It was strange how when I was writing my personal story of becoming a fly fisher, I perceived a "Bigger" story trying to merge/emerge with my story. This is a rather bold claim, but I could not deny that the bigger story was at least periodically raising its head, like a sipping trout revealing itself to me.
When I re-told the story of being a boy learning to fly fish a pond I could not but help feel "Something" reminding me of the bigger story of a people wandering in the wilderness looking for the promised land. Is this the story of stories that forms the fabric and foundation of all our personal stories? Was I called to that little valley in New Jersey to learn of a new life? Was I invited there to experience something of Eden? These are some of the questions I tried to address in "Bringing Back Eden."
Such connections to a bigger story ground me and allow me to hope. However if we are going to look at more of the big story, then we are going to have to consider, that at least for some of our life, we will wander and feel lost. The big story in the Biblical narrative states quite clearly that we are in exile, wandering like aliens in a foreign land, awaiting a new kingdom.
Do we feel this alienation?
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your comments above. I too feel only glimpses of the Eden we will eventually experience. We were born into a big story, and we need to find our place in that story. I long for the time when there will be a new heaven and new earth. God will make all things new, and it will be the ultimate Eden. As CS Lewis said, "If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world."