Rescuing Refugees
Context for this story: A two-tiered
society composed of monarchy with a separate civil government elected
by the people. In this case the monarchy is totally benevolent in
every way, yet the people of the country entertain growing doubts
about the wisdom of some of the activities of the members of the
monarchy. Tension is developing as an undercurrent is growing to
throw off the outdated system and streamline government more in line
with the rest of the world.
Originally the system was designed so
that the civil government was supposed to reflect in its posture to
the surrounding countries the benevolence of the monarchy. The plan
was that as more and more foreign countries would become enamored and
attracted by the happiness and freedom enjoyed by the citizens of
this country that they would petition to come under the authority of
same monarchy and thus expand the realm until the entire world would
be under the authority of the beneficent Queen.
But instead of fulfilling this original
design, the civil government and the populace had elected to take a
different course, embracing principles of defensiveness based on
suspicion, fear and even aggression in repeated bids to expand their
empire through brutal conquest. The people of the kingdom had
rejected the methods of the monarchy and had instead sent armies all
over the world to install corrupt puppet governments propped up with
bribes and/or threats to serve the interests of the occupying forces.
Thus the local peoples and lands were exploited for the benefits of
the rich and powerful back home.
Obviously this extremely damaged the
reputation of the monarchy as this abusive exploitation and violence
was done in the name of the royal family. Because of this people
around the world came to view family members of the monarchy with
suspicion at best but more often with fear, bitterness and
resentment. Because the soldiers who had so brutally suppressed these
countries and exploited them had done so in the name of the monarchy,
there was great resistance and constant uprisings against the
authority of the Queen.
The problem however, was not that the
royal family were so corrupt as one might suspect and were merely
using their civil government to advance their kingdom through force,
intimidation and violence. The problem was that the people who were
supposedly subjects of the kingdom refused to rely on and practice
the methods and morals of the monarchy. This was because they
believed they would be ineffective in a world full of threats and
dangers. The civil government exercising day to day control over the
affairs of the common people felt that their own methods were more
reliable for maintaining the security of the country and its
citizens. So instead of the ways of the monarchy they chose to rely
on their own methods depending on systems of rewarding compliance and
executing severe punishments against any who dared to defy authority.
This was the only viable option they could see.
This alternative system of ruling
seemed far more efficient than the ideas of the monarchy as the
ability to control subjects and keep enemies intimidated and at a
distance was their highest priority. The more gentle methods promoted
by the Queen mother simply seemed untenable and impractical in a
world filled with intrigue and violence. Almost no one believed that
her ways could provide security for the kingdom against the extreme
violence seen increasing in other places around the world.
Recently a new threat had emerged that
aroused even more fear and suspicion in the minds of many in the
kingdom. They had watched as violence, rebellions and horrors were
taking place in far-off countries involving barbaric people who
clearly had little concern for human life and no respect for the
vulnerable and weak. They greatly feared that this rise in terrorism
was threatening to find its way into the cities and villages of the
kingdom and they were deeply concerned about how to keep it away. But
to their great consternation the Queen, instead of calming their
fears actually added to them by expressing a desire to offer shelter
to all refugees seeking a place of protection
The Queen actually made a public
announcement that any who applied could find protection and provision
in her kingdom if they were willing to submit themselves to her
authority. Citizens were shocked and dismayed. These people were
clearly not subjects of the government and furthermore had little
understanding or appreciation for the culture and preferences of
established society. This would only result in producing even greater
tension because of of the introduction of strange ways and customs.
Additionally it was rumored widely that
among the refugees were infiltrators, terrorist plants with intent to
gain access to the kingdom so they could commit acts of revenge
against the government and its people for the suppression the
government had imposed on the countries it had occupied. This threat
of retaliation terribly frightened the citizens and as a result their
trust of the Queen and her methods dropped to a new low.
Given all of these back and forth of
differences of opinion and intentions and methods between the
monarchy and the civil government, support for maintaining the
monarchy was at an all-time low. While some still clung to the
sentimental memories of the glory days enjoyed by the kingdom in days
gone by when the monarchy had more direct control, now the growing
discrepancies between the opinions of the average person and the
practices of the monarchy seemed to be unworkable. There were growing
movements and rumors in countries still loyal to the crown of making
a clean break from the monarchy altogether to following the example
of others who had long ago declared complete independence from all
allegiance.
Within the royal family discussions
were also increasing. It was clear that there was much discontent
among their supporters who had increasing reservations about the
viability of even continuing a system that appeared clearly outdated.
