The Necessary Pain of Holy Tension #TheLonging12thDay

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When I pause to ponder that a new beginning has come in this season, I cannot help but see my own story reflected in the story of God’s people. Every season ushers in a fresh beginning—marked by joy, yet accompanied by the trembling of uncertainty. Like the mystery of metamorphosis, I realize that in every stage three realities are always woven together: what remains unchanging, what is in the midst of changing, and what emerges as truly new.

What is Unchanging. Through the Tabernacle, the Temple, and now the Ecclesia, the indwelling Presence of God remains constant. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). That same Shekinah that once filled the tent and later the house of Solomon now fills me through the Holy Spirit. His covenant Word does not fail. His calling for His people to be a royal priesthood stands firm. In my own journey, I cling to this truth: God’s essence—His life in me—never changes.

What is Changing. Yet I cannot deny that the vessels change. Israel moved from a tent in the wilderness, to a stone Temple, and then to a living body in Christ. In the same way, the forms of worship, the languages, the structures of church, and even the rhythms of my own spiritual life have shifted over time. I have had to let go of past forms—even good ones—that once carried His presence but no longer serve in this season. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isa. 43:19). This is the necessary pain of holy tension: to release what once was familiar in order to receive the new vessel He is preparing. Change is often painful, but it is holy. It reminds me not to worship the form, but the One who fills it.

What is New. And then comes the wonder of newness. In Christ, I am not just a bystander—I have become the very temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). I am part of a living, breathing family of God that transcends time and place. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:3). The newness is not only about new structures or expressions, but a new identity: I belong to Christ, I share His mission, and I live with the hope of the New Jerusalem, where God Himself will be our dwelling (Rev. 21:5). This newness excites me and calls me forward with courage.

So I live in this holy tension: holding fast to the unchanging Presence, surrendering to the changing forms, and embracing the newness of identity and mission in Christ. This necessary pain of holy tension is not a burden to escape, but a gift to embrace—for in it I discover both the constancy of His Presence and the courage to walk into His newness.

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