I imagine a busload of tourists driving through a beautiful national forest. The forest is rich and beautiful. It is encased by mountains so loud with beauty and majesty. It is dotted with clear lakes and streams made of the purest water. It is patterned with tufts of luscious trees and plants of explosive color.
This busload of tourists I imagine are oblivious to the beauty. The bus has all the shades drawn over the windows for the drive. They are unaware of what surrounds them.
It does not matter a whole lot since they are inside fighting over the front seat. It is all they are concerned with getting and accomplishing. They want the honor and prestige of the front seat in a bus going nowhere while they are entirely missing what is around them in the awesome beauty.
Pursuing power instead of impact will place us on the shade-drawn bus. We are not nourished or particularly happy on the bus, but what a thrill! It is thrilling to speed along a road you cannot see while jockeying for a better seat on a bus to nowhere. What thrilling emptiness!
There is more to live than approval, prestige, and respect from other people. The pursuit of these things is a life-long fight for which you will never be full. We actually can gain the world and forfeit the soul.
Wholeness, happiness, and freedom are found outside the shade-drawn fight bus. Step off and take a breath.
