September 16, 2006
-
Tonight was the most movie-like experience I've ever had. Not like that, though. It was... It was like one of those good movies. You know the ones you feel like really teach you something? I was struck by how screwed up the whole world is. I'm not even talking about wars, bad presidents, nothing like that. It's the minutia.
I found out yesterday that a very close friend of mine did something they were not supposed to. I hate to make it vague, for fear that it would take away from the validity of my story, but it was something major. It was big. Real big (insomuch as people measure things).
Today some of my friends got into a huge fight. They yelled at eachother, pounded their fists... Made eachother want to cry... or punch a hole in the wall, or punch eachothers faces... Maybe all of those things. The point is it was really bad... Pretty huge.
I was walking back to my dorm minutes after this, and saw a girl lying outside on the ground. A friend was with her and standing next to her, not quite sure what to do. Myself and some other random guys stopped to help. This girl was hugely drunk. She was kneeling and bowing, face all the way to the ground. Her face was a milimeter above her own vomit, but she couldn't move away from it. NYU Security came out and said he was going to call her RA, then after a while said he'd call EMS. Her friend tried stop him because of, well you know, the embarrasment of it all or something. I had been given her ID and purse to hold, and as it happened that they're was nothign I could do, her friend took the things and said thanks. She'd take care it. I said goodbye, now come to think of it, maybe I should've stayed, tried to help, pray.
Now EMS is a few stories below my window. I'm praying the girl's okay, and as the siren lights whirl or do whatever it is they do, I'm thinking about the conversations I've been having lately with my awesome roomates and new friend Hillary from down the hall. We've been talking about Christianity and its validity I suppose. Tonight it came to me. Christianity is, because we never figured out how to live, and after 8,000 years or so, there's still war, still death and plagues, still debt in Africa. Is the earth making progress? Really? Where? Global warming. Abortion. Dysfunctional families. Progress?
Like I said, the validity of Christianity. Tonight I suppose it came to me. Is Christianity a crutch? yeah, I'd say it is. We all need crutches.
I know I do."For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2: 8-9
Comments (10)
i like the way you think. really.
suuuch a good post. i miss ya dave. i won't lie! do yall have any sort of a fall break??? if so, when?
...impressive. Blessings. But thanks God, even if all this world is full of crap, there's still some progress : peo getting saved,missionaries preaching all around the world, some dicease can be cured now...I know it seems small compared with all the bad things in that world but it means a lot for some persons, I hope that this girl is getting better.Have a good sunday.
Love you, Dave. You have so much wisdom. I want to be you when I grow up. Love, Mom
i.
mrs.
david.
good wisdoum && such.
be blessed...
im glad you recoginze that you need a crutch.
i definately do.
imagine if there wernt?!
Thanks for the insightful post. Man, I respect your Christ honoring heart and the grace that He is giving you for the world. Peace.
thanks for this post, dave. i do like to read your posts. you attack things head-on, and most of the time i agree with your view completely.
about the crutch thing. its crazy. you think about those who view religion as a crutch for the masses, something to lean on, a little false hope.
and getting into psychology in my intro class, just listening to my professor graze a few topics, about how we think, how we exist..its true. we all need crutches. when my prof starts arguing stuff, its hard to fight back. if you strip everything away, see the bare bones of life, so much we do is a crutch. habits, beliefs, relationships. upon this, what you said is quite relevant. we all need crutches.
sad. i'm gonna be in town the 1st weekend in october.
! oh well
Is God a crutch, is belief in Christ Jesus my savior a crutch? Is salvation a crutch? Why I'd say it's empowering, I'd say it's hope, life, restoration, healing...I'd say these beliefs I have give me a foundation to live life with vigor and passion...
Whoa!!!!!!!! Danny, you're scaring me! Not even a month into psychology and already challenged with the world view? Man, this is what we've tried to warn you guys about. Listen to me, I've been there and I've done that. OK, this crutch topic needs clarification. The term "crutch" can mean a lot of things. Beware, however, of the use of crutch in the sense that salvation is synonymous with anything else. Salvation, the Spirit of Christ in us, the ongoing grace that God gives us to grow in our spiritual wisdom - this experience, this truth, cannot be likened to anything else. Crutch can have a connotation that conveys something supportive that is not real, not of oneself, separate and apart from reality. Communist philosophy has always controlled its people with the perspective that religion or faith is a crutch or sedative for the masses, but of course it replaced faith in God with faith in the communist leadership. Danny, remember, psychology is the study by man, of how man thinks - it's not TRUTH. This is the fallacy in man's study of anything. Man thinks that because man can study something that he is therefore it's master or it's equal or that he has discovered something. Man's philosophy is circular, it always starts by seeking something to discover but in the end it ends up where it began without discovering anything but processes and manifestations. Christianity provides truth that you know in your heart and you should know in your logic. Go to writings from CS Lewis if you want to debate with your teachers. Don't assume that because someone explains to you the basic functioning of our brain or personality or sociology that they have truth. All they have is processes and manifestations. Anyone can study the mind, the earth, etc., BUT can they make one? In other words, because you can study something does not in anyway make the topic studied synonymous with TRUTH, of make TRUTH less true. Go to your FAITH, go to the Word, go to CS Lewis writings.
Comments are closed.