Do You Find Adventure? Or Does Adventure Find You?

Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

A simple enough question. And a question that is seldom asked. But its implications have affected tens of thousands of stories, myths, men, and women for generations upon generations. It is a foundational question. It is at the heart of the great deeds of mighty men. It is the beginning of age-old stories. It is the start of a thousand journeys. And its answer has far-reaching implications for me and for you.

Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

There are countless stories told throughout the centuries that revolve around a basic premise. A person is minding their own business when a chain of events out of their own control puts them in the middle of a great adventure. Throughout history there are examples of great men and women who had no intention of being involved in an amazing story but were unexpectedly thrust onto the path of adventure. There are stories and myths about unassuming heroes who followed their hearts and their convictions and that led them right into the midst of an adventure. Some people might use the word ‘destiny’ to describe a person who was not looking for adventure, but adventure somehow found them.

But is that how adventure works? Do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

There are also stories of great men and women who went out on journeys seeking adventure, and their desires were met in a variety of ways. From Achilles all the way down to General MacArthur – people have sought out adventure and found it. They have wanted to be a part of a grand story, and they succeeded. Whether there was a specific enemy that needed to be destroyed or a person or people that needed to be saved – there are countless stories of men and woman who chased after adventure and found it.

But, again, do you find adventure or does adventure find you?

I think that all of us – whether you think so or not – want to have adventures. We all want to be a part of a story – an amazing, adventurous story. There is something deep down inside of our hearts and souls that longs to be a part of something heroic and romantic. Even if it is way down there (and each and every day you push it down a bit further and a bit further…), each one of us has a longing to be a part of an adventure. So how do we do it? Do we seek it out or do we wait for it to find us?

Anti-climatically, I think that we can probably find adventure both ways. There are times when adventure will just sneak up on you and carry you off like a wave. There are also other times when the adventure is out there waiting for you only if you have the courage to find it. It is a boring answer, but I think it is the right one.

So if you are seeking adventure and want to be a part of an exciting story – then keep going, my friend.


And if you are not seeking adventure then, well, be careful: it just might be seeking you.

True Christian Activism

There are several people here in the Treasure Valley who call themselves "Christian Activists". But they have a completely different definition for Christian activism than what the concept truly means. These individuals believe that Christian activism deals with causing a raucus, making the news, standing all alone, challenging authority, and causing enough fuss to get your issue in the papers. If someone's not getting upset - then you are not doing your Christian activism job very well.

But this is not true Christian activism.

This is only an outer shell - a prideful outer shell that is more focused on the activism part than on the Christian part.

In order to see the true heart of Christian activism, you have to look at the heart of Christ. Would Jesus Christ care if there was a monument for the Ten Commandments that nobody ever saw in a lonely park? Or would He instead care about the homeless man who sleeps next to it - and try to fulfill His life through hope, purpose, help for his addictions, and job training. Would Jesus be holding huge anti-abortion signs in front of a clinic? Or would He be talking with the young girls and their families in their homes - trying to bring restoration and healing in the midst of a difficult situation. Would Jesus travel all the way to China just to get arrested for illegally throwing His beliefs all over the country? Or would He focus on real and practical ways to be able to spread His church around the globe?

The heart of Christ is other people. The heart of true Christian activism needs to be other people. It needs to be tangible help and hope for the lowly and the poor. It needs to be relevant assistance for those who are suffering or being oppressed. It needs to be a loving strategy, loving actions, and loving attitudes.

True Christian activism flows from the heart of Christ.

The things that some people are doing now are not Christian activism.


So where are all the true Christian activists? Who will stand up to take back the reputation of the Church and bring real help and hope to those who really need it?