No Bride of Frankestein

The Genesis account tells us that unlike all of God’s creations there was no suitable match for Adam, so God put him in a deep sleep, extracted a rib from his side and formed Eve. When God presented Eve to Adam, Adam declared her to be, “Flesh of my flesh, bone of my bone”. It would seem that Adam instantly recognised her to be his ideal mate. This enchanting phrase has found its way into many wedding ceremonies and love songs to demonstrate the ideal compatibility of a couple in love.

Jesus, who the bible calls the second Adam, is coming back for an ideal Bride. The bible says the church is his bride. However, when we look at the church today, we ask how that is possible. She is too fragmented and divided, not to mention the umpteen skeletons she has hidden away in her closet. There has been no lack of efforts to unify and solidify the different parts, more so in this century than before. Imagine if we fused all the various groups together into a single composite. What would it look like? The result could only be the ideal bride for Frankenstein. A monster haphazardly held together by bolts, nuts, wire and glue. But the Bride of Christ is not the design of a mad scientist. Our Father in heaven is perfect as His Son is perfect and so the Bride should be too.

Jesus prayed that we would be one even as He and the Father are One. That oneness speaks of more than holding hands in agreement and begging to differ on dodgy subjects. Jesus could boldly say, if you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. Can we honestly say to the world, if you’ve seen the church, you’ve seen Jesus? Some may say, we are not there yet, still a work in progress. Some may say, we will never be, so just focus on the positive aspect of church. In truth, many books and messages have shifted from showing us how to be holy to how we can be united in purpose and principles. We imply that Jesus’ prayer in John’s gospel is a possibility if we can come together in harmony. In doing so, we hope to come closer to attaining God’s dream church. But each time we try to take a step closer to that dream, it remains elusive and always just beyond our reach.

How then can we achieve perfection given the jarring incompatibilities of Bride and Bridegroom?

I have serious doubts about the institutions we are building and growing in Christ’ name. But there is a church that Jesus Himself is building. One that we are not readily aware of. God is grafting into the person of His Son, individuals who have consecrated their lives to Him. Surrendered their mind and will, died to their dreams and aspirations and awoken to a holy and divine purpose. They have chosen to identify with Jesus, to follow Him all the way in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse. God took Eve out of Adam and in the same way, God is using those who are in His Son to fashion a worthy Bride, a mate who is compatible to Him in every way.

Who is this Bride? What is she like? I believe this is an apt description of the Bride of Christ.

The Bride has eyes only for her bridegroom. She is consumed with knowing him and being known of Him. Nothing and nobody can stand in the way of her devotion to Him. She revels in His presence and waits patiently for Him. She knows His voice and longs to hear Him speak. She meditates on each revelation of His person. She is unafraid of persecution; embracing suffering because it helps her identify with Him more. She doesn’t question His way for she trusts the wisdom and insight of her Lover. She does nothing apart from Him. Wherever He goes, she follows. She loves what He loves. She approves what He approves. She abhors what He abhors. She desires what He desires. There is no middle ground, no give and take, no need for compromise. There is no place for struggle or strive. She simply submits and surrenders to His love till the tiniest blemish dissipates, until she becomes the crystal clear reflection of His holiness. Her wretchedness, poverty, ignorance and weakness melting away as His Spirit infuses her with his beauty, riches, wisdom and strength from the secret place of their intimacy. 

Do you recognise the scriptural truth in what I’ve written?

And the two shall become one.

Jesus will look at His perfect Bride and with the same awe that filled Adam, He will say, “She is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones!”

Revelation tells us the letters to the churches in Asia were written to admonish a bride estranged from her true bridegroom. Today she is in the same poor state. She has lost her first love. She is self-reliant. She is deprived. She is wretched. She is deceived. She is indifferent. She is blind. She is lost. And until she wakes up to the truth, how can she know what she’s missing?

You cannot be his bride unless you are truly one with Him. You cannot substitute intimacy with good deeds, charity or hard work. You cannot try to produce that transformation by modifying your behaviour, by tithing your money, by faithful service or by committing to a time, place and programme. That’s like having an outward makeover without an inward change. It’s unnatural and it won’t last. The fruit that Jesus is looking for is birthed out of an open and honest relationship with Him. Remain in Him and He will remain in you. Love Him and obey Him. Nothing else will produce fruit that endures.

No sex please, we're married.

His name is Bill.
Her name is Betty.

He's a high school English teacher.
She's a homemaker by choice.

He pays the bills, mows the lawn and takes out the trash.
She cooks and cleans and does the laundry.

He volunteers at the soup kitchen every fortnight.
She teaches Sunday School every 3rd sunday of the month.

His teenage students feel he's too cute for the classroom.
She can still turn some heads whenever she goes for her evening jog.

