August 12, 2010

  • What's the difference between Christianity and other religions?

    I've been tossing an idea around my head for awhile.  I've shared it with some people and they seem to agree.  At the least, I haven't heard any real arguments against it.  And it's a significant thought because it is basic.  Like an amino acid.  Complex and directional thoughts will be influenced by this, if this is to be adopted.  So I've decided to step it up and put it here to share.  There are some specfic people, whom I would love to hear from for sure.  But this is being put up for whoever wants to comment and tear down.  So I give you permission in advance to discuss and debate (politely) what I'm trying to say here. So it begins with a question:

    What's the difference between Christianity and other religions?

    People most often point to Jesus coming down to earth to save us. A God who understands and cares for us.  But I wanted to put a different twist on it.  I am venturing to say that the difference between Christianity and other religions is that in Christianity, people are unable to save themselves.  We cannot redeem ourselves. We cannot make things right.  No amount of good we do will ever justify the wrongs we have committed.

    There are some basic assumptions I'm making that need to be stated:

    1) All people have screwed up and done something bad in their life.  This can be as simple as lying, stealing, or coveting.  Or it can be as complex as violence, such as verbal, physical or sexual assault.  Yes, I am counting calling someone an idiot an act of violence.  Have you been to middle school?  Have you been scarred by people hurling insults at you?  It's an act of violence.  It doesn't become more acceptable just because you're an adult, or college degreed or a republican.  It's still an act of violence, and it is not cool.  See: Matthew 5:22

    2) [Insert other assumptions I have failed to mention here]

     

    So, when I think about this, I think about the ways other religions attempt upward spiritual mobility.  It seems to me (without actually studying different religions intensively) that it's about what we have to do. Whether it is meditating (Buddhism) or specific acts of prayer, pilgramage and alms giving (Islam), or the sacrificial lamb (Judaism), it all appears to be about what we need to do.  If we do enough good, we can justify ourselves and dig ourselves out of this hole we're in.

    But Christianity is different in this because it starts with the assumption that we are all on the same playing field (no caste system), and ends with us asking for forgiveness regarding all that we've done (and thought) wrong.  We cannot atone for our own sins.  No amount of donating to charity or saving the whales will make up for the pain we've caused to [fill in the blank].  We have introduced net wrong into the world.

    So if this premise holds true, that we cannot save ourselves and that we need a Saviour, we are then defined by our inability, our lack and our neediness.  This leads to a second thought: we are still defined by this neediness and helplessness even as Christians.

    I will expound on this more in a followup post.  But I wanted to get this out there first.  I'm interested in your thoughts.  Do you agree? Disagree?  Is Christianity actually different in this aspect or am I ruined by my ignorance?

  • Missed a day, double today

    I was working on one last night. Fell asleep while writing it.  I'll go for two today.  That is all. =)

    *Edit*

    I am a few days into this exercise, and I have already forgotten the purpose of it. It's not an attempt to produce finished products on a nightly basis. I'm just trying to get myself to write more and write often.  It's more of getting into the habit of presenting thoughts in a meaningful way, if not a winsome way.  So, with that said, I'll be posting twice when I get home today.  And I'll make more a goal towards putting out ideas.  Ideas that are not fully formed.  Thoughts that I want to be challenged and forged through the tempering process of publication in the blogosphere.

    Blog goals have been recalibrated back to zero.  I am back on course.

August 11, 2010

  • BEDA: Heart and Mind

    For as long as I have been journaling, I have been aware of a terrible battle between my passionate heart and my conservative mind.  The heart wants to "go!" "do!" "see!" and "speak!"  My mind says to "wait, evaluate, come up with alternate courses of actions, and reevaluate."  It is a battle of what I yearn to do against what I believe to be prudent.  Whenever one is chosen over the other, I am feel that I am either choking off my heart or doing something unwise.  There was never a win-win.  Only a win-lose.  With regret.  Oftentimes, this had rendered me actionless out of indecision.  I was not happy with this.

