Stadium Saints - A ... The Hovering Cross
(Please read the brief Introduction if you are not familiar with the flow of this series.)
Suspended invisibly high above a vast stadium is a lone bemused spectator. Their panoramic view completely uninterrupted. Below he observes a most curious wedding reception centred around a groom standing at the head of a flat 'hovering' cross. There are scores of nearly empty well laid tables.
He is so high that those in the vast stadium are unable to see him. Even if they could, they would never notice him. Captured in their own self-important world, fighting their own self-determined legitimate battles, they are culpably oblivious to a real world outside their stadium. They are not aware of a world under constant evil assault, nor can they see or know the fresh wine-skins of God's work outside.
The extent of the stadium is so broad that none even know they are in it. One side can not be seen from the other. Even the grandstands are unseen by those conducting their religious life on the playing field. There are no humans on the grandstand seats, although the seats are comfortably full. (No one wants to watch this spectacle, there is no human entertainment here.)Instead the forces of evil are eagerly engaged in watching, even interfering in, the confusion and mis-adventure before their wicked eyes.
Mingling unhindered they leave their grandstand seats, these forces of evil spill over the low fence and mix unseen on the field. Each foray of evil has its own task. They drop jealousy that the players will stumble in their relationships, they shout poor theology so that the educated can respond and they leave ill will that many may fall down. Other forays sow lethargy, comfort and people pleasing. The agent of injustice is active, sistering the work of condemnation. All these forays are unobserved by those on the playing field. The first evil agent over the fence was pride, quickly followed by death.
At the centre of the stadium stands a very well dressed and steely composed groom. He very sadly stands alone. He is surrounded by countless near empty but perfectly set banquet tables. His bride,seemingly unawares, drifts around these tables constantly, never taking a seat.
He is not barking out instruction but gently calling for calm so that His bride may stop to be with Him, and so she gets to know Him. His appeals and invitations repeatedly fall on unresponsive ears. His deep desire is for His bride to share and enjoy His presence, although while amidst them, His presence is still strangely absent. His bride is still far more consumed in internecine battles than their banquet. The bride chooses to battle, while the Groom chooses to banquet. These battles they mistakenly believe are for Him. He has their activity but not their attention. He has their hands but not their hearts.
His bride enjoys little cohesion. There are ancient confederations and various teams assembling almost randomly together, against a perceived enemy also within the stadium. They attack and resist this enemy until all become exhausted. The battle dissipates until their energy returns.
The brief respite complete and the saints rise again and attack this old enemy. Same olds words, same old strategies and same old lack of victory. No position of superiority or victory is ever gained by either side. Although, they both believe they are correctly victorious.
The Groom sees much of His bride also engaged in other activities He has not requested.They do not notice the battles within, for they too are consumed with their own activity. Guests sue guests. Guests squabble over property and pennies. Stewards for the banquet argue about who should serve the top table and theology, fully distracted from simply serving the Groom.Some stewards have even become angry at the other stewards for interfering with their ambition or activities. Each guest too is deeply focused on their work and war.
This is plain to see for the lone and now saddened spectator still suspended invisibly above the stadium.This spectator also witnesses, next to the Groom, a life size cross,elevated about a meter above the ground, but lying flat on its back.(It appears to hover, although it has no engines and is perfectly still.) This cross has become an altar. It is continuously red stained and it both surprises and disturbs the spectator greatly.
Gathered around this altar are various stewards and other saints. They come and they go. Many stay great lengths of time in study of the copious words on the cross. The Groom stands by at the top of this altar watching but unnoticed. Interrupting their diligent study are blood stains obscuring the words on the cross. Persistently these studious saints wipe away each blood stain as it re-appears.
The Groom continues to stand so patiently at the top of the cross, a tear arising in His eye as yet another saint pushes passed Him or even pushes Him aside to assiduously study the words on the cross. He sees His blood wiped away, yet again. It will always return for that is the nature of the cross, a permanent blood sacrifice once and for all. The Groom actually sees great joy spread across the face of these saints as they wipe His blood away to reveal more words. They are so adept with their cleansing action that they are oblivious to the fact that they are even doing it. His blood they ignore.
In a still small voice (for the Groom shouts at no one) He repeats to deaf ears and proud minds '... these are the words that speak of me,but you refuse to come to me to have life.' Their focus is so strong,that they will not even permit His blood to be an impediment to their study.
