My Bookmarks - Part 4

These last few weeks have been a blessing in many ways, growing closer to the Lord and becoming increasingly dependent on His grace. And so it is with a grateful and full heart that I write about:

4. Biola Library: Ok, so perhaps having Google Reader bookmarked (see part 1) was nerdy enough but this may seem to push things over the edge. I can hear you thinking, "you have a library bookmarked? What, so you can always be sure when it's open and go read till your little nerdy heart's content?" Well no (and yes). I would be lying to say that I have never checked the hours of the library via this bookmark however this bookmark brings up a more interesting question - the question of electronic resources.

Biola's library has an extensive online/electronic catalog of resources whether that is article databases or actual ebooks. And so, when thinking about this bookmark, I naturally started thinking about online content, it's availability and the ramifications.

Our world is going increasingly online. It's a reality. Unless some incredible thing comes along that defeats the interweb in one foul stroke, it seems that the internet is the way of the future. There is a part of me that recoils against that reality - you know, that part that loves to snuggle up (in the manliest way) with a book (an actual physical one) and read while it rains outside (a very necessary part of the fantasy). Indeed, the more I talk to people it seems that this recoiling instinct is rather prevalent. We all use the internet because it has such extensive content but we all complain about it. And I'm not convinced that this is how we should live.

The internet poses many risks: it is filled with accessible inappropriate content, it poses security risks to personal computers (hackers), and it threatens to make us lazy. This last one is perhaps the most serious and should not be simply overlooked. There is a distinct difference between going to a library to research and hitting some keys on a keyboard in a search engine. Indeed, I find that I am more likely to skim an article that's on my computer screen than in my hand (so it also affects content consumption).

So yes, the internet poses risks and we would do well to take precautions. However, the fact that I can access so many articles and so many books also has an advantage. As Christians, shouldn't we rejoice that the gospel has yet another medium in which to spread its wings. Should we not praise God that there is yet another thing for him to demonstrate his love in redeeming? I think so. I think the fact that so much is going to the internet is not necessarily cause for mourning, it's cause for worship. The gospel has never been and will not ever be limited by the medium. That should be the most important thing to us. Period. And so, in a strange sense, the breadth of content that points us towards Jesus should cause us to worship.

A strange idea? Maybe. I challenge you to try it. Instead of griping and groaning about the fact that the internet is taking over the world, worship because of the online content that points us to Christ, the Savior of that world.

My Bookmarks - Part 3

The first blogpost of 2010. A new year. A new decade. And a continued series. (Confused what the series is about? I suggest you read the first entry or two.)

3. YouTube: It is probably a default bookmark on many browsers these days. I remember when I added it to my toolbar my mind was primarily occupied with convenience and efficiency - "since I visit YouTube often, then should I not be able to get there very quickly?" I cannot claim to have extensively thought about YouTube however I do have a few thoughts about how I have come to use it and what it's role should appropriately be.

I am rather convinced that looking at the idea of YouTube should scare the Christian. The name alone points to the selfishness that runs rampant in our culture. I have personally experienced YouTube's allure - the allure of ever-increasing views of my video that, for some reason, suggest an increase in my significance. Whatever happened to John the Baptist's declaration that "he must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30)?

Why then, if I believe that YouTube is significantly self-centered, would I have it bookmarked? I think this raises the important question of how we use the internet that is constantly catering to what I want? When I look back at my use of YouTube I find that rarely have I simply sat alone and watched videos by myself. Generally, I have watched videos with others, creating shared experiences and stronger community. YouTube, then, has been a catalyst for deepening relationships, even on a shallow level initially. Of course, YouTube has not been solely responsible for all of my relationships or even their depth however this use of YouTube sees it as a tool and not as an end of itself. Likewise the internet should always be used to extend and advocate life as it is actually lived not just virtually experienced (this spawns a whole alternate discussion of things like SecondLife).

Jesus' call on the Christian for humility clearly calls for caution in exploring the world of YouTube. However, such a medium can also be used to share experiences and deepen relationships (all within the caution that not all videos or experiences are worthy of having). May we always use the internet as a tool to help us follow Christ more closely and not as a means purely of self-indulgence.

