6 or 60000 degrees of separation? aka : strangers no more..

Human beings are no doubt connected. Ok check it.. I've been thinking about this whole "6 degrees of separation" thing. To fill you in, its a theory that says everybody in this world is connected somehow and separated by only 6 people. Interesting, right? Who came up with this?? What was the reason? I'm only curious because while it may or may not run true for everybody, it is a concept that I can work with or play around with. It reinforces my entire idea of everyone being connected. Our bodies being a part of one larger body. Every unit working together to serve a purpose. WHY ARE WE STRANGERS? Why is it we act that way? We see someone down the street and look to the ground. We see a long lost friend and pretend to be invisible. We see a coworker crying and pretend to be immune or oblivious. Are we better than one another? NO. not even a little bit. We are not strangers.. we are brothers. and sisters, and lovers.. We are the doctor and the patient, the construction workers and the contractors and the buyers. We are the producers and consumers. We are in debt and out of debt. insured and uninsured. We are alive an we are dead. We are deaf and blind and completely healthy. We are the used and the users, we are the abusers. We are the words, the speech, and the silence. We are free and we are trapt. We run and we falll. We are the disabled an we are ENabled. We are haters and liars but we are saints and lovers. We are drunk and sober - out of our minds and completely stable. WE ARE ONE. We are the fire and the fighter. The cop and the criminal. The priest and the killer and the saint. We are the happy and the damned, the gifted and not. WE ARE ONE. Strangers no more. How do we do it? Change one thing. Change many things. Direct or indirect? Why does it matter? When WE ARE ONE?

faking FAITH

Are we do-gooders or talk-gooders? We talk a big game about a lot of things. We sometimes even see and imagine the good that can occur, the change that can take place. More and more I'm starting to see that $$$$ is the ROOT of ALL EVIL. Hear me out though.. It's because it PREVENTS the good. Wow.. yea.. do you get it yet? Ok in case you don't, this is for you. So $$ is the root of all evil because it prevents the good. Not only because it blinds us and we make it an obsession and necessity. Not only because we start to love it so much and it makes us greedy. But think about why we don't drop our things and go into the city to feed the homeless - just for a day. Work. Why can't we leave our lives behind for a week and spend it with the less fortunate - the hungry? the dying? ... What about taking less than a month off and building a house with those at habitat for humanity? We can't.. we need $$. Sooo I'm guessing we're going to then forget about the 5 month trip to a third world country? You know, to take care, and hurt with, and love, and share to those who don't even have a meal to eat a day? Oh wait - you didn't know? There are actually people with less than 10 outfits to wear in this world. Did I say 10? I meant 5. And THAT is being idealistically optimistic. Following? Turns out, $ holds us back. But wait - God said and promised he would take care of us. What we eat and wear. Now... why exactly do we need so much more than that? Ah, cue... FAITH. "Now faith is the substance of things unseen..." $$ is tricky though. With faith, $ can provide for the good. Without it, it will prevent the good by preventing YOU. You are not held back by family, or friends, or school, or work. you are held back by your LACK OF FAITH.

are we BLIND? yea, guess so..

I GOT A QUOTE FOR YOU! READY? CHECK IT.. ITS ANONYMOUS FOR SOME REASON BUT HERE IT IS..... "Love is not blind, it simply enables one to see things others fail to see." Digging it? I am. Here's why: It's true. Read it again.. now one more time. Are you blind? My eyes are half opened. Why can't we open our eyes to the things that are really around us. Because honestly we are not just surrounded by people and schoolwork and bills and money or the lack of. We are surrounded by beauty and love and life in every aspect of what we do everyday. 

I'm talking about noticing that the leaves are starting to turn colors. The air that is getting crisper as each day flows into the next. What about the flowers that are slowly fading to nothing but branches? Maybe how standing in the sun in the midst of the cool air is probably one of the best places to be. Had enough nature? Ok now what about that person you've been ignoring? What about the unforgiven friend that's waiting on the other line of the phone? Are you going to keep pretending like you don't see that broken soul you pass by everyday asking for someone to just lend an ear? Can you relate at all? Realizing that you're blind yet?

NO? 400,000 people are dead in Darfur because we refuse to take action. Children halfway around the world are being sold as sex slaves. They need safe homes - but we need new clothes. They need counseling, but its okay - because we need a 3rd jacket. You know what makes it alright though? We can't see it. So why should it affect us?

I Corinthians 13 - read it. Maybe LOVE indeed IS the simple answer to life's most complex questions. Open your eyes - see the difference. See the hurt.

you know Judas?

