A Little Less Gravity would be Nice

I’ve never dunked a basketball. I’m not sure I ever jumped and touched the rim of the basket. Maybe once. At this point, I’ve as good a chance to dunk as I do of landing on Mars. I suspect many of us are gravitationally challenged.

I also thought that there should be a restaurant downtown across from Gravity called Levity - you know, a cheap place, where you can go in and not take yourself too seriously. A little more balance would be nice.

I’m not sure about the etymology, but “gravity” seems related to “grave”, which reminds me of a tomb. A little less gravity would be nice. A little less earth-bound-ness. A little less discouragement and depression. A lot less filthiness. But you don’t take these things away and replace them with nothing. They need to be replaced with their opposites.

So an opposite of earthiness would be heavenliness. “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2 NAS95) I couldn’t have said it better myself.

An opposite of discouragement and depression is hope. It involves a vision of a better and brighter future, unbound from the constraints of this world. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” (1 John 3:2 NAS95). Do you get the idea? Looking up. Looking forward. A little less gravity would be nice.

And an opposite of filthiness is purity. As we will see tomorrow with the 6th Beatitude, this is not just a call to Biblical morality (though it involves that, and we desperately need that). The call to purity is not a “try-harder” endeavor. It involves a different vision which we cannot have when captivated and consumed with things foolish, things corrupt and corrupting, things that rust and decay. Purity and joy (a better word than levity) are found when we live with Christ in view, at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us, preparing for us, protecting and providing for us.

I’m not sure which side of the street you prefer, but the promise of heaven vs. this worn-out world seems to be no-contest.