| | I woke up this morning, and I did not know where I was. This has not happened since I woke up in New Mexico (long story). From what I could tell, I had been transported to the set of a Home and Gardens magazine issue. And it was so relaxing, I didn't take the time to do the mental dective work to remember where I was. I went back to sleep. I woke up later this morning, and I did not know where I was. Being a more proper hour for waking on a saturday, 11:30, I decided it was important to remember where I was. Like the light in Plato's Cave, it came back to me in dazzling brightness. The seven hour car ride. Lauren playing the soundracks to every chick flick ever. Stopping in New Jersey. Pop tarts and cashews for supper. Yes, dear reader, I was at the home of John Caleb in Guilford, Connecticut. Ah, home. More specifically, I was in the Orcutt Manor, surrounded, not yet literally, by a host of Orcutts. More specifically still, I was in the guest room, at least one of them. Should get up and be social. I got up and was social. John Caleb, one of my hosts, said I should say something nice about him. I was going to, then I remember that, by golly, I'm a journalist. I'm not beholden to anyone! I am an independent reporter of reality! I will not be biased by lavish hospitality and blatant pandering! That said, JC's a great guy. Since I have a long weekend, I thought I'd take the time to read my free copy of A Christian Manifesto by Schaeffer, courtesy of our college's president. Chapter six of this book is called An Open Window. Written in the early '80's, it refers to the Christian upswing. Although Schaeffer is glad this upswing occurs, he's not particularly optimistic that Christians will take advantage of this turn of events. As it turns out, we didn't. We are now on what Schaeffer calls the second track, what would happen if Christians did not retake significant ground during the '80's. That is, we face a society that is almost entirely opposed to Christianity, and that will eventually not have room for us in their order. Will God restore our country? Maybe He will, maybe He won't. It's irrelevant. Our course of action, our course of appropriate resistance, is the same. Bailing on the fight, however, is cowardice. I am, and always will be, an American, regardless of where I live. And I hope that America will always be a place I can live as a Christian. |
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