on wizardry

I might just become a wizard.

If you don’t know what this means I might be speaking to the wrong crowd (and yes I appreciate it’s a pretty raunchy term, but you get my meaning). But it has puzzled me for a while because I’d always thought I was enough of a romantic that this wouldn’t happen. I’m gushy and emotional enough, I’m sensitive enough, I’m not afraid of commitment… what gives?

My friends often tell me I’m too picky, or those who know me well, I’m not bold enough. I usually brush that off as them being too nosy. I’ll find the one eventually. But then again… I am staring down my 29th consecutive year of singleness. And the truth is, they may have more of a point than I’d be comfortable with.

Think of it this way: why are the Gospels my favourite part of the Bible? Why is telling people about all the amazing things Jesus said and did, telling them stories about Jesus, my favoured way of evangelism? Why does reading what he said and did touch me like nothing else?

In contrast, why am I much more lukewarm about Acts? Why do I often baulk at reading the Epistles? Why do I not really like reading and telling about the difficult things, messy things?

Same reason why I might become a wizard.

It’s easy to fall in love with someone beautiful. I can fall in love at the drop of a hat. And reading about Jesus’ beauty is amazing.

But actually, honestly committing myself? Taking the first bold step out? Letting the Spirit lead you to actually do something with your faith, instead of pining away for beauty? Letting the fiery tongue embolden you to speak, sending you out of your comfort zone, taking the next step, doing things, necessary but uncomfortable things, because you have fallen in love? Much harder.

Amazing as Jesus is, the Christian life can’t stop at just admiring that beauty. No more than Jesus allowed the apostles to stand there gawking at the sky after those 40 days. The Holy Spirit made them do things because they were willing to do things. The fact that that’s a necessary next step after having fallen in love with Jesus, is something I’m only grasping now. Or as a dear Scottish friend of mine once sighed, ‘The Church is great at getting you to become a Christian. It’s not so great at showing you what happens next.’

The prospect of being a physical wizard is not fantastic, but let’s never become spiritual wizards.