Questions arose as to whether or not it was feasible to continue to
cling to living in ways that seemed so antiquated, grandiose and out
of touch with current society. The requirements for proper behavior
to maintain the air of majesty was so different from how the rest of
the world lived that it had become puzzling to those who saw it as
irrelevant at best. The refinement, elegance, dignity, nobility and
honor that used to be accepted as the norm now seemed odd and almost
impractical in the face of changing times and threats from the
outside. Was it really wise to continue to cling to practices that
were starting to appear so impractical in modern society? Was it
worth it to continue to maintain elaborate estates and protect vast
tracts of land for the benefit of the royal family when so many
others lived in hovels of poverty and feared constant threats day and
night?
What seemed increasingly clear to
common citizens was that the idea of royalty had outlasted its
usefulness and that it was time to completely dismantle it. Yes, it
still provided an attraction for tourism as people came to stare in
wonder at guards in striking uniforms performing precise maneuvers
outside palace gates to the delight or amusement of onlookers. Gossip
columns still loved to dwell on all the activities and social
interactions of various members of the royal family living in relaxed
luxury and who enjoyed immunity from many of the things everyone else
had to endure at the hands of the civil government. But these things
only reinforced the growing sentiment that it was unfair for the rest
of the country to bear the brunt of such an expensive tradition when
it was clear that the investments were not paying back any useful
dividends as what might be achieved if the resources were directed
elsewhere.
While the Queen had proposed allowing
limitless numbers of refugees to find safety from the violence and
threats of their home countries within the boundaries of her kingdom,
this idea was pretty much the last straw for the waning support of
the monarchy at home. It appeared that such a proposal could be
enough to undermine all remaining support keeping the system in
place. Yet instead of succumbing to the growing pressure of negative
public opinion, the Queen announced a radical plan so bold and
shocking that even members of the royal family were caught by
surprise.
Now let me reiterate, everyone knew
that the Queen was a very nice lady, very caring, compassionate,
considerate and unselfish. They also knew that she was wise and
generally trustworthy. And that was all well and good so long as it
did not involve the rest of the country too much or inconvenience
others too often. That was part of why the influence and support of
the monarchy had survived this long already. But this new proposal
put forth by the Queen was alarming to nearly everyone, for it
appeared she was either completely naive or scandalously losing her
senses.
The program as announced by the Queen
was more than simply absorbing refugees without any conditions or
contingencies. No, this program was predicated on the condition that
all refugees choosing to embrace her offer would need to be willing
to embrace the lifestyle, social norms and methods of conduct
expected of all royalty. In addition they must be willing to
unconditionally submit their lives to the full authority of the Queen
over them as loyal subjects. But the most shocking dimension of her
offer was nearly incomprehensible to most onlookers, for the Queen
declared that any who accepted her offer would receive full legal
adoption to become part of her royal family. In doing so they would
forever be considered as full-blooded family receiving all benefits
and responsibilities expected of the royal family line. As such, they
would also enjoy the same immunity that all royal family members had
and could live on the estates reserved exclusively for members of
royalty.
Imagine the shock waves of surprise,
dismay and even alarm that rocked the kingdom when this announcement
was made by the Queen mother. Full adoption as royalty? Scandalous!
Had dementia consumed her mind? What was she thinking anyway? How
could this ever turn out good for anyone? Didn't she realize or even
have a clue as to the mental and emotional condition of these
refugees? Wasn't she aware of what was going on in the places where
they came from? And didn't she realize that many of these people were
suspected terrorists likely plotting to overthrow her government and
might easily destroy her entire kingdom, civil and monarchy alike?
Yet the Queen refused to back away from
her plan in the slightest despite the outcries of dismay and
consternation. Instead she immediately set out work to convince
government leaders and regional delegates within the civil government
that she not only believed in the success of what she was proposing
but that they could trust her to effectively deal with any and every
complication that might arise from implementation of such a radical
solution. She also began taking a more active role in organizing
various members of her family to begin making immediate preparations
for the arrival of the poor, the abused and uncouth people in need of
food, shelter and reeducation in the ways of royalty.
