But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him… While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:55-60) Stephen seems to be in an entirely different world than his attackers.  He is full of the Spirit, eyes wide open seeing a vision of God.  He is praying, forgiving.  This is in stark contrast with his attackers who had made themselves deaf: ears covered, rushing, yelling, dragging, stoning. At the crux of this clash between kingdoms, the contrast between the way of Christ and the way of the world is fully revealed. The way of this world is revealed to be a way of sin and death. A way that shuts up our ears and our eyes so that we cannot see or hear God. A way of rush and noise and hot anger. A way of control that forces, drags away, and makes captives. A way that ultimately kills. But the way of Christ is a different way—His is a way of life. He opens our eyes and ears and invites us to keep them open. He restores, heals, and sets captives free. He is the one who says come away with me and get rest for your souls. The one who says: "be still and know that I am God." He is the one who promises life in abundance and to whom we entrust ourselves for life everlasting. Stephen had the eyes to see Jesus in the throne room of heaven, even as he faced the moment of his death. He had peace, humility, and love as he sought not vengeance—but forgiveness from God for his enemies. The picture Luke paints of Stephen is that of a person molded by the Spirit into the likeness of Christ through the humble, life-giving ways of Christ. That is: Stephen looked and sounded a lot like the Jesus who humbly submitted to death, giving up His spirit to the Father while praying: "forgive them" over his enemies.   There is a rushing, weary, worry that sits like a cloud of fog over so many of us.  So many have aged, gotten sick, or died these past few years.  So many relationships have been strained or have simply been marked by a falling out of touch.  So many have left us, our church, or other communities where we knew them to belong.  The fear and threat of division and diminishment hang heavy in the air.  There's a great shifting and shuffling under foot, even while life has resumed its reckless pace of busyness.   In these clouded times where we bump the limits of what we can do, or feel, or worry about: the way, the voice, and the vision of Jesus reminds us that it's not time to cover our ears and start yelling. It's time instead to hear His call to open our eyes and to look and see Him still there on the throne. To open our ears and hear Him call out: come away with me and find rest and freedom for your heart and soul.  Only then, refreshed by Jesus' life in us can we begin to join Him in facing the death, fear, sadness, divisions, and hunger in our world with eyes and ears wide open once again.  

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