God's Call, part I

This is something that I have had on my mind a lot recently. What is God's Call? I don't mean what is my call, and I don't mean what is your call, but I mean what is it. I think being here at camp, and being at a camp where many viewpoints might be more conservative than my own, that word has started to take on an eerie feeling. I'm not saying that people here are weird. Rather, I think that I have always had some suspicions about that word, and the "Christian-ese" meaning behind it, and those concerns have come to the forefront while I have been in this place. That is particularly true when I hear people claim, "I see [fill in the blank occupation] as God's call for me."

If that's the case, then that's great. And I'm not saying that you are full of poo when you say that. I am saying that unless you are a person I deeply respect, you might get a raised eyebrow from me when you make a statement like that.

Why? I'll tell you why. I'll raise my eyebrow because I think "Call" is a word that is abused these days. I think Christian culture has taken this very Biblically based word and has absconded it. We use it all the time! "God has Called me to be here; This is God's Call for me; God is telling me to do this; I hear God's Call in this work...." It says a lot to claim you are doing God's work. That should be especially profound when you think of people who say it, and yet you think, "If THAT is God's work then I want nothing to do with any of it" (I'm looking at you Falwell, and Phelps, among others...).

1 Corinthians 1:1 finds Paul introducing himself as: "Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God...." In fact, Paul is often described in this way, almost so often that I start to wonder if Paul put that call in there with his name simply because there were so many doubters out there who wondered just how reliable Paul was. After all, he wasn't one of the Twelve. Heck, I'd put that moniker in there to squelch a few rumors. But this was friggin' PAUL. If he's going to claim a Call from God, I figure I'll let him have it. Just remember that you aren't Paul when I raise my eyebrow after you say it. Paul had his difficulties and doubts. He boasted about working for the Lord. He wrote a good chunk of the New Testament. He started churches and preached to the poor and the needy and the desolate. He preached to the outsiders. What have you been up to lately?

The use of "Call" isn't too specific in other places. We see in 1 Cor. 7 that God calls us to live lives of peace. We often see "Call" in reference to being or becoming a disciple of Christ (such as in the calling of the Twelve in the Gospels, but also mentioned in the beginning of Jude, as well as Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Peter, and 1 John among others). So when you tell me that God has Called you to the life of a high paying, high powered corporate lawyer while living in a nice house with 2.4 children, a dog named Butch, a cat named Ms. Whiskers, and geraniums on the porch behind your white pickets fence and manicured and landscaped lawn...I'm going to be a little apprehensive.

There's an article here that asks and states, "What is God's call? How does He call people to service? We often hear that God calls pastors and missionaries, but exactly how does He call? Do you hear it? Do you feel it? Is it in a still, small voice? Is it a dramatic event? Or is it just a feeling? I believe it can be all of the above." Yeah, that's kind of what I think about when someone asks me to describe it. And while some of those questions are important to consider (like the fact that NOT just pastors and missionaries feel or hear God's Call), it kind of leaves me with the feeling that you are in a cheesy movie - like all you have to do is follow your heart and it will all be OK in the end.

The problem is that I'm just not on board with that. Following my heart has sometimes led me into trouble, just like following my head can do. This is particularly true because I think the description above blurs the lines between Biblical accounts and present day reality. That is a great point brought to light by an author named Langdon Gilkey back in 1961. In his article, "Cosmology, Ontology, and the Travail of Biblical Language" in the Journal of Religion he raises a very pertinent issue:

Put in the language of contemporary semantic discussion, both the biblical and the orthodox understanding of theological language was univocal. That is, when God was said to have 'acted,' it was believed that he had performed an observable act in space and time so that he functioned as does any secondary cause; and when he was said to have 'spoken,' it was believed that an audible voice was heard by the person addressed. In other words, the words 'act' and 'speak' were used in the same sense of God as of men. We deny this univocal understanding of theological words. To us, theological verbs such as 'to act,' 'to work,' 'to do,' 'to speak,' 'to reveal' etc., have no longer the literal meaning of observable actions in space and time or of voices in the air. The denial of wonders and voices has thus shifted our theological language from the univocal to the analogical. Our problem is, therefore, two fold: (a) We have not realized that this crucial shift has taken place, and so we think we are merely speaking the biblical language because we use the same words. We do use these words, but we use them analogically rather than univocally, and these are vastly different usages. (b) Unless one knows in some sense what the analogy means, how the analogy is being used and what it points to, an analogy is empty and unintelligible; that is, it becomes equivocal language. This is the crux of our present difficulty...

