“One of the big lessons about surfing is learning to operate in the present.
That’s really what the entire foundation about surfing is.” ~Jack Johnson,
professional surfer and musician.
A number of prophets have been hearing about a great “tidal wave”
coming (http://bit.ly/GodsWave): a wave of
God’s glory, yes! But such a powerful wave, while being profoundly good in
nature, will also cause immense destruction of anything found in its way: the
coming wave will both fulfill our greatest longings and destroy many of the
things we’ve relied on over the years.
At the very least, the coming tidal wave will include
massive transition for the people of God. Frankly, I believe it will
revolutionize the entire culture of many nations (keep in mind that “revolutionize”
comes from “revolution” and is not a tidy word, or a safe one). We are
experiencing the beginnings of it now, and when the first crush of the
transition is over, there will be remarkably little left that is familiar to
us.
There are at least five ways to respond to a substantial
wave:
1) Stand
firm and endure it. This response works well on lesser transitions, but I want
to grab and shake those people planning to stand firm and endure the transition
that is going on now: If you stand in the path of this wave, if you expect to
resist it, you will die. You may die a hero; you may die a fool, but you will
die. Please, don’t try to “Keep calm and carry on” in this one.
2) Resist
the change. I hear stories about groups of people gathering together, arming
themselves, in order to fight off some of the civil and political changes. I’ve
heard a number of people organizing signature drives, lobbying politicians about
what needs to happen. Frankly, if God is telling you to do that, please obey
Him! But a tidal wave does not slow down for either a 7.62 mm bullet or a
fully-documented petition. Obey what God is saying, but don’t count on being
able to hold off the wave.
3) Dive
deep, under the wave. I’ve met a goodly number of people who are “going off the
grid” in one way or another specifically for the purpose of not getting caught
in the wave of transitions – political, cultural, spiritual, economic – that this
wave is bringing with it. Others are dropping out (or considering dropping out)
of fellowships, out of visible public positions, out of social networks with
the goal of reducing the impact of all that change going on in the various
aspects of their lives.
I have serious questions about the viability of this response to a tidal wave. Most waves bring a load of water in to shore, crash on the shore, and then the water level goes back to normal. A tidal wave is not like that. A tidal wave looks a lot like a normal breaking wave when it’s coming at you, but behind it, the water level stays high: it never goes back to normal. Assuming that a very skilled swimmer has attempted to dive deep, under the wave, coming back to the surface, reaching air again, will be far more difficult than it usually is.
I have serious questions about the viability of this response to a tidal wave. Most waves bring a load of water in to shore, crash on the shore, and then the water level goes back to normal. A tidal wave is not like that. A tidal wave looks a lot like a normal breaking wave when it’s coming at you, but behind it, the water level stays high: it never goes back to normal. Assuming that a very skilled swimmer has attempted to dive deep, under the wave, coming back to the surface, reaching air again, will be far more difficult than it usually is.
4) Run
for higher ground. It’s ironic that this has actually been the most effective
way – in the natural – for people to escape the destruction of tidal waves: get
out of the path of the wave. The prophecies about the coming wave (or waves) suggests
that there will be no safe place where you can avoid this move of God, this
change in our civilization. You can run screaming, but by the time you see the
wave, it’s too late. And really, screaming won’t help. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy had the right advice here: Don’t
panic!
“Build your house on the Rock” is superb counsel, but it won’t keep the wave from overwhelming you. The wave will still come, the storm will still rage, and you will be battered around, and you’ll get cold, wet & miserable. But if you are well-founded on the Rock of Christ, you and yours will emerge, wide-eyed and victorious after the storm, ready to partner with God and build a new world after the old one has vanished under the wave.
“Build your house on the Rock” is superb counsel, but it won’t keep the wave from overwhelming you. The wave will still come, the storm will still rage, and you will be battered around, and you’ll get cold, wet & miserable. But if you are well-founded on the Rock of Christ, you and yours will emerge, wide-eyed and victorious after the storm, ready to partner with God and build a new world after the old one has vanished under the wave.
5) Ride
the wave. Yeah, let’s acknowledge that people don’t usually surf tidal waves,
but I think that’s going to change, at least for the “Move of God” aspect of
the coming waves. Yeah, surfers need to be out in the water before the wave hits, and yeah, surfing
a tidal wave is a dangerous proposition: I get that, and I’m not advising that
everyone try this. But some of us (some of you)
are called to this: ride the wave! Let the overwhelming, overpowering,
completely out-of-control move of the Spirit carry you, propel you into the
things that God is calling you into, into the things that you’ve secretly
dreamed of all your life. And here’s where Jack Johnson’s advice applies: surfing in general – and even more so when you’re surfing a tidal wave – is about being “in the moment,” or “in the present.” Other than being available – being out in the deep water with God before the wave hits – there’s no advance preparation you can do besides learn to move in the Spirit. When it happens, tomorrow may not even exist for you: every day is the only day of your life, though you may have 90 years of that! Respond instantly, instinctively to the movement in the wave, in the Spirit.
Let me conclude by re-emphasizing that every one of us need to be
well-grounded on the Rock who is Christ: on who He is and on what He has taught
us! Ungrounded people, ungrounded fellowships simply will not survive what’s
coming.
He is calling only a few to wax up their longboards and
paddle out to the deep water, and keep an eye on the horizon. There is no shame
for those who choose not to paddle out to the deep, or who lack the strength or
the skills to do so. But there is also no condemnation for those who do:
whether they stuff it big time, or whether they ride the wave to its
conclusion, we must cheer them on.
The great cloud of witnesses is watching us.
