mel-web

Even the most heated discussion ends with gained perspective.  Often the conviction (aka stubbornness) of any party involved sheds light on another possible ‘right’.  Sometimes we learn our perspective was wrong.  Some times we find more support for our current conviction.  Sometime we just agree that there is more than one way and neither is more right than the other.

All heated conversations start the same way: peacefully.  And that’s how it started last night.  But at one point someone shared an opinion that wasn’t shared by all.  I walked away at the point when I became overwhelming offended.  I collected my thoughts so that I could make a clear, strong, proper representation of my opposite opinion.  In doing so I used a stereotype that we were both in:  All sportbikers are stunt monkey, wild child, loose cannons.  We both take offense to that stereotype, and suddenly the tables are turned.  We’re all part of stereotypes.  Women can’t drive, sportbikers are crazy idiots, geeks don’t play sports, and the list goes on.

We’re so quick to judge based on surface or first impressions.  We learn their profession before we meet them and suddenly you have a prefixed idea of who they are, what they stand for, and where their morality is like.  Or we see they’re ‘fat and lazy’, or ‘a dumb blonde’, or just ‘dumb’, and refuse to show them the same respect as we do our friends.  Then when we get lumped in, though, we’re offended.  So do we really treat people the way we want to be treated?

Yes, it’s the golden rule… but from where did this awesome idea come from?  The bible of course.  Where else does such timeless advice come from?  Being that it’s Lent and a time in which we are supposed to be renewing and growing our faith, a little scripture seems appropriate.  In Matthew 22 Jesus was tested by the people who tried to trick him into giving precedence to the commandments as though some were more important than others.  Instead he summed them up into two, one of which is the famous golden rule.

Matthew 22:36-40  (English Standard Version)

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

SO.  I learned last night that I’m not seen by everyone I know as perpetuating and feeding the “girls can’t ride” stereotype.  Which I was feeling heavy about.  And so I hope to someday be a far better rider than I am now so that I can pin “girls can ride” up on my private list of overcome challenges.  I want to pin it right up there next to “Girls can catch and filet fish”, “Girls and code”, “Sportbikers are controlled, normal humans”, and “Geeks are active and athletic”.

I think also did a decent job of opening the eyes of someone else to a new perspective on stereotyping.  I can only hope that I’ve passed along some food for thought to you as well.

Jesus said, and I quote, “I am the way, the truth and the life”.

Three very strong points. All three are at the core of Christian perspective. Jesus is our teacher who gives us the path (aka: way) to true happiness by following His teachings on love and life. In crucification He defeated death so that we’ll always have life, both in Heaven with our Father, and a more fulfilling one here if we follow him. But the truth?

Sure we can say simply that Jesus did not lie. Or that Jesus was, and that is the truth. But truth is something that runs much deeper. And I dare say it’s harder to accept whole truth than a savior and teacher. It’s so easy to make God and/or His son our co-pilot, to have him serve us, fitting Him into our lives as we see fit. It’s so easy to say “God loves me even if I don’t do everything right” and allow that to be our reason for not doing ‘faithy’ things. And although it is true that He is always forgiving our short comings it’s not an excuse to allow us to not even try. We’re commissioned children, made in His image, to follow the teachings of a savior. And yet because we’re known to be imperfect we allow ourselves to be as imperfect as we see fit. I hardly think that’s living up to God’s wishes.

It’s a challenge to convince myself that worship service is for Him and not me. It feels so unnatural to pass on Jesus’ love when I am confronted with people I despise. It’s really hard to accept that everything the bible says is right, and I’m wrong. I don’t want to have to study the bible daily as though it were life sustaining food for my soul. And it’s near impossible for me to talk about God in front of most people. However, life is short. Eternity isn’t. That doesn’t leave me with much time to screw around. Perhaps it’s time I drop the excuses and read up on what it is that God expects of me for real instead of going off hearsay and selfishness. Care to join me?

February is going to be a month I spent learning about God’s expectations of Me and all His kids. Would you like to say the same about your February? Comment.