At very irregular intervals a saint arises who is seated at a banquet table. These are the saints who sit still and unmoving in His presence, who have been attentive to the Groom. Lovingly and kindly they approach the saints still cleaning and studying at the cross altar. With words of grace and a heart of tears they bravely appeal to these saints to give their attention to Him.
Wilfully the students and the stewards turn, united they act. The well meaning saints quickly sacrificed on the altar before them. Death stands silently smiling at the foot of the altar. Death is unobserved by the stadium saints, but torturously watched by the Groom. Unable to withhold His tears He stands motionless! Righteousness and relationship again sacrificed on the altar of 'correct thinking.' Righteousness has now been sacrificed to the words on the cross.
Still the study continues unabated. Some students leave the altar to recruit more saints to their cause. Death's smile broadens, pride now standing again at his side. In fact every one is smiling except the spectator, the Groom and the small handful of seated guests.
From the grandstands the forces of evil smile with pernicious glee. There is no threat anywhere to their malevolence in this world from His bride.This bride is too intent on destroying her own marriage, to destroy them or even witness their work.
Mingling invisibly and continuously throughout the stadium the evil agents ply their malevolent work. There is ample evidence of their work and their presence to all who would believe. Those at the cross altar are too engaged in study to see. Disbelief is the real enhancer of their malevolence, it is the greatest camouflage in the arsenal of evil.Christian self confidence is the unseen asset to evil. While-ever the carnal rules the spiritual, evil will remain unchallenged.
All this the lone spectator continues to observe with a soul destroying sadness.
Traditions are fought for. Antiquity is to die for. The spirit filled guests sense a good and healthy newness but the naysayers soon dispel them. In retreat they too find their own codes to die for. These codes they also measure other guests against. These codes, though not ancient, are also held with great pride.
All the time evil is quietly spilling out of the grandstand, over the low unobstructive fence and completely unobserved onto this vast playing field.
Filtering slowly and deliberately through the stadium is the agent of death. Soon the smaller guests and their confederations fall. Death stands watchfully over them, ensuring his work is complete. They will never be revived.The bigger and stronger guests at His banquet gather around the permanently fallen and 'tut-tut' as they find fault. There is no burial, dignity is lost and no rest is received.
Preceding death through this stadium the lone spectator observes pride's work successfully striking blindness into all this agent approaches and is received by. Pride is simply so busy within this stadium it is unable to complete its work. In fact other guests see its work and pursue it.They unwittingly ask for its help in their battles too. Death soon stands victoriously over them and their work. Foolishly they thought that this agent for evil would enhance their activity and bring victory in their battles. They were not aware why so many had fallen preceding them. Achievement for the Groom was their goal, not simply attention to the Groom.
Some guests, just a few, still remain seated at the beautifully adorned banquet tables. They are lonely but can hear the Groom.
The panorama the lone spectator commands gives vantage too, to the world outside the stadium. In the stadium he sees the Groom still quietly enjoining calm and goodness. He continues to invite relationship and righteousness to all who would listen. (Only those still and seated could hear Him.) Outside the stadium the spectator observes goodness being established, calm descending and new lights shining bright. It as if the Groom is heard far more clearly outside His presence.
The bride is completely unaware to these new lights that God is turning on.She is unable to recognise them, bless them or even invite them in. She simply does not even know or even dare to believe that they exist. The bride can't see God at work because she is engaged in doing 'His work'without first consulting Him.
The suspended spectator sees evil fleeing into the stadium, into the fair haven of the grandstands eating. It is safe because the bride does not even believe they exist. The bride continues to see none of this. Surrounded by evil, witless as to its existence and assaults, she continues to fight herself. Evil mingles freely, constantly unobserved and unchallenged.
God is not hindered however! He is alive, active, well and winning. (He is not dependent on the bride.) In fact the spectator sees that as the spirits of evil increase in their activity so too does the Holy Spirit of The Groom increase His activity.
Soon the Groom will be surrounded by dead guests. He will leave the stadium inviting the attentive and still to follow Him. In fact, He is turning and walking now. He will never harm His bride. He loves her so much that it cost Him calvary.
She, however He will reluctantly release to willingly harm herself.Her deaf ears, her inattentiveness and her busyness for Him have become her downfall. She does not even see Him leaving, neither does she see those already seated following Him. All this the bride does not known or cannot be told.
Grooms look for attention, this bride only gives activity.
MATTHEW 25:1-11