Sometimes I worry that I take life too seriously. Other times I get concerned that I don't take each moment seriously enough. If I take life too seriously I fear that I'll miss out on the lighter side of things, the times when I can be myself and not worry about who is watching. On the other hand, if I don't take life seriously enough I run the risk of missing out on opportunities and possibilities; if I spend my time focused on fun rather than moving forward, I might never make it out of my seat.
It is incredibly important that I find the balance between taking moments seriously or not. A time for everything, as they say.
And so on...
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thank You, Pat Robertson...
...for once again validating everything I ever said about you.
How can Christians be taken seriously by the world if the people who claim to speak for us are allowed to spout hateful, ignorant rhetoric over and over again? There are so many problems in this world, so many problems that we have the power to effect and change. And in case you were wondering, gays and lesbians aren't the problem. Liberals aren't the problem. People on welfare aren't the problem. Unfortunately, if you ask Pat Robertson and those who think like him, you will be told that gays and liberals and so on are the problem. I just can't figure out how that fits in with the message of love Jesus spent his time on Earth preaching and teaching. The sooner the Christian community can shed Mr. Robertson as an influential voice, the better.
And so on...
How can Christians be taken seriously by the world if the people who claim to speak for us are allowed to spout hateful, ignorant rhetoric over and over again? There are so many problems in this world, so many problems that we have the power to effect and change. And in case you were wondering, gays and lesbians aren't the problem. Liberals aren't the problem. People on welfare aren't the problem. Unfortunately, if you ask Pat Robertson and those who think like him, you will be told that gays and liberals and so on are the problem. I just can't figure out how that fits in with the message of love Jesus spent his time on Earth preaching and teaching. The sooner the Christian community can shed Mr. Robertson as an influential voice, the better.
And so on...
Friday, April 15, 2011
TOMS: A Discussion on Bad Aid
We are a culture fixated on the newest thing. Whether it is the iPad, hybrid cars or some other fad, we grab hold of it in an effort to be "cool" or some other adjective. Perhaps the biggest fad of the last few years has been a five year old footwear company: TOMS shoes. On April 5, TOMS and their supporters came together for the event "One Day Without Shoes", asking people to go barefoot for a day to raise awareness concerning "those people who don't have a choice."
TOMS was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie with the intention of donating one pair of shoes to the poor for every shoe purchased from his company. Since the company was founded, more than 1,000,000 shoes have been donated to children in the United States, Argentina, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Haiti, and South Africa.
TOMS has gained great notoriety and popularity for its socially conscious business model, allowing people to donate to the poor through their own personal consumption. However, as good as the idea sounds, there is one major problem: TOMS is the definition of bad aid. Bad aid refers to any donations, charity or other form of aid which at best do not help its subject in the way it is aimed or at worst are harmful to the recipients. There are a number of reasons why TOMS and similar in-kind donations (non-cash donations - goods and services - which can be given a cash value) are bad aid, and I want to go through them one by one to explain why each is significant. My hope is that by the end of this piece you will reconsider your assumptions concerning aid and how best to help those in need, and maybe look at TOMS with new eyes.
TOMS was founded in 2006 by Blake Mycoskie with the intention of donating one pair of shoes to the poor for every shoe purchased from his company. Since the company was founded, more than 1,000,000 shoes have been donated to children in the United States, Argentina, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Haiti, and South Africa.
TOMS has gained great notoriety and popularity for its socially conscious business model, allowing people to donate to the poor through their own personal consumption. However, as good as the idea sounds, there is one major problem: TOMS is the definition of bad aid. Bad aid refers to any donations, charity or other form of aid which at best do not help its subject in the way it is aimed or at worst are harmful to the recipients. There are a number of reasons why TOMS and similar in-kind donations (non-cash donations - goods and services - which can be given a cash value) are bad aid, and I want to go through them one by one to explain why each is significant. My hope is that by the end of this piece you will reconsider your assumptions concerning aid and how best to help those in need, and maybe look at TOMS with new eyes.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Silence
Often I find that the most valuable times of my day are the ones spent alone in thought. There is something special and different about time spent in silence, to the extent that productivity and creativity reach their peaks. In times like these, when the events surrounding me are full of questions and suffering, it is especially important to carve time out of the day to spend in silence, alone. Thinking. Wondering. Doubting. Wishing. Those four words describe some of my favorite things to do, things that there is never time enough in the day for.
