Remember But Move On

My  brother is the genius of my family of origin.  He retired early after a successful business career and has used his retirement years, now a decade long, in publishing four books, learning to paint, and visiting with and enjoying his children and grandchildren.  

All four of his books, two of them novels and two family histories, reflect upon times past.  In one he says he has discovered “time travel,” that ability we all have to look back and remember events of the past, bringing them to life again in writing, story- telling,  and even painting.

What I appreciate about my brother is that he visits the past, but does not get stuck there.  He continues to enjoy the present, spending time with family and enjoying the gifts of today.  If he worries about tomorrow he doesn’t tell me (although knowing our family genes I suspect he is prone to worry). If he regrets the past, it is not obvious in his writings which delight in the wit and laughter at growing up and growing older.

I thought of my brother as I was out of the balcony of First Baptist Raleigh on Sunday.  I did some time traveling back with a visit to two churches where I was pastor.  The first visit was a day trip to Roanoke where Betsy and I visited with the current pastor at Calvary Baptist Church and sat in her office which still looked so much the way it did when I was there.  Old memories came to mind and I was tempted to tell stories of the past, but disciplined myself to focus on the present and enjoy the conversation about what’s happening now with her and with the Church.

On Sunday morning Betsy and I worshiped at Greystone Church in Raleigh, seeing old and dear friends and remembering good times past.  At the same time, the sermon reminded us of today’s pressing issues and challenges.  I “time traveled” to the past as I studied each stone in the building and little architectural details, all of which had stories where I could get stuck.  My remembrances kept being interrupted by the fine sermon which called us to relevance in sharing hospitality and understanding its implications now.  Then, on Sunday evening we attended a youth concert where we saw members of  Oxford Baptist Church where I recently completed an interim.  It was good to remember our wonderful times together, but to realize, as I chatted with their new pastor, that times are changing.  He’s the same age as my son!

Tonight I’ll travel back to Raleigh First Baptist Church.   There I will stay all night, not in the balcony, but as host to families who are without homes.   FBC Raleigh hosts the Interfaith Hospitality Network one week a year.  They need persons to practice hospitality with these families who are in hard times.   I am glad I did not spend all my time just remembering the past yesterday at Greystone Church.  The pastor reminded me of the precious value of practicing radical hospitality.  Tonight I’ll get to do that from six in the evening until six in the morning, in the present reality of persons who are homeless and need to remember their stories and find reason to hope for better stories in the future.