Solving a Paradox: Part 2

Recap: It struck me that the sheep the shepherd found was both going

home, and lying still. It would not be going if it was not still, and it

would not be still if it was not going. I realised that there is a place

where one can go and yet be still – and that place is the Shepherd’s

shoulder. My conundrum was solved – at least in theory.

My next challenge was to experience this paradox of being still and

yet going at the same time. What would it mean, in practical terms, to

be on the Shepherd’s shoulder?

Solving a paradox:Part 2

In the book, God, I Don’t Understand, Kenneth Boa discusses how

paradox is woven into all the key Christian doctrines. For example, God

is three persons and yet one; Jesus is God and man; God is sovereign

and yet we are each responsible for our actions; God is everywhere and

yet located in particular places; God dwells in eternity, outside time,

and yet works within time.

To experience being still in God and being active for God at the

same time can only take place when we live our lives in Christ.

This particular paradox is solved only at the Shepherd’s shoulder

– a holy, intimate place where we can hear the heartbeat of the One

who found us and is carrying us home. To hear His heartbeat is to

become spiritually alive. It brings our entire being in step with Him,

and it keeps our soul singing in rhythm with His song.

His gentle breath warms our hearts and protects us from the

coldness of unbelief and sin. It revives that which is dying in us and

resurrects that which is dead. Together, the Shepherd’s divine heartbeat

and life-giving breath remind us that He is present, even though the

dark shadows of the night may hide His face from us. We can rest on

His shoulder.

Without this trustful surrender and growing intimacy with Jesus, we

are lost. Any attempt to ‘be still’ or to ‘go’ without seeking to be carried

on the Shepherd’s shoulder will end in self-deception and frustration.

Take, for instance, many common forms of Christian activism.

Christians are on the go, but without the stillness and peace of the

Shepherd’s shoulder. Or there is often a disconnection between one’s

devotional life and active service. That is not how it should be. We

have already lost the battle if we baptise our sinful ambitions and give

them biblical terms.

Often, Christian initiatives and activism may be seen as ‘service’,

‘outreach’ and ‘stewardship’, but really be tainted with unredeemed

self-interest – people end up building their own kingdoms and

institutions. There are others who start out with good intentions and

then get lost in a public activism that is not sustained by the life-

giving Spirit of God.

On the other hand, there are those who retreat into a contemplation

that is more self-indulgent navel-gazing than a living intimacy with

God. Intimacy with God brings us into God’s universe-wide mission.

We constantly face the dangers of a self-driven activism that does not

come from God, or a self-indulgent do-it-yourself spirituality that has

little to do with the heartbeat of God. What happens in a Christian’s

life can also happen in church.

We guard ourselves by learning how to live on the Shepherd’s

shoulder, and about what it means to be carried by Him (Exodus 19:4)

even as we carry His name (Acts 9:15). There we will learn that we are

called not to worship our programmes and our experiences but the

living God. Our lives must be “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians

3:3). Then we can have active hands and feet connected to a restful heart

of worship by being still in His presence and going wherever He goes. For Reflection:

Reflect on phrases such as living in Christ even as Christ lives

in us (John 15:5), living on the Shepherd’s shoulders, and being

hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). Discuss the lessons

about paradoxes and the mystery of Christian discipleship that

you may have discovered.

Next: How do you know that you are saved?

An reflection on a question that has been asked over the years and many answers have been offered by Christian thinkers and spiritual writers.

Coming up next week. Stay connected.