The Remedy Is a Dose of Apathy

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:41:00 -0500

Good is the enemy of great. Acceptable, the enemy of excellent.

While on the bus to work yesterday, I finished reading Follow Me to Freedom, a book co-authored by (or more accurately, a conversation between) one of my favorites Shane Claiborne of the Simple Way and John Perkins of the Christian Community Development Association. I’ve read quite a bit by Shane before, but I was unfamiliar with John Perkins or his immense passion and dedication to racial reconciliation. Reading Perkins’ stories made me much more educated, informed, and aware of race issues, especially those John encountered in Mississippi. I humbly and gratefully reflected that for the majority of my life in the Northeast-ish U.S., racism was not something I ran into very often.

Fast-forward to this morning’s bus commute. No sooner did we pull out from the bus stop, than a black man began loudly “preaching the truth” that he was “born and bred American, and it’s time to stop letting in so many [hispanics] or else we’ll end up like [Latin American Country] or [another Latin American Country].” He carried on until ~~the~~ my favorite bus driver sternly instructed him to quiet down. I felt a twang of guilt as I realized how, just a day ago, I wrongly dismissed racism as an issue from another time or place. Sure, it’s lightyears better today in Northern Virginia than it was half a century ago in the deep south. But “better” isn’t “perfect”, or even “great” or “ideal”.

How many ways do I settle for “acceptable” when I should be striving for “excellent”? My challenge to myself today. Join me.

Photo

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:49:50 -0400

Favoring big government implies you think people are stupid, and Chipotle is proof

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:10:00 -0400

Today I will take my last-ever law school exam: a 24-hour take home on Food and Drug Regulation. I ate lunch at Chipotle while reviewing what constitutes a food additive and whether certain ones qualify as GRAS (generally recognized as safe). My mouth danced with the flavors of fresh guacamole, savory onions, and spicy tobasco, and I glanced at my receipt indicating a payment of $6.65 for the burrito bowl. I was intensely struck with the reality that people who favor big governments, and specifically people who have a real fear that members of society would eat not-safe food additives but for government regulation, must really think people are dumb.

Let me back up. Having slept only three hours, gone for a 6+ mile run, and consumed nothing more than a bagel and cup of coffee, I decided I wanted an early lunch. Most of my study “meals” for the last two weeks have severely lacked nutritional value. I was sitting at Panera, because the internet in my apartment has been disconnected due to my imminent move-out. Knowing that Chipotle has both moderately high nutrition and insanely long lunch lines, I used the splotchy coffee-house connection to order my lunch in advance.

So then I found myself simultaneously contemplating both the delicious freshness and efficiency of my meal as well as the absurdity of imposing government regulations on the meaning of a safe food additive. Really? ~~Am I~~ Is anyone so stupid as to keep supporting a food business that makes people sick through unsafe food additives? I pay three times more for Chipotle than I would for Taco Bell, because to me, certain standards of quality and service are worth that cost.

The government didn’t need to tell me that I will feel more satisfied with a stomach full of rice and vegetables than with a stomach full of Gobstoppers and Runts.* I figure that out with my own experience. Likewise, Chipotle did not need the government to tell them they could charge more for fresher ingredients. Experience (meaning, transacting in a free market) teaches a business what works and what does not.

I get the argument that prohibiting unsafe food additives protects the naive consumer. But the reality is that consumers are not naive. Absent other absurd government regulations, products that aren’t good (whether for nutritional value or otherwise) fail. That’s how the free market works. Just like our personal experience informs our future choices on what works, so the experiences of innovative and value-adding businesses inform their future choices on what works.

Underlying almost all government regulation is the inseparable assumption that people are stupid. Regulations essentially say, “you’re too dumb to figure this out for yourself, so as the government we’ll make sure you’re taken care of.” Thanks, but no thanks. Let us figure it out for ourselves, please.

Now that I’ve effectively postponed studying and exam-taking, I think it’s time for me to buy more candy and get back to Food & Drug Reg.

