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.