Kyle Strobel's Blog, page 2

Metamorpha Retreat: Endurance

The ministry I co-founded, Metamorpha, is continuing to offer spiritual retreats based on the concept of virtue. The next retreat is on endurance. If you are in the Southern California area, this retreat will be on November 19-20. For more information and to sign up, follow this link.

Visual Bible: Judas' Kiss

The painting we are looking at this week is by Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337). I was mesmerized by this painting.
It is chaotic. It is intense. It is probably a lot like the real event
portrayed in the Gospels (see Matthew 26:47-56). When I think of the
event, on the other hand, it is often much more calm than this. If you
read Matthew's description particularly, there is a sense where there is
an initial scene that Jesus dispels rather quickly. In my mind, the
action stops when Jesus starts speaking, and the mob just stands there
dumbly as he teaches his disciples. But that probably wasn't how it
happened. Peter cut off someone's ear for goodness sake.

Bondone's painting reveals the tension I feel in my own reading well.
There is something of a painting within a painting here. Immediately,
upon looking at it, your eyes are drawn to Jesus and Judas. Their
embrace is not one of enemies, but almost of lovers. As their eyes are
locked into each others', so are the eyes of the mob locked in on their
embrace. The other painting is the larger chaotic struggle, as Peter
cuts off someone's ear, and the dark figure on the bottom left grabs
John's cloak as he runs away. But your eyes, as much as they try, cannot stop pondering the Jesus/Judas embrace. Is Judas' expression a realization of what he has done? Is Jesus' expression and peace an act of grace or condemnation? 

In
the painting and the story itself, we are confronted with several
dichotomies. You have the kiss from Judas and the calmness of Jesus and
the backdrop to this is the chaos surrounding them. You have Jesus'
teaching about peace and not using the sword, and you have a mob and
Jesus' own disciples walking in the way of the sword. At the center you
have deception and treachery, and on the horizon you have the disciple's
own rejection of Jesus. Jesus is at the center of that tension,
teaching about a kingdom and a way that stands in contrast to the
realities of this world. 

What do you see? 

 

Visual Bible: Christ on the Cross

Salvador Dali, a surrealist painter from the 20th century, gives
us a gripping image of Christ that has at least two different
perspectives. Christ is on the cross, kind of, but there are no nails to
hold him there. This, of course, begs the question, what does hold
Christ to the cross anyway? Love. Furthermore, there is no nail marks
either. In fact, Christ looks pretty good. We do not find the crucified
Christ, we see the resurrected Christ, gazing down upon the normal and
mundane activities of life. Christ has not been raised beyond
the cross, but Christ is still the cruciform One who now reigns in
power. But this power does not undo the reality of the cross, but it
substantializes it in his reign as prophet, priest, and king.

Dali noted that when he painted "his Christ," the painting called the
Christ of Saint John of the Cross, that he painted Christ in a
triangle, and that this represented, in some way, that Christ was the
nucleus that upheld the universe. You can see how the cross makes a
triangle shape, with Christ's head in the dead-center of the triangle.
This gives the cross an "arrow-like" quality, as if the cross is the
needle on a compass pointing due North. If we follow the arrow down it
looks like the bottom of the cross is creating an eclipse. There is
something there, behind it. If we look closely, as someone encouraged me
to do, we can see another shore hidden in the clouds, a shore of a
different realm than the day to day reality that our eyes are initially
drawn to. It is as if the cross points to a different dimension, a
dimension that is further highlighted by the cross' tilting backwards. 

Unlike the cross, Jesus doesn't dwell on that other realm, but stares
down at the day to day realities of life. Christ hovers above the
mundane bearing the reality of the cross that points to a different
world and a different order. Christ, it was pointed out to me, is
actually shaped like a uterus, depicting the new life that is achieved
on the cross - a life that must be born in Christ to trully be reborn and eventually know life in the new world.

What do you see? 

