Lanterns debuted on HBO Max back in August and recently finished the season. We find Green Lantern Hal Jordan training John Steward to join the corps before he gets his own ring.
The most creative use of the rings power for building constructs out of light was a bird. In Episode 2, entitled Trust Fall, John was to concentrate and build a construct. He built a bird that flew around and chirped. Then, Hal sent him on a drive across the country to pick up his Lantern for charging the ring. As a training exercise, John had to concentrate all day long to keep the bird “alive”. John drove, fought people, fed a carnivorous plant, all the while concentrating to keep this bird flying around him as he went about the business at hand.
Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for life after the crucifixion and resurrection. John 15 records a very significant discussion about how we can handle life on Earth while Jesus is with God the Father.
Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
John 15:4
But what does this look like? Well, it looks like concentrating on a bird all day long. As we go about our days we have a lot of responsibilities. We work a job, make food, clean houses, talk to people, ride bikes, and experience a mix of emotions from boredom to anger to joy. In all of this, what is your mind dwelling on? Do you keep Christ in mind for any of this? Some of these can be really brainless jobs. Some take quite a bit of focus.
The Greek word “mainette” has been translated as abiding, remaining or to tarry here. In Matthew 10:11 it is the word used when Jesus tells his disciples that when they come to a town, they should find one home in the town and reaming there for the entire stay. The word implies a set fast choice of holding on or keeping to one thing.
Isn’t that how the Green Lanterns do it? They concentrate and the ring builds whatever construct they need but they have to hold on to the concentration. In the animated movie Justice League: War, Hal and Batman have just met. As they argue about something Hal’s uniform disappears and he then realizes he had taken his ring off. How? He got Hal mad enough to stop concentrating on the ring. So how do we keep our concentration on Jesus in the midst of our daily lives? Life will do that to us and even the enemy will use good things, or things that make us angry, to get us away from concentrating on Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. Psalm 44:8 shares David’s boasting about God all day long. Both of these have a sense of concentrating. Just as John had to concentrate to keep the bird alive, so we need to refocus on God regularly through the day. This might happen by singing a hymn or worship song as you do something. It might mean saying phrases from scripture throughout the day. It most certainly will mean praying and putting your thoughts on things above. Time alone with God is important and we must make time for that. It doesn’t happen without choosing to make time for Him.
What does it not mean? Well, remaining in Christ does not mean you become a hermit who sits around doing nothing but praying and reading the Bible. It does not mean you fully give up hobbies or stop socializing or leave your job. Instead, you surrender those times with work, friends and hobbies to be open for God to work even as you play games, talk with people, get work done for your job, etc.
Concentrating on Christ in small ways throughout your day is a good step. Years ago, I asked a college roommate of mine what he found useful for prayer. He said he doesn’t necessarily have a set time. Instead, he simply keeps in mind that God hears and knows all of his thoughts. So, he tried to go through life focusing his thoughts on such a way as to be toward God or in respect to God. Maybe you pray in the morning, read your bible at lunch, and worship with music on your way home from work. Or some other fashion of regularly connecting with Christ.
Keep concentrating on Jesus as a Green Lantern concentrates to keep themselves flying and to keep a bird buddy around. For Jesus is much more important than bird buddies.