Art And All That + Heaven + Radical

I apologize ahead of time that this post is somewhat stream-of-consciousness.  That’s the way God works sometimes, though, have you noticed?  You read a book, then you hear a sermon.  Perhaps you pick up a tract, or something in your Bible study time jumps out at you and “click”…it all links together like a huge train engine that just backed up and latched onto a 40 car train.  A few chugs from the engine and suddenly you’re full steam ahead on a whole new perspective about life.

Well, that’s what happened to me last Saturday.  I’ll try to keep it simple for you, but HOLD FAST…’cause it may be a bumpy ride.

I tried to sort out the chronology of all the different facets of my thought process that morning.  Here’s how I remember it.

First, I read the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn—at least I think that was first.  If it wasn’t first, it was first concurrent with number 2 below.  This amazing book is summarized in part by the following paragraph from its description over at Barnes & Noble’s website:

In the most comprehensive and definitive book on Heaven to date, Randy invites you to picture Heaven the way Scripture describes it—a bright, vibrant, and physical New Earth, free from sin, suffering, and death, and brimming with Christ's presence, wondrous natural beauty, and the richness of human culture as God intended it.

Read it.  It will ramp your passion for evangelism at least 3 notches while at the same time flattening your complaining attitude by at least a figure of 6 decibels.  You’ll never look at life or read the Bible the same again.

Second (or perhaps concurrently with number 1 above), I listened to an entire quarter’s worth of teachings from over at  Discover The Word, a radio/podcast program that I have found to be not only very biblically solid, but also enjoyable to listen to (and not just because the lead teacher, Haddon Robinson, sounds like my maternal grandfather).  The programs aired from January of this year through March.  The programs are in the archives over there—I encourage you to listen to them.

These programs were on the theology of work.

Later in the year my son-in-law started reading, and eventually reviewed, a book by David Platt entitled Radical.  Disclaimer:  I have not read the book.  I have only watched the video and discussed the premises of the book with my daughter and son-in-law.  The video summarizes the point of the book by stating:

“Church, we are Plan A…and there IS NO PLAN B”

And a paragraph at the official website for the book reads as follows:

It’s easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily…But who do you know who lives like that? Do you?

However, the problem is perhaps stated well by the review my son-in-law wrote for his church’s website:

No one should object to reminders of neglected foreign mission fields, or reiterating the Gospel call. But for many readers who already struggle with basic needs, who aren’t in Platt’s main audience of consumer-driven Christians, and who want to support a local church, what does the call to radical faith look like? One answer: very often it looks like being faithful in small ways, living a quiet life and working with one’s hands (1 Thess. 4:11). Very often Christians who have not devoted more time to Ministry are already being radical in their homes, churches and jobs.

The third event that formed a car in this thought train was the beginning of this blog, and the main focus it has providentially assumed so far:  Art And All That.  This is a subject close to my heart and upon which I meditate quite frequently.

So now we come finally to last Saturday morning, when I was doing something as prosaic as cooking breakfast:  just standing there not-so-innocently in my jammies, non-chalantly frying up some delicious home made sourdough French toast for the family.  And Ka-CHINK, BOOM, CLANK, ClanK, Clank, clank…the engine linked up and began moving ahead, all cars attached.

I thought “This meal is totally unhealthy, but otherwise it is going to be so exquisite that it will be like giving my family a little taste of heaven” (clank clank).  That's when I realized that this was exactly what we should all be doing, every day.  Giving everyone around us a little taste of heaven by doing whatever it is that we do as excellently as we can with as good an attitude as we can in as much love and compassion as we can because they need to have their appetites whetted for Heaven.  It’s the Gospel…or at least a large part of it.

And that is Art.  And.  All.  That. 

