The Eternal CurrentSample

Jumping In

While God’s invitation requires the complete laying down of our lives as a bold and humble living sacrifice, we don’t have to do it alone. In fact, we can’t do it alone. Answering Jesus’s invitation involves a community of swimmers. 

Thankfully, you and I are part of a diverse global community that spans thousands of years. The untold numbers of women and men who have been swimming in the River have developed invaluable swimming wisdom. One of the greatest gifts of being a Christian is learning from those who swim differently than we do. 

I grew up in a Christian system that assumed our version of the tradition possessed all the truth. We guarded what we had and defended our beliefs and decided we couldn’t learn from anyone outside our inner circle. But I have found that while my original tradition is committed to and hungry for the truth, it comprises only a thin slice of a much bigger and more fully Christian story. 

In addition to learning from others, we have the eternal Christ swimming with us. We are never alone. Christ keeps calling out, “Come to me. . . . Work with me. . . . Keep company with me . . .” (Matthew 11:28–29, MSG, emphasis added). The Teacher of life does not stand aloof from our search but rather invites us to swim with him. The River is a place not of self-actualization but of relationship. We can’t fix ourselves to please God, but we can join Christ and get swept up in God’s good pleasure to heal the world and us. 

Will you say yes? Will you move beyond correct belief about the River and jump into the Current with Christ to learn to swim? There are no teachers, traditions, or resources that can help you as long as you choose to remain on the shore. 

You and I don’t need more ideas or complex philosophies. We need to put the ideas we have already learned into practice. We need to get into the River. Let us wade in with Christ, learn to swim with God’s Eternal Current in each moment, and be transformed for the sake of our lives and the sake of the world. 

This is a practice-based faith. And we’re all invited. 

How do you respond to the idea of learning from Christians who swim differently than you do?