Here we go again, another confession: I have never been trick-or-treating. Yes, it's true. I have never rung a doorbell, popped someone's eardrums with a resounding "TRICK OR TREEEEET!!", or played man-hunt in the dark wearing a pirate's hat. The reason is quite simple, but at first, questionable: I have never been allowed. Ever since I was very little, and all my friends would invite me for their annual jaunt around the neighborhood, I would always kindly decline, saying that "We don't believe in Halloween." Even today in tenth grade, when I was invited to go, my mom said I couldn't, for the same reason I gave in preschool: we don't believe in Halloween.
This is by nature a confusing statement. It's unclear, it's frustrating, and it's downright politically incorrect. But is it wrong? This article makes several good points about Halloween. It explains its origins in a detailed, educated way, making a quasi-apt comparison to the modern traditions of Christmas. I say quasi, because though on the surface the comparison makes sense, test it with a little logic, and the whole thing falls apart. It is very likely that Halloween started as the Celtic holiday Samhain, which was then transformed by missionaries into the Catholic celebration All Saint's Day, or All Hallowed Day, with the preceding celebration of All Hallow's Eve. And of course, with our English habit of messing up our vocabulary, has been verbally corrupted to Halloween. Christmas underwent a similar, but not exact, transformation. Instead of turning a pagan holiday into a Christian one, the Christian holiday absorbed pagan attributes to better appeal to the lost. Red and green were Roman traditions; holly, mistletoe, and the Yule log were German; and caroling was a Celtic bardic tradition. The Early Church already celebrated Christmas; they didn't make up a holiday to account for a previously existing pagan one. Instead, they added pagan traditions to Christmas. This is the fundamental problem that spurs on many more in the rest of this article. Christmas began as and remained a Christian holiday; Halloween began as a pagan one, and was adapted for holier purposes.
The basic theology of the two holidays is very different. Christmas was always a celebration of Christ's birth, while Halloween was morphed from a "day of the dead and of devils" to a "christian" holiday. This is reflected especially in how the holidays are treated today. Cashiers at Walgreen's are forbidden from saying "Merry Christmas" because it is a religious term. But are they not allowed to say "Happy Halloween"? No, because it is not a holiday with religious underpinnings. As admirable as the Early Church's attempts at converting this holiday were, those attempts have failed over time, degenerating into a night full of gluttony and ungodly intentions. Although Christmas certainly has suffered under the weight of secularity, it has not fallen as far as Halloween. In the end, I stand by my original statement: I don't believe in Halloween. It was a day of the devil, and despite attempts to reform it, it still is. Nothing or very little about this day glorifies God, and though I have nothing against churches that host "Trunk or Treats" and "Fall Festivals" instead, so many of the typical Halloween characteristics pervade even these "christian" alternatives. When so many attempts to convert this holiday have been made, and so many have failed, it shows that Halloween retains its original, pagan intent, and I cannot participate in something that is so clearly not honoring God.
I have a confession to make. At rare moments, usually between the times of 2 and 9 a.m., and especially when I am without caffeine, I can be very blonde. Aggravatingly so, sometimes. It was during one of these rare, sans coffee moments that a very forgiving Regan H. mentioned "bowling", and I piped up with a ditzy "What bowling?"
"Bowling with Special Olympics," she said matter-of-factly.
In a rush, I remembered. Several weeks back, Mr. M had mentioned the sophomore class was going to go bowl with some special needs folk, and, in my hectic, Oh-golly-I-forgot-my-math-homework-I-can't-think-of-much-else stupidity, I filed it in the back cabinet and completely forgot about it. Until, that is, Regan reminded me. My whole day made a U-Turn in .5 seconds.
I'd had a bad day the day before, and had gotten little sleep, and had come to school determined to have a remarkably awful day. Suddenly, that whole plan changed. And, to my lasting surprise, the first thing I thought of once I worked out the important things (like what I was going to do for lunch when I had no money), was a verse. Jesus told a parable about a King and his servants in Matthew 25:35-40:
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"
Oh, that sure did it. Me and my bad day had just gotten a kick in the behind by God almighty Himself, and I could do nothing about it. So I plastered on as good a smile as I could muster, and trudged onto the bus to go bowling.
