The following thoughts were triggered at a men’s meeting I attended some years ago now. It was in connection with the John Eldredge book “Wild At Heart.” The heart of a man, or the attempt to recapture what a man’s heart was meant to contain.

As per usual, I got something out of it that was not intended. No wonder I’m always in trouble. :-)

So here’s the deal:   

What I saw that evening was that the New Jerusalem, the city with twelve gates, and only one street, became a pond with 12 piers.

Jesus said, “… Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” (Of this he spoke of the Spirit)

The water in the pond is the Spirit.

(In the Shadow Testament or Covenant, the Spirit was prefigured by olive oil. Olive oil is gold in color, Zahariah 4:12 – “#2091. Zahab..; from an unused root meaning, to shimmer; gold; fig. something gold colored (i.e. yellow) as oil, a clear sky: – gold (-en), fair weather.”)

The shore and beyond the pond is composed of fallen venues, paradigms, and even idols.

Those drawn by The Father venture out onto the piers.

One of the things that happens in the vulnerability on the pier is that systematic theologians or their offspring greet you as you are heading for the pond and take you on a detour by offering a confessional salvation, or, like Apollos, only John’s baptism. In short, they cut you off at the pass and you are left without even knowing that there be such a thing as life in the pond. This is spiritual retardation at best, and spiritual abortion at worst.

However, occasionally there are moments or even conversations when those on the piers make that leap off the end of the pier, and experience something wholly other than the conversations, venues, paradigms, and idols from which they have come out.

Two or more meeting beyond the end of the piers from which they have come are able to enjoy an intimacy in the pond, sometimes even including words, that is possible nowhere else.

The moment ends, and the participants find themselves back on their piers.

Wanting to reconnect on what they perceive to be a more permanent basis, they walk along the shore until they come to the venue or paradigm of others that they met in the water.

They rush to greet one another, only to discover that, on shore, they are totally incapable of making connection or even getting along.

Now, take that picture and add the seasons of life to the venues and paradigms, and the situation becomes down right impossible.

Love!