You know, this is gonna be a weird parallel and it may have hit some of you already, perhaps I'm just slow.. I was reading the story of Jesus' betrayal in the gospels. Basically, Jesus had these 12 disciples that were basically His best friends. One of them, Judas Iscariot, during the time that they knew the Jews were looking to crucify Him, Judas told the soldiers that for 30 shekels of silver. He was planning to do this for a while, but all throughout this.. Jesus knew, He even called it out.. He said "One of you shall betray me..." Ok if I were in His shoes I'd stop it right there.. but i guess thats why I'm not. Ok so Judas handed Jesus, one of his beloved friends.. one of his BEST friends, over to be KILLED. WHAT? after all that Jesus had done for him and showed him and promised him? yea, pretty screwed up I know.. here is the kicker.. I.. and you.. yea, YOU... and me.. WE are Judas. We take those 30 shekels of silver every day. We kick sand in His mouth and turn Him over time and time again. But the weird part is that the story seems to be set on some kind of a rewind.. because it happens over and over and over.. and over. When we live for ourselves, when we are selfish, when we withhold love, when we laugh instead of help.. when we ignore instead of answer, when we tear down instead of building up.. we are taking the money. Who would've thought? We have something in common with good ol' Judas after all. Ready to press "stop" on this looping story yet?

after all this searching

after all this searching, we're sure to find something big right? i mean its a search we are all on. I'm not gonna delve into what each person is searching for cause hey that can be as numerous as the stars themselves.. but honestly now, what are we looking for? its gotta be something right? i mean we work hard everyday (except the days we dont..) but we are searching.. or how about PURSUING.. something. ah, yea.. the pursuit.. a little more relatable perhaps? either way you look at it, its still a journey that you are on.. this is a books worth of an idea right here but how do we find ourselves pushing and pursuing things? what are those things? do they matter? for a minute? for a month? for your life? for another's? for life..?

the ripple effect

yea, this is home.. an i'm finally where i belong.. where i belong "switchfoot-this is home"

yea i've been thinking a lot about the eternal perspective and how one thing we do here resonates into all of history almost. it could be something as small as buying another persona cup of coffee or just being there for someone when they need it the most but as the world continues to change i've noticed a shift into individualism more and more.. the world says all we need to care about is ourselves. every man for himself.. but this is why things are getting the way they are. do you notice the world moving towards improvement? with all our greatness and power and technology and knowledge. do you see something awesome happening? i don't. why are we getting less civilized almost when the opposite should be happening? I really think its disillusionment. we are so consumed by the idea that the world might just revolve around us that we wear blinders to the things that are happening around us, the people around us. WHY SHOULD WE CARE? cause these people are our brothers, our sisters. other human beings.. we should care because as much as we may not like to think about it, we are all connected someway, somehow.. and if we could help one other person out just by inconveniencing  ourself just a little bit.. then why the hell not? 

hope is up to you

hope includes believing, loving, living. it is optimistic and sometimes unrealistic. hope is passionate and creative. hope is disproportionate sometimes. hope is dreaming. it is unique. it is lasting and fading. hope is change - but we need to be change. we get too into hoping for things to happen. i'm sure you've heard the corny little expression "don't wait for things to happen, go out and happen to things." silly and simple though it be, it has its roots in truth. we can't hope for something and then not do anything to achieve it. we need to chase after these hopes and dreams passionately and fervently. they don't come out of nowhere. if you want real results, real work and attitude is needed. no its not simple and don't take this as some watered down garbage because its not. my point is this - don't hope for things without action. hope calls for action. we all have hope, but its our responsibility to instill hope in others. make sure they don't lose that hope. i have seen eyes void of hope.. its not a pretty thing. if we lose it what are we left with? encourage each other.. INVEST some time in one another. share yourself, share love, share hope.

STEP DOWN

i dare you to wash someone else's feet. figuratively? literally? does it matter? the point is, how about we take a day or so and just give others priority over ourselves? and yea this does tie into the last post very much so. but the entire idea of being lower than others stems from the concept of love. and now you dont want me to get started on love because i will fill up 10 blogs talking about it. but basically the idea of love is just that. you place importance on showing people so much respect almost that you just start being there for them, and realizing you are better than NO ONE. nothings separates you from another person. no matter how many organizations you are in, charities you support, good deeds you have done. take yourself off the pedestal and give it to someone else. Because when it all comes down to it, they could deserve it a lot more than you. AND ME. i'm not excluded from any of this, i gotta do the same thing. sacrificial living. living the life we were called to live? not full of priorities, but making others our priority. a flaming love that lights everything that it touches on fire.

Obsessed with YOURSELF.

