Moving Blues

So, my wife and I are moving this weekend. Nowhere drastic, just to another place in town that's a bit more to our liking. The preparation process, however, has been a comedy of errors. In light of that, I thought I'd share some of the wisdom of hindsight.

1. Always assume the power is off. Don't wait until two nights before to find this out - especially when you're moving at the end of summer.
2. Always give time for the power company to turn the electricity on. Calling the day before might work if you're moving on a weekday, but be prepared to wait if you call on a Friday, especially before a long weekend.
3. Always give yourself time to pack and move. This time, we're excused; it was simply the best time to move - it's not an exam weekend and we have Monday off to unpack/arrange everything. She does, however have two jobs and I have med school. Try and imagine how much we still have to pack
4. Enlist help. Well, I can't complain here. We've got some excellent friends who've volunteered to help us tomorrow - S/O to all of you.
5. Be prepared for lack of sleep, crankiness, and general lack of energy. I mean, I'm totally the nice guy who can run on a little bit of sleep five nights in a row. (You should see how many spelling mistakes I made on the first draft)

Not much more I can think of. Still, I'm excited for more floorspace, more storage, and hardwood floors. Who cares if the power isn't on, the food will have to stay at our old place, and we may have to shower there, too...

...I'm thankful we still have a good bit of time left on the old lease

That one about Love

Hey, long time no post, I know. Life's been crazy, what with weddings and medical school and all, but I've got something to say tonight.

I was spending some time in prayer. I'll be honest, I'm not exactly the greatest romancer. Don't get me wrong, I'm a romantic, but I can't romance to save my life, but that could in part be due to how I was treating Love.

You see, I treated Love as a set of obligations, a business contract to do loving things, if you will.

That isn't love.

Love isn't obliged or contractually given. Love isn't checklisted and boxed up in a neat little bow of red tape.

No.

Love is felt, experienced and lived out. Love affects the way we speak and do. Love affects the way I look at my wife and the way I view others. Love keeps no stock of my current "Love exchange", but gives itself freely, with no strings attached.

After all, that's what Christ did.

He didn't say "Well, It looks like I haven't filled my Love quota for the human race, so I'll just go nail myself to a cross and die."

He didn't tally his love exchange with us and compare his balance, like we check our credit cards.

In fact, he didn't love me as I love everyone who isn't me, which is to say he actually loved me and considered me as someone worth dying for...


... and I hadn't yet done anything love-worthy for him.

You see, God is the source of Love. He is Love. Love can only truly be given from what he has given to us. Love can only truly be shared from the example he set for us.

Love is something I am learning and something I've come to realise I don't understand, because if I realised it, I wouldn't be confusing Love with contractual obligation. I wouldn't be conflating love and charitable consideration.

No, if I really understood love, everyone I came into contact with would know it, for c=such is the effect of love.

It is indelible.

It is like that piece of broccoli stuck in your teeth that everyone can see, but yet, unlike that broccoli, you want for it to be seen.

That is Love.

I have love, but, thanks to God, I am learning to Love.

No Man is an Island (Or, Humble Pie, with Love)

Earlier today, on Facebook, I wrote two frustration-tinged critiques of the NAACP and gun rights. Well, those didn't go over too well, but they prompted me to think and to think specifically on what's been irritating me in America that has led me to post such emotive, frustrated status updates rather frequently in the last few weeks and it's something that's seems rather innocent, but stands completely contrary to how I believe society should work.

I come from a culture that tends more to work for the benefit of the society as a whole. America is a lot more individualised in that respect. From my perspective, I don't tend to see people with the mindset that leads one to consider and contribute to another at one's own expense unless they're foreigners or have lived for a good while overseas. Rather, I tend to see individuals who stock up and bunker down in fear and mistrust over gun rights. I see individuals who would rather not help contribute to alleviate another's need, but instead call them a burden. I don't see people taking much time to invest in the poor and marginalised, to mentor and even sponsor those in need to help them leave poverty. To me, each of these is unthinkable. How people can live that way, I don't understand, but that's a difference of culture here as opposed to home.

Of course, I have my response to these issues. In my mind, what we need to do is to strengthen the bonds of community, to reach out and show ourselves trustworthy and allow ourselves to trust others. We need to push back fear and address our problem, seeking aid from those we have come to trust. Maybe then, I think, will the stigmas attached to being black end. Maybe then will the cycle of poverty lose its hold. Maybe then will rampant gun violence cease. We need to come from the bottom up instead of the top down. We need to engage, rather than shake fingers. That's what I think and, yes, it is affected by where I grew up.

