It occurred to me that the river I saw flowing out of Canada in the north……..and then to New Zealand in the south, is the JORDAN RIVER, as incarnated in two people…. both named Jordan.
I was confirmed in this sense when I discovered that the first of these Jordans, Jordan Peterson the Canadian Professor of Psychology is due to lecture here in Minneapolis next week : – )
In recent years many, many people, especially young men adrift in today’s turbulent world, have found Peterson to be a source of solid truth, tested wisdom and heartfelt kindness that has helped them find direction and meaning as they navigate the storms of life. J.P. does not peddle in untested lies, but in lived truth.
Last week I had the privilege of sitting in a living room as part of a surreal circle of dark skinned, black robed men, heavy crosses dangling from their necks, and long grey beards from their chins! These noble priests were from the Ethiopian, the Armenian, the Coptic and the Indian Orthodox churches. The subject of our conversation together was, “What is the church?”
Seeking for truth in scriptures and tradition they lamented how many among their congregations, and clergy too, had settled for the building, the weekly service, the ethnic culture, the institution, stopping short of the ‘called out company’ of dissidents that the word ‘Ekklesia’ describes.
(We determined last Sunday in our home fellowship to begin studying the highly relevant book, “Live Not By Lies” by another Orthodox priest, Rod Dreher. It’s subtitle is, “A handbook for Christian dissidents.”)
Toward the end of our conversation, Father Jacob talked about the visions of “The Shepherd of Hermas.” who described a tower being built on the river of the Holy Spirit. The tower was the Church, and the stones of which it is built, are the faithful.
This grabbed may attention, because a few weeks ago I had an unusual dream in which I was in a tower that had been built on a river. In my dream the tower was being shaken and loose stones where falling away! When I awoke the scripture that came was, “Once again I am shaking the heavens and the earth, so that that which cannot be shaken will remain….Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”“(Heb. 12:26-29)
One of the most rehearsed verses from scripture in our day is 2 Chron.7:14. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and see my face and turn from their wicked ways…..” I have been thinking about how it does NOT say. “If my people, who call themselves, by my name…..”
In these days many who have called themselves Christian or Christian leaders seem to have fallen away, in that they have failed to live up to what I would call ‘The Peterson test’ of courage, truth and action, whereas he, who would not dare to call himself a Christian, seems to exhibit in bucketfuls these ‘Christ’ qualities, as well as the ‘reverence and awe’ of Hebrews 12.
Could humility, prayer, seeking out the truth, and costly repentance, be descriptive in determining who God recognizes as his own, as much as directive for those who take that name to themselves?
When asked by the interviewer, “Are you a prophet?” Peterson replies, “I don’t see myself as a religious leader.” Yet I believe the river of God evidently flows through this man who does not take to himself any title such as Priest or Pastor, Apostle or Prophet, Archbishop or Pope.
I know I need to apply ‘the Peterson test’ to myself first, lest I find as one who carries Christ’s name and gospel, I have become ‘fake news’
Interestingly our house was built by a man also called Peterson. We were told he laid a foundation of 250 tons of crushed rock….. three feet deep and laser leveled! We have often used this to illustrate the importance of solid foundations so that when the shaking comes……we will stand, because we have bowed….. as the first Peter did, to King Jesus, whom he saw by revelation as “The Christ, the Son of the living God”
Bear in mind Psalm 2 as you listen to this shorter piece…
As this Jordan River flows from Canada in the North, this same river that I identified flowing to New Zealand in the South, finds another namesake in that country…… which I will write about in the next blog.