Everything to Nothing

24th April 2012

Post with 3 notes

An Open Essay on Christianity

It’s weird that after writing about 30 pages worth of essays in the past two days that I would still find myself wanting to write. It’s as if the dam has burst in my mind and all of the creative energy that I’ve kept pent up inside is now gushing forth. I guess school is good for that at least. It’s also kind of odd that I tell myself that I’ll write more when I have more free time, and now that I’m at the point in the semester when I have the least free time, I find myself sitting down and committing to putting original thoughts down. 

This post may come off as sounding condescending. It may offend the few people who may read it, and, disclaimer, it involves me speaking openly about my faith. If anyone has any problems with what I have to say, or if anything I say here needs more clarification or explanation, I’ll be more than happy to field questions and answer them to the best of my ability. Now that the waiver has been signed, let’s get into it.

First and foremost, I would like to assert that I am a Christian. It is a word that a lot of people throw around these days, much like the word “love” (which I also find synonymous with the word “Christian”). The incorrect application of this word to the self results in what many people in the world would view as hypocrisy. What happens is that there are more and more people claiming to be Christians, claiming to be followers of Christ, claiming to be “little Christs,” but few of these people actually live lives that would reflect this deeply personal decision. Attention those who would try to disparage the Christian faith: don’t let a few inconsistencies ruin your image of what Christianity should look like. The people at Westboro Baptist Church are not Christians. Rick Santorum, based on what I’ve heard him say, is not a Christian. Not once have I ever heard one thing that was based off of love come out of his mouth. All I have heard him do is condemn groups of people, which, if he knew anything about the God that I serve, he would know that God does not condemn anyone, but provides salvation. It’s not like it matters anymore anyway since he dropped out of the presidential race, but I feel like I should speak out against him since he had a large following that was based off of his religious beliefs that are severely misguided (MINOR POLITICAL RANT OVER). 

I’ve gotten off-topic. What I’m trying to illustrate here is that being a Christian is not an accessory. You do not get to pick and choose when you put on the cap of Christianity. Being a Christian is so much more than just titles. Christianity is the constant relationship between your heart and the heart of God. Like any good relationship, you have to work at it to make it grow. The more time that you put into spending with God, the better relationship that you will have. Also like any good relationship, sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the one that you love. Jesus asks us to do something very difficult when He explains to us what it takes to be one of his disciples: deny ourselves. When we realize that what we want may not always be as effective as what God wants, we start living for something beyond ourselves. We start to live the two greatest commandments that Jesus talked about: Love the Lord God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

It’s important to note that there is no one out there that is so broken that God cannot fix him or her up. Salvation is made attainable through the death and resurrection of Christ. He died so that we all might receive the grace of God’s salvation. He died so that we ALL might receive the grace of God’s salvation; not just all of the good Christians in the world. Salvation is available for all. The only thing that Jesus asks in return is that you acknowledge that he is the Son of God. You only need to BELIEVE to be saved.

There are no good works on Earth that can save you from going to Hell. That’s one of my main discrepancies with Catholicism. Sometimes it becomes more about what you’re doing and less about what God already did. More than that, I believe that the acting out of faith through Catholicism just seems to send out the wrong message. I don’t mean to say that I think Catholics are bad people or that some of them don’t have a genuine love for God, but I always get the feeling that Catholicism is still stuck in the same ritual that they’ve held for centuries. I went to a Catholic mass once with a friend and it felt more like a legal obligation than a loving gesture and showing of faith. Another problem that I have with Catholicism is the role of the priest in general. There does not need to be a middle-man for you to have a conversation with God. That’s another reason why Jesus died on the cross. He died to break the old traditions, and even though the Catholic church did not exactly exist as we know it today when he died, I believe that to do things that way undermines the gift that God gave us. Each and every believer has the power and authority to commune and converse with God the same way that you would as if you were with one of your friends. You don’t need to confess your sins to a priest in order to be forgiven. Humble yourself before God. Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s are pointless. Mary held a very important role in the Bible, but I don’t believe that she should be elevated to the level of a deity. That’s idol worship. The same goes for any saints that people may pray to. They were all men. Men are fallible. God is infallible. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I don’t need to pray to some dead guy to pray to God for me. Again, that’s idol worship. 

