A lot of people didn't like it when I used to do book reviews. I don't know why, I thought they were informative. But I'm posting one here because I haven't done it in a long time, and I just read a good book. Also, I promise it will be a short review.
I just read "Mere Christianity" again. And you know what, if you haven't read "Mere Christianity" yet, you deserve to be punched in the mouth.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
comparing
A wise man once told me that nothing good can ever come from coparing yourself to others. An annoyed man once told me that he worked at a camp where they paid employees differently from week to week depending on who they thought had a good attitude. They also told everyone not to compare paychecks becuase "comparison robs us of our joy."
I will never work at Gull lake Camp. But I agree with them about comparison. It's not a good thing.
I think we compare ourselves to other people because we are insecure, and want affirmation or reassurance that we are doing alright, that we are doing good enough. We compare ourselves to people in every imaginable way, but for this instance (because this is a blog and not a book, and brevity is everything) I would like to only focus on how we tend to compare ourselves in a Christian sense. We might think that another guy is "more spiritual" or a "better person" than us. We might think that he is "accomplishing more" or is really "making a difference." On the other hand, maybe we look around at the people we interact with every day and find that on the measures that matter to us most, we are doing pretty good.
There's a whole lot I could say about this, and I think there is a lot in there worth thinking about when it comes to value, comparison, and our need to measure ourselves. But again, that's too much to go into here. Instead I'm going to skip right to a metaphor.
Lets say two men were trying to jump to the moon. Tom was able to jump two inches higher than Sam. Sam goes home to his family depressed and feeling down on himself. Not because he didn't make it to the moon; but because Tom was two inches closer than he was, and he feels bad that he is doing relatively worse on something that is important to him. At the same time, Tom goes home feeling pretty good about himself because he is a good jumper. It doesn't matter to him that he is never going to make it to the moon, he's just glad that he's getting a little bit closer than the next guy. After all, that's really all you can ask for, since no one could ever actually jump to the moon.
You can see where both of these men are in error, and they are both missing the point. It's not about how high they are jumping compared to each other, it's about getting to the moon.
Now you might say to me "but Steve, if your metaphor is about getting closer to God, or living the way that He would want us to live, I think it's important to "jump" as high as you can, and you should feel good about jumping higher and higher, even if you never get to the moon."
Good point. That's the logic I use all too often. And that's the logic that "Tom" uses. But that's assuming that our relationship with God is measured quantitatively instead of qualitatively. That's assuming that God says "good work, through your effort at being Holy you are 1.2% deserving of my Grace. Sam is only 1.1% worthy." We all know that we'll never be good enough, but we want to be as close to good enough as we can be.
What Tom and Sam should both stop and think about is that they are going about this all wrong. Lets think outside the box* and realize that no matter how high a person can jump, literally; they will never get to the moon. Even assuming that Tom could quantitatively increase his jumping powers a million times over, even if he could jump so high that he could escape the earth's gravity, he will still never get to the moon. He would burn up in the atmosphere or die without oxygen in space. In the end, it's not really about how high you can jump, it's about finding a space ship.
Am I cheating in this metaphor? Maybe you feel a little ripped off but I'm going to stick with it. Because God does not say that any of us are 1.1% or 1.2% worthy of his grace. We are all 0.0000000% worthy and Jesus is 100% worthy because really it's an all or nothing kind of thing.
Does that mean then that we should never try jumping? Can we be jealous of people who are better astronauts? Does that make John Glenn like Jesus? I don't know, it's a metaphor! Don't get too literal. It breaks down eventually.**
The point I want to make though, is that we should not be comparing ourselves to others when it comes down to this kind of thing. We should not be competing because God doesn't measure us that way. We pretend we are measured that way, but pride and insecurity are the only rewards we get for doing well or poorly on made up measures that don't matter. It's not a good competition to enter cause everyone is a loser.
*Which, in this instance, means "not like an idiot"
**As Ben Taylor taught me, it is not to be a "heuristic" metaphor
I will never work at Gull lake Camp. But I agree with them about comparison. It's not a good thing.
