Nature's Masterpiece

I'm kinda pushing it on my self-imposed midnight deadline, so I'll keep it short, quick and to the point.

"The family is one of nature's masterpieces."  -George Santayana

I spent the afternoon and evening with my grandma, cousin, and baby cousin at the hospital.  Don't worry everything's OK.  In fact, while hospital's for most people are a place of traumatizing memories and at the very least discomfort, for me they have always been a rather happy place where family gathers.

No, I'm not morbid or crazy.

Well, I may be crazy, but that's another matter entirely.

My dad is a doctor, so he always had access to the hospital.  I also grew up without cable, so whenever there was something on a cable channel that we wanted to watch, my family would go up to the hospital and watch it in one of the empty rooms.  Since then, I have never really been at the hospital for the terrible events, but have often been there shortly after when all of the family gathers around to be with each other.  Good times.

Family is very important to me and is awesome.  I love them.  I love hanging out with them.  I love making fun of them.  I love when they make fun of me.  But I'm also very protective of them as they are of me.  We watch out for each other.

Obviously, today I'm feeling very family-oriented today.  This is for several reasons beyond me having hung out with my extended family all day that I won't get into here.

I will, however leave you with one final thought:

If you hurt any of us, we will show you just why our family motto is "No Mercy!"

Grenade Revisted

Before I get started today, I'm going to ask something of you.  Please watch this video before you read the rest of this post.  It makes a difference, and even if you've seen it before, I want it to be fresh in your mind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR6iYWJxHqs

Got that done?  No?  Ok.  I'll wait.

How about now?  Still not?  It's cool.  I've got all day.  I won't start until you've watched it.

You watched it yet?  Ok.  Awesome.  Took you long enough.  ;)

My first impression of this song is that it was silly.  What good would any of those things do?  Throwing your hand on a blade is really just stupid.  Jumping in front of a train really can't possibly do anything for anyone.  And catching a grenade?  Why not just bat it away or something?

You can do this all day.

What's with the piano, dude?  Are you planning to blow it up with that grenade you keep talking about?  Why the heck did you drag that same piano all the way back with you if you were going to go all suicidal?  What's with the weird dude at about two minutes into the song?  What is he doing?  Does he know the piano man?  What's the priest's problem with him?  What in the world is going on!?!

There are several ways you can take this song and this video.  Absolute ridiculocity is just one possible interpretation.  Anyone can find problems with even the greatest of artistic masterpieces.  The more impressive ability is finding something good in something ridiculous.  There are several ways you can do this with this song.  We'll start with the more obvious one.

When the guy gets the piano to the girl's house, it is apparent that for some reason, he was bringing this piano to her.  Let's build a little story around it:

The girl had always wanted to be a professional musician but could not afford to buy herself a piano.  The guy finally found a piano he could afford, but it was on the other side of town.  On the girl's birthday, he drives himself across town and spends his savings on this piano.  Then, as he's driving it back to her, his car breaks down, but he desperately wants to get her present to her on her birthday.  So what does he do?  He ties a rope to it and pulls it all the way across town to bring it to her door where he finds her with another man and is heartbroken.

Still seem ridiculous?  I didn't think so either.

The real interesting things in this video are not found in the relationship between the guy and the girl, but between the guy and all of the other people along the way.  He obviously loves this girl a lot, but does he care about anything or anyone else?

Toward the very beginning, the man passes by a homeless person.  He looks right at the homeless man and keeps walking.  How often are we so preoccupied with our own endeavors that we ignore those suffering around us?

Often in the video, he passes several people, especially the weird guy, who seem as if they would be perfectly willing to ask.  Why didn't he ask for help?  How often are we unwilling to ask those around us to help us with our burdens?

Finally, at the very end, he kills himself after seeing the girl with another man.  WHY!?!  But really, how often do we pin all of our hopes on one thing?  How often do we feel like a complete failure when one part of our life falls apart?

Suddenly, this video makes a lot more sense, doesn't it?

Toward the end, he passes a priest and a nun.  When I was watching it this time, I was reminded of my brother's fiancé's reaction to this song.  She said that when she saw the video and the guy dragging the piano, she was reminded of Christ dragging his cross.  Listen to the song again with this idea in mind.  Don't watch the video, because it doesn't really line up with it that well.  Just listen.

Suddenly, the song has whole new meaning.  Christ was willing to go through pain and suffering for YOU!  He would catch a grenade for you.  He would jump in front of a train for you.  He would do anything for you.  The song says you won't do the same.  Suddenly, the song is Jesus desperately pleading with someone he loves.  He's pleading, but not getting through to them.