*No joke: that was dinner last Friday.

I woke up feeling burdened to vent about the nature of man: are...

Fri, 06 May 2011 12:33:39 -0400

I woke up feeling burdened to vent about the nature of man: are we basically good, but we just mess up sometimes? Or are we basically bad, but capable at putting up a good front? Then I came across this video and decided to instead comment on how crazy it is to think such beauty came about by accident. Even if man is generally good, God is completely awesome. Look at his artwork, and I dare you to disagree.

istillshootfilm: Film Photography Submission By: Sean...

Fri, 06 May 2011 12:18:17 -0400

istillshootfilm:

Film Photography Submission By: Sean Molin

Cros Cheilteach by Sean Molin

This is the McKinney Celtic Cross at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Camera: Rolleiflex 3.5F Planar
Filter: Light Red
Film: Fijifilm Neopan 100 Acros
Developer: Kodak HC-110
Scanner: Epson v750 Pro

Website | Facebook | Flickr

Whenever I hear people say of fallen military “your lives...

Mon, 02 May 2011 13:00:00 -0400

Whenever I hear people say of fallen military “your lives were not lost in vain” I am sent on a long thought train to ponder the meaning and value of human life. Who gets to decide whether a life, lived or lost, is vain? Where does the standard come from?

Why I'm not celebrating Bin Laden's Death

Mon, 02 May 2011 12:54:00 -0400

While conservative media buzzes and complains that Obama gets credit for a project that started under Bush, I am unamused. Who cares? Such bantering between the left and right is not only typical and to be expected, but also indicative of how the stereotype that Americans think we’re better than everyone else has merit. Bin Laden’s demise was something that both sides of the aisle thought would be a good thing. (They differed on the question of, at what cost?) Now that it has come about, though, they immediately start to bicker about who gets credit. *Sarcastic slow clap* GOOD JOB, AMERICA.

So politics aside, how should Christians respond to Osama bin Laden’s death? Last night, as the twittersphere began exploding with news on the end of bin Laden, I had conflicted feelings. Certainly I can rejoice that no more death will occur on account of him. But does that mean I ought to celebrate the end of his life? Human life is priceless, and without claiming to be God - who among us can claim that one life has more value than another? (From here, I could easily digress into a long stream of thoughts on the nature of man, sin, the need for redemption, and a number of other related topics. I’ll save those for another day and focus on what the Bible has to say regarding the demise of your enemy.)

Proverbs 24:17 - Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.

Ezekiel 18:27, 32 - when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will safe his life… For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, declares the Lord God. Therefore, repent and live.

Matthew 5:43 - You’ve heard it said, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

The surface message is: death is an unpleasant thing, and we should not celebrate it - even when it is the death of an enemy.

But the underlying message is that God wants relationships with the people he created. And until death, that relationship is possible. Once death occurs, however, that lack of relationship is final.

On the idea of the relationship God wants: he wants a real, not forced, relationship. If that relationship is forced or entered into by coercion - it’s not really a relationship, is it? At least, to the extent a coerced relationship is real, it is probably not loving and filled with mutual care. In other words, if God forced you and me to be his friends, by coercion, then we wouldn’t have a meaningful, caring, loving friendship. God allowed us to fall in the garden, and thereby have sin enter the world, because he wanted relationships with people who want to be his friend. For that to happen after letting sin into the world, though, God had to create a path of redemption. The only way for God to know I actually want a relationship with him was for him to separate us by sin. And because of God’s nature, sin has to be accounted for. So he created the redemption plan through Jesus. Now, the only way for me to demonstrate that I actually want a relationship with God is to follow the Jesus redemption plan.

