I have always viewed my life and spiritual walk as a journey and being an efficient packer, I anticipate every possibility. Packing just enough faith and works to ensure my position as a leader for eternity and certainly not doomed to middle management. Double bagging my shampoo bottle and faith, labeling my suitcase and good works. Folding my pants with crisp, imaginary seams and walking the straight line in my life, ensuring no wrinkles in my walk. Daily reviewing my one way itinerary and Bible, double checking my connecting gate. Tithing, giving and paying for my fare. My bags are packed, but just one problem. The last time I checked there were no hearses with luggage racks and I was still breathing. I had been collecting things but not collecting

Kristianne Stewart

people.

As Christians, we can become so comfortable with the assurance of our salvation and begin to live vertically. Living vertically we walk past the horizontal relationships in our life. Not allowing the relationships to intersect our vertical faith, we literally miss the point of our calling. Vertical and horizontal living do not always cleanly intersect though. Human emotions and intellect collide at the point of faith and what is seen and unseen blur our faith, marginalizing our eternal hope.

A few years ago, I was engaged in a delightful conversation with a woman who had decided in her early adulthood to become a vegetarian. Always curious, I had asked her how she had made that decision. She explained that she'd read a book about animals and immediately bonded with their feelings. She believed therefore, she could commune with the spirits of dead animals. Awkward...that ended our conversation. I missed an opportunity to share my beliefs on my faith and Angus beef.