Going back to my main point though, belief in the divinity of Christ is what guarantees you everlasting life (John 3:16). It sounds easy, but when you truly believe in something, you live every facet of your life accordingly. When you say that you believe, you’re saying that you pledge to give your entire life to following the teachings of Christ and spreading the Word of God across the world. You will face hardships and oppositions, but through God, all things are possible.

Another grievance I have with those that oppose the faith that I am so vehemently ready to defend and proclaim is that they refuse to recognize the sanctity and truth that is the Bible. It is not just a book full of stories. It is not myth. It is not a bunch of lies cooked up by some old Jewish guys. I believe it all to be 100% true and that there are no contradictions within it at all. I believe that, even though the Bible was written by human men, the scriptures were all divinely inspired and written as if the hand of God Himself were writing it. More than that, I believe that the Bible has more truth in it than most of the other writings that we blindly take as fact. The Dead Sea Scrolls is a perfect example of this. Validity in historical texts is measured in the number of manuscripts that a given work has, as well as how much variation between the different manuscripts there is. I believe that there are more than 2300 manuscripts that only vary slightly about the book of John in the Bible. I’m not sure if that’s entirely accurate, but you can check my estimated facts in Josh McDowell’s book “New Evidence that Demands a Verdict.” Most contradictions that are laid out by opponents of Christianity are scriptures that are taken out of context. The whole chapter must be read if you’re to understand exactly what is meant by the verse. More than that, you need to consider the tone, the situation, and the audience for whom it was intended before making any judgments. With that being said, you guys have to stop basing your arguments for things in the Old Testament. The Old Testament represents the old way of doing things because Jesus had not died yet to bring salvation to mankind. With Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have a new covenant, so any of the crazy old laws that mattered at one point in the past, now don’t hold any power. That means that most of laws illustrated in Leviticus, which appears to be where most of the opponents of Christianity start their arguments, are moot now. 

I know it sounds like I’m just complaining about all of the people who don’t believe what I believe, but I want to explain why it makes me upset. Whenever I think of my friends who are non-believers, I automatically think to myself how much more happy they would be using their talents to advance the kingdom of God. My thought process usually goes like this: “Person X has such a great heart, and it sucks to see him/her waste his/her talents without any real purpose in life. If only he/she knew what I knew. If only he/she knew that there is a real God out there who created him/her and wants nothing more in this world than to love him/her and be loved by him/her in return.” I don’t mean this to say that I think that people are wasting their lives if they aren’t serving God…but I kind of do. What are you doing with your life if you aren’t doing things with some greater purpose in mind? How unfulfilled will life be if you just go around thinking that all of your accomplishments will fade someday and that eventually everything you ever did will mean nothing?

Which brings us to the final point that I would like to make. I am firmly of the belief that God is the supreme creator of the Universe and everything in it. As supreme creator, He chose to make us. He didn’t have to make us, but He did. We, made in the image of God, also possess the innate ability to create things, whether they be thoughts, pieces of art, machinery, stories, clothing, etc. He didn’t have to give us the ability to create, but He did. This to me seems to be a huge argument for the existence of God. The fact that we are able to create things like our Creator. How can we not look down at a piece of macaroni art and be proud of our accomplishment and not expect that God is looking down at us and doing the same? What sort of evolutionary purpose would creating music, art, or writing serve if not to use it to glorify God? Animals get by just fine without a rational thought in their head. Why are we not like them? Why not just create us as we are, only instead of free will and reason, we only have instinct? Why give us free will at all if what God truly desires is His children to love him? In short, He knows that the conscious decision to love carries more weight than being forced to love. He loves us enough that even though we may never love Him back, He still allows us the choice to make whatever decisions we want. 

