Finding Our One Thing

This week's texts are Mark 8:27-38 and James 3:1-12

The Mark text tell us to "take up our cross." I preached the Matthew version of this text last year. Afterwards, I had several conversations with folks who essentially asked, "But really, what does it mean to take up my cross?" 

This year in tackling the same words from a different gospel, I'm reminded of the quote from the missionary Jim Eliot, "He is no fool who would choose to lose a thing he cannot keep to buy a thing he could never lose." Twila Paris wrote a song inspired by that quote (an oldy from the 1990's) entitled "He is no fool." In this song, she weaves the stories of the missionary Jim Elliot who was killed by the people to whom he felt called to bring the gospel and the story of Eric Liddell, the runner who refused to run on the Sabbath. Eric's story is recounted in the movie Chariots of Fire.  

Both of these stories seem extreme perhaps in answer to "what does it mean to take up my cross?" However, they are examples of people who were clear in their own ethic, their convictions and their priorities. Their crosses were both counter cultural and driven by their faith. 

In contrast to last week's text where Jesus is challenged to let go of his convictions - in particular the Jewish understand of cleanliness and belonging - here we are challenged to hold onto what is most important. So then, what is most important? 

I remember the scene from City Slickers (again an oldy from the 1990's) where three men from the city go on an adventure vacation to move cattle out west. Billy Crystal plays a man named Mitch. There is a scene where Mitch is talking to a cowboy named Curly about the meaning of life. Curly says the meaning of life is "one thing. If you stick to it, everything else falls into place." Mitch asks, "Yea, but what's the one thing?" Curly says, "that's what you have to find out." Here's the clip. 

I'm wondering if to take up one's cross is similar to finding that one thing. Jesus had a specific task, a specific calling, a unique calling. But so do we, don't we? We have specific gifts; we live in specific circumstances. What are those circumstances and gifts telling us about our "one thing" or our "cross?" How do the gifts that God has given us and our current circumstances guide us into the choices we make? What are we living our lives for? What are the most important things that drive us? 

In any congregation, there is the potential of a missionary like Jim Elliot or a runner like Eric Liddell. And most importantly, there are pews full of people asking the same question as Mitch, "what's the meaning of life?" 

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