Yeah, it's been a few days... and it's mostly taken awhile to figure out what it is I really want to say. But to finish off that last idea, I think I've figured it out.
Again, I'd love to jump right into a rant concerned with what specifically the church thinks it is building. I'd love to critique the money being spent on buildings or "programs" geared to attract people to these magnificent buildings and these super-cool (be that true or not) worship services, etc. I mean, it wouldn't be that hard. But who am I to judge? I mean, I really need to remove the log from my own eye before I try and tell anyone about the toothpick in theirs, am I right?
So in that vein, I need to again ask myself, "what am I building". And the answer, well it's probably not what I'd like it to be. I can probably answer it best by quoting some lyrics from a song:
So I wish that I could say that at the close of every day
I was happy with the way that I'm behaving...
David he chased God's own heart
and all I ever seem to chase is me
The Chasing Song by Andrew Peterson
And really, that's the truth. I can chalk it up to lots of things, but when it gets down to it, I'm just chasing myself, day in and day out. Chasing after the things that I want, and not the best things. Now, it reminds me of the parable of the talents (I've just spent like 20 minutes trying to search out where I last read about it, on a blog or whatever, can't find the reference - sorry, but you know who you are). This businessman comes back from a long trip (after entrusting money to 3 servants) to find that 2 servants that he gave money (talents) gave him back more (brought a return on his investement) and the third, just gave him back the money, 'cause he buried it in the ground. So the businessman calls him wicked & lazy and has him taken out and beaten. What I remember of that blog or devotional or whatever I read awhile back was the surprise that he was called "wicked" for just giving the businessman back his money. And, it is somewhat of a surprise, right? I mean, wicked for returning what was leant to you? Wicked might have been using the money to go and front a terrorist cell. Wicked might have been using it to purchase drugs or a prostitute or a gun (then killing someone with it - guns aren't bad...but semi-automatic assault rifles are!)
So anyway, the point is, this guy is wicked for not doing THE RIGHT thing with his master's money. It's not about doing THE WRONG thing. In fact, he didn't even do anything wrong with the money, he just didn't do anything RIGHT. And that's where I'm at right now. I need to choose to do what is right. It's not like I'm out doing bad things. But I'm not doing the RIGHT things. I'm not doing the BEST things.
I'm also thinking of that picture above. I mean, there were a heck of a lot of possibilities to commemorate Washington... but a giant obelisk? Are you kidding me? I personally, and this is just a personal thought, believe that it's a rediculous way to commemorate the first president of the US. I mean, the reflecting pool is better than the obelisk. But I'm Canadian, what would I know about it, eh?
Suffice to say, the question I need to continue to ask myself, and I hope that more people ask themselves, is: "Am I using the time I have to acoomplish what is right? or am I simply doing things that aren't bad?" Am I doing the best?
Well, right now my best would probably be studying Hebrew vocabulary...
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