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| Prayer chair in my backyard by the river, waiting to be used. |
The good news Jesus brought was that, in him, economic and power hierarchies have been eradicated. In the kingdom of darkness people measure themselves and are measured by "how much?" In this world of never-satisfaction the word is "more." But in God's kingdom we're all, potentially, his children.
To conquer the Religion of More God in Christ became less. God descended into greatness. Herein lies a key to our spiritual formation. As Oswald Chambers wrote, "The test of our spiritual life is the power to descend."
This is the way of decreasing notoriety so that God might become prominent. I must get myself out of the way so people can see Jesus, not me. While this seems hard because it requires humility I must remember that humility is freedom. Freedom from the punishing, unforgiving hierarchization of humanity. Spiritually I break free by moving down the up staircase.
This is all counterintuitive of course. It's the upside-down kingdom of heaven Jesus came to inaugurate.
