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Introduction
“I wish I had your job. It’s always been a dream of mine.” These were the flattering and encouraging words of a man quite a bit older than me whom I met for the first time over lunch recently. He’s a financial supporter of my wife and me, and he and his wife were excited and gracious hosts as we shared our vision for the campuses of New England. He’s an architect. His wife is a lawyer. We’re newlyweds. They have several children and grandchildren. Not too many people tell me that I have their dream job, especially not two successful professionals. (Ironically, I’ve always had this secret longing to be an architect!) But these were his words. They made me feel good. They made me feel important. But the more I thought about them, they also made me sad.
What did he mean by what he said? I couldn’t help but read between the lines: “I wish I had your job. You get to do real ministry.” Or, “You have my dream job. It must be so exciting to know that your work has eternal value.” Why was I sad? Because I wanted this man to know that his job – the thing God had called him to – was just as spiritually significant as the job God had called me to. I wanted him to know that the work he does is just as exciting and eternally valuable as mine. I was sad because in his words I heard a desire for something more – a desire for the kind of faith that brings fulfillment, joy, and meaning to all of life.
I often meet people who have this same desire. They cling to the hope that Jesus wasn’t kidding when he said that he came to bring real and full life to us. And yet their experience of Christianity seems to contradict this. The Christian faith seems boring. It’s been reduced to going to church on Sundays, two-issue politics, tithing, and avoiding certain sin lists. I can’t say I blame them. It’s not unusual for me to go to church, look around at all of the listless faces of the congregation, and wonder, “Isn’t there something more to it than this?” If the Gospel really is the “Good News” than why does it seem to inspire us so little? Read the rest of this entry »
