*warning: looooooong entry* "living deeply...a 'non-biblical' approach from literature, which has plenty of biblical overtones" :-)

walden, by henry david thoreau, is one of my favourite non-biblical books. it's the account of his life from 1845-47. thoreau went to walden pond to live during this time because he wanted "to transact some private business with the fewest obstacles." he had made some very sobering observations about the lifestyles of those around him, coming to the conclusion that "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation," full of life-negating obstacles. he eventually asks the provocative question: "why should we be in such desperate haste to succeed, and in such desperate enterprises?" he was determined to overcome the desperate and materialistic obstacles of obtaining more, by becoming content with less.

thoreau wasn't alone in his questioning about this desperation--this illness of modern culture. friedrich nietzsche, in the birth of tragedy, responds to the unhealthy nature of society that he also had observed, calling it "the fundamental malady of modern culture." he imagined a culture with "intrepidity of vision...in order to live resolutely in wholeness and fullness." thoreau referred to a vision which penetrates the surface of things, in order to live a full life. since thoreau's going to the woods is a debatable remedy to the blinding discontent he witnessed, i wanted to examine thoreau's diagnosis of culture as well as his remedy; that is, to "live deliberately...to live deep."

thoreau saw that those around him were living discontented lives. they were so occupied with the cares of life they were merely playing life, and not earnestly living it. nietzsche echoes this in tbot when he remarks that man had become "alarmed and dissatisfied at his own consequences." thoreau's diagnosis of this condition was that his countrymen were too consumed with obtaining the "necessaries of life." he had determined that 'wants' had taken the place of 'needs,' fostering complicated lifestyles and mechanical living. no more were people living lives appreciative of what they had, but were living lives of resentment and seemingly bitter longing for the things which they hadn't yet obtained. people were no longer asking what they needed to live, but were living hurried and wasted lives, all in the attempt to "get into business" and "get out of debt." thoreau posited that this hectic kind of lifestyle lacked purpose, being "frittered away by detail," ultimately making people sick. he recognized these feelings and was "torn by two powerful and opposing drives--the desire to enjoy the world...and the urge to set the world straight."

the hectic lifestyle thoreau spoke about can be seen today. he concluded that in the attempt to procure food, clothing, and shelter, people had become so caught up in the rat race of 'getting' that they were now doing penance for these things, becoming owned by the very things they were trying to own. the things 'gotten' had gotten the 'getter,' such as houses and animals, leading thoreau to believe that in the end "the more you have...the poorer you are." people were no longer concerned with what they needed to live simply and deliberately, and with purpose. they had become more concerned with getting new things. he observed that meeting basic biological needs was--and still is--replaced by obtaining "the comforts of life."

thoreau speaks of the importance of meeting these basic biological needs--the things necessary for life, such as food, clothing, shelter. he maintains, however, that people had let these things, especially the obtaining of them, become a hindrance "to the elevation of mankind." his countrymen could go no further because their consumption was consuming them. life was no longer an adventure, nor a thing to be loved because people were spending the best part of their lives earning and obtaining "in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of [life]." in life without principle, thoreau uses the expression "the way in which we spend our lives." he articulates further that "this world is a place of business...i think there is nothing, not even crime...more opposed...to life itself, than this incessant business." he realized there was something drastically wrong "when men focussed their energies on the acquisition of material things." further, he saw that there was "a kind of slavery to things." thoreau understood that this endless pursuit for things helped to keep civilization "poor as long as they live." to overtly add a biblical element, we need to find ways in which to invest our lives. in so doing--by committing our time, our talent, our treasure to something bigger than ourselves--we will then, and only then, be really living.

