This mass of unorganized thought is all I can offer...
Here is a tribute to a man who I did not have the pleasure of knowing. At least personally, for I have been introduced to his spirit through others.
Through a man named Luke, I have met a great teacher and friend. I pray the blessings of peace and comfort from the Almighty upon all who have been touched by this man who has departed us. I recall something that I wrote when my high school Bible teacher was killed last January...
Oh teacher, time was stolen from you and yours
Your heart was quieted before its time
Tho' I know that the Father has called you home
Farewell to thee, oh blessed man who loved
I am shocked by the applicability that this has to the current tragedy. My heart hurts for my hurting friends, especially dear Luke. I am thankful, though, that I have come to know this departed man's kindness and love. Everything that I have heard about him has been made manifest within our loving brother Luke. He lives a legacy of his father's goodness through his own. My heart cries for you, my brother, and I am sincerely praying for your and your family's peace and comfort. May the God of Peace which passes all understanding surround your hearts with comfort. I leave you with this prayer:
God, hear my prayer,
And let my cry come to You.
Do not hide from me in the day of my distress
Turn to me and speedily answer my prayer.
Eternal God, Source of healing,
Out of my distress I call upon You.
Help me sense Your presence
At this difficult time.
Grant me patience when the hours are heavy;
In hurt or disappointment give me courage.
Keep me trustful in Your love.
Give me strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.
To your loving hands I commit my spirit
When asleep and when awake. You are with me; I shall not fear.
10/27/2005
A Tribute...
10/16/2005
loyalties lost...
as i am reading a favorite book of mine, i find myself thinking much about the society in which we live. it is my belief that we now find ourselves in a time in which the human bonds of old no longer reside. let me expand. in ancient times, it was considered a great honor to come and dine at another's table. when a man invited his neighbor to dinner, it was considered to be a great honor and a mark of friendship. from then on, they would have a relationship which was built upon trust and honor. so out of obligation, the two would then continue life while still being concerned for each other.
i fear that we have lost these bonds today. in the present day, 'tis no matter if the bonds of friendship are broken. one can simply cease to acknowledge his former bond with a friend, and people silently part to go their separate ways. what a pity. the least that could happen if the two were about to part is a final handshake or acknowledgement of the parting, but to simply cower out of the relationship is plain stupid. unfortunately these mangled things we call friendships today represent the society in which we live: non-committal, superficial, and very temporary.
why has this happened? well, i tend to think it is because we no longer need people, or god for that matter. we have so much stuff to satisfy our needs of loneliness that we could certainly replace any friend, family member, or god with a number of gizmos and gadgets that could take our cares away. all hail the ipod, a refuge for many. some might disagree with my opinion so far, but i will offer some evidence that i think suggests that i am right.
in the past twenty-five years, playing cards as a social activity is down 25 percent (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 102-5). Going to bars, nightclubs, and taverns is down 40 percent (101). Full service restaurants have decreased 25 percent, and the number of bars (including coffee) and bistros has decreased 50 percent, but fast food outlets have increased 100 percent (102). Having a social evening with an actual neighbor is down 33 percent (105). Attendance at social clubs and meetings (such as B.P.O. Elks, Shriners, etc.) is down 58 percent (www.bowlingalone.com). Family dinners are down by 33 percent (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 98, 100, 102-5). Having friends over to one's home is down by 45 percent (www.bowlingalone.com). in the period ranging from 1980 to 1993, bowling was actually up 10 percent, but the number of bowling leagues decreased 40 percent, as people now prefer to bowl alone (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 112-13).
the above statistics are mentioned in mark driscoll's the radical reformission. what these stats show is that america prefers to be alone. nobody wants to be around others anymore. no one wants to put effort or emotion into his relationships. so america doesn't need friends. we certainly don't need family. why then do we need god? we don't. we don't need him, or anything he has to offer. the songs on our ipod do not require anything from us, and we can get lost in the free emotion that the songs give to us. we don't have to put anything in. we live in such an experiential service based society, that all of our needs (physical, mental, and spiritual) can be met in a starbucks! we don't have to grow the beans, we don't have to harvest the beans, we don't have to brew the coffee, we don't have to serve ourselves, and we don't have to own nice leather furniture surrounded by a bright inspiring environment with cute little tables and rich aromas and great music. we can now order up that scene where person is sitting by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book and a nice blanket while we are on our lunch break from work!
i wish things were different. i wish that we had to put some work into the products we receive. i wish we actually had to visit the grocer and speak to him to let him know that we need to order an extra gallon of milk next week. i wish that we actually had to get off our lazy asses and go visit a friend rather than give an unimpressive courtesy call. i wish that we actually had to speak to god, rather than rely on our church experience to take care of that little issue. granted i am thankful for myspace, as it has reunited me with some old friends, but i do not want it to replace my lines of physical communication with my friends and family. a myspace message can never do justice to a handwritten letter that has carefully been passed by the hands of many to reach its recipient. technology has invaded our society and yes, there are many benefits to it.
