Wonder Why

Went to bed last night with the news on his mind.
Woke up this morning, another tragedy he finds.
And he wonders why he feels so sad...

He asks God why, why so much suffering and pain.
His Bible sits on the shelf, while God gets the blame.
And he wonders why he feels alone...

He wants to fix the world, make everyone feel nice.
But he can't ruffle their feathers, whatever the price.
And he wonders why he feels guilty...

People go about their lives, not giving God a second thought.
But they blame Him for the suffering, and bloody wars being fought.
And they wonder why they feel empty inside...

July 2009

To those who condescendingly say, "I don't read fiction"...

"The first question to ask about fiction is, Why bother to read it? With life as short as it is, with so many pressing demands on our time, with books of information, instruction, and discussion waiting to be read, why should we spend precious time on works of imagination? The eternal answers to this question are two: ...enjoyment and understanding."

-Laurence Perrine, Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense

Dawkins' Delusion

"As an academic scientist I am a passionate Darwinian, believing that natural selection is, if not the only driving force in evolution, certainly the only known force capable of producing the illusion of purpose which so strikes all who contemplate nature.” (Richard Dawkins, A Devils Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love)

"Darwinian natural selection can produce an uncanny illusion of design. An engineer would be hard put to decide whether a bird or a plane was the more aerodynamically elegant. So powerful is the illusion of design, it took humanity until the mid-19th century to realize that it is an illusion.” (Richard Dawkins, New Scientist 9/17/05)

“Natural selection.… has lifted life from primeval simplicity to the dizzy heights of complexity, beauty, and apparent design that puzzle us today. After Darwin, we all should feel, deep in our bones, suspicious of the very idea of design. The illusion of design is a trap that has caught us before, and Darwin should have immunized us by raising our consciousness.” (Richard Dawkins, The Theory of Evolution by John Maynard Smith, Forward)

“It is almost as if the human brain were specifically designed to misunderstand Darwinism, and to find it hard to believe.” (Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker, Preface)

VS

“That consciousness is ruled by the laws of physics and chemistry is as preposterous as the suggestion that a nation could be ruled by laws like the laws of grammar. In human affairs [law] means a rule.… which may be kept or broken. In science it means a rule which is never broken…. Thus in the physical world what a body does and what a body ought to do are equivalent; but we are well aware of another domain where they are anything but equivalent. We cannot get away from this distinction…. The laws of logic do not prescribe the way our minds think; they prescribe the way our minds ought to think…. However closely we may associate thought with the physical machinery of the brain, the connection is dropped as irrelevant as soon as we consider the fundamental property of thought—that it may be correct or incorrect…. [Truth] involves recognizing a domain…. of laws which ought to be kept but may be broken. Dismiss the idea that natural law may swallow up religion; it can’t even tackle the multiplication table single-handed.” (Sir Arthur Eddington, Science and the Unseen World)

A Father's Day Story...

A true story I heard on the radio last year:

A few days after Father's day in 2005 a line man for a power company was called to reconnect the power in a neighborhood. As he rode up to where the problem was in his bucket, he noticed a Mylar balloon was entangled in the line.

So, he untangled the balloon and reconnected the power. As he was getting back into his truck he noticed there was a note attached to the balloon. So, he got in, started up the truck and read the note:

Dear Daddy,

Happy Father's Day!

I hope you are having a good time in heaven.

Love, Kayla

Just as he finished reading the note, a song started to play on the radio called 'In the Arms of An Angel'.

Critics

Everyone thinks they are a critic. They seem to think that if they say something (or lots of things) negative about a movie, TV show or band, that they are better than those who actually like it.

You can probably already tell that this post is going to be somewhat of a rant, but, I really have to get this off my chest.

There are probably more movies, TV shows and bands that I don't like than those that I do like. Yet, somehow, I manage to NOT seek out ways to declare my dislike of them to the world.

Whether it's Facebook fan pages, YouTube comments, or Hulu reviews, you will see "critics" everywhere. These people actually take time out of their lives to seek out things they DON'T LIKE in order to insult them! As if there isn't enough negativity in this world already.

