From the monthly archives:
I talk to people endlessly about community and the need for interdependence.
The problem is though that just about everything I do in life, financially, emotionally, and even spiritually, is built towards becoming further independent.
Independence and self-reliance is a highly regarding value in our culture, but I think it runs counter to humanity at its very best.
I want community, but I don’t actually want to need community. How about you?
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Supposedly a tornado went through Minneapolis at the same time the Lutherans were trying to decide whether “practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry”.
John Piper’s openly declared the tornado a warning from God.
Regardless of your take on the issue itself, what’s your take on the connection? How do you discern the relationship between what you do and the warnings of God?
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Some commentary regarding my last two posts, Repulsive and Captive.
My wife told me I should have included the credits to the posts, but was completely disturbed when she realized it was my own writing. It still makes me gag a bit when I read it. Let me do some explaining.
First off it was just an exercise in creative fiction – which I find can often convey truth far better than the ‘facts’.
I originally wanted this post to simply be a re-post of the previous entries with pop-up commentary, but that’s proving too complicated at the moment.
Without breaking it down word by word, I wanted you to reflect on the most inhumane act you could imagine – rape, genocide, pedophilia, etc. Hopefully the mere thoughts are as revolting to you as it is to me.
And maybe we’re each not so far off from the most abominable acts. The tiniest mis-wiring of the brain? Being born into a different time and place? A passion gone awry?
Maybe you and I commit crimes against humanity every single day. Especially in our pursuits of happiness. ie. self-induced obesity – America spends $35 billion dollars a year on weight loss programs when half of the human population is starving on $2 a day.
Why is it that I know the technical specs on an iphone that I don’t own, or the average driving distance of tiger woods a man i’ve never met, and yet had to look up just now that 24.5 million people are dying of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Could the way we’re destroying the earth and depleting it’s resources be a form of stealing our children’s innocence? Oh, check out this post a while back on preaching and rape.
Maybe if you looked closely at the cracks in me, you’d find them leading back to you?
That’s all for now, you can try and decipher the rest yourself.
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You need to live a life of greater impact
You need to rest more
You need to get more done with less
You need to pray more
You need to be more focused
You need to enjoy life more
You need to love more
You need to be healthier
You need to spend more time with those you love
You need to spend more time with those lacking love
You need to reflect more
You need to live a life of balance
You need to live life on the edge
You need to simply be
You need to get up off of that seat
Just a few of the voices in my head. How about you?
One surefire way of living a life of torment – trying to please everyone… including the conflicting voices echoing in your own skull.
Credit: Oil painting by Kaj Stenvall
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This is a great song and video by Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip. I love the radiohead sampling in particular. If you can’t quite catch all the lyrics you can find them here.
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Exploring the intersections of Leadership, Creativity, Church, and Culture