i guess the point i am trying to make in all of this is that we don't need each other anymore. we don't need each other because we can get therapy or we can get help from support groups, which only exist because people do not have personal relationships anymore. alcoholics anonymous. can i say any more? even the support groups are on a need to know basis, and they don't want all of your personal information. they just want to address your problem so they can fix it, and send you on your merry way! we need to get personal, people. the church is dying if you haven't noticed and if you don't think that this new desire to be alone at home (where one can have his own church and his own relationship with god, etc....) is not going to make things worse in the coming years, you need to think again. i am not pleading for the church. i am not pleading for me. i am pleading for the sake of humanity that we follow the second most important commandment! how are we to love others if we don't need to be around them, or if we are simply not going to be around them? if we love christ, then we need to show that we love christ to someone other than our ipods. i’m not dogging ipods either, don't get sidetracked by that, i am simply making a point.
i need to wrap this up. in the coming days, i am going to try to live like someone who wants and needs others. i am not going to try to establish myself as the person who is just fine being alone. i am not going to be that great achiever who forsook his friends for success. rather, i am going to show people that i want and need them. i am going to show them that i am here for them as well, and they could use me. i am going to show true friendship, and i will build those true friendships with those who accept it. i am going to surround myself with those who think similarly; because the only way this will work is if those around me do the same. someday, i hope to see a true community that reflects true love. i suppose i could be wrong on all of this. i suppose that we could be built to survive by ourselves, not needing others. i suppose that we could have evolved into a culture that does not need anything from anyone, so long as it is not a good or service that will immediately satisfy. i could be wrong. but if i am, then i am going down in flames because i am going to invest fully in this, and i will not turn back. if the africans are sending missionaries to america because we are in such spiritual dilemma, then the least i can do is sign up to help them. there it is. the ships are burning and there is no turning back for me. i need you, people, and i think you need me. that is not a bad thing, but it is what god intended. let's do something about it.
i fear that we have lost these bonds today. in the present day, 'tis no matter if the bonds of friendship are broken. one can simply cease to acknowledge his former bond with a friend, and people silently part to go their separate ways. what a pity. the least that could happen if the two were about to part is a final handshake or acknowledgement of the parting, but to simply cower out of the relationship is plain stupid. unfortunately these mangled things we call friendships today represent the society in which we live: non-committal, superficial, and very temporary.
why has this happened? well, i tend to think it is because we no longer need people, or god for that matter. we have so much stuff to satisfy our needs of loneliness that we could certainly replace any friend, family member, or god with a number of gizmos and gadgets that could take our cares away. all hail the ipod, a refuge for many. some might disagree with my opinion so far, but i will offer some evidence that i think suggests that i am right.
in the past twenty-five years, playing cards as a social activity is down 25 percent (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 102-5). Going to bars, nightclubs, and taverns is down 40 percent (101). Full service restaurants have decreased 25 percent, and the number of bars (including coffee) and bistros has decreased 50 percent, but fast food outlets have increased 100 percent (102). Having a social evening with an actual neighbor is down 33 percent (105). Attendance at social clubs and meetings (such as B.P.O. Elks, Shriners, etc.) is down 58 percent (www.bowlingalone.com). Family dinners are down by 33 percent (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 98, 100, 102-5). Having friends over to one's home is down by 45 percent (www.bowlingalone.com). in the period ranging from 1980 to 1993, bowling was actually up 10 percent, but the number of bowling leagues decreased 40 percent, as people now prefer to bowl alone (Putnam, Bowling Alone, 112-13).
the above statistics are mentioned in mark driscoll's the radical reformission. what these stats show is that america prefers to be alone. nobody wants to be around others anymore. no one wants to put effort or emotion into his relationships. so america doesn't need friends. we certainly don't need family. why then do we need god? we don't. we don't need him, or anything he has to offer. the songs on our ipod do not require anything from us, and we can get lost in the free emotion that the songs give to us. we don't have to put anything in. we live in such an experiential service based society, that all of our needs (physical, mental, and spiritual) can be met in a starbucks! we don't have to grow the beans, we don't have to harvest the beans, we don't have to brew the coffee, we don't have to serve ourselves, and we don't have to own nice leather furniture surrounded by a bright inspiring environment with cute little tables and rich aromas and great music. we can now order up that scene where person is sitting by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book and a nice blanket while we are on our lunch break from work!
i wish things were different. i wish that we had to put some work into the products we receive. i wish we actually had to visit the grocer and speak to him to let him know that we need to order an extra gallon of milk next week. i wish that we actually had to get off our lazy asses and go visit a friend rather than give an unimpressive courtesy call. i wish that we actually had to speak to god, rather than rely on our church experience to take care of that little issue. granted i am thankful for myspace, as it has reunited me with some old friends, but i do not want it to replace my lines of physical communication with my friends and family. a myspace message can never do justice to a handwritten letter that has carefully been passed by the hands of many to reach its recipient. technology has invaded our society and yes, there are many benefits to it.
