“So Where Ya Hangin' Out These Days?” (John 15; 1 Peter 3:20; Rom.6:3) [Reflections on Watchman Nee's Normal Christian Life ] [Pandemic series]

“So, where ya hangin’ out these days, my man?”
I hear between the lines – sometimes I can
If it’s a question vivid in its tone,
Relates to me and life here in my home.

Re-reading Watchman Nee this time around
Has that effect on me – for he’s profound
In simple ways – Chinese, from different stream
Of Christian thought than what my path has been.

A friend suggested I come up against
The way he thinks, and picture that he paints
Of daily life from his perspective, then,
Reflect upon my own need to amend.

It’s fifteen years since I last read his stuff;
The “TCK”, and “Kingdom-layer” enough
Would be to hear a different Nee ’bout now,
But “Christ’s last task” more insight has allowed.

Take Nee’s wee comment, Cross was not for me,
But for the universe, including me
Like dollar bill tucked into published tome –
Where book goes, dollar bill is right at home.

So where am I these days? Why tucked inside
Christ’s life – two ways he notes that we reside –
“Abide in me” relates to “Book that’s trashed”
First Easter day when Jesus’ life got smashed.

But not just me – the universe itself
Wrapped up that day, hence I was there myself;
We all were, “First creation” satan wrecked
By coaxing Adam, Eve, to “Best” forget.

But didn’t God tell Noah He’d not do
Destruction like the flood, where He removed
The old disgusting life that Noah knew?
Why yes, God says, for now it’s up to you!

No water flooding everything in sight;
No desert scene with the world in endless blight;
No plagues of Egypt sweeping all before
It’s end-times messing life forever more.

It’s like God built an “Ark” where safe we’d be,
Called “Kingdom-layer”, a perfect place to be
In terms of center pin midst pinwheel’s whirl,
Or ice on pond above life’s blocked-up swirl.

A place to stand and grow, mature in Him;
A place not messed up by a goal of sin;
A place where we could start again, begin
To put new ending on our lives – and win.

But Nee says God was clever, didn’t trash
The world around the Ark, nor did he smash
Our little ways of life at satan’s lead –
Bone dry for forty years – the Ark, no sea”.

So walking on the deck by night or day,
We get to watch the world in satan’s sway
Without participating in its mess –
Just calling out, “Come in, the pain’s much less!

“For door’s not closed, the ramp is there for all;
You’ve been ‘Translated here’, its space not small;
So make yourself at home, get on with life,
All by yourself, or with your family, wife.

It’s not that it’s the “End” you’ve “Fully grown”
More like you get to start in your new home;
It’s up to you – opt in, and you can leave
At any time, depends what you believe –

Is best for you, as you assess the scene;
Live here apart from satan’s “Mean and mean”,
Or join the swirling chaos folks call “Life”
(Which isn’t, it’s a mess, an awful sight).

I love the touch, Nee notes of Peter’s tome,
Where Pete reflects on Ark (that’s Noah’s home),
And all those folks who drowned back in that scene –
“When Christ was killed, he preached to them, it means.

But anyway, the question still remains,
“So, where you hang in out these days?” – Christ came
To usher in the Kingdom-layer for all
Ark-two” was christened – place for one and all.

The rest’s dead-end mess – Jerusalem
Descends, like Handel’s Christmas song puts best;
’Tis now – as soon as we change mind, opt in
A better place to stand, new life begin.

Old Jewish concept – “Kingdom of our God”
Christ came to preach – “It’s here – here, on our sod”
But one and all rejected it, and Him,
So wiped Him out, He rose – new life begins.

Not to life of playing harps upon the clouds,
But here and now – new start which God allows
For one and all, where we can all begin
To grow in Christ, and walk away from sin.

So that’s the first part Jesus said at end
As He enjoyed last supper with His friends;
“Abide in Me” – relates to cash in book,
As book got trashed, with world that satan took.

“As I abide in you”, Christ added in –
A two-way street – new life you can begin
For I was raised to Kingdom-life for you,
As vine and branches – life flows – life anew.

So intimate a union, comments Nee –
Like sugar cube once mixed into our tea –
New life so sweetens things, can’t be removed;
New life is ours, which centuries have proved.

Lord, there’s so much to ponder in Nee’s words,
New things, before, I simply had not heard;
It’s like a poem – lots of metaphor
For minds to wander through, and think some more.

Thanks Lord for this.

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