My Bookmarks - Part 2

This marks the second entry, which is a good sign. Why, you might ask? Because it means that I have blogged a second time soon enough to the previous entry to warrant not simply starting over. Okay, maybe that is not a good sign for you necessarily but for me it's a sign of discipline.

Last time I introduced the first of the bookmarks on my toolbar, today I progress to the next one.

2. Amazon.com: Online shopping is an incredible phenomenon. It makes life incredibly convenient. When it comes time to order books for the semester I am bound to log on at some point and place an order that will actually be delivered to my place of residence (and if the total order is over $25, for free). And this incredible convenience does not even include the fact that I feel grown-up and mature for purchasing things online through my own account. Needless to say I like Amazon. A lot.

However, when thinking about online purchasing I was reminded of a conversation I had with several friends recently. Whether or not the actual statements were factual I do not know but one of my friends (Jason Roszhart, for those who may know him and who deserves credit for sparking this thought) pointed out that while Disneyland is incredibly enjoyable we should consider that the amount of water that Disneyland uses may drive up prices for other Anaheim residents. I can hear the thought in your mind and let me record it for you - "WHAT? What does that have to do with anything?" Jason's point was much larger than simply a critique of the Happiest Place on Earth; his point was that as Christians we are called to consider every aspect of our lives through the filter of Christ and how he would have us act. Our actions have greater consequences than we can perhaps fathom.

I started thinking of my Amazon shopping in terms of this idea. What are the consequences of my purchasing my books online instead of at the local bookstore. Sure, a place like Borders is not going to be hurt but perhaps that small local Christian bookstore might be. Is this a reason to stop buying online? Probably not, but it is important as Christians that we look with a careful eye at all we do and question it through the lens of Christ-likeness (which is what this whole series of blog posts is about right?).

And so today's question: What are the consequences of online shopping? Could it be heralding a new era of selfishness, laziness and big corporate consumption? Or could it actually be the pathway to healthy convenience?

My Bookmarks - Part 1

Everytime I return to this blog after an extended absence I feel it necessary to revamp, renew and re-envision the entire thing. However, as I realize that all those restarts have failed to increase my blogging, I figure that this time I will just write things of interest and see what it ends up becoming.

So here's the concept of this blog (I'm a big explanatory road-mapper type of guy - excluding that one C-/D+ I got because my teacher could not find my thesis): I like series of blogs. I think they're a neat thing. So I wanted to write one myself (for what has been a fascinating series of posts see the "I Wonder" series here). Earlier today I was also thinking a lot about social networking sites and the internet. So I have decided to marry the two inspirations and...wait for it...write about my internet bookmarks - specifically the ones in my "toolbar" or the ones that I access most often. Here goes (most of them will be in order that they appear on my toolbar but I may group some together for the sake of avoiding repetition):

1. Google Reader/Readability/Subscribe: These are in fact three different bookmarks that I have, the latter two of which are not always immediately available but are extremely useful. On a brief explanatory side note, Readability is a sort of in-browser app that removes adds from a page and Subscribe is what I called the way that I bring a blog into Google Reader so I can follow it there.

My use of Google Reader stems mainly out of the fact that I was overwhelmed by all of the potential news content on the web - it gives me a way to narrow down what I read. Of particular significance to this change from browsing random news sites to a consolidated view in Google Reader was a podcast I listened to concerning the way we consume internet media. We live in such a world of headlines and blurbs but rarely do we take the time to get the whole story, read the whole article, form a holistic opinion. Using Google Reader, I "star" articles I want to read fully lately and do. In some respects, it's a discipline that will hopefully lead to future holistic habits (is it ridiculous to think how I browse the web will positively influence the rest of my life? hopefully not!). Google Reader, then, is an intentional means of fully and not partially accessing the web.

As I look at each bookmark I see that they all raise various questions about the way we interact with information and the web. I look forward to pondering and asking them. But today's question: Should we read headlines only or should we discipline ourselves to read the article? The ramifications seem large and the trend in answering this question will have an impact on the future of literature.