    I don't think I ever really considered this an even match-up either.  I would tend to side with my heart and think of my brain as a merciless, controlling master.  "Bad brain! Why are you overthinking so much!" I would say.  And then I would day dream about what life would be like without a brain.  I think in those dreams, I looked like an asian version of Fabio or Fonzie.  I was bold and smooth and draped with women.

    I think it was only recently that I have come to peace with the fact that I have opposing voices in my body.  Rather, I have come to realize the merits of having a brain, and the downfall of following my heart.  My heart is impetuous, impulsive, and oftentimes inconsiderate.  Moreover, my heart tends to be selfish.  It is self-pleasing and lives in the moment.  I often get myself into trouble when I follow heart without seeking counsel from the brain.  Likewise, I have come to appreciate the benefits of pausing for a moment to evaluate the heart and the motives.  Were my motives self-serving?  Or are they for the good of the other?  Will my actions bring blessing or curse?  For whom am I doing this for?  Am I only trying to please people?  or am I trying to please God?  These are good questions to ask in the heat of the moment.  I think a great lesson was learning to ask these questions in the heat of the moment.  I don't think the moment is ever as hot as we think or feel it is.  I have discovered that it is worth taking an extra moment to consider the motives.

    Lastly, I have realized that the heart is not just capable of love and passionate things.  Out of the heart also comes fear, and anger, and retribution, and hate.  The passionate part of me wants to retaliate against feelings of hurt and offense.  I have learned also, that this is not the best course of action.  In fact, to even overcome these things, a choice must be made from the brain.  The brain must lead the heart, specifically in the area of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is not a choice the heart wants to make.  But it is a necessary one in order for the heart to heal.  Isn't it funny how the heart does not always know what is best for itself?  It needs a brain after all.

    In conclusion, on this day, at the tender old age of 29, I have come to realize that my brain and heart are not enemies after all.  That the tension and diversity between the two actually bring a lot to the table.  It's like I have my own team of rivals!  Just like Abe Lincoln.  Yes.  I just compared myself with President Lincoln.  That means it's time to sleep.

    So, dear blog. i am tired. sleep is good for normal human functioning. goodnite.

August 9, 2010

  • Remembering your purpose

    I had committed to BEDA (Blog Every Day in August) with my friend Shanella.  We'll be encouraging each other to push on through.  I didn't find out about it until Friday, so I'm starting a little late.  I had been contemplating writing quality, shorter entries for a long time. Something I had never put into practice here on xanga, but started doing on another blog.  Now that I have some experience under my belt, I'd like to give it a whirl by committing to write every day.  Let's see how this goes. 

     

    Today's topic: Remembering your purpose, calling or role

    A few years ago, Franklin Graham came to Binghamton for one of his Franklin Graham Festival events.  It was a pretty huge deal for Binghamton and the churches around here.  We prepared for their arrival for over a year.  6 months before he arrived, people went to classes to train on how to pray with people, how to share the gospel, and more.  So when the festival finally came, everyone was pretty psyched and ready to go.

    The biggest night of the three day event was Saturday. It was supposed to be youth night, and they had these big name bands coming in to play.  Building 429 was one.  Third Day was the other.  What we ended up getting was a huge contrast; it wasn't a contrast in music, but a divergence of goals and purpose.

    When Building 429 came on, they treated it like a rock concert.  They tried their best to get the crowd riled up and were really mad (yes, mad) when the crowd did not sing along with their songs.  Little did they realize, the adults in the crowd outnumbered the youth 2:1 (or more).  Most people had never even heard of their band and the one hit song they had on the radio.  So when the people did not sing along, they insulted us, got really sarcastic and made their frustration known.  I was furious.  Never mind that this was an evangelistic event and most people had never even heard of them.  People shouldn't be treated that way.  Even if it were a rock concert and we all came just for them, that behavior is not excusable.  It was offensive and it put the whole crowd off.

    When the next band came out, it was night and day.  They saw how the crowd had turned sour and worked to bring them back.  They introduced themselves and asked us if we had ever heard of them.  When they saw that many people had not, they continued forward humbly, explaining their group, their music, and why they do what they do.  They invited us to participate by becoming their "backup singers" and complimented us on our participation and good looks.  Third Day won the crowd back over and repaired the damage that Building 429 had created.  I believe that their attitude of humility redeemed the night and paved a way for the incredible response we had that evening.

