Uganda Trip #15 | Post 4
My sleeplessness on Friday night/Saturday morning gave me a little gift. I watched Hudson High football live against Menomonie. I attend every Raider game I can, and it’s good to know the two Fridays (Saturday in Uganda) I’m here I can watch the team. FCC’r Ben Englund (we baptized him in the last couple of years) has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery--fun! I got a little airtime as I texted the broadcasters during the game with greetings from Gulu, Uganda.
This isn’t a normal weekend. Saturday was spent in the classroom as we continued marching through tools to arrive at a sounder understanding of the book of Revelation. We are spending a fair amount of time looking at the nature of the symbols that make up the writing, understanding how they anchor to one another and the larger story of Scripture. We are not plowing through the book verse by verse (although we will read the entire book together) but giving them tools to use not only for Revelation but any apocalyptic literature in the Bible. I admitted to our trainees that I have been intimidated by this book and avoided it. It appears that I am not alone in my hesitance.
There are a number of reasons. One is that so many wacky things have been said and done in the history of the church, and I don’t want to add to the confusion. I’m not a big fan of being wrong either. I also don’t do well with ambiguity. I like clarity with more than a hunch regarding what is next. It’s easier to take care of your lawn than to take your marriage to the next level. It’s not simply that there are figures of speech (symbols, word pictures) that are a bit confusing (and crazy!). There is a lack of clarity that is to lead to trust rather than mechanistic certainty. We are part of a grand narrative, and we are not the Author. The question is “Is the Author trustworthy?” The Bible is not a how-to manual for making life work, it is a pointer into what it means to live in right relationship with God, one another, and the world He created and sustains. I want a list--He wants a relationship. I want a next step. He wants me.
Revelation was written by a man in exile because of his faith to a small network of churches undergoing difficulty. John (the author) offers this book to help the church endure its hardship in hope. I sense the trainees gravitate to this writing more naturally than I do because suffering is a more regular part of their lives than mine. For the most part, life works for me. My African brothers struggle more regularly and profoundly. They find the themes in the book encouraging and life giving. Some of them have a relationship with God which is profoundly real in their more challenging setting. Their lives reflect God’s sufficiency in a way that is compelling. I want more of that…but I also want a life of ease. God, I believe, help my unbelief.
Sunday morning, I took a nice walk before attending worship, catching a nap and going out for dinner with the missionaries hear and a few leaders from Alabama we are sharing our quarters with. I thought I had the sleep thing figured out, but it’s now 3:30 am on Monday and I am studying and writing here instead of the sleep that seems elusive. We are teaching that things are the way they are because of the sovereign decree of God. If that’s the case, it applies to my sleep patterns as well. God is up to something in all this that is good.
The picture that accompanies this post is from Saturday’s class on chapters 12-16.