Why I'm A Pacifist: An Attempt at Answering my Readers' Questions

It has been several months since I posted the post "Why I'm A Pacifist". If you have not read that entry I recommend that as an important starting point for this conversation. I would also recommend reading the ensuing comments as they raise several questions that I will attempt to answer (most likely, not satisfactorily) here. For the sake of readibility I will attempt to summarize the questions I have been asked followed by my own answer.

Q: What do you actually even mean by pacifism? Does this include violence? Of any kind?

A: When I claim to be a pacifist, it is important to know that I claim it within my context. I am a Christian, a Christ follower. As such it is impossible to be simply a pacifist - rather, I am and consider myself to be a Christian pacifist. As such, pacifism for me involves embracing the Kingdom of Peace that Jesus has inaugurated and will return to complete. Does this include violence? Yes. Of any kind? Yes. However the specificity and reliance of my view upon Christ brings up the interesting and very real scenario that not all people in the world are Christians. As such, I do not find them to be under any obligation to be pacifists.

Note: The questions in the comments did not proceed much further than this but for further explication of what I believe to be true I have included questions that have also been commonly posed.

Q: If not all people are called to be pacifists then how can war be bad?

A: As a Christian I have an interesting tension between what I believe to be the call upon my life and the call to submit to the government (see particularly Romans 13). Because of the latter, I do not participate in protests or even argue strongly against current wars (although I do believe that there are alternatives to war that are generally not explored prior to its happening). I do not believe all people are called to the Kingdom of Peace, but I do believe all Christians are. Because of this, I anticipate and look forward to the day when all peoples are submitted to Christ and the Kingdom of Peace finds it culmination in his Reign. War is still not a good, and I will never participate in it. My hope comes not from condemning war but rather from hoping in the One who will abolish it.

Q: Concerning your views on violence, what would you do if someone attacked your family?

A: Let me preface this by saying that generally this view is brought up as a first argument yet it is almost ridiculously extreme. Few people ever even experience this as a reality. Nevertheless, the question warrants an answer. Recently I was talking with a professor of mine and he said something like, "My struggle with non-violence is not with not defending myself - I trust God to vindicate me for that. It's with not defending my children." The question I posed back was "why is it that we are so willing to trust God to vindicate us but are not willing at all to trust him to vindicate others (particularly our loved ones)?" My answer, I am perfectly aware, likely leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of anyone who reflects on it. I too pray that I am never subject to the situation where my belief is tested in this extreme. However if I am not willing to trust the lives of my loved ones to God then am I really living a life that follows closely after Christ?

Q: Does this mean you would simply stand by and watch your family die?

A: Let me qualify somewhat. I do believe there is something that could be considered "non-violent" force. It is impossible to define exactly because I believe it varies based on our context. However, given the choice between acting violently or watching my family die I would choose the latter. Jesus led his followers into watching him die and if his call upon my life is the same so be it. The Christian pacifist lives in the confidence not of this life but of the next, of the Kingdom as it is promised to be. These are the realities I live in light of and as such, death has lost its sting.

Those are a few brief answers to some heavy hitting questions. Indeed my heart is heavy at the thoughts of some of the issues that are always raised. At times, it causes me to doubt. Yet I always return to the example of Christ:

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. - 1 Peter 2:21-23

May we entrust ourselves to the one who judges justly.

Grace and peace,

Matt

Why I'm A Pacifist

This post has been a long time in the making, thinking and deciding. It is perhaps the most controversial, debatable view that I hold strongly to and so it has been a matter of thought and prayer to even come to the point that I submit these thoughts, just the tip of the iceberg, to the blogosphere. This is why I am a pacifist:

Pacifism, most would agree, is a great thought. The idea of achieving world peace is beautiful and most would say, wonderful to fantasize about. And most would use that key word "fantasize" to claim that it is an untenable position to hold. That the ideal is too high, too unachievable. And until about a year ago I would have agreed. Pacifism is an ideal. For many, that's enough to stop them from pursuing it any further. We live in an increasingly idealess world where anything that possibly extends beyond the concrete and tangible reality is dismissed as naivete, religiosity or some combination of the two. However, I am willing to run that risk.

