So Far

 

Hey, Cobblestone,

     

Lately, I heard a friend say, “There’s power in simplicity.” I’m trusting he’s right, and that his words are even somewhat prophetic. In this “Equip” series of letters, I’ve selected simple instruction from Scripture – no more than four words at a time – from the second half of the twelfth chapter of Romans. In keeping with the pattern, here comes the next installment:

 …live peaceably with all (Romans 12:18).

     Have you stopped blinking yet? Have you returned from the various byways your mind just traveled, considering certain relationships and how unlikely it is that they’ll ever come into a peaceable state? If you need a moment, the rest of us will wait.

     There’s an unfair thing we preachers do. We ask, “What does ‘all’ mean, Church?” And you’re expected to respond, “All!” as if “all” always refers to all times, all places, all examples, and all circumstances. Sometimes it does… but not all the time. When God breathed out the words we know as Romans 12 in the Bible, he knew we would need better instruction than what the preachers give, in and of themselves. Let’s get some context:

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (verses 16-18).  

     One thing is certain: if we, the people of God, diligently live in harmony with one another, turn away from haughtiness, and do what is honorable, we will for daggone-sure live peaceably with more than we are at the moment. It’s appealing. It triggers a snowball effect. Will it appeal to everyone all the time? No. Some might even be resentful. But remember: Repay no one evil for evil. Best of all, the Father, in his infinite wisdom, gives us the proper framework and scale: so far as it depends on us. We do what we’re able to do – in the power of the Holy Spirit.

     Yes, there is power in simplicity, when simple is applied correctly. So we really ought to face a simple fact about simplicity: simple doesn’t do global. Global is automatically not simple. God does global and universal; the rest of us are outta luck. With the world’s population having surpassed eight billion, there are potentially that many different opinions on how to solve the same problem, each of them declared simple by its lone proponent. As I’ve written before, life is lived in this walk-around world pretty much within arm’s length. Our points-of-engagement are to be found on the patch-of-earth the Lord of heaven and earth gives us to tread. And simple is drained of power whenever we try to launch it out there much beyond line-of-sight.

     Sometime today, you and I will be given at least one (maybe several) opportunities to live in harmony – or not. To associate with the lowly – or not. To do what is honorable – well, I think we have the idea by now. Each of those opportunities will have a face, a name, and a story. There will be nothing stratospheric about these encounters. The fate of our race will not hang in the balance. These are but a part of the “all” – in particular, the part we are expected (and equipped) to live peaceably with. “So far” is a well defined territory when you think about it, excluding only the reactions of others to our sincere and Holy Spirit-guided efforts at living peaceably.

     Scripture is many things, among which it is altogether practical. If present your bodies as a living sacrifice is a little out of reach intellectually, keep looking. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (12:15) brings it much closer to the bone, and opens a way to set mind and body and soul and spirit working together. By being alert to the rejoicing and the weeping, we make a way for Scripture to be worked out in the here and now. Let no one convince you Scripture isn’t practical.

     One last thing we’ll have to come to terms with, one more attribute of simple we’ll have to accept as fact: simple is rarely fastest. Simple is powerful, effective, and sustainable; simple is the best tool for overcoming inertia and starting movement in the right direction. But the work is somewhat glacial, and requires careful measurement to see progress over time. It’ll be OK, according to God’s promise: Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:21). No reasonable person would stand barehanded in front of a glacier, declaring, “That’s as far as you go, buddy!”

     It’s a long game, living peaceably. Just about anybody can pull off absence-of-conflict for ten seconds, or a tenuous cease-fire for a minute or two. Peace is proven over time. If my friend’s words carry any prophetic value, we might not know for a while – we’ll simply have to wait for the benefits of simplicity to come back around.

 Grace and Peace (received, then conveyed),

 

John