The Eccentric Puritan

The Eccentric Puritan

Struggling with culture, society, conservativism and extremism
Can a Puritan be eccentric?
Can a monk enjoy the theatre?
Is the ‘right’ more pagan than Christian?
Is it wrong to ask questions?
Can a philosopher be emotional?
Can a preacher be an artist?
Can a Calvinist believe in free-will?
Can I be I?
Will you allow me to be in the imago dei?
Or will you pull me, tugging on my garments from below?
Will you try to persuade me into the abyss?
I flee from such and I pray for such
Out of old motherly protection they sin,
‘Do not go’ they say, ‘consider this, this and that’
What great friends Job had
And what great faith Abram had;
Beyond reason, rational, and relationships,
Would Abraham be a martyr today?
Or just pushed aside by most as crazy, fanatical?
There have always been some
Some who have believed in the eccentric Puritan
They marvel at his rapturous passion and vigor
They encourage his odd thoughts and writings
What would I be without these?
And indeed what peace there is
To hear of previous eccentric Puritans
Men who denied and defied categorical definitions
For St. Francis it was running in fields after butterflies
For Aquinas it was reconciling Aristotle to Christ
For Barth it was in a word…Christ!
What will it be for me?
And what will it be for you?
I need to be a true man
Not what the crowds, the public, views as a man,
What service would I do if I compromise to them?
Did they not claim Christ’s blood on themselves?
And days after welcoming Him with cheers,
Did they not kill Socrates?
And for being what they dare not be,
So I am to be the man I’m to be
Following His voice where He leads
Trusting in His love and word
Daily dying to the corruptible Adam,
And living by the power and in the communion of the Trinity,
Have we mistaken what it is to compromise?
Not on our terms but on His?
Are not His goals, agendas, priorities much different?
I’m inclined to think so,
What would a community look like if this were not the case?
In reality I know this road is narrow,
And filled with the ostracized voices of my hero’s,
Bonhoeffer’s passion runs in my blood
Augustine’s contemplations swirl in my head
Luther’s rapture pounds in my heart,
I hope I do not care to be remembered by many
For in remembering them I remember Christ
If I am to be remembered may it be this way;
I am so intrigued by the nameless saints of Hebrews 11
Perhaps their legacy is far more reaching than I know,
I am tired of our over simplified views of life and God
I am tired of our cocoons built around our ethics
He came to give us life and life abundantly
Shall we bury what the Lord has given us?
I dream not
‘Is not the other risky?’
Do you hear the masses’ voice in this question?
‘Is not the other risky?’
And what voice is behind theirs?
Yes, that is correct
And He is not even worth naming,
So here lies my struggle
They want me to be a pond
And I want to be a river
A pond is attractive but does little
The river however is a life-giver
It rips and roars feeding the surrounding lands
It can lead you to the depths of the ocean
If you allow it,
I shall be the member I am to be
What would Christianity be if
Paul listened to men rather than God?
Nay, such is not even possible
‘Woe is me if I do not preach’ says the Apostle,
I am an eccentric Puritan
And I desire to be the man I’m designed to be
I am a follower of Christ
And if that looks odd, or unfitting to you
I am not sorry
For the sake of the body
We ought to hope this from each other
I do not want you to fit in
To be like me or even my image of you
No, that is not what I need
I need completely separate members
Ones that know their design and complement all others
Together we are the body of Christ
God on earth, salt and light
We are His bride
I am I, by Him and for Him, and for you
Come with me to adore Him
I will need you and you will need me
No false pretenses, no façades
Genuine beings walking in truth and reality
Reconciled to God and to the image they were made in
We walk together on this mission
We are the body
And I am my part.