I started an online course yesterday on the history of world architecture. It’s a topic about which I know next to nothing, which is one reason I decided to try it. Another reason is that it’s free, one of the many classes over at EdX.org.
The third reason is perhaps the most important one. I’ve reached that point in middle age where new names escape me, and at least once a day I can’t remember where I put something.
I need to exercise my brain, engaging it in ideas that lie outside my usual paths of thinking. That may not be comfortable–weak muscles tend to ache as they grow stronger–but it’s something I need to do.
Something like this is needed in my spiritual life as well. To “step out in faith” I need to move outside of my comfort zone, to realize that I am called to do more than live safe and snuggly in a bubble of Christian community.
God calls us to serve Christ in the poor, the lonely, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned, and the helpless–and that requires walking down paths that are bumpy and sometimes unpleasant. It would be more comfortable to stay home and read a nice, uplifting spiritual book.
I have to actively push myself toward the paths of service that challenge me. I’ve gotten to where helping the hungry, sick, and lonely is almost automatic; the poor and imprisoned remain harder. Which of Christ’s calls to action are hardest for you? And what has helped you grow stronger in His service?
