Let's Not Make This Like Facebook
Like millions of others, I am "on Facebook." I started just to know about the technology, then to check up on my son (cheesy, I know), and then to find people. I felt insecure that I didn't have many "friends" so accepted a number of them, but they were students at my college who liked to post things like "I'm brushing my teeth," "I'm having a bad hair day," and "I'm standing in line at the grocery store." So now I just look for long-lost colleagues and friends and don't take any more students.
I said all that to say I'd like to post more randomly on this blog, but that seems too much like twittering. So I'll let the short, unconnected thoughts accumulate . . . and they have.
Last night my son and I went to a late showing of Star Trek. I expected a packed house--there were maybe nine in the theatre. And of course there were 20 minutes of trailers, all for what I call "blow-up" movies, films I know have a plot in there somewhere but mostly seem to be about creative destruction using CGI. Star Trek is not a movie for 53-year-old women, so what did I expect?
Finally the film started, and yes, it was very good. It's a Bad Robot production, so it would have to be, right? It took the backstories of the old Star Trek and did some interesting things with it in ways young people would like. And it didn't pretend to be really about anything--the great potential of mankind, the need for atheism, the wonders of a planetary UN (since the intraplanet one does so well, doesn't it?). No, it was just good storytelling that didn't stop. Worth seeing, but not worth pondering too much.
Today we went to a graduation party for a friend's son (Bryan College) and were treated to a nice "Japanese" lunch and the opportunity to connect with friends from high school days in Maryland. That was three lives ago. My first life was growing up in Maryland; my second life was working for a cult; my third life was raising my child; I guess I'm in my fourth life now, which is good timing. I have reached several professional goals and can take it easy.
I have been thinking about whether being a Christian makes one a better or worse human being. What a horrible thing to say, right? Obviously, being a good Christian makes one better morally and responsibly; a better citizen, worker, parent, spouse, or at least it should, if one is walking in true obedience based on correct teaching. (BIG IF). But sometimes I wonder if it being a Christian gets in the way of relating to people, just being human. I think it does when we are prone to guilt about not being uber evangelizer, which I am. Finding that winsomeness where we are walking with God in a way that talking about him in conversation just comes naturally and happily and truthfully, in no way forced or fake. Oh, how I want to be that person. I know being a Christian completes one's personality, but bad teaching and fear of other people and incorrect self-knowledge do so get in the way.
I say this because last night I could have gone to a party after graduation with my colleagues, many of whom would have been drinking and I really don't like being around a lot of people drinking just because they want to drink. So I decided to come home and go see Star Trek with my son who has been off at college. One part of me says I should be comfortable with the partiers and just go have fun and converse and not drink myself but show I'm a regular fun-loving human, blah, blah, blah. The other part says how many times do I get to go to a 10:20 movie with my grown son now and anyway I spend most of my life at work with these people!
I said all that to say I'd like to post more randomly on this blog, but that seems too much like twittering. So I'll let the short, unconnected thoughts accumulate . . . and they have.
Last night my son and I went to a late showing of Star Trek. I expected a packed house--there were maybe nine in the theatre. And of course there were 20 minutes of trailers, all for what I call "blow-up" movies, films I know have a plot in there somewhere but mostly seem to be about creative destruction using CGI. Star Trek is not a movie for 53-year-old women, so what did I expect?
Finally the film started, and yes, it was very good. It's a Bad Robot production, so it would have to be, right? It took the backstories of the old Star Trek and did some interesting things with it in ways young people would like. And it didn't pretend to be really about anything--the great potential of mankind, the need for atheism, the wonders of a planetary UN (since the intraplanet one does so well, doesn't it?). No, it was just good storytelling that didn't stop. Worth seeing, but not worth pondering too much.
Today we went to a graduation party for a friend's son (Bryan College) and were treated to a nice "Japanese" lunch and the opportunity to connect with friends from high school days in Maryland. That was three lives ago. My first life was growing up in Maryland; my second life was working for a cult; my third life was raising my child; I guess I'm in my fourth life now, which is good timing. I have reached several professional goals and can take it easy.
I have been thinking about whether being a Christian makes one a better or worse human being. What a horrible thing to say, right? Obviously, being a good Christian makes one better morally and responsibly; a better citizen, worker, parent, spouse, or at least it should, if one is walking in true obedience based on correct teaching. (BIG IF). But sometimes I wonder if it being a Christian gets in the way of relating to people, just being human. I think it does when we are prone to guilt about not being uber evangelizer, which I am. Finding that winsomeness where we are walking with God in a way that talking about him in conversation just comes naturally and happily and truthfully, in no way forced or fake. Oh, how I want to be that person. I know being a Christian completes one's personality, but bad teaching and fear of other people and incorrect self-knowledge do so get in the way.
I say this because last night I could have gone to a party after graduation with my colleagues, many of whom would have been drinking and I really don't like being around a lot of people drinking just because they want to drink. So I decided to come home and go see Star Trek with my son who has been off at college. One part of me says I should be comfortable with the partiers and just go have fun and converse and not drink myself but show I'm a regular fun-loving human, blah, blah, blah. The other part says how many times do I get to go to a 10:20 movie with my grown son now and anyway I spend most of my life at work with these people!
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