In the end, though, I'm guilty. I'll admit it. I shake my fingers and sit back on my couch, feeling vindicated, but that helps nothing. I can try and "promote awareness" all day, but I'm just another voice in the mix with a prescription of how to fix America.

Ironically, this is spoken about in a Bible passage I've been reading over the last couple days:

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

That's a hard passage, but it's one I need to take to heart. I can say all the right things. I can prescribe very accurately what is needed in society today, but if I do so in a manner that is unloving, then I've done nothing. When has ranting ever brought about change? When has ranting ever brought salvation?

No, my first response should be love. Love should temper how I act and speak, not confusion or frustration, no matter how silly or pointless something may seem to me.

The Christian Role-Player

Christians and role-playing games have a complicated history. From the early beginnings of table top gaming, Christians have been leery of and quick to denounce such games as evil.

While images such as the above are comical, they do exist and such is a very common thought. Ironically, what I find humorous is the fact that similar video games aren't spoken out against near to the same degree, but I digress.

Honestly, I can see where such fears arose. I have played and do pay my fair share of rpgs. AD&D, AD&D 2.0, D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, D&D 5.0. Yeah, I've played a few. There's magic, fictional gods, fictional demons, non-human races, and a whole lot more, and yet, I would argue that it's not inherently evil.

Now, don't get me wrong, you have the freedom to make an evil character, but that, as in video games like the Fable, or Elder Scrolls series, is all up to the player.

Okay, so, what about the magic? The bible speaks out against magic.

True, but I would say you must consider two factors. 1) Are you trying to cast said magic in real life? 2) In-game, what is the source of the magic? (why I personally will never play a warlock)

Well, what about the other gods? What if you want to play a cleric?

Well, yes, clerics tend to have a god they worship. Now, again, you have a few choices. You can choose not to play a cleric, find a way to incorporate God as an in-game deity, pick a deity with characteristics that follow along with God, or you can remember that this is pure fiction.

So, what then are your tips for Christian gamers?

I'm glad you asked.

1. Consider the setting. Is your character good or evil? If playing with others, ate they good or evil? What about your source of magic or deity? Personally, I stick to good or neutral characters and parties.
2. What type of content is present? If you're playing a table-top, ask the DM. If it's a video game, check the rating and find some good review sites that talk about the content.
3. Is it edifying? If you find yourself being drained, addicted, or are otherwise experiencing some negative effect, then stop. If it's getting in the way of you and God, then stop.

So, that's it from me. In a nutshell, I would say that most games are not evil. While certain ones may be (GTA, for example), majority leave it up to the player. 

As a Christian, though, if you're playing a game in an evil manner, we should definitely do some talking, as often times individuals allow themselves to be freer and expose the state of their hearts.

Standing Tall

We're all human. We have our faults and failures. We have those little things that have big consequences that we struggle with and, if we're completely honest, we hate that we do. We wrap ourselves up in our guilt, self-bashing over the fact that we've struggling with something.

I want to tell you something:

There's no shame in fighting.

Seriously, though. If someone blindsided you in an alley, you'd fight (or run). If sometime grabbed you and started to pin you, you'd make a grapple check and fight to escape. If you were thrown into the middle of a war zone, you'd grab a gun and fight for your very survival.

So why do we heap on the shame when we fight with sin?

I think we, as the church, have a slightly misguided idea on sin. Actually, frankly, we don't talk about it at all, not personally anyway. We see in the bible that we are to become like Christ, we see those Christians who are mature in their faith and we compare ourselves in our deficiencies. We see pastors being attacked and laid low in ridicule and run because of sin, when it's truly a lack of grace and understanding on the part of the secular media.

Sin is real, people, and until we reach heaven we'll be dealing with it. Heck, that's part of a Christian's ministry, fighting with sin and showing God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness. After all, we have a reminder in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness, that in our failures, he has an opportunity to show his power.

Does this mean that we should sin more to honor God? Absolutely not! The personal goal of Christianity is to constantly become more like Christ. There is no way in which purposefully, constantly sinning brings us anywhere near that.

No, we fight. Sometimes we fight things we can deal with on our own. Sometimes we need to enlist the help of a brother or sister. But for all of those times and ask the rest, we still need to be relying upon and honoring God.

So, next time you feel in the dumps about wrestling with sin, remember, you're not alone. I can guarantee there are others in the church who have been exactly where you are right now.

Fighting is not failing. It's when you give up or give in that you've lost.

The Other Servicemen

When it comes to supporting their military, America comes head and shoulders above every country I know. Biannually, we recognize military men and women, current and past, present and missing, living and passed. There are multiple charities and nonprofits whose sole purpose is helping veterans back on their feet. They even get discounts at many places.