I think we compare ourselves to other people because we are insecure, and want affirmation or reassurance that we are doing alright, that we are doing good enough. We compare ourselves to people in every imaginable way, but for this instance (because this is a blog and not a book, and brevity is everything) I would like to only focus on how we tend to compare ourselves in a Christian sense. We might think that another guy is "more spiritual" or a "better person" than us. We might think that he is "accomplishing more" or is really "making a difference." On the other hand, maybe we look around at the people we interact with every day and find that on the measures that matter to us most, we are doing pretty good.
There's a whole lot I could say about this, and I think there is a lot in there worth thinking about when it comes to value, comparison, and our need to measure ourselves. But again, that's too much to go into here. Instead I'm going to skip right to a metaphor.
Lets say two men were trying to jump to the moon. Tom was able to jump two inches higher than Sam. Sam goes home to his family depressed and feeling down on himself. Not because he didn't make it to the moon; but because Tom was two inches closer than he was, and he feels bad that he is doing relatively worse on something that is important to him. At the same time, Tom goes home feeling pretty good about himself because he is a good jumper. It doesn't matter to him that he is never going to make it to the moon, he's just glad that he's getting a little bit closer than the next guy. After all, that's really all you can ask for, since no one could ever actually jump to the moon.
You can see where both of these men are in error, and they are both missing the point. It's not about how high they are jumping compared to each other, it's about getting to the moon.
Now you might say to me "but Steve, if your metaphor is about getting closer to God, or living the way that He would want us to live, I think it's important to "jump" as high as you can, and you should feel good about jumping higher and higher, even if you never get to the moon."
Good point. That's the logic I use all too often. And that's the logic that "Tom" uses. But that's assuming that our relationship with God is measured quantitatively instead of qualitatively. That's assuming that God says "good work, through your effort at being Holy you are 1.2% deserving of my Grace. Sam is only 1.1% worthy." We all know that we'll never be good enough, but we want to be as close to good enough as we can be.
What Tom and Sam should both stop and think about is that they are going about this all wrong. Lets think outside the box* and realize that no matter how high a person can jump, literally; they will never get to the moon. Even assuming that Tom could quantitatively increase his jumping powers a million times over, even if he could jump so high that he could escape the earth's gravity, he will still never get to the moon. He would burn up in the atmosphere or die without oxygen in space. In the end, it's not really about how high you can jump, it's about finding a space ship.
Am I cheating in this metaphor? Maybe you feel a little ripped off but I'm going to stick with it. Because God does not say that any of us are 1.1% or 1.2% worthy of his grace. We are all 0.0000000% worthy and Jesus is 100% worthy because really it's an all or nothing kind of thing.
Does that mean then that we should never try jumping? Can we be jealous of people who are better astronauts? Does that make John Glenn like Jesus? I don't know, it's a metaphor! Don't get too literal. It breaks down eventually.**
The point I want to make though, is that we should not be comparing ourselves to others when it comes down to this kind of thing. We should not be competing because God doesn't measure us that way. We pretend we are measured that way, but pride and insecurity are the only rewards we get for doing well or poorly on made up measures that don't matter. It's not a good competition to enter cause everyone is a loser.
*Which, in this instance, means "not like an idiot"
**As Ben Taylor taught me, it is not to be a "heuristic" metaphor
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Essays on Greatness part IV
Friends, in case you have been living under a rock, in a cave, on Mars, you may not know that The Ohio State Buckeyes have recently been ranked #1 by the associated press, the USA today, Ryan Seacrest, Bill gates, and the pope.
Now, some might consider this a meaningless exercise, because the Buckeyes would, in truth, BE the number one team in the country regardless of arbitrary rankings. That's sort of like saying the united nations got together and decided that water was wet, or that Jar Jar Binks was annoying.