i guess the point i am trying to make in all of this is that we don't need each other anymore. we don't need each other because we can get therapy or we can get help from support groups, which only exist because people do not have personal relationships anymore. alcoholics anonymous. can i say any more? even the support groups are on a need to know basis, and they don't want all of your personal information. they just want to address your problem so they can fix it, and send you on your merry way! we need to get personal, people. the church is dying if you haven't noticed and if you don't think that this new desire to be alone at home (where one can have his own church and his own relationship with god, etc....) is not going to make things worse in the coming years, you need to think again. i am not pleading for the church. i am not pleading for me. i am pleading for the sake of humanity that we follow the second most important commandment! how are we to love others if we don't need to be around them, or if we are simply not going to be around them? if we love christ, then we need to show that we love christ to someone other than our ipods. i’m not dogging ipods either, don't get sidetracked by that, i am simply making a point.
i need to wrap this up. in the coming days, i am going to try to live like someone who wants and needs others. i am not going to try to establish myself as the person who is just fine being alone. i am not going to be that great achiever who forsook his friends for success. rather, i am going to show people that i want and need them. i am going to show them that i am here for them as well, and they could use me. i am going to show true friendship, and i will build those true friendships with those who accept it. i am going to surround myself with those who think similarly; because the only way this will work is if those around me do the same. someday, i hope to see a true community that reflects true love. i suppose i could be wrong on all of this. i suppose that we could be built to survive by ourselves, not needing others. i suppose that we could have evolved into a culture that does not need anything from anyone, so long as it is not a good or service that will immediately satisfy. i could be wrong. but if i am, then i am going down in flames because i am going to invest fully in this, and i will not turn back. if the africans are sending missionaries to america because we are in such spiritual dilemma, then the least i can do is sign up to help them. there it is. the ships are burning and there is no turning back for me. i need you, people, and i think you need me. that is not a bad thing, but it is what god intended. let's do something about it.
10/15/2005
thoughts during homework...
whereas providence has led me to this point
i have still been allowed to pursue life freely
tho i choose not that which is new, surprising,
i still choose freely and without reserve
perhaps i should have more reserve in decisions
but i suppose that my ponerance here already exemplifies
i cannot know which path will lead to utopia
i can rather trust that utopia is not found without providence
i have still been allowed to pursue life freely
tho i choose not that which is new, surprising,
i still choose freely and without reserve
perhaps i should have more reserve in decisions
but i suppose that my ponerance here already exemplifies
i cannot know which path will lead to utopia
i can rather trust that utopia is not found without providence
10/13/2005
we exist in this world...
so we exist in this world
to experience? to live? to learn? to love?
it seems so superficial sometimes
but i trust that someday i might see the point
but what is there besides love
what can exist besides the basis for human existence?
i know not the answerbut i fear it lies in the heart of experience
at what point do we cave to life?
when do we make a conscious effort to realize
that we can do nothing for ourselves
only providence and other loves can truly affect us
mind boggling this seems
almost too philosophically elite
but i have made an honest observation
that love is the cornerstone, yet it is also a crux
10/03/2005
news or twinkies...
blah blah blah... i am sure you have had enough (as have i). who cares, right? after all, nothing matters because there is no truth. everyone is right and everyone is wrong... then why does the media drag it out so? if they are the ones spearheading this existentialist movement, why would they seem to care? ah, now we have arrived at the million dollar question! and it really does have to do with millions of dollars. i do not care from where you get your "news" but i have news for you--it's not real. that is, news today is a product, marketed like twinkies to appeal to the public. the public will not buy the wholesome story of the johnsons saving their neighbors home in the hurricane, but rather the public (mob) wants death! give us gore and give us more! just like rome, we want to see someone slashed beyond recognition! oh the blood, the carnage, it gives me an appetite! who is selling you your news today? how has it been marketed to appeal to you? what has appealed to you? if you cannot come to this realization of this FACT (oh yes, that's right, an absolute--be very scared) then you are blind and i pity your ignorance. news companies own the networks, people! they own the tv shows you love! so, in turn, they sell commercials to be able to air and make money off of their networks. it is really quite simple. news companies pay actors to make sitcoms, etc. for their networks in order to attract crowds to those networks. the advertiser invests based on how many people watch a given show, and then the news company gets their money. in the end, news is a product aimed for unsuspecting you! and for those of you who get your news from some supposedly unbiased or unconnected network or group, such as foxnews or some fringe muslim informative group, you are still stuck with bad news i'm afraid. your "unbiased" group is putting forth news with the idea that everyone else is wrong and that their perspective is correct. oops, there goes the objectivity again. it seems the only way to get your news is to experience it for yourself, or glean from everything (and by everything, i mean a cross cut of all newsgroups, fringe, right wing, left wing, actual transcripts, ap, etc...-not just all of the groups from one perspective) that is said in order to make a well informed decision. good luck on it either way, but know that people like me will call you out when you start professing a companies product as the ultimate truth. and speaking of truth, the existentialists out there should check out my last blog post. cheers.
10/02/2005
a blessing
may still waters pass through your life
may storm winds turn from your direction
may the wild goose gently brush its feathers upon you
peace, peace, peace and grace
may storm winds turn from your direction
may the wild goose gently brush its feathers upon you
peace, peace, peace and grace
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