However, do not entertain any notion
that the Queen had any tolerance for compromise of the high standards
of what it meant to live as royalty. The long-existing standards of
respect, etiquette and gentleness, charm and refinement would be
fully expected of everyone without the slightest exception for any
who would choose to accept her generous offer. And while there was no
proficiency tests to pass on the part of any who might apply to be
included in her bold plan, everyone coming to apply to participate in
this opportunity would be required to submit fully to all the
requirements and training involved in the adoption process. They
would have to renounce all allegiance to their former governments,
relinquish all their clothing, weapons and possessions and accept in
their place the provisions generously provided for them at induction
centers. They would then need to participate in an ongoing process of
assimilation through reeducation during which they would learn the
philosophy, thinking and come to grasp the underlying principles
which governs the life of every member of the royal family. When they
were acclimated sufficiently they could then be welcomed fully into
palace life. In the meantime they would receive free housing, work
assignments and be guaranteed all their needs to be provided in grand
estates where they would be employed in useful labor to assist in
facilitating others to escape the horrors of war or famine from other
parts of the world.
Part of what made this such a
scandalous offer in the minds of the common people was the fact that
this arrangement bypassed the authority of the civil government
entirely by offering direct adoption to people who were not even of
the right nationality. Total foreigners would now be considered
royalty while local people with long and brilliant legacies of
exploits for the benefit of the kingdom were overlooked in this
arrangement. The Queen was bringing in terrorists, former enemies of
the state, rebels who had openly resisted the authority of the
government and even some who had killed soldiers who were children of
proud citizens. Such individuals would now not just be allowed ready
access to enter the country but would be directly inducted into the
very highest class of society. This meant such people would suddenly
become royal family members with more authority and status than even
the highest politicians. Clearly this was the worst idea ever
proposed in the history of the world.
So, what do you think? Is this a crazy
idea? Has the Queen lost her mind for sure?
What might you think of this
arrangement if you were the one fleeing extreme violence from your
own country? What if it was your house that had been bombed, where
your family had lost members to rape, torture and executions? If you
spent months living in extreme danger, cold, hunger and constant fear
of danger and suddenly learned of the strangest offer imaginable –
that the Queen of the most powerful nation on earth was offering full
adoption into her family for any willing to submit to her authority
and become assimilated into the culture of her people, would this
interest you at all?
How might you feel about the hostility
of the Queen's political enemies and the threats of outraged citizens
scandalized by such a proposal. You are warned that they are not at
all friendly or inclined to welcome outsiders. They have a long
reputation as a very proud people who have looked down with disdain
on outsiders. Now they are furious that their own Queen is apparently
betraying her own people by opening a way for foreigners to flood the
country and worse yet, to house them in grand estates. Are you ready
to face angry protests flaring up around the country as induction
centers come under attack?
If you are a refugee longing for safety
and peace, would such a proposal be enough to invite your
participation? Remember, accepting this offer means you will never
return to living life as you have enjoyed it in the past. In fact, it
involves a radical assimilation and transformation into a culture,
lifestyle and mindset radically different from what you have ever
known. It means being willing to humble yourself completely,
surrendering everything you have worked hard all your life to achieve
and to trust a woman far away you have never seen (1 Pet 1:8) to keep
her word and support you merely with promises. It can also mean
letting go of things that have made life meaningful and that give you
identity and a sense of value in exchange for trust in promises of
something better but not yet seen.
Accepting this kind of offer means
renouncing loyalty, not only for your country of origin that is
deteriorating into total chaos, but also involves reprioritizing all
your relationships. It will mean forming new relationships with
people whom you have never met but will become more important to you
than even the closest family ties you have (Mt 10:37). Are you ready
to make such a radical move, or is it too risky? You will be
considered a traitor worthy of execution by those you are leaving
behind. Are you ready to make that bold of a move? Or will you decide
to take your chances looking for a more palatable alternative
elsewhere? Do you really have reliable resources to defend yourself
from powerful forces out to destroy your country and your family? How
much success will that provide?
How desperate do things have to get in
your life before this kind of offer looks good enough to embrace? How
much suffering, humiliation, loss or destruction does it take to
convince you that it is worth accepting? And even more intimidating,
how can you even trust such a proposal to be true when at least part
of the violence and abuse you and your family have already suffered
has come from citizens exploiting you in the name of the kingdom? Can
you trust a Queen who's reputation has been seriously brought into
question by so many of her own people? What are you going to
do?
What if you don't see yourself a
refugee in desperate need of safety but rather a long-time citizen of
the Queen's home country? Is this program so scandalous that you are
ready to join the protests and attack induction centers designed to
create in influx of suspicious foreigners that might take over your
land? How long are you going to allow rumors and long-held traditions
dictate your opinions about this idea? Are you willing to push
against the rising tide of fury sweeping your country clamoring to
unseat the monarchy to reexamine the truth about the real character
of the Queen and discover her real motives?