But I guess this is a good thing because at least it demonstrates that most of the people involved in college football rankings are in touch with reality. There have been several instances in the past in which people used the outcome of various games to support their wild ideas about Florida and USC actually being college football champions a few years back. In fact, I have taken the liberty of correcting the Wikipedia page that seemed to randomly assign championships to teams that were actually ineligible to win.*
Some people are not accepting of the fact that most of our opportunities in life are due to socioeconomic factors including race, income, level of our parents' college education, and where and when we are born. Surprisingly, it seems that most people are even less accepting of the equally true fact that even more of our daily activities are actually dictated at a much higher level by Jim Tressel. Coach Tressel's influence extends far beyond the football fields and you can thank him for most of the things that are right with America right now. Just a few things Jim has been working on lately include
1) Sunshine
2) The Office
3) Taking "Wanda Sikes at Large" off the air
4) Judge Judy
5) the 5 day work week
6) emancipation
7) Gravity.
Coach Tressel was sick once a few years back and missed a day at work. The current economic situation and the oil spill near the Gulf are both symptoms.
So please, next time someone tells you that the Buckeyes are overrated, or that Oregon should really be number one, don't argue with them. Just smile and nod and let him go on thinking whatever he wants. He may wish to tell you that the sun orbits around the moon or that in his personal opinion, Alaska should be warmer. It doesn't make much difference. Just be glad that we currently live in a world where the Buckeyes are hear to save us from ourselves on a weekly basis.
*approximately 119 teams are ineligible to be national champion ever year due to violation of NCAA rules about being the Ohio State Buckeyes. And, by the way, I am not making this up, the first such instance is a split decision between Princton and Rutgers in 1869. Both teams were 1-1. Yes that's right, two teams played ONE GAME, tied, and were both declared the national champion.
Now, some might consider this a meaningless exercise, because the Buckeyes would, in truth, BE the number one team in the country regardless of arbitrary rankings. That's sort of like saying the united nations got together and decided that water was wet, or that Jar Jar Binks was annoying.
But I guess this is a good thing because at least it demonstrates that most of the people involved in college football rankings are in touch with reality. There have been several instances in the past in which people used the outcome of various games to support their wild ideas about Florida and USC actually being college football champions a few years back. In fact, I have taken the liberty of correcting the Wikipedia page that seemed to randomly assign championships to teams that were actually ineligible to win.*
Some people are not accepting of the fact that most of our opportunities in life are due to socioeconomic factors including race, income, level of our parents' college education, and where and when we are born. Surprisingly, it seems that most people are even less accepting of the equally true fact that even more of our daily activities are actually dictated at a much higher level by Jim Tressel. Coach Tressel's influence extends far beyond the football fields and you can thank him for most of the things that are right with America right now. Just a few things Jim has been working on lately include
1) Sunshine
2) The Office
3) Taking "Wanda Sikes at Large" off the air
4) Judge Judy
5) the 5 day work week
6) emancipation
7) Gravity.
Coach Tressel was sick once a few years back and missed a day at work. The current economic situation and the oil spill near the Gulf are both symptoms.
So please, next time someone tells you that the Buckeyes are overrated, or that Oregon should really be number one, don't argue with them. Just smile and nod and let him go on thinking whatever he wants. He may wish to tell you that the sun orbits around the moon or that in his personal opinion, Alaska should be warmer. It doesn't make much difference. Just be glad that we currently live in a world where the Buckeyes are hear to save us from ourselves on a weekly basis.
*approximately 119 teams are ineligible to be national champion ever year due to violation of NCAA rules about being the Ohio State Buckeyes. And, by the way, I am not making this up, the first such instance is a split decision between Princton and Rutgers in 1869. Both teams were 1-1. Yes that's right, two teams played ONE GAME, tied, and were both declared the national champion.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Fingers Pointing
A lot of times I learn important lessons about myself, about God, or about others. I can learn these lessons in all different kinds of ways, but mostly through screwing up. One of the frustrating things is that I feel often times like I am learning the same lessons that I could have sworn I have learned before. I will encounter something that makes me say "wow, I will really take this to heart, and it will change my perspective forever." This normally means "until I get busy, or something else seems pretty important."
So how do we remember all the wisdom we encounter? And how do we remember to hesitate from making the same mistakes we have made in the past?
