O Telos¹

As you know, my lay occupation entails a lot of strange work hours; in fact, sometimes I see the dawn and dusk of the very same day. For example, Monday of this week, I was standing outside of an oilfield equipment supplier named Aker Kvaerner in that strange and wonderful time called "predawn." The moon was setting in the West, a pale, silvery phantom of the passing night. Very soon afterwards, the whole sky seemed to be pregnant with potential, almost vibrating with energy, waiting on "rosy-fingered dawn", as Homer calls it in The Iliad. The pre-dawn thick darkness began, ever so slightly and gingerly, to dissipate. There was a sense of anticipation for the light to come. It is indeed, a strange and wonderful time of day.

As this scene unfolded, several thoughts struck my mind, almost at once. First was the overwhelming sense of profundity, yet simplicity of the created order. Here was this magnificent cosmic dance of the planets taking place before my very eyes, in profound order and stately movement, yet with a simplicity and dignity that comes from divine fiat. The planets do not dispute their role in the cosmic order; they do not discuss their place or equivocate in any way: they just "do."

As I watched this scene, the words of Gen. 1:16 sprang to my mind: "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night." Later, in verse 18, we are told, "And God saw that it was very good."

At this point, I just bowed my head and worshipped, giving God the Glory and thanking Him for everything. He is worthy of our praises and thanksgiving for all things, but especially for the miraculous scene just described.

It was precisely at that moment that one word flashed into my mind. Courtesy of Dr. Curtis Crenshaw and my maddening, yet rewarding Greek class, that word is "O Telos", which means goal or end in English.

If one thinks about the world teleologically, it means that if one believes that everything in this world has a goal or end. It also means that the Creation has some purpose to it. Looking at the world with the word "telos" in mind means that everything has some design, in fact, a great deal of design, to it. This is obvious to all, except those who suppress the truth in their heart, as St. Paul tells us in Romans I. It also strongly implies that a vast Intelligence conceived, planned, created and manages the universe even up to now. This intelligence, if one accepts the teleological outlook, even conceived of Creation as a whole, in toto, with the end in mind. Some of you may remember an excellent self-help book from the early '90's written by Steven Covey, the noted time-management, and later Franklin planner owner and distributor. It is called The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. One of the habits listed is "Begin with the end in mind." One could, looking at the world telologically, could certainly affirm that our Lord, certainly the most effective super-person possible, used this methodology.

"Telos" thinking also rejects the idea of a chaotic universe. You may recall the theo-babble in one of the highest grossing films of the early '90's, "Jurassic Park." Early in the movie, the intellectual character played by Jeff Goldblum says something about the study of "chaos theory." Later in the movie, when one of the dinosaur eggs mysteriously hatches, he says, "Life has found a way." This is fascinating and entertaining, but completely opposite to any kind teleological thinking. Why? Precisely because there is order to the universe and it does follow an orderly pattern. The universe is not chaotic or disorderly, except in one regard: the unruly, rebellious heart of Man. Disorder and chaos did not enter the created order except through the Fall of mankind in the Eden. We know that God's Creation is perfect, except for man's sinfulness.

All this discussion brings us to Good Friday. This day is central to our redemption and salvation. It is the "Telos" of Holy Week. After all, one cannot have Easter Sunday without Good Friday, because it is precisely because of what happened on this day some two thousand years ago, that made Resurrection Day possible. On this day, Christ paid for our sins. On this day, Christ made full, perfect, and sufficient atonement for our offenses. On this day, he suffered for us, satisfying the eternal Justice of God, paying the price not just for what we do, but also for what we are. Now, thanks be to Christ, we are no longer "strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Eph. 2:19) When we sin, we can come to the Father through Jesus Christ in repentance, with full purpose of amendment of life and receive not only forgiveness of sins, but restoration of place as well.

