I learned a lot from teaching.
I learned, for example, that questions matter more than answers. I learned that good questions don’t always have one right answer and that answering great questions might lead to some discomfort.
I learned that searching can be scary.
There’s a story about a boy who seems to be looking for something under a streetlight. A man comes along and offers to help.
“Do you have any idea where you dropped it?” the man asks.
“I’m pretty sure it was back there,” says the kid, pointing to a dark area down the street.
So the man asks, “Why are you looking here?”
“Because,” the kid replies, “the light is better here!”
That’s silly, right? Yeah, well, maybe not.
The Pharisees confronted Jesus with a woman caught in adultery. They found their answer to her offense in the safe, familiar light of “law and order.” Easy, in their eyes, to read the words and pronounce sentence.
When they questioned Jesus, He said, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
He asked them to search in a tougher, more dangerous spot: their own hearts. And when they did, when they looked at the sin in their lives, the answer wasn’t quite so clear. One by one, they walked away.
Like those Pharisees, we often look for answers to difficult questions in safe, secure places–even when there’s little hope of success. We do that because we fear change. We’re afraid of new or different. So we search in reliable, recognizable light, knowing the true answer’s likely not there, because we fear the unfamiliar darkness.
Like the Pharisees, we prefer the security of a wrong answer to the fearsome risk of searching for the right one.
Immediately after the story of the woman caught in adultery Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
You and I can stop looking under the dim streetlight of our own safe, comfortable rules and ideas. We can, instead, follow the true light.
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Might help us when a God-sized dream invites us to challenge our limitations and we’re tempted to hang out in the safe, familiar light of our comfort zone.
For several weeks I’ve invited you to consider joining this adventure called FREEDOM TOUR ’17. A bike tour isn’t for everyone, but it might be for you.
It’s not about riding bikes. It’s about joining a community of servant leaders and being part of a story bigger than yourself.
Maybe you don’t ride a bike. Maybe you join the team by driving a SAG (Support And Gear) vehicle. If this idea intrigues you, there’s a spot for you.
This tour asks heart questions that aren’t answered under the streetlight. We search for answers on beautiful Colorado roads amidst sweat and shared sacrifice. It’s a pretty cool way to discover that you might be able to stretch those limitations you were so sure about.
It’s time to jump in. Please visit the website, check out the possibilities, and complete a registration.
http://frontrangefreedomtour.org/