What is it?

Looking through my journals and email, I found out that I was wishing for a lot of good things to happen. I claimed to be “hoping,” but I did not/could not be confident the desired outcome would happen. That is not what hope is about. Hope is more than wishing. [Want to know more? Click here.]

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Big Q Question

Thirty-three years ago, as a new Christian, there was the comfort of connectedness. The connectedness came from being “born and raised” in a hot-house of Christianity. The people – fellowship – kept the vision alive. There was a sense of purpose and the opportunity to grow with limited interruptions, like going to class and doing homework. The basics, the nuts and bolts, of Biblical Christianity, were taught with the expectation they would be passed along to other new believers. Names were given to each practical skill: Prayer, Fellowship, Quiet Time, Witness (later as a more “mature” Christian this became “Evangelism”), Praise, Worship, Bible Study, Memorizing Scripture, Disciple, Disciple-making, and Making Disciple-makers.

When encountering one another, the questions were the greeting. It seemed “Hi” and “Good morning” were not enough. A favorite: What’s your latest [memorized] verse? Also: What did you read in your Quiet Time this morning? (Notice the assumption that a Quiet Time was actually had.) And another goody: What are you applying in your life from God’s Word? These questions held each of us accountable to practice God’s Word, a lifestyle that enabled an overflowing, godly example to those encountered every day, Christians and non-Christians alike.

Recently, Andy Whitman (see http://andywhitman.blogspot.com) wrote an article for Image Journal’s web page about a reunion of those people who were a part of his “hot-house.” All of the idealistic, commune-like living, real New Testament individuals and families get together once a year. The article focuses on this year’s the 35th, reunion and Andy’s observations of the previously self-proclaimed “Born Again Jesus Freaks.” He wondered what happened to them and wanted to ask the question, “How is your soul?” of each of the fine, upstanding, middle-class, mega-church-attending group. But he didn’t. Why? Andy wrote:

“This is the question I want to ask [the man who was my best man], but I don’t ask it. I don’t ask it of anyone. It’s the question that united us in the first place, the big Q Question that drew a bunch of idealistic misfits who couldn’t countenance the thought of stained glass windows and polished pews and Country Club Christianity into an alliance that lasted the better part of a decade.”

This last July, I experienced a similar experience. We hosted a gathering of some of our college friends. The purpose was to meet, greet and support a couple from those hot-house days who are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship. We were gathered for a “spiritual” purpose and I found myself wanting to ask Andy’s big Q Question. But I did not. It felt awkward, inappropriate somehow. So, we talked about our jobs and our kids. We touched on current politics and the things influencing Christianity. But, no one asked the Question. And, no one asked the questions that were the greetings we used in college.

Don’t get me wrong. It was good to see those people. However, we are in different places than we were in college. Expecting more than chit-chat is unrealistic. But, I still want to know, “How is your soul?” Yet, I didn’t ask.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does it make you cry to be where we are now and not where we were then, 25-30 years ago? How is your soul?

Andy Whitman said...

Mary, after that reunion I was able, via the wonders of Facebook, email, and telephones, to ask the "How is your soul?" question of at least a couple of my best friends I no longer see very often. We had some good conversations. I'd encourage you to try it one-on-one. Like you, I found that a crowd of people was not the best place to initiate that conversation. But I was glad that I had an opportunity to talk individually with at least a couple of my closest friends. I hope that works for you as well.