Maybe I am overly materialistic in my memory, but I associate past stories with certain things I own. For example I have this "old-man" style grey hat that I like to wear in the rain. I purchased this hat in Dublin, Ireland with 8 friends from my study abroad semester in Israel. There is a story behind that hat. I have this beat up field watch and at least once a week this summer a co-worker of mine would bring up my watch and it was a conversation starter. I have a mug I bought on a whim with a friend on a day trip to Chicago. Another mug was given as a wedding party gift. A friend gave me a bowl he made that I had eaten out of during my senior year at Calvin. I have a braid of leather that constantly reminds me of one of my closest relationships. Why you might ask do I bother to list off all of these things if the stories seem to be distant or over?
I do not believe these stories are over. I can still be the best-man my friend asked me to be almost two years ago now. I can always declare my love for all the people involved in these stories. You see I do not collect things for the sake of the static thing. No I have trouble letting go of certain things because of the stories associated with them. I want to remember the people and relationships. That's what really matters. Sure it is great to keep my hat warm and dry with my old hat, but I really like sharing the story of the hat. I can start by sharing my frustration of having a defective radio on a plane that was supposed to take me home after 3.5 months of study and then move on to the joy of being cold on a double-decker bus with 8 great friends in the middle of Dublin where it was too dark to get good pictures of anything but them. Yeah I like that story.
Every good story has opposition for the protagonist to overcome. When we move to new places or if we go to an old place in a new state the opposition isan assumed identity. The question here in school typically goes like this, "What's your name? Where are you from? What are you studying?" In a subtle way the opposition has already begun. These may not be the questions you need to be asked to properly introduce yourself. I say I am from Indiana, but the last time I lived there for more than a week was nearly two years ago. And instead of asking me what am I studying wouldn't it be more interesting to hear of the passions that brought both of us here? The opposition faced is to sell your story short and forget the opposition already overcome. Wouldn't be sad if you simply forgot all of your past? Sure there are parts we may not mind forgetting, but even those moments have shaped us into who we are now. Our whole story reveals both the breadth and limits of our identity. By knowing the breadth of our identity we know what we are capable of and in knowing our present limits we are challenged to stretch our hands out. We cannot know our challenging limits without remembering the past oppositions already overcome. Story can only be such when it has continuity.
It is my firm belief that life is growing in love centered and exemplified by Christ Jesus. As we grow in love for Him we grow in love for those around us. We start small, maybe with our family or local church. We stay close to a place where Christ is clearly at the center and continually come back to him. We may even be fearful of going beyond this small space. It was hard to comprehend living apart from my family in the weeks leading up to my move to college. When we take that step beyond our limits to a new place we realize Christ is still with and loves us. That epiphany may come slowly at first, but it will. Then we seem that the breadth of our identity grows. We continue to be loved by Christ and can therefore love him and other rightly in this new place. In loving Christ and others in this new place we grow in our capacity to love. The opposition calls us to retreat back to what is comfortable and to stay there. Christ calls us back to him who is the center and then sends us out again to defy the opposition of our stories with his love. If you could please bear with my attempt at illustration.
Note the two solid lines of the cone. (Ever present limits)
There is also a dotted center line. The core of our identity. (Christ's Love)
The rotating line is an outline of our living presently.
As you may notice it is moving up and will continue to do so.
What I want to communicate to you is this. A life defined by Christ is one that is growing in its capacity to love and be loved. Do not forget your past brothers and sisters lest you bottom out. Likewise take up your present challenge to love the Lord and others. In this you will grow. You may even get a nice hat out of all of this.
Cheers!
