, at least in my thinkings thought since this time yesterday, that I’ve elsewise arrived upon the theory that considers that the perceived heaviness of His burden and our thus sharing of such a belief as our eternal betterment as shared within our now walking yoked to Him in faith is found and felt within the sheer number of those not doing the same.

That’s not to say that such things as the surrender considered in the context of this verse in 1 Peter isn’t a difficulty all its own, as it is. For indeed, such things as surrender and humility and offering mercy to an often merciless world is quite the challenge to embrace. But I find that that’s not the only weight awaiting within His yoke and the burden it bears.

Rather I consider that the weight of faith is at first felt in that it’s found foolish and thus us fools for following it. Because we’ve become so accustomed to this world’s perspective that we’ve too, like Saul pre-Paul, come to equate most if not all belief as something of a child’s task. Again, it’s mostly been considered, by all of us in fact, at least at one time or another, something of a fairy tale, a make believe, a cartoon colored in apparently only red letters with not a picture in sight.

But then along the Way, like Paul in his moment of leaving Saul behind, that weight is shifted into our no longer agreeing to such social misunderstanding but into rather the matter as measured within this audacious new point of view in that we mind not being so misunderstood anymore. And yet, even in that, it seems often that still the weight comes in that many will then walk away from us as they grow only to further misunderstand who we’re, in He, beginning to become and also, in that, most of what we then begin to do.

For sadly, and again a common matter of a fallen society, we’ve learned only that such things as popularity are to be walked lightly. Indeed, popularity is a comparatively light matter as it helps to scatter our every matter, meaning, measure and merit amongst all those from whom we’ve gleaned said social gain of their either acceptance, applause or adoration. And these things too, they feel a light burden to carry as they all find us rather carried by those many who continue to look on and approve of all we do as done like they.

And yet in this, though, is where we, in Him, find the weight of our faith's burden as brought about by our becoming of a renewed mind that seeks not worldly acceptance nor the vain glory in which it glides. Rather we seek now only a glory in Christ and too of our share in the cross by which this world's become crucified to us and too we unto it.

Thus here we do not fit.

Which is right where those trying if not dying to fit in will find in us then no reason or reality or reward. Simply because we’ll become something so alien to this world that our concerns themselves will no longer exist upon the consist of contents as held inside banks or bargain bins. And the weight of such a life that doesn’t even try to fit where it never did anyway is the kind that we’ll only find further in that too we grow to this point in which we don’t care even more as to who we were and what we did, or rather had to do, to win what we’d won before.

For in Him we begin to learn that we needn’t this world’s understanding nor their approval for we’ve had our every need fulfilled in Christ. Which is again bound to sound quite silly to those still seeking their needs within such things as songs to sing and movies to watch and food to eat and clothes to wear and cheers to hear and whatever else people still want in and of down here. And as our lives grow to show a vast unacceptance of such temporality as all worldly treasure and triumph, we’ll find that we become almost a stench to those who still live for such things.

And yet if this gift of a salvation’s hope means that in this life we find only the weight of our being unwelcome and misunderstood, that’s fine. Because unlike this world, we consider that this is not our home and thus no weight faced within a permanent matter either.

It’s all just a moment more. For we’ve learned that our lives are but breath and ashes, dust returning to dust once it’s no longer allowed to slow the soul into a contemplation of such things as time and elation. No, those things only matter to those who allow them to so measure as matters that might. And yet, in Him we find not this measure that any such things might matter as we come to understand that all that could matter is the mercy met in the Messiah.

Our imaginary friend if you will.

But that’s what I literally awoke in the middle of the night thinking about. Just how imaginary is He? I mean, do you have to see someone in order to know them? If so I suppose that all blind people know no friends. Or of hearing, do you have to hear someone in order to trust them? Must suck for the deaf then. Must a person be felt, hugged, held if we’re to know they’re there? And if so, does this mean our loved ones simply evaporate should we move away or go on vacation spent apart from them?

See, it’s this kind of stuff that gets us into trouble! Because most of the world is thinking about playoff games this weekend and what they want for dinner and how much more they need to save to buy that new car or if they should get the next size up in that shirt just to be safe. Indeed, it’s within such thoughts that the vast majority of those around us seem to feel safe. But that only because of the distraction that all such nonsense offers.

