Devotion 2.20.19

We’ve started a series based on a book called, “King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine”.  If you have any questions, thoughts, and comments, email me and I’d love to incorporate them.

Everyone loves learning secrets right…

Feeling like you’re on the inside of some type of knowledge is a powerful feeling.  And knowing can be used for good or bad.  The third archetype of masculinity that is discussed in the book we’re exploring is that of “Magician”.

Now when you hear this it sounds like something hokey from the past, but the author makes the point that whatever title you want to give it, there have always been people within our societies that have been the keepers and passers on of special knowledge.  As time moved forward, this became more specialized, with people who passed on knowledge in areas of science, technology, business, psychology, and yes religion, but regardless, there are things that can’t be learned simply from looking at the world, and they must be passed on by the “magicians”.

In faith, we speak about “general” and “special” revelation.  There are some things that people can look at and know about the world if they’re relatively honest, which is the general revelation.  People mess up and “sin”.  There are some things that are right (helping others) and some that are bad (e.g. stealing or murdering).  Even the existence of God or something bigger than man is obvious to most. 

But then there is also special revelation.  Everything in the Bible is largely God’s special revelation, the story of God creating and then reacting to the sin of his people by saving us through the sending of his son.  And while general revelation is good and helpful, it doesn’t finally bring us into relationship with God.  For that, we need the special knowledge.  But God doesn’t want it to be a secret.  He needs us to pass it on.  And for that, we must all take on the role of the “magician”, because we’ve had it passed on to us.  Think today of some specific times when someone passed on a truth about God to you. . . . Think about some opportunities for you to pass something on to the next generation as well.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! (Rom 10:14-15)

Blessings!

Dan Borkenhagen

Associate Pastor

Hope Lutheran Church & School