That concept blew me away. This is especially pertinent when you take a look at the way people use "Call." Let's take a look at Paul again, just as an example. Paul's conversion story is fairly familiar to most experienced Christians, and the thundering voice, complete with blinding light later followed by blindness and scales falling from Paul's eyes, is a pretty good story to hit me with when I question you about the certainty of your call. Now, assuming that you want to take Paul's converstion account very literally, we have to ask the question why God doesn't use the same method these days to grab our attention. Or, if you are a fan of the Old Testament, then let's take a look at Moses: God's voice like thunder so loud it shook mountains. God talking with Moses on the mountain. Moses seeing God, such that when he returned his face glowed. Looking at God's interaction with the world today, one has to either say that God is changing the way God operates, or that we have to take another look at what the Bible means when God speaks or acts, and what it means when we say God is Calling us....

Time, Big Sur, Foot...Soliloquy?

Where have I been? What have I been doing? These are questions I don't ask of you, but of myself. I've noticed that time has been on fast forward recently and that is never more apparent than in my journal. I crack the delicate pages and turn to the last entry to find that not days, but weeks have drifted by while I don't take note of it any more than I take note of a light fog passing through these mountains.

Then I am in the fog myself...caught up in what is going on and suddenly weary at the thought of fighting my way to a wireless spot to get some personal computer time. At this moment the fog has cleared. Recent events have cleared it. Recent events, like a sudden blast of sun that burns off the fog, have given me a glimpse of blue skies that tell me where I am. I don't know how long it will last, so I'm here to quickly survey my surroundings.

Two weekends ago I went down to Big Sur and camped. One night. Two friends. Much needed and appreciated time away from life at Mount Hermon.


We got a chance to sit out and enjoy just sitting in the sun. Some look like they are actually relaxing, while others look like a dead body tossed aside in the woods. You decide which is which...



It is amazing to me that Mount Hermon can be such a great place, yet is still a place that I feel I need a break from on a fairly consistent basis. So far I'm chalking that up to it being an intense place. When I am there, by entire life is there. Life there is constantly and consistently on my mind. Some of those things I don't mind at all. Other things, like the details of my job and if I'm supposed to be somewhere and don't know it, are a nuisance. Mount Hermon is a place where God's work is being done, and I admire that to a great degree. At the same time, I listen to speakers, unable to stop myself from being critical at times. I suppose it is something similar to going to a great church, but not connecting with the pastor; they do God's work, but some things just don't line up for you like they should. There comes a time when you have to decide how critical those issues are. Am I at that point?
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Last week was a great group of college students. It is amazing how this position can exhaust me, and yet the people can bring me back to life. It also helps when the week goes according to plan. It helps when a group gels. It helps when I don't get sleep for good reasons. It helps when I'm questioning some things in my life. It helps that I don't feel helpless in that questioning period.

And now this week is at full tilt. Back in the swing of things. Of course, Monday now affords not only the thrill of the Boardwalk, but also the thrill of tracking down our favorite Boardwalk employee, Brandon. Think I'm kidding? We've been taking pictures each week:


Then, Tuesday morning I went running. Trail running. I've been doing a lot of that here. For those that don't know, I run as often as I can. Running is therapeutic for me in a way that only runners understand. I think, sometimes, about whether or not running gets past the initial pain one experiences when being out of shape. Does the pain go away as your body gets used to the activity? Or do you just get used to pain...accept it? Probably a little of both. Probably has to do with life that way. Some things you deal with, and they are no longer painful, while other events are always painful, but you just accept it. And, every now and then, you get hurt. That's what made yesterday different.



