My newest blog post on DMergent is up. I’ve been working on this one for a few weeks. The ideas started coming up around the end of April with a congregational workshop on family systems theory, looking at the teachings of Edwin Friedman. The other pieces continued to snowball from other experiences here and there. Plus, mashing this up with Goonies was a no brainer. That movie is both awful and fantastic, in its own ways.
Adventure is a tricky concept to define, so I didn’t try to define it. What can be exciting and daring for one community or person might not be for another. But the idea that Friedman seems to tackle is that if you don’t escape a negative cycle with something radical, nothing will change. You could even tie this in with many people who struggle with addiction – unless they really hit bottom or break away from the world that has been supporting their addiction, they will stay trapped.
Shane Claiborne, in his work for nonviolence and peace, often gets asked what he would do if a mob of angry men with machetes ran toward him. He thinks the question itself is crazy, so he says he would start flapping his arms like a chicken, pecking at the ground, and making silly noises. Don’t succumb to the system – don’t respond to violence with more violence. What then will change?
We all need adventure. Don’t be afraid to take the first step. Yes, it’s supposed to be a little scary at first, but adventures are how the world gets changed.
