Hold On! Change Is Coming!
Copyright ©2020 by The Good Elder. All rights reserved.
In recent months, I have contemplated the benefits and merits of holding onto righteousness, even as the world seems to be unraveling, where those who speak up for right are persecuted, and those who do dirt in the shadows are not held to account. I have wondered the "worth-it-ness" of doing right when hedonism seems to be at an all time high. And yet, there is something within that holdeth the reins...
In the world of sports, we find many examples of triumph over adversity. In particular, we could enumerate several important games where a team was losing late in the game, apparently headed for certain defeat, until some unlikely play or turn of events enabled that team to win. Sports enthusiasts have certainly heard of the "immaculate reception" play, where the Pittsburgh Steelers came back to win a playoff game against the Oakland Raiders due to the improbably catch by Franco Harris of a deflected pass, which he ran into the end zone.
In recent years, our own Miami Heat were down 3-2 in the NBA championship series, and was losing late in the 4th quarter. Then Ray Allen made a couple of three-point shots. A couple of days later, the Heat were spraying champagne in their locker room, having come back to win the championship.
We could name several others, including the "Music City Miracle"... or the "snow plow game" in New England... all of them having in common an unlikely successful completion of a play to win the game in the last moments.
Coaches, players, and fans always use that cliché, "It ain't over 'til it's over," but seldom does the team trailing in the final moments end up winning in miraculous fashion. However, when it does, it leaves those players feeling a great sense of triumph, accomplishment, joy, and relief. Players feel vindicated that their efforts to hold on and not give up were not a waste of time and energy. The victory is that much sweeter when it was such a struggle and seemed out of reach. These ones leave the field/court truly having experienced the reality of that cosmic truth that, "He that endureth to the end shall be saved."
Many religious traditions, of course, teach some varied expression of this truth. Unfortunately, the conditions that most people experience in daily life have not borne this reality out--yet. So many of us are still waiting for our "lotto blessing".
For all the education and information available in the world today, with all the technological advancements that have been created, even with our ability to go from one place to another on the planet within 24 hours, it seems that our spiritual progress towards the prophesied state of blessedness is moving dreadfully slowly, at best. In fact, it seems that things for many are reverting to a worst state than they've been in recent memory.
And yet, many sense a long overdue change in the air, a change that present-day circumstances are demanding more and more urgently. So, encouraged by the sign of the times (the abominations of desolations), and spurred by that inner knowing, the faithful have decided to hold on, [because] change is coming.
Like the examples previously mentioned, religious traditions teach that there will be great upheaval and turmoil in the last days, and then suddenly, the script will be flipped. Jesus said, "Be ye also ready..." Prophet William S. Crowdy said, "Prepare to meet your God." The urgency of readiness is because, as Jesus said, "...for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."
If we think back to Noah and the Ark, to Lot in Sodom, to Joseph in Egypt, to Israel coming out of Egypt... we observe a recurring theme: the suddenness of deliverance. Righteous-minded people hoped for it, but no one saw it coming. And, as Jesus so aptly pointed out in his parable, because no one knows when this is happening, and because the challenges of the prevailing culture can be difficult to resist, one must remain vigilant so as not to falter during a time when judgment/deliverance could come at any moment.
In his parable, Jesus spoke of the man who got tired of waiting, got lazy, and let things fall into disrepair. He also spoke of a man who got tired of waiting and joined in the "festivities" with everyone around him--only to be caught unaware. This is certainly the worst case scenario for those who believe that a change is both necessary and eminent, but whose patience and faith are running low.
But if righteousness is the way, we must wrestle with two implicit questions: why (is there a struggle to) hold on, and why is there such urgency?
Let us first consider why one should hold on, and parenthetically, why there is often a struggle to hold on. Let me offer a progression of reasons. First, the religious practitioners and the faithful hold on (at least initially) because of the promised blessings. God has promised to bless those who "keep His commandments." Deuteronomy 28:
[1] And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee onvhigh above all nations of the earth:
[2] And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
[3] Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
[4] Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
[5] Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
[6] Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
In fact, practitioners of various traditions have all been assured of some benefit for maintaining righteous living in faith.
