It's been a long time, and I don't know where you are or what you are doing today, but you've come to my mind lately. It's been years since our college days, but back then, you were indeed one of my closest friends. We would hang out, play basketball or throw the football around and I would patiently listen to you extol the virtues and super-human abilities of John Elway. I wonder what you think of Peyton Manning. We would make fun of Todd Hawkins' lack of ability to make a funny joke. The thing that I've thought of the most though, was our talks about faith.
We were teenagers then both longing for something more. We found it in faith, and we would often ask questions and share beliefs. We were doing theology back then, but we didn't know it. We didn't realize that we were having Calvinist vs. Arminian arguments. We didn't know terms like theology of atonement, Christian existentialism and postliberal theology. We didn't understand the meaning of hermeneutics, exegesis, and dogmatics. We didn't have any of the vocabulary that's proffered though a seminary education, but we talked. I always found our conversations to be captivating. I felt like I was getting closer to God.
Here I am now, twenty years later. I've never stopped asking those questions. I'm still doing theology. I've had a twelve-year career in parish ministry and still feel called everyday to minister to the sick, the poor, and the afflicted. I still feel that need to understand and share the gospel message. I'm still captivated.
I'm preparing for another transition in my life. I served six years in the place we called home. As beautiful and peaceful as those old, old mountains were, I was stifled. I needed to get out. I've served six years in Texas. It was the right place at the right time. God knew some personal upheaval was coming so He put me where I could get the support I needed. As my marriage failed, my church family kept me close and loved me through it. My time in Maryland had caused me to lose faith in the church. Texas gave me that faith back. Now I'm packing up for Louisiana, and what I hope is the final stop in my journey.
I don't know what the future may hold, but I know that years of ministry all across our country all started with two teenage friends who talked a lot about God. I don't know why we lost touch. Maybe that is just the way of things. At any rate, I felt it important at this time in my life to tell you thanks. I appreciate all of those talks. I may have flunked out of my classes at Radford, but I did learn a lot about who I was supposed to be. You helped me get on my path more than you know. In this world today, everyone is so selfish. I just thought you should know that you made a difference for someone along the way. I hope all is well with you and your family. It must be a great time to be a Denver Broncos fan.
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