M.I.A.
Missing in action... which doesn't mean killed in action, out of action, or inability to execute action, but simply that whereabouts are unknown. I feel like that describes my last month accurately.
I'm not going to start a rant of life's inconveniences or other people's conveniences, and I'm not going to subtly (or not) boast of the trials and tasks that befell on my path and guilt whoever listens into believing I had good reason to be mute, and I'm not going to create a giant list of plausible explanations designed to make you think I did everything on it without directly telling you so... because that is the pride of the flesh even if it's in a subtle see-what-a-hard-working-person-I-am way, and a sin-justified-by-the-need-of-an-answer reason.
Instead, for those of you who are here and reading for whatever reason you are, I want to share the personal thoughts spun through my mind this last month. Even if I have never really earnestly used an unattached lecture style before anyway. The objective is, whether I like it or not, to drive away those who have no time or desire. Come back when you do. Definitely an objective that I need to work on and soften, but an objective that exists for the time-being nonetheless.
Movies come from people. Their ideas, thoughts, fantasies. Some get lauded for emotional clout because of realism (which, for what it's worth, drives me away because I see that every day, I don't want more of it), and some because they're not. To make things short, movies share a lot of parallels with life. I was watching Captain America (well worth it!), and when General Patton proclaims Captain America as killed in action, (K.I.A.) it didn't seem quite right. He'd had no intel suggesting that. Captain America was simply missing. And as we all know, or at least those who have seen the movie, Captain America was definitely not out of the action. His whereabouts where simply unknown. I have not been out of the action either. I regret that I've neglected to send intel back though.
The other day I was kitting up for working truck at Fareway: black marker, black ink pen, small flip notebook, boxcutter. And last, black shoes. Putting on footwear has an air of finality about it. Of course it's different depending on your destination and the footwear, but every time I put on my shoes, there's a sense of, the task ahead. Determination. Confidence. Resignation. Weariness. Anxiety. Those are most prevalent, although there are plenty more. I used to think that boots and slippers would bring totally different feelings from each other, but I find they are quite often eerily similar. It's only the outward presentation that's different. And that can be protection depending on what you're doing.
Christian stereotyping drives me nuts sometimes. I'm sure evolutionist stereotyping drives them nuts too.
Even so, the Christian stereotype is woefully uninformed, inadequate, short-sighted, and then misunderstood. Because a stereotype would be perfectly fine, if only that stereotype was Jesus Christ as described in the bible by God. That's a limited range. The problem with the traditional stereotype of Christianity, is that it is not nearly clear and basic enough, and at the same time ridiculously over-simplified. What is Christianity? Following Jesus Christ. Living your life for him. Loving your neighbor as yourself. THAT'S IT. All of it.
So we're just simpletons following an evidence-less religion controlled by bigots? No, there's more actually. There's no truth to that evidence-less phrase, for starters, and secondly, if you've ever met a true Christian and heard their testimony, their life screams of the truth of God. Christianity is so basics. Yet there are plenty of people who try to complicate us, and their attempts to do so fall woefully short. God, is sovereign. Everyone else is on the path to hell because they are not God, and that is perfectly just. Why? Because God is holy. The definition of good, and we are not. Because God is perfect, he alone can determine what is good and what is not, and what we do is not good. So, we must be punished.
Then, for some reason, which the best term we can think of for is love, God chooses to display his mercy by rescuing some of us from destruction. And this is one of those areas where Christianity is so much more simple and complicated than stereotypes give it credit for. The easiest answer to why God would save some people and not others is that he is sovereign. For most, that just makes them think Christianity is stupid and that God is heartless for being a God of love. Well if you want it fair, we'll all go to hell. God is merciful, for all that call on his name and believe, he will save. So stop twiddling with an earthly mind about whether or not you're chosen, and ask for God's forgiveness.
Of course I could write paragraph after paragraph on each issue of Christianity that is way more basic and yet oversimplified by stereotypes, but that's not what I'm doing today.
There's an interesting transition between childhood and adulthood. Apparently it's called "teenage". I could, of course, go through the usual round of sarcasm, irony, and comedic takes on teenage behavior and whatnot, but recently I've been rather personally involved in another revelation. One that nobody ever openly told me or tried to crassly joke about, or seriously inform me with. Children, play. And occasionally work. Adults, work. And occasionally play. Self-indulgence, to self-denial. A monstrously hard, noble and honorable life either used effectively to train the next generation, or to waste the next generation. And to be effective, one must do far more than backbreaking work every day. It requires emotional, spiritual, and mental stability for those who aren't yet. Parents, you have the most important job on the planet. If your children are turning out to be hooligans, take a look at yourself and figure out how to change it. I salute you in your daily battle. I often wish I could help the thousands of parents treading through Fareway. Maybe I will somehow in the future. Your job is the most self-sacrificing important job I can fathom.
I have been missing in action here, but certainly not out of action, so today I just wanted to share a bunch of thoughts with you. There are so many more, but after a couple the rest just slip my mind until later. So that's all for today. Thank you for reading.