People, please don't waste your time (or mine) complaining about how watching a movie or TV show is a waste of time. Don't make others feel bad because listening to the music they like makes you feel bad. Don't spread poison because you are bitter. Get a life and let others live theirs.

"In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." -Matthew 7:12

Integrity

Just a few days after my last post, "Unemployment," I was contacted about a job opportunity that I had thought was long gone (ironic, huh?). The job is really nearly perfect for me. The hours, the location and the job description are all suited to my life right now. However, there was one caveat: I would have to screen content posted by users of a social networking site, which could expose me to some pretty inappropriate stuff.

I was going to just write it off as a necessary evil and try to work around it. But, thankfully, the woman who I had been in contact about the job really encouraged me to think about it seriously and make sure I would be okay with it. So, I took her advice and spent this last weekend thinking it over and came to the conclusion that I really wouldn't be okay doing that on a daily basis. Although I do believe God would protect my mind and heart if it came to that, I don't need to be putting myself in the line of fire, so to speak.

So, even though I am still unemployed, I am thankful that I didn't give in to accepting an unacceptable job. I kept my integrity, and hopefully God will bless me for that. I have faith that He will provide.

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness." -Matthew 6:22-23

Unemployment

Last December I turned 21 years old. Pretty much ever since then, and probably for a while before that, I have been struggling with feelings of failure. You see, I still live at home, have never had a boyfriend, have no job, no car (not even an unrestricted drivers license), and no college education whatsoever.

All of that aside, I do have responsibilites at my parent's home, and my lack of other responsibilities have given me freedom to pursue some things I may not otherwise have time for. I do all of the cooking/baking for the most part, and have been able to develop my skills in that area, especially baking. I have a self-taught working knowledge of the piano and guitar. I even have experience in construction from when we enclosed our carport. All of these things (and much more) are opportunities and experiences that not everyone has or can have.

Even so, I feel so... unaccomplished; unfulfilled.

Money may not be the answer to life's problems, but a lack of it certainly doesn't help. Up until a year ago or so, I didn't really need a job. But the pressure is building, and now that I do need employment, it's nowhere to be found. Ironic? Yes. Fun? No. Lesson? I'm not sure yet.

I know I should be thankful. Not everyone gets to grow up in a truly Christian home, have a Christ-centered education, protected from, but not ignorant of the world and an enemy who would like nothing more than to pull you as far away from God as possible. And I am thankful. Those are all wonderful things that I am truly grateful for. But is it wrong to aspire to even more? The Bible says that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and men. Obviously I want to grow in wisdom and favor with God. But what about man? I know, I'm not supposed to be a people-pleaser or desire accolades from the world. The heart is deceitfully wicked and to listen to it would only lead to darkness.

BUT, that doesn't mean I can't be accomplished. Even Paul had a reputation. Yes, he counted all that he had "accomplished" before encountering Christ as nothing, but after that he maintained a status. He worked to support himself. He administrated. He knew his place in this world, but not of it. Tradition says he spent eight years in Arabia studying. That all has to count for something, right? Should I desire any less?

Yet, I am afraid. Afraid that the right opportunities won't appear, and if they do I will miss them, or be too afraid to take advantage of them. I guess I forget that Jesus is the One who opens doors and no one shuts them and shuts them and no one opens them.

Is that what it all boils down to? Forgetfulness? Lack of faith and trust in God and His promises? Do I simply need to trust in Him for all of my needs and lay my desires at His feet? Why am I asking all of these rhetorical questions that I obviously know the answer to?

--sigh--

I keep on feeling like I'm a failure, and what I don't realize is that I am. Without God I am a complete and utter failure. It's only when I walk with Him and hide His Word in my heart that I can rest in His love and have no fear. My trust and confidence must be in Him and Him alone.

But, because I am so imperfect and forgetful, I know that I will have to remind myself of all these things again in the not-too-distant future. I guess that's just how it works. Even David went through the cycle, from the time he was a young man until he was lying on his deathbed. Despair; realization; peace. It's like we all have incandescant lightbulbs above our heads that periodically burn out, and we're stumbling around in the dark until we (or God) finally replace them.

