One more thought on the problem with people before I expound on my solution:
I have noticed that we never need to convince ourselves to do the wrong thing. No one needs to suggest that I rip off the overpriced corporation or steal paper products from my employer or ignore my husband when he's talking (or I just don't feel like listening) or not stop to help the person on the side of the road. In fact, it's quite easy to choose to do the selfish, what's-in-it-for-me thing.
Instead, we spend most of our time trying to control our bad thoughts/impulses and actually do the 'right' thing. This, to me, is proof that not only are we, the people, the biggest problem we face in this world but that we also are not able to do anything to get ourselves out of our own mess. Because, as I mentioned previously, a great many of us don't actually care to overcome our selfish leanings and those of us who do, still fail a great deal of the time. Because it's hard to always do the right thing.
This is where the solution becomes such great news. We need someone else to take care of the problem of us. And that someone is Jesus.
I've just lost some of you who hate that name, or, more likely, hate anyone who wants to associate themselves with him. So I must first apologize for all Christians everywhere, including myself. Because we love a perfect God but don't do such a perfect job of imitating him (see my previous post on the problem with us, being people and all). But bear with me for a moment --
Forget that you hate Christians and churches and church history and maybe even God. All that aside, most people concede that Jesus was pretty cool. Perfect, in fact. The kind of guy that everyone liked - except for those ultra conservative, self-righteous, religious leaders of the day. Jesus liked to buck the system and push buttons. He had all the power and authority in the world and used it to serve people. Like crazy possessed people who cut themselves and dirty diseased leprous people and questionable promiscuous women and mixed race outcasts and even the very enemies of the Jewish people. Jesus is the example of complete, selfless sacrifice and fearless giving.
So, imagine the world if everyone acted like Jesus.
No one would be alone.
No one would go hungry (Jesus liked to feed people, even making alot of wine so they could party hard at a wedding).
No one would abuse the power or the resources entrusted to them.
We would take care of the beautiful creation that Jesus' dad made.
We would feel safe - physically and emotionally.
We would celebrate.
But let me be clear - because of that whole human problem, that I-can't or won't-always-do-the-right-thing problem, I am NOT saying that the solution is to imitate Jesus. I am saying that the solution IS Jesus.
Jesus lived the life that we can't (in our own strength or will). And he said that anyone who gives up his/her life for him - anyone who is willing to admit that he can't make the world (or himself) better on his own and hands his life over to Jesus - that person will have new life. A life fueled by the spirit of Jesus, which was powerful enough to raise him from the dead and can now work the same kind of miracles in the human heart. Because only a miracle can change us from selfish fearful people into sacrificial bold servants. With Jesus, we don't have to worry about who will take care of us because HE is; we don't have to hold onto our stuff (time, energy, emotions) because he generously provides everything we need.
When hearts change, people change. And those people can change the world because they are no longer living for themselves, but for the one who got them out of their mess.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
4.17.2009 The Problem with People
World leaders are often asked what they see as the biggest problem facing our planet today. We have come to expect the standard responses: hunger, poverty, AIDS, lack of health care, oppressive governments, global warming. But I wonder: what do all of these problems have in common?
You can take a moment to decide how you would answer that. Here's my opinion:
All of the world's problems are caused by us. People. More specifically, it is the selfishness in each of us that originates, perpetuates, and exasperates all the major ills we face today.
On the one hand, self-concern is a built-in survival mechanism that ensures we find ways to live. I feel hunger, so I feed myself; I need shelter, so I build (or buy) a home. But as our perceived needs multiply, we begin to choose to take care of ourselves at the cost of neglecting others. Fear is the other side of the selfish coin; the more I fear that I won't be taken care of, the more I protect my "stuff". If I worry that I won't have enough [of whatever I want], then I keep what I might have been tempted to share or to give in order to make sure I have what I (think I) need.
We can easily see fear and selfishness at work in the extreme. Oppressive societies thrive as those in power hoard resources and maintain a fear-based reality for the entire community. But we who live in this civilized, opportunity-for-all nation like to believe we are not capable of such baseness. We overlook the fact that selfishness is not just about keeping our tangible goods to ourselves; it is also apparent in the time we won't take in an argument to listen to the other's perspective and the energy we won't give on our day off to volunteer to work for someone else. We guard our emotions and keep our relational investments simple. When a spouse or a friend or an employer wrongs us, we won't make the first move to reconcile, and we withhold our 'services' in punishment.
