Fearless Faith

Etched into the mature growth of our north pasture are an assortment of livestock trails. Some are quite direct while others aimlessly meander, unhurried in their roles. Most are quite narrow reflecting the tendency of the animals to walk in single file. Over time, dirt is displaced and erosion steps in to make sure each trail also exhibits depth. How deep? Just enough to bounce the truck once or twice if we’re not paying attention.

When livestock comes off the pasture, little change is seen until seemingly overnight the grass has encroached on the paths once more. It is a small thing and yet it reminds us that time and seasonal cycles continue to prod us forward. Our past aides in establishing direction affecting current practice. If we pay close attention, there will also be something to be learned for future generations by augmenting what we already know.

Through it all, change remains a constant, especially while navigating paths of theological inquiry. In contrast, The Word is often portrayed as static and unchanging, though it can be a valid emotional refuge for some and a salve for others from an unyielding past. Some are concerned that the institutional church can no longer accommodate or engage the many cultural viewpoints that are laid on its doorstep each day. It is a challenge of no small proportion to listen, allowing God’s presence to make its own statement even as division appears rife inside and outside the church politic.

If we are inclined to follow paths of old, there are many helpful lessons and stories we can share. What if we get it wrong about what is sound or unsound? Can we not be encouraged by the presence of missionaries other than Paul, named and unnamed, that were also doing “God’s work?” Ego driven as the church has become, there is still room for a stroll down a winding path that others have built for this very time and age. That might not set well with churches who embrace a strict mandate in edifying the church, and each must decide where their focus lies without declaring answers to questions yet unstated.

The pasture will heal itself as time slips by. Paths that were sharply defined will revert to pasture grass once more. Wildlife other than our horses will take advantage of the paths already laid down, and new ones will appear in short order. We’ll still cast a wary eye at badger holes that seem to appear out of nowhere. Pheasants, killdeer, and lark buntings will make themselves at home, and occasional coyotes will hang around hoping for a rabbit or two.

As the grasses mature for another summer season, we will continue to use a few of the paths while charting some of our own. We are grateful for the work of others in establishing the pasture. We are grateful for those with vision that will expand in regard to its uses. We are grateful for the meeting of pasture and sky, and the game trails tell us that there is more going on than meets the eye. And finally, we will leave our own trail for someone else to discover. Let that be our legacy of faith as well.