nobody wants to hear what you know until they know you care about them

This quote comes from Rev. James Lee at a conference I went to this past summer in Montreat, NC. I had the chance to return to Montreat for my first collegiate conference just last week, seeing old friends and making new ones in the gorgeous mountains of western North Carolina. The theme of the conference was Searching For God Knows What, and gave me several things to ponder about regarding life and religion, relationships and stories. The keynote speaker was author Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz, Searching For God Knows What) and he spoke for a couple hours about religion as represented through cultural trends, and about our lives as narratives.

His main point about religion and culture was that the strategy of the church to gain members has changed over the centuries, based on the culture in which the church functioned at the time. The progression begins with cathedrals being built like castles seeking validation in a feudal system. After the Enlightenment churches began adopting a schoolhouse theme with pews facing one speaker or teacher, and knowledge/truth we the most important virtues of the faith. With the Industrial Revolution came an emphasis on productivity and wealth, prosperity for the kingdom. Now, in our globalized capitalistic market, the church is marketing a product to its members. "Have you tried everything to fill that emptiness inside you, but can't find the cure? With Jesus, you'll have inner peace and eternal life..." Although most preachers I've heard don't advertise a painfree life as a Christian, that all your problems will disappear, the logic is there. What was most interesting about that statement was that the next morning in worship the minister marketed Jesus to us as a cure for that persistent emptiness inside us. She was very energetic and charismatic, traits that, after hearing the keynote the night before, seem more fitting of a car salesman than a preacher. The aim then, isn't to become cynical to the Church, but to acknowledge the reasons Christianity is presented as it is and to find your own way to find meaning and connectivity in religion.

The second half of the presentation introduced a way of thinking that I hadn't previously encountered. Don suggested that we consider our lives as a story, with a beginning, conflict, resolution (hopefully), and an end. When we face decisions about what we are doing with our life, it helps to consider ourselves as a character in a story. What would make a good story? What are the dreams and fears of the character? Conflicts that occur should be welcomed as friends because they make a story great. Living for a dream, having a purpose, makes the story meaningful. Every minute of every day we're writing our stories. I have thought these last few days about if my life has been a good story so far. There have been some dreams, some fears, some successes as well as failures, and I think it's going well so far. These next few years are exciting times, greaduating college and moving on to another chapter. We'll see what drama and suspense, as well as meaningful content and growth they bring with them.