Allow this image to permeate your brain. God is, and forever will be, a gentleman. He is always waiting, just within reach, should you ever need him. His arm is always outstretched, ready to pick you up and carry you whenever you’re ready to admit that you need Him, but He won’t help unless you ask, and you MUST ask, and you must CONTINUE to ask. He does have an agenda, and that agenda is Love. Should you choose to surrender yourself to the effects of His love, He will take care of you for as long as you allow Him to. He will not leave you, nor forsake you. He is a strong tower that all may run into and be safe. He gives rest to the weary and hope to the hopeless. He gives strength to the weak and provides wisdom for those in need. My God is one of infinite power and love. His promises are true, and His love never fails. He is exactly who I want to spend my life and all of eternity worshiping. 

God bless all of you who decided to read this far. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Tagged: GodreligionrelationshipsJesusChristChristianityChristiansrantfaithhonesty

29th February 2012

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Siren Call (A Short Story)

It was a bright summer day, but one didn’t need to look at the weather to know that it was summer. In fact, one could use just about any other sense to figure out the season. The whir of lawnmower blades, the piercing laughter of children with no worries, the smell of fresh baked cookies resting on window sills, and the muffled splashes of the neighbors enjoying a leisurely swim.

Tom shielded his eyes as the garage door finished creaking open. It had been quite some time since he had last ridden his bike, but something was just tugging his body towards it today. The layer of dust indicated just how long it had actually been. Brushing off the cobwebs was the first of many satisfying feelings to come. 

He stretched out his legs, barely able to contain the excitement of going out and enjoying the fresh air for once. He really needed this, especially after the bad break-up he had been through. Another heartbreak that tragically happens to all nice guys. His parents thought he might never leave the house, but he was out to prove them wrong.

Nothing was stopping Tom from achieving happiness today. He didn’t even bring his mp3 player so that he could get the full experience.

Tom finished stretching, double-checked to make sure that his shoelaces were tied, and took a swig from his water bottle. Now that pre-flight was finished, he was ready for takeoff.

From the first pump of his legs, he couldn’t help but smile. The seat was uncomfortable and worn out, his neighborhood had a questionable amount of hills in it, and he was definitely way out of shape, but all of these things were insignificant compared to the wind in his hair and sweat starting to trickle down his forehead. There was even a sprinkler pointed towards the sidewalk that Tom gladly rode through, thankful for the refreshing splash of water.

He made his way around the neighborhood until the sun began to get low in the sky. The great expanse itself looked as tired as Tom felt. The sheer amount of purples, pinks, and oranges astonished him. Sure that his legs were made entirely of gelatin now, Tom awkwardly walked his bike back to its spot, outlined evermore by the dust previously adorning the frame.

A quick shower and a hearty meal assured Tom that he would sleep more soundly than he had in months. He collapsed into his bed and quietly surveyed his room.

Movie and band posters were plastered everywhere. The desk was cluttered full of things that might be useful, but probably weren’t. Although it was a mess, Tom still knew where to find everything. Wrinkled clothes circled the hamper like sharks from where he missed tossing them in. A bass guitar sat quite unmusically in the corner next to his closet.

Then, his eyes fell on a blank space of wall that seemed lighter than the rest of it. It was where pictures of him and his ex-girlfriend used to be. They were laughing and smiling in all of the pictures, but the reality wasn’t so happy. The laughs and smiles were safely stored in a box under his bed. As a kid, he used to worry about monsters under the bed, but no one ever told him that the monsters would be quite like that. 

His depression used to be so bad that he wouldn’t be able to sleep for fear of meeting her in his dreams. The mere sight of her smile, real or imagined, tore his heart apart.

However, that wouldn’t bother him tonight. Today was the beginning of a revolution in his life, and much like the wheel on his bike turned to travel new paths, so would he.

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Tagged: short storywritingproserecoverydreamscreative writing

29th January 2012

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I decided to change up the title to my blog. This comes about mainly because I was just tired of seeing the old one. It was kind of lengthy, a little cliche sounding, and I came up with it when I first started this blog a couple of years ago. In short, it wasn’t really a serious name at all. Of course, I’ll never really know how much impact a name will make. In any case, I changed it.

The meaning of the name itself is multi-layered. 