In our deepest heart, we are selfish [with our time, money, love, service] because we are always afraid that we won't be taken care of. This is the human condition. This is why, in my opinion, there will always be evil in this world. Because no matter how much we try or how much we want to change, we will always be fighting an instinctive desire to protect ourselves. And I do believe that some people don't even want to battle this instinct; instead, they completely surrender to it and live out of fear.
I would be remiss to explain "the problem with people" and not offer my opinion on the solution. But that is for another post - so check back!
You can take a moment to decide how you would answer that. Here's my opinion:
All of the world's problems are caused by us. People. More specifically, it is the selfishness in each of us that originates, perpetuates, and exasperates all the major ills we face today.
On the one hand, self-concern is a built-in survival mechanism that ensures we find ways to live. I feel hunger, so I feed myself; I need shelter, so I build (or buy) a home. But as our perceived needs multiply, we begin to choose to take care of ourselves at the cost of neglecting others. Fear is the other side of the selfish coin; the more I fear that I won't be taken care of, the more I protect my "stuff". If I worry that I won't have enough [of whatever I want], then I keep what I might have been tempted to share or to give in order to make sure I have what I (think I) need.
We can easily see fear and selfishness at work in the extreme. Oppressive societies thrive as those in power hoard resources and maintain a fear-based reality for the entire community. But we who live in this civilized, opportunity-for-all nation like to believe we are not capable of such baseness. We overlook the fact that selfishness is not just about keeping our tangible goods to ourselves; it is also apparent in the time we won't take in an argument to listen to the other's perspective and the energy we won't give on our day off to volunteer to work for someone else. We guard our emotions and keep our relational investments simple. When a spouse or a friend or an employer wrongs us, we won't make the first move to reconcile, and we withhold our 'services' in punishment.
In our deepest heart, we are selfish [with our time, money, love, service] because we are always afraid that we won't be taken care of. This is the human condition. This is why, in my opinion, there will always be evil in this world. Because no matter how much we try or how much we want to change, we will always be fighting an instinctive desire to protect ourselves. And I do believe that some people don't even want to battle this instinct; instead, they completely surrender to it and live out of fear.
I would be remiss to explain "the problem with people" and not offer my opinion on the solution. But that is for another post - so check back!
4.6.2009 Death Becomes Her
For most of my life, I have given much thought to death; usually, my death. So much so that while this is the first time I've put it down in writing, I expect to post more than once on the subject.
I'm sure, in my youth, that death was often an escapist fantasy, as in, "they'll [insert name of: parents, ex-boyfriends, friends I'm in a fight with] be sorry when I'm gone!" I was never more suicidal than the average teenager but I honestly expected to die at a relatively young age, usually of some untreatable disease. I romanticized death, imagining myself fading slowly but bravely and possessing some kind of amazing strength about the whole ordeal.
Interestingly, though, I ponder my death more now as an adult, and especially as a follower of Jesus, than I ever did in my childhood. I have imagined myself dying in all manner of ways, and I never resist them. By not resisting, I mean that I see myself welcoming death, in any form.
Weird. I know.
I could expound more in any number of directions at this point, but I feel I should mention that I love my life. I really do. In fact, I think I have one of the greatest lives possible, full of incredible love, endless adventures, amazing friends, extraordinary opportunities, blessed miracles....you get the point. I don't have regrets. I embrace my choices. I look forward to each day.
And yet, in some ways, I long for death. People living deeply have no fear of death - Anais Nin
Perhaps it is because I enjoy my life so much that I am able to give it up. I don't feel like I've missed out on something or that I didn't accomplish all that I could. I feel ready, at any moment, to say good-bye and be content with how far my journey has come. I am at peace in my relationships; most importantly, with God and with myself. I can confidently say that I've left nothing unsaid.
"Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die" - Amelia Burr
I'm sure, in my youth, that death was often an escapist fantasy, as in, "they'll [insert name of: parents, ex-boyfriends, friends I'm in a fight with] be sorry when I'm gone!" I was never more suicidal than the average teenager but I honestly expected to die at a relatively young age, usually of some untreatable disease. I romanticized death, imagining myself fading slowly but bravely and possessing some kind of amazing strength about the whole ordeal.
