A Different View of The Bible

The following is an image of the entire Bible.




This image was created by Glen Davis using the website wordle.net. The size of a word depends on its frequency. The more often a particular word appears, in this case the Bible, the larger it is.

It offers us a different way of looking at and perceiving the Bible as a whole

I find it really cool and not too surprising that the largest words are: Lord, God, said, Israel, people. Because what is the Bible really about?

A Plane Ticket Out

Yesterday at noon, as we were fliering for O-week on campus, there was a walkout/protest/poetry slam about the tuition increases at the UC's. Apparently there were similar demonstrations at the other 9 UC campuses yesterday as well.

What bothered me was not the poetry slam, but what seems to be the motivation behind the protest. I'm just not sure how effective a walkout really is. Maybe writing letters, I'm not sure, but something would be more effective. But I don't think that was people's real motivation. It seemed more to stem from the fact that everyone wants to be a rebel, to stand out, and 'stick it to the man'. Everyone jumps on the protest bandwagon because our hippie parents have told us that's what college students do. On Tuesday students protested on campus in their underwear because they "sold them to pay tuition". Again I am afraid about how budget-cuts will effect the lives of so many students, but taking your clothes off really isn't going to effect anything. I really everyone wants to do something radical, to 'fight the man who's keeping us down'. But it just seems so self-gratuitous.

Meanwhile at Woodland Community College 22 of 34 faculty staff face layoffs. Tuition increases at 4 year universities is scary, but the effects of budget-cuts to the Community College system scares me more. Many students go to JC's to save money, but if they are unable or cannot afford to what then? Why are we protesting at UC's when the impact at JC's is much more significant. Everything seems backwards.

It's times like this I almost want to give up on America. Pack the bags, throw my junk in a box, and move to some other country. But other countries have their issues too; it's ameri-centric of me to think that just the US has problems.

It's times like this that I am reminded that we are not of this world; that we are "to be in the world, but not of the world," "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (james 4:4b) As much as I may want to check-out, to abandon ship, leave this world to it's destruction, that's not why I'm here. God's ministry is redemption, reconciliation; to breathe life into this dark, hurting, and broken world. After the fall of man God came back for us. Emmanuel dwelt and dwells among us. Now God has "reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 corinthians 5:16-21)

It's not about how I feel. God is calling each of us to the ministry of reconciliation. In times of trouble like this I am reminded that the Lord is my hope. Our hope is in Jesus not because that is how I choose to comfort myself, but because truly Jesus alone can save us, can offer us any solution or freedom from our problems, brokenness, and pride.

And so I will keep from giving up hope, and keep bailing water.

Reflections from Starbucks: the right to customize my drink

Some of you may know that I like to pray at coffee shops whether Starbucks or some local cafe.

It always bothers me when someone gets upset because their iced macchiato latte mocha with 7 ice cubes, half a pump of hazelnut and 5/8 Splenda isn't perfect. But this problem goes beyond just coffee drinks.

C. S. Lewis sheds some light on this issue with a line from him book The Screwtape Letters. In this story the character of Screwtape, a veteran demon, is writing to his young nephew Wormwood instruction and insight into how to temp a man down the path to hell.

Screwtape states that "whatever men expect, they soon come to think they have a right to"

At Starbucks because they offer to customize drinks to the umpteenth degree how quickly we feel entitled to this. The reality is that customizing my drink is something Starbucks offers as a draw to get customers. It is not unreasonable to take them up on this offer. Customization adds work for the barista, but wages make up for that. But it doesn’t justify getting angry at the barista for making a mistake.

Screwtape’s words prove to be sadly true in other areas of life too. I continue to realize aspects of my life where I am at fault for this. For example, God's faithfulness. God is faithful, yet how many times are we guilty of feeling entitled for God to be faithful? Who am I to think that God would owe me anything? Similarly I do not deserve grace or mercy. Though I do not have to doubt in them, I constantly have to guard myself against any sense of entitlement. If it was deserved mercy would cease to be mercy.

Even in simpler situations this idea proves true. Practically anything I could get upset over is probably something I somehow feel I deserve. But I don't deserve to eat three meals today or to have a retirement. If my life were demanded from me tonight I could not protest it. Slowly I feel I am realizing this truth in my life, but as always I have a long way to go.

All my knowledge

The more I live the more I realize:

how little I know
how little I am

I realize that all I do know is that God is faithful, loving, and relentless.
And I realize that is really all I need to know.

Manna From Heaven

I live with six college guys from DCF. Though I myself am not in college, a side effect I have noticed from working in college ministry is that my lifestyle (at least until I get married this coming July) is still very much like it was in college.

One of the greatest things college taught me was how to appreciate the taste of free food; how good free tastes especially when it is also pre-made.

Today my wonderful roommate Jesse (Big J Grim) brought home free pastries from the sweet coffee hut he works at on campus. Bagels, scones, croissants, it was like Christmas morning in a bag. Just one of the many random joys of living with a bunch of guys.