“Time is short, redeem the time”–an oft repeated phrase which softly echoes around my head as it conjures up images of times gone by, of life in a different time and era. You see, I grew up in The Family, where we were taught to “press in” “redeem the time”, and “save the lost”, seemingly outdated and outmoded concepts, quaint in their inception, and stranger still in their realization, hopelessly archaic in our modern world of ego centric existence.

I was taught to “love one another”, to “be kind to your enemy”, and to “love them that hate you”, personal belief systems that stand diametrically opposed to current popular theories about the easiest and sweetest way to “self actualization”, not to mention landing that 10 K paycheck at any cost.

As difficult as it might be for some people to imagine, I still hold those theories very near and very dear to my heart, so much so, that if it weren’t for the commandment to love your enemies, and to do good to those that despitefully use you and persecute you, I would have liked to do something about those who concentrate their efforts on the destruction and demise of the Family with all the dogged perseverance of a rabid dog barking at the moon.

Growing up in the Family, I never worried or wondered whether I would “make it” in today’s world. Getting a education in 4 countries on 2 continents didn’t seem like an anarchistic form of deprivation to me, in fact I always thought it was kind of cool that I could sort my friends by nationality, and my classmates by continent. The school of life was what I was enrolled in, and while regular academic instruction was a very real fixation of my education much to my deep chagrin, the real learning took place through the experiences that I partook of because my parents were missionaries in the Family, and were obeying Jesus’ commandment to go forth into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. I consider it a privilege and a honor to have partaken of such a diverse and varied upbringing, and consider myself a better person because of it. Since completing my studies, I’ve assisted in volunteer work in 3 countries, taught at orphanages, worked with tsunami survivors in the aftermath of the December 26 earthquake, as well as helped to organize sponsorship for needy schools in rural parts of the country. I’ve dedicated my life to helping the underprivileged and those in need, and I’ve found that real satisfaction in life is not something that can be bought or sold, but something that can only be gained by helping those in need. I know that if wasn’t for that upbringing, I certainly would not be prepared or even capable of doing what I do, and that’s doing my part to fulfill the great commission and reach those who don’t know Him, someone who “they” would do well to get back in touch with.

Recently it has come to my attention that there’s a group of my former peers who are doing their best to disrupt, hinder and destroy the life that I know and love. Now generally my policy towards such
people would be who gives a damn, but seeing that there are others who might not know any better, and with the state of the media being what it is, I thought it my responsibility to write a few lines as to the way that I see it.

Instead of wasting their misplaced sympathy and concern on my “abusive” upbringing, if they were seriously interested in helping the oppressed peoples of the world and advancing the betterment of mankind, as per their humanist creed, they could just go ahead and get in touch with me, and I’d be more than happy to pass on a few ideas for some worthwhile usage of their time. Seeing as to their former line of employment and credentials, and in lieu of helping to clean up some of the mess that they helped to create, I’m sure that the world could use a few more manure shovelers. At least that way they’d be employed in a honest profession, and would be doing mankind a service. If they were sincerely interested in helping the oppressed peoples of the world, maybe they could sign up for a little volunteer service in Iraq, or plan on spending a little time in the Gaza Strip to help them get acquainted with the real meaning of oppressed and downtrodden.

Heck, if all that they did was get their foot out of their mouth, they would be doing the world and themselves a favor, and enable us to continue what we have been doing all along, that of reaching the world for Jesus, preaching the gospel, and helping those in need.

I’m going to go on doing my bit to “preach the gospel in all the world” for as long as I can despite what people say, think, or do, not only because it’s the coolest job opportunity that has come around in the last 2 thousands years, with an incentive program that will rock your world, but more importantly because it’s what Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior would have me do. At least I’m accomplishing something worthwhile with my life, and won’t have to live with the lifetime of regrets that accompany the living of a lie. Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Jesus will last.

Michael Andreassen is a second generation member of the Family International, currently residing in Thailand.