But, after the emotional zeal dies down, when the burdens of life begin to weigh heavily on us, when some unexpected difficulty or tragedy besets us, and those expected blessings don't manifest as quickly as we'd hoped (if at all), then we begin to question whether our "holding on" has been worth it.
As Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 2:15), "As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me. [So, what makes me special? What good did holding on do, as I'm still experiencing the pain of life?]" In short, one is faced with the question, "Why should I continue?"
If the seeker persists in faith through this dark night of doubt, then that seeker moves up to a higher level of observance. I would summarize it with this thought, "Someone's got to do right! If I don't do it, what will keep society from sliding down the abyss?"
Looking at our society today, this is certainly not such a far-fetched conclusion to draw. Even in his Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln spoke of the necessity of the sacrifices of the soldiers, and the responsibility of the citizenry:
"...we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
In other words, "Somebody's got to do something, and I am one of those people!"
But, then, after a time, the seeker moves up even higher, taking the ego out of the equation. After all, we are not the only ones trying to live and do right! We are not saviors of the world; there must be a higher motivation.
These one's realize that righteousness is the right way to be. It is the ultimate truth and reality of existence in this life, and in the Cosmos. These ones realize that, "What I do to others, I do to myself." Indeed, Jesus taught his disciples, as recorded in Matthew 25:40, of the apocalypse in the end times: "... the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.'" These ones will be blessed, but their righteousness is not motivated by the promise of blessings, nor are they deluded by visions of being a savior. They do right, "because it is right to do right."
As the spiritual aspirant makes his/her way through the dark and stormy desert, he/she may, at times, find it difficult to live up to the ideals that he/she aspires to. In short, temptation is real, and is it not limited to sensual lusts of the flesh.
Temptation exists when the desire of the seeker challenges his/her willingness to do what God's Law prescribes. Sometimes, that sale or that party on the Sabbath tests our resolve to keep the Sabbath holy. Sometimes, we remember hurtful actions of others toward us and find it difficult to reconcile or even speak cordially to that offender. Sometimes, we think about how envious our co-workers will be when they see that new designer handbag hanging off our shoulder, instead of contributing our tithes and offerings toward the Work of God, the One Who gave us health to get wealth. And yes, sometimes, that man/woman looks good in that outfit, or gives us acertain look that stirs our flesh, even as we twirl that wedding band on our finger.
Temptations often reveal weaknesses or vulnerabilities, laying bare our is-ness, in the light of our ought-ness. As we strive to live righteously, temptation brings these opportunities for improvement to light, and invites us to face, deal with, and rectify. The experience of temptation doesn't make us bad people. It is, quite frankly, a characteristic of life on this plane. However, the degree to which one is tempted helps one to gauge his/her progress toward his/her ideals, and indicates that a degree of sacrifice is being called for.
But, why does there always seem to be such urgency? Quite frankly, many do so out of tradition and habit, trying to use the fear of hell to scare people straight and/or to compel them to pay money...
However, there is a level of urgency that does not rely on fear. Namely, it calls to mind (perhaps unconsciously) the reality that, in the cosmic cycles of time, humanity on earth is coming to the end of one of these cycles. While all souls ultimately return to God, those who are not sufficiently prepared will have to repeat another 26,000 year cycle; and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth among those who had this opportunity, but let it slip between their fingers.
Perhaps Isaiah 40:3-5 summarizes why we hold on. It reveals to us the conclusion of the whole matter, it shows us the point of doing all of this, and the ultimate reason that we continue.
[3] ...Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
[4] Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
[5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
We all innately know that darkness cannot last forever. The devil's time is up. But, because what we see in the world makes it seem like exactly the opposite is occurring (i.e. that the devil is establishing an even tighter stranglehold over humanity), the temptation to give up and let go is stronger than ever. But, hold on! Change is coming!
If you found this post to be uplifting, inspiring, or instructive, feel free to share the link to this post or the link to my blog. You can contact me at [email protected].