He died for you, baby.

Would you do the same?

Glass Houses

Oh, Facebook.  How you keep our lives interesting.

Some people have developed a habit of plastering their entire life on the internet.  For some reason, the rest of us have developed a habit of actually wasting our time reading about this.  Personally, I have developed what I can only describe as an addiction to Facebook, as I'm sure many others have.

The main problem with posting your life's story on the internet is that your life's story is on the internet.

"People who live in glass houses should not throw stones."  Old Unsourceable Advice

This really makes a lot of sense if you think about it.  If people who live in glass houses risk throwing stones, they risk them being thrown back at them.  If one of these stones happens to hit their house, it will shatter.  To translate the analogy, if people that are in the public eye risk having issues with people, they risk losing their home and livelihood.

While most people that I pay attention to on Facebook are not in the general public eye, you can still force this analogy upon them.  These people do not live in glass houses, but the internet is allowing them to build ever larger windows.  These people are then standing in front of these windows, risking its destruction with their quarrels.  At the very least, they are risking a drafty house.

While it's not an advisable thing to allow yourself to build such large windows, by taking the time to read all of these people's posts, you have given them the materials with which they can build these windows.  You then also risk the neighbors finding out about anything you happen to do in their metaphorical house.

I would love to tell you that this whole analogy is leading to some deep meaningful critique of humanity.  I would love to tell you that I was going to tell you some great philosophical realization I had come to.  Unfortunately, this is more of an FYI post.

My message here is pretty simple:

I don't know why I'm so interested in the useless crap you post on Facebook, but I can't quit reading it.  While all of the couple drama is interesting, I don't understand why you feel it is advisable to work that stuff out on Facebook.  It's kinda funny, but personally, I wouldn't want people to know all of my drama.  (Just the really juicy stuff.)

On a semi-related note, is it really so hard to just use proper grammar?  I mean, really?

TyPeEnG lYk DiS iZ nT qT.  nneeiitthheerr iiss tthhiiss.

It's really just annoying.

Hypocrisy

Open Confession of a Self-Admitted Hypocrite:

My own hypocrisy has begun to astound me.

For quite a while now, I've talked a good game about living for today rather than worrying about what may come tomorrow.  The truth of the matter is that I've never truly lived my life this way.  Furthermore, I have often talked badly of those who do things simply because that is what they are "supposed to do."  Currently, that is the entire motivation for most of the things I am doing with my life.

An old turtle once said, "Yesterday is history.  Tomorrow is a mystery.  But today is a gift.  That is why it's called the present."  The Bible tells us not to worry about tomorrow for today has enough worries of its own.  I myself have often said to live for today for tomorrow never comes.  Despite the countless warnings from countless sources, humanity continues to be a race of planners and worriers, me included.

Last week, I was commenting, as I often find myself doing, on the sheepesque nature of humanity.  In other words, people do things without actually knowing why they are doing it.  They simply do it because they are "supposed to," or because that's what people expect.  For example, last week, I was questioning how many people understand why they put ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday or why they gave up something for Lent.  Humanity is a blind mob, and I am a part of that mob.

Since as early as elementary school, I lived my life for tomorrow, but I knew why I was doing it.  My purpose was to do well in school.  I knew that the reason to get good grades was to graduate at the top of my class.  The reason to graduate at the top of my class was to get good scholarships to pay for college.  That may be an oversimplification, but it was the plan.

My whole life, because I've lived by this plan, I have been living my life for tomorrow.  Since I have avidly spoken against this style of living, I am a hypocrite.

While for most of my life, I have managed to happily dance around my second hypocritical trap, at least on the large scale, I have finally managed to fall headfirst into its clever snare.  I am now in college.  The plan since elementary school is complete.  I realized recently that the plan has never really gone farther than college.  True, there are vague reasons of why college is a generally good idea, but the rest of the plan has been a lot more settled and specific.  I am finally to a point that I don't know why I am doing anything.

At this point, I'm going to college simply because that has always been the plan.  I'm going to college simply because I'm "supposed to."  Without a planned career, college seems like simply a way I am passing the time.  Moreover it's a frustrating way of passing the time.

Since I won't know why I am going to college until I have a career goal, I will remain a hypocrite until that time comes.

Unfortunately, time ticks on and likely won't roll back.

