Interesting Quote

"There's a tendency in our day to separate "reality" from "spirituality." It's part of the innate human propensity for compartmentalizing knowledge, belief and behavior" (TTP Travelogue, Del Tacket pg 6)

Costumer Check-out Till #1

Really? This is life? I have a hard time believe that anyone is truly satisfied out there these days. The black hole of personal gratification is destroying society, and people are pretending that its not happening. Everywhere I look there is yet another reason to believe that there is no point in living "this way" anymore. I see an education system that doesn't teach our youth how to gain knowledge, but rather how to get by with doing the least work possible. I don't see educators teaching kids how to grow into functioning adults, I see educators who teach children how to get rich and meet their ever growing selfish desires. I don't see a desire in society to work towards the common good of our neighbor. I see a health system that doesn't care about people but cares about money. I see aid and care workers more concerned about the bottom line then I see caring and aiding. I see politicians who separate who they are from what they do. I see leaders voted in based on promises to make it better, not actions inclined to integrity and character. I see the heart of society crumbling as families are destroyed because of self seeking addictions (and I'm not just talking about porn, but entertainment, money, and selfish arrogance and pride that are the idols of today)

I see pockets of grace here and there, but those pockets are shrinking and becoming further and further apart. Every aspect of culture has been affected so deeply by this disease that we no longer recognize the disease anymore. We just accept that this is life, and there is no other way. And then we get mad and jealous when other people tell us there are other ways to live and so we force upon them a broken system so as to conform them to ourselves. Cause heaven forbid someone shows some sense of individuality and uniqueness. We pretend with every ounce of energy that everything is alright, but this is a facade, a false mask we throw on, and then while at home in the safety of our closet we weep for the reality is this life is empty. And not empty because we dislike who we are, or we hate the relationships we are in. It is empty because everything that has been fed to us over the last 50 years has meant nothing. We thought that ultimate joy, complete satisfaction could be found by identifying ourselves as consumers. A society founded on Capitalism lost its way and found Consumerism and we became the cancer the devours a healthy organism. We took on the properties of locusts as we consumed our way through the resources and people we were connected with. No longer did we care about people using their talents to find success in a world market, we started to care much more about what products we could attain ourselves. Vocation became a means by which we could consume. And when our salary fell behind our demand to consume, we went out and got credit cards, and mortgages, and loans. All in an ugly attempt to fulfill our need to consume. At no point did someone take a step back and ask the question, "what happens when we consume to the point that there is nothing left to consume?" Then what happens? Well I think part of the reality of that question we face today. We hear every minute of the day the looming crisis that faces the world economically. We have consumed so long and so hard that there is nothing left to consume and so the markets crash, and the world goes hungry. And a new destructive cycle begins, giving us the illusion that it can save us from the empty hollowness that is the secular world. 

At some point in the past even Christians began to be influenced and affected by the world we live in and so we too seek the consumer way. We treat church in this manner, seeking entertainment from the professionals we pay to produce religion. We don't actually care about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. We don't care about the golden rule to love. We like to think we care, and we like to think that if Jesus walked into the room today he'd come and sit beside me. We see programs as a means to consume religious stuff, we see Sundays as a time to consume religious entertainment, and we see the church as a drive in movie theater where we are able to pay for, participate in and appreciate a product. Never once do we seek to develop a faith in God; who needs faith when you can just consume after all. And when we begin to feel guilty we pack up a shoebox full of plastic toys and pencils for orphans in Africa to show that its not just about ourselves. That we aren't always consuming but sometimes we crap out enough thought for others to give to those in need. To give useless pieces of trivial consumerism so that others can see what they are missing not living as we do.

Pretty bleak outlook I have isn't it? And yet the state of church and the state of society today is loud enough to speak on its own. We have fallen for the trap that all that matters is what we can get for ourselves. Not what we can give, not what we can contribute, not how we can be active members of society, critically thinking, and appealing to the good that is buried deep in each of us. We don't care to serve anyone because we don't think anyone deserves our service. 

And then I was reminded today that there is.

Beloved - Tenth Avenue North

Love of my life, Look deep in my eyes, there you will find what you need. Give me your life, the lust and the lies, and the past you're afraid I might see, You've been running away from me.

You're my my beloved lover, I'm yours, Death shall not part us, it's you I died for, For better or worse, forever We'll be, my love it unites us and it binds you to me, it's a mystery.

Love of my life, look deep in my eyes, there you will find what you need. I'm the giver of life, I'll clothe you in white, my immaculate bride you will be, come running home to me. You've been a mistress, my wife, chasing lovers that won't satisfy , won't you let me make you my bride, you will drink of my lips and you'll taste new life.

there is hope.

Give me eyes

From our latest discussions on compassion based living at youth, I have created the following reminder for us. Hope you enjoy it