Interestingly, though, I ponder my death more now as an adult, and especially as a follower of Jesus, than I ever did in my childhood. I have imagined myself dying in all manner of ways, and I never resist them. By not resisting, I mean that I see myself welcoming death, in any form.
Weird. I know.
I could expound more in any number of directions at this point, but I feel I should mention that I love my life. I really do. In fact, I think I have one of the greatest lives possible, full of incredible love, endless adventures, amazing friends, extraordinary opportunities, blessed miracles....you get the point. I don't have regrets. I embrace my choices. I look forward to each day.
And yet, in some ways, I long for death. People living deeply have no fear of death - Anais Nin
Perhaps it is because I enjoy my life so much that I am able to give it up. I don't feel like I've missed out on something or that I didn't accomplish all that I could. I feel ready, at any moment, to say good-bye and be content with how far my journey has come. I am at peace in my relationships; most importantly, with God and with myself. I can confidently say that I've left nothing unsaid.
"Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die" - Amelia Burr
4.1.2009 Living Presently
Have you ever noticed that when we talk to one another about our lives, we often ask, "what's next?"
For example, when someone is in school, the first thing we ask is, "when will you be done?" Or, if they're in their last year, it's, "what are you doing when you graduate?" When a couple has been dating for any length of time, we wonder, "when will you get married?" The wedding is barely over when we inquire, "when do you think you'll have kids?" and once that first kid comes, it's a constant harassment about the subsequent siblings! If the mother was working before her pregnancy, we ask when she'll return to work; she often finds herself planning the future "when my kids are such-and-such an age." An employee is going to take that perfect vacation 'when work slows down' and friends think they'll reconnect 'when my schedule opens up.'
For some reason, we have come to believe that what comes next is somehow better or more deserving of our thought energy than what is happening right now. Because of this, the future becomes an escape ("this will be over soon"), an expectation ("life will be easier then" ), or even an excuse ("I can take care of that tomorrow"). What's worse, however, is when the prospect of what might happen paralyzes us from acting in the now. "Worry takes potential future misery and makes it present anxiety"
When we convince ourselves that where we're headed is either significantly happier or alarmingly scarier than where we are now, we completely miss the benefits of reflecting on where we've been and the opportunities available by taking advantage of the day we are in. Why not ask a student how they've enjoyed their education up until this point? Or find out how a couple has grown in their relationship? What joys and challenges is a parent facing at this stage of his child's development? What is particularly meaningful to a friend about where her time is being spent right now?
I believe that if we spent more time considering how far we've come rather than abstractly hoping that things or people will just get better in some distant future, we would experience more joy today. If we stopped waiting for (or worrying about) "what's next?" and started appreciating the dozens of choices happening at this very moment, we would actually feel more in control of our lives.
Many of us have been hit with the unexpected death of someone we care about. Usually, when death happens, we put a passing thought to the idea that "there's no day like today" because we realize that that person was literally here one moment and gone the next. This very moment will be gone in an instant - will it have been worth it? Or will it have been wasted on wondering or complaining or ignoring its fullness?
For example, when someone is in school, the first thing we ask is, "when will you be done?" Or, if they're in their last year, it's, "what are you doing when you graduate?" When a couple has been dating for any length of time, we wonder, "when will you get married?" The wedding is barely over when we inquire, "when do you think you'll have kids?" and once that first kid comes, it's a constant harassment about the subsequent siblings! If the mother was working before her pregnancy, we ask when she'll return to work; she often finds herself planning the future "when my kids are such-and-such an age." An employee is going to take that perfect vacation 'when work slows down' and friends think they'll reconnect 'when my schedule opens up.'
For some reason, we have come to believe that what comes next is somehow better or more deserving of our thought energy than what is happening right now. Because of this, the future becomes an escape ("this will be over soon"), an expectation ("life will be easier then" ), or even an excuse ("I can take care of that tomorrow"). What's worse, however, is when the prospect of what might happen paralyzes us from acting in the now. "Worry takes potential future misery and makes it present anxiety"
When we convince ourselves that where we're headed is either significantly happier or alarmingly scarier than where we are now, we completely miss the benefits of reflecting on where we've been and the opportunities available by taking advantage of the day we are in. Why not ask a student how they've enjoyed their education up until this point? Or find out how a couple has grown in their relationship? What joys and challenges is a parent facing at this stage of his child's development? What is particularly meaningful to a friend about where her time is being spent right now?