    The difference between the two bands was that one remembered why they were there and what their mission was: to share the gospel message with people who came to hear it.  The other band forgot who they were and why they were there.  They came for the glory of playing to a sell out crowd.  But that is not why we, the audience, came.  We came to hear about Jesus.  We came to give the gospel message another chance.  We came to hear about hope.  Not to be insulted for not singing along with songs.  As the musicians in the part of a larger event, they had a pretty large target to aim for.  At best, they would have led us into worship and into the very presence of God.  At worst, they could have performed an entertaining, but non-spiritual show.  Building 429 missed the mark completely when they sought to glorify themselves.

    I look back at that night and I'm thankful for the great example Third Day was to me and thousands of others who were there that night.  They remembered their role as servants in the Kingdom of God.  They didn't make the night about themselves; they made it about drawing people in and welcoming them before the Lord.  It may seem like a small role to play, but their short time in the spotlight was one of the most significant moments of that night.

    In our life, we will have many different roles to play.  There will be a time when we will be the rock stars.  There will also be a time when we are supporting cast.  The important thing is to remember who we are and what our purpose is in that very moment, and to fill that role to the best of our ability.

     

  • Hauntings and Imprints

     

    BEDA with a late start

    I had committed to BEDA (Blog Every Day in August) with my friend Shanella.  We'll be encouraging each other to push on through.  I didn't find out about it until Friday, so I'm starting a little late.  I had been contemplating writing quality, shorter entries for a long time. Something I had never put into practice here on xanga, but started doing on another blog.  Now that I have some experience under my belt, I'd like to give it a whirl by committing to write every day.  Let's see how this goes. 

     

    Today's topic: Hauntings and imprints

    I had a conversation with a friend about a month ago about ghosts and hauntings and demons and imprints.  We didn't get very far into the conversation because I teased him a little bit about it.  But it got me thinking.  There are two schools of thought regarding the spirit realm.  1) It's real. 2) It's all imaginary.

    As a Christian, I believe it to be real. However, my views on it are significantly influenced by what the Bible has to say about it and my own personal experiences, which are extensive.  Therefore, imprints and benevolent ghosts are foreign ideas to me.  Demons and such are not.  I won't get into specifics here, but I will describe something based on current events.  I recently moved into a new house.

    I have noticed when I spend the night at an unfamiliar place, I am, for lack of better word, affected at night.  Specifically, when I am sleeping.  Sometimes it occurs in the form of a freakish dream. Other times it occurs in the form of physical movement within my room.  Other times, it's significantly worse.

    Fortunately, my first night here wasn't one of the really bad cases.  And in the past, prayer and spiritual warfare has always successfully eliminated the sensations/dreams/and other unnamed symptoms.  The answered prayer is yet another confirmation that Jesus is a Savior and greater than the other forces in the spiritual realm.  And so I prayed last night.  And the sensations went away.

    Tonight will be night #2.  I am interested to see what comes of it.  I have full faith in my God to protect me through this.  I expect it to be better than yesterday.

     

    What are your experiences with the spirit realm?  Have you had any? If so, what are your thoughts?

December 1, 2009

  • The lonely bug

    Read a couple of interesting articles today.  I had a few thoughts and tried to condense them into bullets.  (Articles follow below the bullet points)

    1) Lonelieness can be spread through negative feelings and or attitudes towards other people.  Really?  I guess I can see how having a negative outlook on life can drive other people away, and I can see how some people can take on some of those beliefs and begin propagating them themselves.  However, this seems like a bit of a stretch to be a scientific conclusion.  It sounds like they collected a bunch of anecdotes and felt that it was sufficient to publish as science.  I'm not denying that this happens; I can vouch for myself when I say that I have walked away from a difficult heart to heart and felt my outlook affected by the conversation.  But I would like to see better data collection before an conclusion like this is published.  Perhaps a more specific study is warranted by this initial one.