 

Visual Bible: Caravaggio and Thomas and the Risen Christ

We see in John 20:19-29 the reason why many people still know the
disciple named Thomas as "Doubting Thomas." Thomas refuses to believe
until he sees Jesus with his own eyes and touches his nail and spear
wounds. There is much more to say about this passage, but lets turn to
Caravaggio's take. Caravaggio's style forces you into the midst of the
painting - many times in a way you don't want. Assuming that Thomas took
Jesus up on his offer to touch his side and his nail wounds, Caravaggio
paints Thomas about an inch deep into Jesus' spear wound. Importantly
though, notice that the only movement in the painting is by Jesus.
Thomas seems worried, shocked, and a bit overwhelmed (notice his
forehead), as are the other disciples. Jesus on the other hand is calm,
collected, and is grasping Thomas' hand to guide it into the wound and
using his other hand to pull his garment out of the way. 

In our discussion, there were a couple of thoughts that came up that I
want to highlight here. First, notice the mirroring Caravaggio does
with Thomas and Jesus. Thomas grasps his side at the same point as
Jesus' wound, and Thomas' tear in his garment is the same size and at
the same height as Jesus's wound. Thomas though, like the other two
disciples, are worn out, shocked, and incredibly interested in what it
taking place (even though he hesitates to want his finger inside of
Jesus' wound). There is a parallelism here but also a sharp contrast.
Jesus looks young, the disciples look old. Jesus looks fantastic and
healthy (despite the wounds) while the disciples look worse for the
wear. This is particularly notable in light of the fact that Jesus
recently died!

Second, note the balance of the painting. Whenever I think about this
wonderful work and recall it in my mind I change it. I always move the
other two disciples to the left, creating a bit more of a huddle feel.
But that isn't what Caravaggio did. Rather, the other two disciples
almost grow out of Thomas. Notice the spacing between Jesus as the
disciples at the bottom of the painting. Jesus is on one side and the
disciples are on another. This leads me to my thoughts about how we
should read this.

My thought is that Caravaggio allowed the broader narrative of John
20 to guide his painting - which would make the other disciples Peter
and John. This goes against popular tradition that the disciples are
Matthew and John, because those are the two gospel witnesses for this
event and because he used the same model for Matthew in a different
painting. Possibly. But I think what Caravaggio is trying to do here is
to show that Thomas is not distinctively a doubting person in the story,
but is one with the rest of the disciples who needed to see to believe.
John 20 shows this, and Thomas, in the end, becomes something of a hero
figure for his bold proclamation of Jesus' identity. By making the two
disciples grow out of Thomas, assuming that they are Peter and John,
Caravaggio highlights that the disciples stood together in their doubt.
Even having the disciples in the picture at all shows that they need
this sign as much as Thomas, and in the narrative itself we see that
both Peter and John needed seeing to believe just as much as Thomas did.

Going back to our first point, because he paints the picture in such
as way as to invite us in, having Jesus and Thomas opening up to us, we
are drawn to Jesus in the midst of our doubt as well. Caravaggio call us
in to see, even as in John 20 we are part of the blessed who do not see
and yet still believe.

Spiritual Direction: Why Bother?

You might not have noticed, but there is a lot going on right now in the world of spiritual direction. Spiritual direction is an ancient practice, often called by other names, and it is growing in popularity among evangelicals. I have started following a 3 part series on spiritual direction in the church by my close friend Jamin Goggin, Pastor of the 501 ministry at Saddleback Church. Check out his first post on Pastors.com about spiritual direction in the church and let me know what you think.

Visual Bible: The Ascension and Durer

I am starting a new blog series using artwork to help us interpret
the Bible. In other words, I am using certain artists as fellow
interpreters of scripture to help us think through what we may learn
from these artists. This series is based on an adult Sunday School
series I am teaching with Chris Webb, and I will post each piece of
artwork here with some reflections after we talk about them each Sunday.
If you want to follow along, you can check out the paintings and the
Bible passages we are using here. We are working through Gospel stories backwards as a countdown to Christmas.

This piece is a word-cut by Durer, and was made in the 16th century.
We had a great discussion about this in class, and I wanted to highlight
some of our thoughts here. First, it should be noted, that this work is
tiny. It is, if I recall correctly, 5 x 8 inches, and as a wood cut it
would have been carved backwards and in negative (he would have carved
out where he wanted the white). It is pretty amazing. There is a lot of
detail as well for something that small.

