Today I don't really have an overarching topic, save that it's Good Friday and my mind has been quite active as of late. I'm basically going to throw down my random thoughts here and see how it works out.
Last night I walked into 301 where there was a heated game of Super Smash Brothers Brawl (one of the most boring games ever). Dolch called something in the game a fag, and I reprimanded him (facetiously), saying it wasn't nice. He responded that he wasn't using it in the "not-nice sense" (i.e. directed against gay people), after which Drew made a remark about my stance on homosexuality (that is, against it) and how the economic issues are weak for arguing against gay marriage. I said, "I'm against gay marriage because it is an affront to my religion. I'm against gay civil union because it is economically un-sound." Then, of course, Dolch offered up that he hates when people bring religion into the issue of marriage, because "marriage existed long before Christianity." Not bothering to launch into the explanation that that is incorrect (as Christianity has existed since the beginning of time, even though it only became manifest to humans some 2,000 years ago), I amended my argument by saying, "Okay, God has also existed long before Christianity, so it's an affront to my God." Bam.
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:33-34)
Truly, colleges are institutes of "lower learning" (a Michael Savage term). As far as I can tell, kids go off to college not just to get an education in some field of study that will advance their lives, but also to unlearn all of the values with which their parents raised them, become corrupted, and discover how to live of the world. Aren't we supposed to be learning, maturing, and growing, rather than discovering how to make bad choices and be irresponsible? No wonder our society is in crisis. We would all be better off if we had to become men in our early teens, facing death with every day and hard work just to put food on the table. These cushy dens of filth cause young, impressionable people to stagnate for four years (or more) by fooling them into a sense of safety and ensuring that they needn't face the reality of life or the consequences of their actions.
I don't want to sound sappy, but in all honesty, I would trust some people that I have never met or spoken to in person far more than those that I would commonly refer to as my friends. This is a result of a very special phenomenon, which is brotherhood in Christ. The sense of kinship I can feel with near-strangers is both amazing and encouraging.
The story of my recent life: It always catches up to you. Sure, it's all fun and games at the time. Skip the class now to take a nap or play video games. The test comes around and now you don't know any of the material. Sometimes it's that obvious. Sometimes it isn't. Keep on skipping classes, even after the miserable feeling and stress that test caused. After all, you got a 90 on the first one anyway. You can do it again. Don't stop there. Instead of examining your situation and realizing you have a problem, just bury it. How better to do that than by having a couple of drinks with your friends? Pay no heed to that nagging sense that maybe, just maybe, you should stop and think for a second. Things may be getting worse? Nah, just watch TV shows so much that you don't have any time to think about your life. Unfortunately, it can't keep up like this forever. You can ignore the blinking lights on the control panel telling you your engines are failing for quite some time. Eventually, though, the plane is going to crash, and you can no longer ignore it. My desert island? I lost the most important person in the world to me. I'm close to failing most of my classes. I go out and drink so much that I can't remember it. The only solace I can find is in the lives of the characters on "How I Met Your Mother."
Possibly the most mind-boggling part of all of this: even in all of the misery it didn't occur to me that I had to stop. I felt no regrets. And yet, that little nag in my conscience finally got the better of me. I don't know how, exactly, but it finally snapped in the middle of a phone conversation with my mom. The crushing weight of everything built up from months and months came down on me. And now today, not all that long after, I am the world better for it. It hearkens back to the story of Joseph: God meant it for good.
Now another brief word on friendship, drawing from my own experiences. Common wisdom dictates that "a good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying. 'Damn, that was fun!'" What a perversion of the truth. Let's look a little more closely at that statement, and rephrase it a little bit: "A good friend will help you out when you screw up, but a true friend will further encourage your wrongdoing with enthusiasm."
Excuse me?
For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:20-21) I stuck that in my last short post. The truth is, I made sure to avoid those people I could trust as my true friends that would support my values and have genuine concern for my welfare, rather than just looking out to have a good time. It is something far, far deeper that binds together a true friendship than just fun times together.
Right now, I feel like I've been kicked in the sternum. Nevertheless, I am whole. I was skimming through Revelation yesterday and I came upon the description of the "New Jerusalem" at the very end. I've read it before, but yesterday it hit me with an awe-inspiring amount of power. The understanding I have, far more than a simple belief or a comfort as skeptic would try to write it off, is resounding and incredible. The life-changing power of the grace of God is with me, and some day I will live in that beautiful city.
At the end of the day, all my efforts proved vain, and all my happiness was fleeting. I have had a truly life-changing experience this semester. I will sign off with a couple of references from Paul (in fact, I'm just going to delete the last post; everything that was in it is in here now).
