Tipping point

You hear all about a climatic tipping point where greenhouse gases, having reached some critical volume, crash the weather system and dramatically change the face of the planet.

I think there is also a tipping point in our spiritual life. Having being transformed sufficiently into Christ’s likeness, God’s power is released through us and despite us and by us.  Up until this point, faith is a fickle thing and religion seems mighty attractive. After, and the values and personality of Christ are so intermingled in us that the two seem inseparable and our spiritual life becomes like breathing. At least, that’s the theory.

In my experience it is not at all obvious when we are being used by God in another’s life. God may actively hide this from us to prevent us from becoming self-conceited. If we can handle it, he may choose to encourage or inspire us by giving us glimpses of what he is doing. This is entirely at his discretion and we should be grateful when it occurs.

Just imagine what it would be like to see as God sees. The Australian poet James McAuley (1917-76) and a late convert to Catholicism once put it like this (JESUS):

Then turning from the book he rose and walked
Among the stones and beasts and flowers of earth;
They turned their muted faces to their Lord,
Their real faces, seen by God alone;
And people moved before him undisguised;
He thrust his speech among them like a sword.

That which is hidden from us in our corporeal form is plainly visible to God who as the risen Christ walks amongst us still.  If we stay in step with Christ then through Christ we can sometimes see that which God is accomplishing in the world through us; even using our imperfection and failings.

Personally I’m glad most of its hidden from me. Not because I don’t want to see what God is doing but rather because I’d get distracted by it and then take my eyes of Jesus.  “No one”, said Jesus, “who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke). Therefore, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...” (Hebrews).  Besides, I noticed early in life I have a genetic predisposition toward vanity and self-aggrandisement.  I’ve often been poisoned by drinking too deeply from the challis of my own accomplishments. God knows that I don’t need the validation, temptation or the distraction so he keeps it from me most of the time.

But from time-to-time he shows me that which is accomplishing through me, this for his own good purposes as well as mine. It seems to me that and as I have matured in Christ he is accomplishing more through me (I shouldn’t be surprised by this but I am). I am actually becoming useful to him; rather than just dependant on him.  Here’s the nub of it, I think I’ve finally grown up! I have reached the tipping point, I have received a right-of-passage and everything seems to be accelerating. It is clearly not of my own making. I just finally drifted into the path of the trade winds – which was God’s intention the whole time.

Last week on my way home from Brisbane I had a kind of Philip experience (Acts). Instead of an angel giving me directions to an Ethiopian on a chariot I was dropped off at a taxi rank outside a busy pub. The Ethiopian official was a Sekh taxi driver, complete with kirpān (ceremonial short sword), square-cut beard and turban. He was not, admittedly, returning to the Queen’s court in Candace but was returning to court in Deli, India as a barrister once his Master-in-law studies were completed.

I knew a little about Sekhism and, out of genuine curiosity, asked him about his religion.  He became highly animated as he explained its historical role as the defender of Hindus against the aggression of Islam.  Sekhism stands distinct from Hinduism in many ways including their rejection of polytheism and the cast system. When he returns to India his family will arrange a wife for him; he was entirely happy with this arrangement explaining that most love-marriages don’t work.

He asked me about my faith and I explained that when seeking out the truth I found Jesus. He expressed amazement at this. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak, the founding teacher, as, "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living.".

He asked me what Christianity said about sex and how this might work in such a pluralistic, secular and permissive society like Australia. I told him that Jesus taught that to look lustfully upon a married woman was to commit adultery with her in your heart. I told him that my wife and I had come together sexually for the first time on our wedding night. This impressed him greatly.

Learning that he was trained to fight, I asked him what he thought about Jesus’ teaching that we should love our enemy and do good to those who persecute us. He said that Sikhism had a similar teaching and that he agreed.

I quoted Jesus saying that the greatest two commandments were to love God with all of your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. This impressed him greatly.

According to Sikhism, the goal of life is to progress on a spiritual scale from self-centred (Manmukh) to God-centred (Gurmukh). This sounded to me like a familiar doctrine. So I asked him whether he knew anything about Jesus. He only knew that Jesus was born of a virgin.

I asked him if he had every read or seen a bible. He hadn’t so I explain a bit about it and offered him one. He was overwhelmingly grateful. When we stopped at the airport he gave me his address, asked me to send the bible to India (English and Hindi please), effusively invited me to visit as an honoured guest, and spoke of God’s providence is allowing him to meet me. He told me that many of his friends had converted to Christianity and that when he returns to India, like others in his law-firm family, he will enter the legislature!

Unlike Philip, I didn’t get to baptise him nor did I get instantly zapped home (which would have been amusing given that I had just paid $60 to arrive on time at an airport).  But I had not planned this. I had not expected this. There was nothing strategic on my part happening here. I did nothing except to love him, ask him a few questions and quote some of the sayings of Jesus. Something in the spiritual realm was happening; and of this I was given a glimpse. I sensed the opening of his heart, the lifting of his eyes to heaven. I think he recognised, reflected in me, something of that which he yearned for. “Blessed”, said Jesus, “are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.” (Matthew).  Jesus said, “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Luke).  My taxi driver was knocking and by brilliant logistical planning on God’s part, it was me who opened the taxi door.

It didn’t end there. I met an old friend at the gate-lounge and had an encouraging hour with him due to a delayed flight. I finally sat on the plane looking forward to a glass of wine and an hour to myself and who should sit next to me but a petro-chemical engineer on way his home from Darwin and wanting to talk. We discussed his recent conversion to Catholicism and by the end of the conversation he had given me his business card and insisted that were now friends and should get together soon!

I can’t explain it but this kind of thing seems to be happening to me more frequently. So maybe I have crossed some kind of tipping point and finally become a spiritual man.  Go figure!