Dealing With the “Uncomfortables”

Last month, at the urging of my physician, I had a colonoscopy. I think the medical community encourages us to have the first one when we are 50. I was only 8 years late. I put off things that are uncomfortable. Actually, the procedure itself is not so uncomfortable. I have had enough church members over the years who had told me that. It is the day ahead of time and drinking the "stuff" that cleans one's insides out. And now, a month later I can say that even that wasn't so bad. No I am not rushing out to sign up to do it again either. Something deep in my subconscious must remember the gallon of "chalk water." But everything checked out so the doc said I do not need to do it again for another 5 years (or may 6 or 7 or 8 yeas if my subconscious still remembers).

That is the way things are in life – the best things sometimes come after discomfort, and even pain and grief. Indeed as Christians, we say the best comes after death. And sometimes we even forget the pain and discomfort. I never gave birth to a baby, nor carried one within me. But I watched my wife do it three times. I think there is a reason why God gave that task to women. It did not seem easy. But most moms soon forget – at least in a way – the pain of that experience once they hold that little bundle of life in their bosoms.

On a whole different level than either medical tests or childbirth, I found myself in an uncomfortable spot. Whenever I am in such a spot, I ask why I submit myself to it. I was sitting in a jet on a transoceanic flight from Chicago to Stockholm and then 10 days later I was on the return flight from Copenhagen to Chicago. Here I am locked inside a long aluminum tube with several hundred strangers. We each are allotted about as much space as the interior of a coffin but in a seated position. The inside of a coffin looks a lot more comfortable although I don't think they are – but inside a coffin the nerve endings in one's bottom side no longer function, nor do one's muscles cry out to be moved and flexed. Being on such a flight that can last 7 to 12 hours, one has other bodily functions that need to be exercised as well. So that means waiting in line in crowed aisles sucking up air, trying to be as thin as a toothpick so the flight attendants can get past with their carts, waiting to get into a toilet no bigger than a phone booth (anyone remember phone booths?) Well every time I am on a transcontinental flight, I ask myself, why I do this. But then I ask myself how else I how else I would get to where I am going. The experiences of the trips have always been a joy and when I get the chance I am ready to go again.

On the way home from Norway in May I had some different thoughts. Yes, I thought that I was uncomfortable – that long flights are a terrible thing to put one's body through. But I thought that the whole ordeal was pretty painless after whet my ancestors went through to get to the United States. My great-grandmother's parents left Norway as expectant newlyweds and spent over three months getting there by boat and my great-grandmother was born on the little ship. Two other babies were also born on the ship and were buried at sea. Another great-grandmother's great-grandparents left Norway for a similarly long trip with 4 little children under 9 year's old – including a 2-year old and an infant. And we wonder how to keep kids occupied for an hour in worship.

Most of our ancestors went through similar ordeals coming to this country – at least those of us who are white-skinned. The ordeals of those who came from Africa were much more horrific and were not voluntary. But would our ancestors have thought it was worth it? I am sure most were glad for the opportunities here and for the new life that they began.

So it is in all of life. New life, new opportunities come primarily after struggle, pain grief, and death. Our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is and will be going through a struggle as we grapple, along with other Christians, with complex issues of how we live as sexual beings in life and ministry. It is not easy to deal with these topics. In many ways, it would be easier if we never got on that plane or boat. But if we do not get on, we will not know what is on the other side. And we trust that God goes with us and God will lead us to a new life on the other side – even though we do not a have a clue what it will be like.

Of Norwegian Maps and the Bible

We had an awesome trip to Norway in May. A highlight had to be visiting in the towns, churches, farms and homes of our ancestors. Were in the churches and cemeteries of half a dozen ancestors and were actually on the farms of 3 ancestors, including the home where one of Ginger's ancestors lived 150 years ago. All of this coupled with the majestic splendor of the scenery made it an unforgettable trip.

We had to decide how we would get around in southern Norway – whether to use the train and bus system which is really very well-developed – even in rural areas, or to rent a car. After spending a lot of time on the internet before we left, I decided it would be easier for me to navigate by car than trying to figure out how to understand and navigate the public transportation system. (We did pretty much park the car on the edge of Oslo and use buses and trains in that city – even I know my limits.) To say that it would be easier to navigate by car than by train or bus, does not mean that it was easy. It was a challenge. At least folks drove on the same side of the road we do. But the
signs were all different, the rules are different, and they have traffic circles.

Now traffic circles are exciting experiences. No one stops. Drivers yielded – I hoped. Once in the circle you have the right away – supposedly. And these circles are coming to a place near you. There is already a small one on Middle Road in Bettendorf, and a major one is being constructed at this time at the intersection of Iowa Highways 3 an 187 (known locally as Maryville Corner, or Starmont School corner). I actually have grown fond of traffic circles, but they are confusing on Google directions. I had "googled" some directions, but Google directions in relationship to traffic circles were confusing at best and in some cases were just wrong, I think.

In the end, my most trustworthy guides were the road map of Norway I bought at a bookstore before I left – and my patient wife. After 10 days of driving around Norway my road map is well worn, but was well worth the few dollars I paid for it. Give me a road map with highway numbers and mark the highways somewhat reasonably, and I can get around without more than a few "oops! We had better turn around and try that road." The only thing about road maps is that roads are sometimes narrower, curvier, and steeper than they actually appear on the map – especially in Norway and some parts or northeast Iowa (we realized why our ancestors settled where they did in Clayton and Winneshiek counties).

So that trusty map helped us cover 2000 kilometers of southern Norway, through dozens and dozens of tunnels (one was 12 miles long), around hairpin curves, up dirt roads on the sides of mountains, across frozen barren tundra, across fjords on ferries, through breath-taking vistas and challenging terrain and around and about hundreds of traffic circles – sometimes two or three or more times each.

Many have made the connection between roadmaps and Bibles. I can see why. Just as the road map cannot possibly show the breathtaking beauty, the challenging traffic flows or the incredible people that make up a journey, neither does the Bible show specifically every joy and every challenge of life. But both the roadmap and the Bible provide the basic routes for travel and navigation. When using both roadmaps and the Bible there are still lots of choices to make – some better and some – in the end – worse. But they both help you see where you are going and give basic directions.

Lutherans Christians as much as any are people of the Word. Our church has embarked on a "Book of Faith" journey where all are encouraged to red and study the people more frequently. Watch for many opportunities to study this "roadmap for life's journeys" this fall in our congregations.