Later, as it really began to blossom, the bruising patterns changed to reveal what it would settle into for the time being:


So now I'm taking a few Ibuprofins a day. And by a few I mean 12. A day. One dozen per day.

So it goes. It happens. I plan to run again in the near future. I plan to test my ankle. I plan to push it. I expect to struggle with it.

While sitting around last night, with my ankle up on a pillow, elevating it (only because someone told me to), I had some time to think about the situation. I get scrapes a lot, but very rarely does something happen that keeps me off my feet (or foot, as it were). I am determined to get back to running in the near future. Not only that, but I want to specifically hit the trails in the near future. Something about getting right back on the horse as soon as I can.

That very desire is something I'm not going to say I do very often. There was a time when, after falling off the horse, I was very content to stay off. I don't think many people would say that of me, but I would manage to stay off the horse in subtle ways. So, it is fun for me to look at this as a definitive personality shift, or at least the start of one.

There are some amazing things going on in my life, not all of which I care to share here. Just know that each week brings something new. Each week also develops other, ongoing events. Significance, at the moment, is the primer for my life.

A People Christian

Today at lunch, one Mr. Bob R. came up with an interesting remark that, while made half jokingly, was a good thought nonetheless.

When did “Christian” become an adjective?

The conversation began with Bob critically remarking that he didn’t know what Christian music was, and particularly when taking into account the way the music industry works, with bands and record labels being in the business of making money.

Suggestions ranged on what, exactly, you do with the category of Christian music, especially as many genres fit into that umbrella term…and as a result, one can’t really say that Christian Music is a particular genre. Punk, rock, country, ska (yes, ska), cheese rock, etc. have all been adopted and used in the Christian Music scene. Thus, when someone says they like Christian music, you can’t assume he or she is a huge fan of a particular “sound.”

Then, of course, is Topher’s suggestion of JPMs, otherwise known as the number of times Jesus is mentioned in a song, or the “Jesus Per Minute” factor.

So, if I write a song, and declare myself Christian, does that mean I am a member of a Christian band that then gets put into the Christian music scene?

If you hunt around and wind up on wikipedia, you can get them to define Christian Music for you. The simple version of it is “Christian music is music created by or adapted for the Christian church.” If you want the full description click here. Using that simple definition, anyone who goes out, with the intention of creating music meant to be lifted up or presented to God, could be put in that category. As such, I could take a “secular” song and play it to or for God (thus adapting it for the Christian C/church) and I have transformed it into Christian Music.

I have to admit, I like that idea, as it rings true of our own selves. We are made of this earth but can be transformed into bodies living our lives for Christ.

But there are a couple of issues that still present themselves.

The first is that by and large, the above definition is a bit broad and doesn’t really get to the heart of what Bob was asking. I think the music we were talking about is more specifically CONTEMPORARY Christian Music. Wikipedia is helpful there, too, I guess: “Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a classification of Christian music as well as popular music in general. It is not a musical style or genre, as it refers to several types of music. Instead, it is called ‘contemporary’ because it is distinct from traditional and southern gospel music. It is called ‘Christian’ ‘on account of a perceived connection to what [self-identified fans of CCM] regard as Christianity.’” (Again, for the full article, click here.) The result here is that there is a general collective throwing music into categories. And, what I consider to be Christian may not be what you consider to be Christian. I'll take a risk here and offer up Pedro the Lion as an example. Now, from what I know, many people consider this man/group to be a Christian band. But, if you do some listening, you'll hear the occasional "cuss" word. I think that's great, and I don't want to berrate the assumed status of a band for that reason (after all, I know many Christians who identify themselves as such and cuss on a regular basis). But, there are many who refuse to see Pedro the Lion as a Christian artist because of this fact. So, at the very least, there is a gray area.

