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Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
when you work it out
From today's Lent reading:
[The disciples] came to Capernaum. When [Jesus] was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.Arguments about who's better (either out loud or internally) are not only childish, they're simply wrong and misguided. If I were to argue that I was a better person than you, it would entail the following:
Mark 9:33
- Knowing absolutely everything about myself
- Knowing absolutely everything about the subject I'm comparing myself to
- Accounting for where I came from, all the things I was given v. all the things I've achieved (pretty much the same, if you're Christian)
- Accounting for all the other person's setbacks that were out of his control (born with a golden spoon or in a broken home)
- Somehow quantifying and balancing all of these factors to come up with an absurd result
The point is, it's not only pointless, childish, and un-Christian, it's simply inaccurate. All I can ever know is myself, and when I work it out, I'm worse than you; given all of my blessings and my gifts and talents, I can never claim to be better than anyone because I know how poorly I've managed these blessings.
(continued)
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
I imagine when He sat down, He let out a sigh of disappointment. Why argue about something so stupid? Christ could have easily said "umm, hello...I am the Alpha and Omega...I win. Owned." But He didn't stoop down to that childish level. Instead, he flipped the entire situation on its head.
I can only hope the disciples didn't later argue about who was the least of them.
I can only hope the disciples didn't later argue about who was the least of them.
lost in complication
It's been said that those who are smart can take a complex subject matter and simplify it, and those who are not will take a simple subject matter and complicate it.
Take the current financial crisis; the average American is no doubt confused (as I am) about how the bailout will work, what the causes are, and so on. But at its root, it's a simple problem: people are buying stuff they can't afford.
Likewise, I always feel like people cover up their behavior with obscene complications to justify their actions.
Take the current financial crisis; the average American is no doubt confused (as I am) about how the bailout will work, what the causes are, and so on. But at its root, it's a simple problem: people are buying stuff they can't afford.
Likewise, I always feel like people cover up their behavior with obscene complications to justify their actions.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
you're not that important
I noticed lately that I've been attached to the hip to my cell phone. I'm constantly checking for messages, voicemails, and missed calls, while on my laptop constantly clicking the rainbow-colored Gmail logo to see if anyone has sent me an e-mail in the past .23 seconds that Gmail maybe didn't get a chance to update. Meanwhile, I shift over to the facebook tab on Mozilla to see whether anyone has sent me a message, poked me, wrote on my wall, or sent me an invite to a group/event that I can reject/ignore/delete. One more shift on the tabs leads me to my school's e-mail, which I need to check at least hourly, just so I can see if a professor has sent me a reading assignment that I won't do that night.
Clearly, I am sick. I am not even remotely important enough to be constantly connected, nor do I ever want to be. It sometimes amazes me how people used to live before this information age. Can you imagine - families actually had to talk to each other...in person?! What?!
So this is a promise, really. For lent, in order to heal this paralyzing disease, I am going to available less. A lot less, at least in electronic format. Now before all two of you get severely depressed as a result of not interacting with me for extended periods of time (days!), just know that it's for the better.
Clearly, I am sick. I am not even remotely important enough to be constantly connected, nor do I ever want to be. It sometimes amazes me how people used to live before this information age. Can you imagine - families actually had to talk to each other...in person?! What?!
So this is a promise, really. For lent, in order to heal this paralyzing disease, I am going to available less. A lot less, at least in electronic format. Now before all two of you get severely depressed as a result of not interacting with me for extended periods of time (days!), just know that it's for the better.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
defer your rights
As the world gets more crowded and sources more scarce, I find myself in an increasingly competitive and cutthroat environment. Everyone is shooting for the top, never content with what they have, always wanting to one-up the next guy. The goal is to do well; unfortunately, no one really cares about doing good. People don't defer anything to anyone - it's all about my rights and what I deserve.
There are those who are constantly fighting for their rights and looking out for their own self-interest, and then there are those who are not at all interested in themselves. They understand that there is a bigger picture that is being painted.
Before Lot and Abraham was a garden-like land flowing with water, with room for only one of them. Instead of fighting for his rights or competing to the death for the land, Abraham backed off:
Those who know when to defer are truly the wise ones. Everyone else will find their treasures they fought so hard for quickly turn to trash.
More on this issue later, as it's been on my mind lately...
There are those who are constantly fighting for their rights and looking out for their own self-interest, and then there are those who are not at all interested in themselves. They understand that there is a bigger picture that is being painted.
Before Lot and Abraham was a garden-like land flowing with water, with room for only one of them. Instead of fighting for his rights or competing to the death for the land, Abraham backed off:
Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."Lot, of course ran after the more beautiful land where Sodom and Gomorrah lied, leaving Abraham with the unspectacular land of Canaan. The wiser one accepted his land in humility after happily deferring to his brother's choice. Of course we know how this turns out for Lot.
--Gen 13:8-9
Those who know when to defer are truly the wise ones. Everyone else will find their treasures they fought so hard for quickly turn to trash.
