I have to move? But I don’t want to! Where am I going to go?

Gee. Now I have to pack up all my stuff. I have to tell everyone I’m moving.

But I liked it here. This was home. I know I have to move out. But I don’t have to be happy about it.

How many times in human history has this happened? Forcing people to move against their will has some bad historical vibes. The Nazis forcing people into concentration camps. The American government forcing the Japanese-Americans to move to internment camps. The Israelis being forced to leave the settlements in the West Bank, and the Palestians being forced to vacate the territory before that.

But it’s happening all the time, right here, right now. People can’t meet their mortgages because they lost their jobs. People work at companies who consolidate their offices elsewhere. Congregations disagree with church leadership and find themselves bereft of their beloved church building.

It’s not a happy thing to be forced to move out of your home, or the second “home” of your workplace or your church. It’s inconvenient, and emotionally upsetting, and a major hassle. Having your say in court may work in some cases. But odds are, you’re going to have to move.

But is moving really a bad thing? Isn’t it just another story in the history of your family, your company, or your church? And like any story, won’t it point to some bigger issue in your society or culture, and connect you to the current slice of human history? Something to tell your great-grandchildren, “I know about that. Let me tell you what it was really like back then….”

I think it depends on what you do next. Moving out is certainly a climax in your story. But life is not a cliff-hanger, ending at the climax. There is the rest of the story. And here in America today, it’s up to you, not some army in uniform, what the rest of your story will be.