As a child I always thought I wanted an “Ant Farm.” These “ant farms” I mentioning were advertised in various magazines and they looked totally awesome. Ants housed in an aquarium allowed the person with an ant farm to see the intricacies of an ant community. An ‘ant farmer’ could watch ants as they worked and scurried around within the confines of their habitat.

Those days were long ago. I am no longer interested in being an “ant farmer.” In truth, I spend a fair amount of time and money trying hard to keep the ants from using my yard as their farm. I am no longer so interested in watching ants scurry about, unless they are scurrying from my yard into some other region far away. And while lots of good things can be said about ants, like how industrious and hard working they are, and how organized they appear, I want to note for you what it looks like when they get disorganized by some random act such as a disturbance to their ant hill.

Sunday afternoon I was en route to San Francisco and unfortunately I had a five hour layover in Atlanta. While I could write an article about making poor travel arrangements, I’m saving that for another time. During that layover I had the opportunity to watch a lot of people “scurrying” about in the Atlanta airport. Obviously, most of those traveling were like me – unaccompanied individuals moving from one gate and terminal to another gate and terminal. Some were moving fast, some were taking their time. There were quite a few stopping for food at restaurants and kiosks. There were people asleep and people trying to sleep. Computers were whirring quietly as people worked or watched movies. There were a few who exiled themselves off into smoking cubicles. Some took up residence in the airport bars. As I watched all this activity, I thought of the ant farm. I had a lot of time and so I simply sat and watched and wondered. Where is that person going? What is on the mind of that lady? That man must have missed a flight! How can you sleep on that dirty floor? How much can you drink between flights? Like ants with their ant hill disrupted, thousands of people were scurrying about – some with focus, some without.

And then I begin to think about us – we who inhabit the Church and populate the church and the Christian faith. During my ministry some of my greatest joys have come from being able to help people stop scurrying about in life as though they were lost, as together we have found the path God has designed for us as His people. It is a wonderful thing to see a person stop scurrying madly about as they realize they are a part of the Christian family, and the Church, and that God does indeed have a purpose for their life.

This analogy is certainly not a complete one, but there is a truth to be found if we’re interested. When we scurry about as if we are lost, perhaps it is because we have lost sight of where is it we are going, or because we have encountered an unexpected delay. These things do not mean we will not get to our destination, only that we need to stop and refocus our energies and vision.

Occasionally stopping to refocus can help us to grow as Christians, and hence, as members of the church. So, if you find yourself scurrying about some day, stop and remember who you are, where you are going, and how it is possible for you to get there. Then – enjoy the journey. After all, we are not inhabitants of the “Ant Farm” but of the Kingdom of God.

Blessings and peace, and I’ll see you Sunday in church.
Pastor Butler +