Sarah Starrenburg

This is a story of a monk by the name of Telemachus. Telemachus was a dominionative man who lived amongst flowers and nurseries and reclusive settings.

One day the word of God came to him and told him to go to Rome. He did not want to go to Rome, he was not a city man; he despised the noise and the clanging, and the artificiality of city life. He wanted to live in his monastic reclused setting.

But God has strange ways. He raised Moses in a palace in order to use him in a desert, he raised Joseph in a desert in order to use him in a palace. He takes Telemachus out of a reclusive setting in order to use him in Rome.

Telemachus said ‘Okay God, if you want me to go, I’ll go. I don’t know why you want me to go, but I’ll go.”

As he is marching into the streets of Rome, he was quite overwhelmed by its monumental buildings, its spectacular edifices, the statues, marble sculptures and painting of man glorifying himself in self-worship.While walking into Rome he a saw huge crowd elbowing it’s way into the Colosseum. Telemechaus did not know where they were going but he was involuntarily dragged in by them and entered.

To his utter credulity as he sat in the bleachers there, he looked down and saw that what would that was going to entertain these sadistic masses was blood-letting orgies of hatred and sadism, as they were going to see the gladiatorial spectacles and fights; human beings tormenting and butchering one another.

He couldn’t believe it! As soon as the first sign of that violence was shown, in that huge amphitheatrical setting, he rose to his feet and screamed out “In the name of Christ, forebear! In the name of Christ, stop this thing!”

That amphitheatre had the ability to carry even a whisper to a marvellous crescendo of sound, and as he screamed, everybody heard him. He ran down the stairs, vaulted over into the centre arena, all the while shouting “in the name of Christ, stop this thing!”

He became a kind of innocent side show, and one man yelled from the stands, “Run him through!” A muscle-bound gladiator heaved him away, took his spear and thrust it through the body of Telemachus. As he bent over, clutching himself, the blood spilling out of his body and moments away from his death, the crowd now listening carefully, he speaks audibly once more for everyone to hear: “In the name of Christ, stop this thing.”

There was silence; then one man stood up and walked out. Then two; then three; then the thousands until everybody had left the Colosseum; they were gone.

The historian writes this: “Many other factors were brought to bear, but the death of Telemachus crystallised the opposition so that never again was there a gladiatorial fight, ever fought in the Colesseum.”

 

- Ravi Zacharius, ‘Is There Not a Cost’

I get lost.

A lot.

Take this afternoon, for instance.

I got on the bus, print out of necessary bus/train travel combination in hand – route numbers, location of stops, times, the lot.

So I get on the bus.

Then I get confused as to where to get off the bus.

Eventually I realise I am the only person remaining on the bus.

And I now have no idea where to get off.

I see bus driver looking at me in his big rearview mirror.

I decide to come clean.

‘Hi…’ – I confess my lostness.

Driver, being extraordinary kind and taking pity on my directionless self, offers to drop me off where I need to go, even though it’s not on his route. God bless kind bus driver man.

Others might find this unnerving, but I have come to accept my complete and utter lack of an internal sense of direction.

I have gotten lost trying to park – once ending up kilometres away and up the top of a mountain instead of in a carpark…

I regularly get lost trying to leave large carparks, once circling around the ground floor approximately five times trying to find the exit…

I get lost walking, driving, catching public transport…It really doesn’t matter where or how, I will find a way to get turned around and heading in the wrong direction.

And it doesn’t matter how hard I try to study the map – it just doesn’t sink in. There is no little gut sense nudging me in the right direction.

An incredibly optimistic guy friend with completely unfounded faith in my ability to learn how to sense direction once tried to teach me how to navigate by the sun:) He was so sincere too:)

I once missed a musical I had free tickets to because there was a detour on my usual route to the theatre  - It threw me so much I couldn’t get headed back in the right direction in time, and eventually I had to admit that there was no way I was going to make the curtain. Instead, however, I ended up on a street I’d never been and discovered the most amazing hot chocolate at a cafe I didn’t know existed. I ended up having a very special night having wonderfully memorable conversation and delicious hot beverages with the person I was with.