I believe that if we spent more time considering how far we've come rather than abstractly hoping that things or people will just get better in some distant future, we would experience more joy today. If we stopped waiting for (or worrying about) "what's next?" and started appreciating the dozens of choices happening at this very moment, we would actually feel more in control of our lives.
Many of us have been hit with the unexpected death of someone we care about. Usually, when death happens, we put a passing thought to the idea that "there's no day like today" because we realize that that person was literally here one moment and gone the next. This very moment will be gone in an instant - will it have been worth it? Or will it have been wasted on wondering or complaining or ignoring its fullness?
3.30.2009 Clean!
It’s no secret that I HATE to clean. If I really feel like I need to clean up the house, I basically disassemble any piles (of mail, clothes, etc.), vacuum any noticeable dust bunnies, dust the piano, and wipe down my kitchen counter. (Notice I don’t even touch the bathroom). Honestly, this is completely satisfactory to me. I am a very uncleanly person :-)
Two weeks ago, I was having a minor crisis (unrelated to cleanliness) and decided that I was going to start cleaning (for REAL) my house, one room, one day, at a time. Not so coincidentally, I found that I was being crabby with my husband, and since I know HE would really appreciate a for-real clean house, I kept telling my daughter as I cleaned, “this will really bless daddy”.
I started in the kitchen by taking a rag and wiping down all my cabinets and walls. I found that as I cleaned things that I had never even touched, I started finding and thinking of more and more things that I could clean. I began to realize how it could actually take a person an entire day to clean the kitchen! I mean, there’s windows, and all the shelves in every cupboard, and the entire fridge (even on top & behind it), and inside the oven, and the stovetop burners, and...WOW. It began to depress me, because I knew I wasn’t going to get to every corner of that one room, even though I was still making it cleaner than it had ever been before.
[insert note here that some of you may be thinking – duh, Nicole. That’s how I clean ALL the time. But ok, this was a big deal for me]
And then I also realized that something else was going on. First, that my heart was filling with more love for Michael. Somehow, doing the thing I hated most in the world, knowing that it would really make him happy, gave me a deep, true love for my husband. By blessing him, I was truly feeling blessed.
But second, I got a glimpse at how intimately God sees my sin and how merciful he is to keep a lot of it hidden from me so that I don’t feel overwhelmed all the time about just how crappy I am. God sees the dirt and the mess in every single crevice of my life, while I just skim the surface. And the great thing is, as I start to work with the Holy Spirit in cleaning up that surface scum, I begin to see more stuff that’s yet to be polished. I get the encouragement of Christ to persevere through each layer of uncleanliness, because he’s not surprised by it and he takes a lot of pride in cleaning up dirty people :-) and, just like my house, the work is FAR from finished!! It’s a permanent process – my heart (and my house) never stop needing to be cleaned.
So, maybe you’re a deep-clean kind of person that takes a lot of pride in keeping her house spic-and-span. What a gift! I pray that you are investing even more energy in partnering with God to clean your heart.
Or maybe you’re like me and just kind of get by in pushing the mess aside. Take heart! Your friends really don’t care how clean your house is because what they really want (and what we really need) is a pure heart.
Let’s show patience towards one another as God has long-suffered with us in our sin. And let’s pray for those who are overwhelmed by their sin, distant from God and not knowing that in Christ they can be clean!!
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
Two weeks ago, I was having a minor crisis (unrelated to cleanliness) and decided that I was going to start cleaning (for REAL) my house, one room, one day, at a time. Not so coincidentally, I found that I was being crabby with my husband, and since I know HE would really appreciate a for-real clean house, I kept telling my daughter as I cleaned, “this will really bless daddy”.
I started in the kitchen by taking a rag and wiping down all my cabinets and walls. I found that as I cleaned things that I had never even touched, I started finding and thinking of more and more things that I could clean. I began to realize how it could actually take a person an entire day to clean the kitchen! I mean, there’s windows, and all the shelves in every cupboard, and the entire fridge (even on top & behind it), and inside the oven, and the stovetop burners, and...WOW. It began to depress me, because I knew I wasn’t going to get to every corner of that one room, even though I was still making it cleaner than it had ever been before.
