upside down
Upside down that is how I envision the values of God’s Kingdom as Jesus explained it. It is so counter to what we see valued and practiced in our world. I was encouraged this weekend as I was reminded of an incident from the life of St. Paul. 
It was so cool to hear afresh the story of Paul and Silas in prison. To see Paul live out the upside down values of God’s Kingdom under dire circumstances.
Here was Paul and Silas praising God in the midst of being beaten, flogged and put in chains in a dungeon - that is amazing enough, but the story continues. Following the earthquake the chains are loosened (an apparent miracle?) - yet they don’t escape - for the good of the jailer (who certainly would have been killed) they stay put and serve their sentence.
Talk about an amazing picture of, “Love your enemies.”
Just beautiful. I guess I often am guilty of seeing Paul through His letters (which are more “doctrinaire”) and miss these glimpses of his embodiment of Jesus’ teaching found throughout the Acts of the Apostles. It was a great reminder - and incredibly challenging. What a model for us to follow. May I be found in my everyday loving my enemies, praising God in all my circumstances and being satisfied even if my lot is to suffer for Christ’s sake.
I found this on the perfect day for it to be found–as I was looking at the dead ends at which I’ve been stopped, particularly over the last month or so, and wondering if there was any light left at the end of the tunnel.
I think these last few years of going from middle class status back to poverty have served to uncover every fear, and look to the Christ that did not share my opinions of myself with me, or some of the opinions offered to me about Him by others. Paul stated that he knew both how to be abased and how to abound, because his God’s love was consistent through both types of circumstances and greater than either. Paucity, and a set of circumstances preventing its quick end, has required me to abandon whatever remaining notions about gain being godliness that I had remaining in order to survive with any hope. I am, however, discovering the immeasurable love of Christ that is undaunted by my failings and unchanging through all of the disappointment.
May Christ have mercy upon you Marti and may you come to a rich and real understanding of God’s grace, compassion and care in the midst of your difficulties.
May the body of Christ around you also reflect a reality of the one true God, as well.