This makes it so that everything we do is a work of Art.  Cleaning a toilet excellently, with a good attitude, so that your family enjoys a taste of the cleanliness and comfort we will experience in Heaven.  Closing an account, accurate to the penny, with an attitude of joy so that your client will get a taste of the faithfulness and justice they can experience in Heaven.  Cooking a delicious meal…you get the idea.

One of the stories used during the Discover the Word program to illustrate such a situation was told by Haddon Robinson.  I’ve summarized it.

A man works in a union job in a factory, in an area where there's a lot of steam.  Two coworkers know he is a Christian, and to torment him, they open the window, letting in the cold air and jeapordizing the health of the Christian worker each day.  The Christian prays for God to help him continually react in a kind manner each day.  Eventually one of the coworkers is saved, not because the Christian did anything radical or witnessed to him, but because he remembered his endurance and kindness.  He heard the gospel preached in a church, not one he was invited to by this coworker, just one he happened to attend; but when he heard the Gospel, he remembered that coworker's patience, and that made up his mind for him to come to Christ.

Clank clank.

Then I thought “what I do for my family is the same day in and day out.  I clean the toilets, do the laundry, cook the breakfast.  Every day.  It gets old.  It gets tiresome, and boring.  But let’s say I decide to follow Mr. Platt’s call to be Radical, sell all I have, put my kids in boarding school, and head off into the deep dark pagan mists.”

Well, what happens then?

I still have the goal of attempting to give the pagans a little taste of heaven in all that I do, whether it's preaching the gospel or drilling a water well.  I will still have to do it excellently, and with a good attitude that shows I know that there are more important things--eternal things--that dwarf our little frustrations here.  And I'll have to do it every day, all the time.  I’ll still be cleaning toilets, doing laundry, and cooking.

It’s going to get old.  It’s going to get tiresome, and boring.  And after awhile, it’s not going to seem so radical anymore.

Clank, clank.  Chug, chug.

So, here’s my question for Mr. Platt, and for all the gifted Christian computer programmers and CPAs  who’ve quit their perfectly good jobs which supported their families to become a seminary wonk and go to school to become a…whatever:  something in “ministry” so they can be radical, something which may or may not actually fit the gifts God has given them.

If you can't do that (Giving everyone around you a little taste of heaven by doing whatever it is that you  do as excellently as you can with as good an attitude as you can in as much love and compassion as you can because they need to have their appetites whetted for Heaven) in the here and now, in your very UN-radical life, what makes you think you could do it in a third-world, pagan country, or in the inner city?

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that if you answer that question with “I don’t think I can”, that lets you off the hook for going on mission.

Nosirree.  What it does is call you to begin living your radically UN-radical life where God has you now in a decidedly RADICAL way.

In a way that communicates the Gospel in a True Art way.  In a way that shows you know what is eternal and what is not.  In a way that shows you know you own NOTHING (does your living room couch belong to Christ?  Can He use it any way He wants?  How about your computer?  Your big screen t.v.--or even more radical, the t.v. controls?), and you owe EVERYTHING to Christ (your life.  your giftings--does He have your permission to use them anyway He wants? your children.  your time).  In a way that creates a hunger for Heaven in everyone with whom you come into contact.

Every.  Single.  Day.

Dayindayoutbuythegroceriesgotoworkcomehomefromworkplaywiththekidshugthewifedothedishesloveyourneighbor
keepthespeedlimitvoteconscientiouslypatientlyendurethestupidcoworkeranonymouslyheroicallycreateahungerfore
Heavenineveryonearoundyou.

You live like that, God says He’ll give you even more (Matt 25:21).  He’ll see to it you live radically, oh yes.  You may find yourself in the inner city or a pagan third world country preaching the gospel...but it won't be because you did something different--it will be because you were already living radically in your every day life, and God led you there step by providential step.  And while you're there you won't face the temptation of thinking you might be more useful, more radical somewhere else.

Begin today.  What you are doing TODAY is PLAN A…BE RADICAL in it.

Oh.  And here’s the toilet brush.

HOLD FAST