I come to the Garden alone, while the dew is still. . .
No, we’re not talking about that garden. That’s a discussion for another time (By the way I’m always surprised hot how emotions run on that hymn both ways).
Regardless, this week we enter the garden with Sarayu, the Holy Spirit. The discussion does focus on the nature of the Holy Spirit a little. Namely, the unpredictable and yet orderly working of the Spirit. Mack is brought to a garden that appears chaotic, but Sarayu indicates there is actually a pattern there. Mack is told to uproot a portion of the garden that he sees as beautiful, but again the Spirit indicates there is a purpose to it. Mack questions Sarayu about the need for “bad” plants- ones poisonous, etc, and is told that it’s hard for him to see the purpose or to judge what’s good and what’s truly evil or bad.
This is all pretty good stuff. The theology throughout this chapter is pretty solid though I might take up issue some with the description of evil as merely the absence of good (p. 136). What I like best about this chapter though is its humility, especially the idea of having some real humility before God. Who are we to judge God’s creation and tell him that he should or shouldn’t have made that or allowed this to happen? Who are we to speak as to what is truly good and evil? Our perspective is truly limited. Standing before an awesome God, one who can look at the chaos of a garden and see a pattern, or who can tear it up and create something even better, who are we to tell him how he should or should not do things. I love the humility that’s introduced here.
Have you noticed that humility is a characteristic largely lacking in our society. We are so convinced that we can know the answers. Even in our relativistic society where people argue truth is not necessarily knowable, we don’t make this argument out of humility. We make it because we want to be able to determine truth for ourselves. I’ll make my truth and you can have yours. That’s not humility, it’s selfishness.
Sorry, that was a little soapbox moment right there.
And so when it comes to rights, we’re pretty convinced that we better defend ours to the death. Well, rights may be somewhat necessary within the left hand of the kingdom, in a world ruled by laws, but there’s a problem when we go before God and start demanding rights too. As Sarayu says, “Jesus didn’t hold on to any rights; he willingly became a servant. . . . He gave up everything, so that by his dependent life he opened a door that would allow you to live free enough to give up your rights.” (p. 137)
Now that’s some powerful stuff. Who are we to demand rights before God? Why would we demand them, when instead we can simply trust in a God who loves us?
Tags: Holy Spirit, humility, rights, The Shack