About a year ago I had the opportunity to listen to a Jesuit priest speak. This Jesuit priest is also an avid pacifist which, for him, spills over into somewhat incredulous acts of civil disobedience however that is an entirely different topic. His name was John Dear and for me, on September 26, 2008 he made me understand why I could be a pacifist. The answer was simple, almost alarmingly so, and lay at the center of what I professed to believe, namely, Jesus. The pieces fell into place, the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed and lived was a Kingdom of Peace. He was to be called, after all, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). That is not to say that he proclaimed a Kingdom of Weakness or Timidity or Simply-Watch-Injustice. But the Kingdom of Peace that Jesus proclaimed was robust in its very simplicity. That simplicity was "follow me."

Perhaps one of the most poignant passages and example occurs in the garden of Gethsemane. As the guards lay hands on Jesus to arrest him, Matthew records that:

One of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place..." (Matthew 26:51-52a)

In this definitive moment, when the Son of God is being arrested, when a man has never been more justified to use violence, Jesus affirms the way of peace and commands that the sword be returned to its scabbard.

Jesus did not just model the way of peace, he created it through his very example. What is an impossible ideal is made real in Christ. And so, while I read of wars and killings and senseless deaths. While I hear that mankind is destroying themselves. While I see gratuitous violence and death pervading media, I will still proclaim the Kingdom of Peace because Jesus did and I am his follower.

The Cause of the Isolated Torrey Student

Let me briefly explain the inspiration of these thoughts. I am a student in a relatively unique program called Torrey that essentially covers my undergraduate general education units at Biola University. These units are covered somewhat unconventionally (or conventionally if you go back a few centuries) and entail reading many "great works" and then having a three hour discussion of the text (one, two or, some semesters, the dreaded three times a week). One of the challenges within Torrey is how to make sure students are healthily integrating with the rest of the Biola community. There have been numerous instances where Torrey students find themselves in isolated cliques and set apart (by themselves, or by other students). For the reader who does not have a vested interest in this program, please, continue reading because I believe what is at the heart of this issue is a broader picture that deeply affects the world and our very identity.

If you have followed this blog for any length of time I hope that my admiration for two things have come out in these posts: namely, the influence of words and the influence of stories. Rhetoric and speeches capture our imaginations - any American is familiar with "four score and seven years ago" as coming from Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Stories also have incredibly formative roles in our lives (think Aesop's Fables for a great example of someone who harnessed the power of stories). Words and stories, especially when put together, hold an incredible amount of sway over us that we are rarely even aware of. It's why politicians, particularly Presidents coin phrases like the New Deal, Great Society, etc. It's an attempt to both use powerful word recognition and invite the people into entering a new chapter in the "story of the United States." Indeed, so powerful can these things be that I would venture so far as to say that many who use them are unaware of their power.

But what is the connection between words, stories and the isolated Torrey student? After thinking about this issue I believe that the reason Torrey students have trouble integrating into the larger Biola community is because of a conflict of meta-narrative that results from a difference of words. In other words, they [both Torrey and non-Torrey students] see the other as holding to a different framing story when in reality this is simply the result of the use of different rhetoric. My belief is that the Torrey student tends towards placing him or herself in the context of the story of the salvation of the West. The Biola student, on the other hand, places him or herself in the context of the story of believers pursuing Jesus. The terrible irony is that both stories advocate exactly the same things; it is the result of the rhetoric that seems to present the stories as different. In this case, no one is to blame, no Torrey professors, nor any Biola professors for failing to communicate; rather it is the responsibility of the students to recognize this fundamental similarity and unite with those with whom they have that commonality.

Meta-narratives have brought conflict for centuries. From the persecution of the early church to the threat of modern-day terrorism, these conflicts result from differences in the framing story that people ascribe to. However so often, within the Church (and in the above example, within Biola) there have been unnecessary splits and conflict not because of differences but because of perceived differences. Words are powerful, but they are also not the end - the end lies in the story and where it points, which for the Christian is to Jesus Christ. It is only by his power that we can hope to transcend words and use them to demonstrate his truth in keeping with his story. The above issue points to this need concerning an issue that I personally have faced - Christ alone, as the author of the Christian story, can unite us regardless of what words we choose.

