Joe says that its time for me to write a new post. And just for the record, Joe is always right. The good news is that I use this blog as a tool for processing the things that keep me awake at night -- and I have been sleeping well.

However, today someone asked me, "How do you keep from being disillusioned and cynical?" Well, first of all, I'm not sure that I do. But he pressed further, looking for the source of my hopefulness.

Through that conversation I recognized a couple key elements of my life:

• Somehow, I made it this far in life with the belief that I matter and that I really can change the world. Egotistical? probably.
• A peer group of well-read and engaged friends keeps me sharp. They provide a safe space for my cynicism and push back enough to keep me humble (well, relatively).
• In my post-evangelical era, I rarely talk about "calling". However, from a very early age, I have been away of the presence of god in my life and of my need to respond to that call through service. The shape of that service may shift, but the calling remains. Outside of professional ministry, I have the opportunity and responsibility to minister to folks who see no relevance in the organized church. I may struggle with finding the right language for my faith, but I have no trouble identifying the right actions.
  

So what? I still believe that a few individuals can start a movement and that movements change the world. I believe that refusing to vote or failing to educate myself on matters of importance would be a rejection of my calling.

How do you describe the aspects of life that drive you? Is a calling or hobby? What role does faith play? What drives your level of civic engagement?


Whoever I am, I am thine, Oh Lord.