the hero of our story

"We long to be the hero of our own stories."

So said my RUF campus minister, Brandon Barrett, of Judges 7:1-8:3, spring break 2006, all of us sitting on the floor in a mosquito-filled bunkhouse back in the trees behind the Morrell tent in Waveland. In these verses, Gideon is about to fight the Midianites. And then "the Lord said to Gideon, 'The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.''" (7:2) God proceeds to reduce Gideon's army from 32,000 to just 300--just 300 men to fight an army "like locusts in abundance, whose camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance" (7:12). Like Brandon said--Israel can't be the hero of its own story now. Any victory can only be attributed to God.

These last few weeks, I've been jumping through hoops to bump my graduation up to this December, so I can move down to the bay a little bit sooner. Of course, everyone asks, "Why?" And there's two reasons, I guess.

The first is a quote by Louis L'Amour (yes, the Western writer...)--
“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.”

How is this relevant? Well, something I've given a lot of thought to, is, I'm far from the most qualified person to be going to the bay. They need contractors, electricians, plumbers (seriously, if this is what you do... go). I do none of these things. The fact that just now, sixth months later, my broken thumbnail from where I whaled on it last October is finally growing out proves that I'm really not even much good with basic construction skills. But I don't think that gives me a "get out of jail free" pass. Knowing what I know, seeing what I've seen, I've become convinced I have a moral responsibility to go down to do whatever it is that I can do, especially because I don't have anywhere else I've committed to be.

Two weeks ago, I spoke at RUF about Lagniappe's summer internship program. I quoted something Jean says in the Lagniappe video--"We need people to come. We need people to come cry with people, we need people to come drive nails into sheds, and put on sheetrock, and put roofs on. Some people can go, but other people have to send. And so there is a need for people to give. For people to send their sons and daughters, to send prayers, to send money, to help raise the support so this can be here." Speaking to everyone, I said that we--the people in and just out of college--are the people who can go. And so I think we should. Should everyone? No, of course not. But I think that, for some people, it is the right thing to do.

The second reason is this, Galatians 5:13--

"Serve one another in love." Enough said.

And now, I'm leaving this blog to make way for the new 'terns. I've met a bunch of them, & they seem amazing. I'll get to meet the rest of them in July & August, when I'm in the bay after getting back from Goa, India. And then just 4 more months until I can move down for good. Well, as long as "for good" may turn out to last in the life of this nomad. ;)

It's been good times. Thanks.

This is how it works:

"You're young until you're not

You love until you don't

You try until you can't

You laugh until you cry,

You cry until you laugh,

And everyone must breathe

Until their dying breath."

No, this is how it works:

"You peer inside yourself

You take the things you like

And try to love the things you took.

And then you take that love you made

And stick it into some,

Someone else's heart."

--on the radio, r. spektor