The second is that we haven’t touched the adjectival use of Christian. To be honest, it isn’t something that I have really ever given thought to until the past couple of weeks, especially when thinking about a Bible Study that looks at how we might exploit Christianity by attaching the name to businesses, music, or industry in general. After watching The Corporation I’ve kind of had this on my brain a lot recently.

The practical eventuality here, for me, is that I end up feeling guilty for not supporting something Christian, or I feel that I should prefer something that is Christian just because that designation is given to it. All things being equal (price especially) when I have to choose between a place called Bob’s Auto Place or Christian Auto Place, I am indeed more likely to go to the Christian place.

But, I think most people know that just because a person calls him- or herself a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she can be trusted to keep something in confidence, refrain from gossiping, and in general refrain from sinning any more than the rest of us. One would think, then, that a business with a Christian title would fall into that same pitfall. That is especially true, one might think, when thinking about the end goals inherent in these two enterprises: Christianity and business. The goal of one (in a sense) is to be a servant and to shine God’s love and seek God's will while the end goal of the other is to make a profit.

I don’t mean to suggest that any and/or every business out there, or its owner(s), are actually wolves in sheep’s clothing, hiding behind the Christian name while taking advantage of the unwitting customer. But I do think that when one puts the Christian title up on a billboard and associates it with their business, they are in fact making a BIG statement. But maybe the problem is that they don’t think they are making a big statement at all.

Should I walk around each day wearing a T-shirt that says CHRISTIAN on it? And if I did, should you trust that it is true? And even if I made a big effort with my actions, does that mean that everything I do should be toted as an example of model Christianity? There’s only one person I know of that could carry that burden.

In the end, this discussion has wavered back and forth from the original question: when did “Christian” become an adjective?

Since when does one describe oneself as a “Christian” person? Is the problem in that description the same one inherent in trying to define Christian Music? Is it the same issue as a business claiming it is a Christian business? As Bob said at lunch, “If Christian isn’t an adjective, then it should mean the same thing when I refer to that as a Christian magazine and then call it a magazine Christian.”

So we coined a new phrase, and it is sweeping the nation (and when I say "sweeping the nation I mean that probably no one will ever use it). No longer are we a Christian people. Instead we are a People Christian. I am a Man Christian. She is a Woman Christian. Perhaps it is we that should be striving to mold ourselves to what Christianity is, rather than Christianity describing what we claim to be.

We could only hope our lives and our very beings would be an accurate adjective for that holy word.

So, if you go here and spend $5, you can have a grand time.

And, you can go in the gift shop and buy little worms. To eat.
And then you can take a picture like this:


Be sure to click on the pic, and then be sure to look at the large one. Larva in all its edible glory.

Udating the Update (Train Day #2)

I'm in Santa Cruz...probably in the same place Nick was in his last blog entry. It is train day once again, and this time I am sitting and being a bit nervous. I lead a seminar tomorrow. I don't feel confident about it. I feel like it could very well crash and burn. It is pretty much completely done, although I want to go over it and practice the whole thing this afternoon, or late tonight...whenever I get the chance. We'll see.

In the meantime, let me reveal a little window into my life at camp this week.

Sunday: Campers and Conferees arrive. I meet up with the college group. We have about 14 or so this week and they are a great group. We play spoons. I get injured.


Monday: We head out to Garden of Eden. Because of the cut above my eye, and because I fear infections leading to blindness, I cannot get in the water. People do some log jumping, swimming, hanging out.


That night we go to Ponderosa to watch the 4th of July fireworks down in Santa Cruz. Lesson learned: fireworks from far away are less than exciting.


Tuesday: College group hits the Boardwalk and has a time and a half. I'll be posting the GREATEST PICTURE EVER next week. After we get back some staff hit Santa Cruz Diner. Dave experiences PHO for the first time and determines it is "really salty."


