I like spiritual stunts. Stunts are little cooler than miracles, they say or symbolize more. Miracles are like similes, stunts like metaphors. When i was a kid i liked stuntmen–Buster Keaton was a favorite who did all his own stunts. Here are a few of my favorites in the bible:

Favorite biblical stunts: Daniel telling the King what he dreamed and interpreting it to him. Not just dream interpretation, but telling someone what they dreamed! That’s a cool stunt and gift. Daniel and his friends were also given the gift to understand all world literature, and Daniel himself to understand riddles (a handy tool!). Cool stuntmen! Enoch walking off the earth with God, without dying. And of course Elijah’s exit was very dramatic as well! And symbolic of the prophetic. Jesus on the mount surrounded by The Law and The Prophet, Moses and Elijah! That must have been a cool sign to see! Philip the evangelist suddenly “appearing” in Africa—another of my favorite biblical stunts.

But I suppose the Resurrection is the greatest stunt on record, metaphysically changing everything, and ushering in the beginning of a new type of creation. What He was up to beforehand, during and after death reveal everything, and may win the greatest stuntman’s award in scripture! Making breakfast for his friends in resurrected form afterwards was cool also of course! This unparalleled death defying stunt wins Him the greatest spiritual stuntman ever award!

I love stunts, would love to do a stunt person’s guide to the bible.

I like stunts, and these were some of the stunt people in the bible. They’ve always been little key holes and heroes, into another world for me. When I was a kid, Buster Keaton (who did all his own stunts) was a hero, later the fellow who walked between the world trade centers (portending 9/11 years before; symbolic stunts are the best; and the symbol always precedes the fuller incarnation later–ie the Levites crossed the Jordan before the general body! Artists still cross first; for the stuntman is a sign of what’s possible!

But these scriptural ones, sort of blew me away. I would love to do a stuntperson’s translation of the bible, emphasizing the Nathan’s (David’s prophet), Nathanael’s (Jesus’ student, the first to call Him, Son of God!) etc…Jesus told Nathanael the type of tree he was sitting under before they met. The fig tree was symbolic, of course, as well. Jesus never wasted symbolic details–walking on water was cool, but teaching someone else to, was cooler.

Moments like these are shockers and openings through which to peak into the grand narrative! Miracles are cool, but stunts are more involved symbolically. Stunts teach us that of course, God can do miracles, but He can also do them in a way or manner which interprets and transforms everything and everyone involved, and proves the whole story. He doesn’t waste His stunt people, nor His Stunts.

The bible isn’t boring actually, it’s filled with spiritual feats-true magic-useful metaphysical acrobatics, and great spiritual stunts which lead us into the Life and world of God! Or at least, toward it!

Maybe that’s the purpose of stunts. Anyone can leave their body, as one friend in San Fran used to tell me, but what are you going to do after you are out of body. Mystical experience itself doesn’t determine spiritual growth. What does is if they are done to usher in Love.

That determines whether you do a spiritual stunt or not. Jesus always did His mystical stunts to reveal Love. Water to wine-to teach about history and transformation, and to prophecy what he would do with humanity (among other things); walking on water, to increase his friend’s faith etc. All His stunts were motivated by serving, inspiring, calling forth, and blessing others. That’s the motivation for true stunt people!

Jesus of course being the greatest of spiritual stuntmen ever. Entering what He had created, as part of His Own creation! Entering His own dream, and re-writing it with the blood-ink of His Own Love. Ok, that’s the best tight rope between worlds ever. And why? To reveal God’s Love. That stunt changed everything forever.

When young, i watched that french fellow walk between the world trade centers, and was stunned. Later I watched those buildings fall, and was shocked. I recalled that symbolic stunt, one young man dreamed up. Then thought of how long it took God to dream up incarnating into His own creation, and how well executed it was. That changed my view on the value of pulling off a great symbolic spiritual stunt.

Most of mentors were stuntmen of one kind or another! Walking the metaphysical wire between worlds, halfway in heaven, halfway on earth, and singing that liminal song of in between. They were all artist teachers, but also liked to do their own stunts, or like Chuck Berry, drive to their own shows. Stuntmen are cool, especially if they are kingdom stunt people. Then there is a higher and longer ranged impact–art which blooms forever!

My testimony is replete with stunts! Some of my own spiritual stunts: talking a man off a bridge in french tongues, just being at 911, having been told to go from England to America to bear witness to it; getting to have divine appointments with many celebrities through the years, often getting to speak words of life into them at key moments of their spiritual journeys; and many more. I’ve enjoyed participating God’s stunt life! He’s always got new ones up His enormous sleeve as well!