I'm not going to start a rant of life's inconveniences or other people's conveniences, and I'm not going to subtly (or not) boast of the trials and tasks that befell on my path and guilt whoever listens into believing I had good reason to be mute, and I'm not going to create a giant list of plausible explanations designed to make you think I did everything on it without directly telling you so... because that is the pride of the flesh even if it's in a subtle see-what-a-hard-working-person-I-am way, and a sin-justified-by-the-need-of-an-answer reason.
Instead, for those of you who are here and reading for whatever reason you are, I want to share the personal thoughts spun through my mind this last month. Even if I have never really earnestly used an unattached lecture style before anyway. The objective is, whether I like it or not, to drive away those who have no time or desire. Come back when you do. Definitely an objective that I need to work on and soften, but an objective that exists for the time-being nonetheless.
Movies come from people. Their ideas, thoughts, fantasies. Some get lauded for emotional clout because of realism (which, for what it's worth, drives me away because I see that every day, I don't want more of it), and some because they're not. To make things short, movies share a lot of parallels with life. I was watching Captain America (well worth it!), and when General Patton proclaims Captain America as killed in action, (K.I.A.) it didn't seem quite right. He'd had no intel suggesting that. Captain America was simply missing. And as we all know, or at least those who have seen the movie, Captain America was definitely not out of the action. His whereabouts where simply unknown. I have not been out of the action either. I regret that I've neglected to send intel back though.
The other day I was kitting up for working truck at Fareway: black marker, black ink pen, small flip notebook, boxcutter. And last, black shoes. Putting on footwear has an air of finality about it. Of course it's different depending on your destination and the footwear, but every time I put on my shoes, there's a sense of, the task ahead. Determination. Confidence. Resignation. Weariness. Anxiety. Those are most prevalent, although there are plenty more. I used to think that boots and slippers would bring totally different feelings from each other, but I find they are quite often eerily similar. It's only the outward presentation that's different. And that can be protection depending on what you're doing.
Christian stereotyping drives me nuts sometimes. I'm sure evolutionist stereotyping drives them nuts too.
Even so, the Christian stereotype is woefully uninformed, inadequate, short-sighted, and then misunderstood. Because a stereotype would be perfectly fine, if only that stereotype was Jesus Christ as described in the bible by God. That's a limited range. The problem with the traditional stereotype of Christianity, is that it is not nearly clear and basic enough, and at the same time ridiculously over-simplified. What is Christianity? Following Jesus Christ. Living your life for him. Loving your neighbor as yourself. THAT'S IT. All of it.
So we're just simpletons following an evidence-less religion controlled by bigots? No, there's more actually. There's no truth to that evidence-less phrase, for starters, and secondly, if you've ever met a true Christian and heard their testimony, their life screams of the truth of God. Christianity is so basics. Yet there are plenty of people who try to complicate us, and their attempts to do so fall woefully short. God, is sovereign. Everyone else is on the path to hell because they are not God, and that is perfectly just. Why? Because God is holy. The definition of good, and we are not. Because God is perfect, he alone can determine what is good and what is not, and what we do is not good. So, we must be punished.
Then, for some reason, which the best term we can think of for is love, God chooses to display his mercy by rescuing some of us from destruction. And this is one of those areas where Christianity is so much more simple and complicated than stereotypes give it credit for. The easiest answer to why God would save some people and not others is that he is sovereign. For most, that just makes them think Christianity is stupid and that God is heartless for being a God of love. Well if you want it fair, we'll all go to hell. God is merciful, for all that call on his name and believe, he will save. So stop twiddling with an earthly mind about whether or not you're chosen, and ask for God's forgiveness.
Of course I could write paragraph after paragraph on each issue of Christianity that is way more basic and yet oversimplified by stereotypes, but that's not what I'm doing today.
There's an interesting transition between childhood and adulthood. Apparently it's called "teenage". I could, of course, go through the usual round of sarcasm, irony, and comedic takes on teenage behavior and whatnot, but recently I've been rather personally involved in another revelation. One that nobody ever openly told me or tried to crassly joke about, or seriously inform me with. Children, play. And occasionally work. Adults, work. And occasionally play. Self-indulgence, to self-denial. A monstrously hard, noble and honorable life either used effectively to train the next generation, or to waste the next generation. And to be effective, one must do far more than backbreaking work every day. It requires emotional, spiritual, and mental stability for those who aren't yet. Parents, you have the most important job on the planet. If your children are turning out to be hooligans, take a look at yourself and figure out how to change it. I salute you in your daily battle. I often wish I could help the thousands of parents treading through Fareway. Maybe I will somehow in the future. Your job is the most self-sacrificing important job I can fathom.
I have been missing in action here, but certainly not out of action, so today I just wanted to share a bunch of thoughts with you. There are so many more, but after a couple the rest just slip my mind until later. So that's all for today. Thank you for reading.
Comments
Post a Comment