Why are we so self obsessed? Selfish? Do you deny it? I didnt think so. It's something i've been thinking about for a while now and then it was touched on to a degree tonight. We see nothing but ourselves. My clothes, my car, my job, my life, my friends. MINE MINE. It's all ours. We see everything as ours and are willing to share nothing but what sucks is that this applies to our time and selves to. we don't share our time and we dont share our selves. There are people dying around us, reaching our all over the place. Go ahead. say that there aren't. but wait before you do.. OPEN YOUR EYES. We're part of this aching world that is bleeding bleeding so much.. and should we have nothing to do with it? We need to reach out a little bit more. put OTHERS before ourselves for once. We don't always have to come out on top. maybe for once, we can help someone else reach their goals - help someone else come out on top. Maybe we can create a smile or wipe a tear - maybe we can listen for a second instead of filling the air with static-like noise. Instead of putting blinders on and looking forward in tunnel vision, we can take them off and see how bad the tunnel looks, along with how many people are right there with us. Next time you get into a fight, let the other person win. Because in the end, what do you really have to lose? Your pride? I think we can all afford to lose a little bit of that. bleeding yet?

lifeless pursuit

its so easy to get caught up in this pursuit of life, love, and happiness. its because a lot of times it seems like and looks like we've found these things. but then unfortunately reality hits us and we realize that we're nowhere near truth and love and life and everything else. so we press on, don't we? i think we forget at times to take a little time out and enjoy the things around us. we become so accustomed to accumulating things, striving for things, setting goals for ourselves! because that's what we're supposed to do, right? to an extent i suppose. but then why are you so lost? why does it feel like there is little to no direction in your life and that maybe life is at a standstill. or maybe you are at a crossroad with a few different options. take one? which one? this is what happens ALL THE TIME. we get so caught up with life that we forget to live. we are always looking at the destination. we gotta work until we can afford THIS. go to school to get THIS. get a promotion so i can be THIS. AH WHAT VANITY. who trained us to act like this? how did we possibly get spoofed into believing that this is all there is to life? where did the enjoyment go? the good company of friends? the mindset that ALL THERE IS is the PRESENT. living in the moment. not reaching so badly for that destination, but simply taking pride and joy - even excitement and eagerness in the JOURNEY. 

don't give up on dreams. but stop chasing them like they are all that you have or will ever have, because when all is said and done you are right now. you have right now and im prayin that sooner or later you being to realize.. that it's in the journey.

YOU ARE A MATERIALIST

take a look around for a second because this gets me pretty angry. and whats worse is that i fall into it a lot of times to. we are all materialists. materialism has taken over our society and minds in an attempt to destroy or diminish anything of real or lasting value. the latest gadgets that come out .. do you have them? the newest cars.. are we drooling over them yet? the abundance of clothes that fill our wardrobe.. are we failing to realize something here? billions. yea, billions of people would want to trade lives with us in a second. if we could only get it through our thick skulls that we are NOT the only people that matter, maybe then we would spend less time and money shopping, acquiring things that provide instant gratification but no real lasting contentment. are we not aware that we are just feeding into what the media is drilling into our heads? that we need to stay on top of our games, because the "real world" or the "professional or school" world tells us we need to? why are we in such competition? and with whom? is it really just ourselves that we compete against? what a sad story. the fact that you have a job.. the fact that you are reading this right now.. and have more than your share of outfits.. or car.... the reality is that any ONE of these things, not even all of them, puts you at a better spot and grants you bragging rights about a better lifestyle than over half the world's population. what the hell gives us the right to keep wanting more and keep giving less? selfish individuals that we are... maybe if everything we touched turned into gold.. 

the momentary lifestyle

its flashy, its expensive, it's gotta be fun at times. it's addictive and holds out no promises. its a trick and a game. its win win now and lose a little later. it's glamourous and alluring. it is nonchalant and popular. but it is also repetitive. it is superficial and meaningless. it is appealing to the naked eye but places you no place above another. this lifestyle i'm talking about - yea i want to try it sometimes, i mean who doesn't? the pictures don't lie, look. they're all having "fun". but what is it wrapped around? is it wrapped around any concrete, permanence? is there any definitiveness that promises a better edge, a more unique lifestyle? noo take that a way and a life crumbles, falls to bits. why do we get sucked in to this assimilation? what are we left with in the end? 

overworked and underthought

we as a society are overworked - we're work-aholics and we're not that afraid to admit it. everybody craves the busy lifestyle that demands that you go one place to another and just drift through. fill the time you have each day with one thing after another. fill the time in between that with tv, movies, and music. we wonder why we become like zombies - falling into the same routine day in and day out. THIS IS WHY. its scary how unfulfilling life has become for us - but putting that aside for a second or more .. we don't want to think because it takes too much time. its depressing sometimes, and most of the time we feel like we're never getting anywhere. thinking about everything going on in your life. 

when was the last time you actually sat to down to reflect? AH these freakin reflection times don't exist anymore BECAUSE we drown it out!! i drown it out with music. i let that think for me. i love it, and i dont necessarily think theres something wrong with it once in a while but WOW. we DEPEND on this stuff now to get us through the day. God forbid we think about someone we haven't talked to in a while and make an effort to get into touch. and whats more - what happened to our young ambition? has it really disappeared? are we really going to let work over take our lives? or are we gonna live? and for who?