    2) Facebook, twitter, and other social networks are not suitable substitions for real life friendships or relationships.  In fact, it can drive a person to feel even more lonely.  This is a "duh" statement.  Although, I did find it interesting that they thought that social networking sites can be used to synergize the existing relationships. Synergize. I never thought of it that way.  But I guess it's true when it is used to keep up to date and stay in touch with the people you don't get to see every day.  Also, I though it was interesting that social networking sites was a boon to people who were handicapped and physically disabled. This makes a lot of sense, I just never thought about this.

    3) The idea of community design was highly interesting.  Probably interesting enough to garner its own post.  I am reminded of the extensive social engineering I heard about and witnessed in Singapore.  I think about the community design that they have there, with their individual, sustainable communities.  I think of campus dorms and the sense of community/unity that existed within dorms.  I think about the activities RAs would organize to keep people on the same floor in touch with one another... as well the the community wide activities within dorm buildings or dorm communities.  Even the communal eating areas were a boon to relationships and keeping in touch with one another.  Can this kind of community design work outside of the college campus?  It appears to have worked to some degree in Singapore.  Many thoughts abound.

    et tu?  Thoughts?  The articles are below.

     

     

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34209727/ns/health-behavior/

    Loneliness can be contagious, new study finds

    Feelings of isolation can spread through groups of friends as easily as a cold

    Image: Woman sitting alone on a bench
    Loneliness can not only make you feel more socially isolated, it can make you more anxious, more shy and cause you to believe you have poor social skills.
    Featurepics stock

    By Diane Mapes
    msnbc.com contributor

    We’re used to hearing about people spreading colds and flus. But according to a new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, there’s another human condition that’s equally contagious: loneliness.

    “Loneliness spreads across time,” says John Cacioppo, a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Chicago and one of the authors of the study. “It travels through people. Instead of a germ, it’s transmitted through our behaviors.”

    The longitudinal study, conducted by the University of Chicago, the University of California-San Diego and Harvard, interviewed more than 5,000 people over the course of 10 years, tracking their friendship histories and their reports of loneliness. Participants were part of the Framingham Heart Study, which has studied cardiovascular risks in people in Framingham, Mass., since 1948 and has since been expanded to include other research topics such as loneliness and depression. In the study, researchers found that lonely individuals tend to move to the fringes of social networks (and, no, we’re not talking about Facebook or Twitter here), where they have fewer and fewer friends.

    But before they move to the periphery, they “infect” or “transmit” their feelings of loneliness to their remaining friends. With fewer close relationship, these friends then become lonely and eventually move to the fringes of the social network, again passing their loneliness on to others. Thus, the cycle continues.

    “When people get lonely, they’re more likely to interact negatively with others they encounter,” says Cacioppo. “If you have two neighbors and they’re friends and one becomes lonely, they’ll start to treat the other less friendly. Ultimately, they’re less likely to be friends.”

    Ironically, loneliness can not only make you feel more socially isolated, it can make you more anxious, more shy and cause you to believe you have poor social skills. Cacioppo says previous research also shows that loneliness can make people less trustful of others and can make the brain more “defensive.”

    “Your brain tells you people are rejecting you,” he says. “Loneliness may warp the message that you’re hearing.”

    A biological signal
    While loneliness can be “contagious,” Cacioppo says it’s important to note it’s not a disease, nor is it a personal weakness. It’s actually a biological reaction, much like hunger or thirst or pain.

    “Society tends to think of it as an individual characteristic — there are just loners,” he says. “But that’s the wrong conception of what loneliness is. It’s a biological signal motivating us to correct something that we need for genetic survival. We need quality relationships. We don’t survive well on our own.”

    Studies, in fact, show loneliness can actually be harmful to both mental and physical health, leading to depression, high blood pressure, increases in the stress hormone cortisol, and compromised immunity.

    Unfortunately, quality friendships can sometimes be difficult to find or maintain in our busy, BlackBerried society.

