Utopia Lost

"One of the seductions that bedevils Christian formation is the construction of utopias, ideal places where we can live totally and without inhibition or interference the good and blessed and righteous life. The imagining and then attempted construction of such utopias is an old habit of our kind. Sometimes we attempt it politically in communities, sometimes socially in communes, sometimes religiously in churches. It never comes to anything but grief. Utopia is literally, 'no-place.' But we can live our lives only in actual place, not in an imagined or fantasized or artificially fashioned place." (Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places - Eugene Peterson, p. 73)

I've been thinking about this quote a lot lately. So much of my religious experience has been focused on something out there (heaven, a move of the Spirit, church unity, etc.), rather than considering that God may be working in the middle of my current space, circumstance, and even mess. Peterson writes again, "It is so easy to get excited and enthusiastic about the gospel outside our gardens. But it is in our gardens that we have been placed."

A little over a year ago, I was talking with some friends in a small group meeting about how difficult life seemed at times. As we shared our struggles, it occurred to me that these difficulties were actually the grace of God in our lives, not its absence. My statement went something like this, "Isn't it gracious of God that He has withheld from us what we thought we wanted so badly. Because, in doing so, He has shown us what we desired apart from Him. It would have been God's judgment in our lives to give us what we thought we wanted, but withhold Himself."

So, how does that relate to my garden? I often find myself (and others) getting offended at one another. This leads to any number of vices (gossip, blame, hatred, self-pity, unforgiveness, etc.). However, I think our temptation is to think that what God wants to give us is the ability to not be offended (and for others not to be offended by us). Sounds almost "Utopian". You know, kind of a Chip and Dale relationship (not the dancers, but the cartoon characters). "No, no! I insist. You first". Anyway, so I've been thinking that maybe God doesn't want to give us an Utopian inability to be offended or offend, but rather something better. What would that look like?

"walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:1b-2)

So, it seems that what God wants for us (what we are called to) is humility, gentleness, patience, and learning to bear with one another. All that requires being offended. You have to get on my nerves for me to learn how to bear with you. You have to push me to the limit, so that I learn gentle patience. So, be offended. It's good for you. How else are you going to grow in humility, gentleness, patience, and love?