in light of his diagnosis that the "mass of men" were living desperate lives to acquire things that would eventually control and impoverish them, thoreau proposed a remedy. in practice, he withdrew from society in an effort to seek independence from society. in theory, however, his remedy is far more practical, since running away from something really only means you're running to something else. in going to walden pond, thoreau hoped to simplify his life, thereby forging a deliberate and deep life for himself--a life which would penetrate the surface of things, becoming rich in "sunny hours and summer days," if not in money. when he came to die, thoreau didn't want to discover that he had not lived. so, with passion he proposed to "suck out all the marrow of life...to know it by experience, and to be able to give a true account of it." it wasn't enough for him to know that others had experienced it. he wanted to know it for himself.

thoreau encourages others to look at themselves--to determine what one truly requires to be content. he also states emphatically that he isn't speaking to the whole of civilization, but "mainly to the mass of men who are discontented." he advises that in order to live deliberately, one must "live free and uncommitted" from 'things.' for when one begins to pursue a simple life, one finds that it is less of a "hardship" than if one pursues a complicated and materialistic lifestyle. he says further, it isn't until we begin to simplify our lives that we become free: "not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves." matthew 16:26 asks, "and what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul?" putting aside the desperation to succeed, and the paralyzing, life-negating obstacles of materialism, will encourage and generate a richer and more gratifying life...and really, it's only through God that we find real life anyway. thoreau insists that change can happen when one is willing to change. civilization can escape its low condition by acknowledging that change comes from within. "things do not change. we change." by escaping its low condition, mankind will experience "simplicity of life and elevation of purpose," in turn experiencing the kind of purpose that penetrates the surface of living.

thoreau knew he couldn't change others, and he didn't want them to change for him: "i would not have any adopt my mode of living on any account...i desire that there may be many different persons in the world as possible; but i would have each one be very careful to find and pursue his own way." people have to desire change for themselves. people have to find their purpose in life and actively pursue it...be driven by it.

in walden, thoreau makes the declaration that "to the sick the doctors wisely recommend a change." this is the crux of his remedy--why he went to the woods to live. this is arguably the only remedy; not going to the woods, but making changes, to somehow make life better and deeper than mere surface, shallow living. matthew talks about 4 types of soil, each representing a type of lifestyle: "what do you make of this? a farmer planted seed. as he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams" (matthew 13:3-8 msg). the gravel, or stony soil, doesn't allow for seeds to penetrate the surface because it has no "deepness of earth" (13:5 kjv). the allusion here is to shallow lives that never penetrate the surface of living because they lack depth as individuals. to rise above mere existence and surface living, which lacks fullness and wholeness, one must make changes which will foster the kind of deep living to which thoreau alluded and the bible addresses over and over again.


the kind of change necessarily depends on the individual and the imminent circumstances, but ultimately, to the individual sick of his or her life, sickness requires that changes be made--not to accommodate the sickness, but to annihilate it. when it comes to living a deep and deliberate life, full of purpose, one must "simplify, simplify, simplify," cutting out the unnecessary commotion and detail. in losing the world and the materialism that impairs true living, as well as the desperate to succeed in desperate and temporal enterprises, one ultimately finds self. according to proverbs 28:29, "where there is no vision the people perish." to fix yourself, find yourself, and to find yourself and abundant life, turn to Christ. in so doing, you will be living not just deliberately, but deeply, and with fearless vision that penetrates the surface, lead a full and whole life.


 

just do what you're told!

"just do what you're told!" how often have i heard this? many times while growing up. it was often accompanied with, "don't ask questions." i hear it occasionally today, usually as a joke from a friend...and in my head i hear one friend in particular saying, "go pee now!" :-) and of course you're familiar with nike's successful 1980s marketing and advertising "just do it" campaign which got people buying by imploring them to take charge of their physical fitness.

i got thinking about this "just do" implication today...however, not in relation to the various "thou shalts" or "thou shalt nots," as in the very important and 'meant-to-be-kept' 10 commandments, or the various laws of the land which we're also expected to obey. instead, i got thinking about this expression as it relates to all the promises God has given that we can claim as our own...if we just do what we're told because, and this is my recurring theme, if we will, he will...

