How is this Going to End?
Revelation 22; Philippians 2: 5-11
We all know the word “culture” but it is kind of tricky to explain exactly what culture is. A simple definition would be to say that culture is the term used to refer to a group’s practices, rituals and specific way of doing things. There are not only ethnic cultures but sub cultures. The fact that there are many different kinds of ethnic and sub-cultures is the spice of life. It makes things interesting. It should be celebrated. One of the bad consequences of globalization was that it created a melting pot for many different cultures and diversity suffered because of this. Post-Covid experts say that there are going to be a reappreciation for the local and unique in cultures.
We should allow and celebrate the fact that different groups of people and also different churches does things in different ways. But experts also say that there are broadly speaking something that underpins all cultures. We can call this something a general attitude towards life and there are five different kinds of attitudes when it comes to all cultures. Cultures tend to evolve through these five attitudes and ways of being. Cultures sometimes devolve and revert to a previous attitude when they are under pressure because of something hard and unexpected happening. So, what are these five attitudes?
The five stances underpinning all cultures
The first and worst one to have is a “Life sucks” attitude. Where a culture is underpinned by this people are negative and pessimistic. They are very sceptical about progress and do not feel like it is worth trying to make things better. It is where people have given up. Fortunately, most cultures have progressed through this, so that is kind of hard to think about an example of such a culture. The other day I eavesdropped at a conversation two addicted people were having outside my office. The way they talked about life, reminded me about this attitude. It was sad to hear. Everything was just all doom and gloom. Many people could slip into this hopeless stance because of this pandemic, especially those who read to many conspiracy theories or even those who watch too much television news. Life really does suck for them and although we can admit that life can get pretty tough sometimes, we have to hold on to the hope that it can also be pretty awesome.
So, the first stance is “My life sucks”. The second one is “My life sucks”. It hardly sounds like an improvement on the first stance but if you moved from “Life sucks” to “My life sucks” you actually made an important shift. You actually embraced the fact that life could indeed be different, and that some people’s lives are. In a culture permeated with this stance, you will find people playing watchdog over each other. Jealousy is rampant and gossip and backstabbing is in the order of the day. Blame is the language in this type of culture. People blame the well-being of others for their own sufferings. Sometimes justly. Often not.
The third stance moves into more positive territory. It is called “I am a star”. Its dark side lies in the bracketed part which is often added: I am a star (you are not). In this culture most have embraced the possibility that things could be better for them and are motivated to work hard to achieve and to outshine. Competition sometimes brings out the best in us but it also often prevents love and good relationships to flourish. In this culture, like in all there is a predominant language. The language of this one is “I” or “me” language. People, when they talk about their work or family will tell you how they saved the day, worked harder than everybody else etc. Like look in the mirror when they experience success, not out the window to others that made it possible. Reputation, rank and status is in focus here. Survival of the fittest. You get the idea
Finally, we enter holy ground. The fourth one is “We are great”. Me language moves to we language. At this stage people discover that by collaborating they can achieve more than they could as individuals competing. People help each other, they train each other and get to know each other really well. They use a lot of “we” language instead of “I” language. They embrace they fact that a chain is just as strong as its weakest link. Teamwork is the name of the game here.
It can get even better. They last one is a “Life is great” attitude. People in such a culture has an unquenchable zest for life. They really believe that it is possible to flourish and have life to its fullest. When a CEO of a pharmaceutical company was once asked who is their greatest competitor, he answered that cancer is. I don’t know if this attitude permeated his whole culture yet, but it definitely is a stage 5 kind of approach he displayed there. Very few organizations are here. It is estimated between 1 and 5 percent.
What does this all have to do with Philippians 2 and Revelation 22?
“What does this all got to do with the Bible and Jesus?”, you may ask. Thus far what I shared looks like something I got from a Harvard Business Review and one should be weary of preachers that preach more from the HBR than the Bible. I share it with you for two reasons. I think it gives us a handy grit on which to plot ourselves and the culture we find ourselves in and more importantly, I think it gives us a good grid to understand what Philippians 2 and Revelation 22 wants to convey about Jesus.
Canada is a wonderful country. There is not any sub cultures or national cultures that can claim a full stage 5 attitude but I think Canada is definitely a stage 4 country for some time. Especially if you move to Canada from another country like I recently did, you notice it. The language is one of everybody matters. All are important and appreciated. There is off course many exceptions. For instance, I don’t think all First Nation people feel that they can sing in this choir yet; but we have come a long way.