All that being said, living in silence is the very opposite of our design. We are meant to live in community, surrounded and affected by the people around us. For all of the productivity and "solving the world's problems" which goes along with time spent alone in silence, I am never as complete or happy as I am when with others. Not only do I lose that joy when I am alone, but I begin to lose focus on those around me, a focus which is integral to who I am. With that in mind, I wrote this. I call it Silence. Enjoy.
All that being said, living in silence is the very opposite of our design. We are meant to live in community, surrounded and affected by the people around us. For all of the productivity and "solving the world's problems" which goes along with time spent alone in silence, I am never as complete or happy as I am when with others. Not only do I lose that joy when I am alone, but I begin to lose focus on those around me, a focus which is integral to who I am. With that in mind, I wrote this. I call it Silence. Enjoy.
Monday, March 21, 2011
There Is Always Hope. Always.
The last time it happened I didn't understand. I was sitting in the place I call home, a place that I love, a place full of people I love and love me. I could not understand the level of loneliness and brokenness that must have been. The best way to describe the way I felt is confused. Completely, totally confused. No matter how greatly I tried to understand, I could not. This time is no different. I do not understand, not one bit. Yet to try and understand would be to try and step into a pair of shoes which I have no business trying to stand in. I do not understand, nor should I.
In situations like these I find myself trying to rationalize or justify or explain what just happened. I try to spin it such that I can say to myself and others "don't worry, everything will be okay", even if that simply isn't the case. The thing is, things like this aren't supposed to happen where I come from, to the people I grew up with. It's like being hit by a train when you didn't even know there were tracks nearby. It's shocking and jarring and confusing all at the same time, a crazy mix of emotions that doesn't add up to anything.
In situations like these I find myself trying to rationalize or justify or explain what just happened. I try to spin it such that I can say to myself and others "don't worry, everything will be okay", even if that simply isn't the case. The thing is, things like this aren't supposed to happen where I come from, to the people I grew up with. It's like being hit by a train when you didn't even know there were tracks nearby. It's shocking and jarring and confusing all at the same time, a crazy mix of emotions that doesn't add up to anything.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Stepping Back
As much as I enjoy writing and putting my thoughts to paper, I decided that it would be a good idea to step away for a little while and let my mind decompress. That led to the recent period of silence in this space, silence that was good for me and my own experience. No more explanation is necessary - nor desired, I suspect.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The View & DeSean Jackson
Spurred on by the question of moral absolutes versus moral subjectivism, I want to highlight something we can all agree is absolutely wrong: bullying. And I don't just mean name-calling, although this is certainly included.
Anyway, The View had a young man on the show recently who was the victim of some pretty brutal harassment at the hands of some schoolmates. To their credit, the women of this often ridiculous show did a fantastic job highlighting the story and giving the young man a chance to step up and tell his side of things. Best of all, student is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, and the show arranged for three Eagles players (including his favorite player) to stop by and encourage the young man. DeSean Jackson, you made a fan out of me.
Feel free to watch the video clip below:
And so on...
Anyway, The View had a young man on the show recently who was the victim of some pretty brutal harassment at the hands of some schoolmates. To their credit, the women of this often ridiculous show did a fantastic job highlighting the story and giving the young man a chance to step up and tell his side of things. Best of all, student is a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan, and the show arranged for three Eagles players (including his favorite player) to stop by and encourage the young man. DeSean Jackson, you made a fan out of me.
Feel free to watch the video clip below:
And so on...
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