"Boredom vs. Adventure" (Grace Note #12)

 

“Boredom vs. Adventure”

(Grace Note #12)

By Gary L. Clendenon, August 31, 2024

In Psychiatrist Andrew Hodges' 1986 fictional book Jesus: An Interview Across Time, Jesus, in answer to the first question of the interview, speaks to God's lack of popularity: “If God is not very popular today, it is not his fault. It is the people who tell his story. They are using the wrong version.”

“Which version is that?” asks the interviewer. “The boring version.” Jesus replies.

Over 2,000 years, some of us Christians have become a bit too settled into our lives and our version of God's story. We have become much like Bilbo Baggins in the story of The Hobbit who responded to Gandalf's desire to find a hobbit to go on an adventure: “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them. … We don't want any adventures here, thank you!”

Instead of adventure, many of us are tempted to choose the much safer comfort and security of structured routine and, though most of us wouldn't admit to it, eventual boredom. Famous blind woman, Helen Keller had something interesting to say about this path: “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Christian authors John and Stasi Eldredge have written many books that include this theme of adventure. They assert strongly that God created us for adventure and that “Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived.” (1) They quote Oswald Chambers as saying, “...gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation.” (2)

This is a challenging teaching for me, as I tend to be very hobbit-like in my approach to life. Some of you will embrace it with 100% all in, as illustrated by the following quote: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: 'Wow—what a Ride!'

My more gentle approach to this teaching is to become aware that whether I acknowledge it or not, life is an adventure! I want to have that kind of mindset that sees life that way and instead of freaking out at every unexpected thing that pops up, do what my children encouraged me to do: Yell out “Plot twist!” and embrace what comes as part of “The Great Adventure”—trusting that my Heavenly Father is in control and has my back. This, of course, leads me to share with you an awesome, uplifting song by Steven Curtis Chapman—The Great Adventure (Click for song). 

P.S. If you would like some help viewing life as an adventure and/or getting unstuck or out of a rut, I would highly encourage you to consider the “Foundations” weekend seminar. There is actually an upcoming seminar: October 11-13 in Portland, Oregon. Click here for more information. 

FOOTNOTES:

1. Wild at Heart, p. 200.

2. Ibid, p. 209.