My, my... What a future to look forward to. At least I'm not alone.

No post yet...

I lost my notes for the post I wanted to write, so, I guess I will just have to think of something else. It's kind of a sad testament to my procrastination. If I had written it when I originally came up with the ideas, I wouldn't have lost the notes and I wouldn't be sitting here writing about it.

Still haven't written that next post...

Time has just been going so fast. I can't believe it's the middle of March!

Anyway, I'm writing this on a super-old laptop that used to be my dad's. Hopefully I'll be able to get some more RAM for it and actually have a useable laptop of my own. Everyone else in my family has one except for me, so it will be nice to finally have some mobility.

I will try to get my head together enough to write my next post. I heard a famous person say something that sparked a barrage of questions and issues I feel I can address. I may have to split up the posts, though, because the topics are a bit complicated and intertwined with so much of life. I can't think about it all right now, though. I don't know why it's been so hard to focus. I love to write, but it often feels like hard work. I wish the things I love to do came more naturally.

Enough of that. I'm rambling now, so I'll stop.

Upside Down: The World

“Where there is a loss of wonder there is a natural tug toward a reductionistic view of everything aesthetic or virtuous. For that matter, all of life boils down to the rags of matter in chemical or physical reaction, and the strongest ‘reactions’ win. Man becomes another blip on the radar screen of time” (Ravi Zacharias).

What emotion does that last sentence evoke? Is it not one of the individual’s greatest fears to be just another blip, another drop in the bucket? The quest for originality and the meaning of life has filled thousands of volumes and flashed across millions television screens. The late J.D. Salinger’s story of an adolescent temper tantrum, Catcher in the Rye, comes to mind. One can understand the confusion and emotional upheaval of a teenager growing up in post-war America, having certain things expected of him, but longing for something more. But, in his attempt to portray a young man struggling to find his place in the world, Salinger failed to address the real issues, instead leaving the reader with a sense of hopeless cynicism.

In the time since then (the past decade especially) the foundations of our country, society, and even our freedoms, have begun to shift, causing many people to reevaluate their state of being and security. No one wants to see their world crumble around them. But as much as we may try to deny it, and as much as we may fear it, sometimes we must witness the world change. Sometimes this change can be violent, carrying suffering, pain and need along with it. Of course, human will and a “we can do it” mantra alone is not enough to stem the tide of a cultural and/or economic breakdown. We must recognize that there are powerful (even non-human) forces at work behind the scenes of most political, economic, military and even religious associations. Sadly, many of these shadow-powers do not have humanity's best interest at heart.

But how can a blip on a radar screen make a difference? How can someone like me change the world? Consider the words of Charles Spurgeon:

“The Apostles were not the disturbers of states. It is true, they preached that which would disturb the sinful constitution of a kingdom and which would disturb the evil practices of false priests, but they never meant to set men in an uproar. They did come to set men at arms with sin; they did draw the sword against iniquity; but against men as men, against kings as kings, they had no battle; it is with iniquity and sin, and wrong everywhere, that they proclaimed an everlasting warfare. But still, brethren, there is many a true word spoken in jest, we say, and surely there is many a true word spoken in malice. They said the Apostles turned the world upside down. They meant by that, that they were disturbers of the peace. But they said a great true thing; for Christ's gospel does turn the world upside down. It was the wrong way upwards before, and now that the gospel is preached, and when it shall prevail, it will just set the world right by turning it upside down.”

Francis of Assisi is attributed with saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.” While I do not think he was undermining the verbal proclamation of the Gospel message, I do think he was stressing that we should go about each day in such a way that our lives mirror the spirit of the Gospel even when we aren’t speaking it. This, I believe, is another way in which we can impact the world around us. To live our lives unselfishly, inspiring others to do the same.

