Spur One Another On

I've started a new blog with a friend of mine. We hope to keep the posts consistent and helpful, or at least thought provoking. I'll continue to posts more creative content here such as songs, poems, short stories, etc. But for my more consistent posts, please refer to this link: http://spur1anotheron.blogspot.com/.

The Beam

"Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences." - C.S. Lewis

Here is a sort of continuation on the topic of friends and why relationships are important. "The beam" in Mr. Lewis' quotation should be interpreted as event, action, etc. His point is that while we are engaged in an act, we cannot observe and study it ourselves, but merely experience it. At the same time, those who criticize the act from their observations of it, are not able to experience what you feel by being inside "the beam."

This example may be extended to many situations, including romantic love, anger, lust, or even simple examples like being cold, or cutting wood. If you observe two of your friends steadily becoming angry at each other, and eventually break out into a fight, you are in a position to examine both sides, the causes and effects of the argument, and possible solutions. You are the disconnected watchman. However, stepping inside "the beam" and taking the place of one of the arguing friends, everything is different. You cannot think about what brought you to this point in the fight, only that you must overcome your now opponent. The situation to you is one of a power struggle and your thoughts are most probably simple instincts attempting to find a way to place you at "the top," in your pride's eye.

"Knowledge is power," "two heads are better than one," both of these phrases point to the powerful truth that friendship is necessary for the variety of views it provides. This is what the Proverbial Writer means when he states that "Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without wise advice" (Proverbs 20:18). We need friends who can examine out situation and tell us what it looks like from afar, that we may step outside ourselves and determine the right course of action. At the same time, we cannot too lightly disregard the personal feelings involved with an action. What good would it be for a friend to tell a man who is truly in love that because he and his wife do not look happy together in public, they will never work out. What does the friend know of the hearts of either person? The love and affection of a relationship is between the lovers and God.

Obviously then, there will be disagreement and a taking of sides when friends must discuss what one feels and the other sees, but that is preciously why each is "iron." Iron clashing with iron will sharpen both, and cause sparks in the process. We cannot fear the sparks, only attempt to reduce them through humility and respect towards one another. What is important is not that the observing friend is always right, but that he is always there. We cannot go into the war of life without our wise counselors even if they should lead us to defeat. Ultimately, we must gather all our options, examine them, and proceed in what our conscience tells us is most in line with God's word, with reason, and with love.

Friend(s)

One of the quintessential aspects of being human is to participate in relationships, and specifically, friendships. Jesus had a lot of acquaintances, a small group of friends, and a very few who were his "true" friends. I say true, because you can have a friendly relationship with someone above the level of acquaintance, and yet they may never engage in truly loving acts towards you. The true friend, is he who sharpens you "as iron sharpens iron." This sharpening characteristic is absolutely necessary in someone you know.

What we have to remember though, is the process of iron sharpening iron is dirty, sharp, rough, hot, difficult. If you're to be made better, you cannot remain the same, and you cannot be in constant agreement with the other piece of iron. "Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults" says Socrates. Being able to enjoy and participate in a group setting with friends is great, I don't mean that we should be looking for conflict with everyone in order to call them friend. What I do mean is that your truest friend will become the one who is both friendly, and challenging. The one who asks the difficult questions out of honest respect, honest curiosity, and honest intent.

I've many friends, but I've few pieces of iron. First and foremost, I realize that Jesus is the ultimate sharpening block, that he works in my circumstances and hears my heart and is always working to make me likened to himself. But on a less divine note, I've a couple other great friends. When I think of either, I think almost immediately of how I am convicted to be a better man by what they do, before my mind is drawn to anything else. One of my friends has powerful actions. He is frank, and he will spit out his problem just as bluntly as he will turn around to fix it. I have come to respect, love, and admire this man who can be so honest, and so sincere. God has no need to arraign him with overdue judgment, for he is at the throne seeking change almost as soon as he falls.

My other friend is like a spark plug for my mind. He is a deep thinker, and an honest intellectual, yet the purpose of his life is worship of the Holy One. This friend will, from time to time, ask for my thoughts on a matter. As much as I am honored to be considered for my perspective, I am even more overjoyed because his questions always ignite some new fire within my intellect. I believe some of my greatest thoughts have come as a result of the delving into God's word that his questions require. And that too is the iron! Often I rely on what I can imagine, what my own mind tells me, but no! this is not good enough for him. If my words are not God's he wants no part of them. Thus I must truly search the word of God and bring myself before Him, and when I do this, it becomes a small matter whether I or my friend held the correct view before, because God holds the ultimate truth. Being challenged to bring my well-supported arguments before the eternally wise Father opens my eyes every time.

I could go on, of course, but it's enough to know that I've pieces of iron that God is using to make me further into His image. Friends are great, but iron is a gift that you should not get rid of. Who's the iron in your life? Who renews your desire to love God fully? Who challenges you to realize God's truth instead of your own? Who will look you in the eye and tell you that you're wrong, and then encourage and support you in doing what's right?

"No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brothers."

Find a friend who lays his life down for you, and for whom you lay your life down. THAT is love.

The Cliff

Death, that fatal cusp,
I did not know it until it touched me.
Until I felt its cold reminder of what was to come.

Like a cold breath across my body as I try to cover myself with a blanket too small.
Truth, that warm assurance,
gives way to sanscullotish fervor with which men upheave humanity.
'Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici!' I cry.
But no, death wins yet; his perseverance eternal.