How different with men! When someone wrongs us, we can and should forgive him or her, especially if they seek our forgiveness. We know this and I hope that we do it. Yet, many times, we see that person in a different light that before, maybe with even a jaundiced eye. They aren't quite the same to us. Not so with God. The Father doesn't see our sins because they are covered by the blood of Christ. Instead of repudiation and repulsion, we receive redemption and reception. In fact, the Book of Hebrews tells us that we are to come "boldly" unto the Throne of Grace, to find help in time of need.

Imagine that! Imagine coming into the presence of the Most High God, not with the dreadful fear justified by the knowledge of our complete and utter sinfulness before a Holy and Just God, but with humble, grateful boldness justified by the Blood of Jesus Christ. This is why God hears our prayers, our praises and our petitions.

Thus, it may be safely argued that Good Friday is indeed the "Telos" of Holy Week. Because of Good Friday, man has regained his eternality. He has, through Jesus Christ, regained his life that he had with God in Eden. When Christ rose from the dead on Easter Sunday, He was affirming what man was supposed to have had all along: life, true life without end. This is what Man had at Eden with God; this is also what he forfeited through the Fall.

This is not to downplay, in any way, the stupendous events of Easter morning. On Easter, Christ has broken the bonds of death and Hell. He has cast aside the shackles of mortality for the freedom of immortality. This is an undisputed fact and it is the hope to which we Christians cling. Without it, we are, in the words of St. Paul to the Christians at Corinth, the most miserable of men.

Yet, to focus solely on the victory of Easter without surveying the battle and bloodshed of Good Friday does Christ the most severe injustice. We cannot gloss over "all that unpleasantness" of Friday and look just for Sunday without a gross sense of ingratitude. If we do this, focusing just on the "happy-clappy" side of Holy Week, we are profoundly ungrateful to Him who suffered great physical torture for us: scourged, pierced with thorns, nailed to a rough wooden cross on which he hung, fighting for each agonizing breath. He hung there, hour after hour, his legs and arms knotting in constant, agonizing muscle cramps as he pushed himself up on his pierced feet for each hot, painful breath. Thirsty, racked with indescribable pain from his wounds and his shredded back pressed against the rough wood, he was exposed to the sullen taunts of the rude crowd as he hung under the leaden clouds of God's displeasure. "He saved others, Himself he cannot save", came the rebuke from the sneering Pharisees.

Then came the final torment, as his own beloved Father withdrew His constant gaze from His only-begotten Son, unable to look upon the One who had heard, with Him, the first song of the newly created morning stars. Jesus, once the object of His Father's eternal affection, for a while, became a hideous, sin-filled sacrifice, a scape goat filled with the sins, lusts, hatreds and injustices of the entire world. Desolate, momentarily forsaken, bereft of even His Father's fellowship, Jesus became sin for us.

Thus, I ask you, how can we, not even for an hour, look upon His suffering and not say, "When I survey the wondrous Cross, on which the young Price of Glory died, I count but loss all my gain and pour contempt on all my pride"? To focus only the pleasure of Easter without the pain of Good Friday is wrong.

We have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. One did, however; Jesus Christ the Righteous and He is the propitiation for our sins. We have been bought with a price. Payment was made for us, one that we could never possible pay. It was the greatest, most expensive ransom every remitted. In our absolute spiritual poverty, we can only offer our worship and gratitude for this debt

As the service for Family Evening Prayer says, "Let the light of thy Gospel shine upon all nations; and may as many as have received it, live as becomes it. ". Remember, we are of the company of the Redeemed. Christ has saved us.

Therefore, let us strive to live as is becoming to the flock of Christ, this Eastertide and forevermore.

Telos is Greek for "purpose," "end," or "goal." It can refer to several things:
- The philosophical concept of purpose; it is related to teleology (philosophy)
- A Greek island in the Dodecanese (Ancient Greek: Telos)
- A journal of politics, philosophy, and critical theory (journal)
- A planet in the Star Wars universe(Star Wars)
- A planet in the television series Doctor Who
- An antagonist in the video game series Xenosaga
- A publishing company that deals primarily in horror/fantasy
- A logic-based knowledge representation language (computer science)
- A defunct fanzine.