LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

Most people in the world are familiar with fish.  We learn about fish and aquatic life in school and many of us eat fish as part of our diet.  Some people raise fish as a hobby.  Others actually fish, themselves, either on lakes, ponds or in rivers or in the ocean, as several of Jesus’ disciples did over two thousand years ago and even other communities two thousand years before that.  Probably all of us know that with the exception of three or four species of fish (out of 33,000 species of salt and freshwater fish altogether), a “fish out of water” will quickly die.  This is because even though fish breathe oxygen even as we do, they need special organs called gills to exchange the carbon dioxide gas in their bodies with oxygen.  We mammals have lungs to serve this purpose, but fish do not.  Their gills have membranes with delicate parts called filaments, rakers and arches to exchange these gases.  For gills to work properly, the fish must be submerged so that these separate parts do not clump or stick together, like they do when a fish is removed from its natural environment.  Out of its natural environment, a fish suffers and dies.

Let’s use the exotic “flying fish” as an example for a moment.  Flying fish do not actually fly, but rather leap out of the water and then sail across the surface.  They are very often seen by mariners who sail across the ocean between the continents or across the Indian Ocean. Consider the following account written by a passenger who sailed around the word with Ferdinand Magellan on his voyage of 1519-1522 where the writer includes an account of flying fish.

In that Ocean Sea one sees a very amusing fish hunt: the fish [that hunt] are of three sorts, and are one cubit and more in length, and are called dorado, albicore, and bonito, which follow the flying fish called colondrini, which are one span and more in length and very good to eat. When the above three kinds [of fish] find any of those flying fish, the latter immediately leap from the water and fly, as long as their wings are wet, more than a crossbow’s flight. While they are flying, the others run along behind them under the water following the shadow of the flying fish; the latter have no sooner fallen into the water than the others immediately seize and eat them: it is a truly beautiful thing to see.”

If there is a nearby boat passing by, flying fish often land on the deck where they eventually perish unless they can flip/flop their way back into the water.  At night, flying fish are attracted to light, and I’ve read journals of different mariners who find their deck covered with dead or dying flying fish each morning.  These unfortunate fish were most likely attracted to the light in the cabin, or running lights on the boat.

The deep, the abyssmal plain and the Hadan Zone

Under the oceans of the Earth, one finds the remnants of ships, even lost civilizations.  The whole sub-marine biosphere is only partly known and new discoveries are made almost every year.  This is a completely different world than we know from living on the land.  There are threats in the ocean deep to be found and to be sure, but also, opportunities and advantages as well.

Seventy-one percent of our planet is covered by water. Much of it is unexplored. Much of it is also inaccessible.

I want to use the oceans as a metaphor in this post, though inland lakes could easily serve as well.

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus

Tertullian, the famous Latin church father, author, teacher, attorney and martyr who lived circa 155 AD – 220 AD recalled that the common saying “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior” could, like an acrostic poem, spell the word “fish” if you took the first letter of each word and placed it side-by-side in sequence with the other first letters of the remaining words.  Thus, “Iēsoûs Khrīstós, Theoû Huiós, Sōtḗr” becomes Ἰησοῦς Χρῑστός Θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ,” and finally ἸΧΘΥΣ, which is the Greek word for fish.  The simple but popular fish design populated the walls of the catacombs in Rome and elsewhere where Christians would meet when they were persecuted in the first few centuries.  One person could identify themselves as a Christian to another stranger they would meet by casually tracing an outline of a fish in the dust with their toe or sandal.

In Chapter One of his book “On Baptism,” Tertullian writes: “But we, little fishes, after the example of our ΙΧΘΥΣ  Jesus Christ, are born in water, nor have we safety in any other way than by permanently abiding in water . . .”  Using baptism, he sketches out how the Christian’s early life in faith begins with baptism, and his or her life must continue in water in a metaphorical way.  This is likely one of the mysteries we have in Scripture.  Obviously, Tertullian is not advocating that we actually live in the water, but there is something about water, living water, something spiritual (John 7:38.) Living water typically designated water in a stream or river that moved along as opposed to stagnant water.

Life in the Spirit

Others who followed Tertullian saw water as representative of the Holy Spirit in which we, like fish, thrive. And we must remain in the Spirit, lest we perish by removing ourselves from our spiritual environment.  Without getting too deep in researching this meaning, I think it is safe to say that a Christian who is living a vibrant, joyful, Spirit-filled life is one who is totally immersed in his or her spiritual environment. He or she is likely allowing God to spread the Gospel through them and are helping improve the human condition.  Those of us who call ourselves Christians who are trapped in some vice, consumed by feelings of hopelessness, without a witness and no interest in helping others have probably been removed from our spiritual habitat and are suffocating as a consequence. However, there is an important caveat to remember: sometimes whether because of particular events around us or a hormonal or chemical imbalance in our bodies, we don’t have the normal ego resources to function as we’re designed to. In cases like this, consulting your physician might be an invaluable first step in turning a defeated life around.

The devil’s strategy in this scenario would be to somehow get fish out of water. It might be through some reckless or impulsive behavior such as the flying fish display, or perhaps by coaxing a fish into a trap, whether a lobster cage or a worm on a hook.

Examples of reckless or impulsive behavior might be purchasing something you absolutely can’t afford, which sentences you to many months or years of stress. Stress is one way to quench the Spirit of God. Or, an unintended liaison with a co-worker while on a business trip many miles from home. It might be an evening of indulgence with friends–and alcohol–after which you are involved in an accident driving home.

Seductive behavior such as the worm-on-a-hook scheme might be when a Christian is side-tracked by other things that take priority in his or her life. This can be anything from fantasy football, to the pursuit of wealth, to body building or extreme sports, to becoming involved in partisan politics. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

I’m not condemning office pools, wisely managing your investments, going to the gym several times a week, playing golf or pickle ball or hanging a yard sign urging people to vote for your favorite candidate in an election. What I saying to monitor and modulate your behavior. If you are becoming increasingly obsessed or under the influence of something, then it might soon evolve into your master. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to ” . . .seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s tricky, but if your priorities are correct and your head and your heart are right, it can be done. Your faith will increase and your handicap in golf may fall lower and lower.