[Disclaimer: If you are here and decide you feel like you need to argue with or disparage me, then stop right here. I have no interest in your argument. If, however, you want to express your disagreement or concern with what I've written in respectful dialogue, I'm all ears.]
I really don’t think that self-professed Christians (Republican, Democrat, or otherwise) who slander presidential candidates with categories and labels such as “fraud” or “terrorist” or “warmonger” or whatever other entirely flippant appellation they want to give voice to are being very helpful to the world seeing the church as anything but divisive and abrasive.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are very serious short-comings on BOTH sides of this ballot. But we need to remember these are people, children of God regardless of their stance on abortion or war or whatever else. They are still people deserving respect. Have we entirely lost our capacities for mercy and grace?
It’s easy for us to see them as monsters or terrorists or frauds or liberals or fundamentalists when we don’t have to meet them face-to-face and look into their eyes and see that they are no more or less human than ourselves. We’re all capable of the same evils. Let’s remember:
Mt 7:1-5 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person’s eye.
In the end, it’s God’s prerogative to condemn the guilty, not ours.
At this point in the semester there seems to be a general cloud of anxiety hanging over all the students as we shift from the rather easier (academically) first 6-7 weeks to the more trying 6-7 weeks that finish off the trimester. In some respects, this reassures me — that I am not alone in feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. But on the other hand, there’s something to be said about the amount of stress that is placed on us as Mars Hill students at this point in the game.
Personally, I am still experiencing a bit of the tension of feeling called to be here doing what I’m doing while at the same time have lots of moments of not wanting to be here at all. There are days that I practically skip down to that place because I love it so much. Then there are days where I literally have to drag myself there, knowing I’ll have to talk about how I feel or what’s going on in my heart, and just NOT wanting to do that.
I guess I don’t have much of a point in writing this. Just had some things on my mind. I have a stack of articles sitting in front of me that I have to read this weekend. I think, “Can I do it?” and always the answer in my head, “Probably not.” But am I learning alot along the way about God and others and myself and the world? Certainly. So is it worth it? Absolutely.
1. Rob Blackledge – Worth Takin’ from the A Song Like This album
2. Parachute Band – Come to the River from the Technicolor album
3. Mates of State – The Re-arranger from the Re-Arrange Us album
4. Hillsong – Desert Song from the This is Our God album
5. Ray LaMontagne – You are the Best Thing from the Gossip in the Grain album
6. Tyler Burkum – Blue as the Sky from the Darling, Maybe Someday album
7. Seth Walker – Picture in a Frame (Tom Waits cover) from the Self-Titled album
8. Christopher Williams – When It Falls Apart from the Sweet Redemption album
9. Jon McLaughlin – We All Need Saving from the OK Now album
10. Matthew Mayfield – Element from The Fire EP
11. Jill Phillips – The Door from the Nobody’s Got It All Together album
12. Josh Garrels – Rabbit & the Bear from the Jacaranda album
13. The National – Apartment Story from the Boxer album
14. Bebo Norman – The Only Hope from the Self-Titled album
15. Laura Story – Might to Save from the Great God Who Saves album
thought: its possible that today i have been the biggest slacker the world has ever seen.
contemplation: how do i communicate the gospel to a dead man that i only know through a book (for school, don’t ask)
film: The Visitor. Very good. Probes American immigration policy.
shame-inducing guilty pleasure: facebook. =[
color: blue & green
wish: that my friend was here, that i could get my paper done, that i didn’t have to make myself dinner
song: “desert song” by hillsong written by brooke fraser
book: not reading anything for pleasure, but enjoyed The Earth is Enough and looking forward to starting the Shack
triumph: less anxiety less withdrawing
celebrity crush: joaquin phoenix
indulgence: coffee (thanks julie)
story: i was recently in kalispell, montana … glacier national park … and a russian woman made me a hotdog and a very tasty mocha. spasiba.
surprise: my bff is on facebook now!
field trip: um. tomorrow. to the grocery store. i know, lame.
feeling: like i could go to bed and not write anymore tonight.
So it’s been awhile since I’ve updated with anything semi-meaningful.
In my defense, I have been quite busy.
At any rate, things are going well in the Emerald City. I’ve been busy with class, reading, writing papers, and becoming a coffee addict. I turned in my first paper the other day. I was very happy with it, and am kind of excited to see what remarks I get back. Of course I am trying not to get my hopes up too much. It’s the first paper, and even if I think it is good, it might actually suck. =] So I’ll wait and see what happens.
This school stirs up all kinds of things in my soul. I love that and hate it at the same time. I told a friend the other day, I feel more inspired here than I ever have been in my life and I also feel more frightened here than I ever have been in my life. It’s an interesting tension. We are being challenged to live our lives in ways that are wildly hopeful. But that requires our whole selves, and that is difficult and daunting.
I’ve been wanting to get out and take some pictures to post. I just haven’t had a chance. And it has been raining alot, of course. But this week looks as though it will be nice, and I should have some time. I’ll try and get some stuff posted.
In the meantime, here’s a list for your viewing pleasure.
Things I love about grad school in Seattle:
5. Walking through the marketplace downtown to get to school.
4. Listening to people say “fer sure” like 1000 times a day, especially when talking about Jesus.
3. Coming up with different Buber slogans that would make great tshirts to sell at the school.
2. Drinking some sort of coffee product multiple times a day.
1. Being constantly challenged and inspired.
Found a musician I really like alot this week. His name is Josh Garrels. Just bought two of his albums, Jacaranda and Over Oceans. He has great lyrics, which you can read on his blog here. He has a great voice, does some neat stuff on the guitar, and has awesome instrumentation. It’s unique and refreshing!
Check him out:
http://www.joshgarrels.com
http://www.myspace.com/joshgarrels