I'm going to say something controversial: it's excessive. Recognition, I understand. Reintegration support and counseling, I understand. Rehabilitation, I understand. Discounts? No, not really.

I mean, I get it, it's a way for a business to express gratitude and appreciation and, were such a discount present solely on veteran's or memorial day, then I'd have no issue, but it's not. Ten percent, twenty percent discounts are available year-round and, as a result, from someone in the service industry, many military individuals and families develop a sense of entitlement to this treatment, expressing disgust when a business has no such discount.

Military, you are not entitled to such a discount. While I appreciate the service you give and gave, risking your lives abroad to protect those within the country, I strongly disagree with such special treatment. After all, there are many service individuals within our borders who perform the same base role.

Where is the annual day of appreciation for firefighters? Where are the police and sheriff discounts? Where are the support organisations for EMTs?

Each of these groups faces danger on a daily basis to help keep us safe; each has experienced the loss of fellows, yet we only thank and remember them on days of great tragedy, like 9/11 and many times, we leave them in the lurch, backing those acting against them.

If this attitude were displayed against the military, many world rail against such individuals, bringing them to task abd exerting much effort to shame them.

So, let's lose the discount, at least on non-remembrance days, and, instead, let us take the time to remember, celebrate, and offer discounts to the other servicemen and -women risking their lives for our safety and well-being at home. Let's remember the other servicemen.

#RhodesMustFall, #Xenophobia, and #Baltimore

We're four months into 2015 and racial tensions are high.  Now, you American readers are probably very familiar with the Baltimore situation, but likely less familiar with the xenophobic attacks and outbreaks in South Africa and even less so the Rhodes situation.

Those of you who are familiar with all three are likely asking why I'm lumping them all together in one post. After all, they're in two separate countries; how much similarity can there be?

A lot.

South Africa and the USA share a common history. Both had colonial governments who endorsed slavery; both had racial freedom marred by state-instituted and -enforced segregation; and both are still experiencing backlash abd racial tensions regarding dissatisfaction with the lack of change since the establishment of equal rights and "true freedom".

#RhodesMustFall
Earlier this year, students at the University of Cape Town protested the presence of the statute of Cecil John Rhodes, South African governor under British colonialism, smearing the statue with filth and working towards its eventual removal. Rhodes was an effective governor, bringing much progress to the region, but he was also a product of the colonial mindset, which led to the protests that he was a racist abd led indirectly to the establishment of apartheid.

#Xenophobia
First cropping up in 2008, many black South Africans began raiding and looting small refugee-owned shops and businesses, as it was perceived that these foreigners were taking all their jobs. Earlier this year, those sentiments rose with added vengeance.

#Baltimore
Last week another young black man was shot and killed by a white policeman. In a case similar to #Ferguson, and #Trayvon, many African-Americans rose up to protest a fairly well established sentiment of unequal treatment and perception and, as in Ferguson, rioting broke out in the wake of otherwise peaceful protests.

All of these events are linked by common action and perception. We have violent protests and vandalism. We have members of the aggrieved party seeking peaceful protest and reconciliation, even going so far as to help repair damage abd protect the attacked, urging others to abandon the violence and seek true restitution through peace.

My thought as a white resident of both countries is this: these events keep occurring. They won't stop until we treat the root cause.

So, what's the root? Disempowerment of the black community. Unfortunately, it's less simple to treat than state. You see, part of the problem is caused by the state and non-blacks, but part of the problem is also caused by the black communities in both countries. In both countries there is a trend of self-victimisation and entitlement, the mentality that, as the previously disadvantaged, recompense is deserved. This is partial exacerbated by policies such as affirmative action and BEE. Such a mentality, in any population, also leads to a welfare state as individuals wait for what they deserve to be given to them instead of seizing the opportunity now granted to pursue actively what was previously unavailable.

Freedom, you see, is not about equal results, but opportunities and I realise that, as a straight, white male, the opportunities are a little easier for me to obtain and that is the true fault off the system, the true issue being protested, that when all animals are equal, some are still more equal than others. We can only combat this, however, through coming together across communities, meeting one another where we are, and talking about it.

That is my challenge to you, reader. Step outside of your community, your associations, and start a relationship with someone different from yourself, be they black, white, Hispanic, Arabic, or some other racial or social group. If you already do this, excellent, now encourage others to do the same.

Church, now is the time to act. We follow a teaching of equality under the same God, that regardless of background, we are all still sinners equally in need of grace. So, let us come together across boundaries and worship as one body, setting the example for others in reconciliation.

Update:
I have been informed Mr Gray posed away from injuries sustained while resisting arrest, not from a gunshot.