Pack Light

There is an intensely practical side to Christian Mysticism: We don’t sweat the small stuff.

That is, because we simply don’t take too seriously this world and all its concerns, we have no reason to preserve the things this world values. It is most certainly not essential to the divine calling to submit to human organizational principles. Everything in Creation is just a tool for His glory. He might make use of things humans generate, but it’s all expendable on the slightest whim. The human instinct to place high value on things into which they have invested resources and energy is no guide to whether it matters to God.

Again, it’s process, not product. We do something because it’s right; it’s divine justice to do. We should discount the very human instinct to place value on the product. Invest value in the obedience; that’s your real treasure. Obedience will stand in Heaven as a testimony to God’s power and glory in you. It’s a primary Fruit of the Spirit.

And a very practical element in Christian Mysticism is that we put very little stock in maintaining a footprint in this world. Most organized religion is hamstrung by a high sense of investment in the institutions of religion. The institution becomes so valuable that it tends to resist a move of the Spirit when God is ready to do something different.

Take at a look at Radix Fidem in terms of an organization. There is a handful of visible leaders, and I get some attention in those terms. But there is no actual organization beyond a very informal association online. Some of us chat through various means, but none of us have met face to face. There is no compelling leverage in our association that forces the world to acknowledge it. Indeed, spouses of some leaders refuse to take this association seriously. We have exchanged things of value in worldly terms, but that’s a tiny part of what we do, and it doesn’t amount to much. It would take a concerted investigation to trace that kind of thing in worldly terms.

What holds us together is not a system or institution, but a shared commitment. We hold to a common moral covenant and agree to cooperate in terms of how we express some of the ideals that arise from that common commitment. If something in this world struck down one or more of us, we would surely mourn if we knew, and we do get a little anxious about a prolonged silence in our communications. But if the whole leadership were to disappear, it’s quite likely the ideas would continue on without us. The name “Radix Fidem” might well be forgotten, but the expressions of our common faith would live on in some scattered hearts around the world.

Hint: If this is really valuable to you, it pays to get into contact with others who comment on our blogs and in our forum. You never know when God is going to take one or more of us away. You also never know when some online service will cut us off. If you value this association at all, create some backup means of contact. If you sense a need to avoid such contacts, that’s between you and the Lord.

But Christian Mysticism is self-limiting in the sense that so very few are moved to seek that route to the Lord in the first place. It doesn’t matter how you feel about that; it’s the reality of our current context. It’s not elitism, but it definitely yields a rarity, and very few people are equipped to take this path. It’s a high privilege, and we never forget how unworthy we are.

Yet despite our rarity, we can sense what an immense power and influence God wields through us. Indeed, most of what we do in this world can’t be traced back to us. The vast majority of our influence does not include us as sources of that influence. This is by design; it’s all about the message, not the messengers. That’s a part of Christian Mysticism. Our joy and power increases as we lose ourselves more completely in it.

As we pass farther into this time of tribulation, keep a few things in mind. One is that, at some point, the online services we use will be moved to cut us off. It’s unlikely to be sudden and complete; it is much more likely to come by increments. We’ll have plenty of warning, for the most part. If this online communion matters to you, again: cultivate alternative means of contact. At the same time, if you have any significant talent in the tools of Internet access, be ready to switch tools when the time comes. You can bet I’ll resist being cut off. I’m actively tracking the technologies because I intend to keep getting out the message. I’ll be making periodic changes to protect Internet access and the ways I share the message, and I’ve always been glad to share what I learn about that.

So another thing to keep in mind is investing in your own gifts and talents. Look at your life in terms of being a messenger of God. Invest time and resources where your convictions point to something God demands from you. Take a moment now and then to contemplate what role you will play in the rising tribulation. God is going to unleash a very large number of people, who will come crawling out of the woodwork to express gifts of spiritual power to bring His people back closer to Him.

The key to all of this is awakening conviction, to get people back to God’s ideal for us of walking in this life by the guidance of the heart. They don’t have to join our little club here; God has thousands who have not yet bowed the knee to idolatry. Radix Fidem isn’t for everyone, but we know this is how we intend to go forward together. Let us celebrate when someone somewhere else echoes that message of divine glory.

There is a world of adventure before us. Pack light and be ready to move fast.