I’m a big fan of the 007 films. When I was 15 years old a family friend of mine got me hooked. My first bond movie was Thunderball and I watched it in the Florida Keys. If you know anything about Thunderball, you know it’sgot water, and sharks and boats – what an amazing setting to watch this movie. What I like about the Bond movies is not just the pithy Brit or the amazing gadgets, but the focus that this guy always seems to have. The dude is kinda like a machine – always moving forward
regardless of the dangers or of his superiors. It get’s Bond in trouble – a lot!
I was thinking of James Bond the other day as I was thinking of how we develop vision as a people and as a community of faith. Other than the Bond girls, Q’s gadgets and suave tuxedo dressed style of James, we have some similarities with the famous super spy. We’re on a mission that is pretty static. Oh sure we’re placed in different settings and there is always change occurring around us, but we have a mission – or I should say, God has a Mission and we get to be a part of it. God doesn’t need me to develop or dream up God’s Mission – it’s already there. God’s Mission is to restore God’s creation – the thing sin wrecked. God’s been bent on that Mission ever since Eden – setting it rig
ht again.
God’s vision for accomplishing this mission is also pretty simple. God’s vision is Jesus. Jesus is the Way that it’s going to happen (happened, is happening and will happen – for those theological purists). Jesus is the point – Jesus is the focus – Jesus is how God is putting creation back in order. The Church is Christ’s bride – we follow, we learn and we further Him in the world around us. That’s cool! We get to be Jesus’ hands and feet and ministry in pursuit of God’s Mission.
I hear the church get bashed regularly (and sometimes rightly so) but the church that is aware of God’s Mission and Vision can’t but make incredible strides forward. The problems come when we get distracted and have secondary visions. You can always tell when James Bond is in trouble – it’s usually because he’s started thinking with his libido rather than with his Universal Export Training. When the church starts coming up with new visions that add onto or detract from the person of Jesus we too get in trouble. A lot of what has become the problems of our church were at one time the Jesus Vision but they’ve become more important than Jesus himself. Isn’t that crazy? I confess, I’ve followed suit. I’ve let other things of value become more important than God’s Mission and Vision at various times in my life. It’s sad because I miss out on something.
Yet, in God’s grace and mercy, I’m offered, millions of times a day, opportunities to be redirected. A sun rise, a crisp morning breeze, max the wonder dog greeting me at the door after a run, my kids smile and laughter, the “i love you” of my wife, brilliant Kentucky blue skies, reminders of my beautiful Florida beaches, well wishes from friends, all kinds of great music, the quiet whisper of a God who still speaks and still yearns for the creation to be whole – all moments to have my eyes opened.
These eye openers have become well welcomed intrusions in my life. They’re opportunities not just to be reminded but also to see what God is doing around me. God’s up to so much more than I give God credit for. With all the gadgets that are available to me, and to James Bond, it still takes the ability to stop and SEE. Let it be so and let it start with me…
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Hey Jim!I really enjoyed this post. It made me think about where my deepest priotities lie -in my own self-seeking-desires, or those of the kingdowm of God?-. I mean what if we truly lived in a way where EVERYTHING we did started from a place of "how will this help accomplish God's vision for the new creation?" And I think that starts when we begin to take seriously the call of Jesus to die to ourselves.I think Bond is a mix of those two desires in us, seeking pleasure for ourselves and putting ourselves aside to serve others…