Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Faith
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn't you then first discover how much you really trusted it? The same with people. For years I would have said that I had perfect confidence in B.R. Then came the moment when I had to decide whether I would or would not trust him with a really important secret. That threw quite a new light on what I called my 'confidence' in him. I discovered that there was no such thing. Only a real risk tests that reality of a belief.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Stuck
So today, I tried writing my UC Prompt 1 essay. I wrote about 1 1/2 paragraphs and then... BAM. I suddenly did not know what to write. I sat at my computer for around 30 minutes, gave up, watched t.v. to try to arouse some inspiration, came back to my computer, and continued this cycle for about 4 hours. I have not written a single sentence since. I honestly don't know what is wrong with me. It's driving me crazy. I know what my theme is, but I just can't think of the right words to type. I'm so worried now. If I continue this cycle, I'm not sure if I'm going to finish my essays in time. I feel like my brain is fried. Maybe I just need some sleep. By tomorrow, maybe I'll be able to think of something to write.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Christian Schlock
Christians have a strange tendency to try to baptize everything mundane and make it "Christian."
What if I told you I was my dream to open up a Christian coffee shop? "Jesus Java" I'd call it.
At Jesus Java, you'd be able to get Christian coffee: Salvation Sumatra, Anointed Arabica, and Faithful French Roast. You could get your favorite espresso drinks as well: Mind-of-Christ Mochas, Love-Your-Neighbor Lattes, and, if you weren't in the mood for coffee, you could always try our Charity Chai.
We'd also have our own line of Prayerful Pastries: Bible Bearclaws, Sin-free Cinnamon Rolls, Crucifixion Croissants and Doubting Thomas Donuts- just stick your finger through the hole and believe.
And for those prone to spilling, all of our coffee cups would be printed with "WARNING: NOT AS HOT AS THE LAKE OF FIRE, BUT PRETTY CLOSE."
Christians have a strange tendency to try to baptize everything mundane and make it "Christian." The impulse makes sense to a degree, bit it's ridiculous to a greater degree. Does stamping John 3:16 on a toothbrush make it a Christian toothbrush?
Granted, some of it is cute, innocent and possibly sweet, but there is also a real danger here.
Through this, we ghettoize Christianity. If the world's got something, we've got our own little version tailored perfectly for our cultural subgroup. So the answer is no. Printing John 3:16 on a product does not automatically make it good. By doing this, we produce little of merit and contribute zilch to the greater culture, and our influence- already whittled down to insignificance- dwindles further.
What if I told you I was my dream to open up a Christian coffee shop? "Jesus Java" I'd call it.
At Jesus Java, you'd be able to get Christian coffee: Salvation Sumatra, Anointed Arabica, and Faithful French Roast. You could get your favorite espresso drinks as well: Mind-of-Christ Mochas, Love-Your-Neighbor Lattes, and, if you weren't in the mood for coffee, you could always try our Charity Chai.
We'd also have our own line of Prayerful Pastries: Bible Bearclaws, Sin-free Cinnamon Rolls, Crucifixion Croissants and Doubting Thomas Donuts- just stick your finger through the hole and believe.
And for those prone to spilling, all of our coffee cups would be printed with "WARNING: NOT AS HOT AS THE LAKE OF FIRE, BUT PRETTY CLOSE."
Christians have a strange tendency to try to baptize everything mundane and make it "Christian." The impulse makes sense to a degree, bit it's ridiculous to a greater degree. Does stamping John 3:16 on a toothbrush make it a Christian toothbrush?
Granted, some of it is cute, innocent and possibly sweet, but there is also a real danger here.
Through this, we ghettoize Christianity. If the world's got something, we've got our own little version tailored perfectly for our cultural subgroup. So the answer is no. Printing John 3:16 on a product does not automatically make it good. By doing this, we produce little of merit and contribute zilch to the greater culture, and our influence- already whittled down to insignificance- dwindles further.
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