ALONG THE WAY

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

I am intrigued by life with its many twists and turns.


We both grew up in the same home town. Graduated from the same high school. Attended the same conservative church. Graduated from the same conservative Christian college.

He did his graduate work at a very liberal university. I attended and graduated from a more conservative university but more liberal than the college where I did my undergraduate work.

I spent almost fifty years as a pastor. He spent that same number of years as a university professor.

Today I consider myself conservative politically and religiously--conservative but not an extreme conservative.

The professor describes himself as very liberal in both areas.

I guess it's the word very that puzzles me. Why very liberal. How did it happen? Why did it happen?

Is being very liberal a bad thing? Not necessarily. But it can be. It usually is! That is, it usually is--in my opinion.

I woke up this morning with a passion to know and understand. We come running or stumbling out of our homes and into "the world." What happens along the way to cause us to become liberal or conservative? What causes us grow in faith--or to lose it altogether?

Along the way. What happens? I would really like to  know.