Homes are first and foremost places for training in fidelity
Posted by tom | Oct 6, 2008The below quote came through the daily asterisk and underscores the countercultural nature of living in Christ in our homes (and dare I say Christian community) in our time.
The other day, I had a conversation in which I underscored two significant factors in our return to Lancaster County, PA, even the living with and building in the midst of family:
1. the commitment to raise our children with the support of our extended families as we face lingering concerns regarding both my health and Eden's
2. a desire to press forward with the Gospel ministry which we understood God to have entrusted to us (i.e., the devolopment of young/maturing scholars through ESN, the exploration of Graduate & Faculty Ministry conferencing projects which will equip/train followers of Christ in Higher Education to be witnesses in word and deed, and the establishing of witnessing communities of faculty which will creatively challenge and renew/reshape higher education).
Here's some of Norman Wirzba's thoughts from Living the Sabbath: Discovering the Rhythms of Rest and Delight :
Given that homes are first and foremost places for training in fidelity, places in which the wide range of our relationships and responsibilities can become clear, we need to be mindful of the practical conditions necessary for the faithful and celebratory embrace of each other. Would people, simply by looking, see that Christian homes are markedly different in their architectural design, the running of practical affairs, and in the ways they join up with the broader community? Are our homes places wherein we take time to be attentive and responsive to family members, neighbors, local habitats, and communities? Are we intentional about cultivating the skills that equip us to recognize and address need? Most of us would readily admit that in these areas we are seriously deficient. In fact, the notion that we might have the time, patience, and attention to fully be available to each other will strike many as an impossible dream. Our cultural context does not allow it.
