Non-Anxious Living Despite Pain

calm before the storm

"The real witness of the spirit to the second birth is to be found only in the disposition of the genuine child of God, the permanently patient heart, the love of self eradicated...."

American philosopher and psychologist  William James (1842-1920) pens these words that ring true to us as followers of Jesus. The permanently patient heart reminds me of Eugene Peterson's translation of 2 Pet 2:6 passionate patience.  This is the non-anxious way of living, the relinquished way of walking through life in which pain and suffering flows through us, in us, around us but does not control us.  We may live in the valley of the shadow, but we know deeply--at our core--that we are family members of steadfast God who will not let us go.  This is the way of living that is full of endurance and has the unshakable anchor of relationship--real knowing of Jesus. This kind of permanently patient heart cannot be gained by anchoring to a set or system of beliefs. It can only be gained in the practice of friendship with God. It is forged in the everyday knowing of Christ which leads to belief over time.  But you cannot trust Christ--really--without knowing Christ's heart. And that takes time.

However, William James continues that quote with these words:
 "...And this, it has to be admitted, is also found in those who pass no crisis, and may even be found outside of Christianity altogether."
--William James

Now this catches my attention. Because it is true.  There are those in my life who have not lived in the valley of the shadow, but also have this non-anxious presence. Perhaps it has not yet been tried, but when you are with them, you see that there is some kind of deep endurance and steadfastness in them. Again, this patient, enduring way of living is not found because of pain or suffering, but is found in cultivating relationship with God. And, the belief system of Christianity does not encompass God. Relationship with Jesus, listening to God can happen outside the confines of the religion that we American Christians have set up as the form in which one must go through in order to encounter God.  These words may seem uncomfortable--even heretical at first--but yet, if you think about it--which is bigger--God or American-style Christianity? It begins to push at our neat boundaries of what is or what is not faith.  Christianity is the religion of knowing Jesus. It is the practice according to the forms of our cultural context of knowing Jesus. But knowing Jesus--that is bigger than anything we can humanly define and put into the a box that we can measure and understand.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, or the Life--yet many will meet Jesus without ever knowing the religion of Christianity such as I do in my church down the street.