Metaphors break. They have their limits. Put too much weight on them and they snap like a power line in an ice storm. The problem with the guitar string metaphor we’ve been using to describe God’s Intentional tensions is that sometimes there are more than two truths involved. Sometimes the radical middle is not between two truths but between a multitude of truths. With that in mind, we are going to do something that Lambchow has never done before, we’re going to pivot. We’re going to use the ending of one series to introduce a whole new series.
This is perhaps a strange but fitting end to God’s Intentional Tensions. Where the five previous articles dealt with two seemingly opposing truths, this article mentions twelve truths. While the previous articles talked of guitar strings and tensions to produce a pleasant tone, this article talks about diamonds and light. But the basic understanding is the same. When multiple truths are held in balance, they reveal something about ourselves and our journey with Jesus.
What if a diamond had only one facet, only one place where a jeweler had polished the gemstone to clarity? Would it sparkle? Would you be able to see the fire in the heart of the stone? Of course not. It takes the jeweler’s art to turn a rough and rather unassuming stone into something amazing. Consider the truths used to express who we are in Christ. We are sons and daughters of God. We are slaves. We are ambassadors. We are redeemed. We are the sheep of His pasture. We are part of the Bride of Christ. We are part of the body of Christ. We are the branch to His vine. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We are kings and priests. We are His workmanship. We are living stones. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life, in the busy-ness of doing church, in the middle of troubles and conflict, we forget the richness of God’s relationship with us. Is so deep that one truth, one metaphor, cannot fully express it. A diamond with only one or two facets is boring. When our walk with Jesus is built around only a couple of these truths we miss something wonderful. We need to embrace, understand, and polish each one of these statements of being. Embracing each one of them in balance with the rest, not leaning so heavily in one direction that we become one-sided and never sparkle.
How do we know we are a diamond in the hand of God and not a piece of cut glass or cubic zirconium? By allowing the light of Christ to shine into our hearts. Only His light reveals our true quality. Paul wrote, “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6, NASB95) Only when the light of Christ shines on us is the truth revealed. But here’s the miracle, God can take the falseness of cut glass and cubic zirconium and turn it into the real thing, just like when Jesus turned water into wine. The light of Christ also reveals dark corners, areas of our life that do not yet reflect Jesus. So let’s polish up some areas that have become dull. Let’s invite the light of Christ to shine on us and see what happens.
- Promises: Brings Hope - November 20, 2024
- Promises: Forgiveness - November 18, 2024
- Promises: Imparted Faith - November 13, 2024
