Tearing Open Heaven
If espresso, Red Bull, or some other super-caffeinated drink was in existence during the time of Christ, the author of the Gospel of Mark was clearly an early adopter. His account of the life and message of Jesus is the shortest of the four Gospels, but it is arguably the most frenetic.* He rushes from one story to the next, making liberal use of the word “immediately” as well as similar phrases such as “at once,” “without delay,” “as soon as” and “just then.” And it is widely believed that Mark was describing himself in his account of Jesus being arrested: “A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.” It that is true, it fits my perception of this Gospel writer. Both Matthew and Mark include the account of Jesus being baptized by John, but while Matthew states that “heaven was opened” when a dove descended on Jesus and the Father expressed His approval, Mark was more intense and direct: he said heaven was “torn open.” That description caught my attention the other day, and I like it. It reminds me of Isaiah’s prayerful plea: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down!” (Is. 64:1)
After many years of ministry to kids as youth pastors, God shifted Terri and I to LINC Ministries in 1992, where our mandate was to advance the Kingdom of God in some fresh ways, and primarily among those who work with youth. Over time, we became increasingly aware of the “three sharp arrows” God put in our ministry quiver: calling youth workers, and youth ministry, to growth in character, unity, and prayer. Now God has shifted us once again, to sondance, and while it remains to be seen how much we use the “three arrows” imagery in the years to come, we feel even more passionate about character, unity and prayer. One could make the argument that we are borderline frenetic about these three “arrows.” Why? Because they are critical to the success of the American church (or any church, for that matter) in tearing open heaven. And the future of our nation, and of the emerging generations who grow up among us, will be dependent on this tearing.
That is, admittedly, a pretty bold statement; let me try to back it up. “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a prayer for heaven to be torn open so that Kingdom life may pour out, so to speak, and be increasingly manifest on earth. The Kingdom of God is not only a place in our universe or reality, beyond the reach of our telescopes, where we will reside once our life on earth is complete. It is the realm in which were created to live in eternal communion with our Maker, and a reality that is being restored, in increasing measure, in own realm ever since the Fall separated the two. Jesus was and is the Divine Accelerator of that restoration, and He has commissioned us to follow His example. Habakkuk says that one day “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Hab. 2:14) As we join God in bringing forth that day, we are to pray down, and incarnate through our living, Kingdom life now.
The following illustration comes to mind: if the earth is a submarine and the Kingdom of God is the ocean, the encroachment of the ocean on life in the submarine can be subtle, as in a pinhole leak, or it can be catastrophic, as in a massive breach or tearing open of the hull. If you are an air-breathing creature in the submarine, you have problems. But if you were meant to breathe water, and your breathing of air has just been temporary, you are in good shape – perhaps better than before, since your original design was to breathe water. I know my submarine metaphor here breaks down eventually, but I hope you get the point: the Kingdom of God is the realm in which we are created to live - eternally – and we don’t have to wait until we die to experience it.
A friend and I were recently talking about a burden we share for the fatherless. For both of us, father wounds seem to surface everywhere we turn. I have made this point before: fatherlessness is arguably the biggest challenge in youth ministry, in the church, and in society in general today. While physical, emotional and/or spiritual fatherlessness may not be the cause of all wounds, depression, brokenheartedness, fear, anger, dysfunction and psychoses, it is certainly behind much of it. And as my buddy Rus put it, bringing tangible solutions to this challenge feels, at times, like “spitting in the ocean.” If our solutions are limited to the resources we have used in the past – counseling, therapy, medication, self-help - we will, indeed, be merely perpetuating our ocean-spitting. There are simply not enough antidepressants or therapies or counselors or self-help books in the world to deal with all the problems, Similarly, where is the wisdom needed to bring resolution to millennia of conflict in the Middle East? Is there a solution to America’s multi-trillion dollar deficit that will not be chewed up and spit out by relentless partisan political squabbling? It is really possible to build completely earthquake-proof buildings and tsunami-proof coastal communities?
The Bible tells us, clearly, that God can – and will – pour out real solutions to these problems, and others like them – as we cry out for heaven to be torn open (prayer) and the fullness of the Kingdom to be poured out, and as we together (unity) live holy, consecrated lives (character) that qualify us to the “great works” that Jesus promised we would do. Healing, deliverance, restoration, hope with a word or with a touch are practical realities when heaven is torn open. No more spitting in the ocean.
*frenetic |frəˈnetik| adj. - wildly excited or active; frantic; frenzied
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