good question!

If you knew without a doubt that your friend would never become a Christian would you still mow(their lawn)? - John Close

The answer (which surprised me) is yes. I hang out with a lot of people that I don't think will ever accept God in any form, let alone Christianity, and do really sweet things for them anyways. Just last night I got out of bed to drive my friend downtown to go see his friends for an hour or so. He's told me that he thinks he's pretty much the most evil being in existence, and he revels in it. I don't know if he will ever grow out of wanting to corrupt himself, but it doesn't matter because he's still a human, still lovable, and still desiring to be loved by someone for who he is, and maybe that's all he really needs to love himself, and accept that he can be good and still be "cool".

That's a point Jesus was trying to make - it doesn't matter who someone is, they're still someone, and everyone has a need to be loved, to be accepted, and to be treated with respect.

I think a lot of the issues in todays world stem from a lack of respect. The second world war was all about no respect. You can't kill someone if you respect them, and you can't treat someone the way the guy who was killed was treating his people if you respect them.

Come to think of it, you can't "have" people if you respect them. People wouldn't need a ruler if only we could go back to our morals and just do what's right. Unfortunately the world has advocated coruption for so long that we have sunken into this irreversible decline of integrity, and all we can do is hang on for the ride and see where it ends up.

Not saying that there is no good left in the world. Au contrair mon amie, for in this corruption, and decline, the good is becoming more pronounced than ever, and it's still possible to advocate a dramatic change, albeit highly unlikely. The trick is in figuring out how to implement such a gargantuan mindshift...

do I have the answers? No, I just ask the right questions :)

~Love~

Expectations...

How can you expect too much?? I was recently told that I demand too much of myself in regards to my morality. Now, I don't think I'm as morally sound as I could be, and therefore, am always trying to improve on this. I expect a lot of myself, and am always dissapointed when I let myself and others down, and try to be better.

I think that intimidates people, when you have a strong sense of right and wrong, and try to adhere to it. I however, don't ever expect people to be anything other than what they are, so how can I expect so much of myself and nothing of others? Does that then allow people to take advantage of me, and my helpful nature, and turn me into a pseudo doormat like has been happening lately?

Does that also explain the bitterness I've been feeling towards others who live like there is no reason to be good? I mean, forget faith and Christianity and God for just a second - shouldn't you still desire to be a decent person, even if there is no afterlife?

Our society is so corrupt, and so fundamentally weak, that people cannot even bring themselves to love one another unless there's a threat of some punishment in the afterlife. I realize that's a very general stereotype, but still, it does apply in many circumstances.

Need a good hole to retreat to until this general disgust with people fades.