Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

Is it possible that the war is over? -- by Eric Janzen

When I saw the figure he was jumping the line
and hopping over trenches,
rolling up razor wire,
and, of all things, laughing.

When I Walk into the Room: Confessions of a Burden-Bearer -- by Eric H Janzen

 As I approached the door I scanned the amount of vehicles parked outside the house, which told me there were a lot of people inside. I rang the door bell could hear laughter and voices in conversation, all the sounds you would expect to hear from an ongoing party. The door opened and as I was invited in I inwardly sighed, “Here we go.” I walked into the room, looked for a seat in a corner, sat down, and began attempting not to feel. This never works, and by the time I left the party I was feeling a vast range of emotions that I knew would eventually wash into one of feeling weary and tired. “I hate parties,” I told myself.

 The above is a true scenario replayed many times in my life. It describes many of my experiences being in groups of large people. It was not until I was in my mid-twenties that I would discover language for this problem. I had no understanding of why I was affected in this way when in groups of people. I coped as best I could, which to be honest was not well. The problem, it turned out, was that I was a burden-bearer and a keen discerner, but did not know it.

Be One and Love -- by Eric H. Janzen

What follows came as I reflected on the idea that Christians are a sign in the world pointing to Jesus Christ and the kingdom of heaven.  In his book “The Presence of the Kingdom” Jaques Ellul presents this idea and states that it is the Christian's primary role in life to be this sign.  I found this to be a compelling and powerful idea.

We are to be this sign on the road for humanity as they wander spiritual paths seeking truth and meaning.  A common belief is that all ways lead to God.  However, Christ's followers are the signs along the One Way pointing to the One Truth and Life, Jesus.  This message is vital for at least two reasons.  First, it simply is not true that all ways lead to God.  This is the reality of the spiritual landscape.  It does us no good to pretend that it is otherwise and it may not be a popular move to state it so plainly, but there it is none the less.  Those seeking God along the wrong road deserve to know that they are going the wrong way and it falls to Christ's community to sound the alarm.  Other roads may lead to genuine spiritual powers, but they are not the One God, and thus they are pretenders to a throne that is not theirs to sit upon.

Beloved... prophetic message via Eric Janzen

    Beloved, there is a table set for you and an invitation to come to that table.  A seat has been prepared for you and upon it is written your name.  What I have for you is abundant life; the Life of my Son; the Life of my Spirit.   

    I want you, beloved, to stop giving your loyalty away so easily.  I have been calling you, asking for your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole soul and spirit. 

What's Coming? by Eric Janzen (for Fresh Wind 2008)

As I listened to the Lord about what to expect in the coming year, this is what I heard the Lord saying last night and this morning.

Last night he asked me if I could hear the wind.  It was quiet and peaceful outside and I could hear it, so I said, “Yes, I can hear it.” He replied:

“This year you will hear the wind of my Spirit.  This past year was a year of anticipation, building hope in my promises, hope to see the activity of my Kingdom becoming more evident. The coming year is about the Good News and seeing this anticipation not only increase, but begin to be met.  It is important to remember that the Gospel is what is paramount. The presence of my Kingdom goes hand in hand with the Gospel.  Too often the Good News is used as a bludgeon to wound (be saved or else… be saved or go to hell… be saved or be rejected… etc). What does the Kingdom look like to people then?  The Gospel opens the wedding table to the poor, the shamed, the outcast, the wealthy, the broken, and even those who are whole. 

Thinking on Community by Eric Janzen

There is a Hebrew word that most Christians are aware of: Shalom.  It is generally understood to mean “peace”, but this word contains a deeper and broader meaning.  Shalom more accurately means an absolutely unbroken and whole, as well as peaceful, state of existence and reality.  In such a state there is no separation or enmity between anyone and anything in existence.  All relationships are whole and unbroken, perfectly interconnected.  In such an idyllic state the relationships between God and humans, humans and humans, humans and nature, and nature and God are whole and unbroken.  Where and when did such a state of reality exist?  It was the blueprint with which God created the earth and everything in it. If Shalom is the foundation for community that we are trying to discover then we must first consider the source of Shalom and in doing so we shall see that it is of immense value, for it is a very part of the nature of God.

Glory-hunters and Glory-seekers by Eric H. Janzen

The glory of God is wondrous, beautiful, and, let's be honest, exciting. When God gives us a glimpse of his glory we are undone and overwhelmed, and invariably it makes us thirsty to see his glory more. What is more, God loves to reveal himself and display his glory to us. So, we in the West are often faced with the question: Why do we not experience more of God's manifestation? Why do we hear about powerful miracles happening in other parts of the world and not more here at home?

Follow Me...Now What Does that Mean? Part 1 by Eric H. Janzen

A simple, yet haunting, question has been on mind for several years now. As I have sought to mature in my faith, my spirituality, and my commitment to being a follower of Jesus Christ, I have come face to face with His words “Follow me.” I recall on an early morning three years ago hearing Jesus whisper to me. I was brushing my teeth, minding my own business when he said these words: “Eric, follow me.” Since then, I have spent a fair amount of time attempting to answer that call, as well as pondering what it means and what it looks like. Because I like to write, the following made it to paper (and a whole lot more actually).

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Follow Me...Now What Does that Mean? Part 2 by Eric H. Janzen

In part one we looked at what Jesus called the two greatest commandments. Now let us consider the call to follow from another angle. For, if we love God we will obey him. The question we must ask then is what does he want of us?

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

1. Jesus called his disciples with the words “follow me”. What does it mean to follow him, to follow his Way? In contemplating this question further I have chosen the above verse from Micah 6:8. In this verse we find three requirements the Lord asks of those who would follow his ways. In considering these three elements is there something that binds them together, that is common to each? I suspect that yet once more the thread that weaves them together is the importance of relationship.

The Prophetic Word: Shelf Ornament or Treasure? by Eric H. Janzen

I was having coffee with a friend recently and he asked me the following question: “So, what do you do with ‘Big Words’?”

I began formulating an answer and said, “Well first...,”

“You put it on the shelf,” he interrupted.

Ah. There it was. A phrase so common to those familiar with the prophetic that it has become a part of that language known as Christianese. This phrase embodies a deeply engrained attitude towards the prophetic word that assumes an appearance of wisdom. But what is this wisdom? And is it wise?