There seems to be a burgeoning cottage industry of posters that feature Albert Einstein saying something inspirational. Alas, life can rarely be reduced to a poster, no matter what it says or who supposedly said it. And, in
the matter of Einstein, it turns out he didn’t say a lot of what is supposed (although he did once write that life is like a bicycle).
Part of the Einstein falsification syndrome can be laid at the feet of John Archibald Wheeler, an American theoretical physicist who had a gift for reducing complex ideas to simple words or slogans (for instance, he coined the term “black hole”). Einstein and Wheeler worked together at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, where they had many, many conversations about physics, and from these conversations Wheeler came up with three axioms to sum up Einstein’s attitude toward science and life:
Out of clutter find simplicity.
From discord make harmony.
And this one:
Regardless of who first said that “in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity,” this one strikes a chord – actually, it sounds a whole symphony – within my own life of faith. It is a potent reminder to me that struggle cannot be avoided, that there is no detour in life or faith around hardship, and, crucially, that hardship is not the end of the story.
Following Jesus helps us understand this way of life as almost nothing else can. In a culture that turns away from hard things, Christian faith does not focus on butterflies and daffodils. We are offered the cross as the sign that God’s love endures forever. We are assured that death is the way to life. As Jesus taught us, hardship – in whatever form it may take – does provide opportunity for larger choices, deeper reflection, and closer discipleship with the one who gives us life. Truly, being with God in hardship is so much better than being apart from God in comfort.
As Kareem Abdul Jabbar is fond of reminding us, “Turns out that comfort doesn’t shape us. Friction does. Who knew?”
So, to answer the question in our current blog theme – Is Deeper Faith Formation Possible in a Culture of Shallow Distractions? – of course it is possible, as long as we focus on the opportunities all around us and do not busy ourselves in building detours to escape the hard parts. Every one of us can understand the temptation to take detours. Life is hard, and it presents difficulties way more often than we want to admit. The work of ministry is stressful. Relationships get strained and need attention. Worries over … well, pick a category … are persistent. Who among us hasn’t thought, “Can I just catch a break and have some time to coast?”
But it turns out that friction, not coasting, is where the opportunity for deep faith formation lies.
Opportunity to ask harder questions.
Opportunity to become better leaders.
Opportunity to take God’s hope out for a test drive and see what it can do in a world like ours.
Opportunity to address the present moment with honesty and without sanding down its rough edges.
Opportunity to trust God in hardship. All of it. Every time.
When we choose this path of leadership and service, we might be surprised that the shallow distractions evaporate as we experience the joy of being deeply formed and led by the God who loves us.
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever had an inspirational poster you really liked? What about it led you to like it?
What is the connection between hardship and opportunity in your life?
What role does “friction” play in your relationship with God?
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