Open Mind; Open Heart

Open Mind; Open Heart
by John Fischer

I'm currently working on a team project creating a curriculum on Christian worldview. We're in the early stages of developing something that will challenge Christians to think outside the box, and in a discussion last night of who this curriculum would be for, I was reminded of a certain Bible study I attended at a church in Colorado.

I was a guest at this study courtesy of its leader, who is also heading up a ministry to homeless, vagabond teenagers (“gutterpunks”) who have created their own social groups in cities across America. The unusual thing about this was the fact that the Bible study he was leading consisted of about 12 women all over 65 years of age. Here he was working with teenagers, and leading a study for seniors.

Turns out these women are his staunchest supporters. They not only give of their money, they give their time and open their homes to these kids. What impressed me most about this group was how it was made up of sharp, witty thinkers who eagerly welcomed new ideas. They were what I would call informed, thinking Christians who were connected to the real needs in their community. They had to be, to be doing this. The kids they love are pierced, tattooed addicts in many cases, and they greet them with open arms.

I had a big charge sitting in with these women. They laughed, cried and challenged the assumptions that so often put any of us in a comfort zone. Not these ladies. They were tearing into some pretty controversial subjects and I marveled at how, in company with each other, they were keeping themselves sharp and connected with reality. Along with the Bible, they were reading some Christian authors who are not afraid to rock the boat of the status quo, and more than once I heard it said, “How come no one ever presented this to us before?”

I learned two things that day.


1) Thinking Christians come in all ages.

2) There's no limit to what we can do if we join together.


Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.” This is one of the reasons we need fellowship. We sharpen each other's thinking. Alone, it's easy to grow complacent. With others around us, we can stimulate one another to grow and discover new things God wants us to learn and experience.

And this kind of interaction has no age limitations. A sharp mind stays young, and it matters not the age of the body. That's good news for anyone, but especially middle-aged guys like me!