ad·ven·ture
/adˈven(t)SHər, ədˈven(t)SHər/
noun - an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks.
Every once in a while, it's a healthy practice to look back on where you've been, enjoy the highlights, learn from the disappointments and failures, and reflect on what got you here. When I started writing this article for the newsletter almost 4 years ago, I made the choice to use a line from one of my favorite Pixar movies, Up, as a final flourish and sign-off, and the name stuck. Reflecting on that choice of words, I have wondered if the title has served its purpose, if it still fits, and what encouragement it can still express to hearers, regardless of what format this bit of communication may take.
What is the nature of an adventure? You've got Webster's definition above...an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. It's the heroic episodes of the characters of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, Rowling's Harry Potter and Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather saga. It's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It's Tintin and Katniss Everdeen and Sherlock Holmes. These characters have exciting lives full of danger, struggle, loss, and quite often, victory. Their stories are inspirational, and make us feel a longing to be in their shoes, to experience the zest of a life well-lived. We live vicariously through them, even as we sit comfortably on our couches, a world away from their struggles and triumphs.
The ancient stories of God certainly fit within the genre of adventure stories. Using our roaming ears on our whistle stop tour through the Bible these past few weeks, we have heard of the wondrous tales of Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the children of Israel during the Exodus, the exploits of the 12 spies in Canaan, the intrigue of Rahab's turning against her native city to follow God, Gideon's fleece and conquest of the Midianites. This is to say nothing of the many other characters from the Bible and their stories that are ahead in our journey. If that weren't enough, we also have the godly examples of those who came after Paul and early church, from Polycarp to Cyril, Ambrose to Augustine, Martin and Katie Luther, CFW Walther, and the list goes on. Their stories can encourage us and inspire us to walk with Jesus where we are, in much different circumstances than they probably could have ever imagined.
In light of all of these fantastic stories, it can be easy to look at our own lives and wonder how our stories could even come close to containing even a sliver of the kind of life-giving adventure that these heroes of the faith experienced. We participate in their stories without going anywhere, doing anything, and often without leaning into the abundant life our heroes and heroines experienced personally. There is a rich story of steadfast trust in God woven in to the warp and woof of the Biblical narrative, and all of the most admirable people in the Bible are known to live and walk "by faith" (Hebrews 11). If we read this grand narrative as it's intended, God intends our response to be "I long for my faith to be strong like that. God, grant me strength and wisdom to walk with you like that!" The writer of Hebrews rightly points in this direction, too: "As you carefully observe the outcome of [your leaders'] lives, imitate their faith" (13:7b). There is adventure in their faithful exploits.
All of these bits of truth lead to a very poignant and crucial question: "Why don't I see more of that kind of adventure in my life?" Maybe your immediate and visceral response to that question is akin to something like, "MORE adventure in my life? Are you crazy? I feel like every day I face the shifting landscape of another jungle, and it's a pretty good day if I can hack my way through it, survive the multitude of deadly critters and make it home in time for dinner. More adventure? No thanks! I'll take a pass!" Some days certainly feel like that. I have those days, too.
But more often than not, I find that my response could be better described as longing or wistfulness. "I wish there was more adventure in my life. Overall, I lead a pretty routine life. Nothing particularly special, and nothing truly spectacular. Nobody would call me an adventurer!" It reminds me of another Pixar favorite of mine, a short called "Inner Workings" that ran before the feature-length movie Moana. The protagonist has to be forced by his internal organs to get on with a very hum-drum, boring life, with certain death lurking behind any deviation from the mechanistic track he's on. He longs for a bit of simple adventure in his life, but is too afraid to follow his heart's impulse to live a little, step just a little out of line, and see what happens. Eventually he does, and his life is richer for it. He doesn't become a pirate or knight or hacker or hobbit or wizard, or some other kind of heroic character, but he's been transformed by a simple act of daring and faith.
Living a mundane, boring life that only consists of routine is not what God desires for His people. He's not necessarily calling us to travel far and wide to seek out adventure in daring and heroic exploits. However, if we have eyes to see and hearts to pay attention, I truly believe we can find adventures in faith in the everyday cadence of interactions He sends us. That adventure can be in our own homes and inside a church building. It can be found where we go to school or do our work. It can sometimes be found in the company of those who share hobbies and similar interests, or in the worlds opened up to us by electronic communication and social media. It can be found in the simple pleasantries between neighbors, or just about anywhere. Wherever God is sending you today, adventure can be found. Trust the power of His Spirit to guide you to the conversations He's preparing for you. Trust Him to lead you to live out His image in your contacts with those around you; trust Him to fill your mouth with the words that need to be spoken, and sometimes with the restraint to hold off. Jesus enters the world every day incognito through you and me, and when we embrace that mission He has given us we are bound to find out that...
Adventure is out there!
Pastor Aaron