Sometimes I trick myself into thinking I have an external hard drive. Not one that sits on my desk serving my computer by providing a little more space for data but rather one that travels with me and serves my everyday walking around life by providing me a little extra time for the things I need to accomplish. When I’m in this place of deception I say “yes” to things I have no real time for in my actual life and I live as though there is always more time to cram one more thing into my schedule. When I am in this place of deception I live as though I am not limited to the 24 hours that everyone else is given but actually have five extra hours stored in some secret place. Perhaps you know this strain of deception…perhaps you have told yourself lately that you can actually do everything and that you can supernaturally cram more into your life than everyone else.
There are several downsides and even sinful sides to this deception. First and foremost it’s a deception. We actually all have the same amount of hours and space in our lives as everyone else who has ever lived. There is no external hard drive for time and space in our lives… not for you and not for me. And living in this deception breeds constant frustration because something in us knows that we are trying to cram one more thing into a life that has no more room. Like an overstuffed suitcase we feel the strain on our hinges and yet we slip in another thing and then spend our time and energy trying to get the latch to close… all the while hoping the hinges will hold for just a little while longer.
Perhaps the biggest deception of living a life that pretends it has an unlimited amount of time is that when we hear the call of God upon our lives we trick ourselves into believing it can just be added on to our already overstuffed lives. We try to feed the poor in our spare time. We try to squeeze in justice on the weekends and racial reconciliation at lunch. We try to love and serve the world in sound bites rather than in conversation with it and we try to live a life of significance in seconds. And we wonder why being obedient to God’s call feels so frustrating and exhausting. But we power through because we know it’s one of the essentials and traveling with out it does often feel like we’ve packed for a trip but forgotten our toothbrush.
Would you consider that busyness rather than outright sinfulness is the biggest threat to following God’s call upon our lives? Is it true that we have been trying to cram the call of God into too small a space? Is it possible that something in your life and in your schedule has to be let go so that you can truly travel in the way God intends?
For Christmas I received an under-the-sink composting bin. Maybe it wasn’t on your list (it wasn’t on mine either), but I was delighted to receive it. I had been thinking for some time about God’s call upon my life to be a good steward of His creation. I had been recycling in Chicago’s blue bins but that was about it When I received the composting bin I felt God calling me to up my commitment to caring for creation. Like many of you I had a few days off over Christmas and during that time when my work life was less intense I composted religiously. So consistent was I that if I mindlessly tossed an apple core into the trash I would go back and dig through the garbage, retrieve the core, and with a sense of great satisfaction and moral superiority add it to the composting bin.
I’d like to say that I’ve remained that consistent. However, just two days back into a busy schedule my compost bin was empty and my trash full. It wasn’t a defiant action. I didn’t say, “Take that earth! I don’t care about you I can consume you and not care for you!” Rather it was busyness rather than outright sinfulness that left me less than consistent. Come to find out God’s call takes up real time and it cannot just be crammed into an already limited amount of space in my schedule.
Let me speak the truth. You and I simply can’t put our faith into action if we have no time. Being kind takes time, feeding the hungry requires time, listening to God takes time, composting takes time, visiting someone in prison requires actual rather than virtual space in our lives. This month as we talk about God’s call to “Go” I urge you not to fall into the deception that the call upon your life can be crammed into an already over full schedule. You do not have an external hard drive and the hinges will eventually break. So would you consider with me making some actual space for the calling of God upon your life?
This morning in Chapel we begin our celebration of Black History Month by hearing God word for us through Lisa Sharon Harper. Lisa is a freelance writer, award-winning playwright, poet, public speaker and consultant who specializes in ethnic reconciliation and human rights. Lisa is currently Executive Director of NY Faith and Justice, a fellowship of Christian churches, organizations and individuals dedicated to following Christ, uniting the church and ending poverty. Guided by the vision of Isaiah 61, NY Faith and Justice is a 100% volunteer-based faith movement bridging multiple divides within the church through education, spiritual formation and public policy advocacy. Lisa will tell you this calling was not crammed into a full life, but that she rearranged her actual life for this calling. This morning we will also come around the Lord’s Table together to meet with God, to hear his call and declare our commitment to making actual time and space for God to work through us.
With much gratitude for the actual time and space you gave me this past week to be with you face to face.
