A visitor to the United States wrote the following words: “In America I saw the freest and most enlightened [people] placed in the happiest circumstances that the world affords; yet it seemed to me as if a cloud habitually hung upon their brow, and I thought them serious and almost sad, even in their pleasures … It is strange to see with what feverish ardor the Americans pursue their own welfare, and to watch the vague dread that constantly torments them lest they should not have chosen the shortest path which may lead to it.” It is a fascinating critique of contemporary culture: the cloud hanging over us even in our times of pleasure, and the vague dread that we have not chosen the shortest, easiest path to our personal goals of happiness. It is an astute comment on life today, and even more intriguing in that it was written 170 years ago by Alexis de Tocqueville (Democracy in America, vol. 2; 1840).
The first month of the year is traditionally a time for self-reflection and goal-setting. (Also, because the weather is generally cold and miserable, there’s not much to distract us outdoors!) One feature of contemporary life is that the “restless temper” noted by de Tocqueville long ago is still alive and active in life today. We have a tendency to move from place to place, from city to city, sometimes from church to church. The recent period of high unemployment has made us less prone to “job hopping”; however, that has not fully stopped the restless impulses in our lifestyle and shopping habits. We buy; we discard; we buy again: cars, television sets, clothes, furniture, iPhones, Droids, you name it. We exist in what some have called a “market turnover culture,” searching for new things (new products, new relationships, new locations) as if that will bring us true happiness.
Sometimes the healthiest spiritual path to follow is not to move anywhere or do anything. After the initial burst of evangelistic fervor spread the gospel out from Jerusalem into the bustling towns and cities of the known world, a few centuries later the inclination was to found monasteries as quiet places of prayer and study for people of faith. From the fifth century into the middle ages, monks, nuns, and people of faith regularly stopped what they were doing to offer prayer at specific times of the day. This was to help remind themselves that God’s time takes precedence over human time, and seeking to follow Christ takes precedence over following the relentless demands of this world. Committing to be in a community (monastery, church, a marriage or relationship or family) involves a faithful determination to stick around, to “be still and know that God is God” (Psalm 46); to quiet the restlessness within us that we might find peace in the living, sustaining embrace of the Lord.
If we begin there, then the next step is usually easier. After spending time in silence, in prayer, in quieting the roar of the maddening crowds, we are able to discern where God is leading us. Our ELPC church leaders are actively seeking to do this as we consider ministry directions and options for the coming year. May you also walk this same path as you set your own goals and make decisions for the year unfolding before you.