I have been pondering over the past few days about these four different topics.
Hate
It is such a strong word. It is a feeling that started with hurt and became bitterness and anger and has become something that I know I can’t have in my life but yet I can’t get rid of it. How can a person love and hate someone at the same time?
Heroin
During the past week, two people who I would consider close to me thought seriously about suicide. One of them talked to me about it while she was thinking about it and the other told me the morning after she tried to overdose on heroin. I am very thankful that both of them are still alive. The thought of death brings many questions and thoughts to mind. Something I told one of them to think about was that death is final. It is not like a video game and you have more lives, you have one life to live. One thing that I told both of them was to think about the people they would leave behind and what affect it would have on them.
Hope
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Something that I really have been thinking about is my faith and what it is based on The “asking Jesus into your heart” jazz is not scripturally based. Telling people that they need Jesus because they are going to hell is frowned upon in my book. Telling people that they have a hole in their heart that only Jesus can fill is bad marketing, and having people say a prayer so they can get to heaven is along way off. Somewhere I think someone got a little off track with what the whole Jesus thing is about. I have seen too many people hurt by what “the Church” is doing and I do not want to see it happen anymore. Who I am is built upon what I believe. So what do I believe? I believe in Jesus and His birth, death, and resurrection. It is something that seems weird but it is something I can find hope in. “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, All fear is gone, Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives.”
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is a word and a lifestyle that I am finding that many people (including myself) do not know how to respond to. It is one of those things that Christians seem to focus in on and say that it is wrong. Leviticus 18:22 says, "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. I am not a big fan of homosexuality I must admit, it weirds me out, BUT, I am going to love people with a different sexual orientation that I have, even if it makes me fell weird. I know it is a very debatable subject and it is something I will go more into some other time but, I feel like it is one of those pick and choose Bible passages. The Bible says in Malachi 2:16-"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel," There are a few verses that talk strongly about divorce but when someone’s marriage is hurting, we do not bring up the verses. I know many people that have been divorced and married even within my church and it is not something that people look down on them for. Who knows Are there divorceaphobes like there are homophobes? I would really like to how many people have different sexual orientations and are afraid to tell the people around them for fear of rejection. Isn’t a sin a sin?
Why must we pick and choose what is a little sin or a BIG sin? Why must we pick what is “good” and “bad.” Who decided that drinking alcohol was “bad,” the Bible just speaks about getting drunk. Who decided that certain words were bad? James 5:12 says, Above all, my brothers, do not swear-- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned. Matthew 5:22 says, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, (An Aramaic term of contempt) 'is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Those are interesting verses for me to think on because even though I do not say “bad” words, I call people stupid, I get angry, and I say things other than yes and no. If I go by the standards of this world… I am a pretty good person. If I go by what the Bible says, I have a lot to work on.
A verse that has been stuck in my head this last semester was Romans 16:19b “I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.” The kids at church sing a song that says…”be excellent (uh huh uh huh) at what is good, be innocent (woooooo) of evil…and the song goes on. I think that song is something that I need to have ingrained in my head so when situations come up where I have to make a tough decision, I know what the right thing to do is.
So…Those are a few of the many thoughts inside my head
AW
When we talked on the phone, you didn't have "hope" as one of the H's you were going to talk about. I'm glad you added it. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I dunno if WHO I AM is build upon WHAT I BELIEVE, you know? That makes it too much about theology. We judge ourselves and others about what they believe. It definitely has a big impact on how we think and respond in the world, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing something when I think in the terms that my beliefs define me.
Thanks for sharing, love. :)
Yes thank you ;)
ReplyDelete