On
April 15, 1970, Abby and I were blessed with our first child, a sweet baby boy
that we named Bradley. Meanwhile, 248,000 miles from our delivery room in Dover, Ohio, the
crew of Apollo 13 was partway through its "slingshot maneuver" on a
path around the dark side of the Moon. This
maneuver was chosen when a fuel cell failure prevented their planned second
lunar landing. Many of us remember the
message from Apollo 13 Astronaut John ("Jack") Swigert to NASA
Mission Control, “Houston, we have a problem.”
A Universal Problem
The now popular version of Astronaut Swigert’s message is a summary of our current situation on planet Earth. It is hard for us to imagine the emotional state of the Apollo 13 crew, separated from their life-supporting Earth and suddenly faced with more limited energy supply. No one on board denied it—“We have a problem!” Because of the current pandemic of confusion, mistrust, fear, division, and frustration, one thing that the entire “crew” of planet Earth should agree on is this-- “We have a problem!”
Everywhere we look, we can see evidence of this universal human problem. We can see evidence of the problem in any list of what is necessary for our culture and society to flourish. If you follow the daily news, each of these items will remind you of some way in which the “universal problem” is “infecting” our society and culture:
Many of us will have to confess that we are frustrated and disgusted at the
current corruption, lawlessness, double standards, hypocrisy, and lack of due
process in both government and the private sector. To combat my own negativity, I say to myself, “You
mustn’t dwell on this?” To avoid my
tendency to “be overcome by evil,” I have been studying what it means to “DWELL.”A Suitable Dwelling
In our recent Oikonomia article, “Pursuit of God in Troubled Times –DWELL 1.0,” (Click HERE), we noted that all living creatures including humans require a place in which to dwell: a place, or habitat, that is suitable for their survival, reproduction, and flourishing. We considered more specifically the “Essentials for Dwelling.” Then, we looked at what the Bible says about dwelling and how God yearns for us to seek Him and dwell with Him.
For humankind, “Essentials for Dwelling” include the need for “spiritual awareness” so that we can maintain meaningful social and spiritual relationships. When these “essentials” are met, our lives are purposeful, rewarding, and pleasing to God our Creator. One thing is certain: All of us are being tested and will be tested by an increasingly disordered social, political, and economic landscape around us. To make our point, we will first take a hard look at our world through the eyes of a character portrayed in a noteworthy movie. Then, we will consider whether God’s invitation to dwell in Him can actually help us overcome the onslaught of our current world.
Recognizing the Problem
Recently, we watched the movie, The Verdict (1982), starring Paul Newman who plays a defeated, alcoholic lawyer, Frank Gavin. Frank’s fortunes seem to turn when he discovers a new purpose in life: providing legal counsel for the family of a comatose patient whose condition was allegedly the result of medical malpractice. Eventually, Frank’s chances of winning the case dwindle in the face of powerful and corrupt opposition from his opponent, Ed Concannon (James Mason). But, when it seems that all is lost, Frank Gavin rises to the occasion with a heartfelt closing statement to the jury. [Click on text box below to enlarge.]
Can you sense Frank’s frustration? Sadly, our “universal problem” is not a new one. The prophet Isaiah recorded the following lament nearly 3,000 years ago to the corrupt nation of Israeli (Isaiah 59: 11, 14-15):
All of us growl like bears,
And moan sadly like doves;
We hope for justice, but there is none;
For salvation, but it is far from us.
Justice is turned back,
And righteousness stands far away;
For truth has stumbled in the street,
And uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking
And one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
If we are honest, we can identify with the frustration and hopelessness expressed in these Scriptures. Isaiah describes the state of America and the world perfectly:
• Emotionally – “we growl…we moan sadly…”
• Legally – “We hope for justice, but there is none…”
• Spiritually – “…righteousness stands far away”
• Ethically – “…truth has stumbled…Truth is lacking…”
If these conditions of our culture are not bad enough, Isaiah prophetically drives the point home: Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked. Even the renouncers of evil are singled out for attack. This is Frank Gavin’s assessment exactly.