we're given not only the instruction--but the promise, i believe--that if we do certain things, perform specific actions, engage in particular behaviours, we will be the recipient of great things...yes, we will be rewarded when we diligently do whatever we're each supposed to be doing (hebrews 11:6). i can't tell you what the specifics are for you, but i can tell you in general that when we "seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously...he will give you everything you need" (matthew 6:33 nlt). luke adds this: "it gives your father great happiness to give you the kingdom" (12:32 nlt).

matthew goes on to say this: "keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. keep on seeking, and you will find. keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. for everyone who asks, receives. everyone who seeks, finds. and to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened" (7:7-8 nlt).

we're told to ask, seek, and knock, and when we do we'll receive, find, and have doors opened. if we don't do any of the aforementioned, we won't get the end result. and this reminds me about another story from the same friend i referred to at the beginning. one time she went to mcdonald's on her lunch break--a place she frequents regularly since it's close to her work. the kids' meal toys at the time were various finding nemo little stuffed things, i think. anyway, she approached the counter, placed her order, and then called the worker back and said, "can you hook me up with a fish?" meaning one of the little plush things. when she got back to work and opened her mcdonald's bag she pulled out her order...and a filet-o-fish! let me just add that we need to be specific in our asking. the more we give God to work with, the more likely we'll be to get what we're asking for...

too often we live beneath our privilege. i'm not talking about the sense of entitlement to which my generation all too often succumbs, because what we really deserve isn't what any of us would ever want; what i am talking about is living each day like we really believe that God cares...that we believe that "he himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need...for in him we live and move and exist" (acts 17:25 & 28 nlt). but the catch is that we must approach him: "the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion...he will...if you ask" (isaiah 30:18 & 19 nlt)

so, the way i see it, doing what we're told benefits us all the way around. just do it. no, it won't always be easy. goodness, does being told to "take up the cross, and follow" (mark 10:21 kjv) sound easy? not really. there's no promise that doing what we're told will always be easy. sometimes, like the rich young ruler, we'll have to give up the things we feel are so important and that we can't live without...but we have the promise of being led if we follow, of having life, and breath, and every need met...

i think i want to just do what i'm told...

oh, and back to my very first story. i was on a road trip with friends. we made a bathroom break and gas stop, but i didn't take advantage of the stop, even though i was told to "go pee now." well, not too far down the road guess who had to go? yup. you guessed it. me. trust me, do what you're told...even when you don't agree sometimes, or when you feel like it doesn't apply to you, or when you want to be defiant, or whatever...sometimes the person telling you what to do really is looking out for you...

so whatever it is you're supposed to be doing, do it. now.

;-)

 

♪ ♬ "you are important to me...i need you to [produce]" ♫ ♩

ok, so i'm being honest here. i have passed judgment on more than one occasion. this pot has called the kettle black far more often than i care to admit. i feel like passing judgment on a situation isn't neeeeeeaarly as bad as passing judgment on a person...but i don't think it's any more justifiable either, especially since i might not have a clue about the circumstances surrounding a situation...the whys, the wherefores, and the like...

now, i'm not talking constructive criticism here, where we have a tidbit of advice that can potentially turn a situation around. i'm talking about being just plain critical, where nothing positive is accomplished, feelings get hurt, relationships damaged, institutions devalued...i'm talking about the kind of behaviour that points a finger but offers no hand of assistance...it's always seeing what's wrong but never helping to make right; it's always trumpeting what needs done but never doing; it's seeing the bad fruit on someone else's tree, but overlooking the same rotting decay on my own...

i was reminded of this the other day while reading the words of Jesus in matthew 7:15-20. he teaches that just as a tree is known by its fruit, a person can be identified by their actions. a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree bad fruit, and every tree that doesn't produce good fruit is no longer allowed to produce. in fact, it's cut down and thrown into the fire. so, we're not only recognized by our fruit, the fruit we bear is brought to bear on the reward we reap.

