I really enjoy watching the progress of the “Oak Island treasure hunters” as they continue to invest off Nova Scotia.
A particular source of amusement to me is when a theorist suggests the buried treasures may include the Art of the Covenant of the Holy Grail….a sense of holy expectation grips the team.
Yet like U2, they still have not found what they are looking for.
For me, the question of what is our Holy Grail? What is the thing we are looking for? Is it so fundamental to life? We do well to consider these answers.
Using different language might be to ask the question, what is our definition of success?
Is it accumulating assets….or exerting influence…or professional achievement…or living a long life surrounded by friends and family?
All of the above are good things, but none are the Holy Grail I see advertised for us in scripture.
Our most basic resources are our time and space: in time, we have the present; in space, we have the geography of our bodies.
The Holy Grail that I see in scripture is this: that in each minute of our time, the space of our bodies is full of the Presence of God.
The prophet Ezekiel saw this reality of living from a distance when he said, “? ???? ???? ??? ? ??? ????? ??? ??? ? ??? ?????? ?? ???; ? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ? ????? ?? ?????. ??? ? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ????.” (???? 36 ? 26 – 27)
Around the same time, the prophet Jeremiah saw the same thing, “??? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ????, ???? ? ???? ???? ? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????. ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???????? ? ???? ???? ????? ????????? ???? ? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?????, ??????? ???? ????? ?? ????????, ?????? ? ??? ? ??????? ?? ????,” ???????? ??? ????. “???? ?? ??? ???????? ? ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ????,” ???????? ??? ????. “? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??????.” (??? 31 ? 31 – 33)
Just as the Arc of the Covenant was a box containing writing agreeing with God’s nature (the law)….in the promise, the hearts and minds of men can be transformed to agree with God’s nature too.
And just as the box itself (the Arc of the Covenant) was synonymous with the Presence of God…so the bodies of His people can be too.
When the apostle Paul said, “? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???????, ??? ???? ???? ?????????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ????, ??????? ?? ???? ?? ?? ?????” (???? 1 ? 20), I believe he was defining his Holy Grail for us.
As he paraphrased elsewhere, “?????? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????”. (??? 1 ? 27)
Paul expanded on this saying, “? ???? ?? ???? ??????…??? ?????? ? ????????????? ?? ?? ???….??? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ??????. (???? 3 ? 8 – 10)
I do not think he was talking only about being right in God’s sight by faith….but of a lifestyle of right choices produced by responding to the indwelling Presence of God with faith.
As he says in another place, Jesus’ sacrifice was, “?? ????? ???? ??? ????????? ???????????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????????? ?? ??? ??????”. (??? 8 ? 4)
I believe this was the goal of which he said, “??? ???? ? ???? ??????? ???????? ??? ????, ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ?? ?? ????, ??? ? ????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ??.” (???? 3 ? 12)
And his prayer for others was the same, that God “??? ?????????? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ????? ?????, ?? ???? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ??????? ?????. ??? (? ????) ???? ???, ????? ?????? ??? ??????????? ?? ????, ??? ???? ?????, ???????? ???? ??? ??? ????’? ???? ??????, ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??????, ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????????? ?????????—???? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ???” (??? 3 ? 16 – 19).
It is a humbling thought, that the most treasured possession known to man does not require millions of dollars to locate nor does it need to be dug up.
The value of the Arc of the Covenant was not in the box itself….but in what it contained.
And that same treasure is freely available to be inside each one of us. And when it is, in each minute of our present, our bodies can be vessels of the Presence of the God of Heaven.
I can think of no better prayer: Lord, may your presence fill my present.