Self-fulfilling

"Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23: 34

Lately I've been on a kick of watching documentaries. I'd wanted to see two for quite a while and finally sat down to watch them... "The King of Kong" and "Confessions of a Superhero"

I would give both of them 4 of 5 stars, but I wanted to share a quote from the latter.

"It's only the bad people that I get mad at. Everybody else has no problem with me." -Maxwell Allen on "Confessions of a Superhero"

The film follows four people that dress up as superheros and take pictures with tourists on Los Angeles' Hollywood Boulevard. Each individual shares their story - how they got to Hollywood and why they do what they do. During many of his interviews, Batman (aka Maxwell Allen), talks about his dark past and the fact that he has a temper...even admitting to seriously people.

The quote is interesting because it's a self-fulfilling prophecy: I get mad at people because they're bad, and they're bad because they make me mad... When he said those words, he was obviously struggling to express himself and explain why he lashes out.

The other thing that it reminded me of was the fact that pain breeds pain. Maxwell had many painful memories and couldn't seem to get past them- guilt and frustration added to his anger, which caused others pain. It's a sad trickle-down effect that seems to have no end. Unless...

We learn to forgive. Forgive others. Forgive ourselves. Forgive and move on. Be the end of that cycle of pain.

That is the question

This passage was recently brought to my attention. I found it interesting and wanted to share.

"Here a great number of disabled people used to lie - the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?' " John 5:3-5 (NIV)

It seems like an odd question, doesn't it? Why wouldn't someone in this man's condition want to "get well." Greeting card companies have made money from our desire for others to 'get well soon.' And our complaint when we're sick is usually something to the effect of 'I am just ready to get out of this room/house/hospital.'

I cannot imagine having an affliction for 38 years...but it could be that one would forget how to live without it... forget what it would be like to live a "normal" life. So maybe the question isn't so bizzare afterall. Jesus had the ability to heal the man with or without his permission, but Christ wanted to know if the man desired a change in his life- because things were about to change for the man and Jesus wanted to make sure he was prepared for that change.

We all have afflictions - things that keep us from living the life we are called to live. And if you're like me, you ask over and over for them to be removed. But I wonder, am I really ready to leave that affliction behind? Am I prepared to "get well"? Or do I still want to have that reason for not living like I should?

Next time you feel like addressing a problem in your life, ask yourself Jesus' question, "Do you want to get well?"

Just passing through

I recently returned from an amazing mission trip to Alaska with 28 other youth and adults. I don't recall ever having seen so much beauty in creation. We flew into Anchorage, drove to Fairbanks, and boared a boat in Seward... at any given moment there were incredible sights to see.

However, I noticed that much of our group slept through or found some other way of entertaining themselves as we passed by scenic view after scenic view. Now I don't fault them too much because we were all tired, and riding in cars and planes gets old pretty fast, but I wonder what this says about the way we live our lives.

How often do I "just get through" certain parts of life? I feel like if that is ever the case, then it is far too often. Each daily experience holds some beauty in it...and when I just try to get through to the next day, I'm missing out on what the day has to offer. Perhaps approaching every day with renewed enthusiasm about that specific day is truly what it means to "Carpe diem," or 'sieze the day.'

On the flight home I found myself watching a movie shortly after takeoff. Being in a window seat, I wanted to be sure to watch the sunset (something we hadn't seen during our stay because it doesn't get dark in Alaska during this time of year), so when I noticed the light becoming an orange tint, I pulled up the window shade and stared in awe as the sun set over the clouds and snow covered mountains. During most of our red-eye flight, I watched the window as dusk gave way to darkness and stars appeared...and shortly before we landed I was treated to sunrise over a Texas sky.

Are you in one of those "in between" stages in life? Are you just trying to "get through" today so that you can reach your destination/goal? Instead of waiting it out, what if you tried to glean something from your time of waiting? Look up and open your eyes, maybe with a little effort you can discover something awesome about today.

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." Genesis 1: 31 (NIV)