More on this issue later, as it's been on my mind lately...
Friday, February 20, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
altruism?
Over the years, I have found myself becoming less and less convinced with the idea of altruism. Selflessness is, if it exists in the human race, an extremely rare occurrence.
The false Christian often prides himself for doing a good act that returns to him nothing but a "thanks" and a great "feeling". Perhaps he even did the kind act in private, so that he does not receive outside praise. Good for him. But he still gets that good "feeling" in return. And thus one must ask, am I truly being selfless, or am I acting in a way similar to those who enjoy the pleasures of the world (but on a slightly higher level)? Indeed, a pagan can go to Ethiopia and feed African babies all day, and while this is definitely a good act, I'm not quite prepared to call it a selfless one.
Today being Valentine's Day, I can't help but criticize even the truest human love. Even this has become a selfish ideal, especially in today's society. I don't think I've ever witnessed a love that was truly unconditional, and thus truly selfless.
I am reminded of an episode of FRIENDS that brings up the point: "there's no such thing as a selfless good deed". While I do agree that such deeds are exceedingly rare in the human race, I can't agree that it does not exist at all. John 3:16 is the obvious Christian response to the notion that no selfless good deed can exist. Only One who has absolutely nothing to gain and absolutely everything to lose can fall in the true definition of altruism.
I have searched and searched, and I have failed to come up with an example, in my own life at least, of a truly altruistic act. Perhaps one day I'll find one.
The false Christian often prides himself for doing a good act that returns to him nothing but a "thanks" and a great "feeling". Perhaps he even did the kind act in private, so that he does not receive outside praise. Good for him. But he still gets that good "feeling" in return. And thus one must ask, am I truly being selfless, or am I acting in a way similar to those who enjoy the pleasures of the world (but on a slightly higher level)? Indeed, a pagan can go to Ethiopia and feed African babies all day, and while this is definitely a good act, I'm not quite prepared to call it a selfless one.
Today being Valentine's Day, I can't help but criticize even the truest human love. Even this has become a selfish ideal, especially in today's society. I don't think I've ever witnessed a love that was truly unconditional, and thus truly selfless.
I am reminded of an episode of FRIENDS that brings up the point: "there's no such thing as a selfless good deed". While I do agree that such deeds are exceedingly rare in the human race, I can't agree that it does not exist at all. John 3:16 is the obvious Christian response to the notion that no selfless good deed can exist. Only One who has absolutely nothing to gain and absolutely everything to lose can fall in the true definition of altruism.
I have searched and searched, and I have failed to come up with an example, in my own life at least, of a truly altruistic act. Perhaps one day I'll find one.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
sabbath day
I've always been amazed at the Old Testament commandment to refrain from work on one day of the week. Why was a commandment for a day off necessary? It seems almost silly to require people to take a day off, even if they don't want to.
Today's world makes it much harder to take time off, to contemplate, to make the day holy. Even Sundays have lost their meaning. Malls keep opening later and later, and some stores refuse to even acknowledge the day. And after coming home on a Sunday, one is too easily bombarded by an informational overload from all types of LCD's coming from the family room, the bedroom, and our pockets. The peaceful and contemplative Sabbath is quickly disappearing.
And so we regress. In the Old era, God had to force His people to stop working so that they remember that day and to keep it holy, for Himself. In the New era, God tells them to be more concerned with the meaning and purpose and not just the ritual. Today, we forget both -- we live in a pseudo-work environment at all times, always ready to respond to that urgent call at a moment's notice. Our peace is gone, but what do we gain? Statistics will say absolutely nothing -- despite the increased work of the past few decades, the standard of living hasn't improved much, and I would argue that it's declined dramatically. Less time for exercise, for spending time with the family, and for contemplation in exchange for more "things" is not an increase in the standard of living, it's a plunge downward. But nobody seems to notice.
Today's world makes it much harder to take time off, to contemplate, to make the day holy. Even Sundays have lost their meaning. Malls keep opening later and later, and some stores refuse to even acknowledge the day. And after coming home on a Sunday, one is too easily bombarded by an informational overload from all types of LCD's coming from the family room, the bedroom, and our pockets. The peaceful and contemplative Sabbath is quickly disappearing.
And so we regress. In the Old era, God had to force His people to stop working so that they remember that day and to keep it holy, for Himself. In the New era, God tells them to be more concerned with the meaning and purpose and not just the ritual. Today, we forget both -- we live in a pseudo-work environment at all times, always ready to respond to that urgent call at a moment's notice. Our peace is gone, but what do we gain? Statistics will say absolutely nothing -- despite the increased work of the past few decades, the standard of living hasn't improved much, and I would argue that it's declined dramatically. Less time for exercise, for spending time with the family, and for contemplation in exchange for more "things" is not an increase in the standard of living, it's a plunge downward. But nobody seems to notice.
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