For is not the body more than the clothes it wears? Is not the mind made for more than being entertained? Is not the closet already full of shirts we don’t wear? Are not our names more than the titles some company puts above them or before them as seen upon a nametag or door sign? Is not life more than the place where it’s only allowed to end?

Again, it’s this kind of thinking that makes us look foolish to those who are perishing and yet refuse to accept the gift of eternal life simply because it’s found only in what so many consider imaginary.

And this is the weight that I think proves perhaps the heaviest task when it comes to our being yoked to Christ. The world just refuses to even try and understand. And despite the fact that we were warned of this being a potential problem we may indeed face, Romans 8:7, still the fact is that we are, here, called to remember that our walk of faith is one shared with He who endured more suffering, more exclusion, more persecution, more pain, more punishment than we could ever begin to imagine.

But He did it all without worrying about it because He knew the point that it carried. And that’s the weight of this faith. It’s one won within our understanding that both within this life we will have trouble as brought us inside things such as friends turning away, the loss of jobs, the hatred of society, the inability to even buy and sell maybe. But it’s also one that wins in the end the hope that was worth enough to Jesus to choose the path that frees us.

It’s all just a matter of time and our trying to fight against getting swept up in the confusions and delusions of a world so deluded that they deny the gift of life simply because others tell them it’s impossible.

And thus, as I was spurred out of bed to make note last night: Perhaps a hope is always heaviest when held alone. But, while that may be hard, should it be allowed to make said hope mean any less?

Should the fact that the world will hate us inspire us to give up? Should the worry over our looking funny to those many who think all faith foolish inspire us to agree? Should the chance that we indeed watch many if not most of our friends turn away and our lives thus grow lonely inspire us to seek to please them only? What will it profit a man? For if we’re still pleasing people, then what can we know of Christ? And if we know nothing of Christ, then we’re clearly not yoked with Him.

Likely for fear of the burden of both such things as pain but also persecution. And make no mistake, while pain hurts, being hated and misunderstood is a special kind of misery.

That’s why He told us what to expect along this long road home. He knew how hard it is as He walked it Himself, and in that in ways that we thankfully never will. But still, He knows what it’s like to watch those close turn away. He knows what it’s like to be mocked and ridiculed. He knows what it’s like to hated and misunderstood. He knows what it’s like to be left all alone to suffer. He knows, and because He does, He wanted us to as well.

So that when it came, we’d be able to be something other than surprised.

That’s the price. That’s the weight. That’s the cost of this life lived carrying our own cross. It’s a loss. It’s lonely. It’s awkward. It’s mocked. It’s made fun of. It’s unwelcome in this world. And thus so too will we be should we continue to agree to walk with Him in a share of His direction as demanded should we hope to share in where it leads. For again, such is the purpose of a yoke, to tie two together in agreement in regard to direction and also the purpose therein.

And that purpose has to mean more than the misery we’ll meet along the way.

That’s why He told us what to expect. Because this world will give us every reason we could ever want to give up and not feel bad about it. But friends, we just can’t risk that. No matter what it might cost, the promise of Heaven is worth it. Even if nobody else understands it.

Even when everybody else hates us for believing in it.

For again, while it may seem to the world that we walk alone alongside what they consider an imaginary Savior, we walk in trust of that verse above of Ecclesiastes 4:10 saying that “if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Because while this world may convince most that they can here have all the friends and help they could ever need, just watch what happens whenever someone stumbles or struggles.

Those “friends”, no, they’re gone.

Ours though, well, He’s already proven that He’s beyond willing to help should we fall. Took up our cross to prove it! And that’s why I don’t care what anyone else may think of my faith, nor if it means that I walk this life as lonely and excluded as He was Himself. For He laid down His life to help me find life everlasting.

And simply put, this world’s acceptance can’t achieve that, nor can their hatred take it away. So do not give to this world any weight that makes this faith harder than it needs to be. It will be a struggle on its own. Don’t let those perishing convince you to give up and walk away from the Way just because they think you’re insane for believing what they never will.

Because make no mistake, we weren't called unto a way that many agree makes sense to follow. Rather we were called to follow the Way that most still hate. So don't be surprised if the road ahead ain't easy.

His trip down it sure wasn't.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold