Culture, Change, and a Corner of My Garage

Something to Think About My Ability to Change, or the Lack Thereof:

My wife and I recently returned from four months of ministry in the lovely nation of Palau.  Palauans are very friendly and accomodating.  Since their economy is based on tourism they are well trained in putting up with foreigners and our strange ways.  English is the second language there.  Virtually everyone speaks it, at least some, so one of the greatest cultural barriers is quite low.  Still it was clear to Kathy and me that we are different. Since coming back to our house here on Carpenter Drive I've been working on a project.  I've been converting just over thirty-two square feet of my garage into an office.  Some walls, insulation, a ceiling, an old desk, shelves made out of boards from an old deck, and a piece of carpet for the floor, will make my little space into a place to study.  Before the first board was cut or the first nail driven, the concept of a mini-office had taken place in my mind.  I'm about finished with bringing that thought into the realm of length, breadth, and depth--reality. Kathy and I weren't out of touch while we were gone.  Still, since arriving back in the USA I have been impressed with scale of change going on, or being attempted, around me.  Trevin Wax does a good job of summarizing what is going on, and the consequences involved, in this article.)  Those of us who live for a while realize that one doesn't have to go anywhere to experience the change of culture, even culture shock.  In particular now that the world is digitized, the way people act, talk, what they do, especially how they see the world changes with far greater speed than a jetliner can achieve.  Especially if, like me, one is of a conservative (I use the word in a nonpolitical way) bent he feels that change greatly. So, what do these thoughts on culture have to do with the corner of the building where I park my car? Just this: I have at my disposal a certain amount of resources.  I possess a measure of ability in building things.  I own the garage, free and clear, so I don't need anyone's permission to change it from one purpose to another.  When we are dealing with human beings and our place in the world that is not so.  Here is a basic point that will sound crazy, maybe shocking, to some:  l don't own myself.   I certainly have no inherent right to change, or attempt to change my world to conform to a picture I create in my mind.  I am a steward of my little part of the cosmos, not a sovereign.  I can cut an eight foot 2x4 and make it six feet long.  I can rip it on my table-saw and make two 2x2s.  I can mold the material to my vision.  When it comes to matters of humanity, however--who I am, why I'm here, and where I'm going--I can't change the fundamental realities.  To try is simply wrong.   It’s STTA. If you didn't already, I encourage you to read that article by Trevin Wax. Read here to find out about God's purpose for us all.