The Overstuffed Box (3/30/10)

Have you ever tried to carry a soggy, overstuffed cardboard box?  It tends to not go too well, the bottom falling out, and the contents escaping uncontrollably onto the ground before you, which if not careful, you will tread upon.

 

 My theology was like that.  When I graduated from college with a minor in Bible, I had a nice neat box for my theology.  As I moved into the world, the box became rumbled and worn, as I often found myself forcing it into spaces where it didn’t fit too well.  It also seemed that the contents actually grew, making the box insufficient to maintain them.  The sides of the box bulged.  Little bits of the content pushed out at the corners and at the strained top edges that were unfolding, unable to hold things in.

 

The experiences of life added humidity to the box, at times even raining down upon the box, which I desperately tried to shield from damage.  Even though I valued the box and its contents, I found I could no longer carry it with me everywhere I went.  The box was threatening to fall apart if moved too much, so I left it in a secure location, sheltered, always with the memory of it close at hand.

 

But I found that I too often needed the box, or at least its contents, which were inconveniently stored safe at home, free from the influence of a harsh environment.  Finally, I gave in to the need and carried the box with me everywhere I went.  It was really awkward, as the bottom threatened to give way if I did not support it just so.  I had to keep a weight on the lid to keep it closed.  I actually found myself so preoccupied with maintaining the integrity of the box that I forgot about the contents!

 

Finally, one day, the box disintegrated and left me with an amorphous blob of content that I could not make sense of.  I tried to pick it up, but it flowed out of my arms, back onto the floor.  I simply could not contain it or manage to carry it with me.

 

Then I discovered a duffle bag; soft, malleable, changeable depending on the outward demands for space and size, and much more convenient to carry.  The contents easily fit, and could comfortably bulge here or there without the rigidity of walls.  Now I can easily carry the duffle bag with me, slung over my shoulder, no need to apologize for its awkwardness or unsightly condition.  It also serves me well as a pillow or prop when I am tired, and even allows me to enter and use it as a sleeping bag or shelter when it is inclement.