Why?
Why am I curious? Why do I want to study and know more about science and about people and about the bible and about God? Why do I ask questions and challenge a system of living set up from generations of tradition? Why do I challenge others? Why do I challenge myself?
I recently watched one of my favorite movies from high school called "The Island" starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Survivors of the apocalypse are found and taken to a rehabilitation facility where they are kept healthy. Lucky ones get to win a lottery to go to an uncontaminated paradise called "The Island." Eventually everyone there will do go The Island except for the works dedicated to finding survivors and keeping the facility running.
The survivors have regular day jobs, a nice home, wonderful recreational and workout facilities, almost a paradise getaway of its own.
While at work one day, Obi Wan's character, Lincoln, and another survivor named Jones are injecting nutrients into flow lines and the following dialog occurs:
"Jones, do you ever get board doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"This."
"I never really thought about it."
"I've thought about it a lot."
"About what?
"This boring job. What are we doing here anyway?"
"They say that we're feeding the nutrient lines. We need food; food's got to have vitamins, right? It's good for us."
"You never wonder about anything?"
<Awkward pause>
"Where do these tubes go?"
"They start there, and they go right there."
Lincoln has this base drive that says there is more to this world than following the system.
There is more meaning to life than "food's got to have vitamins."
---
Why did a group of scientists from around the world spent billions of dollars to recreate conditions similar to the beginning of the universe in order to determine the existence of the Higgs boson?
Why are they going to spin this expensive machine up again to get conditions even closer to the big bang?
Why did another group of scientist point one of the most expensive orbital telescopes into an empty part of space in the 1990's and take a picture of nothing?
Why did another group of scientists later spend billions of more dollars to image the edge of the observable universe with an infrared telescope?
These scientists, driven by the same curiosity, are looking towards the beginning of time and space to further understand why things work the way they do. They are looking to answer age old questions like why gravity works - something that we know and measure and exploit so easily.
"They start there, and they go right there."
They are looking for a deeper more intimate understanding of the way that the universe works. Maybe, sometime in the future, we will use that information to build something good. Maybe that information will just remain as an interesting tidbit and nothing more.
Nevertheless, there is beauty in discovery, in learning; somehow it brings us more intimately closer with the way things simply are. Somehow it answers questions that allow us to better live.
---
Why am I interested in studying the Text?
Why do I challenge the systems and the traditions and the teachings of the church and our culture?
The Jewish sages of old taught that the foreigner who know the Scriptures is greater than the High Priest who didn't. Today, they might say that a gangster that knew the bible is greater than even a pope who didn't.
I'm not saying that Pope Francis doesn't. Do you get the picture though?
Studying the scriptures is a way to really get to know God.
Think about it. The passion to study the scriptures to get to know God is much similar to the same passion that drives you to really get to know your spouse.
When you're single, it's more than finding out if they fit your model of an ideal partner.
When you're dating, it's more than finding out how to impress them.
When you're engaged, it's more than finding out what song they would like to dance to.
When you're married, it's more than finding out where to go to dinner.
A drive to really get to know your spouse is so much more than that.
It's really getting to know what and how they think.
It's really getting to know how they will react in a certain situation.
It's really getting to know how to make them smile.
It's really getting to know their dreams and passions.
It's really getting to know how to apologize to them.
It's really getting to know how to love them.
In much the same way, that is the passion that I have to get to know God.
Paul said to become an imitator of God, living a life of love like the Messiah.
The same ancient sages said to be like the rabbi, you must walk so closely with him that you are literally covered in the dust from his sandals.
Let's know who Jesus is and be covered in his dust.
---
Why do I reflect?
What better way to really get to know how I am?
I reflect to take my past and use it to form and push my to better myself.
That means rejoicing in the blessings that God has given me.
That means remember the struggles.
That means remember my hopes and dreams and ideas.
There is no better way to grow than fighting through the struggles and battles of oneself.
This helps me see the path of life in front of me.
This reminds me of the goals and dreams and people to fight for.
This is a constant reminder to explored, to learn, to grow.
