Advent - Two Perspectives

Happy Advent! The college application process and life in general have kept me from posting for a while, but I'm glad to be back.

So the question: What is so cool about Advent? Honestly, Advent used to be a painful experience for me...four weeks waiting for all those presents...but now, it's probably one of my favorite times of the year.

The purpose of Advent IS all about waiting - just, not waiting for the gifts under the tree. We're waiting for Jesus, who is God's gift to us. You might say it's the coolest Christmas gift ever, even more so than the Nintendo Wii I got last year.

As we wait to celebrate Jesus' birth at Christmas, Advent gives us a time to prepare ourselves. As John the Baptist shouted out to the world, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" He means that it's time to reform ourselves, to consider what needs to change in our lives. Many Churches will hold extra times for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a great way to further make ourselves ready to enjoy the Christmas spirit.

The second thing we're waiting for through Advent is the second coming of Christ, when he returns to bring about the Kingdom of God. This might sound bad, and kind of scary really. The end of the world? Not a good time you might think, but as Christians, we have hope in God's love and mercy for us, just another example of the gifts he gives us.

Unlike these truths, the world will tell you that Christmas is all about consumerism. Rest assured: The Toys-R-Us catalog will never replace the Bible. The system exists to take your money, and distract you from the real meaning of the season. This time of year serves as a reminder to us to put God back in the center of our lives, and grow in our relationship with him.

So in conclusion, as you prepare to unwrap your gifts at Christmas this year, keep in mind the greatest gift we can ever receive - Jesus.

Welcome to Ninevah

Ninevah. A city so immense, so unimaginably huge, that it takes three days to walk from one side to the other. It's a sinful place, a place where the people ignore God, and disobey his will consistently.

It is the middle of the 8th century, B.C., and you are standing at the city gate. You have a mandate from God: Convert the city of Ninevah.

A man named Jonah found himself in this very predicament. Perhaps one of the more famous prophets, Jonah was ordered to turn Ninevah to the Lord. Despite his connection to God, though, Jonah was too afraid and fled the city (cue the whale). Long story short, Jonah learns that he cannot escape God's plan for him, and goes and miraculously turns the entire population of Ninevah into faithful followers of the Lord. What does that mean for us though?

To begin, the first lesson one should take from Jonah's story is that God has a unique plan for each of us. Every person has a task to do, an essential part of God's plan for the world. We can try to avoid it, and flee like Jonah, but we can never be fulfilled unless we are following God's plan.

The second lesson is that God has great mercy for us. Jonah directly went against God's orders, but God still saved him from a monster-whale, forgave him, and helped him convert the city of Ninevah. Like Jonah, we often flee from God, but He is always there to welcome us back and save us from our own sins.

The most important thing to take from Jonah's story is this: We live in Ninevah.

Not literally, of course. But figuratively, it is the same. Society has shunned God, and turned to evil and decadence instead. God is calling us, though. He is calling us to convert the people around us, to save our own personal Ninevahs from the evils of this corrupt world. Our mandate is very much like Jonah's. We all have a responsibility to spread the Good News of Christ, and to offer the world His love through our words and actions.

The last words of Matthew's Gospel sums up our job, saying:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

If God is with us always, we have no need to fear. He will guide us, and help us in our mission to convert the world. Welcome to Ninevah. Let's get started.

The Big Bang Machine, and Why You Won't Die Today

There has been speculation that a scientific experiment dubbed "The Big Bang Machine" might create a black hole that would suck up the Earth, bringing about the end of the world.

I wouldn't run off to receive last rites just yet though...remember the Word.

You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2

What does this tell us? It suggests that we will never predict the end times, so we should not worry about it. Rather, let us take confidence, that through his infinite love and mercy, the Lord God will save us on that day, and make efforts to better our lives everyday...

Not just days when scientists blow stuff up.

Where is your brother Abel?

The terrible depths to which humanity sinks can be found as early as the first book of the Bible, Genesis. While I do not interpret scripture literally, the divinely-inspired story exemplifies a great problem in the world today.

8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Lesson 1: Giving God a sarcastic answer is probably not a good idea. More importantly though, like Cain, God asks us the same question. Where is your brother Abel?

Think on this. Whom do we put off, thinking that they are not our responsibility. About whom do we answer God, "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Here are some examples of Abel in our lives:

1. Human rights victims in countries like China or Sudan
2. Underpaid factory workers in developing nations
3. That kid at the other lunch table who no one sits with

So, what do Chinese prison occupants, Indonesian Nike employees, and that kid with no lunch money have in common? A lack of lunch would probably be a common theme, but there is a more important connection: The system tells us it is okay to disregard these individuals.

The system relies on our ignorance, and our fear of responsibility. It tells us that we have the right to get ahead of everyone else, that we are entitled to the best of the best. With that mentality, starving people thousands of miles away matter less to us. "It is unfortunate for them," we might say, " but at least I managed to get ahead in life." Put bluntly, this is the wrong mentality. We are our brothers' keepers, but how do we fulfill this role?

