sojourners

America: The land of opportunity. The home of the free and the brave. The leader of the free world. And… The 90 days land that a VISA permits.

Every once in a while the Lord smiles quietly, directly at us. This week’s smile came in form of a dynamic duo of two long-haired, hitch-hiking, Cambridge graduates from the UK. Quite a funny thing when people walk into your life and you’re ready for them.

We crossed paths in a time of questioning. Trying to figure out life as an “adult,” attempting to reconcile our life with the God and “religion” of our parents. Oddly enough, these Brits had grown up in an Evangelical Christian home much like myself. Their time in college represented a break from the dogmatic religion of their parents and just enough space for a large degree of doubt and skepticism to nestle nicely between their mind and heart.

After the first day of their stay with me, I wasn’t sure where they stood in regards to God. They went to church once a week, but at this juncture they were “down a point” since missing the week prior. After that first day, I had learned a lot from them already, yet I felt that I had not given them anything more than a place to stay – which may have been all they really wanted, but that wasn’t really satisfying to me. Not to say that I wanted to share the plan of salvation with them, no doubt they already know it and most of the Bible. However, I was curious as to what answers their questions had lead them.

The “Electric Elephant” as Mikey referred to it (aka Elephant Room) proved to be an excellent backdrop for a great two hour convo regarding God, the church, cultural Christianity and the teachings of Christ. After hearing their thoughts on institutionalized religion and morality, I had to agree with much of their qualms with the present state of affairs in the Christian world. Yet we came to a bit of a crossroads. We questioned the same ideas, but came up with different answers. Mikey wanted to satart his own religion founded on the principle teaching of Christ to love God and love people. Dave was conflicted and hadn’t come to many conclusions except that he was burned out on church and church people.

Upon talking through some of this, I told them of what seems to be the Biblical view of church. That we are the church – the walking, tenting, presence of God to the world everywhere we go. That we didn’t need to go to church because a Christian is the church everyone he goes. After some further explanation and questions, Dave looks to Mikey, “Maybe we should think about this as we travel around.” It made sense to him. Mikey’s skepticism keeps him from affirming much of the Bible.

When Mikey’s domination of the convo centered around the founding of his own religion because the Bible wasn’t totally true, I asked him was his criteria for “capital T – Truth” was. He didn’t really have an answer, that’s why he’s trying to make truth based on the precepts of others and his own thoughts. Dave didn’t really have an answer either. So they asked me if I took the Bible as the definition of Truth. I said, “No, for me truth is what brings order out of the chaos.” And the Bible seems to do that pretty well. They didn’t have much to say to that except that they couldn’t believe all the Bible.

Twas a great time with the English sojourners. We are all sojourners - traveling in a land not our own, checking out new people and places, and ideas. Austin is merely a stop in the move out West.

When they asked which way to go all I could to was point them in the right direction. All I can do for them, or anyone else, is show them The Way.

Deut 10:19

-See Inkslinger’s “Diva” blog for more thoughts on growing up in a Christian home…