Grace and peace,

Matt

A Culture Obsessed with Freedom

America. United States. Economic juggernaut. Home of the free.

Recently I read a blog that was essentially arguing for small government. The main reason was that the author would rather be free than protected and taken care of by the government. This made me wonder: why is it that we put so much stock by our freedom? America is a free country. This statement is undoubtedly true. One need simply browse through the headlines to realize that oppression and strong, if not overly powerful, governments exist throughout the world. And we prize our unique situation, our freedom; we desperately hold onto it. In a time of economic struggle, we think, at least we can still say that we're free. This concept of "free" gets thrown around so much I feel we now have little hold on what it means. Note what one of the characters in David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest says to an American about this very issue:

Your freedom is the freedom-from...But what of the freedom-to? Not just free-from...How is there freedom to choose if one does not learn how to choose?

This points to a dangerous tendency we have: we consider our freedom-from and stop there. We are obsessed with freedom-from. But, Matt, you might say, we are free to worship, we are free to speak our minds, we are free-to... But what are these things if not distinctions under the prized freedom-from persecution? We are free to speak our minds but we do not know how to do so, hence we have so much unnecessary conflict in relationships due to communication breakdowns. We are free to worship but the vast majority of Americans do not know how to worship. Ultimately our freedom-from is meaningless because we cannot convert that to any sort of meaningful freedom-to. Where our culture likes to be comfortable in its "freedom" it fails to realize that it has not answered the vital question.

Let me make this statement: Christianity is beautiful. Non-sequitur? By no means. Because ultimately, the follower of Jesus answers the vital question. Where culture fails, Christianity steps in and answers. What do I do with this freedom-from? How do I convert it to a freedom-to? The words are found on Jesus's lips as he calls all of us: "Follow me." And that's beautiful; not in the superficial way that we might look at a well-executed sports play but in a way that influences our soul, our very being.

Culturally, we are obsessed with freedom. Yet we stop at that. We love our freedom. Period. What we do with our freedom we do not discuss. Is it okay to love freedom? Absolutely. It's a blessing to live in a country where we are free from many restrictions that our brothers and sisters in Christ face around the world. But when we stop at freedom-from and do not pursue the freedom-to we are missing out on what following Christ is all about. Paul, in Romans 6 approaches this very issue. He says that we have "died to sin," however he refuses to let us simply bask in that freedom. In vv.12-14 he follows up with one of the first direct exhortations in the letter - let not sin reign but present yourselves to God. Paul understands that the freedom-from is insufficient. He points us to the freedom-to.

May we always be reminded that the blessing to be free-from brings with it the responsibility of discovering what we are free-to, a freedom that is found in its completeness in Christ.

Grace and peace,

Matt

God, the Wireless Signal

I descend in the elevator. Thumbs hurriedly typing off a text message to a friend, I recognize that, once at the bottom level, in the "dungeon," I will not have service and any such text message will be useless. It will have to wait to be sent unless...I type faster and manage to get it off.

Sound familiar?

Most likely.

Those irritating moments inevitably happen when our cellular devices, our "connections to the world," the devices that make us one of the most socially capable yet relationally deficient generations, lose service. It's why companies advertise that they have "more bars in more places," that they have the best coverage in the area. It's why we're willing to pay through the nose for that company rather than settle for the cheaper one that we're a little "iffy" on.

Sure. It sounds familiar.

Perhaps in more way than one.

When it comes to God, I fear many of us, including myself, treat Him as we treat a wireless signal. It seems inevitable to us that when we're in certain locations, He is absent - it's irritating, certainly, perhaps (for the more dramatic of us) even cause for despair, but it's inevitable. And if this is not enough to make us turn away completely; if this perceived lack of relational consistency does not drive us to seek the fulfillment of our deep relational need elsewhere, the damage goes further. Just as I text rapidly to beat the fading service, so we work harder to maintain our sense of God's presence. And when we realize that we have no idea how to maintain the signal ourselves we do what we've been told to do - we read our Bibles more, we pray as much as we can, we participate at Church, we do. Our activities become a means of trying to maintain a signal we often feel is slipping through our grasp.

