”Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.” N. Bonaparte
Sometimes in life there are battles we fight that really seem like the right ones to engage in, we give it all we’ve got and have no regrets for having poured so much time and energy into them. Some produce great victories and others only marginal successes. But there comes a time when one has to reevaluate what the future might look like, change our focus and set a course for new endeavors.
After fighting the uphill battle of defending the honor of God in the midst of the evangelical church (some where along the lines it seems God has been jettisoned from this institution) I’ve determined to switch focus choosing instead to engage in more fruitful efforts. My wife and I spent way to much time serving in church leadership which came to produce very little fruit and came at the expense of spending time with our kids. With the birth of our first grandchild we are more resolutely determined to spend our time investing in the good stuff like family rather than helping wanna be pastor types prop up their egos.
So, sometimes one has to do a little sandal dusting, hit the long and winding road, and enjoy the pursuit of new relationships. My wife and I are planning a move, out of the city we’ve lived in our entire lives and into a small rural town that has a post office the size of a port-a-potty.
I have to say I’m not sad to move on. We still retain a few “really good” friendships which have been a huge encouragement to us in our long transformation out of the “wall”.
These days I choose to live a more relaxed life, selecting endeavors with a lot more discernment, enjoying the blessings that are mine in Christ and not really giving to much of a rip about the stupid things I see happening in the church, eventually they’ll learn just like I did. Sometimes people just have to “get it” on their own even though you try really hard to help. That’s cool.
I’ll focus instead on the publicans, tax gatherers and democrats, which is pretty much what I’ve been doing for the last four and a half years. I like hanging out with non christians challenging them in good honest discussions with the truths of the kingdom, this is one battle I will never shy away from because it’s one which truly satisfies and produces “real” victories. I’m looking forward to less traffic, a view of the mountains (kind of) a dead end street, a shop (again) and a place to enjoy the family as it grows. It’s quieter, roomier and more small town-ish and as I mentioned before there’s a cafe and hopefully a local bar with a couple pool tables and a pinball machine. Good thing I have a truck.
