Holy unrest - a time for everything *

NORSK
When I have chosen to concentrate on what the Bible writes about the period between Easter and Pentecost, my objective is primarily to discover how the pieces fell into place for the disciples. They learned some lessons by listening to the risen Jesus said and observing what he did, other insights they gained by personal experiences.

I have previously stopped for several aspects in the story about the two whom Jesus joined on the way to Emmaus, and there are more to be learned. “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over” was the argument the two disciples used to convince Jesus stay on. After it was revealed to them that their guest was Jesus, he disappeared from them. Then it is as though they were filled with a holy unrest:

“They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together”
Luke 24:33 

What they had experienced was so important that they had to find their friends at once. Then it was not any longer important that it was evening and a distance of 11 km to walk in the dark. It was a natural thing to do, although it was not necessarily the most reasonable thing to do. When there is a fire burning in the heart, that is more important than anything else.

I like the term 'holy unrest'. It makes us ordinary people start on a walk. It is not always we know where it ends, but if it is 'holy', it will always lead to a goal. And sometimes the walk itself is the goal because we walk together with others.

‘Manna' for today:

I want to walk calmly with holy unrest.

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(1) Yes, it's me. Here descending from Gaustadtoppen.
* 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 This series is about the teaching in the time between Easter and Pentecost.

Present as human – a time for everything *

NORSK

“Save me!”

In this way I challenged some of the participants at the candidates’ weekend during the individual interviews we conducted one month ago.
Melissa answered:

“We should become friends first!”

I liked that answer and it was clear that Melissa had understood the importance of building relationships in order to convey the gospel in a good and credible way. Perhaps she had learned from Jesus when revealed himself to after the resurrection:

“It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
Luke 24:39

In order for the disciples to believe him, Jesus had to be present himself as a man with flesh and bones. I think this is an important lesson for a follower of Jesus. It is OK and important with Bible knowledge, but if I meet my fellow men as a theologian and not as the human Jostein, I lose the opportunity to show what the gospel ‘does’. This aspect can easily drown while the theologian Jostein teaches about what the gospel ‘is’.

I spent a long time trying to understand Grundtvig's aphorism: “Human First - Then Christian!”. However, I have come to accept that his emphasis highlights a very important aspect. If I am not first and foremost human among my fellow men, the 'incarnation' (= Jesus present in his body in the world through me), is not fulfilled in the way God wants it to be.

So, dear Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1), although I love your hymns and your songs and am grateful for your vision that became the wonderful ‘folk high school movement’, they who know me well are likely to be surprised when they see that I have chosen the following

‘Manna’ for today:

Human first, then Christian!

... I doubt that I would have made that choice some years ago, but I see your point, and that it is good!
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(1) The painting portrays Grundtvig in a mild version
* 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 This series is about the teaching in the time between Easter and Pentecost. 

It is about being what he is

NORSK
It is interesting to notice that in the middle of the teaching about the vine, Jesus declared that he no longer calls his disciples servants, but friends (1). It is a result of the divine love, of which Jesus says: “Remain in my love!” (2)
This love is also the root of the fifth quality of the Fruit of the Spirit:

Kindness (3)

They who know me well, will also know that I strongly dislike kindness or friendliness that is not genuine. It is very evident in situations where I am a potential “customer”. Sellers are often “kind” to the extreme, and I am sure it is correct business-etiquette, but this method puts me off rather than on.

When Jesus spoke about peace, he said: “my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (4) I believe that the same could be said about all the other qualities of the fruit as well. “My kindness I give you – not as the world gives”. The kindness which he speaks about, comes from within. 

We notice it when we come to a church. Most churches have ushers or welcome-sergeants, who will receive people in a good way. You will sense when the kindness come from within, from the same source as all fruit.

And when we sense the fruit of the Spirit, we know that the Lord is near (5).

‘Manna’ for today:

The fruit of the Spirit brings Jesus near.

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(1) John 15:15
(2) John 15:9b
(3) The fruit of the Spirit is … kindness – Gal 5:22 The Norwegian translation of kindness is friendliness - this means that there connection between friend and friendliness is lost in translation. The same is true with (5) where the Norwegian translation is: "Let your friendliness be evident to all".
But it also confirms the "oneness" of the fruit of the Spirit with regard to the fact that the qualities are synonyms - meaning that you cannot have one without the other.
(4) John 14:27
(5) Phil 4:5