The purpose of this discussion is to shape a vision for the future of architecture and American society. As mentioned earlier, Quinlan Terry believes that people are not happy with the architecture of today. While society has learned to be satisfied with the architecture around them today, there seems to be a general uneasiness and lack of understanding for contemporary structures. People just aren’t content with the spaces they have been asked to occupy. The idea that people are satisfied but not content is directly opposed to the ideals of successful vision.

    To clarify this concept, a personal experience closely related to this project should be explained. One morning near the beginning of this project, I entered the campus minister’s office for my weekly meeting as a student leader. In the midst of the conversation, the campus minister asked me a question that completely shook me and caused me to re-evaluate my motives for the project, for my life, and my leadership in the ministry. His comment was a simple one: “I can tell that you are not satisfied with this ministry. Do you want to leave?” I couldn’t answer the question at that time. It caught me entirely off guard. I had to admit that while I had no desire to leave at that time, he was very much right in his evaluation. In fact, it took two months, and hearing that question two more times, to realize the answer. I was finally able to say to the campus minister, “I am not satisfied with this ministry, and if I ever become satisfied with it, then it will be time for me to leave. What I need to do is learn to be content with how the ministry is right now, and rejoice in how far we’ve come, but I need to never be satisfied, for if I am, I will no longer have a vision for the future, and I will cease to grow as a part of this ministry.”

    The Apostle Paul constantly urges his readers to move ahead and to press on (Philippians 2:12, 13, 3:12-16), yet he calls them to be content with what they have (Philippians 4:11-13, I Timothy 6:6-8). Likewise, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, we should learn to be content with what we have, but develop a vision of the future for which to strive. One could argue that this argument is merely a matter of terminology. However, if today’s society was truly content and founded on a vision for the future, would we be increasing our personal debt beyond what our future can afford in order to obtain simple pleasures now? Larry Burkett has observed countless times in recent years that this society is spending more than it is making. We are acting on impulse, and not investing in the future.

    Many people who have managed to break from the financial of a visionless society still fall prey to its attacks. The Christian community calls men and women to set their families as a higher priority than their jobs. This is a noble endeavor, and is commended by instructions in scripture (I Timothy3, Ephesians 6:4, and others). Yet even these are investments of limited value. Jesus himself said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:29, 30).

    Today’s society needs to set its hearts and minds on things above, leaving behind the temporal desires (Colossians 3:1-6). True happiness is joy, and true joy is found only in faith in Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:3-9). When we are content with the joy of Christ, we can rejoice in our sufferings. When we rejoice in our sufferings in light of our joy in Jesus Christ, we can know that there will come a time when God delivers a moment of satisfaction, and the grace to move on (James 1:2-4, Psalm 107:8, 9).