A Part of the Grand Story

Tomorrow we inaugurate the 44th President of the United States. This event is always filled with meaning...and a wonderful demonstration of the health of our democracy. Once again, we will show the world that the people of the United States have chosen a new leader. And the old leader will step away from power and the bright lights to live as a citizen.

One of the things that makes this inauguration particularly meaningful is that the new President is African American. Standing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, Barak Obama talked about how American is still a place where anything is possible. For a large segment of the American population, whose heritage includes being enslaved, the fact that the President is African American carries with it a depth of emotion that is difficult for most white Americans to understand.

One of the things that it highlights is the fact that each of us wants our lives to be somehow connected to the "grand story" of our times and of history itself. We yearn to have significance in the world. We want our lives to count.

There are several tragedies in life. The first is to think that our lives are insignificant. That we are not important enough, strong enough, smart enough or talented enough to make a difference in the grand scheme of things. We live our lives on the sidelines, never getting involved, never taking risks to make things different than they are today. The end result is a life of boredom and shadow living.

The second tragedy is to decide that there is no real "grand story." The result is that we live without context, and without a need to make an impact in anyone's life. We choose to live selfishly, doing what benefits ourselves and gives little thought to other people. We'll cheat and lie and claw our way to what we want...all at the expense of others. It's an "eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" mentality. Such a person contributes little to the lives of others. A society of these people will only survive if the fences are tall and strong, because there will be no trust and no desire to know one's neighbor.

The third tragedy is invest one's life in the wrong "grand story." Think of those who invested their lives to create Nazi Germany or Stalinst Russia. These people generally felt that the time like they are causing humanity to "progress" when in actually they were ruining the lives of others. The destruction these people leave in their wakes staggers the imaginations. This is the tragedy of the instigators of 9/11.

This week we will be looking a the true grand story that we are all invited to be a part of. In Romans 8:18-25, Paul waxes almost poetic as he describes the reality of life. He speaks of the beginning and end of the story and helps us understand our important and vital role in the plot of this story. In fact, we have lead roles in this grand drama.

Come this Sunday and discover more.