I had a second grade teacher who told me that whenever you point a finger at someone,you have three more pointing back at yourself (for a visual, point just your index finger straight out in front of you, you'll see what I mean.)
I also had a pastor who told me that whenever he gives some one advice or really lays down a piece of wisdom, he feels the Holy Spirit telling him that he needs to take his own advice.
It occurs to me, when it comes to matters of sin, when DON'T we need to take our own advice? And when are we ever accusing anyone of something that we don't do ourselves in some way or another? Although we may never have lied on our taxes, does that mean we've never been dishonest? And even if we have never stolen something physical, does that mean that we have never tried to reap the benefits of something we did not sow?*
I have heard a story recently about a VERY arrogant and obnoxious student. He is very oblivious to what a negative impression he is leaving on the staff and faculty here at Peligro University** And I think to myself "wow, I wish I could really teach him a lesson. He has a lot to learn about respect" I think this as if I had nothing to learn about respect. My very profession is about challenging people to grow, and calling them out when they are wrong. What a great opportunity to remind myself every day of where I need to grow.
I want to challenge everyone (as well as myself) to think reflectively every time you either offer advice to people, or complain about the shortcomings of an individual who has done something wrong. And if you can't find something in your life that would benefit from some similar attention, I would be surprised.
Let me practice:
I think you really ought to do this whenever you can, as an effort to grow and to stay humble...and as a matter of fact, so should I.
*That is unless you are talking about a specific, isolated act, I find it difficult to say "we'll we've all smuggle a little cocaine at one time or another in our lives."
**I've learned my lesson from the Shane incident. I won't actually mention the name of my university on this blog because their Google alerts will tell them about it. And I know they check, I've talked to people who do the checking.
So how do we remember all the wisdom we encounter? And how do we remember to hesitate from making the same mistakes we have made in the past?
I had a second grade teacher who told me that whenever you point a finger at someone,you have three more pointing back at yourself (for a visual, point just your index finger straight out in front of you, you'll see what I mean.)
I also had a pastor who told me that whenever he gives some one advice or really lays down a piece of wisdom, he feels the Holy Spirit telling him that he needs to take his own advice.
It occurs to me, when it comes to matters of sin, when DON'T we need to take our own advice? And when are we ever accusing anyone of something that we don't do ourselves in some way or another? Although we may never have lied on our taxes, does that mean we've never been dishonest? And even if we have never stolen something physical, does that mean that we have never tried to reap the benefits of something we did not sow?*
I have heard a story recently about a VERY arrogant and obnoxious student. He is very oblivious to what a negative impression he is leaving on the staff and faculty here at Peligro University** And I think to myself "wow, I wish I could really teach him a lesson. He has a lot to learn about respect" I think this as if I had nothing to learn about respect. My very profession is about challenging people to grow, and calling them out when they are wrong. What a great opportunity to remind myself every day of where I need to grow.
I want to challenge everyone (as well as myself) to think reflectively every time you either offer advice to people, or complain about the shortcomings of an individual who has done something wrong. And if you can't find something in your life that would benefit from some similar attention, I would be surprised.
Let me practice:
I think you really ought to do this whenever you can, as an effort to grow and to stay humble...and as a matter of fact, so should I.
*That is unless you are talking about a specific, isolated act, I find it difficult to say "we'll we've all smuggle a little cocaine at one time or another in our lives."
**I've learned my lesson from the Shane incident. I won't actually mention the name of my university on this blog because their Google alerts will tell them about it. And I know they check, I've talked to people who do the checking.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Holy
So I've been reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. And I recommend that you all do. Even if you have read it before, I think you should read it again. Lewis himself said the he didn't think much of a book that you wouldn't want to read more than once.
In this book he begins building a case for the Christian faith, starting at the beginning. Starting at the assumption that there must be some type of powerful force out there in the world, and that it must be good. (He actually takes a few chapters to get there, but I won't try to paraphrase them for you, you should just read them).
And I put my book right there and stopped, because I was struck so hard with how terrible and frightening God could be. It was amazing.