And yet the reality is starkly different. Christ's closing words to his disciples guarantees his presence to his followers (Matthew 28:20). The Holy Spirit within us is a promise of the continual presence of God. This is the fullness of Christianity - God with us. Period. Not fluctuating based on how much we do or even requiring us to do anything. The grace of God offers us five bars, all the time.

Perhaps, it is time we see God not as a wireless signal, not something that works only when we are "picking it up" but as the living Being that He is, walking side by side with us through our lives, always there, always available, always wanting us to simply be with Him. It is in this realization that we begin to discover the grace of His presence.

Grace and peace,

Matt

Time for a Change: A Different Summa

It has been awhile. In fact, it has been so long that I'm sure that that "it has been awhile" is not necessary due to the fact that this corner of cyberspace has probably been forgotten due to its author's neglect. You may notice some things that are different; different URL, different title, new ways to navigate posts. That is because change caught the same winds that blew the author, myself, back to this blog. Not that I ever left it, mind you, and neither have I stopped having ideas that are ready to be written up (indeed, I can probably think of at least 6-7 that are ready to go). I have simply been busy, and that is all.

But you may ask, and perhaps appropriately so: why the change? Why go from something so comfortable to something that I, the reader, am not so sure about? Well, first of all, if you are thinking this, let me thank you loyal reader for remaining with me throughout what has come to be a six month hiatus. If you are not thinking this, let me thank you new reader for taking time to read more than just a paragraph. I hope you find here some thought-provoking thoughts (see below and above for said thought-provoking thoughts). The change is for a couple of reasons: I have read more blogs and thought more about web media and so concluded to approach from a different angle. Here are some of the changes you will notice:

1. Tone: The tone of this blog prior to this point has been relatively formal. I no longer guarantee such formality; indeed, I hope you come to expect a more conversational feel though be aware that I may and probably will often throw the formal swing-ball at you.

2. Format: I just liked this one.

3. Sidebar: You will notice an added way to peruse, via the labels or tags each post has. If you are new to the site this may be beneficial to get a feel for what I write about.

4. Content: Speaking of what I write about, I intend to broaden the content of this blog somewhat. That certainly does not mean that the theological ideas and mini-expositions will be lacking. This will always be the meat of my thought. However, I hope to add some other areas such as politics, social commentary, and even the occasional creative work. Of course, none of this is guaranteed, the only guarantee is that it will always come from a Christ-oriented worldview.

5. Readership: Probable decline. My guess is that you (by this I address the broad you that spends hours a day perusing the internet) are not even reading this post and thereby proving my point. I thank you (again that broad web-browsing you is intended) for that (proving my point that is, not not reading my blog; of course, you are under no obligation to do either).

6. Title: This is perhaps the biggest change and deserves the largest explanation. There are a couple of very basic reasons for the change and a couple of more complex reasons. The simple reasons are that "My Reflections for His Highest" is a lengthy URL and relatively hard to remember. I'm hoping "A Different Summa" makes it a little easier, and perhaps more unique. Another of the simple reasons is that when it came to changing title, "Summa" is simply a sweet word. However there are more complex reasons. The title Summa hopefully brings to mind the work of Thomas Aquinas. Interestingly, this blog is hardly like that great work, Summa Theologica, in any way. Perhaps it is similar in only this: it views life in light of a Creator God and our Mediator, Jesus Christ. However the idea of this being a "sum of" or "collection" or even "extensive treatise" seems appropriate; this blog is a sum of or collection of descriptions of the way I view the world in light of Christ. While perhaps not yet extensive, it certainly is an ongoing treatise concerning that very topic. Finally, I have moved away from the idea of this being "My Reflections" because I find that idea to be somewhat duplicitous. You, dear reader, are not simply becoming privy to my deepest thoughts, to a journal of sorts. You are reading posts specifically tailored for an audience. Thus while they are my reflections, they are those I specifically want to share with you, my audience.

All this is to say, the blog is entering a new season; the times they are a-changing and I am excited about both posting and interacting with any readership this blog ever happens to attract.

Grace and peace,

Matt