Blogotional

Yesterday, I put up a piece about wanting to be there to help people when they hit what Chuck Colson was describing as his "Soul's Dark Night." I used the metaphor that such a thing was a wall that most Christians hit at some point in ther lives. I ended that post my saying:

Why aren't we there when people hit the wall that is their "soul's dark night?" Why are we so fast to invite them in, but so slow to really live with them? Why when the going get's tough do we sound more like Peter ("I don't know him") than Jesus ("Into The Hands...").

I long for fellowship with souls that have been through the dark night and found the beauty of God on the other side. I long to help people through that night.

I think we aren't there because we don't know what do to in such circumstances. Most Christian leadership these days lacks sufficient depth of faith personally to be able to lead others through such a thing. That is, frankly, why I think pop psychology has taken over so much of what passes for ministry in the church. So what would ministry to situations like this look like?

Colson, writing in CT and agreeing in part with what I just said, lamented that fact that evangelicalism does not really give Christians the tools they need for such a thing and suggested that such events were when we turn to the authors of old.

At such times, we can turn for strength to older and richer theological traditions probably unfamiliar to many?writings by saints who endured agonies both physical and spiritual.

Teresa of Avila was a 16th-century Spanish mystic and author of The Interior Castle. Teresa, who suffered from paralyzing illnesses, wrote, "For his Majesty can do nothing greater for us than grant us a life which is an imitation of that lived by his beloved Son. I feel certain, therefore, that these favors [sufferings] are given us to strengthen our weakness."

I think that's a good start, but I have personally found reading and talking in such circumstances unsatisfactory, the crisis seemed to demand more.

I can tell you that my journey away from such dark nights can best be described as a "slow ephiphany." My charismatic friends would be tempted to use charismatic language like "baptism of the Holy Spirit" for what I experienced, but I don't think it truly applies - that's an instantaneous experience - what happened to me happened over the course of weeks or even months. It was a confrontation with the Holy Spirit to be sure, but it was not of the type traditionally described by charismatics.

So, I think my question concerning how to assist someone experiencing their soul's dark night, becomes a question of how do we help them genuinely experience God? Not learn about Him, not meditate on Him, but experience His genuine presence. Can we even do so?

Adrian Warnock is baffled by people "coached" in tongues. I am happy Adrian is so baffled -- it is in my experience in Pentecostal circles quite a common occurence, as says the post that Adrian links to. Is such "coaching" how we help people experience God. I would argue that it is not. Any manifestation resulting from coaching is of questionable origin. Generally such things cause more damage than offer help. Such things place additional burdens on a person seeking releif -- burdens of percieved inadequate spirituality.

No, the answer lies in us somehow making God real to the person in need. It lies in the Holy Spirit being so apparent in our lives that He radiates from us and provides comfort to those that need. This takes us back to the point I made earlier about Christian leadership often lacking sufficient personal depth of faith.

But it also takes us somewhere else. Consider my post of Wednesday where I longed for the fantastic church fellowship of my youth.

I'm not satisfied with "just" having church on Christmas this year -- I want it to be like it was when I was a kid. Let's not sell ourselves short here. If we look to the Lord we are indeed a part of a huge family and it will seem wonderful and natural to share our holiday with all of them. I dont want to just go to church this Chritmas, I want it to be so good that I don't want to leave.

Let's go back to Colson for a minute. Note that his moment of discovery came at a friend's house. It came in the context of fellowship. So often all we really need when come to such dark night's is to rest in the arms of love. To be amongst those that love us and will allow us our weakness, and lend us their strength.

Thus, there is a burden on the church to be more even than a house of worship and a commuity of faith. There is a burden on the church to be the family of God. It is within the context of this familial love, born of the Holy Spirit, that those who are in the dark night will find their rest and it is in that context that they can meet the Holy Spirit.

In an age of personal boundaries and isolation, broken families and anonimity, mega-marts and no eye contact, the church needs to get personal. You see, the greatest manifestation of the Holy Spirit is, as I have said before, not in the miraculous, but in the transformed. WE are His manifestation.