Well, long story relatively short, very little and a whole lot happened in four hours. I met Kelly, Ricky, Jeff, and Jon, four men of varying ages and personalities that God had created to be very unique. Kelly is confined to a wheelchair, can only move his arms and head, and has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. Ricky cannot talk or keep still, but he sure can anticipate. Every time we picked up the ball from the ball return, he'd rub his hands together and just grin and grin as we moved over to the ramp. Jeff wears a football helmet, has a personal helper, and can't talk either, but he sure can shove a bowling ball down a ramp with gusto. Finally, Jon can't talk or walk very well, but he loves running, dancing, and holding hands with anyone who will.
What really surprised me about each of these men was their joy in the simplest of things. The ball zooming down the ramp fascinated Jeff; Kelly laughed whenever he hit anything, including the gutter; Jon just wanted to dance to the scraps of music he could hear on the stereo. None of these men can comprehend anything more complex than baby talk, but they recognize the oft unnoticed joys in life we "normal" people ignore.
In my eyes, there is absolutely nothing wrong with these men or those others like them. God has simply granted them a different knowledge than He has us: He created them to be the lovers of simplicity at its finest, and to show those simplicities to those around them.
All in all, I had a fantastic day. I saw in action the principle that serving others is the greatest joy, and that the greatest joys are often the ones I don't even see there.
When I was little, I watched this show called Stanley and the Great Big Book of Everything. The main character, a little boy named Stanley, would hop into this big book and go on crazy adventures in far away lands with talking animals. The show had a little ditty that Stanley would sing every time he opened the book: "It's, the, Great Big Book of Everything, with everything inside! See the world around us, this book's the perfect guide!" It wasn't long before my brother and I caught on to the theme, and christened our Dad's one-volume Brittanica Encyclopedia The Great Big Book of Everything. Now, my math-and-science-are-the-best-ever brother typically saw our Big Book as a gateway into the mysteries of Archimedes and Einstein. Not me. The monstrosity of knowledge that is the Brittanica Encyclopedia was a catalog of the best literature, most influential figures, and mightiest myths in human history just ripe for the taking. My brother saw the encyclopedia as a book of "how"; I saw it as an answer to "why".
Andy Braner's first session in chapel caught me by surprise. To be honest, I expected just another youth pastor who would probably say hi, cite a few examples, then launch into an inspiring, but familiar, declamation of the Gospel. Maybe I'd cry a little, hug a little, and find a new favorite Scripture, but at the end of the day, nothing would truly change. Andy really surprised me. I have always been a "why" person; it's one of the main reasons I love reading and writing so much. Those activities allow me to explore the reasons why, and to find whatever answers I can. "How's" drive me crazy. I hold a great respect for people who have the patience and knowledge to puzzle through the numerous "how's" of the world, but at the end of the day, it's not the "how's", but the "why's" I stare at my ceiling and think about for hours before bed. It's the "why's" that drive me to dig through massive volumes, searching for the smallest detail that will tip the balance of a debate. It's the "why's" that I will never stop asking, especially to God.
The Bible is a book built for "why's". Its story is so outrageous, so unbelievable, we can't help but ask why. Why would Christ die for us? Why would God let it happen? Why is there sin in the first place? Ever since I first became a Christian, my mind has been filled with questions like these, but I have hesitated to answer them. I have been raised in a strong Christian home, but my church home was constantly changing. Every time we moved, we'd search and pray for a new church, and usually God would provide us with a good one. But not every church holds the same ideals as another church, even ones within the same denomination. As a young Christian, I learned that when I had questions about God, I should ask my pastor or Sunday School teacher. But then we'd move, and I wouldn't know my new teacher, and therefore wouldn't have the confidence to ask questions for fear of looking ignorant. Then you'd throw in the occasional church that condemned doubt as sin, and pretty soon I came to the conclusion that asking questions about God was a bad idea. And yet, what could I do? I still had all those "why's" clamoring about in my head, begging to be answered. I would try to subdue them, telling myself that "All things work for the good of those who love God" and that my questions didn't matter. God knows what He's doing was my mantra when a new question arrived. Soon I was stuck in a slough of passive reassurance, and my faith was suffering because of it.