All things are possible through the Redeemer.
---
An ancient songwriter once wrote, "Your word is a light unto my path." and "You lead me to green pastures."
These words make more sense as an adult and after seeing what a Jewish shepherd would call a "green" pasture in Israel.
Life is not like it is as a child. As a child we have clear goals to achieve and paths to walk. It was clear that your mission in life is to become an adult, grow up, study through school, and graduate college someday. Everything was set in your path in front of you to achieve this goal and requirement. While you may have decided what college to go to and what to study, that was it.
A clear path.
As an adult, there is no clear guidance, only to live.
Now, that ancient song suddenly begins to make since. A lamp unto my feet and green pastures means that many times, the only clear thing is what to do today.
A light to see my next step.
Enough grass to survive today.
Even the birds don't worry.
---
Why do I challenge other people?
Why do I press what you believe and what you do?
I want for you especially those that are close to me the same thing that I want for myself.
To have an answer for why you do what you do, why you believe what you believe, why you dream what you dream. To have more of an answer than simply because. To have answers that we have made our own more than simply accepting a culture's or a church's or a society's norms and standards.
To be curious about life.
To truly know who God is.
To grow and be better people.
To truly love God.
To truly love other people.
---
It turns out that the "survivors" of the apocalypse are really just clones of wealthy people to a perfect organ donor when the original person becomes sick. "The Island" is just a pseudonym for when they will be killed and harvested.
In the end, McGregor and Johansson's characters set all of the clones free.
So now what?
Life will be much harder and much more confusing than it was. They were living in a kind of paradise. No worries, no fears. Jobs, money, food, shelter, friendships, and luxuries all guaranteed. Now they are free.
---
I ask questions.
I study the scriptures.
I demand answers.
More often then not, I will walk away with more questions.
With more lumps in my throat.
With more thoughts and words to chew on.
But life is more rich. There's light on my feet. There's food for today.
Walk with me and let's ask questions and seek answers.
Let's leave the room with another question on our tongue.
Let's be covered in the dust of the Messiah.
Why am I curious? Why do I want to study and know more about science and about people and about the bible and about God? Why do I ask questions and challenge a system of living set up from generations of tradition? Why do I challenge others? Why do I challenge myself?
I recently watched one of my favorite movies from high school called "The Island" starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Survivors of the apocalypse are found and taken to a rehabilitation facility where they are kept healthy. Lucky ones get to win a lottery to go to an uncontaminated paradise called "The Island." Eventually everyone there will do go The Island except for the works dedicated to finding survivors and keeping the facility running.
The survivors have regular day jobs, a nice home, wonderful recreational and workout facilities, almost a paradise getaway of its own.
While at work one day, Obi Wan's character, Lincoln, and another survivor named Jones are injecting nutrients into flow lines and the following dialog occurs:
"Jones, do you ever get board doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"This."
"I never really thought about it."
"I've thought about it a lot."
"About what?
"This boring job. What are we doing here anyway?"
"They say that we're feeding the nutrient lines. We need food; food's got to have vitamins, right? It's good for us."
"You never wonder about anything?"
<Awkward pause>
"Where do these tubes go?"
"They start there, and they go right there."
Lincoln has this base drive that says there is more to this world than following the system.
There is more meaning to life than "food's got to have vitamins."
---
Why did a group of scientists from around the world spent billions of dollars to recreate conditions similar to the beginning of the universe in order to determine the existence of the Higgs boson?
Why are they going to spin this expensive machine up again to get conditions even closer to the big bang?
Why did another group of scientist point one of the most expensive orbital telescopes into an empty part of space in the 1990's and take a picture of nothing?
Why did another group of scientists later spend billions of more dollars to image the edge of the observable universe with an infrared telescope?
These scientists, driven by the same curiosity, are looking towards the beginning of time and space to further understand why things work the way they do. They are looking to answer age old questions like why gravity works - something that we know and measure and exploit so easily.
"They start there, and they go right there."