Wednesday: We hit the beach at night for a bonfire. S'mores are enjoyed by all. Most random night so far and learned that many random things that you find on a beach can really be thrown into a fire, even though you don't want it thrown in YOUR fire. Among the items: boxer shorts and a volleyball. We thought the volleyball would explode. Instead it just hissed flat. Then we decided that it was a bad itea from the start. We would have rather played volleyball than burned it. Sad. At least we still had more s'mores.


Tonight we'll be heading to the street where I am now: Pacific Avenue. I plan to hit Streetlight Records and pick up a few things. I'm finding that listening to music is a rare opportunity with everything going on, and I consider music to be a big part of my life, so it's a big shift for me. I do have some solace as I plan to buy tickets to see this guy on July 19th here in Santa Cruz. I'm "slightly" excited. Don't know who Sufjan is? I recommend you leave right now and go check him out. The phrase that comes to mind is "worth it."

Anyway, I've planning on going over all the notes from Chuck Swindoll's series this week and hope to get something done about on Saturday or so. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, really. A lot stems from the fact that some things rubbed me the wrong way, but many people insist that this was out of character according to the past years. I'll go with my notes and see what I can come up with.Suffice to say that even though I am very single, I got a lot of advice this week about family values and being married. Uhhh, yeah.

Diners

I recently made a contribution to the staff newsletter here at camp. In an effort to educate some of the staff on Diner Etiquette, I came up with a few tips. It's not all-encompassing by any means. Any suggestions out there on other Diner Tips?

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Have you ever been to Santa Cruz Diner? If so, were you confused at how you were treated, but amazed at the rotating tray of desserts all the same? Were you simply looking for a late night bite and hoping to find the same service that you would get at Applebee’s? (And shame on you for going to Applebee’s, anyway.)
Diners, if you didn’t know, have their own culture. I’m not exactly what you would (or should) call “cultured,” but I know a thing or two about diners. So if you ever wanted some inside information on the Diner scene then read on. (Yes, you can translate all of this to ANY diner. Feel special.)

Tip 1: Employees. Every employee will have some oddity. They might clearly be wearing a beehive wig, they might talk in such a fashion so as to be barely understood, they might be 90 years old and hauling an oxygen tank around (I’ve personally experienced that one), their demeanor doesn’t hide that they aren’t happy you are there, et cetera, et cetera. Smile and be polite anyway.
Tip 2: Cruddy service. They won’t treat you “special” or “like they appreciate your business.” They aren’t your mommy, and they’ll be darned if you sitting down to eat makes it their job to serve you. (Er…wait….) Regardless, they aren’t too excited for you to interrupt them in the middle of whatever they were doing. Deal with it. At least they are taking your order.
Tip 3: Coffee. If you drink coffee, order the coffee. It’s just the way it works. And they know when you’re lying. And they know the coffee sucks. Sorry.
Tip 4: Non-Coffee. If you don’t drink coffee, get something else to drink other than water. And don’t get a soda. That’s for losers and lesser wimps when you are at a diner. You looking for a soda? You should have gone to McDonald’s or something. Sorry.
Tip 5: Dessert. Don’t order a whole dinner, unless you are feeling adventurous or are primed for disappointment. You are there for your cruddy coffee (or some other non-coffee, non-soda beverage) and dessert. Most diners have homemade desserts when it comes to pie and cake, so get one. I guarantee that all diners have a display case with all their pies and cakes in it. Bonus points if it is the display case that spins around.
Tip 6: Timing. If you are there before 10:30 or 11:00 at night you should go home and come back later. Part of the diner experience is being there late at night when the crowd is “worth it” and the staff is mostly “lifers” and the food is most likely “sub-par.” Curiously, desserts are exempt from this rule (see Tip 5).
Tip 7: Jukebox. If they have one, put quarters in there. The music selection will be random. Deal with it and pick something that looks really really cheesy (Backstreet Boys, that Superman song from that one band, or something of that ilk) or really really country (preferably bands you haven’t heard of but sound country…Hillbilly Boys, Brooks & Dunn, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, etc.). It is also acceptable to choose something everyone knows the words to. Try to get everyone in the diner to sing together.
Tip 8: People. If you aren’t in California, count the ratio of people in the smoking section versus the non-smoking section. Oh, and chances are, if you are sitting in the non-smoking section, you’re server probably still has a cigarette hanging out of his or her mouth as they serve you your food. Also, note the other people in the diner. Yeah, they are different than you, huh? They are all also probably cooler than you because they know a lot more about life. Remember that one before you giggle at the dude talking to himself while he sips his cruddy coffee and nibbles the strawberry shortcake. He could probably take you in a fight anyway. So could the woman with the wrinkly tattoo of a snake wrapped around a knife.
Tip 9: Atmosphere and Ambiance. Look for signs that talk about how smiles are free. Or that there is an extra fee charged to mean people. Or the word “whiners” with a circle and a cross through it. Special bonus if they have a section of wall with a bunch of post cards on it from all over the US that loyal customers actually mail to them. Super bonus points if any post cards are from outside the US.
Tip 10: Tipping. Tip well. These people have to deal with you and your obnoxious friends at 2 in the morning. And all you are ordering is coffee and dessert. Be generous. You might bring a smile to your server’s face.