Charity is a good start. Despite what many idealists might argue, money goes a long way in solving problems. Money is only part of the solution though. What the world needs is awareness. The world needs people willing to shatter the ignorance that the system covers us in, and willing to, as Ghandi once said, "be the change you wish to see in the world." That's two ideas, so let's start a list.

1. Give Charity
   
2. Raise Awareness

What else? A big step is Mission. Traveling in the name of Christ to another place, and working to make life better for the people living there is one of the greatest acts of love a person can participate in. Mission is long, it is hard, and it is exhausting; however, the love and grace you receive for your efforts always surpasses whatever effort you put in. Add it to the list...

1. Give Charity
2. Raise Awareness
3. Do Mission

The next step? Considering that a true Christian spirit is one that is welcoming and open to everyone, as Jesus was, approaching the world with a welcoming attitude is essential. Looking out for your brother might just be as simple as loving and respecting the people who harm him.

1. Give Charity
2. Raise Awareness
3. Do Mission
4. Be welcoming

One final idea. One cannot possibly fix the world unless he has fixed himself first. The final step in being your brother's keeper is the conscious act of being mindful of yourself, and your relationship with God. Without the love of Christ, we cannot hope to overcome the system's grasp on society. Without being in command of ourselves, we cannot possibly persevere through the millions trying to tear our brothers (and sisters, by the way) down.

1. Give Charity
2. Raise Awareness
3. Do Mission
4. Be Welcoming
5. Be Mindful

On a parting note, it may seem an overwhelming task to save the world. Does it seem that way? Good, because you're correct to feel this. The powers of sin and death hold this world tightly, and the masses have already surrendered. Though I would normally close with a biblical quote, I will instead turn to popular culture to conclude this entry. In the movie, "The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King" the stereotypical "good guys" face a monstrous army, outnumbered to a simply ridiculous degree. The good side's leader, Aragorn attempts to inspire his army before the battle in which they are all certain to die.

I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of Men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand.

Some would say the courage of men has already failed, but I disagree. All it takes is a few people willing to stand up for their beliefs to start the change in the world, to turn the tide back toward God. Like Aragorn's army, we also must fight. Some modern Catholic theologians speak of "spiritual combat", a never-ending war with the devil. We are called to fight this battle, to fight against whatever YOU call evil in the world. Satan, temptation, lies, mutated human nature, the system...any name will do. Fight it, defeat it, and the world will already be a better place.

Who am I?

Our cultural obsession with worldly things - money, power, sex, drugs, etc. - stems from many places. Because all of these things appear constantly on television, in music, and truly in all forms of popular culture, it's easy (and self-assuring) to blame our faults on these sources. What's more difficult is to see past this, and look at where these concepts originate. The T.V. networks will only show us what they think we want to see, which means that we all are partially to blame for this issue.

Accepting this, each individual shares in the responsibility of the world's problems. But how did we fail so greatly? Why are we so out of touch with our true nature? The answer: The world is experiencing a breakdown in "sense of self."

A person's identity is of the utmost importance. It is what makes you unique, and it dictates a great deal of how you lead your life. It influences how you act, who your friends are, and what you do with your time. Most importantly, all people share the need for God as an essential part of their identity. This type of identity is natural, and beautiful, but can easily be corrupted by negative influences. When we allow sin (lies) into our lives, we let our true identity as children of God be challenged. Who we really are becomes clouded by our own mistakes.

So what happens when our true self becomes obscured? The system steps in, and lies to us, trying to make us think the obscured sense of self is actually crystal clear. It tells us to do things we know are wrong, but makes them appear to be good. The result of this? Inner conflict. We begin to play roles that are not truly our identities. To clarify, an example:

An 18 year old girl has been brought up in a good household her entire life, and has been given a sound sense of right from wrong. Recently, however, her friends have begun to experiment with drinking and abusing drugs, and have been encouraging the girl to join them. The girl knows that these activities are dangerous, and a bad decision, but feels the need to fit in with her peers. The girl decides to participate, and soon falls into the same bad habits as her friends.

The girl in the story made the same mistake we all do. She saw something terrible be held up by others as great, and fell into it. Notice however, that the girl knew what she was doing to be wrong. Why did she do it? She felt a need to be one with her friends. She created an identity mask, covering up her true self, and putting forth an image to fit in with her friends. These masks are convincing; almost everyone uses them to hide who they really are, and eventually the individual may come to believe more in their masks than in themselves.

Let's break it down a bit. We know that everyone has a personal identity that is inherently good, and involves a personal relationship with God. We know that this identity can be challenged, and that we can create "masks" for ourselves, in essence becoming someone else to please others. Therein lies the breakdown of self-knowledge. The question: How can we fix it?

Simple: Be honest, be real. Consciously seek out who you are, and work for a closer relationship with God. There are many false goods in the world, and many people who seek to keep us from our true identities. Metaphorically speaking, there are many roads leading to nowhere, to an emptiness and lack of fulfillment.

How can we find the right path? Simple, we just listen.

5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

-John 14:5-7