“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
-Edmund Burke
Identity. Countries, cities, generations, races, schools, businesses, ages, genders, presidents, individuals all have identities. Some parts of an identity are assigned, some parts are assumed, and some parts are fought for, but all three create for us an identity. For centuries people have fought for their identity, even before they had one. America fought for its own identity separate from Britain much like a teenager fights for their identity apart from their parents. My generation, my parents' generation, and my grandparents' generation all have different identities. Make us all the same age, give us the same clothes, put us in a room together and you'll still be able to tell us apart from the choices we make to the way we spend our money. Identity. I wonder what identity the human race has. We're born into an existing one. What have we accepted as part of our identity? Is there anything we've rejected? Is there anything we fight to lose? To gain?
27 million people of our living human race are currently enslaved around the world. Atlanta, the city in which I was born, happens to hold the highest amount of human sex trafficking in the United States of America, aka the "land of the free." As an Atlantan, that's not an identity I want to have. For some reason, it's easy to accept shortcomings as part of an identity. But there's a funny thing about identity, it can be changed. It can be fought for. Just ask America or Saul. If who you are isn't who you want to be, then do something.
I am not naturally outgoing, but sometimes I must fight to be. I am not naturally exceptionally musical, but because of my passion for it, I must fight to be (fight being the key word). The human race is not free, but we must fight to be.
When you see 12-17 year olds selling themselves downtown on a corner, they aren't prostitutes, they're slaves.
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ invisiblechildren.com
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Doc
2 Corinthians 1
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
As a kid, I hated getting shots more than anything in the world. I didn't understand them. I couldn't comprehend the necessity of such a painful experience. I remember this one time, I tried to bargain with the nurse who was going to give me a shot. I told her if she didn't vaccinate me (i had a bigger vocab then), I would gladly go home, find a stick in my backyard, and poke myself with it as a substitute. Man, my childish little mind just didn't understand how thankful I'd be for those shots (not the pain) later in life. Funny how our minds work. The familiarity of this situation dawned on me the other day. Imagine this, you're a child with a father whom you love and trust. He leads you to the car and you follow. He takes you to an unfamiliar place. The doctor pulls out a needle and you get nervous. All this time your father knows the pain that lies ahead, for both of you, and he knows it's necessary. The needle pierces your skin. You cry out in pain. Maybe you even take a few verbal strikes at your father for leading you to such an awful place. And he, lovingly, takes them because he knows the medicene in the shot, not your pain, is necessary. And he knows that oneday you'll understand in full. Oneday you'll thank him. But even though it is necessary, he does not enjoy watching you suffer. And even though it hurts him to watch, he does not leave the room. He's right beside you, letting you grip his hand as hard as you can throughout the pain. I don't think it's God's intention for us to suffer, it's just the effects of imperfection and the process of correction. Sometimes the things that cause us to suffer are necessary even when the pain isn't. Whatever you've been through, are going through, or will go through, know that you can reach out to God's hand and it will be there.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
As a kid, I hated getting shots more than anything in the world. I didn't understand them. I couldn't comprehend the necessity of such a painful experience. I remember this one time, I tried to bargain with the nurse who was going to give me a shot. I told her if she didn't vaccinate me (i had a bigger vocab then), I would gladly go home, find a stick in my backyard, and poke myself with it as a substitute. Man, my childish little mind just didn't understand how thankful I'd be for those shots (not the pain) later in life. Funny how our minds work. The familiarity of this situation dawned on me the other day. Imagine this, you're a child with a father whom you love and trust. He leads you to the car and you follow. He takes you to an unfamiliar place. The doctor pulls out a needle and you get nervous. All this time your father knows the pain that lies ahead, for both of you, and he knows it's necessary. The needle pierces your skin. You cry out in pain. Maybe you even take a few verbal strikes at your father for leading you to such an awful place. And he, lovingly, takes them because he knows the medicene in the shot, not your pain, is necessary. And he knows that oneday you'll understand in full. Oneday you'll thank him. But even though it is necessary, he does not enjoy watching you suffer. And even though it hurts him to watch, he does not leave the room. He's right beside you, letting you grip his hand as hard as you can throughout the pain. I don't think it's God's intention for us to suffer, it's just the effects of imperfection and the process of correction. Sometimes the things that cause us to suffer are necessary even when the pain isn't. Whatever you've been through, are going through, or will go through, know that you can reach out to God's hand and it will be there.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
Monday, February 4, 2008
More Shadows
Shadows dispeled by rays of the sun
weaken in morning, when the day has begun.
Sifting through trees as hair through a brush,
strands of light leave no room for dusk.
No room for darkness, no room for sorrow
My past is behind me, today is tomorrow.
