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"It's always seemed strange to me. The things we admire in men, kindness, generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second." - John Steinbeck through the character Doc in Cannery Row Does the Christian life look different from any other life? Is life in Christ visibly distinct? John Steinbeck comments that the great traits and values that we admire are hard to work out in real life. While we may admire them, it's easier to fall back into the system. And these admirable traits often lead to "failure" while traits of self-interest lead to "success." Greed is more advantageous than generosity. Meanness easier than kindness. And so on.
So is it possible to actually live out the radically selfless calls of the Christ life? To "love enemies?" To sacrifice for the sake a resurrected Lord? To stick with one spouse for an entire life? To give without expecting anything in return? To rejoice in suffering? To set aside individual profit for the sake of communal benefit? Increasingly, life in America is more like Babylon than Zion. Christians have to navigate a "foreign" context where the system's values and beliefs run counter to the calling of the Christ life. How do we live the "Zion life" while in Babylon? A visibly distinct, peculiar, and counter-intuitive life that confounds our neighbors and confronts the present system? No answers, just asking the question. Daniel 1:4,8,9 We have returned from a family vacation, a tour of the Great Lakes - Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. One fifth of the world's fresh water is contained in the five Great Lakes. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, and coldest of the lakes. Time away on family vacation reminded me of two things:
1.) We work from our rest. We can't work effectively or faithfully without adequate rest. Exhaustion stifles creativity, skill, and the capacity to care. We may come back to a full e-mail inbox (I had 2,400), but we return with clearer perspective and renewed energy. 2.) Vacations create lasting memories. Do you remember a family vacation as a child? The long car ride? The flat tire? The laughter on a roller coaster ride? Our oldest child is 9, and we've had the realization that she's halfway through her time at home (if she leaves at 18). These days are precious and fleeting. Vacations do come at a cost. But the memories of the experience will be imprinted on us and our children for decades. We pass on to our children an appreciation for rest, an awe of created beauty, and a delight in each other's company (even after 24 total hours of driving). Now back to work . . . |
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