They are looking for a deeper more intimate understanding of the way that the universe works. Maybe, sometime in the future, we will use that information to build something good. Maybe that information will just remain as an interesting tidbit and nothing more.
Nevertheless, there is beauty in discovery, in learning; somehow it brings us more intimately closer with the way things simply are. Somehow it answers questions that allow us to better live.
---
Why am I interested in studying the Text?
Why do I challenge the systems and the traditions and the teachings of the church and our culture?
The Jewish sages of old taught that the foreigner who know the Scriptures is greater than the High Priest who didn't. Today, they might say that a gangster that knew the bible is greater than even a pope who didn't.
I'm not saying that Pope Francis doesn't. Do you get the picture though?
Studying the scriptures is a way to really get to know God.
Think about it. The passion to study the scriptures to get to know God is much similar to the same passion that drives you to really get to know your spouse.
When you're single, it's more than finding out if they fit your model of an ideal partner.
When you're dating, it's more than finding out how to impress them.
When you're engaged, it's more than finding out what song they would like to dance to.
When you're married, it's more than finding out where to go to dinner.
A drive to really get to know your spouse is so much more than that.
It's really getting to know what and how they think.
It's really getting to know how they will react in a certain situation.
It's really getting to know how to make them smile.
It's really getting to know their dreams and passions.
It's really getting to know how to apologize to them.
It's really getting to know how to love them.
In much the same way, that is the passion that I have to get to know God.
Paul said to become an imitator of God, living a life of love like the Messiah.
The same ancient sages said to be like the rabbi, you must walk so closely with him that you are literally covered in the dust from his sandals.
Let's know who Jesus is and be covered in his dust.
---
Why do I reflect?
What better way to really get to know how I am?
I reflect to take my past and use it to form and push my to better myself.
That means rejoicing in the blessings that God has given me.
That means remember the struggles.
That means remember my hopes and dreams and ideas.
There is no better way to grow than fighting through the struggles and battles of oneself.
This helps me see the path of life in front of me.
This reminds me of the goals and dreams and people to fight for.
This is a constant reminder to explored, to learn, to grow.
All things are possible through the Redeemer.
---
An ancient songwriter once wrote, "Your word is a light unto my path." and "You lead me to green pastures."
These words make more sense as an adult and after seeing what a Jewish shepherd would call a "green" pasture in Israel.
Life is not like it is as a child. As a child we have clear goals to achieve and paths to walk. It was clear that your mission in life is to become an adult, grow up, study through school, and graduate college someday. Everything was set in your path in front of you to achieve this goal and requirement. While you may have decided what college to go to and what to study, that was it.
A clear path.
As an adult, there is no clear guidance, only to live.
Now, that ancient song suddenly begins to make since. A lamp unto my feet and green pastures means that many times, the only clear thing is what to do today.
A light to see my next step.
Enough grass to survive today.
Even the birds don't worry.
---
Why do I challenge other people?
Why do I press what you believe and what you do?
I want for you especially those that are close to me the same thing that I want for myself.
To have an answer for why you do what you do, why you believe what you believe, why you dream what you dream. To have more of an answer than simply because. To have answers that we have made our own more than simply accepting a culture's or a church's or a society's norms and standards.
To be curious about life.
To truly know who God is.
To grow and be better people.
To truly love God.
To truly love other people.
---
It turns out that the "survivors" of the apocalypse are really just clones of wealthy people to a perfect organ donor when the original person becomes sick. "The Island" is just a pseudonym for when they will be killed and harvested.
In the end, McGregor and Johansson's characters set all of the clones free.
So now what?
Life will be much harder and much more confusing than it was. They were living in a kind of paradise. No worries, no fears. Jobs, money, food, shelter, friendships, and luxuries all guaranteed. Now they are free.
---
I ask questions.
I study the scriptures.
I demand answers.
More often then not, I will walk away with more questions.
With more lumps in my throat.
With more thoughts and words to chew on.
But life is more rich. There's light on my feet. There's food for today.
Walk with me and let's ask questions and seek answers.
Let's leave the room with another question on our tongue.
Let's be covered in the dust of the Messiah.
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