October
1, 1995
Wanting
is a part of living. Wanting is part of
the way God made us. In The Garden of
Eden, however apocryphal that story may be, Adam and Eve wanted the apple of
the knowledge of good and evil before they decided to disobey God and taste
it. Being in Paradise,
having all their needs met, was not good enough for them. But God made them so -- made us so.
Therefore, if we would change the world, it
will be futile for us to try to persuade people to ignore their wants and be
grateful that their needs are being met.
We must want change more than we want comfort. If we are to have a more peaceful society, we
must want peace more than we want to avoid the inconvenience of working for
it. If we are to have a more just
society, we must want justice more than we want to avoid the controversy and
isolation that struggle often brings.
And if we are to serve God or Christ to our fullest capacity, we must,
as Christ did, regard fulfillment of our mission, as God gives to us to
perceive that mission, as more important than life itself.
