Thoughts From My Left Arm

Let me start this off with a question: When was the last time you asked your professor how their day was? And actually meant it? Not just, "hey, how was your weekend?" But "I could tell you're having a rough day, would you like to talk about it?" A true caring for the individual?

As a college student, I deal with my professors a lot, obviously. Goes without saying. But it's easy to fall into this mindset of "that person that gives me bad grades, even though I didn't really study for that quiz." They're more than that, they're a person just like you, if just a little farther ahead in whatever field you're studying in.

I've been working this semester on stepping out of my comfort zone in my schooling, in making sure to talk with my professors, get to know the people that sit around me, etc. Well, today was an odd day in stepping out. My COMM 1010 professor is a grad student that you can tell has those days she just doesn't want to be there. Well, today, I walked up to her and said "I'm probably out of line here, but how can I help you? Is there anything I can do? I can tell when you're having a rough day, is there some way that I can help?" She was taken aback to say the least, as you can imagine. She seemed pretty grateful, though, that a student was willing to get the guts up to go and talk to her about something like that. I dunno, maybe she'll fail me later down the road, but maybe I helped her not feel like her class is so pointless.

But this ties closely with the thoughts of Altera. Our website says " ... focused on transforming “other” into neighbor..." and I think that this is an example of such a thing. We talk about changing people, about "Love God, Love People", but how often do we really do that? I don't want this to sound like me riding around on a high horse, but I want to challenge you. Step outside your comfort zone, show someone who totally wouldn't expect it that you care about them as in individual.

~Joe

(PS: My title comes from the fact that I was driving when I was thinking about this, and I had nowhere to write my notes, so the result is the pictures in the post.)

So, when does it start to get out of hand?

As I was browsing one of my favorite clothing sites, I noticed that they had recently added a new T-Shirt design, and what I found surprised me.

Here's the description of the shirt: "For years, the habitability of the reef of automobile bumpers went unnoticed by fish (and marine biologists) everywhere. The first fish to recognize the opportunity was the ΙΧΘΥΣ aka the Jesus fish. They swam along happily on their little bumpers, sometimes singly, sometimes in schools. Then they were joined by the Darwin fishes. The Darwin fish's chief claim to fame was its feet. They paced back and forth on bumpers going, "Behold! I have feet!" One day when they were busy showing off some new shoes they'd just bought, they were eaten by the easily-annoyed and apparently very hungry but definitely not-superior-as-a-result-of-natural-selection Truth fishes."

Interesting, that even the 'secular' world, as it were, is annoyed with what could now be called an 'empty' symbol. Have we really abused the ΙΧΘΥΣ so much that it is now poked fun at to the point where all people want is for it to just go away? The Ichthys gained its status as a Christian symbol during a time where people were hunted down for saying that they were Christians, and now it's looked at as little more than "that symbol those people had on their car as they cut me off and gave me the finger."

Perhaps I'm reading too heavily into what could be just a fun t-shirt design, but this bothers me nonetheless...

Towards a disciple

As we continue to work out exactly what it means to follow Christ, and live in a way that is in accordance with Christ, I want to make sure something is always kept in a state of priority. Most ways in which we go about learning who Jesus is, what he taught, and how to be like him is cognitive. That is, we learn the bible - memorize the stories, and can recite various passages. We gain head knowledge. I don't want to be simple, and counter this with what people call "heart knowledge", because honestly, I have no idea what heart knowledge even means. It doesn't make sense.

What then is important in this?

Well, being a disciple or following after the example Jesus gave us, growing in our relationship with him, growing in our relationship with others, and finally impacting the world around us - it isn't going to happen by memorizing bible stories. Instead, it comes down to what those stories are telling us to do.

The bottom line, and where this all begins in participation. The good news of Jesus, the hope he brings humanity, is a hope that invites us to participate. The beauty of God, and God in Jesus, is the invitation for us to participate alongside the God of the universe.

It isn't just doing good works, that is not what I mean by participation. Rather, faith itself, is learning to participate alongside places where God is already active. Our relationships, they are sacred, in that we are participating with Jesus in our friendships and just interacting with those around us in a positive, hopeful way. The service we provide to others is a participation in the Kingdom of God. Our time spent in prayer and meditation, is itself, participating with God.

Everything about being a disciple or follower of Jesus - it comes down to learning to see things, everything around us a sacred and holy - and then participating with God in that sacred and holy activity.

- Donnie