What's going on? Well a lot, and not a whole lot. It had been decided for that I was going back to school. Of course I could have resisted, but when I think about if I don't want to keep answering phones for the rest of my life I might as well go for it. As far as I could see it my options boiled down to: Studying economics, getting a CPA (charted public accountant) license, directing, acting, or seminary.
I've had a deep interest in economics for a while (you could call it a hobby), but from what I understand studying economics is more numbers crunching than theory, and when it comes down to it what the heck am I going to do with a degree in economics in this economy. Being an accountant sounds roughly equal to being hit in the face with a rock, but people are always hiring accountants for some reason.
That narrows it down to the last three choices. I would like to be an actor or director to either participate in, or create, great art, but I know my personality quirks well enough to know that if I succeeded in either I would probably be that guy they find in a hotel room somewhere swinging from the curtain rod after a night of booze and drugs. So that kind of narrows things down.
A life of service for others doesn't sound bad at all. It's not so much a vague notion as you would think. What I would like to do is teach apologetics to teenagers. When I was in my early teens, like all kids, I was hit with that mixture of sexual awareness and the growing desire to rebel. At the time I was enrolled in a Messianic Jewish private school. I'm not Jewish by the way, but it's not as weird as it sounds.
The schools staff was made up of former burn outs, wild childs, and a rock musician or two. If you think people who had lived a bad life are the most qualified to steer you away from it then this was the exception that proved the rule. At the time I was struggling with wanting to listen to the music I wanted to listen to, watch I wanted to watch, and the only reason ever given to me for not doing these things is that daemons would probably leap out of the ventilation shafts and drag my soul to hell. Let's just say they weren't the brightest spiritual leaders in existence.
As an example once a year we had the
Purim celebration. Basically we would skip all but a couple of classes, and they would stuff us full of candy, and make us watch the Princess Bride (every year for 8 years). Well come Bible study class we're bouncing off the walls. Not have we been eating candy all day, we've had to sit in place while we did, and youth plus sugar equals explosive hyper activity. Now a rational person would just send us outside for some exercise. However, our teacher decided it would be better to cast out the daemons that had possessed us through prayer. Take note: when I say she prayed to cast out daemons I don't mean she just prayed for us to calm down, she literally was attempting to cast daemons out of us.
This is the type of behavior I see to often in the church. Yes, this is an extreme example, but not uncommon. Far too often I see a picture painted of a completely arbitrary God who hands down laws, not to save us from ourselves, but as means to punish us. Don't do this or that or else you go straight to hell. Hell, even as an adult I get paranoid about the dark thanks to years of being told that daemons are lurking around ever corner waiting to possess me should I listen to the wrong music.
My point is that God's law is not arbitrary. There are real social and economic consequences for certain types of behavior. The Bible is not some code book of magic spells best read if you check your brain at the door. Science does not annihilate faith, in fact it strengthens it. There is more truth and reason in the Bible than any other book I can think of, but that reality is rarely ever addressed.
It's you either go to hell or you go to heaven to receive riches and reward. I was told as a kid that when you went to heaven you got a golden mansion, and boxes of jewels and gold. What? Why would you need that? You're dead. Does heaven have a monetary system? If so then inflation must be a serious problem if every one is super rich!
OK back on track. I want to teach this reality to teenagers. It's at a certain age where the world most attempts to pull them away. A world of selfishness and reactionary thinking, and if there is nothing I hate more than reactionary thinking. I want to teach them the reality of God's law. Appeal to their intellect and involve them in that intellectual process that will not only strengthen their face, but help to equip them with a broader basis for life.
But it seems my plans are on hold for another year. Classes are coming up soon, and it looks like I might have to move to a more affordable living situation. Where this will lead I have no idea, but I suppose I'll have to just have faith.
As a side note I got my new shortwave radio in, and it works like a charm, but more importantly I would like to give a shout out to the thus far unknown person or persons of Asian origin who reads this blog and leaves comments. I'm not sure what country you come from (I thought it was Taiwan at one point, but I can't remember how I arrived that conclusion), either way forgive my ignorance. Your comments and encouragement are much appreciated, and I think I just might update more often thanks to you. Much love my friend.
And for now
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