When he's not tinkering with his bike, he likes to have a beer with the guys. When she's not baking , she loves to shop or catch a movie with her girl friends.

At dinner, they sit down to a healthy balanced meal which she prepares.He makes sure she knows how much he appreciates her good cooking and she listens attentively while he shares the highlights of his day. And when its time to do the dishes, she rinses while he dries.

He unwinds with Larry King Live while she reads a chapter of Sophie Kinsella. An unspoken ritual that has remained unchanged with the passing years.

As the evening draws to a close and its time to turn in, the couple retire to their beautiful 4 poster bed complete with matching drapes and lush satin covers. When the lights go out, they lie side by side in the darkness with only the sound of their even breathing to break the silence.

That's a page out of the life of a happily married couple.

Except for one tiny detail.

Neither Bill nor Betty have ever had to make their bed the next morning.

Okay I made them up. Bill and Betty are cardboard cutouts. They are not real. But their sham of a marriage reminds me of the cardboard Christianity we practice in our churches today. All of the responsibility and none of the intimacy.

[I extracted these lines from the most passionate book in the bible - Song of Songs (NIV)]

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

His left arm is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
My lover spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, and come with me.

My lover is mine and I am his;
Until the day breaks
and the shadows flee,

His mouth is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my lover, this my friend,
May the wine go straight to my lover,
flowing gently over lips and teeth
I belong to my lover,
and his desire is for me.

Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

Do you wonder why church today feels sterile, cold, contained and controlled? Could it be we're so busy being committed, communal, relational, relevant, kingdomic, missional, evangelistic, mentoring, authentic _________ (fill in the blank with the latest christian fad/buzzword that's overtaken your church) etc.

All of Martha and none of Mary.

Do you wonder why you feel hollow and empty inspite of all the good and right things you do? Do you feel disoriented, lost even though everyone looks to you for guidance and inspiration? Do you envy those who talk to God on a first name basis? Does it puzzle you that they know Him so intimately even though they don't belong to a cell group? Worse, do they remind you of who you used to be at one time?

Its not too late, you know.

He's still smitten by you.

A Love Story

Hidden within her frail and worn frame, throbbed the bloody pulp of a pulverized heart. Too many times to remember. But experience had only hardened her resolve to give it "one more try" and try she must, if she was to be whole again.

This stranger intrigued her with his story. He seemed sincere enough except for some audacious claim of being the only one for her. Ever the cynic, she compared him to past suitors who wooed her with tricks and trinkets. Until he showed her the holes in his hands and the scars on his back.

How could she be sure he wasn’t going to be another heart-ache on her list? Another hurt to handle? But what if he was THE ONE? Dare she risk losing salvation? Rest for her oh so weary heart! Healing for the wounds time had forgotten to mend? Her face fixed a smile while her heart weighed the possibilities. She forced the fears out of her head and willed herself to think of sunrise and butterflies.

Timidly, she listened to his assuring voice. Weakly, she let him draw her into his arms. "Has my search for true love ended? Or is this just another game to survive? Where winners take all and losers live to fight another day?" The fears returned but she caught the scream before it escaped her.

Gently he brushed the strand of hair from her face. Such tenderness! The gesture filled her with both pleasure and pain. Clumsily, she returned his caress, mustering all the trust of a little child to make it real. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. His breath tasted warm and sweet and she closed her eyes to savor the moment. Anticipation was ripe and hope did not disappoint. His lips met hers and he breathed his life into her. The moment was like no other.

For the longest time, she searched his face. His eyes were bottomless pools of mystery inviting her to dive into a abyss of endless secrets to be discovered. She had been afraid to acknowledge it before but now she felt the desire stir within her. A restlessness, an unsettling in her spirit. A holy discontent. She felt the last of her defenses crumble and faith march bravely to the fore..

She took the plunge. Determinedly, she shook her hair free from the cruel grip of domineering guilt and shame. His approving laughter rang out loud and clear. It was music to her soul! She kicked off her shoes of past regrets, skipping and spinning like a carefree child. She wanted to dance until she was lost in his love. The melody was irresistable, calling her to abandon the familiarity of the beaten path to share an unknown destiny with this stranger.

All fear was gone because perfect love had come.

Her conscience washed clean and her innocence reborn. The lightness in her heart testified to the change. Wait. There was something else. Imperceptible at first but slowly growing in clarity and strength until it was staring her full in the face. An intuition supernaturally birthed in her spirit.

“Who I used to be will never matter again. The future has changed because I am no longer the same. I have a new name. His."

A child loved by the Heavenly Father. A bride burning in passion for her King.

Created for His eternal pleasure.

Eager and ready for adventure, she turned to the Son of God and welcomed Him into her world.