This is not an unheard of situation. New Christians are often barraged by doubts and questions, from both themselves and others. But even mature Christians can still come across some new aspect of life that forces them to question what they believe. On the surface, this can seem like doubt. But in fact, asking questions is one of the best ways to strengthen your faith. "Faith without works is dead", and faith without support is like Jello: wobbly, wiggly, and easily dissolved. We have to know that what we believe is true, or in our minds, it won't be. For example, say you were about to walk across a bridge blindfolded. No one has told you anything about this bridge other than that it exists and that you have to cross it. You don't know if it has supports, if it has guide rails, if it's colored blue. What would you do? Would you continue to walk across without any more information? Or would you ask for more details about what you were putting your faith in? Asking those questions does not show doubt in the bridge; it shows that you want to know what the bridge is like. In the same way, asking questions about God does not display doubt. Wanting to know more about Him is one of the goals of Christianity. God is not an unknowable being who is separate from the world. He wants to know us, and wants us to know Him. Who can tell us more about God than God?
Also, questioning your faith can not only help strengthen it, but also help you know how to defend it. Our world is full of lies and real doubts; if we don't know what it is we believe, how can we defend it? Questions and Christianity go hand in hand. Andy addressed this aspect of our faith in a way I had not heard before. He's not afraid of asking the "why" questions, and it has made his faith all the greater. His discussions have been a great encouragement to me to keep asking questions, and to encourage others to do the same.
I'll bet you money we've all seen it: Veggie Tales' Dave and the Giant Pickle, the watered-down, funnied-up vegetable version of the story of David and Goliath. Ya know, the one with the sheep that fall over, the brothers that like pizza, the peas that talk with subtitles because you can't understand their French accents, and the little asparagus that knocks over this hairy, 50-foot tall pickle. Gotta love it. I was raised on a healthy diet of Veggies, and Dave was and still is one of my very favorites. Stories from the life of King David have always fascinated me; this young man grew from a lowly shepherd to one of the greatest kings in the history of Israel. He was a murderer, a liar, a thief, and an adulterer, yet he is called a man after God's own heart. What an amazing way to be remembered.
Specifically, one of my favorite aspects of David's life was his friendship with Jonathan. David and Jonathan most likely met when David began serving Jonathan's father, King Saul. After David killed Goliath and began gaining fame in Israel, Saul became jealous and suspicious of David, and began hunting him down as a criminal. Throughout all of this, David and Jonathan remained loyal friends. Jonathan even aided David in escaping Saul! In 1 Samuel 20, David comes to Jonathan and asks why his father is hunting him. David fears greatly for his life, and begs Jonathan to help him. Although he knows it will count as betraying his father, Jonathan agrees, and together they set up a plan to warn David of Saul's intentions, and to get David away before anything can happen. The entire passage is a tribute to these mens' friendship, love, and loyalty. "Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever,'" says 1 Samuel 20:42. David kept his promise to his friend. Many years later, after both Jonathan and Saul had died, and David was an old man, he asked if there were any descendants of Saul he could show kindness to. He was told that Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet. Immediately, David had Mephibosheth and his whole family brought to David's palace and given places of high honor. David's loyalty to Jonathan lasted far longer than just the time they were together. This is one quality of friendship I truly admire.
I will never hesitate to say that keeping friends is hard when you move so often. More often than not, it's my own fault that I fall out of contact with friends after we move. I get so wrapped up in my own life that I forget about or ignore theirs. I have lost so many wonderful friends this way. Despite the abundance of technology we have today, I still have trouble keeping up with friends. For as much as I admire loyalty, I often don't show this quality myself. Another problem that I see frequently getting in the way of my friendships is my pride. I'm a very proud, and occasionally arrogant, person. I forget my humility so often when I take over a conversation, or boast about my accomplishments, or take charge of a group of people. I've struggled with my pride for years, and I can think of many relationships it's spoiled in the past, and present. I am so grateful for people who are forgiving enough to look past that, and especially for those who put me in my place when I overstep my bounds. Some of you reading have done just that, and I cannot thank you enough.
One friend I have from outside OBA that has remained loyal to me and frequently corrects my shortcomings is Lydia Pope, my best friend from Washington, D.C. We met shortly after my family moved there three years ago, got along better than peanut butter and chocolate, and have remained best friends ever since. I have never kept up a relationship so well as I have with her, and it's mostly her fault. She is far braver than I am, more confident than I am, and will never, ever let me go without making sure I know where I belong. I thank God every day for her friendship, and for allowing us to keep it. My goal is that my present and future friendships can better reflect the bond displayed between David and Jonathan in their loyalty, love, and devotion to God.
