Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”
When I was seventeen, I was asked a question which many of us were faced with: “What university are you going to go to?” I never debated whether it was the right question to answer or not. I never questioned if university was even the right course of action for me to take. I was on a conveyor belt, and so I went to university as the next phase of my ‘manufacturing process’. Years later, I wish I’d been asked, or been aware enough to know, that the question could instead have been: “Do you even want to go to university?”
I loved my time at university, and I’m glad I went. A degree helped me get where I am today, but do you get my point? We’re all on a conveyor belt – it might even be a great conveyor belt for some of us– but we need to recognize that fact to see whether or when we should be staying on or jumping off.
One of the schools we used to play against was called Rugby School (where the sport allegedly originated). It hit the headlines a few years ago when one of their pupils questioned the conveyor belt in an unconventional manner. During term-time, he sold his stereo and CD collection, bought a plane ticket to the Bahamas, and disappeared. Journalists tried to track him down, and eventually succeeded. One asked him: “Fenn Chapman, 16-years-old, from Rugby School, why did you do it?” He replied: “I started thinking about my future: university, a job, buying a car, getting married, a mortgage, and then dying. I thought there had to be something more to life than this. So I had to get away and think things through.”
I’m with Fenn. How about you – jump off, stay on, or what?
Lord, help me to live the life you have called me to live, for your glory. Amen!
PS Fenn’s story reminds me of an amazing podcast episode with David Campbell MBE – Jesus in Jamaica. Enjoy!
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