Leaving San Antonio, Words from the Boss

Headed home, picked up a copy of Rolling Stone with Bruce Springsteen on the cover. There is an EXCELLENT article with the Boss. He's now 58 and is starting to look back. He ends the article talking about his life and what's really important. His words were poignant to me (and perhaps those in ministry / non-profit worlds).

Q. What did you learn (after stepping back and changing scenery for 10 years)?
A. I guess life outside of work. This is a very satisfying life work, but it's a part of your overall life. How do you have relationships? How do you commit to things that are forever? How do you break all the old habits, or some of them?

I had to work on it (changing) the way that I had to work on playing the guitar when I first started - many , many hours and a lot of intense devotion. I realized that some people may come to that naturally, but I was someone that was going to have to learn it, because my instincts were wrong.

(speaking about connection to family and friends - stability, continuity and connection)

You got to have the whole picture at this point. You need the fullness of life. Without that, it's an exercise. You don't wan the things that you're writing and singing about to remain an abstraction to yourself. I always like the scene at the end of The Searchers: John Wayne brings the girl back home, but he can't enter the house himself. Very tragic.

When I read this I thought about my life and ministry. I'm trying to help the poor, share the love of Christ, but am I experiencing the fullness of life that the Kingdom of God offers? Many time those of us in ministry are some of the loneliness. We wrap ourselves in purpose, vision and the Call. But in the end, we lose balance and what is good and right become more 'flesh' than 'Spirit'.

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