Lent Reflections, Part 1 (Hopefully of Many)

Ho mangiato. È detto che il pieno non hanno il desiderio a cucinare per l'affamato. Ma questa non dovrà essere, perché Cristo, non me stesso, ha cucinato per me. Lui mi ha dato lui stesso, e io come lui divento.

I had originally decided to give up a number of things for Lent (including gtalk, aim, facebook, blogging, etc.), but depriving myself of those things did not cause me to become any more prepared for His Passion. In fact, I gained greater perspective and much-needed correction whilst engaging with others. After all, Lent can only be as personalized as our own walks with Christ, which aren't solitary at all. There has been one consistent theme I have seen throughout this past half-year, and it is the importance of the each member's relation to the rest of the body. Just as a lone verse that is plucked out of the Bible, each of our walks loses proper perspective and meaning when cut off from the rest of the body. One verse out of context is meaningless without the rest, as are each of our relationships with Christ without taking hold of his redemption of all our relationships with one another. What makes this analogy work? Jesus is the Word incarnate, and we are the body of Christ. We are to embody the Word, but can only do so together.

If we do not love one another, then Christ's life, death, and resurrection have accomplished nothing in us.

Lent

We have arrived to Lent.  In fact, I am late for it.  Not just by a day, but my entire life.

Why I hate birthdays

It's the same reason why Christmas and Easter are silly. Each day we, as Christians, should appreciate God-with-us (Christ's birth), sacrifice (death), and victory (resurrection). To a lesser extent, we should acknowledge and appreciate peoples' existence more often than once in a blue moon. We as Christians understand the true significances of those holidays because we know Him, appreciate what He means to us. Likewise, those of us who claim to be friends to one another should appreciate the entirety of the lives of one another. In a way, birthdays are like summaries - they don't do justice to the processes we've undergone and witnessed each other undergo to get to this point.

I'll be the first to say that I fail pretty hard at what I just talked about. At least, I want desperately to believe just that, believe that I haven't tried hard enough. Because it means I can at least blame my lack of close friends on myself - instead of being left with the conclusion that I really am just the odd one out, and not of my own volition.

And it all comes back to that. Why do I want other people to recognize my value? Why do I want to recognize the value of others? Why do I want others to appreciate my recognition of their value, and to appreciate others' recognition of mine?

The same reason blacks fought and continue to fight for equality. Why did they need human laws to acknowledge the worth they knew was inherent to them based on their belief in Scripture? The same reason we went and continue to go and make disciples of all nations. Why must we proclaim the Kingship of Christ that is made so evident in the Bible? Because heavenly wisdom should be good for earthly change, to make right what isn't. Repeating a truth doesn't make it any more or less true, but until we live it out, truth in a book stays in a book, no matter how true it is. Effectively, not absolutely, we make truths true by our actions.

Aight, ima lay it out for you

I often forget to charge my phone. I don't even know where it is right now. But nobody ever calls me, so I actually don't even need to charge it or know where it is.

My best friend, on most days, is the fucking sandwich in my hand. It doesn't fail to tell me what's up, whether it be turkey or ham with a spread of goat cheese on whole wheat. I show my appreciation by taking a huge bite out of it. This is love.

A volte, scrivo in italiano. È un'altra metafora per la nostra distanza. Sento come, anche in inglese, non sono capito.