Unchanging, eternal

The unchanging, the eternal. Christians like to turn to these words, and frame concepts behind them which petrify into inflexible fortresses, from behind whose walls they take careful aim, at whatever and whomever they believe is the enemy. This is the crisis of Christianity, even of the Church (the two need not be the same), as it faces the modern, or even any, world. We see and feel it today, but this crisis has followed the followers of Jesus probably from the beginning, and we, victims of, or maybe even children of, its ravages, find ourselves always painted into a corner, held back while watching helplessly.

Watching helplessly? Watching what helplessly? Watching the world, watching humanity, ebb and flow around us, as if we were rocks in a torrent that part its waters, to right, to left, immovable, moistened by what we cannot join, defining unchanging and eternal by our inability, our incapacity, of movement. We rehearse the Lord’s world-grappling words without grasping them, making of our rehearsal a righteous practice and religious devotion, justifying all, excusing ourselves, by our beliefs, from exhibiting anything resembling the truly unchanging, the inexhaustible eternal, that which mainsprings the universe.

Of which there is only One who, though springing forth from us in the words of holy and divine scripture, has not made His home there, does not desire us forever to rest there, but to enter with Him, finally and forever, the only true Holy of Holies, the bridal chamber of the marriage of Heaven and Earth, delivering ourselves, all without exception, into His hands. For that is what we are made for, why we have appeared, where evolution has ceased its struggles, where we finally meet the unchanging, the eternal, shedding our shadow, exchanging our shame for glory, fearlessly walking in love, with all, for all, as all.

Yes, the unchanging, the eternal.

Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away.

Mark 13:31