and what does this have to do with judging, you might ask? well, the bible says "you can identify people by their fruit" (matthew 7:16). this is natural...as natural, so it seems, as looking at a tree and seeing that it's bearing apples and not oranges. now this doesn't make me a judge, but a fruit inspector. i can, according to the bible, know a tree by its fruit, and a person by their actions...but it doesn't give me the right to be judgmental or critical...i can know...but i can't judge...

in an ongoing effort to let the bible read me, i realized that i'm under the same kind of inspection by others, and more importantly by God. as for being under inspection by others, i don't want to be judged or criticized, but i do want to be held accountable. i don't want to fly under the radar. i want the people in my life to correct me when i'm wrong, give me a hand getting back on track, and be there along the way to help me with the pruning and harvesting--not just take me to task, but show me where i've gone astray and what i can do to make it better. i want people to pour into my life so that what i produce can be extraordinary, and not just ordinary. when people look at my life, i want them to see good fruit...and i'm not so naive as to think that i can accomplish this on my own. i need you. yeah...you. 

as for being under inspection by God, i want to have a teachable spirit. ultimately, it's his correction and approval i need. i'm a people-pleaser by nature...to a fault, i think...but i also know that it's incumbent upon me to "as much as lieth in [me], live peaceably with all men" (romans 12:18). it behooves me to go out of my way to do this, and in so doing, i think i give God good ground with which to work...and like david in the old testament, i want God to search me, try me, know me. i want him to root out the wicked ways in me so that bad fruit can't exist. when he judges me according to my works (revelation 20:12-13), i want there to be good fruit.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that i want constructive criticism and i want to get beyond being hypocritical...and hyper-critical for that matter. this pot doesn't want to call the kettle black anymore. i want to kick that can to the curb once and for all. i don't want to pass judgment every time i turn around since i never have all the facts anyway. i want to be concerned with producing good fruit and i want you to be able to identify me by my fruit, my works, my actions, my words...i want to be who Jesus talks about when he says, "a good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart" (matthew 12:35 msg)...and i want you to cultivate me with your wisdom and experience...yeah...you.

oh yeah...a final explanation...we sing a hezekiah walker song sometimes at my church which seemed to fit this post, and is where i got my title:
"i need you...you are important to me, i need you to survive...i pray for you, you pray for me. i love you, i need you to survive. i won't harm you with words from my mouth. i love you, i need you to survive."

"a change will do you good"--my lengthy comments in response to "going through the change" (http://suzie-k.blogspot.com/2009/10/going-through-change.html)

i love that when we take a step to make any kind of change, which is the necessary and obvious first requirement to change (ie: that we take the first step), God promises to meet us where we are. but, it's a choice we make, and a process in which we must actively participate. we can't check out and expect to really experience a life of godly, positive, and ongoing change. aristotle, while perhaps not a spiritual authority, had it right when he said in his "poetics" that "life exists in actions." we have to be active participants in the change we want to see and be in life.

i think it's telling when paul says, "be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (romans 12:2 kjv). the biblical imperative is for us to actively choose transformation and change (don't be conformed, be transformed, prove)--thereby rejecting conformation--so that we can be changed from the inside out, readily recognizing what God wants from us, and quickly responding to it (message translation). and who can argue with this verse: "therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 corinthians 5:17).

once we take the step to be transformed, we have the further promise of "being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (philippians 1:6 kjv). i am so thankful that when we make a break from what we know and our personal little status quo, God is right there, ready to guide every step of the way. sure, he wants to know we're serious, but we don't have to go it alone, and the godly, positive, and ongoing changes we're actively making is the "good work" he's been waiting to perform all along.

finally, i really enjoyed reading this post, and i particularly love the title..."going through the change." that's really what it's all about. the 'through-ness' of it all. if we stop in the middle of the process, we haven't gone through, and the good work of change and transformation hasn't been effected...

yeah, i'm going through the change, too ;-)

application attracts attention

you are getting ready for your wedding. you carefully select and assemble your various bridal accoutrements. you make your choices based on your likes and your soon-to-be spouse's likes. you apply your personal effects deliberately and diligently...because you want to get his/her attention.
 

