Do You Think it is Too Late?

Inspired by We Make the Road by Walking by Brian D. McLaren
Chapter Seven

Scripture references: Genesis 18: 9-33; 22: 1-14, Micah 6: 6-8, Acts 17: 19-34

Abraham and Sarah thought it was too late. Do you ever think it is too late for you? I fight the thoughts that it is too late for me to be an influence in this world. It is too late for me to have the connections I would like to have with others. Or it is too late to achieve the goals I want to achieve.

In this chapter McLaren also addresses the fact that human sacrifice was not uncommon in those days. Thus the story of Abraham and Isaac. If you are like me and had trouble with the story this chapter may help you to understand it.

Over the centuries, “led along by many teachers and prophets, Abraham’s descendants came to believe that
God wanted one thing from humanity. . . not sacrifice, whether human or animal, but this: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.” That is all that is asked of us. And it is not too late to do that. Walking humbly, however, doesn’t come easily for most of us. Humility is not encouraged in the U.S.A.

An excerpt from one of my ABCs of Wisdom:

    We are not a nation that rewards or even respects humility.  And yet humility is considered a virtue.
    A few famous people come to mind like Pope Francis, Warren Buffett, Jose Mujica, Uruguay’s former president, Joyce Banda, first female president of Malawi. Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. Joyce Banda, another example, let go of a presidential jet and sixty Mercedes in order to uplift the financial predicament of her country. Mark Rutte cycles to work everyday and also teaches in a school once a week. You probably don’t know some of these people. Jose Mujica, for example, after being elected in 2009, donated all his money to charity and shunned the opulent presidential mansion to live a life of simplicity in a farm with his wife.    Among the rich and famous who are considered to be humble in spite of their fame include: Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Tom Hanks and Selena Gomez. I would also include Oprah in that list as she is often quoted to say “we are all 99.9% the same.”

I have to remind myself that as McLaren writes, “we’re still learning, rethinking, growing, discovering.” I hope you are, too.

Engage:
1. Did anything about this chapter surprise or disturb you?
2. Have you ever given up?
3. What are some issues in your life where you might say “It’s too late?”