Twenty years ago I left my faith tradition where I had been nurtured. My denomination, my theological framework, my network of mentors and friends all lay in the decision to quit trying to heal a bad church situation in Tucson. We moved back into the first home we had ever purchased and I began to seek ways to survive.
One hot afternoon I slipped alone into a theatre to watch "Forest Gump". It was a masterpiece that told the story of my own life growing up in the south and watching the drama of the sixties and seventies. I am amazed how quickly the time has passed since that movie made such an impact on me that summer. Every song, every political clash, every attitude that existed in those decades helped make the person I am.
I would experience a different faith tradition over the next seven years. One where I was able to function but one that lived in constant fear of the end times. That fear would mark their lives as the century changed, and become a sickening reality on 9/11/2001. Hard to believe thirteen more years have passed since that day, and how we continue to live in the dark shadow of terrorism and religious warfare.
I have managed to stay alive and keep the core faith that initially drew me into discipleship, but I am less captivated with the answers and approaches to the world that both faith traditions continue to practice. I am increasingly living in the evangelical wasteland, longing for a better way to see the future.
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