Because when you live a life which could at any moment veer off into completely unplanned territory, you learn that unplanned adventures can always be just around the corner:)

…you also learn to leave a lot of extra travel time…;p

oooooh, I so want this:

Bill Johnson conference kicked off tonight. Amazing.

Here are just a few gems from Ps. Bill’s session -

“Christianity was never meant to be known by its disciplines but by its passions”

“Anything that you keep in the House with die in the House”

“Lead with the heart of a servant and serve with the heart of a king”

“He didn’t just say pray for the sick. He said heal the sick”

“There’s two kinds of people in the church – lovers and workers. And lovers always get more work done than the workers do”

“When God becomes your Father, all his experiences from eternity past become the family stories”

“God is wanting to talk, and He has fascinating things to say”

“Jesus Christ is perfect theology”

“‘We are seated in heavenly places’ is not meant to be a nice comforting verse. It’s supposed to be an invitation to an encounter that gives us an experience that creates perspective. The access to the authority has been granted to us. Ask for it”

…I’d be picking up this bottle

Anne Jackson started it on her blog, and the response was so overwhelming that she’s bringing out a book. Jon Acuff followed suit on his blog, and below are some confessions from his readers on what they as Christians feel they could never admit to amongst other Christians…

I FEEL LIKE I CAN’T ADMIT IN THE CHURCH…

“…struggling with repeated relapses of eating disorders…”

“I’ve still angry with God about my infertility”

“…i’ve never “felt” the presence of God in my life…I don’t get the warm, glow-y feeling others seem to have when talking about the presence of God…”

“masturbation and sexual fantasy…especially as a girl”

“…That I struggle to love my adopted child the same way I love my biological child. I never expected that to happen”

“i’ve always felt that i can’t confess how spiritually alone i feel in church. Ive never had a mentor or accountability group, and as a leader now and seminary student i still don’t have that…”

“…I have a serious shoplifting addiction that has been going on for 20 years now…”

“…the idea of going to heaven petrifies me…”

“…I have never led anyone to the Lord so I feel like a failure as a Christian…”

“…When my husband and I watch porn our sex life is awesome but when we don’t not so good…”

“…i’ve struggled with suicidal feelings, lust and addiction to substances, all of which seemed to get worse after accepting Christ”

“I feel guilty because God should be enough. I am single,40 and lonely”

“…the sayings Christians say – like “lift Him up”, “He is worthy of my praise”, “led by the Spirit”. No one has explained these to me, and I’m embarrassed to ask what they mean!”

“depression-you cant confess it. people dont get it, people try to “verse” you out of it…”

“I feel I cannot confess that I am having marital problems and they are 100% my fault. Almost exclusively because I am extremely selfish. It’s ok to have marital problems in the church if you are the one being lied to, cheated on, or otherwise blameless in the problem, but if you are the one causing the problem, there is no one to turn to”

“I am 23, the daughter of two pastors, and I do not know how to pray, and I’m ashamed to ask for help”

“… I occasionally flirt with a male friend (non-christian) with the intention of hooking up in some way. I’m surrounded by married and engaged friends and I sometimes believe that God has forgotten me… At my low points I even consider a hook up just to get laid and have some physical affection…”

“I’m a cutter. I’ve been cutting myself off and on for three years… I’m in the choir and orchestra at church, and I would die if any of the leaders I serve under found out about my problem…”

****

These few lines; these small phrases; and the people who typed them while feeling all alone…they are important. They are valuable.

On Sunday morning I sang ‘You are the answer’. I sang it over and over.

Jesus is the answer to every secret, every fear, every struggle with sin, every addiction. We need to prayfully consider how we can become a body of believers that feels safer – safer for what is in the dark to be brought into the light.