Navigating a New Saga

JOURNEY IN FAITH SINCE SETTLING BACK IN BOONE

Remember when Avengers: Endgame came out? It was one of the most anticipated movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2008, Marvel slowly and steadily built up to this series finale and generated a lot of hype after Avengers: Infinity War’s cliffhanger ending. Endgame ultimately delivered a climactic conclusion to Marvel’s “Infinity Saga” series of films, and MCU’s Phase 4 commenced shortly thereafter. Near the end of the Race and shortly there after, I watched  five of the Phase 4 films: Black Widow, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Eternals, and Thor: Love and Thunder. What I noticed was that they each had their own distinct storyline, without a significant central direction or tie-in with other films after Endgame (with the exception of Spider Man: No Way Home). The big plot threads from the Infinity Saga wrapped up in 2019, leaving Marvel with how to navigate the next era of its filmmaking.

Some parallels can be gleaned from this- along with other film franchises that wrapped up their “Sagas” (like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings). My walk with the Lord started in 2012, despite growing up in the church. I would joke with people that I knew about the World Race longer than I knew Jesus personally; because I found out about it in 2011, through a VBS that my sister attended. From 2012 to 2022 was my first era, or “Saga” of my faith journey with the Lord. The World Race had always been in my mind for many years, and things slowly but surely built up to it. Blazing new trails in Linville Gorge during high school prepared me for taking the craft of exploration to the mission field. Spending a month in Costa Rica in 2018 gave insight into living with a different culture and navigating complicated situations overseas. And of course, serving in East Asia in 2019 (https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/wr-update-and-recent-travels) was a forerunner towards committing to the Race. After navigating the Covid pandemic, the stage was set for the 15 month missionary “journey” that many of these blogs refer to- including the World Race.

Yet what undergirded this time was the emergence of a single, young missionary into the world with his life ahead of him- also without a spouse or profession or significant adult responsibilities to tend to. To be honest, after I returned home from the Race, I felt really weird being home. Sometimes, I would just feel it- like when driving to school everyday or doing my normal things while getting ready for bed. Yes, there is still work to be done in the 1040 Window to reach Unreached People Groups or distributing humanitarian aid in Ukraine or partnering with the Church in Eastern Europe. All that was going on as I stepped back into my home community, with a huge climactic life experience behind me and wondering how I can continue to love these people from afar. Sometimes I would experience strange bouts of sadness or frustration as I try to sort out my feelings with the Lord.

The night before I drafted this, things began to click as I organized how I would write out more of my testimony (which I hope to complete in spring 2023). It was during that moment that I realized that I am now in a completely new “saga” of my faith life- and trying to chart a new course, just like Marvel is doing right now. The “World Race” era of my faith ended on August 15, 2022. Yes, my calling towards missions remains, but the framework will likely change. It’s exciting to take the faith and calling that the Lord has given me in new directions. These directions will likely include a profession, perhaps empowering other missionaries to be sent out, perhaps marriage. Since this time is so new, I have no idea as to what this era will build to- and what purpose God will use it for. Right now, my next major steps include attending the Urbana missions conference this December in Indianapolis, and also the AAG Geography conference in Denver, CO next March. A short term mission trip with Antioch Church to Houston is also planned for this January, and God is further opening doors to minister in the ski / snowboard community. These are like the loosely affiliated films that Marvel has been releasing lately.

One of the biggest questions that continues to vex movie directors is “How do we go from something that was awesome, wrapping all it up, and keep making good, original content going forward”? A number of strategies include “world-building” (like what James Cameron is doing with Avatar 2), recycling old plot themes in new ways (Star Wars 7), or try to make the stakes bigger and better to keep up the hype. Yet some of the best sequel films arose from original creativity that built off of what took place but also explored new directions. These are films (like Top Gun: Maverick) that stand out as being awesome in their own right. 

Ultimately, my hope is that God crafts this new era of my faith walk to be a beautiful masterpiece of walking with the Lord, just like the recently ended “World Race Era” was. It will require me to step out of the shadows of what once was (AIM transitioned out of the 11 countries 11 months World Race programs this year) and be open to new things. New ways to glorify Him. New ways to do mission work that I’ve not tried out before. Walking with the Lord in a new lens. Meanwhile, during this summer’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel producer Kevin Feige announced the studio’s upcoming slate of films, and the direction that its new “Multiverse Saga” will take. Many fans were excited, but others were skeptical as they feared that the studio would rush through their works. Similarly, it will be crucial to not rush what the Lord is doing; in fact, it may take many years before everything begins to fit together in this era. The time since being back in Boone is a great example of navigating life with a canvas that is (mostly) blank- similar to where Marvel’s characters find themselves at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. Yet Here I am, Lord. Back in the Mountains that I call Home..