But now something dramatic has happened. We find ourselves in a pandemic that is going to set things back again a bit for some time. All the grants being dished out now will come at the price to the well-being, the economy and even the quality of life we enjoy in Canada. Not just in Canada but in other countries as well. Because of this and the fear of what this would mean for people personally you will find a lot of people who suddenly speak a language that is more negative than the one we are used to in Canada. As jobs become scarcer, competitiveness might increase in workspaces and you might hear more “I” language again. Some people will be hard hit and they might even slip down to a life sucks attitude and who can blame them? It might even be that this thing let the whole of Canada and the world slip backwards a bit. Nobody wants to hear this. We all want to hear, things are going forward, so by this time you might want to cry out: “Gabriel give me hope or switch off your computer!”.
Where is the hope?
The hope lies with Jesus. It always has. All authority in heaven and on earth was given to Him. Nothing blindsides Him. His perspective is trustworthy and truth full as is His Word. And if the Bible, that gives us all a master story which gives us the broad outlines of our own individual story says it will end well, it is the truth. If this same story tells us that on our way to this happy ending there will be great suffering and trails, we should not be too surprised by it if we find ourselves in just such a time right now. We should not then lose hope because nothing in this surprising turn of events refutes the broad outlines of the story of our existence given to us in the Bible.
Revelation 22 describes a “life is great” world. A garden city even better than Eden where humankind also used to live in a “life is great” world. Sources of life, sustenance, beauty, healing even care abounds in what is described here. Revelation 22 follows other chapters where things sometimes look pretty grim and weak, the type of scenarios that makes the end described in chapter 22 unlikely. It describes people suffering, crying and not knowing how to respond. This is how many of the first readers experienced life at the time. And this ending was sketched to give them hope and direction through the sadness and suffering. Every person does hold some kind of master story as a way to orientate their own life journey. Many people’s master narrative are taken from contemporary culture and its Hollywood doom-and-gloom movies. But more Christians through the ages were held upright and overcame by allowing the Word of God to give them their master story.
The hymn in Philippians 2, who some say is probably one of the first hymns that was sang in the early church, makes it even more personal. It reminds us that God not only knows and waits for us on the other side but that He entered the evolving drama we find ourselves in.
See, we are usually inspired by people and groups that go from Life sucks to Life is great. Philippians 2 described something extraordinary. How Jesus did the opposite. In describe Jesus not evolving but devolving. It starts with speaking about his Godlike form which is another kind of language for a life is great stance. We are reminded that Jesus became human. He called together a body of disciples. Notice how many times Jesus told the disciples: “Let us”, not “let me” or “I”. He told them that one day as a body, we will be great.
But Jesus descended even further this hymn tells us. He became the star, the one who brought the perfect sacrifice no one else was able to bring. His life sucked on the cross like no other life ever before and Peter tells us that He entered Seoul where life sucked because death reigned. Why this illogical devolving?
Because of you and me. Because of us and Jesus’s love for us. You see some people get stuck at one stance. It takes somebody who loves them to pull them out of one stance and makes them progress to the next. It takes setting an example. It takes good leadership and care. And this is what Jesus gave us with his life. And because He went from Seoul (the reign of death) right back to life is back at the right hand of God, we can know that creation is heading that way and we can know that we are heading there with Him. Even when we face circumstances that makes us slip backwards. When we slip, we cannot slip to a place where Jesus is unable to catch us, because He has been to the lowest place Himself.
Revelation 22 ends with a wish, a blessing, that grace will with everybody. Why? Because grace is what pulls us back on our feet and enables to embrace a better attitude towards life. Grace is wat enables us to pull others that slip up with us. Grace makes us speak a better language, one that pulls us forward, not down. We share God’s grace when we listen, when we help in need, when we need. It makes it a little bit easier for people to embrace that life could be different, that life is great after all.
Close
Some of you may have read the story about Brian and my encounter with him on Thursday. I’ll give the short version. When I came into church on Thursday morning This guy Brian stood at our entrance with a trolley and lots of luggage. I struck a conversation with Brian and realized that he is a bit out of touch with reality. He thinks of himself as a kind of Robin Hood and showed me how he can pick a lock, which I immediately discouraged. When I asked him if he would like something to eat, he said only if I tell him what he can help me with.
So, beneath the mental issues, I discovered this inspiring attitude towards life in Brian. He told me that he is super excited about his life. He said he have found part time construction work and will now only be “part-time” homeless. He told me proudly that there is just two things wrong with him. He is bipolar and has diabetes but everything else works “just fine”. One cannot help but feel good and hopeful and inspired after a conversation with Brian.
And so, I thought about Brian. He doesn’t have full time employment. He hasn’t got the greatest of health, but I see a zest for life in him that is contagious. And maybe Brian, despite all the things he lacks, has taken hold of the most important thing we all need more of. This deep hope that life is great because God is the author of life and Jesus called Himself life. Even when you have heavy burdens to carry.
Maybe we should become more like Brian than he needs to become like us.
How is this all going to end? Because of what Christ has done, Revelation says: “Very well for God’s children”. Let us hold on to that hope no matter what we lose through this pandemic!
Amen
Gabriel J Snyman