[insert note here that some of you may be thinking – duh, Nicole. That’s how I clean ALL the time. But ok, this was a big deal for me]
And then I also realized that something else was going on. First, that my heart was filling with more love for Michael. Somehow, doing the thing I hated most in the world, knowing that it would really make him happy, gave me a deep, true love for my husband. By blessing him, I was truly feeling blessed.
But second, I got a glimpse at how intimately God sees my sin and how merciful he is to keep a lot of it hidden from me so that I don’t feel overwhelmed all the time about just how crappy I am. God sees the dirt and the mess in every single crevice of my life, while I just skim the surface. And the great thing is, as I start to work with the Holy Spirit in cleaning up that surface scum, I begin to see more stuff that’s yet to be polished. I get the encouragement of Christ to persevere through each layer of uncleanliness, because he’s not surprised by it and he takes a lot of pride in cleaning up dirty people :-) and, just like my house, the work is FAR from finished!! It’s a permanent process – my heart (and my house) never stop needing to be cleaned.
So, maybe you’re a deep-clean kind of person that takes a lot of pride in keeping her house spic-and-span. What a gift! I pray that you are investing even more energy in partnering with God to clean your heart.
Or maybe you’re like me and just kind of get by in pushing the mess aside. Take heart! Your friends really don’t care how clean your house is because what they really want (and what we really need) is a pure heart.
Let’s show patience towards one another as God has long-suffered with us in our sin. And let’s pray for those who are overwhelmed by their sin, distant from God and not knowing that in Christ they can be clean!!
Psalm 51
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
3.24.2009 Motherhood Surprise
I didn't expect to get pregnant last year but I loved every moment of my pregnancy and even more, the actual birth. But I had more than a few friends confess that they weren't quite sure how I would take to motherhood. I understood - I'm not exactly the "mommy" type. You know, the crafty, homemade cookies and quilts, snuggle-up-for-comfort, gentle and warm everyone-loves-mama type.
But now that I have had abundant time to reflect on motherhood in the 18 weeks or so since my daughter's arrival, I can say that it is the most natural thing I have ever done. It is the absolute most certain I have ever been that I am doing something I am DESIGNED to do. And that’s not said lightly from me – I have been good at most things I’ve ever tried, I have a fair share of talent in a few areas, but this is more than a passion I’ve pursued or an accomplishment I’ve made. At every moment, no matter how difficult, I have this extreme peace that I was made to do this and an incredible confidence that I am doing it well (enough). What a pleasant surprise!
I have also realized that I have lots of qualities, perhaps untraditional, that bring so much to mothering. For example, I have an amazingly high stress tolerance – it’s very easy for me to remain calm in stressful circumstances; I love change, growth, personality development; and I’m not afraid to fail. That last one has got to be one of the best encouragements as a parent – I mean, my husband and I came from alarmingly dysfunctional families who had no faith working out in their lives, but we both turned out pretty decently. So how can I not be confident of raising this child, when I have one of the strongest marriages I know, rooted in an abiding and joyful faith, in a community of families to support us?!? I just can’t screw her up that much :-)
I’ve also begun to understand why so many parents can lose themselves in their children and forget themselves and their spouses. I believe that loving your spouse is the most rewarding, challenging, and amazing love there is but it is HARD to love a partner. A full person who brings experiences, mistakes, opinions, preferences, selfishness, etc into the marriage. It is hard to choose, every day, to love your spouse. It is much easier to stop loving them (in the heart and in actions). But how could you stop loving your child? I think it must be impossible. It is a different kind of love than marital love and much much much easier.
I like to see God’s love in both those relationships, to realize that since God created me, formed me, and put me out into the world, it is ‘easy’ for him to love me like a protective, providing, caring parent. To want the best for me. But that because I am constantly rejecting him, he also pursues me like a husband – that he ‘works’ to woo me, to serve me, to bring me into a deep and full relationship with himself.
So - the surprises continue! Every day is truly an adventure, and even though I'm not always eager to face it, I am amazed at the end of the day to reflect on how much I've received, and how much I get to give, as a mom.
