To Move or Not to Move?

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We move faster, farther, and more frequently today than ever before in human history. Sometimes relocation happens by necessity, but often it is by choice. Perhaps it is for new work or what seems like better work. Some move to be closer to family. Whatever the reason, moving is commonplace, especially among young adults.

But what is commonplace today may not necessarily be the best way.

Long before we built moving vans or airplanes, there was a man named Anthony who lived alone in a desert. He is sometimes called the father of monks, as he was one of the first. He said once to a visitor who came to ask for his advice, “In whatever place you live, do not easily leave it.”

Why? Perhaps Anthony’s point was that we carry our personal issues with us wherever we go, and that location does not solve our most critical internal problems. Or perhaps he was asserting that there are very few things more beneficial to us than the relationships we have with those around us, which take time to develop. I think both are true.

So does that mean we shouldn’t move?

Not necessarily. Each of our lives and environmental contexts are unique. There are no easy answers.

There was another desert monk named Evagrius who clarified Anthony’s guidance. Evagrius concluded that the most important stability to seek was not the geographical kind. Rather, it was settling one’s thoughts in the remembrance of God, which of course is a monk’s main purpose. Sometimes, a place would become unsuited for this pursuit. In such a circumstance, it was best to leave it, for the place no longer supported the primary purpose of the monk’s life. If you’re reading this, you’re probably not a monk, but that doesn’t mean their wisdom is irrelevant.

Should you move away or should you stay? It depends:

Does the place support the primary purpose of your life?

It’s a question we would do well to ask and answer throughout our lives, for everything in this world changes—people, places, relationships. Whether you’re facing the prospect of relocation or working to clarify purpose in your life or work, I welcome the opportunity to engage with you in these important conversations.

Ex Nihilo

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Over the past two years, a group of young adults I advise did something amazing: out of nothing, they created a new conference for peers in their faith tradition. They had virtually no seed money, but they received all they required and more. To make this event a reality, they needed sixty registrants to meet their contract obligations to the hotel and break even financially. More than twice that number registered for the Connect Conference. In the two months that have passed since this inaugural event, I’ve often wondered:

How did this happen?

As a person of faith, I believe the power to do something like this ultimately belongs to God. But we humans must also do our part. On that level, I clearly see three things that allowed this event to happen:

  1. the conversations we had,
  2. the shared vision that resulted, and
  3. the encouragement to continue when things got difficult.

The conversations didn’t start with me. But when I noticed they were happening among various individuals, I simply invited them to gather in one place so we could all talk about this conference idea together. We did. And the energy started to build.

That energy came from a very simple shared vision: organizing an event at which young adults could connect with each other through their shared faith. There were plenty of differences of opinion about the details. As might be expected of a first attempt by a group of amateur, volunteer conference planners, it was often a messy and less-than-perfectly-organized process. But it happened—in large part because of the unifying power in that simple, shared vision.

Finally, there was encouragement. I learned from a mentor that, as a clergyman, serving as the “Chief Encouragement Officer” would be my best contribution to the group. We received a lot of encouragement from others as well: from the donors who gave to fund what was at the time an unproven event to the aforementioned mentor, who passed on what he learned from Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, about encouragement. When asked once if a person needed encouragement, Mr. Cathy answered, “Are they breathing?”

Before God breathed life into humanity, those of us in the Christian tradition believe He created the world ex nihilo, “out of nothing.” He spoke the world into existence, just as the organizers of the Connect Conference spoke it into existence. But God’s creative word was not a monologue. In Genesis, we read that He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” It was a conversation.

If you want to create something out of nothing, start with a conversation. Look for shared vision. And encourage each other through the difficult work of creation ex nihilo.