06/10/2016
From Pastor Tom VanDerMeid
"Live Big Lives"
Sean Smith had what most people would consider a dream job. He was a journalist covering the film industry. He was good at what he did and was paid well, but as the years passed he found himself increasingly dissatisfied with his life and his work. Smith describes his feelings like this:
Writing about Hollywood is like being a reporter at Disneyland. At first, you can’t believe that you get to spend every day in The Happiest Place on Earth. Everyone wants to ask you about your work. You’re surrounded by princesses, and the sky sparkles with pixie dust. But as the years go on, you learn about the oily machinery that manufactures all that enchantment. You see what Cinderella’s really like when that glass slipper comes off. And then one day you notice that the magic is gone, and all you’re left with is a small, small world. (Newsweek)
He travelled to India to do an interview with Angelina Jolie and found inspiration from what she told him. He writes: So I was seeking something authentic when I arrived in India, and I got more than I bargained for. A reported 43 percent of Mumbai’s 18 million people live in slums, and the depth of poverty is soul-sickening. By the time I met with Jolie, I felt raw and rattled, and I was eager to learn how she coped with this kind of suffering in her role as a U.N. ambassador. She said it was painful, yes, but it wasn’t debilitating because she was active. Her work was bringing attention to crises in the world. “If I couldn’t do that I don’t know how I’d be around it, because I’d feel helpless,” she told me as we drove through the city. “You know, we all go through stages in our life where we feel lost, and I think it all comes down to having a sense of purpose. When I was famous for just being an actress, my life felt very shallow. Then when I became a mom and started working with the U.N., I was happy. I could die and feel that I’d done the right things with my life. It’s as simple as that.”
Those thoughts stayed with Sean, and four years later he came to the realization that if he was willing to make a few sacrifices, he could find his sense of purpose and engage himself in work that would feel meaningful and be helpful to others. He decided to quit his 13-year career as an entertainment journalist, gave away most of what he owned and at the age of 43, and joined the Peace Corps. After more than a decade in the most glamorous theme park on earth, he chose to make his world big again.
I believe that is a modern parable. All of us live in worlds that are far too small. We tend to give ourselves to pursuits that are trivial and inconsequential. We get caught up in concerns that in the whole scheme of things, really don’t matter.
God calls us to live big lives. He wants us to invest ourselves in things that really matter and make a lasting difference.
Our Young Adult Bible Study has been focusing on the problem of extreme poverty. We watched a video series based on the book by Rich Stearns, called, “The Hole in the Gospel.” It is a powerful presentation of God’s love for the poorest of the poor and how the church has largely ignored God’s call to love our neighbors in need.
We want to do something to help and would like to invite you to join us. We will start by doing a car wash on Saturday, June 30th to raise some money. As in years past we will offer it free to the public and ask people to make a pledge for every car we wash. We are also looking for volunteers from the church to help us wash cars.
This is just a start at enlarging our world and making a lasting difference. Let’s join together in answering God’s call to live big lives that find meaning and purpose in helping others.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Tom