Caging a Beast

I was thinking today about the story in the Bible of the transfiguration of Jesus.  I'll summarize for those that need to brush up on what happened:

"Jesus took Peter, James, and John and went up on some mountain.  While they were up there, Jesus changed and became all bright and shiny with some white robes.  About the same time, Moses and Elijah appeared also looking bright and shiny.  Peter saw all this and suggested that they build a house for each of them.  Then Jesus changed back and the other two desappeared and the disciples were told to tell no one."  MXPB (My Xtremely Paraphrased Bible)

The big thing that stuck out to me today was the idea of Peter wanting to build houses for them.

I heard someone preaching about this story one time, and I can honestly say I cannot remember one word of what they said.  However, I do remember my impression from it.  I remember thinking about what Peter was acutally suggesting and the reaction to this suggestion.  Peter was suggesting that they build a house for God.  However, he was not merely suggesting that they build a place for God to rest his head at night.  He was suggesting that they build a place where they could know God would be.  His suggestion was not really a house.  It was a cage.

When you think about it, building a house for God is really a ridiculous idea.  He has the entire world in which he can reside.  Why would he choose to limit himself to one little man-made building?  He made a beautiful world in which he could float around if he would choose.  Why would he let himself be trapped?

Jesus seemed to think along these same lines, because he didn't even acknowledge Peter's suggestion.  In fact the Bible immediately says that Peter had no idea what he was saying.

Looking at this, it's easy to say that Peter was being silly, but have you ever considered the possibility that you are trying to do the same thing?  Have you tried to cage God?

So often these days, people believe that they have figured God out.  People proclaim on their cars' butts, "WWJD," but do they really know what Jesus would do?  Once you believe that you have God figured out, you have put him in a cage.  Jesus is know as the Lion of Judah, lion being the king of all beasts.  When you put him in a cage, you are truly caging the king of beasts.

Is it possible that God can be found where you don't expect him to be?  YES!  More than possible, it's likely!

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or turning."  James 1:17 (NKJV)

Did you hear that?  Read it again:

"EVERY good gift and every perfect gift is from above . . . "

Every single wonderful thing that has happened to you or anyone else is the work of the Father.  Every single good thing that anyone has ever done is a gift from above.  Since Eden, humanity has been a fallen race.  Human nature is sin.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

If every good and perfect thing is from above, how can anyone say that a non-Christian is not doing God's work?  Nothing good can happen without God.

Because we are a corrupted race, every bright spot within us is the light of God.  Suggesting that God can only work through a Christian is putting him in a cage.  Claiming that one particular form of worship is better than another is putting God in a cage.  Making any statement that limits the power and reach of God's unfailing unlimited love is putting God in a cage.

Many of Martin Luther's hymns are written to the tune of drinking songs from his time.  He did this in order to make them memorable to people.  He did this the make the gospel relatable.  My pastor said today that when the jungle changes, the animals must adapt.  When the animals don't adapt, they go extinct.

I have heard more than once from fundamentalist Christians that contemporary worships are not really worship.  They say that people go to these places to be entertained and not to praise God.  I say that these people are dead wrong.  While some would view changing the gospel into more hip forms as selling out, I view it as adapting.  Martin Luther understood this.  Jesus understood this.  He came into the world and told the religious authorities of the time several things they were doing that didn't really matter.  Both of these revolutionaries understood a very simple idea:  people want to hear the godpel in their language.  The gospel must adapt or go extinct.

God works through non-Christians just as well as he works through Christians.  Contemporary worship is just as meaningful as traditional worship.  Any statement to the contrary is caging God.  Caging a beast.

"Sometimes when you cage the beast, the beast gets angry."  Wolverine (X-Men 3)

The gospel is not only in the Bible.  The good news of Jesus Christ is found in EVERY good work on Earth.  It is found in EVERY form of praise and worship to the Father of lights.  You cannot cage God's love.  Nothing is big enough to hold that.

How have you tried to cage the king of kings?

Dearest Artemis

The old saying goes that home is where the heart is.

Someone once said, “If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind wanders.”

If these are true, it’s no wonder I don’t feel at home.  If my heart truly lies where my mind wanders, you have my heart.  It seems these days like everything reminds me of you.  If home is where the heart is, it’s no wonder I feel so lost.  Home is wherever you are.  Unfortunately, it appears that is rarely with me.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

You, my dear, are my treasure.  I have been seeking you my whole life, though I did not know it.  I have been spending my whole life following a map toward the big X, but I didn’t know just what would be buried beneath it until I met you.