But now that I have had abundant time to reflect on motherhood in the 18 weeks or so since my daughter's arrival, I can say that it is the most natural thing I have ever done. It is the absolute most certain I have ever been that I am doing something I am DESIGNED to do. And that’s not said lightly from me – I have been good at most things I’ve ever tried, I have a fair share of talent in a few areas, but this is more than a passion I’ve pursued or an accomplishment I’ve made. At every moment, no matter how difficult, I have this extreme peace that I was made to do this and an incredible confidence that I am doing it well (enough). What a pleasant surprise!
I have also realized that I have lots of qualities, perhaps untraditional, that bring so much to mothering. For example, I have an amazingly high stress tolerance – it’s very easy for me to remain calm in stressful circumstances; I love change, growth, personality development; and I’m not afraid to fail. That last one has got to be one of the best encouragements as a parent – I mean, my husband and I came from alarmingly dysfunctional families who had no faith working out in their lives, but we both turned out pretty decently. So how can I not be confident of raising this child, when I have one of the strongest marriages I know, rooted in an abiding and joyful faith, in a community of families to support us?!? I just can’t screw her up that much :-)
I’ve also begun to understand why so many parents can lose themselves in their children and forget themselves and their spouses. I believe that loving your spouse is the most rewarding, challenging, and amazing love there is but it is HARD to love a partner. A full person who brings experiences, mistakes, opinions, preferences, selfishness, etc into the marriage. It is hard to choose, every day, to love your spouse. It is much easier to stop loving them (in the heart and in actions). But how could you stop loving your child? I think it must be impossible. It is a different kind of love than marital love and much much much easier.
I like to see God’s love in both those relationships, to realize that since God created me, formed me, and put me out into the world, it is ‘easy’ for him to love me like a protective, providing, caring parent. To want the best for me. But that because I am constantly rejecting him, he also pursues me like a husband – that he ‘works’ to woo me, to serve me, to bring me into a deep and full relationship with himself.
So - the surprises continue! Every day is truly an adventure, and even though I'm not always eager to face it, I am amazed at the end of the day to reflect on how much I've received, and how much I get to give, as a mom.
3.20.2009 Starting Out
Deep breath. Pause. Write!
I'm not completely sold on the idea of a blog but I'm living an adventure, and I love sharing it, and sometimes, you just want to write what's on your mind in a place other than a journal you're not sure anyone will ever find. Maybe you wouldn't want someone to find your journal. But I do. I want to be read, to elicit a response, to know that my failures and joys and confusion and clarity are all contributing to journeys other than my own. Every entry in my paper journal is written with the hope that someone, someday, may read it. So it seems natural that I would post some of those thoughts in a public space.
Is it possible to create dialogue through blogging? I am inspired by an email correspondence that I keep with a college friend. We hadn't communicated in over 6 years (truth be told, i wasn't sure if we had parted on good terms) when he surprised me with an email in the fall of 2006. Since then, we have been trading reflections on life, love, faith, art, suffering, meaning...things we find value in discussing even though we approach our subjects from radically different perspectives. I wish I had more friends willing to do the same. Perhaps this blog can encourage those conversations.
if I ever get around to telling my friends that this blog exists......
I'm not completely sold on the idea of a blog but I'm living an adventure, and I love sharing it, and sometimes, you just want to write what's on your mind in a place other than a journal you're not sure anyone will ever find. Maybe you wouldn't want someone to find your journal. But I do. I want to be read, to elicit a response, to know that my failures and joys and confusion and clarity are all contributing to journeys other than my own. Every entry in my paper journal is written with the hope that someone, someday, may read it. So it seems natural that I would post some of those thoughts in a public space.
Is it possible to create dialogue through blogging? I am inspired by an email correspondence that I keep with a college friend. We hadn't communicated in over 6 years (truth be told, i wasn't sure if we had parted on good terms) when he surprised me with an email in the fall of 2006. Since then, we have been trading reflections on life, love, faith, art, suffering, meaning...things we find value in discussing even though we approach our subjects from radically different perspectives. I wish I had more friends willing to do the same. Perhaps this blog can encourage those conversations.
if I ever get around to telling my friends that this blog exists......
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