A taste of joy
I’m haunted by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Wind, Sand, and Stars. I first read it a few years ago, but it won’t leave me alone. In spite of what I would call the short-comings of his philosophy, there are passages in it that draw me back again and again—the way a piece of music sometimes grabs hold of something deep within me and won’t let go. I sit and read those passages over and over (often outloud—to myself), and I ache. Maybe this is what C. S. Lewis called Sehnsucht, or longing—that unanswerable, aching desire in us that points to another world for its fulfillment….
My delightful experience in Omaha this month left its mark on me, and it continues to percolate in my heart. There was something about the fellowship that we shared and the encouragement that I felt—and it was all the more odd because I had never met these brothers before, and may never see them again on this side of the Jordan. Maybe what we shared was a taste of the reality pointed to by this snippet from Saint-Exupéry:
We forget that there is no hope of joy except in human relations. If I summon up those memories that have left me with an enduring savour, if I draw up the balance sheet of the hours in my life that have truly counted, surely I find only those that no wealth could have procured me.
It was certainly a gift from God….
[...] Kris had some kind & encouraging words (see also here) relative to his trip to Omaha for the church conference. Since those referenced are regular readers/commentors on this site I figured I’d pass it on… “Last weekend I spoke at a conference at the Omaha Bible Church on the topic of our struggle against sin. They even interviewed me for a radio program, and you can listen to it here. I didn’t know what to expect when I went, but by the time it ended I was wishing I didn’t have to leave. It’s hard to remember a time that I’ve been treated so graciously. They were enthusiastic students of God’s word, and they opened their hearts to me. [...]