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

In a world where greed and marketing ploys are a part of every day life, it is refreshing to see a break in the trend. As I drove through the streets of my city on Christmas night, and saw darkened businesses and bright homes, something stirred within me, inexplicably, like a realization that there are still people who care about each other. The simplicity of leaving material thoughts and things behind to spend time with family and friends has tragically become a rare commodity. But it would seem that in these hard times people are beginning to see the value of those things which cannot be lost or taken away. Perhaps, as Christians, we will finally listen to Christ's admonition not to store up treasures in this life, but rather to live with eternity in our minds and hearts.

Truly, as I stated earlier, no one wishes to go through turmoil and tribulation. But I do believe, as well as many, many others, that it is in these tumultuous times that we are given the opportunity to shine as bright lights in a dark world. Even if we do not realize it, by simply living our lives as Christ would have us--not losing heart or hope--we will be seen and heard by others. This is our calling; to be seen as different; to be in the world but not of the world; to speak the truth, and more importantly, live the truth.

Little things, like the stillness on Christmas night, have been standing out to me lately. A few weeks ago I was running some errands with my mother. We were stopped at a red light, and as we were waiting I noticed a man crossing the street in front of us, obviously heading home from work. He looked to be a mechanic, or some similar vocation, wearing greasy gray coveralls and carrying a lunch box. Wanting to keep an eye on the light (I was driving), as soon as he passed out of the crosswalk I was not going to pay any more attention to him. But then my mother said, "Someone's coming to say ‘Hi’ to daddy." I looked over and saw two small children excitedly running towards the man. He had just entered the parking lot of a motel at the corner of the intersection, and the children were obviously coming from the motel itself. Once they reached the man, the children hugged him and he picked them both up in spite of the lunch box. The light turned green just as I saw the three of them heading back towards the motel.

Clearly, I cannot pretend to know whether or not that man was even the children’s father, much less their overall situation. Nonetheless, I cannot help but think about the thousands of men who go to work in Cadillacs and BMWs instead of walking; wear three-piece suits instead of jumpsuits; and come home to a nearly empty five-bedroom house instead of a crowded one-room motel. And I wonder, "Are these men as happy as the blue-collar worker whose children run out to greet him after a hard day's work?" Does more money mean more love, contentment or happiness? Or does it tend to drive people apart and sometimes even ruin lives? Understand, I am not saying that people with money are not or cannot be happy, but I am saying that a lack of money does not necessarily mean they are lacking. We talk of "haves" and "have-nots". Have-not what? What are the things that really matter? What makes a person who they are? What contributes to their legacy? Is it their car, house, clothes or paycheck? Is that what we want to be defined by?

We all know, I believe, the answers to these rhetorical questions. Nevertheless it is good to sometimes be reminded of them and to reflect on life and the essence of life. Jesus, of course, said, "One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." This simple truth is echoed numerous times and in various ways throughout the Bible.

The goal of writing this commentary was partly to put my own thoughts about materialism, individuality and life's purpose in order, and partly to stir up a renewed sense of what it truly means to live. Being the beginning of a new year, a time in which I personally have been contemplating the meaning of my own life, I think it is appropriate to put these thoughts and observations out for others to consider. I am neither a philosopher nor a greatly experienced person of the world. I do, however, like to think that I am fairly intelligent and discerning (although hardly above correction or criticism).

My prayer at this time is that each of us will choose the path of hope and living this life with our eyes fixed on eternity, and on the One with whom we will spend eternity, and that in doing so we will inspire others to live as extraordinary, ordinary people. Only through Christ is this even possible, so above all, thanks be to Him who redeemed us that we might have hope and abundant life. Amen.

Replacing God's Word with... what?!

Colossians 2:8-10 (NKJV): "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."

Colossians 2:8-10 The Message "Bible" by Eugene Peterson: "Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything."

Sounds strangely similar to "Awaiting You All" by George Harrison of The Beatles

You don't need a horoscope or a microscope to see the mess that you're in
If you open up your heart You will know what I mean...
Now here's a way for you to get clean
By chanting the names of the lord and you'll be free
The lord is awaiting on you all to awaken and see.

Funny, Peterson doesn't mention being inspired by The Beatles in his explanation for why he wrote The Message: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Message-MSG-Bible/.

See this link for more on The Message: http://www.crossroad.to/Bible_studies/Message.html