1. It is inspired by the album “Mean Everything to Nothing” by Manchester Orchestra. 
   
   
   
2. It could stand for the range of topics that I write about here: from everything to nothing.
   
   
   
3. It could mean that this blog is everything to me, a veritable nothing, but I don’t like this interpretation because it seems too depressing and self-pitying. I’m not about that. 
   
   
   
4. It is a constant reminder of how anyone at any given time can go from having everything, to having and being nothing. Our lives are as vapors; fleeting. 

Tagged: blogsnamestitleschange

18th January 2012

Post with 24 notes

Myspacing Out

Why do I always seem to find the urge to write at ungodly hours in the morning?

It would seem that my mind works in cycles. Every so often, I’ll be prompted to look back and reflect on past events in my life. This works in a couple of ways:

• I’ll go to the YouTube channel that my friends and I use and watch countless videos of us making fools of ourselves.
• I’ll think back to my high school days and ponder just how I got to the point that I’m at now.
• I will return to my Myspace page and scroll through pages and pages of the comments on my page.
• I’ll look through old notes that were given to me.

Tonight I did the third on that list. What a difference between the person I am now, and the person I was as a teenager and high school.

It’s sad for a couple of different reasons. The first reason is how much closer people seemed to be in the past. I know that it was only 2005 or so, but I think that we forget just how new the concept of the Internet actually is. While Facebook is the addiction today, back then it was AIM. Even across these two online mediums we can see just how different it was. Facebook is a way to keep in touch with people without having to make any effort at all to contact that person. It is an entirely selfish affair if you allow it to be.

AIM was wholly concentrated on conversations. People HAD to talk to each other because, well, what else was there to do online? YouTube was still relatively new and had nothing spectacular on it, and the idea of streaming anything was absurd because Internet connections weren’t that great; at least mine wasn’t.

The point that I’m trying to make is that I spoke to many more people more often because of the LIMITS of technology. Now I have access to each of my friends’ lives, every facet of their life at my fingertips, and I talk to them less. This may be the consequences of growing up, but I also think that we’re faced with too many things to do now as a result of the technological advancements. Technology has become our best friend.

The second reason why this is sad? I remember the person that I used to be. I remember how much fun I used to have with all of the people that I used to hang out with a lot more. Now everyone has their own life, and it’s tough to organize plans when everyone’s schedule is different and you aren’t seeing each other 5 days out of the week in school. 

My third reason for this being sad is an obvious one. Relationships that seem like they’re going to last forever, but then don’t. The naivety of not only my juvenile mind, but also a mind in its very first relationship, is very well recognized. That being said, it still hits hard reading words that once meant something, but now don’t.

If anthropologists in the future searched through old Internet pages to see how people lived in our time (which they very well might do at one point) and they came to my Myspace page, using only that for evidence, they would probably think that my first girlfriend and I lived happily ever after.

The problem there is that there was so much more going on than what was in the comment box. Our lives are more than just wall posts and news feeds. It’s more than just how many people like your statuses, photos, and links that you post. It isn’t about the number of friends you have. THIS COMPUTER SCREEN DOES NOT HOLD LIFE.

(True Life is found in Jesus, yes, but I want to go beyond the spiritual here before my point is lost)

Invisible audience of the Internet, real life is made of the mud you trekked through to get where you are. It’s about the hills climbed to see the view. It’s about the bruises and scars on your body and your heart. The culmination of life is that point where you thought you were about to give up, but didn’t; where everything seemed bleak and lost, but you pulled through. The journey and paths in between are just as important as the destination.

Life is gritty, it hurts, it burns, and it’s altogether just a dirty thing. But we are made of that dirt; it’s who we are. The thing that separates life from death is what makes us breathe. What is your purpose? What do you live for? If you are lost, don’t give up. Take a deep breath. Be thankful that you CAN take that breathe. You have at least that. 

I’m not sure where I wanted to end up in writing this, but hopefully I’ve provided some food for thought for someone out there. 

(Also, for melodrama, it may help to listen to This Will Destroy You while reading this)

Tagged: myspaceliferelationshipslovelossInternetJesuspurposerantAIMFacebookcommunication