Free from the past is free from the night
As free as the bird who sings without words
I stare at the trees I so yearn to climb
not moving at all, in fear of the fall.
weaken in morning, when the day has begun.
Sifting through trees as hair through a brush,
strands of light leave no room for dusk.
No room for darkness, no room for sorrow
My past is behind me, today is tomorrow.
Free from the past is free from the night
As free as the bird who sings without words
I stare at the trees I so yearn to climb
not moving at all, in fear of the fall.
Dying Yellow Leaves
Fall, my favorite season is finally here! I get to drink coffee without breaking a sweat, smell camp fires, and wear hoodies underneath sport coats. There’s something about dying leaves that inspires creativity. Perhaps you can relate. But when you really stop and think about it, does the awe we have for these crunchy dead things strike anyone as maybe just a fraction of a little bit odd? Somewhere there sits a child whose parent exclaims in a sweet voice, “Look honey! It’s fall! Look at all the beautiful colors! Look at all those beautiful leaves!… those dead… dying leaves. Watch them plummet to the ground! So beautiful in their deadly spirals of doom.” Ever noticed how fall is the only time we find beauty in death? I wonder if that was on purpose. I wonder if God meant for it to be that way, if maybe the leaves reflect what Christ did on the cross. Do you see it? The leaves are echoing his death! They die so nobly and brilliantly. They die beautifully. And in three seasons, they return as if reverberating Christ’s resurrection after three days of death, to repeat the cycle once again, continually reminding us of the love of our God. Thanks to God, when we think about our mortality, we can be happy about our eternity. How creative is He to put his signature in the leaves! I think artwork says a lot about its creator. We can all hear songs we’ve never heard before, and immediately know the artist because we are familiar with them. We are familiar with their work. So take a look at us. Take a look at the mountains. Take a look at the leaves. Take a look at God’s creation. What does it tell you about Him? Never has there been a death more beautiful. Never will there be a death.
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Humor Me
I don't know what your views on God are or what your experience with church or "Christians" consist of. Maybe the words hypocrite and judgmental come to mind. I don't claim to be void of either, but I recognize it isn't right. The word "right" is an interesting one. Who defines what is right, pure, and good? Don't we all decide it each for ourselves? Hypothetically, what if my right says your right is wrong, or vice-versa... what then? Is there one truth with a capital "T," one that is absolute? There's a ton of angles to approach this, but for the sake of conversation let's say an all powerful and perfect being exists. Let's say the Bible really is His book, heaven exists, and an absolute truth determining right and wrong exists. What if you and I were to compare ourselves to what this absolute truth says is good? Do you think either of us would make the cut?
Most people admit to imperfection and to the fact that they have made many mistakes throughout their lives. I know I do. I guess for most of us, the fact that there are worse people out there is comforting. There's always someone who has sinned more than I have so I should be good to go. But how good IS enough? Am I good enough now? How bout...now? Even if we could manage to only sin once an hour, and lived 70 years, we'd still have sinned 613,200 times (I don't speak math well enough to account for leap years). Still, that number is daunting. Lets take a look at a condensed questionnaire based on acts the Bible says are sins. Have you ever worshiped anything or anyone besides God? Have you ever placed a higher importance on anything other than God? Have you ever spoken God's name in vain (omg, gd, etc.)? Do you keep the Sabbath holy? Have you ever dishonored your parents? Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever looked at a person lustfully? Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours (yes, this includes music)? Have you ever lied? Have you ever found yourself wanting something that someone else had? Let's say the only question we answered "yes" to was lying. Even so, by definition, what does that make us? Liars. Here's the kicker. Do you think God let's liars into heaven? Do you think He, in all His holiness, would let YOU into heaven?
I'm not here to tell you to change. I'm not here to tell you anything you do is wrong because that's just not my place. I'm just as much of a sinner as anyone else. I am here to point you to peace, freedom, and completion. The Bible tells us we are both in the market for forgiveness. Since God is a just God, this means He can't just close His eyes and pretend we aren't imperfect. He can't just say it never happened. It's just not that simple. It's not that easy. The Bible also tells us the payment for sin is death. That's our payment to pay. Here's where this story takes a turn. The picture I'm about to paint for you is one that rarely sees the light of day. Its often covered up by condemnation, damnation, criticism, judgment, and hate. The picture hinges on God's reaction to our dismal disposition. This picture is love. Its love like you've never known existed. Its love your father could never give you, your mother could never give you, and your significant other could never give you. It is stronger than the Sun's gravitational pull on our little planet, more fierce than a hurricane, and deeper than the darkest waters. Maybe you can't imagine it because you've never experienced it. Here it is. God, creator of the entire universe and in all of his goodness, is roaring like a lion at the loss of... you. Desperate to no end, He sees that the only thing valuable enough to pay for your sin is His own blood. Jesus Christ died so that you can be forgiven and free, not condemned. All you have to do is graciously accept His gift of forgiveness. Seek it from Him as you would from any other. Simply talk to Him with remorse, humility, and gratitude. Why does He love us? That my friend, is the mystery of my existence. "What's the catch? He wants something in return right? like for me to give up swearing, porn, and partying, he requires me to get a haircut and start going to church right?" NO! Common misconception. There are no requirements, no cleaning up to do, no quitting of habits needed to be with God. We go to God just as we are. We go to him earnestly, humbly, and graciously. He already loved you enough to die for you as you are. His love is not of this Earth. He will not leave you to chase a crazy crave for lust. He will not be put into the earth, or leave you with only a jar of dust and memories. He is alive. He is a freedom and peace giver. The more you seek Him, the more you will find Him. The more you find Him, the less satisfied you will be with sin and the more satisfied you will be with Him.
