Open Ended Endings

They stayed for a while, and then Judas and Silas were sent back to Jerusalem, with the blessings of the Christians, to those who had sent them.
But it seemed good to Silas to remain there… Acts 15:33-34

Open Ended Endings:


Audiences agree: The age of the happy ending has ended.

Whether it’s children’s books or testosterone blockbusters; those sweet, sunset endings are hard to find these days. Even chick flicks are getting cynical. Pamela and I recently watched one of these edgy, metro-drama-rom-coms and shared a little frustrated sigh after it all faded to black. The guy was still a jerk, the girl was still searching for herself and the melancholy acoustic soundtrack jangled on. It’s funny how things that try too hard to be unpredictable become just the opposite. All we wanted was a clever take on “All was well”, but instead we were left with, “Oh, well?”.

It’s a feeling not unlike being locked outside your own house after a long day. You’re safely home – yet stuck outside…

This may be what many of us feel like waking up on a Monday morning after a vivid dream, or staring at a lengthy red traffic light, or window shopping with make believe money on Ebay™. Modern life may compress more activities and connections per hour than ever, but much of the meaning has gone missing. Have you ever spent a whole evening channel surfing or scrolling endlessly through a news feed looking for something even remotely profound, only to find the usual *glossip?

So what’s a thirsty soul gotta do to get some authentic life-juice around here?

For me, the first step was to stop waiting around for others to spoon feed me the magic syrup that makes all things bright and beautiful. I’m a firm believer in God ordained//self-chosen//hyper-realistic fairy tales. They’re more tangible than they sound and part of a normal salvation experience offered to anyone. I definitely do not live in a state of constant excitement, but the phrase, “I’m bored!”, will get no sympathy in our home. It’s so common these days to hold everyone else responsible for our own decisions and emotional outlooks. Yes, we can (and should) let Jesus ‘take the wheel’, but remember He also handed us the keys.

Does your boss (or kid’s) barely notice your many recent efforts? Do your friends fail to comment on your ‘hilarious’ posts? Did your pastor flop last Sunday’s sermon? So what?

Inspiration is up to ourselves in the end. When no one else is dishing it out, we need need find some ingredients and cook some up. In this land of junk food info and creme filled experiences, our starving spirit’s need something significant to chew on. This true-food can be called ‘revelation’ or even by it’s less spiritual nickname, ‘hunch’. Like when the disciples simply did what seemed good during some major crossroads in the early days of the Church. Just a little faith and the next scary step.

I love how the Book of Acts kicks off with 3-D spiritual effects and then continues with mind bending stunts and plot twists, only to end very anti-climatically—right in the middle of a mundane jail sentence. No closure, no resolution, no happily ever after, just nitty gritty reality. It’s arguable that the whole Bible ends somewhat open ended, because we are still here waiting for our star to arrive for the closing act.

Or is He here already?

An Open Letter,
From Brandon and Pamela Muñoz
Freedomhouse, Church Camden Town
www.mondaymessage.wordpress.com

*[glossip] is a new word I invented for those globs of information that don’t even warrant enough value or interest to be called gossip.
You just gloss them over and move onto the next chunk of bla-bla-bla.

*The English word ‘bored‘ only began to gain traction in the last century.
It first appeared in a Charles Dicken’s 1852 novel, Bleak House where it is likened to a sickness. It’s main antidotes are curiosity and compassion