God wants that relationship with all of the people he created. But if a person dies before entering into that relationship, redemption is no longer possible. So again, I can rejoice in the fact that more lives will not be lost by bin Laden’s hand. But I cannot rejoice in the thought that another person is likely suffering eternal separation from God due to a death that was not preceded by redemption.

excisions: Enthralling Na Pali (by Walt K)

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:37:39 -0400

excisions:

Enthralling Na Pali (by Walt K)

Screw It, Here’s a Video of a Baby Penguin Being Tickled « Thought Catalog

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:50:44 -0400

Screw It, Here’s a Video of a Baby Penguin Being Tickled « Thought Catalog:

My favorite movie is Surf’s Up; I have an absurd attraction to penguins, and this 22-second video made my day.

Why Love is Core | Chuck De Groat

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:50:09 -0400

Why Love is Core | Chuck De Groat:

Whether we admit it or not, we all want to feel connected.

Dear world, Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate homosexuals. Sincerely, God.

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:44:03 -0400

Dear world, Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate homosexuals. Sincerely, God.

While running today, I encountered sidewalk hoggers....

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 23:55:00 -0400

While running today, I encountered sidewalk hoggers. Y’know - the people who fail to rearrange into single-file form, despite that someone is approaching from the opposite direction. I was running fast, by my standards, and in my attempt to transition from sidewalk to pavement, I bit the curb. Hardly missing a beat, and certainly not giving a thought about my pride - I hopped back up and continued on. Only a mile later, where I started running past people again, did I feel self-conscious. Everyone I passed stole glances at my knee. I looked at the small dab of blood on my lower palm, and concluded my knee couldn’t possibly be that bad, could it? When I finally slowed my pace to walk into my apartment building, I realized I had an entirely blood-soaked knee and shin.

Somehow, the “bruised knee” line from this song popped into my head as I cleaned my wound. Clearly, I bruised my knee in a much less exciting way than the girl writing this tune.

The Gospel is Offensive

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:00:06 -0400

The Gospel is Offensive

warpedphotos: Santa Barbara Sun and Palm Trees Along Highway...

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:00:06 -0400

warpedphotos:

Santa Barbara Sun and Palm Trees Along Highway 101

Pandora played this song for me on my “Laura...

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:16:49 -0400

Pandora played this song for me on my “Laura Marling” station, and it’s currently my theme song.

Why dogs are better than cats

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:49:58 -0400

Why dogs are better than cats

For the majority of this song’s duration, you wonder if...

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 20:38:49 -0400

For the majority of this song’s duration, you wonder if the songwriter is flipping the world off, or just making the case for an emotion-free existence. But in ~~typical~~ admirable Relient K fashion, the message runs much deeper. After telling us that we really shouldn’t care about impressive messes, the rationale makes a subtle strike:

But it’s so hard to see the reality
That the end will be the end of things
And our hearts are all we get to bring
So let’s go ahead and make them worth something

…

I’m well aware that everything
Is a far cry from all right
I’m well aware that all of us
Can at times, be too uptight
And possibly, the remedy
Is a dose of apathy
You point your finger at you
I’ll point mine right back at me

The cry for apathy is really not a call for apathy at all, but rather a call to responsibility; a call recognize that most of what we spend energy on is fleeting, temporal. A proper apathetic way to be is the way that puts life situations in perspective with an eternal existence.

Expanding on my Critique of Powlison | Chuck De Groat

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:03:27 -0400

Expanding on my Critique of Powlison | Chuck De Groat:

Sin is a systemic and relationally intertwined phenomenon. It is a neuro-psychological phenomenon. It is a biological phenomenon. And more.

I appreciate Chuck De Groat’s approach to combining psychology and theology. He hits the nail on the head in many shortcomings I perceive in modern Christian thinking, and articulates a convincing alternative frame of reference.

absentia: Maid of the Mist (by B0nes) Home sweet Niagara

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:28:58 -0400

absentia:

Maid of the Mist (by B0nes)

Home sweet Niagara

archikami: dancing bears and hipsters, it’s like two amazing...

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:00:07 -0400

archikami:

dancing bears and hipsters, it’s like two amazing worlds collide