| Author | Message | ||
| Tealeaves Registered user Username: Tealeaves Post Number: 56 Registered: 5-2004 |
The Journey out of Legalism towards the Truth. (Out of Adventism, or any other legalistic "ism", for that matter.) There is a well meaning group of people in the middle of a dense, dangerous jungle. They are a tight, formalized group, with work at the center of their every motivation. They are trying to find the only village in the jungle, which is rumored to be the most incredible place on the planet They don't know, because they haven't ever been out of the jungle, but they believe the rumors. THey all have work clothes on, and their own machetes to wield. To pass the time, hey argue back and forth about the sharpness of each others blades, and the right and wrong ways to cut through a particular type of tree. They bicker about each other's work ethics, and chastize anyone who steps out of line.... And some days they make a good deal of headway through the jungle, som days they get hardly anywhere, too mired down by petty differences to work together. One day, one guy decides to climb a tree to see which way they are heading. He pokes his head out above the greenery and sees the village far off in the distance, in the exact opposite direction from their current path! He informs the group of the error in direction, and they immediately attack him verbally for not working as hard on cutting as the other group members are. They tell him to stop trying to change the focus and start working! They even threaten to cut the tree out from under him if he tries to climb up and point them in a new direction ever again. He is labeled as an infidel, a "climber". What is this wise guy thinking? Who does he think he is? He hasn't even put in as many ground hours in hard labor as some of the others, and he thinks the group should listen to him? The group motto is to "march straight ahead, working hard, and you might someday reach your goal." And stopping to make sure that you are marching in the right direction is certainly not any part of the program! So the climber has a few choices. Either he can join the group and hope that someday they overlook or forget his disharmony enough to respect him again. Or he can strike out totally on his own, headed in the direction he knows the village to be. He doesn't know that there are others who have already climbed the trees and struck off on their own, and that there is a good chance he might even run into them on his journey through the jungle. He doesn't know that there are even people who have already reached the village, and have come back out to comb the jungle for more truth-seekers. He is a bit frightened and intimidated, but he decides to strike out alone anyway. The call to truth is stronger than the call to conformity. He soon finds that the jungle can get pretty lonely. at night, alone, sometimes, his mind plays tricks on him, and he hears echoes of the groups' voices "that idiot, he thinks he knows more than the whole group! He'll never survive! His work ethic is weak, his feeble mind leads him astray." He tries to bat away the voices as he would bothersome mosquitoes, and summon up the memory of what the village looked like from his perch in the treetops. He hefts his weary self off the ground and climbs to the top of the nearest tree. And Yes! There it is. He hadn't imagined it! The village is even closer than he remembered. And he can see the glow of the torches of the searchers just a quarter mile or so to the North. He shinnies down the tree and strikes out through the brush towards the searchers, where they welcome him with open arms, open hearts, and words of encouragement. The journey still lies ahead, but it seems much less daunting with the support of people who have also heard the call of truth, and have made the journey before. He also learns from the searchers that his arrival at the village is absolutely assured. He need not fear, he need not doubt. He needs only to trust in the Way, and keep his eyes focused Upwards as he journeys. His arrival at the village is assured. His faith will determine what the journey will look like from there on out, but the tools and the maps are available now, he only need ask! There is also Hope, there is Love, and there is a Peace he has never known before in the midst of the jungle. ~sorry if you find my story/analogy cheesy. Some of the strangest things run around in my head sometimes! This one ran through today, so I thought I'd capture it and put it down on this site. I think this is a pretty true representation of how some of my ex-SDA and current SDA friends feel. They feel tired, they sense or know the futility of their strivings, but they don't want to buck the trend and get labeled as infidels. And the jungle can get lonely and scary when you are on your own. I think that we are be the "searchers" to help them along. We are called to be each others encouragers, and to point always to Christ. And maybe this site is just one of the little campsites along the way in the jungle. I hope that the light of our little campfire is inviting and welcoming! I want to be a searcher for God's lost children. SDA or otherwise. Everyone is always welcome at my campfire! Come, sit, have some refreshment, a warm blanket, and I'll tell you about God, about His guidebook, about His Promises, about the love hope and peace he offers us sinners! Let's point each other towards the Truth. (The Truth is not a doctrine, He is a person, the Truth is Christ Himself!) | ||
| Cindy Registered user Username: Cindy Post Number: 584 Registered: 7-2000 |
Tealeaves/Tanya, Your story/analogy is very good. I especially like your words "the call to truth is stronger than the call to conformity." There really is power in the name of Jesus. grace always, cindy | ||
| Susan_2 Registered user Username: Susan_2 Post Number: 641 Registered: 11-2002 |
Good story. I especially honed in on the mesquitoes. They are my kinfolk! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 181 Registered: 3-2004 |
Tanya. Very Good!!!!! I recognized the jungle and the village the people were searching for right away. Thanks for reminding me that our Goal is Jesus. Diana | ||
| Spokenfor Registered user Username: Spokenfor Post Number: 36 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tealeaves, I loved your story/analogy. Thank you for sharing it here. I need to remember that there are many still in the 'jungle' that need to be shown the way out - so often I want to abandon them altogether because I can't deal with the mostquitos. Blessings always, Spokenfor | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 350 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tanya, I loved your story, too. You're so right about the misunderstanding people have for those who really want truth and are willing to abandon what they love for its sake. Thank you for sharing your allegory. Colleen |
