Not sure whether you’ve noticed
or not, but at the beginning of every fall semester it starts all over again
for a new group of freshmen; it’s most likely not what you’re thinking. Outside my office, to the west of Ludwig
Center, the lawn fills up with new ROTC cadets learning how to “walk”
properly. They are being taught by
returning officers, or those who a year or two before were in the same
process. The cadets learn how to step, march,
turn, and from what I can tell one of the most difficult foot maneuvers they
learn, is the about face. They pop a
heel in the air, stick the toe in the turf, spin, rotate, and end up facing the
opposite direction. It’s way easier for
me to describe than it would ever be for me to attempt. Sure, they lose their footing at first, but
they keep at it. I’m not really certain how they do it without falling on their
faces — actually, some do. At times it’s humorous to watch, but the rite of
passage for the cadets has gained my respect.
I’m not sure where the ability to
walk or march properly falls in order of importance for those serving in the
armed services, but it must be pretty significant for as much time as they work
on it. They spend hours upon hours practicing how to walk and turn properly. There
is precision to their steps. There is intentionality to their pace. They don’t
all get it at first. They lose their footing, stumble, lose their balance, but
eventually they get it. And I’m sure all
you would have to do is ask any of our ROTC cadets or officers here, and they’d
tell you there is only one right way to do it.
I don’t think it’s any different
for us who are people of faith. The time in which we live says there are many
ways for us to get to the same place. The reality is there is only one right
way to do it — the Jesus way. It’s not about what I think is right, or what you
think is okay. It’s not what Dr. Vassel described when talking about Paul’s
experience in Athens. (Some responded in saying “That might work well for you
Paul, but not for us.”) That mindset isn’t
just out there somewhere, but it has crept into the church, making it difficult
at times for us to land anywhere with certainty. When you lose your foothold,
it becomes difficult to walk. The more difficult it becomes to walk, the more
difficult it is to get to your desired destination. The older I get, the more I
realize that this life is about learning to walk well.
My prayer for us this semester is
that we listen for the ways God is calling us to walk. Not sure about you, but
I don’t want to make excuses for what I do, but in my walking, I want it to be said
of me that I walked well. And I want it to be done with certainty, just like
those cadets outside my office window.
Stumbling, losing our footing and balance at times is all part of the
process of learning to walk. There is
much grace for us in the process, and for that we are grateful. But the good news is like the cadets, we
don’t do it alone either. We have the
privilege to learn from those who are ahead of us in the journey. Just like those cadets are taught to walk
from those who have already learned, we too can learn to walk well as we follow
in the footsteps of those who are ahead of us. In following those who are ahead
of us, we learn from them how we walk in the way of Jesus.
Text for the week: Hebrews 12:1-2
No comments:
Post a Comment