Thursday, April 19, 2007
Virginia Tech
I'm pretty sure there's a million posts on this topic, but I felt I had to write something. I'm reading the Los Angeles Times, and they had a special section on the victims. Many times, we focus on the killer--who he was, what he was thinking, why he did what he did, etc. But, I want to focus on the individuals that were killed. These are the moments where I wonder why? Why does God choose to take these people out of our world? Or, better put, why does He allow it? Some of these people had cures for diseases within them. Others will help work to alleviate poverty. Still others were/are loving spouses. All had something unique to contribute to our world, and for inexplicable reasons, God has chosen (or allowed) to let them die. It seems so senseless, but I guess that's the way it goes.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
To Hell and Back
Sometimes I wonder what hell is probably like...yesterday, through a dream, I think I found. Hell didn't seem to be a place where things are burning with the proverbial lake of fire. No, it's not quite that blatant in its torment. But rather, in my dream, hell's torment was far, far more subtle than that.
People are innately social creatures, and accordingly, we are in need of various human interactions. Without others, I believe people become empty and our lives become meaningless. Well, in the dream, hell was exactly that--a meaningless, empty eternal existence. My version of hell: it's a "place," like any other. There are other people--except they don't see you. You see them, but they don't see you. They don't know you exist. They don't love you. You can't love them. You can't talk to them. You can't hold them, hug them, tell them about your day. Even your closest friends you will see--but you will not be able to interact. You cannot comfort them, you cannot cry with them, and you cannot love them.
To me, that is hell--away from all that God has created. All the love, people, and community God has created for us to live under. Then, I got to thinking...this "hell" that God painted for me last night in my dream, exists here on earth. Some here, especially in the states, don't interact with people. They spend their entire lives working...creating their own version of hell. Why do we do that? It also got me thinking about how important it is to share the love of God. A person's existence on Earth is their one chance to experience the love of God, or they are otherwise banished to an existence in "hell." So, I thought--some people work their whole lives in a self-created hell, rejecting God...and then they go off to eternal hell? That sucks. And, on the flip side...if we think about it, if we have God here, we experience God here. We experience love...almost a heaven on Earth thing. Then we get to go to eternal heaven? That's a heck of a deal. I want to love people the way Christ loved people, and tell them about Christ. So then, they can live life now, love now, experience joy now...and then do it million-fold throughout eternity.
People are innately social creatures, and accordingly, we are in need of various human interactions. Without others, I believe people become empty and our lives become meaningless. Well, in the dream, hell was exactly that--a meaningless, empty eternal existence. My version of hell: it's a "place," like any other. There are other people--except they don't see you. You see them, but they don't see you. They don't know you exist. They don't love you. You can't love them. You can't talk to them. You can't hold them, hug them, tell them about your day. Even your closest friends you will see--but you will not be able to interact. You cannot comfort them, you cannot cry with them, and you cannot love them.
To me, that is hell--away from all that God has created. All the love, people, and community God has created for us to live under. Then, I got to thinking...this "hell" that God painted for me last night in my dream, exists here on earth. Some here, especially in the states, don't interact with people. They spend their entire lives working...creating their own version of hell. Why do we do that? It also got me thinking about how important it is to share the love of God. A person's existence on Earth is their one chance to experience the love of God, or they are otherwise banished to an existence in "hell." So, I thought--some people work their whole lives in a self-created hell, rejecting God...and then they go off to eternal hell? That sucks. And, on the flip side...if we think about it, if we have God here, we experience God here. We experience love...almost a heaven on Earth thing. Then we get to go to eternal heaven? That's a heck of a deal. I want to love people the way Christ loved people, and tell them about Christ. So then, they can live life now, love now, experience joy now...and then do it million-fold throughout eternity.
Monday, March 26, 2007
God connection...
I wonder what "connecting with God" actually means. What is it about? Is it about some warm fuzzy feeling one gets when the weather is beautiful? Or, is it the feeling I get when I'm out on the twisty roads on my Harley? Or is it the feeling I get when I'm listening to worship music? I'm starting to think it really isn't about warm fuzzy feelings...but really about a moment. The moment when I know I am in God's will, and not just self-concocted feel-good moment.
The question is, though, how can I tell the difference between the "moment" created by God and one of my own created moments? I think, for now, i've decided it's as simple as knowing that at that God-moment, I have nothing in my mind except worship. Not a "wow, this is awesome" moment...I think, when we are really connected with God, we don't have anything in our mind except that. We don't even have a moment to think about our own selves and how we are feeling. Rather, we only focus on our connection with God. This is something I ponder right now...
The question is, though, how can I tell the difference between the "moment" created by God and one of my own created moments? I think, for now, i've decided it's as simple as knowing that at that God-moment, I have nothing in my mind except worship. Not a "wow, this is awesome" moment...I think, when we are really connected with God, we don't have anything in our mind except that. We don't even have a moment to think about our own selves and how we are feeling. Rather, we only focus on our connection with God. This is something I ponder right now...
Saturday, March 24, 2007
"Moral" Issues
It's raining and thunderstorming hard today, during the rainy day, I was watching an "Inconvenient Truth." It's really compelling, and while I'm already a believer in global climate change...but it seems as if the problem is bigger. I watch this, while knowing that certain politicians and friends don't actually think this is a real problem. Or worse yet, some people think this is a complete hoax.