The media is consumed with the
excitement of suspicion, fear and emotional fervor. Politicians have
spun their campaigns to paint a dreadful future full of terror and
doom if this program is allowed to move forward. By overwhelming
margins the public is opposed to embracing strangers asserting it is
a dangerous potential that will only threaten public safety. Common
sense seems to indicate clearly that the only sane course of action
is to resist the Queen's madness whatever that takes. Are you going
to go along with the crowd and call for her impeachment to 'save the
country,' or will you push back against the strong current of popular
emotion to think outside the social box of patriotism and risk
endangering your own reputation and welfare as a result?
If you have not figured it out by now,
I am clearly not talking about any earthly kingdom like the British
empire or anywhere else. Human beings are inherently far too selfish
to ever attempt such a brazen idea, especially in the hostile
environment of the political scene today. Yet the similarities seen
in this little story may begin to allow us to view things in a such
way that might be more readily recognizable than using other
metaphors. And in case you are already offended by referencing God
using the analogy of a Queen, well maybe you are already caught in
the strong current of emotions by outraged countrymen looking to
depose the monarchy. In case you never noticed, God is not gendered
in any way despite the shrill insistence of males for many centuries.
There is much more here than simply
prejudices involving gender or pride. I am coming to see more and
more that God's proposal is not just about a radical rescue plan that
seems scandalous to religious people here, but His plan to directly
adopt rebel humans has raised serious concern in the minds of
unfallen beings throughout the universe. These humans He intends to
save have all been long infected with the terminal and highly
contagious virus of selfishness and pride, yet He proposes to make
them part of the highest order of beings in the universe, the same
status as the Son of the God/Man Himself.
Why might this be viewed with deep
concern by beings from other worlds and unfallen angels? For good
reason, because given the nature of God's government where everyone
enjoys total freedom and all thrive in an atmosphere of complete
vulnerability, to introduce into that delicate ecosystem, beings who
have been infected their entire lives with the spirit of exploitation
raises highly sensitive concerns. To begin to appreciate their
concern would be similar to us proposing introducing a serial rapist
into a campground of happy, defenseless nudists. On its face it at
first appears to be a reckless proposal.
I realize my scenario above did not
convey completely the various parameters of this dilemma, but the
reality is that God will not execute His plan to bring in a flood of
refugees from planet earth into the pristine beauty and delicate
atmosphere marked by extreme vulnerability that defines heaven before
gaining the willing support of every being having any reservations
about the viability of such a plan.
If we lay aside the legal approach that
religion relies on and begin to see salvation as addressing the
practical issue of how to assimilate former sinners into the
selfless, extremely vulnerable society of angels and other beings of
heaven, we can begin to appreciate the enormous task God has had to
prepare heaven to embrace us without reservations. God never demands
or forces His plans on anyone including those who already enjoy
heaven today who are free of all fear of exploitation. That means He
has to demonstrate to them enough evidence from our lives to fully
convince them that His love and power really can so transform our
characters and win our complete submission to His ways of love that
we can be made fully safe to have around and can be fully integrated
into that society of joy without ever again creating a danger for
anyone throughout eternity. He has been working diligently for a very
long time to convince the representatives in the assembly of the sons
of God in heaven that He can in fact accomplish His plan successfully
without endangering the perfect bliss enjoyed by the loyal universe.
I have come to believe that rather than
viewing Jesus as our intercessor attempting to convince God to bring
us home (or to forgive us or anything else of that nature), both
Jesus and the Father are interceding on our behalf seeking to provide
enough compelling observable evidence in our lives to convince the
court of heaven fully so He can move into the next phase of His
extreme rescue plan and give all of them confidence that it will not
backfire sometime in the future. The insurance that sin will never
rise again cannot be secured through fear that God would surely
punish such an uprising; it can only be secured as every heart is
finally fully convinced that God's ways are the only ways worth
following (1 Joh 4:18).
One of the greatest difficulties in
grasping the true nature of the plan of salvation is that the lies we
have inherited cause us to perceive it in completely mistaken ways
and in the wrong context. Far too long we have assumed that Jesus had
to convince God to change His mind about allowing us into heaven's
atmosphere. But it has never been God who has been our problem or who
needs changing – never! The problem has always been the deadly
infection of sin, the spirit of selfishness that arises after we
refuse to trust that God is enough for us. When we do not trust God
we cannot help but look for other options to provide and look out for
us, and that in the malfunctions we call sins.
