A Grand and Noble "Era"

June 16, 2007|Davis, CA—I sit here on this couch and look around at our semi-cluttered living room. I look at these walls, these pictures, these shoes. I hear the song "Beautiful One" playing in the background. In all these things, I remember how good it was to have been a part of such a grand, noble era. I feel the weight of sadness as I realize that this grand era, this house, this community, as an emergent beacon of light from the norm of typical college life is come to a close; it has ended; the chapter has changed. While I was in it and a part of it, I took it for granted. The last year and a half I took it for granted. I will learn never to do that again.

I remember the music, the people, the sounds of guitar, the sight of food, the smell of cooking. I have been so privilaged to have been a part of and pioneer of this era. It was not anything expected; a few others and I simply had a shared desire to use this house for its given purpose: To be a beacon of light and refreshment to all who entered the house. We did that by our collective desire and pursuit of God. We did it by asking God to profoundly impact others through our acts of service. Our acts of service were these: Cooking for others, cleaning for others, talking with others, making music with others, having Bible studies with others, praying with others, going out of our way to serve and help others, suspending "important" tasks we were doing and pushing through times we felt tired. We even did all these things while we did not have an entirely "Christian" household! I did my part with my abilities, and others joined in to help; others did their part with their abilities, and I joined to help. It was simple: we were fiercely unified in love for one another—a band of brothers—and we served with our capabilities, both when we felt like it and when we didn't, because it was good and right—it was Christlike.

God help me remember that the Spirit of the universe—the Spirit of unending goodness—lives in me and acts through me, from the smallest of deeds to the greatest. With prayer and love expressed through service and words, this God who lives in me can burgeon a light, a movement, once more, though it may not have the same faces, it will be just as powerful none-the-less, and will bless those who those who are touched by it and those who choose to be a part of it. I began this entry two hours ago deplete with sadness, but end it with hope and joy as I realize this profound truth: The grand, noble Era is in me; the Movement is in us.