Or is it? Perhaps I am he "who chose death over denial," who did not fall from the cliff, but rather jumped into the abyss - daring to 'do all that may become a man' (for what is he but a means to the same end?). Freedom, that greatest virtue, holds all men captive in its embrace.

Is Death freedom? Surely not.
Life is freedom, our chance to enact upon the Stage some great movement of ourselves.
Death is but a gateway to the consequences of that movement.
Once dead, forever bound.

The Heart of a Ranger

You couldn't know me. Couldn't understand nor care long enough to listen to chronic remorse when life around you is so abundant and prolific. Your heart couldn't handle the juxtaposition and your mind wouldn't let you. I know this because I am a cynic, a man born to howl in agony over his own pain.

I lied. I wouldn't let you know me is closer to the truth. The warm hands of your affection make me shiver as I imagine the horrifying touch of your love. Don't do it, you'll break and burn me and it won't be alright. I am beyond you, go away. My excuses are the ravings of a man gone mad in a hopeless abyss.

My callused heart will not bleed for you. My shredded lungs will not breathe for you. Your most delicate caress will cause me to cry out - my liquid voice like sharpened glass, rending your soul. With self-righteous, perhaps even chivalrous honor, I will deflect you from that Liebestod.

I'm a man separated by my gregariousness. Life is an intersection of love and pain - that eternal paradox. God is not the end of the road (which would you choose?), he is the crux of it. Sitting on his throne, breathing life from the middle of that cross-way, he resolves the direction of the lost ants. I have walked through this intersection many times, always leaving it for the next path - wandering until I once again am shattered on rocks and fall back to the beginning. You also wait at this intersection. Love waits. I walk away time and again to avoid the pain - the love is no loss to my selfish heart. Until I can stand at the crossroads and ask for the way which is good, and then STOP! because I am already there, I will not be yours. I will not ravage your heart by acquiescing to your demands. Avoidance will be my weapon, my tool to deflect your blows until I am trained to riposte. The quest is long, it never really ends. Don't pretend. Don't wait. You won't know. I won't let you.

10/29/08

Sleep, my child sleep
the sun can rise on his own
and dream, my lover dream
don't lose yourself in reality

the grave, the cursed grave
will not keep you from me for eternity
oh death, wicked death
where you go I cannot follow

but I will keep, keep your memories inside
hold your words in my heart
I will sing, I will sing you a song
like a bird to the fading light

small, always small
but you were the greatest of them all
snow, falling snow
heralds the birth of an angel

I will keep, keep your memories inside
hold your words in my heart
I will sing, I will sing you a song
like a bird to the fading light

and I will not forget
I will love you yet
keep me a place by your side
a place to call home when I die

give me a hug to say good-bye
and one more wave from the window

- Jason

We, Humanity

There is a certain comfort that Christians have begun prescribing to their humanity that follows along the lines of Shakespeare when he writes that "the Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose." The doctrine that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" and created "in the image of God" is familiar, but not perhaps straightforward. We are God's children, created in likeness to him and loved unerringly by him. It's also true that humanity has sinned, and is fallen from birth. Our failure, however, has not caused God to turn away from us, and we find that he loves us still, perhaps even more necessarily. If God loves us at our most fallen moment then he surely continues to love us as we draw closer to him even as we continue to stumble. Unfortunately some Christians have taken God's unconditional love to acquire the idea of a grandmotherly love, the kind that accepts its object as perfect in every way simply because it's a grandchild. The grandmother view of God is harmful to the growth of Christians and nothing more than a sugar pill for sin.

Under the doctrine of grandmother love there is no need for change. God loves a man in his fallen state and God's love is really all we need, so why bother changing? This assumption is based in the idea that because God loves us, he accepts us. That is simply not so. Not in the sense that he will accept our spiritual dormancy until the day of our death when we find it necessary to have an excuse in the presence of Judgment. The apostle states this fact as so: "God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth." If we have claimed salvation through Christ we have received sanctification along with it, and if we are to practice truth then we must discontinue our living in spiritual darkness whether God loves us in such a state or not.

We do not need to worry about finding this light on our own or not being able to reach. If we submit that we are not acceptable in our present state, then God will be free to come in and work within us. Paul's words, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus," give us hope that not only are we changing to be like God, but it is God doing the work and not us. Our job is submission to God and his work is remission of our pride.

Change will hurt us though; nothing becomes better by remaining the same. In many ways change is presented to us in the form of pain, and we all fear it very much. Part of our job then is to realize that this world is not a palace built for our happiness and pleasure, but rather more a prison of sorts for our souls. When we come to terms with the idea that pain and hardship are methods of changing us, and that we live on this earth for that very purpose, we will not look so badly on either. And above all it is imperative to remember that God loves us, that our pain does not result from a lack of God. Our response to the Father when we are in pain should follow the words of the Proverb: "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." In fact, our pain is often not pain in the real sense, but instead a smudge on our pride. When we do wrong and are caught openly we are hurt because our pride wants to tell us that what we did was right and that we should simply be ignored if it was not. Until we surrender our pride to God we will fear pain and disregard change. Pride cannot be a Christian's final stance on the matter. We must not consider ourselves acceptable as is even if we are lovable; we do not know God fully nor thus what he wants in a finished product, but be confident, God is not finished with us yet.