A Far Country
TENTMAKER no. 16
Property. Land. House.
Home.
I’d very much like to have a house of my own to live in, to mold after my own vision, to share with my wife. In that house, I’d have a room with a large bay of windows looking onto a peaceful natural, quiet scene, nothing manmade in sight, the walls painted a dark color with wooden trims and accents, green things growing in planters here and there, book shelves, paintings on every wall, a leather chair by the windows, and a desk for writing. I’d have a ceiling of a filigreed night sky, inky blue-black with silver and champagne gold for all things that shine in the night, as if the elves from Middle Earth had made it themselves.
Oh - a fireplace.
There will be fire.
Nature, windows, a desk and chair, books, and paintings. Quiet. That’s where I’d be, allowing my heart to carry my vision far beyond what my eyes are capable of.
I have bumped up against this more and more recently, this desire to have my own place surrounded by stuff of my choosing. I know how important it is because what we surround ourselves with matters.
I just wonder how much of it is a lesson for me.
How do I know what to let go of and what to strive for? Once again, I have the feeling that I am being asked to let go of these desires, these sticky wants, to let them melt because God knows what I need and that should be enough.
But shouldn’t I push and press for what I want? I will not get it if I do not press for it.
This is the problem.
My human self knows that to be a fact, but I feel something else - someone else - looking on to see what I will do, what my heart will reach for. What do I really believe? What are all these things worth? Why does the thought of them make me want to press for them?
A person can only possess something that belongs to God.
The person who wrote that came from a wealthy family who had everything taken when the Bolsheviks came to power. He enlisted to fight them, left his country, found a job, and then left that life to become a monk. He had what money could buy. He experienced wealth and all it brings. He sat in fine places. He lost everything, fought for his land, and having discovered the shallow nature of materialism, then set out for a heavenly land. This is the way I see it.
Below you’ll read a few summaries of his thoughts on property.
A person can only possess something that belongs to God. The whole world is a possession of God. Only God is the source of any power.
A person, unwilling to recognize the authority of God, is hiding from Him in the same way as Adam did.
However, a modern person shelters himself behind concepts like "freedom," "public and private property, "economic laws," and so on. (Allow me to insert this: Remember - he fought against the Bolsheviks. It is similar to the way modern Christian Americans wrap themselves in a flag when their truest duty is to the kingdom of God.)
Simplicity must be the basis of all complexity.
Everything in life should be similar to a complex harmony of an orchestra composed of simple instruments, where the harmony is built of the spheres of human life, and the instruments are the laws of God.
The world always has and always will belong to God, no matter what forces temporarily rule in it.
All earthly possessions are fleeting and full of sorrows (Job 14:1).
A person has less property than he thinks. Often you will see a millionaire in thrall to his millions rather than in possession of them.
A person has more property than he thinks. Every breath of air is a person's property. It is much more important than money, because it directly supports his life.
To enter into harmony with the world, one must recognize the power of God.
A sober person understands that his "property" is a relative phenomenon.
The fallen humanity is attached to transient values. It is unable to abandon this state, because there is always something that it prefers to God.
Human life in its highest manifestation is life devoted to God.
The order of temporal life is given to us as a ladder to eternity. Living on earth, it is worthwhile to learn to live in eternity.
The material world is our primary point of support on the path to God.
For a selfless person, the material world is an infinitely convenient opportunity for Salvation.
Blessed is the possession based on the love of God.
WHAT STOOD OUT IN SCRIPTURE
The Psalms always speak clearly to me. When I read the following psalm, I get a picture of creation that reminds me of the big picture. My eyes are removed from what I want and my will is invited to soften. A favorite part is at the end: he looks upon the earth and it trembles, he touches the mountains and they smoke. (That’s just an awesome picture.)
All things pass. The fields that I grew up beside have their edges eroded. The creeks fill up with natural and manmade debris, changing the course of water. It once flowed in a different path, reminding me that nothing is stagnant. Where once natives made tools beside that water there is now a garden. The natural gives way to our will as we scrape off trees to put up houses. Things change. Homes decay or burn or get destroyed by floods. Verdant places become junkyards. Even if I were to have exactly what I wanted, it would all be trashed in 100 years. Here, let me be reminded of the Christ, the Savior, who, being God, had no place of his own.
As you read this psalm, let the scale of God’s reach wash over you as you realize that your wants and needs - while important to our loving Father - are but a small thing to be relinquished. If Christ can bottle himself up in a body, I can let go of a little bit of land, a little room with windows, a chair, a desk, paintings and books.
Psalm 104
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.
The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Praise ye the Lord.
King James Version (KJV)
Wouldn’t this be a nice prayer before bed? To read aloud to yourself or with your children? I think so. Read this as if you were standing before Him giving up, letting go. Remember Him.
T-SHIRT
I am starting a new series of t-shirts based on C.S. Lewis. He was at one time called “Jack” so I am going to use that. Below you will get a taste of how I intend to build out the collection. This is based on the saying “Further up, further in” found frequently in The Chronicles of Narnia.
