This is the last week of school and the subject I teach is New Testament survey so for the past 2 weeks, we have been rapping up the book of Revelation. In their churched culture, the students are well versed in the literal interpretation of Revelation. They've read "Left Behind" and seen the movies. I found it a real challenge to get them to see the metaphors and symbols as pointing to a big picture meaning, rather than literal fortune telling. Anyways, the more I read Reveltion, the more it causes my mind to wonder. Not about timelines, but about a "world without end". A world where we are back in the Garden, where we had perfect communion with God. Back to the Garden forever where there is no more pain, suffering, tears or heartache. I admit that I'm presently feeling disappointment and disallusionment. Would it be easier if I never knew of a "world without end"? Because I can see it, touch it and taste it, I compare my earthly experience with the ultimate consumation of all things, and let's just say it doesn't measure up. I long for the "world without end", I long to be back in the Garden in perfect union with the One who breathed life into me. For now I'll be disappointed, but every now and then, I catch a glimpse of that world to come in my physical world now and it causes me to wonder.
In a former life, I spent endless hours analyzing modern vs. postmodern church to the point I made myself nauseated. But for this discussion, let me return to the vomit for a moment. Modernity's dominant rational/logical, scientific worldview sucked the wonder out of life. It was all the right brained view of the world and of spirituality. Christianity was believing rightly, if you define belief as an acknowledgement of historical facts. But there is a part of me, and I hope a part of you, that wants to get out of the engine room of the ship and get to the top deck where the wind is blowing your hair, your breath is fresh air, the mist in the breeze is collecting on your face and you FEEL alive. And on the top deck of the ship, you see the wonder of the voyage. It doesn't matter to you if your making good time, you've chosen the best course, the decks are cleaned up or our uniforms are on straight. All you see is the wonder of the voyage. Jim Henderson and I used to meet every Sat. morning at starbucks for 3 years. I suppose it was leadership development for me but we didn't approach it that way. Some mornings, we would sit down and he would ask me one question, "Chris, what do you wonder about?" Jim Henderson is a leader worth following.
Friends, screw the details, don't miss the chance today to just wonder. There is a "world without end", have you lost the wonder of it all?

peace,
Chris