"Depth" & What really matters...?

In parts of a response to the post at http://www.boundlessline.org/2007/11/balancing-act.html, someone wrote:

One big attraction of legalism is that it allows people to set aside the complicated and uncomfortable process of examining their own hearts and motivations in order to debate externals, while still maintaining the appearance of caring deeply and intelligently about an issue. It can be easier to put in many hours at complicated scripture exegesis than it is to take just a few minutes to ask yourself, "what are my real motivations for doing what I do?".

and also:

it's just good to be aware of one's main motivations. Too often, legalistic debate is mostly about escapism and a need for simplicity.

It's interesting to think that some may consider legalistic debate as a kind of escape. Perhaps desiring to think deeply could also be a surface way of escape. While thinking "deeply" could be a productive pastime, perhaps often the motivations are not pure. While reflecting deeply, what other type of activity might be being neglected as a result? Am I being lazy about taking care of other business that should be taken care of? Even though pondering about life and faith is fun, how do I act in my day-to-day life? Am I honoring God when I'm alone? Am I loving others in ways I ought? Even though I want to grow and become a person of more depth and understanding about the things of God, I should strive for holiness in more holistic ways...

Footprints of faith...

You just don't always know others' feelings and impressions of you. Seems that even just who we are, what we don't say, and little chunks of what we do say work together in shaping these opinions. One of the things that make me tick are life interactions, and I'm just encouraged by one woman's words today...

Earlier on, when still at work, a co-worker basically expressed some disappointment at my leaving to work at another community college next quarter. My only work experience at my current workplace is in the Summer of 06 and this current work quarter. Later on, I gave her a ride to Seattle, dropping her off at a QFC. She said something like this to me, "It's nice that you don't talk about God being terrible. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one (at work) who's conservative..." I'm not sure if she's of any religous background or 100% conservative. I don't think people at work explicitly say God is terrible. I don't think I've ever brought up my political beliefs at work, but I may have talked about my involvement with a children's thing at church when she was in the room. I think another co-worker (one who goes to church) may have learned I went to church through this co-worker.

I'm not too chatty at work. I often keep quiet. Occasionally a 'faith footprint' might slip out, and it's quite possible she may have heard but one.

Should I be really happy, hopeful and satisfied when situations like this come up, or through them should I be inspired to strive to be more free and intentional with the release of faith footprints...?

Cultural Connections -- the Gospel

So for a journal assignment, my students were to write about one or more of the following topics: superstitions, beliefs, ghosts, the supernatural, cultural “taboos”, etc.

Check out an excerpt from one guy's paper (which he posted on Blackboard):

In my country, there are some stories about ghost, too. Especially in my city, there was a story about the ghost with no head. Every night, it comes out and kidnaps children to eat. No one has power to go against him until a special child was born. His name is Thach. He is the son of the god. He has a super power. He didn’t say any word until he is 3 years old. Then, he grew up very fast and became a strong man. He came out and killed the Ghost. After he killed it, he went to the top of the Hai Son mountain and flew up to the sky.

Wow, huh? Somehow, it reminds me of the story of salvation in a remote way. Jesus, is the Son of God. He came to earth as a special child (of course fully God at the same time). After he defeated death, he went up to heaven...In my response to this particular student's entry, though, I didn't mention how it reminded me of my faith.

I HOPE someone will be caused to think about God, or somehow be drawn to God, the true God, even through this excerpt...or through other journal entries, my comments, or my sample journal entry. Granted it might be a stretch, but God is all-powerful and could work even through something in connection with this if it is His will.

You never know...

Paul declared the true God to a people who had the appearances of being religious and who had "...an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.'..." (Acts 17:23)

I didn't declare who God was in my response, but hopefully someone will, or hopefully he'll read my sample entry where I mentioned my "Christian faith" (though I didn't explain salvation) and possibly pause to consider God.

I don't know, God, but, in some way will You please use (if you haven't yet) this assignment to Your glory? Thank you...

