4 days behind the wheel and 2500 miles later, I pulled up to my beloved home-away-from home: Adventures in Missions in Gainesville, Georgia. I travelled all these yonder miles for my Race debrief called Project Searchlight, or PSL.
The smells and sights of this place brought back a flood of emotions and memories of training camp one year ago. Memories like marinating in the porta-potties getting rid of lunch and being frequently paranoid of someone discovering my secret stash of clif bars.
Nonetheless, I was deeply, deeply grateful to be back. I joyfully reunited with the friends I circumnavigated the world with and got to catch up on their post-race lives. Plus, I got to get to know other gap year squads and hear their stories. And there were some lit stories. Honestly, most of the reason I came was to meet up again with my home-slices and worship and laugh with them but I wasn’t in the mood to find answers to my few and insignificant after-the-race questions.
But by the first night…
What I didn’t expect was more than I had asked or imagined. Haha that’s what Jesus does and who Jesus is! Through wave after wave of moments with God in worship and the speakers, a desperate hunger for what could be after the race stirred in me.
Through the past 9 months, I realized how deeply I’ve been touched by the love of God through hearing his sweet, real voice. I comprehended that so, so, so few people — including believers in Jesus — know that Jesus loves them and wants to speak to them frequently.
It broke my heart. the sin-management religion I grew up in almost never explicitly mentions the love of God and the gospel. After knowing Jesus in such a real way this past season, I want people SO BAD to have what I have. I’ve got tons of joy. I’ve got tons of peace and love and wholeness.
Ahh man, its like mom gave me 300 of her homemade molasses cookies and I filled myself so full of them and I have like 150 extra ones left for my friends to enjoy. I know the world is STARVING for God’s sweet voice and life-bringing relationship with Him, even if they don’t even know it yet because they haven’t tasted it. Just like people worldwide are starving for my mom’s molasses cookies…
So because I have seen God so clearly I was naturally prone to ask what Searchlight invites Racers to ask: How am I going to spread and stir people to intimate relationship with God to people back at home?
The answer has been coming slowly these past few days here: I am the answer. The identity God has spoken over me has been the starting point of any influence:
I am the city on a hill.
I am a man of faith, and faith produces faith.
I am a man of love, and love produces love.
I am a man of righteousness, and righteous folk have full access to the voice of God and the fruit of the Spirit.
I belong to the church and equally carry the power and authority of God, and that means I have a right to speak truth into anyone.
But one problem is that this radical identity I discovered from God may be denied and doubted by others. For example, others have said, “Brandon, one day you’ll be an influence in the church. Someday you’ll have to carry on the church.” But no! I am the church TODAY. Sure I’ll be around in the future, but I don’t want people to rob themselves of the kingdom by doubting my potential given by Holy Spirit inside of me.
I want all Racers to know their massive kingdom potential as they head out into their churches and communities. PSL was the crucial step to getting equipped and guided to bring kingdom back home. The speakers came from around the country and around the world.
I encountered God like, almost too much, in the timespan. I had fun, too! I wouldn’t have had so much courage to go out and spread some big-time kingdom and make disciples. I honestly didn’t think I could make disciples, but hey, now I think I can.
I am the Searchlight Generation
So while I was hanging out with my squadmates Leigh Anne, Abby, and Lily at the local Starbucks, Leigh Anne said something so simple and so awesome I’ll never forget:
“I love our generation.”
I love it too. Although smaller in number, my generation of Jesus-followers is one on fire. Its actually statistically proven my generation has a higher emphasis on sharing the gospel and discipleship.
I was so honored to jump into this crowd of Racers from around the world who love Jesus, who are of one-heart and one mind, and who carry the desire of Christ to bring others into the Kingdom. After the Race, lots of folks on my squad are diving into discipleship schools, campus ministries, and getting plugged into churches and serving.
I’m the Searchlight Generation — the generation that’s a powerful light, shining in the dark places.
Its been real, World Race. I love all you guys.
