It might happen during spring cleaning, or when you move to a new house, or like now, when
summer clothes get put away to make room for heavier, winter wear. You ‘discover’
possessions you had previously known. Sometimes they are like happy accidents, items feeling
brand new all over again, but at others, they are like the proverbial albatross – no longer used
or usable – more like unneeded and unwanted baggage now pushing for a decision as to how to
deal with them. It regularly amazes me how easily I ‘un-know’ objects which are out of sight for
a time, and in the case of packing up to move to a new home (shudder) how very long is my list
of accumulated, and forgotten, ephemera – and here I am espousing the idea that less is more!
On a positive note, this exposing of the truth about my materialistic habits encourages an
honest appraisal and the creating of a plan of action: reuse, recycle, repurpose, for example.
Beyond the physical realm, our spiritual state may need the equivalent of a spring cleaning,
preparing for a new season, or sometimes, even a rethink, to respond to a new calling. There
are, most likely, moments of incredible clarity for all of us when we hear the voice of the Holy
Spirit and quickly get in sync, yet other times when his directions (and his voice) seem stowed
away in the attic, or the hall closet, or the garage, amidst the muchness of life’s busyness and
activities. It’s those latter times when we most need to be re-awakened to truth, to be guided
into fuller understanding, to be reminded of things previously known, to be lovingly provoked
to higher obediences. It’s almost like Jesus knew our souls would need lots and lots of
shepherding when he told his disciples that, when the Comforter came, he would be guiding
them into all truth. The Greek word John uses for ‘guide’ in Jn. 16:13, indicates being led into
fuller dimensions of truth, not new truth, but truth that had already been ‘known’ at an
introductory level, truth which needed to be expanded, enriched, enjoyed even, at a life-giving,
life-transforming, new-every-morning, level. We tend to call those ‘red letter’ times, revivals, or
fresh waves of the Spirit, as if the Holy Spirit has been hibernating and has just now decided to
stir again. The truth is, our sizzle fizzles and soon enough we migrate to lesser demanding
things, things requiring less of a posture of listening and receiving and acting. Perhaps when our
life situations get ‘thin,’ or lackluster, we then experience a fresh hunger to ‘re-know,’ to relive,
to rejoice in, the truth that once caused us to thrill at the thought of being builders of Jesus’
Kingdom. Perhaps right now there is a hint of stirring in the air, tugging at our heart strings,
quietly (for now!) beckoning us to dust off our knowing. Perhaps. PD
What do you know?
