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| i've decided that i need to write more. i'm taking modern poetry and i think my writing has gotten less lucid, so i figure what better place to practice than on good ol xanga?
Anyway, so i've been spending some time thinking about love, more specifically, its definition, implications and transportation. Here are my thoughts and findings with a homework question at the end.
Love's definition:
Voddie Baucham: "Love is first and foremost a choice, that is, secondly, accompanied (but not devoid of emotion) by emotions and, thirdly, causes a willingness to act in service."
Tim Keller: "True love is selfless, sacrificial commitment."
1 John 3:16: "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8: "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end."
1 Corinthians 13:12-13: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
Personally, i really like Voddie Baucham's concise definition. i do believe that love is first and foremost a choice, in fact that love is powerful because it is a choice. If you take the ability to choose out of love, it simply becomes a circumstance, condition, or an emotion. But VB's definition outlines the separation between love and emotions. Make no mistake about what's being said: not that love has nothing to do with emotion, in fact they are closely weaved together, but that even though they are weaved together, they are completely different strands of thread. Mainly because of the first defining distinction of love--that it is a choice. i don't know about you, but i don't remember the last time i CHOSE to be sad, or angry, or smitten. Emotions are as fickle as the wind, here this moment, gone the next. They're easily swayed by music, the weather, things that are shiny, etc...So no offense to anyone who thinks that love is an emotion, but i think to make that statement waters love and its significance down.
But what about the butterflies and all the uncontrollable feelings when you spot a cute guy/girl? Simple. Those are emotions. Do you love that person? Maybe...it depends on whether you've made a choice to love him/her. A married couple can fall in and out of "love" all the time. But it's love (without quotes) that keeps the marriage together; it's that selfless, sacrificial commitment; it's that choice made way before they ever got to the altar. It's just that at the altar, it's all about "'til death do we part."
A lot of people have a problem with this definition because we feel our love for a friend is different than our love for our parents, etc... 1 John 4:7 - "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." It doesn't say "loves are from God." But does that necessarily mean that there is just one type of love? i think this point is debatable. i personally think that the distinguishing factors in "different types of love" are the emotions and implications tied to each relationship. With my (hypothetical) girlfriend, i may experience emotions like infatuation--something i do not feel with my parents; same love from God, different emotions weaved with each one. The other case would be that God designed love in a multiple yet singular form of existence, like how He's three in one. Homework question #1: What is your take? Post a comment if you'd like, but please no flaming.
An issue with love as a choice is one brought up by Megan Tsang. That, since God is love, God, out of his infinitely loving nature, just love us because he's so loving. A close example that breaks down to a point would be a mother inately and automatically loving her just newly born child. Did she, at the moment of her baby's birth decide, "Ok, now i love you?" Probably not. But rather i think she made the choice to love the baby by taking care of herself during conception and by not opting for an abortion. That's where the example breaks down because for God it's not in issue of abortion, but of to create/not create and i wonder how many artists choose NOT to create something. That is to say (hopefully i'm getting this right, Megan), God didn't make a conscious choice to love us because it's just his nature. i personally believe that for God it still was a choice, it's just that His choice was "yes" from before we even existed. i also don't like the idea that God would have different economies of love for himself and us. But then again, God is huge and some things we just can't understand, so it may actually be BOTH cases or something crazy. HW #2: What do you think? Did God CHOOSE to love us?
i'll stop there for today. i think my thoughts are getting too scattered to continue writing. Let me know what YOU think. But please, no flaming, no hating, no arguing. Just let the world know where you stand. i have my personal beliefs, but that doesn't mean that i KNOW it's the truth. At the end of all of my journey's for more knowledge or wisdom, i always find myself under the realization that i know nothing.
"God is love.
-Rev Run."
hahaha
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| A businessman called and
had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China.
After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed
a visa. "Oh no I don't, I've been to China many times and never had
to have one of those." I double checked and sure enough, his stay required
a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I've been to China four
times and every time they have accepted my American Express."
But in all fairness, we don't know if this "business man" was ever a business major.
