Seeing life from the side

A week ago I made a spontaneous decision to go downtown Chicago and watch the first preview of the Lookingglass Theater's production of, "East land." The only thing I knew about the play was that it is a musical, a new musical. The read through took place in the summer of 2011 in Grant Park, Chicago.  A year on, and here is the finished product.

I love the Lookingglass Theater. this is the third production that I have seen and they are always great. very creative, highly imaginative, and compelling enough to keep it's audience attentive throughout the entire show, even without an intermission.

And so I booked the last ticket to the preview - not knowing it was a preview until the show's director stood at the front and gave us an introduction to watching a preview. The good thing is that the tickets are cheaper than the main season and usually the average audience member will not notice any difference and indeed it all looked great to me. Because I bought the last ticket, it was one right at the front and at the end of the row. Having been to previous productions and seen the way that the set uses all parts of the theater, I wasn't bothered that my seat was at the end or the front.

However, the best part was that I did not sit in my designated seat. The usher asked me and my neighbor if we would mind moving as they needed our seats for wheelchair access. The great thing was that we were moved to the side and onto the elevated section. So we, my neighbor (whose name I discovered was Lauren) and I watched fromt eh side.

Watching the play from the side gave me a bunch of insights. First, watching from the side meant that I could see the rest of the audience and their reactions to what was going on. But even better, was watching the actors from the side. Every nuance was on show, and I discovered that actually watching from the front we miss so much. We get to see the mirror image but really the real image is the one from the side. What happens on the side is the added picture to what we already see.

If I was to watch your life from side on, and if you were to do the same with me, what would we see? Would I like your answer and would you agree with mine?

The real thing

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death...

(Isaiah 6:1-8)

The law was weakened by the sinful nature...  the only way that we can stand before the Most Holy God is through Jesus Christ. It is hard for us humans to get this... God is HOLY. I find it hard to find words to describe this word: HOLY. Sacred, hallowed, pure, without blemish, worthy, revered... I am not sure which one to use here. The prophet, Isaiah, realized how holy God is when he saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted and angels were flying around. Even the angels knew how Holy God is and so they covered their faces because who could look at the Most Holy God and live. So they covered their faces, and their feet and used the other 2 wings to fly. They were calling back to one another, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. 

Isaiah realized he was in the presence of HOLINESS and that was nothing to take lightly. His reply was a cry - probably a loud cry with all the flying around going on, "Woe to me... I am ruined." Being in the presence of holiness showed Isaiah's need for cleanliness. One of the angels did something that would hurt; he touched Isaiah with a LIVE COAL, a hot, flaming, live coal. But instead of burning his mouth, the coal took his guilt away and his sin was atoned for. He could do nothing else but be awestruck by God. 


Sometimes I take God so for granted that I take His holiness for granted too. I forget that while it is true that I am made in his image, fearfully and wonderfully made, and a fully loved daughter of the Most High King, that identity comes with responsibility and I am not at liberty to do what the heck I what I want and when I want. I think that this is what the Apostle Paul is getting at in his letter to the Romans. 

Right before this passage, Paul writes in a "out of his mind" way. Really, if Paul were to say all that he says here in a modern day context, he would be put away for literally being, "out of his mind." It is pretty funny in a scary way:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. That's sin living in me... that's not my true self....the self that is in Christ... For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it..."

If you are confused, that's OK, because so am I... and so was Paul. He knows that while he lives in this world, sin is still alive and well... but because of God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful humanity to be a sin offering, Jesus Christ did our work for us on the cross and therefore the requirement of the law was fulfilled by his atoning sacrifice. 


OK, in short, for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation because the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. 


END OF STORY...or is it...?


We are controlled by the Spirit... not by our stuff which causes us to sin... but that kind of transformation takes WORK. 


Next time... the work of transformation.