my calling.
frederick buechner says that people find their calling where their deepest joys meet the world's deepest needs.
the world's needs are easy to see. it only takes... once mouse click to the bbc webpage. one international flight. one conversation with sara nelson... and i can see. the world needs clean water and food and shelter and education and good doctors and lots of medicine. the world needs compassion and concern and for people to just shut up and listen. the world needs less ignorance and pride and more humility and awareness. the world needs less snoop dogg and more kanye. the world needs truth. peace. love.
the world needs Jesus. but not so much in a gotellitonthemountain with a megaphone or a felt story board kind of way. more in a dountoothers kind of way.
sometimes i feel stressed about this. here i am. fully aware of what the world needs. a privileged white american with money and resources. but this problem. i don't really want to go to africa and give people clean water. or perhaps this. i would not find my deepest joy living in the middle of nowhere with only large insects and things to keep me company. but what then to do with this burden on my shoulders. the world has needs. can i meet them by being a high school english teacher in suburban america?
then i turn on mtv. and i watch this show called my super sweet 16. and there i run headfirst into my calling. because watching 15-year-old girls wearing $600 shoes whine for a half hour about how loaded and pretty and spoiled they are and how jealous i should be of them makes me realize something very important.
rich white kids need Jesus too.
the world's needs are easy to see. it only takes... once mouse click to the bbc webpage. one international flight. one conversation with sara nelson... and i can see. the world needs clean water and food and shelter and education and good doctors and lots of medicine. the world needs compassion and concern and for people to just shut up and listen. the world needs less ignorance and pride and more humility and awareness. the world needs less snoop dogg and more kanye. the world needs truth. peace. love.
the world needs Jesus. but not so much in a gotellitonthemountain with a megaphone or a felt story board kind of way. more in a dountoothers kind of way.
sometimes i feel stressed about this. here i am. fully aware of what the world needs. a privileged white american with money and resources. but this problem. i don't really want to go to africa and give people clean water. or perhaps this. i would not find my deepest joy living in the middle of nowhere with only large insects and things to keep me company. but what then to do with this burden on my shoulders. the world has needs. can i meet them by being a high school english teacher in suburban america?
then i turn on mtv. and i watch this show called my super sweet 16. and there i run headfirst into my calling. because watching 15-year-old girls wearing $600 shoes whine for a half hour about how loaded and pretty and spoiled they are and how jealous i should be of them makes me realize something very important.
rich white kids need Jesus too.
posted by sara at 4:15 PM
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