Golly Gee Willickers, Batman!

Dick Grayson: "What's so important about Chopin?"

Bruce Wayne: "All music is important, Dick. It's the universal language. One of our best hopes for the eventual realization of the brotherhood of man."

Dick Grayson: "Gosh Bruce, yes, you're right. I'll practice harder from now on."

Two Shoes, or Not Two Shoes

So today I participated in the "Toms One Day Without Shoes" event and went barefoot for (most) of the day today (I had to wear them in the cafeteria, and I will have to wear them at the recital tonight).

Why?

Because it reminds me that I have so much that makes me comfortable, and others do not. I've never really spent much time thinking about how nice it is to wear shoes. But today as I skipped into paint lines, treaded carefully over gravel, felt my feet go numb in class, and got some odd stares from my peers, I now realize how difficult it is just to get across campus without shoes. Now, I didn't participate to show some kind of misplaced sense of pride or "Iook at me; I'm putting myself through pain to help these kids thousands of miles away from me." The truth is, I didn't help anybody.

Nobody.

I understand that. But maybe I sparked somebody else's thoughts. I definitely sparked my own. There's more to this nonsense than people realize. Never again will I take my shoes for granted, that's for sure. It's an experience, not an experiment, and I didn't intend to put myself above others by taking my shoes off (that's an absurd thought now that I write it, but I did get hit with a bit of flak for it).

It's a broken world, full of shattered glass and dusty rocks. Sometimes we forget that. Of course, sometimes we forget the wonderful coolness of a soft patch of clover too. It goes well to be reminded of these things at times.

Would you rather live your life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, or live as if there isn't a God and die to find out there is?

I've heard this my whole life, and I think it might be from Blaise Paschal (at least, that's what someone I highly respect told me).

I've had to be very cautious when reviewing this statement. At first I liked it very much, but the more and more I thought about it, the more I realized it leaves too much room for doubt. Surely doubt is that good test of all belief; but I think it's a very strong tool of the enemy too. We can get wrapped up in our own questions and lose track of what we should be doing, namely, coming to the full knowledge of God and sharing it with others. Why doubt what we already know (1 Peter 1:3-9)? Plus, Jesus rebuked his disciples' doubts on numerous occasions; I think particularly of Matthew 21:21, where he said that without doubt we could move mountains.

Christianity's not an insurance service. And I get really nervous when people try to simplify it to such terms.

I've just found ol' Blaise to be a bit misleading with his comment. Good logic; tricky consequences.

As I Wait for My Coffee to Brew

So I've been waiting for some pictures before I wrote my next post, but this blog has seen neglect for far too long. Not that I've been neglecting it; it's just that it's time it shows that I'm not neglecting it.


I guess I could provide a small update:


I spent spring break at Beach Reach at South Padre Island. It was pretty incredible; maybe even life changing. Don't ever limit God. Ever. This is the verse that was laid on my heart for that week:

If you share your food with the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise out of the darkness

and your night will become like the noonday.

~Isaiah 58:10

I successfully survived my first public recital in the music department here at the university.

I pitched a tent in my apartment with a friend and successfully defended it in the old tradition.

The weather has been incredible. I suppose spring is finally here. I wore my green polo today in celebration.

So my coffee is ready, and I must read some poetry for class (does anybody have some bongos?). And then David Brainerd.

Have a wonderful day.

"Impossible, You Say?"

Two lovers sat on a park bench with their bodies touching each other, holding hands in the moonlight.

There was silence between them. So profound was theire love for each other, they needed no words to express it. And so they sat in silence, on a park bench, with their bodies touching, holding hands in the moonlight.

Finally she spoke. "Do you love me, John ?" she asked. "You know I love you. darling," he replied. "I love you more than tongue can tell. You are the light of my life. my sun. moon and stars. You are my everything. Without you I have no reason for being."

Again there was silence as the two lovers sat on a park bench, their bodies touching, holding handls in the moonlight. Once more she spoke. "How much do you love me, John ?" she asked. He answered : "How' much do I love you ? Count the stars in the sky. Measure the waters of the oceans with a teaspoon. Number the grains of sand on the sea shore. Impossible, you say?"

This is one of my favorite things ever, "Knee Play 5" from Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach. Of course, this is the abridged version (so the 5 1/2 hour opera could fit onto cd), but I think I actually prefer this ending better over the full ending. I get goose-bumps everytime I listen to it; and if I listen to the entire opera first, then it's just overwhelming. The text seems a bit dry here, but when put with the music it makes more sense. I definitely encourage you to go listen to it. If it's about 5 minutes long, it's my preferred abridged version; if it's about eight minutes long, it's the original.

Now, it's time for me to go give a tour.

I Do Have Something to Say

This evening I took the opportunity to look at the stars. I haven't done this in awhile, and this is unacceptable.

We're so small.

Yet our minds are so big.

Sir John Templeton said something once that has stuck with me, and I was reminded of it tonight:

"Would it not be strange if a universe without purpose accidentally created humans who are so obsessed with purpose?"

I've Been Laggard

And I really don't have anything I wish to write right now. Well, I do have things I want to right, but there are other things calling for my attention write now. ;)

Bahdadum, bahdada dum dum, deedahdahdahm, bahdooduhm, dadadadum.
~a melody from "Pacem"