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whome we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10)
I have hope. I will not give that up.
Last night I walked into 301 where there was a heated game of Super Smash Brothers Brawl (one of the most boring games ever). Dolch called something in the game a fag, and I reprimanded him (facetiously), saying it wasn't nice. He responded that he wasn't using it in the "not-nice sense" (i.e. directed against gay people), after which Drew made a remark about my stance on homosexuality (that is, against it) and how the economic issues are weak for arguing against gay marriage. I said, "I'm against gay marriage because it is an affront to my religion. I'm against gay civil union because it is economically un-sound." Then, of course, Dolch offered up that he hates when people bring religion into the issue of marriage, because "marriage existed long before Christianity." Not bothering to launch into the explanation that that is incorrect (as Christianity has existed since the beginning of time, even though it only became manifest to humans some 2,000 years ago), I amended my argument by saying, "Okay, God has also existed long before Christianity, so it's an affront to my God." Bam.
Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. (1 Corinthians 15:33-34)
Truly, colleges are institutes of "lower learning" (a Michael Savage term). As far as I can tell, kids go off to college not just to get an education in some field of study that will advance their lives, but also to unlearn all of the values with which their parents raised them, become corrupted, and discover how to live of the world. Aren't we supposed to be learning, maturing, and growing, rather than discovering how to make bad choices and be irresponsible? No wonder our society is in crisis. We would all be better off if we had to become men in our early teens, facing death with every day and hard work just to put food on the table. These cushy dens of filth cause young, impressionable people to stagnate for four years (or more) by fooling them into a sense of safety and ensuring that they needn't face the reality of life or the consequences of their actions.
I don't want to sound sappy, but in all honesty, I would trust some people that I have never met or spoken to in person far more than those that I would commonly refer to as my friends. This is a result of a very special phenomenon, which is brotherhood in Christ. The sense of kinship I can feel with near-strangers is both amazing and encouraging.
The story of my recent life: It always catches up to you. Sure, it's all fun and games at the time. Skip the class now to take a nap or play video games. The test comes around and now you don't know any of the material. Sometimes it's that obvious. Sometimes it isn't. Keep on skipping classes, even after the miserable feeling and stress that test caused. After all, you got a 90 on the first one anyway. You can do it again. Don't stop there. Instead of examining your situation and realizing you have a problem, just bury it. How better to do that than by having a couple of drinks with your friends? Pay no heed to that nagging sense that maybe, just maybe, you should stop and think for a second. Things may be getting worse? Nah, just watch TV shows so much that you don't have any time to think about your life. Unfortunately, it can't keep up like this forever. You can ignore the blinking lights on the control panel telling you your engines are failing for quite some time. Eventually, though, the plane is going to crash, and you can no longer ignore it. My desert island? I lost the most important person in the world to me. I'm close to failing most of my classes. I go out and drink so much that I can't remember it. The only solace I can find is in the lives of the characters on "How I Met Your Mother."
Possibly the most mind-boggling part of all of this: even in all of the misery it didn't occur to me that I had to stop. I felt no regrets. And yet, that little nag in my conscience finally got the better of me. I don't know how, exactly, but it finally snapped in the middle of a phone conversation with my mom. The crushing weight of everything built up from months and months came down on me. And now today, not all that long after, I am the world better for it. It hearkens back to the story of Joseph: God meant it for good.
Now another brief word on friendship, drawing from my own experiences. Common wisdom dictates that "a good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying. 'Damn, that was fun!'" What a perversion of the truth. Let's look a little more closely at that statement, and rephrase it a little bit: "A good friend will help you out when you screw up, but a true friend will further encourage your wrongdoing with enthusiasm."
Excuse me?
For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:20-21) I stuck that in my last short post. The truth is, I made sure to avoid those people I could trust as my true friends that would support my values and have genuine concern for my welfare, rather than just looking out to have a good time. It is something far, far deeper that binds together a true friendship than just fun times together.
Right now, I feel like I've been kicked in the sternum. Nevertheless, I am whole. I was skimming through Revelation yesterday and I came upon the description of the "New Jerusalem" at the very end. I've read it before, but yesterday it hit me with an awe-inspiring amount of power. The understanding I have, far more than a simple belief or a comfort as skeptic would try to write it off, is resounding and incredible. The life-changing power of the grace of God is with me, and some day I will live in that beautiful city.
At the end of the day, all my efforts proved vain, and all my happiness was fleeting. I have had a truly life-changing experience this semester. I will sign off with a couple of references from Paul (in fact, I'm just going to delete the last post; everything that was in it is in here now).
But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whome we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us. (2 Corinthians 1:9-10)
