Theology of Now

Snoopy is one of my favorite cartoon characters of all time. There was something about him that just drew me to him as a kid and now I can begin to see why. Snoopy was a character of pure imagination. Throughout the peanuts strip he had an abundance of personas ranging from the World War 1 Flying Ace to Joe Cool to the Masked Marvel! He explored vast territories in his own mind through personal experience and creativity; a skill set I feel many of us could benefit from.

You see, there comes a time when we believe we have it right. The choices we have made in the past have lined up and we are on our way to what we believe is our ultimate destination. I call this the "Theology of Now". That is, we have come to a conclusion that encompasses ourselves, our understanding of God, and the world around us; and it makes sense. Right NOW I know what I want to do. Right NOW I feel I understand God's call. Right NOW I am happy, motivated, and ready to go.

The problem with this state of mind is that it is static in a world that is ever changing. So, for the moment we have it right and so long as everything stays as it should, we will be successful. Then it happens: life gets in the way. Our journey takes an unexpected turn or there is a variable that we have not considered that seemingly ruins it all.

I would like to think of it in another way. Let's say we are driving home and it is pouring rain outside. We are about to turn down the road to get to the house and all of a sudden we get a flat tire. Up until this point we were happy amongst ourselves and making plans about what to do when we get home. Now, all of a sudden, there has been a change and we have two choices. First, we can ignore the tire and continue to drive with our original plans in mind. The problem with this option is that it can cause other damage to the car and it is risky to drive this way. The second choice is to stop and change the tire! The problem with the second option is if we change the tire, that means our plans in the future must be altered!

Too often, I believe, when life suddenly changes we do not stop to change the tire. We become so accustom to our ideas, our "Theology of Now", that we refuse to make a change. Instead, we should be like Snoopy. Have a goal, for sure, however, also be flexible and creative in our lives. We need to be able to adapt and to allow our imagination to play a role in how we live. If something changes, explore it. See what opportunities are there and make adjustments accordingly.

Pay it Forward

So the adventure begins (actually it has already begun) and I spent this past weekend visiting Wesley Seminary in D.C. During my visit I was scheduled to interview for merit-based financial aide. In all, the visit went very well and the financial aide office has agreed to reward me with a substantial amount of assistance, approximately 2/3 of my tuition will be paid for.

To be honest it is all a bit overwhelming. I have discussed the idea with many of my friends, colleagues and family members the idea of blessings. My common question is "why me?" I have always been puzzled as to why so many great things are happening to me when I feel there are those who are more deserving.

This question, of course, is part of a greater mystery of faith. That is, why things occur the way they do. I have read many different perspectives and have had many discussions, many of which make sense to me. What needs to be remembered, however, is that in the end this is broken thought and beyond our understanding. In the end, the scenario remains the same regardless of our conclusions. Thus, we need to take these blessings and use them to further our Mission.

In the film "Pay it Forward" the main character creates a project for himself in which he does something big for someone he doesn't know. Then, that person will do the same for the next person and so on. I believe this is part of our calling, not only as Christians, but also as people in general. You do not need to believe in Christ, or God for that matter, to take these initiatives and help those less fortunate.

I have been blessed with many things and I want to use this post to remind myself to take these blessings and pass them on. To become a blessing for someone else, to pay it forward.