'Just Waitin Till the Shine Wears Off'

By Dustin Wright

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves."

Henry David Thoreau

Throughout Bread for Your Journey last night, the quote above kept runnin through my head... and it's certainly informed everything I'll reflect on here.

For last night's reflections & prayers, please visit our new bread for your journey blog: http://breadforyourjourney.blogspot.com/

The reading from Mark in particular spoke to me- there's so much going on there. We discussed two major facets of being lost last night. First, the disciples needed to get lost for a bit... they had seemingly great success going out and spreading the Word, but to continue their ministry, they needed a break to reconnect with God (and as I'll speak to later, probably a break from success as well).

Second, the crowds on the shore were already lost, and they needed a shepherd like Jesus. In my mind at least, the crowds represent the best type of 'lostness.' When lost in life, it's easy to remain still and helpless, without ever trying to find a real solution. It's also easy to assume that we're not lost, to stay in the same spot, and to never keep searching for answers. The crowds in Mark represent a more active, searching type of 'lostness'- they hurried to the shoreline, arriving there even before the Shepherd did.

The central question of our discussion last night seemed to be whether being lost was a good or bad thing. In my opinion, being lost is almost always a positive... as Thoreau said, it's only then that we begin to understand ourselves. The song Lost! by Coldplay (feat. Jay-Z), posted below, in my mind perfectly illustrates that point and ties everything together:



While some might find Jay-Z's lyrics a little difficult (or Chris Martin's poor rendition of Mick Jagger-ish dancing very difficult), the song makes a really good point. It's important to remain lost both in life and in our spirituality. This song first came out last summer. I had recently graduated from a great college, with a bunch of great jobs lined up, in a great relationship, and with a great happy family backing me up... Essentially,
I thought I had it all, that I had it all figured out, and that it'd always be that way.

By about two weeks after graduation, my mother had been diagnosed with lung cancer, doctors thought I had cancer as well, I had broken up with someone I thought I'd be with forever, and I certainly couldn't start any of those jobs I had lined up with everything else going. Since then, I've certainly been lost, but I've learned and grown so much personally, and grown much closer to God as well... all things that I missed out on while I was assuming I had arrived at my 'destination.'

Much like how assuming we've "made it" in life can lead us to some of our greatest downfalls, I think assuming that we've ever completely figured out our relationship with God might make us miss out on a much deeper relationship with Him. If you do think you have life or God (or both) figured out... just wait till the shine wears off. Or as Jay-Z would put it,

'So it's tough being Bobby Brown
To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now.'

Thanks, and I hope you'll join us next week at Bread for Your Journey. God's peace,

- Dustin

getting lost

Like a GPS-dependent driver with no satellite reception. Like a surfer without a search engine. A story without a plot. A team with no coach.
Sheep with no shepherd. Pick your simile. You’re lost.

I know people who would be lost without Lost, their favorite TV drama and weekly emotional outlet. With its zooming from here to there — from present to flashback to present to flashforward — Lost has its viewers on the edges of their seats, piecing together the complex lives of 13 island-dwelling plane-crash survivors.

Not everyone escapes to the island of the Lost, but everyone has the need to occasionally “lose themselves” in something. To get away from it all, take a breather, get some perspective.

Even Jesus did.

Jesus’ followers had been out traveling in twos, visiting homes, bringing Jesus’ healing presence, sharing the hope that was inside them. And they came back all full of themselves and their adventures. Let’s get outta here, said their wise teacher. And they went for a sail to get lost for a while.

Hopefully the cruise was long enough and the breeze sweet enough that their time out on the water provided some retreat, some refueling. Because when the boat landed, the deserted place they hoped to find was far from deserted. Take a look:
http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=113575309

This picture of Jesus looking out on the lost people all around him is one that I treasure. Because that’s the compassionate, take-me-as-I-am look I so often crave.

And Jesus’ next move? He taught them all kinds of things, the story from Mark says. Were those teachings just another entertaining diversion from their harassed and helpless lives? Just an hour of escape? Or did the people really ingest those teachings, letting the challenges sink in, letting the joyful news overcome them. Did they find God there on the beach, in a way that would forever change their lives?

I’m guessing there were at least some who found in Jesus enduring sustenance, not just temporary pain-relief. And that’s where I want to place myself in the story. I want to see myself continuing on with Jesus on his journeys, learning from him how to balance caring for others with stepping away for that alone time with God. I want to walk with him all the way to the cross, where I see him not only teaching me how to live but teaching me how to die.

For it is in dying to myself that I truly find relief from my lostness. The temporary getaways may be good for mental health. But the long-lasting shepherding means I’m accompanied for good, in every lost moment, from now until the day this body dies, and then well beyond that. “Losing myself” can mean finding myself in God, in God’s compassionate care for the world… and for me.

Let’s talk about how we get lost, in all senses of that phrase, when we gather on Thursday 7pm at the Crowne Plaza.

Peace,
Kari