a future not our own

Five days into the new year, I have finished my first book of 2007, and would like to share with you a poem contained therein by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who was assassinated in 1980 during Mass because he spoke out against human rights abuses. It provides a good frame for thinking about life, ministry, the past, and the future. Maybe sometime down the road I will also post some reflections about the book too. But for now, I give you "A Future Not Our Own".

It helps, now and then, to step back
And take the long view
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts
It is beyond our vision

We accomplish in our life time only a tiny fraction of
The magnificent enterprise that is God’s work
Nothing we do is complete
Which is another way of saying
That the kingdom always lies beyond us

No statement says all that could be said
No prayer fully expresses our faith
No confession brings perfection
No set of goals and objectives includes everything

This is what we are about
We plant seeds that one day will grow
We water seeds already planted,
Knowing that they hold future promise
We lay foundations that will need further development
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities

We cannot do everything
And there is a sense of liberation in realizing that
This enables us to do something,
And to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
An opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results
We are prophets of a future not our own.

And here's one other quote (sorry, couldn't help myself)

“God, the good King, is present—working from the inside. The King is in the kingdom, and the kingdom is among us here and now—for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. The King is present in the mess and chaos of everyday life on earth, bringing healing, sight, perception, liberation, wholeness, wholesomeness, movement, health, fullness, liberation, fullness, nourishment, sanity, and balance. The incursion of the kingdom of God has begun. We are under a gentle, compassionate assault by a kingdom of peace and healing and forgiveness, and life." -Brian McLaren