Ever since I’ve lived here, I have disliked this place. And not only don’t I like it, I look around in befuddlement at the hundreds of thousands of people who apparently like it quite well. I don’t think this comes as any great surprise to those of you who have listened to me for any length of time. Granted, I have disliked Phoenix less and less every year, but the number is still not a positive one. On the other hand, I love what I do, I love the people I work with, the pay is good, we have made many friends, and we love our church. Given that I know I’m here by God’s Will and that a change in His Will is the only thing that will move me elsewhere (in other words, I don’t know whether I’m going to be living here for 35 more years or six more months), do I have an ethical obligation to try to like it more? And of course this raises the prior question of whether it’s even possible to do anything to affect my love of a place. Can I make myself enjoy a piece of music I don’t naturally like? Can I make myself more attracted to some woman I don’t find appealing? Can I cultivate the taste for lima beans or Jack-in-the-Box? In short, how much does it really matter where you live and how much you like it, and to what degree is it possible to affect those values by deliberate choice? Monday, February 2, 2009
Ethics: Should Andrew Try To Love Phoenix?
Ever since I’ve lived here, I have disliked this place. And not only don’t I like it, I look around in befuddlement at the hundreds of thousands of people who apparently like it quite well. I don’t think this comes as any great surprise to those of you who have listened to me for any length of time. Granted, I have disliked Phoenix less and less every year, but the number is still not a positive one. On the other hand, I love what I do, I love the people I work with, the pay is good, we have made many friends, and we love our church. Given that I know I’m here by God’s Will and that a change in His Will is the only thing that will move me elsewhere (in other words, I don’t know whether I’m going to be living here for 35 more years or six more months), do I have an ethical obligation to try to like it more? And of course this raises the prior question of whether it’s even possible to do anything to affect my love of a place. Can I make myself enjoy a piece of music I don’t naturally like? Can I make myself more attracted to some woman I don’t find appealing? Can I cultivate the taste for lima beans or Jack-in-the-Box? In short, how much does it really matter where you live and how much you like it, and to what degree is it possible to affect those values by deliberate choice? 
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3 comments:
I, for one, think you should at least try to cultivate a taste for Jack in the Box!
Mr. McGuire: I want to say two words to you. Just two words.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Monster taco.
From an email I received, posted with permission.
This important thing to ask is "Does God want me to have a love for Phoenix ?" He does care about our feelings.
My hubby and I could not WAIT to leave! I moved here in 1988 and I confess, I loved it then... graduated from college and moving to somewhere so completely different from South Dakota . I married in 2001 and in 2005 we felt God leading to us buy a home in Payson... our dream was to live anywhere that had mountains and was a smaller town to raise our child in. We felt God was really blessing us. What a struggle that year was... work just didn't pan out. Then a crazy move to Texas for my husband to work for some distant family members and much to our surprise it was an even more challenging year. Everything was miserable, not simply the location!
Long story short, we pulled into Phoenix two years and two months after leaving it "forever" and now we are SO happy to be back! The feelings are not all warm and cuddly. But God showed us that we truly need to be where He leads and He guides and we have to guard our hearts from allowing desires to block His will. We are content. (And I just hope there are mountains and pine trees in my room in heaven! ha ha)
If God wants you to foster a tender heart for Phoenix , trust me, you'll have one if it is necessary!
Andi
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