    “I get lonely sometimes but I tend not to seek people out to do things because they’re all married or committed or need to find a babysitter and then it just turns into a circus,” says Tina Kurfurst, a 46-year-old database coordinator from Seattle. “I went out to dinner with some people from work the other night and one of the women kept saying, ‘Wow, you’re funny, why don’t we hang out more often?’ And I just thought, ‘Well, because you have a husband and a 12-year-old and a 17-year-old and it just doesn’t happen. You don’t have time for me.”

    Stephanie Smith, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Erie, Co., says she tries to encourage her lonely patients — which can range from college students to stay-at-home moms to high-powered CEOs — to find at least one friend in their same situation.

    “If you have kids, know at least one other person who has kids,” she says. “Or if you don’t, find someone who doesn’t. It’s important to have people in your life who share your interests and your stage of life.”

    But you don’t have to have a slew of BFFs.

    “Sometimes people get overwhelmed and think ‘I need to have 15 best friends,’” she says. “But it doesn’t need to be that big. One friend, one relationship, can be very powerful.”

    Facebook and Twitter are no substitute for the real thing, though.

    “If you’re isolated due to a disability or a spouse with Alzheimer’s, then Facebook can be a real boon,” says Cacioppo. “But if you’re spending your time on Facebook rather than face-to-face with friends, it increases your loneliness. It’s about quality. Lonely people use social networks as a substitute; non-lonely people use them to synergize the relationships they already have. The person with 4,000 friends on Facebook may well be a very lonely person.”

    The secret, says Cacioppo, is realizing loneliness is nothing more than your body sending you a signal.

    “All normal humans feel lonely at some point in time, just like they feel hunger and thirst and pain,” he says. “But while we have cupboards filled with food, taps for water and medications for pain, we don’t have anything comparable for loneliness. I’m not saying you need a cupboard full of friends, but if you feel lonely, pay attention and take the time to repair it.”

     

     

     

    http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1943748,00.html

November 12, 2009

  • Back to Basics

    So I'm posting for the second time this year. I think I've contracted some kind of illness. Perhaps something terminal. Otherwise, I have no other explanation for this mighty resurgence. And with this post, I'm going "back to basics;" I'm sharing something I love.

    I accidentally came across this today when I was walking down the hall. I saw a couple of purple streaks in the sky and my interest was piqued.  "Could there be more?"  I walked around the building and found the side facing west.  I immediately grabbed a couple of coworkers to come witness. I texted a friend.  I snapped a few shots.  And now here I am, with you.

    As I've said before, beauty is meant to be shared.

     P1010018Wide60

    Hopefully, there will be more to come.

August 12, 2009

  • Marriage... and childhood myths

    I saw this article the other and found it to be fascinating. Not from the usual perspective of "enduring love and marriage is awesome" blah blah blah. No, rather this was interesting to me because it was an opportunity to see things from the perspective of someone who was married to someone who was going through a mid-life crisis. The mid-life crisis, of course, is similar to the quarter life crisis or any kind of identity crisis that most people eventually go through. Identity crises are usually accompanied by a death of a dream. And being that the death of dreams is something near and dear to my heart (more to come on this), and I saw that Cate Song had posted it with positive responses, I decided to post this up as well.

    Those aren't fighting words, dear


    Read the article first, and then come back. Here are a few items I would like to point out:

    1) The husband who goes through the crisis immediately points to the wife as being the problem. "My life is not going the way I wanted it to go, therefore, these people around me are the problem. They are holding me back." Or in this case, he is blaming the wife. Instead of blaming others for the failure of his dream, he needed to realize that his dream wasn't going to happen the way he expected it to. He didn't become the person he had hoped to be. He was watching his mythological self die before his eyes.

    2) Being the "victim" of his dying dream and the people around him, he felt like he had to take control of the situation. Since we have no indication whatsoever that either husband or wife is a Christian, nor any allusion to trust in a higher power, it makes sense that both parties felt that they needed to be strong and take control in one way or another. This is significantly different from the theoretical Christian response, which is to let go of control and fall on your face and petition God to intercede. Of course, I say theoretical because most Christians avoid this route and go straight to taking control of the situation and wrestling it out of God's "untrustworthy" hands. So much for letting God be "Lord of my life."