I have heard it said that souffles are very difficult to make. Being only an amateur chef myself, I've never had the courage to try to make them, but I have spoken with those who have, and apparently, preparing this French delicacy is no small feat of culinary skill. Ingredients must be measured precisely, temperature moderated perfectly, cooking time limited properly, and multiple other seemingly trivial tasks that define the pastry's success. One small mistake, one minuscule miscalculation, and the whole thing collapses, SPLAT. What was once a delicious confection is now a disastrous conundrum, all because of a single irreparable mistake.
Relationships today are much like souffles: beautiful and perfect in appearance, but delicate and unpredictable in nature. John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" records the last acts in a broken relationship which both people know is about to end. The song describes the beauty of what was; how wonderful their relationship was, how perfect and enduring their love was, how devoted they were to one another. In the same verse, however, Mayer describes how the woman treats the man, leaving him in a harsh, cruel way as if their "perfect" relationship never even existed. Which, in a way, it never did.
The only perfect relationship that ever existed was lost in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned. Since then, despite the overwhelming human desire for relationships, no relationship has ever been "perfect", even our relationship with Christ. We are always having to work at it, and work hard, to keep a relationship healthy and strong. Every day, I witness the little things my parents do for one another to express their devotion and to strengthen their relationship. But even with all the work they do, they still sometimes have fights. It seems that that is the definition of modern relationships: work. To make a relationship stable, we have to work at it. Now, of course, anyone in a relationship should try to keep it healthy, but what I'm talking about is overboard: working all the time to impress your partner for the fear that they might leave you. This irrational dread of loneliness translates into a ridiculous obsession with the other person, and, like we talked about before, when a relationship becomes idolatrous, it falls apart.
John Mayer captures the real essence of most modern relationships; that they are doomed to failure after even a single, small mistake. The song implies that unless the relationship is your obsession, it won't work. As Christians, God is our obsession, and if Him and His love are at the center of a relationship instead of the work to keep it going, then He will bless it, and it will be good.
Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated by fairy tales. Not just your run-of-the-mill fairy tales, like Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs. I preferred something with a little more danger, a little more mystery, and a little more heroics. Robin Hood sat on my nightstand for months; the Pevensies held my attention for whole nights; Meg and Charles Wallace brought me along for the ride every single time. I read all these and more, but the only one that has stayed among my favorites for years centered around a King, his knights, a beautiful Queen, an oddly-shaped table, and a place called Camelot.
From a young age, I believed that all Knights followed the Code of Chivalry and Honor, and that this Code dictated their behavior at all times. The tales I loved best often applied this Code in regards to damsels, usually in distress. The dashing knight would swoop in upon the danger, vanquishing it without a second thought. The lady would probably faint into his arms, and upon awaking, pour out her thanks and beg to be his bride. But the knight's heart is elsewhere; his true love awaits back at the castle; he cannot abandon her now.
These stories and more shaped my hopeful view of my future husband; he would be chivalric, brave, kind, joyous, loyal, and completely devoted to the Lord. Now, at 8 years old, that doesn't seem like too large a request. But as I've grown, I've learned that finding the ideal spouse is not going to be easy. All my qualifications still hold today, but recently, I've added another one to them: acceptance. I want my own Someday Knight to accept and love me for who I am. I don't want him to see me for something I'm not, or draw conclusions about me, or to "love" me and then try to change me based on his own standards. This flips on to me too; I can't expect to fall in love with someone perfect. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and not every man is a knight in shining armor. But, by God's grace, if I do get married, I hope the man He has waiting for me is one I can love without wanting him to change, and that he can do the same for me.
...was called Alexander and the Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. When I was a preschooler, my mom would read me that book all the time, and I loved it. The illustrations were black and white pencil, which I've always liked, the little boy never smiled, which I thought was hilarious, and the title! Who wouldn't want to read a book about a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day? Especially when most of the days in your four short years have been very, very bad days. Even now, 10 years later, my family never uses the conveniently short and descriptive term "cruddy" to describe our days. Nope; when life gives us lemons, we reply with a depressingly enthusiastic "Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad DAY!!"