Here is how an AI said it:
“Further up and further in” is a phrase from C.S. Lewis' final Chronicles of Narnia book, The Last Battle. In the book's final chapters, the characters arrive in a place that is similar to heaven, and discover that its beauty and depth is beyond comprehension. The phrase is used by a unicorn who cries out, “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here!” . Some say the phrase is a call to keep one's eyes on the goal of union with God, and that it represents a journey that will take people past death and into life.
I like this article from the C.S. Lewis Institute and their June 2021 “Reflections”. It ends with a scripture that gets to the heart of the matter.
I intend to make several Jack Lewis designs, so if you know of anyone who loves C.S. Lewis, share this with them to see what they think!
On a related note,
I am going to change the name of my t-shirt website. It has been Apology Apparel now for about 4 years, but I think I can do better.
If you have any cool suggestions, let me know. OR - if you think that the current name is good enough, let me know. I have lots of ideas, but all the domain names are taken, so I’m taking it slow. In the meantime, people can find everything at ApologyApparel.com
NEWS
Do not get caught up in the narratives being vomited everywhere and on both sides of the news. All I see is red team news talking trash about blue team news and vice versa. Neither team reports the news, they toot their own horn and sneer at the other team.
Not helpful.
The most important election ever? Nope. Please remember the long view. All of these stories have been said before about other people, albeit with different circumstances. Politicians do not change. Politics does not change. Everyone makes promises. If you find yourself thinking and talking about this all the time, take a minute to compare time spent on political arguments and passing judgments with time spent praying and reading.
Do not lie to yourself. Begin with you. Stop to read Christ-centered material. Actually go somewhere quiet and alone to exhale all the garbage. While there, read the psalms or other scriptures slowly. Do not believe that you have all you need. Do not believe that you are someone you are not.
Do not lie to yourself.
There is no moral high ground except at the foot of the cross. Humility towards all.
You can possess your opinions just like you can possess land: one day you will be forced to give it up. There are no heroes. There is, however, a Redeemer.
And a Last Day.
CANADA
Here are three articles on Canada’s euthanasia situation:
WGN.org - a Christian news site that I visit.
Jocobin - a socialist place - a far-left place I just found. Included here for diversity.
This is a pretty interesting article about more weirdness in Canada.
Canadian student arrested at Catholic school for Biblical beliefs on gender (click)
Here is a curious part -
“I’m not Catholic, but I’m a born-again Christian, and you would think the views of that school would be more aligned with Christianity than the public school board,” said Alexander.
St. Joseph’s Catholic High School is part of the publicly-funded Ontario Catholic school system, where 31 of the 37 boards planned to recognize Pride Month last June.
KAMALA HARRIS
An interesting read about her pastor in San Francisco
From the Associated Press - an article on Harris’ faith
From MSNBC - How Donald Trump’s Christianity Differs from Harris’
I offer these few articles to read. They don’t take long. Why not read for yourself?
MAP
This data is very recent.
Read the article about the map above here
PATRISTICS
Here is a selection from the “Martyrdom of Polycarp”
May it remind us of the Christian’s true king and kingdom,
their true country, their only possession,
and that everything will be tried by fire.
All the martyrdoms, then, were blessed and noble which took place according to the will of God. For it becomes us who profess422 greater piety than others, to ascribe the authority over all things to God. And truly,423 who can fail to admire their nobleness of mind, and their patience, with that love towards their Lord which they displayed?—who, when they were so torn with scourges, that the frame of their bodies, even to the very inward veins and arteries, was laid open, still patiently endured, while even those that stood by pitied and bewailed them. But they reached such a pitch of magnanimity, that not one of them let a sigh or a groan escape them; thus proving to us all that those holy martyrs of Christ, at the very time when they suffered such torments, were absent from the body, or rather, that the Lord then stood by them, and communed with them. And, looking to the grace of Christ, they despised all the torments of this world, redeeming themselves from eternal punishment by [the suffering of] a single hour. For this reason the fire of their savage executioners appeared cool to them. For they kept before their view escape from that fire which is eternal and never shall be quenched, and looked forward with the eyes of their heart to those good things which are laid up for such as endure; things “which ear hath not heard, nor eye seen, neither have entered into the heart of man,”424 but were revealed by the Lord to them, inasmuch as they were no longer men, but had already become angels. And, in like manner, those who were condemned to the wild beasts endured dreadful tortures, being stretched out upon beds full of spikes, and subjected to various other kinds of torments, in order that, if it were possible, the tyrant might, by their lingering tortures, lead them to a denial [of Christ].
Quotes
Here is where I leave you. These two quotes really struck me. Really powerful stuff to contemplate. The second one hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Truth is not a thought, not a word, not a relationship between things, not a law. Truth is a Person. It is a Being which exceeds all beings and gives life to all. If you seek truth with love and for the sake of love, she will reveal the light of His face to you inasmuch as you are able to bear it without being burned." - St Nicholas of Zicha
The desire to rule is the mother of heresies." - St John Chrysostom