Root of the Problem
We may all agree – “We have a problem!” But where do we go from here? Not to pessimism, nor optimism, but let’s have some realism. Again, we look to the ancient prophet Isaiah to point us to the root of our problem—our sin (Isaiah 59: 12b-13):
And our sins have testified against us;
For our wrongful acts are with us,
And we know our wrongdoings:
Offending and denying the LORD,
And turning away from our God,
Speaking oppression and revolt,
Conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
Frank Gavin realized this inner sense of right and wrong when he spoke to the jury (emphasis mine): You are the law, not some book, not the lawyers, not a marble statue, or the trappings of the court. See, those are just symbols of our desire to be just. They are, in fact, a prayer. I mean, a fervent and a frightened prayer.
What a sad commentary on every one of us! Aren’t we all frustrated at the evidence of sin and its infection of our society and government—and of our own hearts? Abby and I both feel it. We are weary and impatient at times from the COVID pandemic, from conflicts and misunderstandings between us, or within our family and our church, and from the corruption in our government. Many of us feel at times like we're on a spacecraft that has lost connection with "mission control."
Untethered or Dwelling? We have seen that John (“Jack”) Swigert’s message, “Houston, we have a problem,” fits the situation of all of us on planet Earth. Imagine the fear and hopelessness you might feel as a member of the Apollo 13 crew faced with limited fuel, 248,000 miles from Earth. Facing the reality that you may never see the life-supporting environment of your dwelling on Earth again, you would likely see clearly—"We have a problem!”
By analogy, the entire “crew” of “spaceship Earth” faces a larger problem than the one Apollo 13 faced. We have a problem, but many of us do not realize its true source. Multitudes of people in our global culture have become spiritually untethered from their Creator and are walking in darkness (1 John 1: 6). Many of us can identify with Attorney Frank Gavin when he expressed his frustration over the lack of truth in our culture. In “our desire to be just…[we utter] a fervent and a frightened prayer.” In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking.” Today’s corruption and chaos in our society can knock the joy out of us.
Is there hope for our lost, untethered culture? Is there hope in God? If there is, how can we as sinners draw near and dwell with a holy God?
Righteous Hill: Who Can Climb?
God longs for us to dwell in His presence. However, He cannot allow us into His presence unless we repent of our sin and pride. The psalmist David asks, "Who can dwell in God’s holy hill [or] abide in His tent (Psalm 15: 1)." Then, he answers his question in verse 2: “He who walks with integrity.” Then, in verses 2b-5, David expands on what it means to have integrity (CLICK BOX to enlarge):
Look at the list of character qualities of the person God desires to dwell with Him. Have you or anyone you know been able to perfectly master this list? It is clear that no person by his or her own effort can achieve the holiness needed to “dwell in God’s holy hill.” Therefore, God provided a way for those who wish to dwell with Him. He did this through the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3: 18).
Redeemer: “Way-Maker”
Now that Jesus Christ has come, died for our sin, and rose again, all who repent and turn to Him may dwell with Him. If we confess our sins, God is just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1: 9). Christ is the “Way-Maker” to open the way into “God’s holy hill" and into God's presence where we can achieve forgiveness and spiritual Life. This truth applies to sinners who have never accepted God’s gift of salvation through Christ (Romans 6; Ephesians 2). But it also applies to Christ-followers who need to respond in repentance when the Spirit of God convicts them (1 John 3: 21-22).
Out of this dwelling or abiding relationship, Christ can empower us to be His ambassadors, or "way-makers." In a world in which more a people realizing, “We have a problem,” God can use us to point our family, friends, and neighbors to the way that Christ, God’s “Way-Maker” has provided for the confused, frustrated, victimized, homeless, and hopeless?
In DWELL 4.0, we plan to discuss what it means to “abide in Christ and He in us” and how that should affect our lives and those around us.
Now It's Your Turn
We hope this article has helped you in your pursuit of a safe "dwelling" in our troubled times. Maybe it has stirred questions or insights you’d like to share with our readers. Maybe you have an article, book, podcast, or movie that readers would find helpful. We would love to read your “Comment,” question, or a helpful reference you share. Just click on the “Comment” link below to enter your message, or write to us at silviusj@gmail.com. Thank you for reading.