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:21 (NKJV)

“If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind wanders.”

“Home is where the heart is.”

My heart lies with you.  My home is with you.

You are my treasure.

I love you.

Do I dare hope you feel the same?

The Jesus Scepter

This week on my campus, there has been a group of people that have upset me so deeply I cannot even explain what I'm feeling.  They are standing outside of the Student Union Building and proclaiming they're message to passers-by in the name of Jesus Christ.  This would be a truly admirable thing to do were they actually doing the work of Christ.

My first impression of these people came as I was walking back to my dorm after class.  As I approached the SUB, I saw a man in a black suit holding a sort of staff.  It was a long pole with a cross on the top bearing the likeness of the crucified savior.  I have come to refer to this accessory as the Jesus Scepter.  As I passed this guy, I heard him yell out very loudly, "I don't know how prostitutes in this town can make a living when the girls are just giving it away!"  This was followed by several gasps from the people around me and several mutterings along the lines of "that's offensive."

Behind this man, walking around in the courtyard, were other people wearing shirts and sandwich boards proclaiming the need to turn from sin and repent or suffer the fires of eternal damnation.  Yeah, I thought it was an awful lot to cram onto a t-shirt too, but I guess they couldn't think of a catchier slogan.  They probably should have talked to the guy with the Jesus Scepter.

My first, and really only, interaction with one of them was later that day as I walked to one of my other classes.  I walked up to one of them and handed him a notecard with a list of verses telling him why what he was doing was wrong.  I wish I could remember which verses I had put on it, but alas, I cannot.

As I walked away, he turned and yelled at me, "Do you have sin in your heart?"

This question struck me so deeply, that I have since spent an unhealthy amount of time coming up with several good responses:

• "No. I have Jesus in my heart!"
• "Isn't that why you're here?"
• "Do YOU?"
• "No, sir! I have blood in my heart!"
• "[insert expletive of your choosing here] YOU!"

Ok, so maybe that last one isn't necessarily such a good response, but it better reflects my feelings at the time then my actual answer.  I thought about just continuing to walk away, but the way he asked me, I simply could not do that.  At the time the response I managed to come up with is, "We all do, sir."

That response may not have been very clever, but by the time I had handed the guy the notecard, there was already a large crowd surrounding the man with the Jesus Scepter, shouting back at him.  I'm hoping some of them had more clever things to say.

The Jesus Scepter has returned to campus twice more this week alone.

The whole experience shook me up so much, that I haven't really quit thinking about it.  How can someone go out and speak hatred in the name of Jesus?  How can anyone pervert the gospel and think that it will actually do good?

Today, during one of my frequent trips across the world wide web, I came across an article about this (which I will post a link to as soon as I can find it again).  The article talked about rickrolling.  If you haven't heard of it, here's a link that will explain it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?vdQw4w9WgXcQ

If you took that link, you just got rickrolled.  Basically, you dangle an interesting and enticing link in someone's face, and then when they take it, they find themselves lost in that video.

This article compared rickrolling to what it called religionrolling.  Same concept:  dangle something tantalizing in front of someone, then pull it away and smack them in the face with something they didn't really want or need.  Basically, to religionroll someone, you ask them, "Would you like to hear the good news of Jesus Christ?"  Then, when they reach for this good news, you smack them in the face with, "YOU ARE A SINNER!  Repent and turn from your wicked ways or you will BURN!!!"

That is NOT the good news of Jesus Christ!!!

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  John 3:17 (NKJV)

Jesus came to forgive us!  I'll admit that he spent a fair amount of time telling people what they were doing wrong, but look at who those people were.  The people Jesus spent the most time speaking against were the religious authorities of his day!

Who were Jesus' friends?  Prostitutes, con men, and terrorists.  Granted, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it puts things in perspective.  Mary Magdalene has been acknowledged for centuries as a harlot.  Matthew was a tax collector, the con men of Jesus' time.  Simon was a zealot, a terrorist in the eyes of the government.

Did Jesus spend his time on earth ruling over people with a scepter like a tyrannical king?  NO!  He spent his time on earth with those who needed his love most.  He spent his time on earth loving.

In passing I heard one of the people with the Jesus Scepter telling someone that we are called to be Christ-like.  Finally something we can agree on.  But being Christ-like is not telling people everything that they are doing wrong.  Being Christ-like is not ruling over people with your Jesus Scepter.

Christ is love.

Have you shared that love today?

UPDATE:  I found that article:

Rickrolling and Religionrolling