How can this be? How does data lie like that? How many theories do we know are nearly 100% supported by the experts? Wow...and I hate the fact certain politicians are attacking Al Gore...when that's not relevant. The "who" conveying the message is not important here as the message itself: we are destroying our world. Another thing I think of are the Christian evangelical leaders...or some of them who think the focus on global climate change is "taking away" from the moral issues of our day. What? How is saving the planet not a moral issue? Didn't God create the world? God said "fill the earth and 'subdue' it." He didn't say DESTROY it. Worse yet...homosexuality, abstinence, abortion--all those are worthy issues. But are any of them worth fighting if we have 1-200 million refugees?
This leads me to my primary thought..."relevance." We wonder why people in American aren't turning to God in massive numbers. I always wonder why my friends fall in love with my Lord in large numbers. It's not because God is becoming irrelevant, but rather we are becoming irrelevant. Our message is not focused on God, nor on God's message. Sure, God talks a little about homosexuality and sex...but God talks about poverty a whole lot more. There are issues important today, poverty and the environment, that God talks a whole lot about, yet we don't talk about it! Why? Why?
Why is it that Christians focus on issues that divisive? Fine, I guess that’s OK, considering the gospel is often divisive. But guess what, we should only be divisive when it comes to claiming that Jesus is God and Savior. Not when it comes to abortion or gay marriage. Why can’t we present a message of the gospel that says, “God cares about you, the earth, poor people, rich people, all people...” I guess, what I’m trying to say is that God cares about the environment and we should to. And lets not pillory Al Gore, the messenger, just because we don’t like him. We are destroying Earth. Let’s stop.
How can this be? How does data lie like that? How many theories do we know are nearly 100% supported by the experts? Wow...and I hate the fact certain politicians are attacking Al Gore...when that's not relevant. The "who" conveying the message is not important here as the message itself: we are destroying our world. Another thing I think of are the Christian evangelical leaders...or some of them who think the focus on global climate change is "taking away" from the moral issues of our day. What? How is saving the planet not a moral issue? Didn't God create the world? God said "fill the earth and 'subdue' it." He didn't say DESTROY it. Worse yet...homosexuality, abstinence, abortion--all those are worthy issues. But are any of them worth fighting if we have 1-200 million refugees?
This leads me to my primary thought..."relevance." We wonder why people in American aren't turning to God in massive numbers. I always wonder why my friends fall in love with my Lord in large numbers. It's not because God is becoming irrelevant, but rather we are becoming irrelevant. Our message is not focused on God, nor on God's message. Sure, God talks a little about homosexuality and sex...but God talks about poverty a whole lot more. There are issues important today, poverty and the environment, that God talks a whole lot about, yet we don't talk about it! Why? Why?
Why is it that Christians focus on issues that divisive? Fine, I guess that’s OK, considering the gospel is often divisive. But guess what, we should only be divisive when it comes to claiming that Jesus is God and Savior. Not when it comes to abortion or gay marriage. Why can’t we present a message of the gospel that says, “God cares about you, the earth, poor people, rich people, all people...” I guess, what I’m trying to say is that God cares about the environment and we should to. And lets not pillory Al Gore, the messenger, just because we don’t like him. We are destroying Earth. Let’s stop.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Some midweek thoughts
I've been thinking recently (yeah. i do that sometimes). Why am I in law school? Is law school what God wanted? Those questions, along with derivatives of those questions float in my head all the time. Do I even WANT to be a lawyer? Or, being that I'm going to a law firm this summer--do I WANT to be a "bigfirm" lawyer? In any case, that's really what's going on in my brain.
A lot of these thoughts have been floating in my head since getting involved with my church's college group. We are trying to launch a college ministry here in Iowa City, and I've just been thinking about my own life direction. I remember back when I was doing fulltime ministry, and I felt that I was overjoyed and flowing with the Spirit. I've not felt so full of the Spirit since that time, with only a few exceptions. I felt that I was truly basking in the will and grace of God. So, I think to myself...maybe that's the life God is calling me to. I was once told that one shouldn't become a full-time missionary unless they don't see themselves doing anything else. I'm not saying I want to work with college students, I'm just saying, I don't know if I can do anything else except be a missionary--as a vocation, as a calling, as a career, as a life. So my thought process follows...but, God, I don't want to waste this law degree! How much faith do I have? How much faith do I have, to turn down a six-figure salary, move to where I feel like I'm at home (Austin, TX), and work for God full-time? Will I listen to God?
A lot of these thoughts have been floating in my head since getting involved with my church's college group. We are trying to launch a college ministry here in Iowa City, and I've just been thinking about my own life direction. I remember back when I was doing fulltime ministry, and I felt that I was overjoyed and flowing with the Spirit. I've not felt so full of the Spirit since that time, with only a few exceptions. I felt that I was truly basking in the will and grace of God. So, I think to myself...maybe that's the life God is calling me to. I was once told that one shouldn't become a full-time missionary unless they don't see themselves doing anything else. I'm not saying I want to work with college students, I'm just saying, I don't know if I can do anything else except be a missionary--as a vocation, as a calling, as a career, as a life. So my thought process follows...but, God, I don't want to waste this law degree! How much faith do I have? How much faith do I have, to turn down a six-figure salary, move to where I feel like I'm at home (Austin, TX), and work for God full-time? Will I listen to God?
I've caught this bug--a bug to go see places in the country. I really want to go take a trip somewhere, but I don't know where. I'm just ready to feel free. I feel that law school has begun to suffocate who I am as a person. It already has made me into a person I really don't like. I feel like I need to get away, and just be one with God somewhere.
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