So there you go. Obey these simple rules and look like a pro at any diner you ever attend. Some diners are way cool about random things, like bringing a deck of cards and hanging out. Others aren’t and kick you out for playing cards and claim “religious reasons” (experienced that one, too). All diners have their own flavor, so eat up, and eat often!

Swift

This week has gone by so fast it borders on the wondrous and the absurd. This group has been at camp all week and they have been great. However, due to the logistics of their group, my services are not needed, as they send all their college aged kids up to high camp at Ponderosa. As such, I have had to bide my time a bit this week, being as constructive as I can in the mornings (working on a seminar that I will present each Friday for the rest of the summer). The afternoons have been spent watching the Game Room and then the Rec Shack, affording me two hours of reading inside, followed by two more hours of reading while simultaneously working on my gnarly tan outside. Yup, 4 hours of reading every day this week (more or less).

So what have I been reading? Let's take a look together, shall we?

For one thing, I have finally started God's Politics by Jim Wallis. If you haven't heard of this, you should have. If you haven't read it, you should make it a priority. I'm only about a third of the way into it and while I can't say I've been totally floored by everything in it, I have been impressed by Jim's (I like to think we're on a first name basis) articulation and general point of view. In fact, I don't think I agree with everything in there so far, but I have come to a point where I deeply respect just about everything stated. I guess it also helps that I do agree with a lot of what is laid out. I plan to get into some more details after I get done with the whole thing.

I'm about to finish up A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. If you live near "nature" or even if you don't, I think it's really important to sample some writing(s) that touch on nature/ecology/environment on a fairly regular basis. Perhaps it is even more important to do so if you DON'T live near nature (a city or something). This book has reminded me of how I should be looking at nature and the processes continually in motion within nature. Leopold's writing speaks of his love, reverence, and personal investment in the natural world. I have something of a personal attachment to this book because he deals with his land in Wisconsin in the first third of the book. I wish I had had the fortune to have read this book while I was still living there. I would have made more attempts to get out and enjoy the area more, and perhaps even seek to explore areas near where Leopold was writing about.

The other night I walked into Gator's room and Jav was reading what looked to be a typical PDF assigned booklet from good old Princeton Theological. After recovering from that shock, I found out that he was reading a commencement speech. I borrowed it and read it while on the way back from climbing and rappelling and really enjoyed it.

That commencement speech has also given voice to a small axe that I have to grind. I think I can safely say, without offending all the friends that I love dearly from school, that I get a little annoyed when people talk smack about being at PTS, or living in Jersey, or anything along those lines. I realize that New Jersey is not everyone's cup of tea. I realize that PTS is hard. I realize that Princeton itself is up there on the list of places that probably give you a jaded (read: protected) view of the world if you don't make an effort to get away from it (even driving the 15 miles into Trenton should shake anyone from the idyllic land [borough? township? etc.?] that is Princeton).

