The Process of a Prophet
Most people know the story about Jesus where He goes back to his home town and people say things like, “Isn’t that Joseph the Carpenter’s son? Who does He think He is?” and Jesus says, “A prophet is never accepted in his home town.” Kind of like when you see a film that says “Directed by Ron Howard”, do you think,” A great director with a long track record of great films” or “Little Opie on The Andy Griffith Show”?
The first taste most people get of this is going to college. You get to start life again with a blank slate. You have no history. There are no defining moments for people to identify you by — yet. The question is, are you going to build on what you’ve learned about life so far or continue to make the same mistakes? I think that opportunities like that are good in that we are freed from the “unjustified boxes” that people put us in. For example, at the church I grew up in, I will always be “the Ennis boy” no matter how old I am. But since then, I’ve moved on, “grown in stature and wisdom” and been able to serve in other churches in a greater capacity. Now some people do this to escape their own “justified boxes” — AKA: running from your problems. They dig themselves into a hole and then split the scene — only to dig a similar hole where ever they end up next.
Either way, where ever you end up, realize that sooner than later you WILL have a defining moment. Be yourself but careful and wise about how you will be defined. A couple bad days can easily create a box. Ask what God is teaching you and how you can grow in Christ by being where you are. Careful now, growing in Christ isn’t just about you — it’s about serving in the Kingdom.
October 3rd, 2005 at 2:07 pm
pshhh I’m a celebrity at my college.
First day I walk on campus people are chanting “esh esh esh esh”
bwahahahahaha
October 5th, 2005 at 7:46 am
this is one reason i encourage people to go to college far from home. not just an hour or two but like several states away. this way they can’t run home everytime there is a problem or they need their laundry done
first they learn to take care of themselves without the safety net of their family and it helps them to learn who they are apart from the social expectations they grew up with.
secondly i encourage them to get envolved in a local church so that they no longer consider thier home church as thier church but the local church in thier college town as thier home church.
it doesn’t solve the “the ennis boy” problem but it helps cause the youngperson has been outon their own and have formed their own identity.
October 5th, 2005 at 12:37 pm
out-of-state is a nice theory, however the majority of people cannot afford the extremely high out-of-state tuition.
IMO if you cannot form your own identity within your own home, then there are issues at home that should be dealt with.
October 5th, 2005 at 1:52 pm
Esh, you have a point when it comes to small towns but living in metro Atlanta and its homogenous communities you can move 30 minutes away and start a whole new life if you want to. The world has gotten smaller but it is still possible.
October 5th, 2005 at 3:33 pm
i am not saying anyhting bad about people who stay instate for school.
in my context teens who stay close to home and go to school even if they go down to blacksburg most of them come home on the weekends and don’t make a life for themselves but thos who go out of state do.
this is not 100% of course but my experience here in washington dc metro area and the people i know from my days in sandy springs, ga.