Driveway Theology

My next door neighbor and I see one another only occasionally.  He works full time, and many weekends are busy -- or one of us is away from home.  So, other than a casual wave or 'hello,' there are not many conversations.  But from time to time, when both of us happen to be out doing yard work at the same time, a conversation often begins on one of our driveways.  And inevitably, the conversation, which almost always begins with plants or yard topics, ends up with theology. 

God's ways are not our ways, as Isaiah points out.  But His ways are always so surprising and delightful that we could not have guessed them had we tried!  In the days of our Charismatic prayer meetings in the little church in Kenner, I used to marvel at how God had drawn together the most unlikely people and had given us fellowship--true love and a common language to express that love -- with one another.  I used to think that if we had all met one another at a cocktail party, we would have had nothing in common with one another and nothing to say to one another.  In fact, that is the very reason I don't like cocktail parties; I can rarely find common ground with the others there. 

But there we were -- the well-educated and the high-school dropouts; the plumbers and carpet-layers and beauty-school graduates alongside the college professors; the stay at home mothers alongside the career professionals, etc.  And we all had one common love and language, given to us by the Spirit of God Who had drawn us all together and Who had fashioned us into the Body of Christ, a true community of love wherein there were no divisions and no dissent.  Our common goal was to express the love that had been given to us.  I have never seen or experienced anything like it before or since.

That is, until I moved to my current location and had the time in retirement for casual conversation with my next-door neighbor.  He works as an electrician at a local plant; he grew up with very low self-esteem, not doing well in school, knowing that he was a huge disappointment to his father.  His mother was 'out of it,' in his words, but he never explained what that meant, and I didn't ask.  He always thought he was just dumb, but I think he may have had some kind of learning disability.  He still thinks he's not as good as other people.  He does his work and he comes home.  Occasionally, he works in the yard, and he loves plants; he loves beauty.  He observes that most people don't want to talk about the things that he loves, including God.  He does not go to church because it doesn't speak to his soul -- a soul that soars with love of God and of nature. 

But he and I speak the same language, the language of the Holy Spirit.  And we have fellowship with one another.  We can spend hours rejoicing together at the beauties we see in nature and in God.  And we both come away 'fed' on the food of heaven.  He tells me that when he was a small child, though we did not understand much in school, whenever he visited his grandfather, he would read his grandfather's bible -- and he always understood it!  Not so much with the mind as with the heart.  And I think to myself about the Scriptures that say, "Though my mother and my father forsake me, the Lord will receive me" (Ps. 27:10), and "All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace" (Is. 54:13), and "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame" (Is. 58:11). 

This man has clearly been taught by the Lord all his life, though he has not realized it.  He told me that when he was in high school, he kept hearing about the 'God is Dead" theology/ fad.  The words appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in huge letters.  He did not understand what was going on in theology, but he knew in his heart that God was not dead:  "I know You are  not dead," he said to God; "I know You are alive."  And my heart soars to hear him speak about a living, loving relationship with a living, loving God. 

This weekend, he told me, "Not many people want to talk about God, but isn't it amazing to know that He is listening to our conversation and taking note of it?"  And he referred to the Book of Malachi: 

"You have said harsh things against me," says the Lord.

"Yet you ask, 'What have we said against you?'

"You have said, 'It is futile to serve God.  What did we gain by carrying out his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty?  But now we call the arrogant blessed.  Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape'."

 

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.  A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name (Mal. 3:13-16).

 

This man does not go to church, yet he knows and loves the Lord.  I do go to church without fail because I also know and love the Lord and want to draw closer to Him any way that I can. Church is great and brings joy to my life, but there is not usually time there for 'fellowship' -- or sharing with one another our heart's knowledge of God.  So I am grateful that the Lord has drawn together side by side two of us who "fear" Him, that we might have fellowship with one another and share with one another our 'driveway theology."  His ways are never our ways -- but they are wonderful and delightful ways to those who know how to see them.