There's a lot I don't understand about God. What I do understand is that He, for some crazy reason, sees people as more than just the dirt and chemicals we really are. I believe He is the missing link in our lives that we often try to fill with popularity, false senses of acceptance, and other types of fragile love. He is the father of the fatherless. I don't claim to be perfect. I don't claim to know everything, just the God who does.
Romans 3:23 for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 10:13 for, "EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
gotquestions.org
Most people admit to imperfection and to the fact that they have made many mistakes throughout their lives. I know I do. I guess for most of us, the fact that there are worse people out there is comforting. There's always someone who has sinned more than I have so I should be good to go. But how good IS enough? Am I good enough now? How bout...now? Even if we could manage to only sin once an hour, and lived 70 years, we'd still have sinned 613,200 times (I don't speak math well enough to account for leap years). Still, that number is daunting. Lets take a look at a condensed questionnaire based on acts the Bible says are sins. Have you ever worshiped anything or anyone besides God? Have you ever placed a higher importance on anything other than God? Have you ever spoken God's name in vain (omg, gd, etc.)? Do you keep the Sabbath holy? Have you ever dishonored your parents? Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever looked at a person lustfully? Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours (yes, this includes music)? Have you ever lied? Have you ever found yourself wanting something that someone else had? Let's say the only question we answered "yes" to was lying. Even so, by definition, what does that make us? Liars. Here's the kicker. Do you think God let's liars into heaven? Do you think He, in all His holiness, would let YOU into heaven?
I'm not here to tell you to change. I'm not here to tell you anything you do is wrong because that's just not my place. I'm just as much of a sinner as anyone else. I am here to point you to peace, freedom, and completion. The Bible tells us we are both in the market for forgiveness. Since God is a just God, this means He can't just close His eyes and pretend we aren't imperfect. He can't just say it never happened. It's just not that simple. It's not that easy. The Bible also tells us the payment for sin is death. That's our payment to pay. Here's where this story takes a turn. The picture I'm about to paint for you is one that rarely sees the light of day. Its often covered up by condemnation, damnation, criticism, judgment, and hate. The picture hinges on God's reaction to our dismal disposition. This picture is love. Its love like you've never known existed. Its love your father could never give you, your mother could never give you, and your significant other could never give you. It is stronger than the Sun's gravitational pull on our little planet, more fierce than a hurricane, and deeper than the darkest waters. Maybe you can't imagine it because you've never experienced it. Here it is. God, creator of the entire universe and in all of his goodness, is roaring like a lion at the loss of... you. Desperate to no end, He sees that the only thing valuable enough to pay for your sin is His own blood. Jesus Christ died so that you can be forgiven and free, not condemned. All you have to do is graciously accept His gift of forgiveness. Seek it from Him as you would from any other. Simply talk to Him with remorse, humility, and gratitude. Why does He love us? That my friend, is the mystery of my existence. "What's the catch? He wants something in return right? like for me to give up swearing, porn, and partying, he requires me to get a haircut and start going to church right?" NO! Common misconception. There are no requirements, no cleaning up to do, no quitting of habits needed to be with God. We go to God just as we are. We go to him earnestly, humbly, and graciously. He already loved you enough to die for you as you are. His love is not of this Earth. He will not leave you to chase a crazy crave for lust. He will not be put into the earth, or leave you with only a jar of dust and memories. He is alive. He is a freedom and peace giver. The more you seek Him, the more you will find Him. The more you find Him, the less satisfied you will be with sin and the more satisfied you will be with Him.
There's a lot I don't understand about God. What I do understand is that He, for some crazy reason, sees people as more than just the dirt and chemicals we really are. I believe He is the missing link in our lives that we often try to fill with popularity, false senses of acceptance, and other types of fragile love. He is the father of the fatherless. I don't claim to be perfect. I don't claim to know everything, just the God who does.
Romans 3:23 for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 10:13 for, "EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
gotquestions.org
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