Hello Becky,
For the past few days I have been rather troubled about “things” and have found myself “viajando na maionesa” or in laymen’s terms, daydreaming. I have been spending more and more time trying to understand Dallas Willard and figuring out where he is trying to take me while all the time people around me need help. Last night I went out to visit a family whose husband is back to using drugs again and part of his problem is that he is so stressed out on the job. He is a truck driver and has a daily route and the route is filled with challenges, bad roads, delays, etc. He has to be at work by 4:30 am and doesn’t get home until 8pm. He gets home hungry, tense, already thinking about tomorrow’s assignments and he comes home to an adolescent who needs his time and a crying baby and a wife who needs a loving husband. He can’t sleep well during the night and he may lose his job if he just doesn’t keep up the pace. So, I spent about 45 minutes with him and his family last night. I shared some scripture and prayed with them and we agreed to spend Monday nights for the next 6 weeks from 8:00 until 9:10 together over a cup of coffee or just a glass of water. Probably a hot cup of water would be better for him. Diet coke for me. Ha, ha!
Well, all that said to get to this point. There is so much going on these days in the world of trying to defend ourselves, our positions, our theology, side takings, and there is so much “noise” out there that create divisions, bad blood, etc. I think it has just plain “stalled” God’s program down of helping poor needy people out of serious problems and these problems may take up to 7 years to see resolution. In other words, it is keeping us from loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Why can’t we “quietly” go about sharing with others how God has been near and dear to us, and how he has transformed us and when the door is opened we share with them “good news”. Why do we need to “blast” it all over the internet or the news papers, or even from our pulpits? In other words, we do it without calling attention to ourselves, our beliefs, even our strong convictions that don’t sit all that well with the opposition. I believe we need to be able to spend more time just loving people all around us. We do that so we don’t have to spend so much time defending what is so dear to us and at the same time find time to love our families, our neighbors and let God defend His own program. Isn’t that why the underground church in China had and continues to have such success?
I know there is plenty inside these paragraphs that could be torn apart by even the most elementary thinkers and the “what ifer’s” however they do carry a lot of weight in my mind and my soul. When you and I find time out on the porch in October and walking up to the apple orchard in Etown, we will have plenty to talk about and without shouting. In the meantime, let’s be “heads up” with the needy all around us. Don’t interpret this as my signing off. I will be here every day in dialogue. But don’t get frustrated if I don’t answer your questions. Remember, Jesus rarely answered the questions and when He did, it created even greater dissonance. Love you just the way you are. Dad