Symbiotic Fusion

"But then there's also that word Chesterton used: union. That's one of the most explosive words in my Christian vocabulary. The daring metaphor of Jesus as bridegroom suggests that the living God seeks more than an intimate relationship with us. The reckless, raging fury of Yahweh culminates, dare we say it, in a symbiotic fusion, a union so substantive that the apostle Paul would write: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.' (Gal. 2:20 NASB)"

My dear friend Joy convinced me that I absolutely must read The Furious Longing of God by Brennan Manning and while I am only 32 pages in, it has already been a worthwhile read if only for that passage. I absolutely love the way Manning expresses the concept of our relationship with our Creator.

The union that we have with Jesus Christ is more substantive and deep than any relationship we can possibly have on earth. When we enter into covenant with Him, He comes and lives INSIDE of us. No other relationship that we cultivate on this planet can even come close to that intensity.

The reality of another being actually dwelling inside of us is something I think it is difficult for us to wrap our minds around. But Paul said it so truly when he said that when we make Jesus Lord of our lives, we die to to ourselves--we no longer live--and Christ lives IN us. Therefore the lives that we live are actually an expression of the Hope that is in us. Paul, ever eloquent, says in Colossians 1:27: "To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

We mustn't forget, however, that as amazing as this is, with the dwelling of Christ in us comes responsibility, for we are now ambassadors for Him. We are Christians. We are Jesus to the world. Brennan Manning quotes the footnote to Gal. 2:20 from the Jerusalem Bible, "The living acts of a Christian become somehow the acts of Christ."

I was trying to think of a word to describe the impact of that phrase and all that it entails, but I am lacking the eloquence of Paul at this moment and the only word I can think of is "Wow".