Imagine if you will, an all powerful mysterious force that could not be seen, touched, or resisted. You might as well try turning the ocean around with your hands, or blowing the sun out with your breath. And this power, this force, was good.
So good, in fact, that it could not tolerate the presence of evil. Not in the slightest. The smallest little bit of evil would immediately be destroyed in the presence of this power. Like matter approaching the sun, or a something being dropped into a pool of strong acid, anything even remotely connected with evil would be utterly incinerated the second in came in contact with this good force. Nothing but pure goodness could stand in it's way. There were no exceptions, no excuses. The moment even the slightest imperfection appeared in our hearts we could be destroyed on the spot because NOTHING short of pure goodness could be tolerated in the slightest.
This might seem cruel to you. But in fact it is the opposite of cruel. It is the complete and utter absence of cruelty, vice, pride, or sin of any kind. It only seems cruel because it is frightening. All of us have probably experienced something that we want to call "unfair" or complained about a strict boss or teacher when deep down inside we've known the whole time that it is really quite fair, and we just don't like it.
How would you feel about this terrible, awful, force of mass destruction? Because this force really IS God. I think I never really grasped (nor do I really grasp it still) How would you feel if this force appeared in your house tonight? Would you fall down on your face crying "not worthy"? Would you cower in fear, humiliated by your lack of goodness and awestruck by the uncontrollable torrents of power and goodness threatening to sweep you away? Because that's what everyone in the Bible did whenever God or an angel showed up. They ducked for cover.
This is God. No "Ifs", no "buts" however, there is an "and." This is truly God, and he is also merciful to the point that he has come up with a way to eradicate our sin without destroying us. Now the old testament language of "covering of sins" and "the wrath of God" make a lot more sense to me. We are shielded and protected from the "cruel" goodness and we are declared good despite falling short in our own efforts.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
In this book he begins building a case for the Christian faith, starting at the beginning. Starting at the assumption that there must be some type of powerful force out there in the world, and that it must be good. (He actually takes a few chapters to get there, but I won't try to paraphrase them for you, you should just read them).
And I put my book right there and stopped, because I was struck so hard with how terrible and frightening God could be. It was amazing.
Imagine if you will, an all powerful mysterious force that could not be seen, touched, or resisted. You might as well try turning the ocean around with your hands, or blowing the sun out with your breath. And this power, this force, was good.
So good, in fact, that it could not tolerate the presence of evil. Not in the slightest. The smallest little bit of evil would immediately be destroyed in the presence of this power. Like matter approaching the sun, or a something being dropped into a pool of strong acid, anything even remotely connected with evil would be utterly incinerated the second in came in contact with this good force. Nothing but pure goodness could stand in it's way. There were no exceptions, no excuses. The moment even the slightest imperfection appeared in our hearts we could be destroyed on the spot because NOTHING short of pure goodness could be tolerated in the slightest.
This might seem cruel to you. But in fact it is the opposite of cruel. It is the complete and utter absence of cruelty, vice, pride, or sin of any kind. It only seems cruel because it is frightening. All of us have probably experienced something that we want to call "unfair" or complained about a strict boss or teacher when deep down inside we've known the whole time that it is really quite fair, and we just don't like it.
How would you feel about this terrible, awful, force of mass destruction? Because this force really IS God. I think I never really grasped (nor do I really grasp it still) How would you feel if this force appeared in your house tonight? Would you fall down on your face crying "not worthy"? Would you cower in fear, humiliated by your lack of goodness and awestruck by the uncontrollable torrents of power and goodness threatening to sweep you away? Because that's what everyone in the Bible did whenever God or an angel showed up. They ducked for cover.
This is God. No "Ifs", no "buts" however, there is an "and." This is truly God, and he is also merciful to the point that he has come up with a way to eradicate our sin without destroying us. Now the old testament language of "covering of sins" and "the wrath of God" make a lot more sense to me. We are shielded and protected from the "cruel" goodness and we are declared good despite falling short in our own efforts.
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
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