A cycle is a wonderful thing. Full of symbolism and personal meaning that can be so easily grasped. Just look around, circles are everywhere--in our manmade structures, our technologies and the organic world. We identify a wedding ring for commitment, gathering a circle of close friends. And in nature, the rain cycle drops much needed moisture, only to make the long journey back to its beginning through evaporation.
Right now, I'm interested in our cycles of faith.
We all tend to think linearly about life in general. We're born, we grow and we learn along the way. We encounter trauma and we stumble badly. Then with God's rich understanding, compassion and grace, we get back up and try again. But our lives have a shelf life, and the learning is typically hard work. There's only so much time and energy given to walk through all this stuff.
Then we reach our earthly end.
Of course as believers, we have great hope in an eternal outcome, but painting that earthly picture in such vivid detail can make the journey seem so arduous...like we're stuck on a personal/relational treadmill. Successes - yes, but so many failures too. And then there's change. Love it or leery of it, it's coming and it's constant. Our fear or denial of it doesn't change the change.
Hang on, really, I'm trying to help here.
Maybe instead of a great, straight, rigid line stretching from beginning to end, we should think, hope and practice in cycles. A circle endlessly repeats itself, but a cycle seems like a segment - a story, with so much variation and possibilities. Maybe it's like a great ocean wave - an OPEN circle. It has an origin, builds up momentum, spins in a circle, but then breaks on the beach. Yes it does repeat itself, but in a different and organic fashion next time and every time.
Also, I think our American and western culture views our lives mainly as a competitive human race, full of individualism and bravado. But instead of a 100 yard straight line sprint, shouldn't our faith be a graceful, curved path? (Yes, we all NEED more grace!) The curves allow us to get a more rounded view of ourselves and others, with inclusion in community - without needing to look back over our shoulders. And maybe more importantly, a slower pace around the edges provides some rest for our weary souls - time to exchange stress for that joy and all other good Spirit fruits so beautifully promised to us in the Word of God.
So let's relax, we've been here before, haven't we?
And this time we can break through! Is there a crash? Hit the reset button and begin again. And again. And again. Maybe we can view failure in a different light - without ANY guilt and shame! Maybe we can view cycles as a refresher course, that really is refreshing. Time spent walking and talking with God once again. He is more than just interested. He is fully invested in our success.
About the Author
Terry is a man in constant motion to explore new horizons. He has a thirst for new places and faces, and a deep love for the natural world - with a weakness for waterfalls and sunsets. All of this venturing out helps to both ground and inspire him, because it opens him up to people, with their vast, collective array of experiences, outlooks and responses.
He finds all of this fascinating and sees that it has encouraged the growth of something crucial in his Christian development: empathy and compassion toward his brothers and sisters on this planet.