From Philip Yancey's Disappointment with God
...My friend Richard had asked, "Where is God? Show me. I want to see him"...If you want to see God, then look at the people who belong to him - they are his "bodies." They are the body of Christ.
"His disciples will have to look more saved if I am to believe in their Savior," said Nietzche to such a challenge. But maybe if Richard could find a saint, someone like Mother Theresa... "There- see her? That is what God is like. She is doing the work of God."
Richard does not know Mother Theresa, but he does know me. And that is the most humbling aspect of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit...He will likely never get a personal glimpse of God in this life. He will only see me.
I want to keep this short, but I wanted to share this because it is immensely humbling, but it's also beautiful. Some of the people I have met this semester, in my loneliness, in my frustration with graduate work, in despair even, these people who have befriended me, fed me, shared coffee with me, they have done the work of God. I got a "personal glimpse" of his "body." So, I post this bloggie for two reasons, one, I am grateful to a loving God for his work this semester, and I am encouraged by the way he has done his work. We are not all Mother Theresa or Dorothy Day (both women, eh?), but God lives in us and if are just obedient to love God and love others, selflessly...well, I don't know exactly what comes after that for each individual person, but I know that action will further his glory and his kingdom. And that's cool.
Also, Texas: 2 snow days; Indiana: 0 snow days... The lower Midwest is losing! I am okay with this for now. But I can smell the snow now, it's due shortly.
Blessings,
em.jay.
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12 comments:
"em jay" is definitely but less douchier sounding than "em zee". I'm glad you chose it over "em zee" cause it's much cooler. Does that period go before or after the quotation mark. I'm pretty sure it's before, but it just looks too weird for me so I put it after instead. I'm so wrong, aren't I? lol
before the quotation, it's okay, it's one of those grammatical things, it gets particularly confusing when you are citing things in MLA too, Chi-style isn't as bad (<---NERD)
and, um, thanks? I'm not sure what to say, thanks for complementing my choice of a "less douchier" sign off? i think, thanks! (?)
hope you're having fun at home! i'm jealous :)
Haha it's a compliment and we'll see you at home soon :)
I LOVE this. When I read this, I thought of Jesus's words from John 14...
"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do..."
Greater works than Jesus? How the heck can we top feeding 5,000 men or raising someone from the dead? Apparently Jesus finds a great deal of value in having coffee with someone or befriending someone in a new place or helping them cope with overwhelming work. Jesus's reluctance to perform gigantic miracles of spectacle I think comes from his deep desire to love and inspire faith from individuals--not masses. That's why he stopped to talk to the outcast woman at the well or defend the prostitute from capital punishment or call Zacchaeus down from the tree. These are the works of Christ that your friends in Indiana have continued by hanging out with you, giving you advice and helping to make Bloomington your home. And I'm sure they would say the very same about you. AND Jesus calls our works "greater" even than his! You're right about how humbling that is.
Poor Mrs. Lazarus.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mrs-lazarus/
Well, yes, in the sense that in this poem love (for Mrs. Lazarus) is nothing more than a physical reality, nothing metaphysical, nothing spiritual from it. I would think you would disagree with this poem, you told me you really enjoyed All the Kings' Men, which essentially argues the complete opposite. Warren argues that life is more than "an itch in the blood," and he goes on to talk about love as separate from perfunctory physicality. He addresses love broadly (father to son, man to woman, son to mother), and stresses that love is not "just nature" as such, love is greater than "survival mode" as it were.
It was a joke. I really wasn't looking for an argument lol.
But since its already startedddddd... yeah I don't think love is nothing more than a physical reality, but I don't think you can say it's completely metaphysical either. We are animals, physical beings, and I think it would be ignorant and egotistical to say that love isn't partly a physical reality when the . In fact, I feel better knowing that it could partly be. The values associated with love that determine the way people interpret and express their relationships with others and the actual physiological response to a person you love are two completely different aspects of tangible and intangible, but still work together like the mind and the body.
Besides, I read All the Kings' Men about three years ago and have never really mentioned it since. Three years is a long period of time for change. Especially when it's a transition period lol.
Also, if none of this made sense it's cause I'm tired and unfocused. Sryyyyyyyy.
It would be ignorant of life (and of the Bible) for to say that love is unrelated to a physical reality. Additionally, it would be egotistical to think that love is in non-physical. That arguement places love in the realm of angels. That said, I didn't say that love was separate from the physical, nor do I think it is. Love does have to do with physical. For example, I often receive love through physical touch and spending time with people (although this is conversation based, it does require a physical meeting). I feel loved when people make physical contact when they talk to me. As such, I normally express love similarly, touch someone's arm, give the hand pat, or hug.
And psh, I get you, no worries. I'm quite tired, too.
I wasn't looking to argue either! You just posted a poem! So, I read it and responded.
Blah blah blah... I love you :/ (this is my sad face cause it'll be a while before I see you again) but TEXAS again soon!
*for me to say
I often leave out important words.
lol. Apparently I did it too.
"... a physical reality when the . In fact, I feel better..."
I also often leave out conversation when I'm speaking to people. I'll often forget that I haven't said out loud what I've been saying in my head and then I'll start a conversation with someone in the middle of my own brain conversation and I confuse the person I'm talking to.
malsi, how do you remember that much from all the king's men? we read that in crivs class 5 years ago. if you have not re-read it, i am super impressed and slightly jealous of your abilities.
Molly, I don't know. It was just one of those things that stuck with me, I guess. No abilities, no re-read, just the one thing. :)
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