A Stage Model for a Deepening Christlikeness: Part 2 - Distracted -> Fully Present

"They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger."

— John 8:6

The Second Slice

I got some good feedback from the description of the first slice of our framework and welcome ongoing discussion. If you didn't see that one, you can find it here: Stage Model Intro.

As a reminder, I introduced the model this way... Picture a pie chart made up of four concentric circles with six slices. The core circle is Jesus. We start with the outer circle and move towards Christ with each circle representing a step towards Jesus. As we move inward, we transcend and include the previous circle. Models are limited. The process isn't linear nor consistent nor even. We find that biblical words like those used in the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace...) are wonderful but are so common they are easily glossed over. Thus, we are purposely using words that hopefully evoke emotion and thought because of their freshness.

Now, let's dive into the second slice.

DISTRACTED

This slice is a bit more nuanced than other slices in that this outer circle title, at first glance, seems to be too narrow. You may be thinking you know people who are in the outer circle who seem quite focused on whatever they are doing.

We use distracted in two ways here. Some people are literally distracted at this stage. Their lives are chaotic and all over the place. They are attached to their phones and the latest fads and whatever shiny object catches their attention. They never seem to be where they are. This is all too common in today's world. A good mythical example could be Luke in the original Star Wars movie. He is always looking to the horizon, unable to be present where he is. For a closer example, go to any restaurant or coffee shop and see people sitting at their tables on their phones.

At the same time, we can think of young men who spend all their time playing video games, or a stereotypical Wall Street suit who is hyper-focused on making money, or any number of other examples of people who are far from Christ but could be described as focused, yet would fall into the outer circle. In these cases, they are distracted from the important things of life. Their focus is caught up in empty, soul-sucking endeavors that diminish their humanity.

In this way they are distracted from becoming fully human.

FOCUSED

We were each in the outer circle at some point in life. Then, we experienced an awakening; our eyes were opened, and Jesus became real to us. Perhaps we used language like "being on fire" or becoming serious about our faith, or we grew in devotion or went all in. However we described it, we became quite focused on Jesus and living our lives for him. We got involved and started serving every opportunity that came our way. We were passionate.

When we are here, we may choose a cause like abortion or missions or poverty or homelessness or teaching the Bible. We may decide to go to seminary and enter the ministry. For me, this was when I received my call to the mission field, re-dedicated my life to Christ, and started taking classes and learning all I could.

In this stage, we have seen the light and want everyone to see it. We are focused.

Note: As we developed this slice, I thought, "Oh great, now we have to change the name of Focustsoul!" But as I considered it more, I decided to stick with it.

FULLY PRESENT

As we continue the journey with Jesus, and he works in us through many means, many of us come to a place of exhaustion or deep honesty or disillusionment. Some call it The Wall. When we run into the wall, we need to go through it. We don't know how, so we often turn around and run back to what we know. Thus, we re-focus and try harder.

We will keep coming back to the wall because God is kind and gracious (although in this season, it usually feels like the opposite). Eventually, if things go right, we give up and allow God to move us through the wall. This involves much more than I'm describing here but the wall is not the point of this series. For a fuller explanation, I recommend The Critical Journey by Hagberg and Guelich.

Thus, getting through the wall looks like moving towards more and more becoming the kind of people who are fully present. We are where we are.

Of course, we see this repeatedly with Jesus. He was always fully present with God and with those he was with. Think of the story when the woman caught in adultery is brought to him (John 8). He is fully in the moment. He is present to the religious leaders and to the woman.

Picture a time when you are with a group of people. Maybe you are sitting around a fire or a dinner table. Nobody has their phones out. The conversation flows back and forth and up and down. You feel deeply connected to each person. Your mind isn't distracted with other things. You are just there in that space with those people and with God. Jesus invites us into this in his call to abide in him; this is a call to being present.

For a negative example, I can share from my experience this week. I was at my church after hours preparing for a class. Nobody who worked at the church was in the building. A couple of college-age young women walked in and found me and asked if I worked at the church. I said no and asked what they needed. They asked if the church had a confessional. I realized they were looking for a Catholic church. My mind was on my class, and I explained it was not a Catholic church, and we didn't have priests and confessionals. They said they would look for a different church. As they left, I realized I could have handled it differently; Jesus would have. I was not fully present. I did not engage with them but stayed distant. As I reflected on that event after they left, I had a good conversation with God. Like Joshua when the Gibeonites arrived (Joshua 9), I did not pause and ask God what to do. I was focused on my class (maybe like the religious leader in the Good Samaritan story! Ouch. Luke 10) and missed an opportunity.

Often these days, I am fully present. Sometimes I'm not. As mentioned above, this isn't a linear journey, and it isn't about arriving. The call is to be where we are, let Jesus meet us there, and walk with him towards becoming fully human, like him.

CONCLUDING QUESTIONS

·       What do you think of this slice?

·       Where do you find yourself?

·       How does it resonate with your journey?

Feel free to give some feedback.

And with that we conclude the description of the second slice of the pie. In the coming weeks, we will fill in each space.

Here's what we have so far:

The present moment is life itself."

— Eckhart Tolle