This piece, therefore, is looking at the Ascension. You can read
along in Matthew 28:16-20, Luke 24:50-53, and, of course, Acts 1:9-11.
Durer provides us with an interesting glimpse into the situation. Your
eyes are automatically pulled up to Jesus' feet, almost cartoon-like
floating above the rock in the shape of the earth. The cartoonish nature
of Jesus and the clouds are partially wood-cut issues and, I like to
think, an attempt to portray the supernatural realities at work. The
lack of animation in Jesus' body-language and clothes gives this sense
as well. The moment captured in this wood cut is the bearfoot Jesus
leaving footprints behind on the globe-shaped-rock, imprints of his
ministry that will be carried on by bearfoot disciples sent out into the
world after him.

One of the dimensions of this wood cut I really like is that we are
pulled into the scene to gaze at this incredible sight as well. Unlike
the crowds on the right and left which are two-people deep, in front of
us is only a single row of disciples who are opening up for us to
partake in the moment. There is something of a movement from the left to
the right with these three figures in front, giving the feeling that
they are in the midst of dropping to their knees at the sight of Jesus'
ascension. You get the sense from the body language and expressions of
the disciples that this event is totally unexpected - a reality easy for
us to forget. There are no indicators of who these disciples are who
are gazing up in wonder, only the sense amongst the crowd that this
event has ushered in something different and unusual. With the three
figures in the front staring up at Jesus one wonders if Durer is hinting
towards the transfiguration. Suddenly the cloudy reality of that day is
unveiled in its entirely today.

In any case, I like this little wood cut. It has a lot to say in a
tiny little space and a very difficult medium by which to communicate
subtle truths.

Whore Worship Versus Bride Worship

I am reading a wonderful little book by Eugene Peterson on the book of Revelation called Reversed Thunder.
In it, he has a discussion of the great whore from Revelation and holds
that image in contrast with the Bride of Christ. Here is a selection: 

"The
Great Whore is presented in implict contrast to the Virgin Bride. After
the judgment the Whore is complete, the contrast wil become explicit at
the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19). The Bride is as sexual a
metaphor as the Whore, but it forms an absolute contrast. For the Whore,
sex is in the service of commerce; with the Bride, sex is devoted to
love. For the Whore, sex is calculation, for the Bride, sex is offering.

We are sexual beings deeply, thoroughly, and inescapably. In
the experience of our sexuality we know another, and, indirectly,
ourselves. It is also in our sexuality that we know, or don't know, God.
Whore-worship is a matter of moments and occasion. Bride-worship
gathers every part of life into union. Whore-worship is practiced on the
principle of attraction and pleasure; Bride-worship is for better and
for worse, in sickness and health, till death do us part. Bride-worship
is always at an immediate disadvantage in competition with
Whore-worship, for Whore-worship is indulgent and lusty getting, while
Bride-worship is sacrified and faithful giving. That is why
Whore-worship is such a continuous threat to Bride-worship. (147)

Well,
that is just a short selection of what he is doing in this specific
chapter looking at chapters 16-18 of Revelation. Peterson fantastically
grasps the images of Revelation and weaves them into a narrative about
God's people and their worship of the Lamb.

Do we undermine the valuable?

This is something of a random musing on value, but it seems to me that part of what it means to follow the "American Way" (culturally speaking) is to take what is valuable and eventually undermine it - make it significantly less valuable (I'm not actually thinking about our financial crisis and the strength of the dollar). It seems to me that there is a distinctly American trait that does this. It, likewise, strikes me that American evangelical Christianity does this as well. It is something we have adopted from our culture.

In light of this, there is a movement to create new value. Whether it is new technology, new programs, or just new packaging, there is an incredible effort to create something valuable to fill the gap for what used to be valuable and is now not so much. A good example might be cell phones (or technology in general). Technology, it seems, has build into our minds a way of consummerism where what we put our value in is not lasting - it is with us a short while and then fades into non-value. 

I live near Denver and we just had the largest Ikea in the world open here. There were 2000 people outside waiting to get in on opening day, many of whom slept in tents outside. It seems to me that much of what Ikea does is apply the "insights" of technology to furniture. Just as we used to fix our technological gadgets, but now just throw then away, so too with our furniture. 

Do you see this play out in the life of the church? Do you see this movement from value to unvaluable take place? It is unsustainable, it seems to me, but I still see churches seeking for whatever is newest, because what they bought into last year just doesn't cut it anymore. 