you get your dream job because you sold yourself well in your cover letter and résumé. you were exactly what they were looking for and you stood out from among the rest of the applicants. you got the job because your application got your employer's attention.
 

you get noticed by your community because you did something noteworthy and of merit that deserves credit, a special mention, an award. you get recognition because how you applied yourself caught someone's eye.
 

these are just some examples of attracting attention because of application.
 

now, not every blog is going to have a biblical bent or spiritual slant, but my short and sweet point--which will invariably be recurring, since it's where my head is these days--is that we can also get God's attention when we apply ourselves--both positively and negatively. and let me just add that not applying ourselves also gets his attention. remember the proverbial saying "actions speak louder than words?" well, i think our non-action speaks pretty loudly too. by extension, remember that your application and non-application speaks loudly.

anyway, back to my point: the bible is full of instances where God basically states that if we will, he will. the inverse is true: if we won't, he won't. he waits for us to give him something to work with. consider these verses: 

"if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, i will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made." 2 chronicles 7:14-15

"if you will fully obey...and keep all his commands...God will set you high...the Lord will conquer your enemies...the Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do...the Lord will establish you...the Lord will give you prosperity...the Lord will send rain at the proper time...the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom." deuteronomy 28:1-14

it's basic "cause and effect," "action-reaction," the "ripple effect." and the principle is simple: when we apply ourselves we get results. keeping it spiritual, here are a couple examples. isaiah puts it this way: the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion" (30:18). matthew says this: "if you refuse to forgive others, your father will not forgive your sins" (6:15). bottom line, if we will, he will; if we won't, he won't.

i don't know about you, but i want to get God's attention in a way that pleases him. i want to apply myself in ways that make me shine and stand out...not so that i can get the praise and recognition, but for this reason: "let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father" (matthew 5:16). when we apply ourselves--when we "do"--it benefits, us, others, and God!

with my church family, at the start of this new year and new decade, i am attempting to do the following (i'm doing it to get God's attention; you can do it for whatever reason you need...check out www.everydayccc.com): enlist and get involved everyday; voice my prayer and worship everyday; extend and reach out everyday; read the bible everyday; and, yield my time, talent, and treasure everyday. i invite and encourage you to do the same. and like the verse on the calendar indicates, if we will put ourselves out there, God will help us, because if we will, he will...

it's like this...

well, i am precariously and tentatively entering the blogging world...


i've called my blog "the way i see it: observations, outposts, and overtures," because i suspect a lot of my posts will be about things that catch my attention, my position on these things, and what i propose can be done with or about these things. did you catch the first part? it's the way i see it. you may see it differently, and if you do, i hope you'll share. the it in question, by the way, will be any number of topics, ranging from the biblical, to the linguistic, to the practical, to the material, to the metaphysical, to the mundane...basically, like i said, whatever catches my attention...hence my blogspot addy, my-point-o-view.blogspot.com, since i'm going to be sharing my observations, outposts, and overtures :-)


point-of-view is a wonderful thing. it allows 2 people to stand at a window, take in the outside world, process the information, and then share their experience. sometimes, as with optical illusions, 2 people looking at the image can see the same thing, yet have a different impression of the object. standing at said window, you might be looking at a tree and i might be looking at the sky. or maybe we're both looking at the tree, but what are we seeing? maybe you're seeing the possibility for a homemade swing; maybe i'm seeing a place to sit and read in the shade. as for said optical illusions, perhaps you see a man playing the saxophone, whereas i'm seeing a woman's face.


my point is that we look--we turn our eyes toward something or in some direction in order to see--but our seeing is based on where we stand, literally and dare i say it, philosophically. we see differently. we analyze differently. and i'm not just talking about the visual or the physical act of looking and seeing; i'm also talking about perception and how we apprehend the physical, the spiritual, the social, etc.--how we come to see, and know, and interpret, and be.


this blog will be an opportunity for us to encounter the world and to exchange our experience(s), because i want to know how you see it...