The watching universe knows this far
better than we do and so they have plenty of reason to hold serious
reservations about our ever becoming safe enough to be trust in the
rare atmosphere of total vulnerability that marks God's kingdom. On
earth we think of vulnerability as a liability, but in heaven it is
enjoyed as the highest form of freedom, for without vulnerability in
complete freedom love cannot thrive; and love is what makes heaven
different from this world if you hadn't noticed.
The proposal God has made to adopt us
as intimate family members and thus elevate us to the very highest
order of beings possible among created intelligences is one that has
rocked the entire universe ever since it was unveiled at the cross.
To make the questions fly even more intensely, God announced that
every human being is now already considered one of His personal
children, 'in Christ' as the New Testament calls it. Religion wants
to tame that to insist that this refers only to those who accept
Jesus as their Savior. But Paul insists that just as all start out as
descendants of fallen Adam and receive his sinful propensities, now
ALL are viewed by God as descendants of Christ and are all part of a
new order of beings predestined for greatness beyond our capacity to
even imagine. (1 Corinthians 15:22)
Religion fights hard to refute or
distort this claim, confusing us as to what God really has in mind.
But what we need to do is to allow ourselves to perceive salvation
from the perspective of those who may someday be our new neighbors
and friends, that is if we will allow ourselves to be assimilated
through the transformation of our minds into the kind of people they
can trust and enjoy. It is this massive chasm between how we
think life and reality should be, and how life really is as
experienced by the society of heaven. This is the chasm that God has
to take us across with the process of sanctification.
Imagine how scandalous is God's
proposal to the angels. He has already announced that human beings
with a sordid track record of deceit, violence, selfishness,
exploitation and dishonesty will be the rulers of the universe,
seated on the throne of infinite power with the Son of God. We are
apparently being entrusted to replace Lucifer as the expositors of
the deep mysteries hidden in the heart of God to the amazed but
highly intelligent beings God has created who currently have far
greater capacity than we do presently. What a crazy idea, to take
former terrorists, rebels and ignorant slaves and assign them the
most elevated responsibilities possible in the government of heaven.
What is God thinking anyway?
God is thinking that love is so potent
that anyone who embraces in His passionate love for them will be so
transformed by it that they will come to reflect His love to others
for the rest of eternity. God is so full of faith in our response to
His offer of amnesty and elevation that He has already announced to
the universe that we will share intimacy with God like a wife shares
in the passionate love-making of her husband. Add to this that
humanity will take on the full authority of a Queen mother. And all
of this is accomplished, not by obsessing over meticulous
rule-keeping but through assimilation into the culture of selfless
love, as children adopted into a new family learn the nuances and
culture of that family.
We are already adopted and already
assigned as part of God's family government. Every human being has
been adopted and destined to greatness; however not every human being
will embrace and exercise their free will to allow God to access and
transform their hearts to prepare them for the society of heaven.
Those who refuse to submit to the authority of love now and choose
instead a different option will discover that every other path leads
to death. By rejecting their adoption as sons, they prove themselves
unworthy of the trust of heaven and will find themselves staring with
dismay on the riches and beauties of paradise from the outside as
they come to realize they have rejected life itself.
We are all refugees in desperate need
of redemption and rescue. But even though we all live in the same
violent world of danger, it does not mean we are aware of our need or
are willing to submit to the process of induction to live with the
royal family in the palace. The declaration by the Queen offers full
participation in the royal family for everyone willing to enter the
induction process. It is not enough to just believe we have been
designated as family; we have to participate in the assimilation
process or the heavenly family may not be willing to trust us to join
them when moving day arrives.
What is needed on our part in order to
participate with the salvage operation God has in place? It is not
behavior modification or training in etiquette that prepares us for
heaven; rather it is a transformation of heart that makes us worthy
of the trust by heavenly beings. They know that if God has our heart
and affections that our behavior will inevitably come around and we
can be fully remedied. But without a heart connection and acceptance
of the mind of Christ who's identity we have already been assigned,
we cannot be trusted to live among those who live free, transparent
and vulnerable.
And one last thing – don't let the
protests of the commoners intimidate anyone to fear going to the
induction center to join the family of heaven. They don't understand
and they refuse to believe that God's family is based on love and not
appearances, and they resent anyone who does. Just keep your focus on
responding to God intimately and allowing Him full access to your
heart, and He will work in you to both will and do of His pleasure
(Philippians 2:13). The works of God flow naturally from the life
surrendered to the Spirit of God, for God has promised that if we
will simply believe in His method and the power of His love to save,
anyone can become an honored member of royalty.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ
always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in
every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the
aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among
those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death,
to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for
these things?
(2 Corinthians 2:14-16)
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