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| So i just spent a few hours at Noah's Bagel writing and just thinking upon the whole concept of "relationship." And of the many revelations that hit me today, i felt most compelled to share with the world this one: God is STUPID. Yes, that line WAS just a hook so that people would read the rest of this post which will explain my heretical (is this a word?) statement. So hold put down those stones, torches and stakes for a second. Why is God stupid? Simple. So for the sake of this argument, imagine that you're God. One day, (whatever that means in the realm where time is a construct) you decide to create a universe with galaxies, planets and among other such things, animals. Up to this point, everything pretty much screams your name and glory, cuz duh, you created it all. But then you decide to make things interesting by making beings that can CHOOSE whether or not they want to love you or hate you. Because what power does love have if you don't have a choice in it? Now here's where it gets stupid. So basically you've got these creatures that you've made in your image (i can't see any other reason why, at this point, except for irony) with this ability to hate you or to love you. And you're this all-powerful God. And we've all played Doom and what's the first code you type in? The God Mode code, that grants you, what? Invulnerability. Now as God it only makes sense that you would make yourself invulnerable, but here's where we have to come back to reality. We're not God and God CHOOSES (stupidly) to make himself NOT invulnerable. And this blew my mind, but it's pretty much true according to the Bible, that God chose to make himself vulnerable to us. He gave us this choice to break his heart, and He's God, he could choose to type in that code and make himself invulnerable, but he LETS our hate for him, our sin, hurt him. He allows his heart to break for us...and man, DOES IT EVER break for us. He, the Creator, allows his creation, us, to hurt him. That is stupid. But that's how much in love with us he is. i remember that cheesy line from probably more than one emo song talking about: "How much does that other guy love you to let you go?" or "i loved her so much that i let her go because i just wanted her to be happy." These, are objectively and logically STUPID statements, but they ARE statements of love, because love is pretty much stupid, objectively and logically. That's what God did. He let us go off on our own way in pursuit of our own glory. He allowed the separation between us and him to happen, only to fix it later on--to give us grace that we absolutely don't deserve, just to show us the depth of his love. Why am i making this revelation known? Because i think i'd explode if i hadn't or didn't and i really don't care if people hate me for it, because i'm not really looking to look holy or righteous or whatever. But i just had to let all who would hear (or read) that wherever you are in life, this is the truth: there's a God stupid in love with you, whether you believe it or not. And i realize not everyone will realize it and not everyone will care, but it's not my job to make you care. Like i said, this is just mind vomit. And speaking of stupid, most people won't realize how stupid i am just to post this because just last night i was at a bar with some of awesome friends of mine. And you know what? i'm not sorry or remorseful at all that i got a chance to hang out with them and hopefully let them know i love them. i'd gladly lay down my life for any one of them. Yeah i drank, no i didn't get drunk. To those of you holier-than-thou individuals, i simply say: Romans 14. To those of you offended by me drinking, i'm sorry you're offended. But i feel it more important, in this moment, to be real and transparent with everyone, rather than keep quiet to spare a few peoples' feelings due to their insecurities. With that said, you can pick up those stones and/or torches. Please rebuke me. i submit to not knowing much about the Bible at all. And i look forward to growing at the expense and wounds of my pride. Sorry to those that misunderstood any of what i just said, you can always talk to me and i'll try and explain it better. i'm still a bit wired from my coffee so not everything may have come out like it should've haha. | | |
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The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you. | | |
| This is a quick shout out to all of my friends. Thanks for all of your birthday wishes, even if you forgot or whatever. i've been more guilty of forgetting birthdays more than anyone, so i can't and won't hold it against you because i love you all. It's funny...birthdays are supposed to be a day when we appreciate someone's birthday, but on my birthday, i've never appreciated all of you more. It's all about you guys. Thank you, each and everyone of you for being in my life, even if we don't really talk much anymore or ever did (That's my bad, this quarter's been kicking my ass). But it doesn't really mater because i really hope with the entire depth of my heart that you guys would be blessed and find joy in God (even if you don't believe in Him) so that you can use that to bring you through the hard times in life. With that said, have some happy holidays and hope you guys kill your finals!
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