The Bible and Spiritual Formation - Insight from Eugene Peterson

A friend of mine and I have been working through Eugene Peterson's book, Eat This Book. Here are some thoughts from
chapter 2 of the book: 

"The Chrisitan Scriptures are the primary text for Christian
spirituality. Christian spirituality is, in its entirety, rooted in and
shaped by the scriptural text. We don't form our personal spiritual
lives out of a random assemblage of favorite texts in combination with
individual circumstances; we are formed by the Holy Spirit in accordance
with the text of Holy Scripture" (15).

"We have said 'no,' for instance, to working ourselves up into
visionary states of ecstasy in order to get in touch with God.
Heightened emotional states are very attractive, particularly to
adolescents. There is such a thrilling sense of immediacy to it; it
feels so, well, authentic, so alive" (15).

"If Holy Scripture is to be something other than mere gossip about
God, it must be internalized...Words - spoken and listened to, written
and read - are intended to do something in us, give health and wholeness, vitality and holiness, wisdom and hope. Yes, eat this book" (21).

I was struck at how centered Peterson was on the text as "sphere of
spiritual accomodation" (my term, and probably unhelpful). Let me unpack
that a bit. In other words, we come to find ourselves as we find Jesus
in the text. I have heard that Peterson says (I'm not sure where), that
Jesus is our dictionary. Therefore, if we want to know what love is,
what faith is, what peace is, what spirituality is, etc., we turn to
Jesus, the dictionary for the saints. He is the Word by which all of our
words find their true meaning. Likewise then, it is through the text of
the Bible that we are introduced to a new world, and it is within that
new world that we come to know ourselves and God in Christ. 

What are your thoughts about this? As I've started reading, I couldn't help but think: "This was the book
Peterson was made to write." We'll see.

My Struggle in Prayer

I have become convinced, through several
writers in the spiritual formation conversation, that the first sin
provides us with something of an archetype of sin. Sin raises in us
certain existential states that cause us to hide from God and cover
ourselves from one another (as well as God). For many, the sin narrative
in Genesis provides us with a glimpse of the Gospel, as God clothed
Adam and Eve - an act that mirrors the handing over of robes of
righteousness in the Gospel. In light of this, I wanted to focus on this
paradigm in prayer. How does this existential condition play out in
prayer.

As I was praying this morning I noticed
my mind wandering. This, of course, is not an unusual occurance. My
typical response to mind-wandering in prayer is to seek discernment as
to why my mind is wandering, as well as question why it is wandering to these things specifically.
Today, it was work - most specifically, various projects I am excited
about that are still in the potential rather than actual phase of their
existence. I was tempted to write off this reality as just excitement to
start my work day, but I think it was more than that. I have
noticed a tendency in my prayer life that when I seek to come before
God in repentence and really take my place at the foot of the cross, it
is there that my mind wanders.

As best I can
discern, my great temptation in prayer is covering rather than hiding.
Some hide from God by not praying, or by praying in such a way and with
such superficiality that they can "get in and out" unscathed.
Ironically, this kind of prayer would raise enough guilt and shame in me
that it would force me deeper. In other words, my flesh knows that this
wouldn't work. Rather, it is much easier to stand in God's presence and
cover. Rather than stand naked, it is easier to cover with a variety of
things that make me feel better about myself. Or, I could say, the result of being found naked by God (Heb. 4:12?) is to "lick my wounds" with worldly success and value.

Instead of asserting my own fortitude to try harder to keep my mind focused - itself an achievement I could use to cover - I think
it is most helpful to enter into prayer about this very situation, to
seek to orient the light of the Lord in the midst of this darkness. In
other words, it is only through walking in the texture of being laid
"naked and exposed before the eyes to whom we must give an account"
(Heb. 4:12) that we come out on the other side and receive "clothes"
(read "satisfaction" or maybe "relief") from the Lord. Our temptation
will always be to cover ourselves, when God is an uncovering sort of a
Lord, a Lord who has other clothes - clothes dependent upon the Son
rather than ourselves. 

Lord Jesus, who will save me from this body of death? Without you, I can do nothing; even in prayer, without you, I can do nothing.