    3) There are some who say that marriage is to serve as an example of the relationship we, as Christians, have with Christ, our bridegroom. With that paradigm in place, the wife is the Christ figure in this particular example. There are times when we are angry with God and blame him for the things happening in our lives. The wife wisely realizes that she isn't the problem, nor is she the cause of the problem. Furthermore, she offers to help him gain the space he needs. At the same time, she keeps the invitation open - he was welcome to come back at any time. His place at the table was always set. There was always room for the prodigal son to come home.

    4) She wisely recognized that she couldn't solve his problem. In most relationships, people vacillate between two extremes in a time of crisis: Try to fix the problem and force a happy face on it or abandon and leave. Her friends demanded that she get a lawyer and end it. Her internal struggle was to persuade him to not give up and make it work. But she chose neither. She recognized that this was his problem to solve, and she gave him the room to do it.

    5) The fourth paragraph from the end reads:

    "When life’s knocked us around. And our childhood myths reveal themselves to be just that. The truth feels like the biggest sucker-punch of them all: it’s not a spouse or land or a job or money that brings us happiness. Those achievements, those relationships, can enhance our happiness, yes, but happiness has to start from within. Relying on any other equation can be lethal."

    There it is. Childhood myths. Our mythological selves. Our destiny. Our American dream. Whatever it is you want to call it, they all mean the same thing. A false, alternate reality that is unachievable and unattainable. At some point in everyone's lives, our dreams fail us. Our happiness is lost. And somehow, we have to pick up the pieces and move on. We have to redetermine the root of our happiness and satisfaction. Is it performance based? Is is based on how other people feel about us? Is it from within, as the author states? Or is it based on the satisfaction of being wholly and completely loved by God? And this love will not change, no matter what we do right or what we do wrong.


    All in all, I thought that this was a great story with some great points. A lot of things to think on. Sadly, most people don't think about such things until they're facing a death of their own. Hopefully, this will provide some food for thought.

    On another level, I felt that it was eye opening to be able to see things from a different perspective. I definitely appreciated being able to see her perspective as if it were through the eyes of Jesus. I hope that you might appreciate it too.
    age

November 21, 2008

  • The Evolution of Science

    I have long described how watching the movie "Men in Black" destroyed my faith in the inerrancy of science. It didn't invalidate science as a process and a way of studying things. But it certainly caused me to think twice about what we as people hold onto as inerrant truth and "written in stone."

    Truthfully, the nature of science is that we are ever learning. The things that we "knew to be true" 1000 years ago are no longer true today. Imagine what we will know to be true tomorrow.

    It can be somewhat terrifying when I sit down in those quiet moments and spend any amount of time thinking about it.

    Today, I ran across a really interesting article detailing a new discovery. It's an exciting and amazing find that will change the way science interprets history; there is a giant single celled organisim that is large enough to leave a trail in the dirt where ever it goes. They say that it may be the oldest living fossil on record. But don't let the excitement of the discovery overshadow the significance of this finding - it will *change the way science interprets history.*

    And that's the issue at hand here. Incorrectly interpreted history has been passed of as fact and law since the beginning of time. Whether it's the recounting of an event by multiple witnesses from different perspectives with different stories or it's a detective trying to put together the pieces of a crime scene, there is a ceiling to what we can actually know. There is a limit to how much we can conclude and profess as fact.

    Take a look at the link to the article. Read some of the comments by the readers who hate creationists. There are people there bemoaning a magic box quote from one of the principle scientists, but they completely miss the fact that everything they believed in before has just been "corrected," and stands to be corrected for the rest of eternity.

    Take an opportunity to think outside of the box here and leave a comment.



    http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,3361,Single-Celled-Giant-Upends-Early-Evolution,Discovery

    http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/11/20/gromia-cambrian.html

November 13, 2008

  • A question for the ages

    Every day, we as people have to wrestle with the question of “how much imperfection am I willing to accept and still stay in relationship and community with this person?”

     

    Discuss.