Longing for Level Ground

There are two things that I hate about running– I mean, besides making my body pound away at distances meant more for wheels, chain drives and foot pedals. I detest the headwind that confronts me when I run or bike, challenging every foot of forward progress by pushing me backward. But more than that, I hate hills, those steep single ascents, and the longer “gentle” grades that deceive you into believing that you’re not being affected. And what I really hate are the hills that lie to you outright, by suggesting that the work you offered to get on top will be rewarded by a long endless descent. The lie comes when we see what follows the descent, more hills, more descents, up and down, and so on and so forth it goes. Yuk. Oh, Lord, just give me level ground.

Not surprisingly then, I find some satisfaction when I read in Scripture that the biblical writers must have spent time walking, running or riding their bikes (ok, just kidding). They have come to see the value of level ground. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 27:11–

Teach me your way, oh Lord and lead me in a level path…

And then in chapter 26, verse 11 and 12

But I shall walk in integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me. My foot stands on a level place.

Turns out, there’s a lot of difficult terrain out there, a lot that opposes us; an uneasiness about the nature and future of the world, the strength of our own faith, and the real reach of the Gospel– just to name a few.

But we seem to be misinformed about what constitutes level ground and what is necessary to reach it. As parents we desire that our children will grow into the kind of people who will love God, choose wisely from among all the stuff presented in life, and serve his church. In this case the level ground we seek isn’t achieved by passively watching them choose the easiest path but patiently pushing them to navigate the turns carefully and prepare for the hills judiciously — and all of it that they may seek a level place with God. So what might this level ground be that the Psalmist finds so desirable?

Quite frankly, I think he is describing the blessings that come from walking uprightly with the Lord; all the while seeking his face and submitting to his leadership in our lives. The level ground I think the Psalmist pictures is not born out of a single confessional statement counting on the grace of Christ to conquer everything that lies before us, even while we feign any future interest in pursuing the sanctification that draws us closer to him. I think it was Bonhoeffer who in fact, called this, “cheap grace”.

As a leader in local church ministry I’m concerned that an ever-growing number of Christians have convinced themselves that the path toward level ground need not pass through the rigor of hard choices and biblical distinctiveness but can be found in the narcissistic self-love, shallow worship, and watered down doctrine we find increasingly prevalent in our churches and Christian institutions.

Maybe, and I’m just spit-balling here, my best hope in achieving level ground is found in uninterrupted worship, an unquenchable delight in Jesus and an unshakable passion to serve God at every stage of our lives. In other words, a call of duty outside our own lives. Think about it. When I “worth-ship” well and often, the focus on myself disappears. When I delight in Jesus, I just can’t get enough of him. It’s no longer study and prayer I’m begrudgingly performing, its fellowship and fascination, drawing me ever closer to the one I love– and equipping me with the vocabulary of spiritual conversation.

Suffice it to say, the individual described in Psalm 26 is one who has landed on a lifestyle necessary for a balanced life.

• He testifies that he has pursued integrity in his life

• He walks with honest faith around his neck and sees the Lord’s faithfulness as a badge of honor

• She is the person who does not wish to entertain the foolishness associated with the hypocrite and the uselessness of those who can’t live out the truth of God in their lives.

• This person loves the assembled of God and finds himself most comfortable in worship surrounded by thoughts of God.

Trust me on this one– the man or woman who voices a love for the Habitation of God’s house will find a way to spend more time in it and will make it the most habitable for others to join him. They are the Simeons and the Annas, who knew true from false, righteous from perverted, and could distinguish priceless from cheap. They stood on level ground.

And so must we. I remember the fun-houses of my youth, where we would find ourselves confronted with confusing images of ourself ( trick mirrors), gruesome faces, utter darkness, and frightful screams. And then after all of this, we encountered a room with all things uneven; a tilted floor and minimal lighting. “Walk”, they said, but just getting across the room proved difficult, if only for the 20 feet that separated us from the exit of this nightmare. When it was over, the light rushed back in the screams subsided, and the level ground returned.

I think the Psalmist merely desired a place where he could walk rightly; somewhere amidst all the screaming of life, the uncertainty of difficult terrain, and idolatrous obsessions; somewhere where his feet could be firmly planted on level ground.

So do I.

MJC