Ryan Ching January 01, 2016 at 10:40AM

If I had to look back in review of the year past, I'd wonder: why the heck would I wait so long to assess what's been going on, rather than being fully present in and actively learning from every moment as each one comes? But then, does the culmination of events from the entire year tell me anything revelatory at all? Have I finally arrived somewhere after a year of wandering on my own? And if I haven't, does that mean it's been another year of struggle, in anguish and alone, completely done in vain? Well, it doesn't and I haven't and, yes, it has been quite the struggle. Yet, even though I feel I haven't made much headway ― perhaps, even losing ground in some aspects ― I feel like I am exactly where I need to be, and yes, there is something just beyond the horizon. I can't yet see it, but I know it's there. Though I still find myself troubled by the same questions from year's past (i.e., what is love, what is the church, why can't I ever remember where I put stuff, where did everyone go, etc.), I don't expect quick, easy answers to these or any other issues that may be on the fringe. I don't expect all the loose ends to tie together nicely over a year's time ― or maybe even a lifetime. It is there in our acceptance of and reliance on the simple solutions and pat answers from the past ― the "that's the way it's been done before" ― that gets us into a lot of trouble. And though there's something we can perhaps build upon and learn from, more importantly, there's something we need to learn not to do ― and that's to build upon something that's not working. Using yesterday's formulas on today's problems further complicates the mess we're in. Adding swag to a system that's broken doesn't fix things, as having a latte with a pile a poo doesn't make things more palatable. "Why reinvent the wheel?" some might say. But the problem with that is, we've seen where those roads lead. They aren't going to take us where we need to go. Where are we going in 2016? Wherever the truth takes me, wherever love leads, wherever God guides, I will go. I hope you will join me. And just a warning: He doesn't use roads. #yearinreview #whatislove #whatisthechurch #deconstruction