A moment-by-moment eternal perspective

It's much easier to think eternally or view interactions and life happenings from a perspective of faith when we aren't in the 'heat of the moment'.

It would be wonderful if the eternal perspective could always be present like oxygen rather than reflected upon only at certain times.

Reminds me of the present perfect progressive vs. the present perfect, in a remote sort of way (always thinking eternally vs only thinking eternally at certain times).

(Yeah, so after school a student came into the office and I tried to help her understand the present perfect progressive vs. the present perfect tense. [example of ppp: have been watching; example of pp: have watched]).

Every move you make...

A co-worker of mine respectully conveyed the idea that a student walked some distance to open or push the button for a door for someone. He seemed to have gained respect, or a higher degree of respect, for that student.

You never know who might be watching...we do know GOD is always watching...

Clicking out of Cliques

Cliques aren't limited to the youth. But what comprises a clique anyway? Just people who connect tending to talk to one another more often than others? Isn't it natural to be drawn and feel closer to those with whom you connect and feel comfortable? Still, it would be good if we could find enjoyment in hanging out with acquaintances with whom we might not feel as close a connection. How can we enjoy this more and feel more comfortable partially or fully outside our closer circles? Maybe by taking the feelings of others into consideration, realizing the value of 'practicing' the life skill of graciously discovering and interacting with people of varying personalities, and realizing that God may be working through those interactions...

Heart Excitement

God might be opening my eyes to see that His hand may be working through some interactions. Like today after my last class, a couple of the students lingered for a chat...and it was such an interesting conversation! One of today's chat topics touched upon beliefs -- one guy was trying to express a belief -- maybe his belief -- that after people die there is like a new garden of Eden on earth -- or something. I wonder if he was trying to express an idea related to the Jehovah Witness or Mormon religion. But my guess is that he might not consciously belong to either of the two religions. And also the number "666" came up in our discussion... I guess real, sincere discussions of depth grab my heart. Today in groups the students were to talk about superstitions or/and related topics that kind-of relate to the supernatural. I want the students to talk about these types of topics again tomorrow. Oh...I hope God works in their hearts! God, please work in the hearts of my students, get them to perhaps examine their beliefs, guide the conversations, and please, somehow work in them to draw them to or closer to You....thank you!

Good endurance training...

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." -- James 1:2-4

So, God, please teach me to 'count it all joy'...please grow in me steadfastness, please mature me through them...

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy," -- Colossians 1:11

God please strengthen me with your power, for joyous endurance and patience...

Perhaps challenging times are good quizzes for bigger trials -- loved ones' deaths, possible nursing home residence -- we might encounter in the future.

...created FOR Him!

Col. 1:16b -- "...all things were created through him and for him." So that must include me. I must have been created FOR Him. Interesting. So it would be good if I could try to do my best to "work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men" (Col. 3:23b). And if I do my best, hopefully I wouldn't get discouraged with my life circumstances, even if I don't find them completely fulfilling. Just my existence is for HIM. The concept is not a license to sin. But even if we are disappointed in our seeming unfruitfulness, life activities, or/and relationships, perhaps if we could remember that even our mere existence is for Him, it could serve as an encouragement? Our very breath is for Him, and given by Him.

BE the change...

I googled a certain idea to see if it was said by someone before (perhaps I'd come across the quote/idea at some earlier point in time), and found that "be the change you want to see in the world" is attributed to Gandhi.

Perhaps it would be beneficial if I consciously put that idea into practice.

Gandhi isn't the only one who thought along these lines. St. Francis also appears to have thought along these lines. Here is much of his prayer, which I found in the bulletin of the church I tried today:

"Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, [...], and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

And there are "The Paradoxical Commandments" written by Kent Keith. A version which may be based on that, and which might be credited to Mother Teresa is:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. [...]If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. [...] The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

And then there's Matthew 5:44: "[...] Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."