Refocus

Our current smartphones are amazing. Oh, I call them phones, but they are so much more, don’t you know! You know full well what all they do. They are little handheld computers. One of the main functions cellphones fulfill these days is to put into our hands at all times a really good digital camera. The phones issued the past several years have lenses that allow you to put the item you want in the clearest focus and other items out of focus. With the right person clicking, fine traditional cameras have long been able to do this, but now with the right “phone” we all can have a sharp subject in the foreground with the background subjects blurred, or vice versa. This allows you to be aware of the general context, but really center your attention on one subject in particular.

I am mentioning matters of visual perception, but our brains are capable of doing the same thing with our general perception of things. Whether it is the realities of the material order or the possibilities of ideas, we can train our minds to bring what we want into focus and to filter out or blur other things. Have you ever been “busted” in a one-on-one conversation? I mean, when you are looking right at someone as they speak, and they perceive the need to ask you, “Hey, what did I just say?” Sometimes the only honest response is, “Uh, I am not sure—my mind was elsewhere—please, say that again; I am listening now.” Oh, never happened to you? Congratulations!

Here is an illustrative aside. If this didn’t bother me so, I would think it hysterical. I was typing this just now, and so focused on it that I missed the chance to open up Morning Prayer on time on Zoom for our church members. I was a full two minutes late. Fortunately, the people tuned in and waited patiently for me and we had prayers for all of you again this morning. Do you see what happens to me? God, be merciful to me, a scattered one.

We can focus, and we can shift focus. It is the marvelous capacity of our brains. What takes work is to discern what best deserves our attention and to develop the discipline of keeping it there. So, we strive to keep first things first, and we pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to know what the primary things are.

Did you know this shows up in the Bible? Our Epistle lesson for 2 Advent, this Sunday, is from the Second Letter of Peter. The Christians he is guiding are focused on how long it is taking the Lord to return, a promise they take very seriously. In fact, they are very frustrated it has not yet happened and they are somewhat paralyzed and perplexed at this delay. It does not help that frightening persecution of Christians is underway. It is hard for them to concentrate on the practicalities of daily living.

The Apostle is trying to take their focus off of the delay of the Second Coming, what in Greek is called the Parousia, and to put it on the opportunity it affords them to mature into the sort of people they might be. Can they shift to the question of how devout and dedicated they can become? They may think they need Peter’s help being more patient with the Lord, but he is refocusing them on how patient the Lord is being with them. They need time for their sanctification because the Parousia is going to be a purge: the purifying presence of Jesus will burn off what is worthless and leave what is purely valuable. God’s time is not like our time. God’s Kairos is not like our Kronos. Soak in this passage of scripture:

Do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire? But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home.

Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. —2 Peter 3:8-15a

Sit with that last line for a moment. If we take it as a word for ourselves, the good, Apostle, Simon Peter is asking us to use the time we have to do our utmost to be found at peace, unblemished, and above reproach. This is a slow form of purgation, over time. He is calling for a turn, repentance. The early Christians were fixated on how long Jesus was taking to straighten all things out, and they are impatient.  Jesus is very patiently fixated on how long it is taking for them to get themselves right. You and I have a choice: we can have in focus the frustration of a world in such need for the revamping that Jesus could do. Alternatively, we can focus on the opportunity Jesus gives us, as he reshapes us and deifies us, thereby making the world a different place. The Lord will consummate the Kingdom, we are sure of that. Let that go blurry as the grand context. Bring into sharp clarity how Jesus is bringing it about beginning with you.