Restlessness

In 1990 Jack Miller wrote a letter to his fellow elders at New Life Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. The subject was how they could best care for Andrew, a young man with AIDS. Jack enclosed in the letter to the elders a copy of a long letter he had written to Andrew.

Jack said to the elders:

The letter to Andrew is based on some strong meditation/medicine which derives from Psalm 84 and that wise man Augustine. In the letter I mention its content as also issuing from my struggles with health in Nairobi. All of this is true enough, but the letter has roots in another burden of mine. It has to do with the restlessness of this generation; people everywhere seem to be trying to build a permanent home in this world and do it just as fast as they can.

Incredible restlness everywhere!

Restlessness in the world, and everlasting stirring in the church members and leaders.

My guy feeling is that much of this activity is based upon the unconscious notion that this world is a pretty permanent place, an arena where we can make our home, build our reputations, get ahead in our ambitions, secure the right education, etc. Well, I want to raise the question: Is this restlessness fleshly and also demonic in its power over our hearts in our time? I suspect this restlessness has roots in hell. Consider its subtlety. Who can repent when he is going at warp speed? 

--The Heart of a Servant Leader: Letters from Jack Miller (P&R 2004), 290-91