So I'm going to get up on a freaking soap box for a bit here. But I do it humbly, if that can be done from a soap box. I've lived in (at?) several places in my lifetime. Do I like some better than others? Yes. Have I liked all the places I have lived? Yes. Could I still find things to complain about in each of them? Yes. Do I lament them all the time? No.

Just about anyone who knows me knows I love the West. I love the land. I love the people. I love the atmosphere. I love the rugged mountains. I love flip flops and hilly roads. I like the occasional fleece vest. One could say that if one were to dress like me and in fact wear my 'actual' clothes, you would wear an ugly feece vest.

See?

I have no doubt that at some point in my life I will live somewhere out W/west. I have VERY little doubt that I will retire there. Now, have I ever 'actually' lived out West? No. If you count this summer, then yes I have. But at this point I've been here three weeks so I'm not ready to commit to saying I have lived here in the fuller sense.

That said, I want to say that I don't love New Jersey in the same way. I live there. I'm satisfied with living there. I will even go so far as to say that I LIKE living there. There are good people there. And most importantly, I value my time there. I value what I am learning there, not just while in seminary, but what I am learning while living in that particular geographic location that I could not learn anywhere else.

When I first moved to Appleton, Wisconsin for undergrad I didn't like it. In fact, I'm going to say I hated it. I wondered what the hell I was thinking when I decided to move to Wisconsin. If you can't guess from the comments about Sand County Almanac from above, that attitude has changed. I like Wiscinsin quite a bit. I think despite it being known for fat folk who watch the Packers while eating cheese and drinking beer, it is in fact a state that values its wilderness. It is a state that values what lies within it's borders, both human residents and otherwise. They could do better, sure, but all of us could do better.

So that commencement speech linked above really drove home to me that life is sometimes these dull things. And beyond the mundane and obvious times like standing in line, or waiting in traffic, there are possibly times that stretch longer than we might think. Perhaps you are standing in line in New Jersey for three years getting your M.Div. degree. But while I'm standing in line, I don't want to get back into that default setting that ends with me complaining about where I am and about how I'd rather be someplace else. This line is necessary. And while I'm in line I can choose what I'm going to think about. How often does God work on a time scale that we just don't see? Years later we look back and it is all clear. But how often did I complain to God in my ignorance? A lot. Probably more than a lot.

I am fully willing to acknowledge that New Jersey is not for everyone. In fact, New Jersey is not for me. But for the time being, I live there. I will live there two more years. And when I leave, I will miss it....

...For the time being, I am the young arrogant fish. I am the one standing in line, wondering what all these people are doing in my way. I am self-centered. But, I live with the hope that my mind can leave the place I live. I can choose. And in the end, I live with the knowledge that every place has value just as every person has value. There is vlaue to be had even while standing in line.

OK, I'm done. Sorry.

As a side note I'm also trying to whisk my way through H.G. Wells's original 1898 version of War of the Worlds. I'm not usually a huge fan of anything from this time period (although I have admittedly read what is likely to be a very small percentage of the writing produced during this time). But I have to say I'm enjoying it so far and am already bracing myself for what is undoubtedly going to be a let down when I see the movie. I'm just trying to accept that any movie likely cannot do justice to the amount of detail and character insight that any book can provide. It's the way it works. I'm pretty sure that when a movie begins to approach the detail and caliber of the book from whch it is based, that's when we ogle at how good the movie was. It's a difference in medium. So if you want to annoy me a little more, see any movie based on a book and complain about how it wasn't as good as the book. My answer: "I know. I agree. It's the way it works. But what did the movie bring to the table that the book didn't, or perhaps couldn't?"

Oh yeah, the rappelling from yesterday? Had a great time. Thanks to John, looking very dangeresque here, for inviting me:


Good times.