Good News Tucson - A Family Values Publication

Fear Driven Reality

Reality is an amazing concept. From absolute truth to reality TV shows, the term is used across the spectrum to describe everything from unshakeable laws of physics (gravity) to the fleeting perspective of a state of mind. My current reality is contemplating the next two weeks of traveling by motorcycle as I sit camped next to the Animas River 15 miles outside of Durango, Colorado…in the rain.

The last 3 months I've written columns covering 3 aspects of what I have called the "Fear Driven Life", with apologies to Rick Warren, attempting to describe the antithesis of the "Purpose Driven Life". The three articles have discussed 1) fear driven management in the business environment, 2) having too much to lose and living defensively, and lastly 3) living a "pretend life" through others (living vicariously). All three columns have, for the most part, ended encouraging you, whatever you do, to not quit asking the difficult questions of life. In other words, keep pursuing the meaning of life, your life purpose, spiritual quest, or whatever you want to label it…just don't stop, or stop short…

As I sit here listening to the deafening sound of the river rushing by me, it is totally drowned out by the thoughts in my head of my friends who have quit this pursuit, but done it in a rather unique fashion. Rather than continue to put energy into a real quest, they have simply decided to make up their own answer and/or accept a superficial explanation. Let me illustrate…

My friend Carl is one of the brighter guys that I know. We have had multiple spiritual discussions, and awhile back, he had come to the "final answer" that his belief was Buddhism - he was enthralled with the concept of oneness, nirvana, it is a very private pursuit, and does not involve "recruiting others" i.e. no Buddhist TV evangelists!

I admitted to not having much of a working knowledge of the belief system, as did he, and we both agreed to do a bit of doctrinal research for our next discussion. Needless to say, he was shocked to find that this version of reincarnation is like getting kicked off "Survivor" and having to try again, that nirvana is absolute annihilation, and the only people that have a shot at getting out of the doom loop are male priests! In other words, Carl's definition of his belief system was a product of his imagination, not the reality of that particular religion!

The other version of this comes in a package that is much more obviously "make up my own religion." Ask a non-Christ follower what they need to do to get to heaven, and you'll start to get a feel for what I am talking about. How is it that individuals, who are otherwise functional, seem to believe they can make up their own rules for the universe…or at least the universe they create in their own mind?

A friend of mine once said to me, what makes your opinion of how spiritual things work any better than mine? My reply was simple: "The secular history books confirm Jesus Christ existed, the existence of the Bible forces us to know him as either a) a raving lunatic and a liar or b) he is God." There is no opinion involved, just a binary choice.

Don't settle for half-baked answers or the path of least resistance…the energy you expend to find who you are is worth your life!

Mike Hoppe is one of the Associate Pastors at Casas Church, is a graduate business school instructor, and still actively works with companies to develop their organizations after 15 years in management with a Fortune 100 company. Mike can be reached at mikeh@casaschurch.org or www.casastv.com