Prayer is one of those things that most of us learned about since we can first remember. Whether you believe in it or not, prayer is the best way to communicate with God, our loving Heavenly Father.
Something interesting often happens, however. We often go to God with a list of things that we want or need. And usually, it's a legitimate request. We don't have the habit of asking frivolously for things like sports cars, mansions, or CEO positions. We understand that we're not going to get those by just asking for them. But I still find that I ask for things that, although important, aren't crucial to my salvation. For example, getting a good grade on a really important test. Or maybe the job I need.
If you think about it, there are millions and maybe even billions of people in the world--sons and daughters of God--that don't even have an education, much less a grade on a test. There are so many who don't even have any income. They might not even have anything to eat today. So does Heavenly Father love them less, just because they don't get an A+ or a nice job offer? Of course not. So what does that tell me? What should I really be praying for?
I'm not saying that it's wrong to pray for our needs. In fact, God often gives us those "trivial things" that are really important to our current situation, despite the fact that we don't earn or deserve them. Nevertheless, I think it's more important to pray for things like more faith, more desire, and more humility. I know that I have many, many flaws, so that's a pretty good place to start. I can pray for more desire to work hard, no matter my circumstances. I can pray for the trust and faith to keep my promises and covenants with the Lord, no matter my situation. Pray for family unity. Pray for love and peace to be a part of my life. I think that's something I can work on these next few months.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Hecuba vs. Oedipus
Alright, I know, all this Greek tragedy might be getting boring for most of you. But once again, I have been persuaded to make an interesting comparison, this time between two different tragic characters. Yesterday, I saw the play Hecuba by Euripides performed here at BYU. It was tragic, naturally, and haunting to say the least. So I decided it might be fun to compare Hecuba (the fallen queen of Troy) with Oedipus (the cursed king of Thebes).
I think that these two have something in common, at least in the fact that they are doomed to misery. But, I wouldn't say that they have any other common ground beyond that. Hecuba is the victim of war, cruelty, injustice, and betrayal, and longs for revenge and even her own death. There is no clear hamartia here--she is just the victim of suffering. So naturally, she wants to make things at least a little bit more right by dealing out her own vengeful justice. The true tragedy is just us watching this once-noble woman reduced to a pitiable creature that loathes life itself.
Oedipus, by contrast, brought his doom upon his own head. His hamartia was essential to producing tragedy in the first place. In fact, without his interference, there would be nothing tragic at all. So he was very much so the instrument of destruction and suffering, both for himself and the whole cast of characters. Very different, yet still tragic. In both cases, we are quite helpless to stop the pain.
I think that these two have something in common, at least in the fact that they are doomed to misery. But, I wouldn't say that they have any other common ground beyond that. Hecuba is the victim of war, cruelty, injustice, and betrayal, and longs for revenge and even her own death. There is no clear hamartia here--she is just the victim of suffering. So naturally, she wants to make things at least a little bit more right by dealing out her own vengeful justice. The true tragedy is just us watching this once-noble woman reduced to a pitiable creature that loathes life itself.
Oedipus, by contrast, brought his doom upon his own head. His hamartia was essential to producing tragedy in the first place. In fact, without his interference, there would be nothing tragic at all. So he was very much so the instrument of destruction and suffering, both for himself and the whole cast of characters. Very different, yet still tragic. In both cases, we are quite helpless to stop the pain.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Lessons from Oedipus
So, I've been reading the famous Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, and have been persuaded to share some insights. For those of you who aren't acquainted with the play, just look it up on Google. This is an opinion, not a summary.
It's essential that every tragedy has a character who is not too good, nor too bad--somewhere in the middle. Also, you need hamartia, which basically means "mistake" or "error" in English. Miasma and catharsis are also elements, but I want to talk about King Oedipus' hamartia for a moment.
The tragic irony from the start is that we all know that Oedipus is the guilty culprit he is so determined to find. To me, this is his true hamartia--his unyielding determination to find answers, no matter the cost. Even though his sins of unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother are of huge-scale impact, his tragic mistake was his persistent anger and stubbornness. One by one, the characters tried to keep him from finding out what he didn't want to know, and he repeatedly sets their pleas aside.
Tiresias the prophet is one example. When demanded that he not hold back and tell all, he replies to Oedipus, "You have found fault with my anger, but your own, living within you, you did not see, but blamed me," (22, line 356). We all have aged, wise "prophet" figures in our lives, and they usually know more than we do. Yet too often, we set at naught their counsels and bring upon ourselves the very troubles they were trying to protect us from.
Another example is the woman figure in Oedipus' life, the queen Jocasta. She loves him, and begs him to not follow down a path she knows will end in grief. She has the foresight to see the utter ruin his revelation will bring not only himself, but all the kingdom. When he's on the edge of discovery, Jocasta begs him to stop, "No, by the gods! If indeed you care for your own life, do not go after this! I grieve enough," (48, line 1087). How many times have we had a misunderstanding of opinion with a spouse, a sibling, a parent? They care so much for us, and we still follow our route into self-misery.
Tragedies are tragic, and pretty much everyone dies or wishes they could die. But there is still something we can learn from them. Because they aren't reality, they can show us the most extreme of the human experience, and teach us lessons that we might not ever be able to learn in real life.
It's essential that every tragedy has a character who is not too good, nor too bad--somewhere in the middle. Also, you need hamartia, which basically means "mistake" or "error" in English. Miasma and catharsis are also elements, but I want to talk about King Oedipus' hamartia for a moment.
The tragic irony from the start is that we all know that Oedipus is the guilty culprit he is so determined to find. To me, this is his true hamartia--his unyielding determination to find answers, no matter the cost. Even though his sins of unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother are of huge-scale impact, his tragic mistake was his persistent anger and stubbornness. One by one, the characters tried to keep him from finding out what he didn't want to know, and he repeatedly sets their pleas aside.
Tiresias the prophet is one example. When demanded that he not hold back and tell all, he replies to Oedipus, "You have found fault with my anger, but your own, living within you, you did not see, but blamed me," (22, line 356). We all have aged, wise "prophet" figures in our lives, and they usually know more than we do. Yet too often, we set at naught their counsels and bring upon ourselves the very troubles they were trying to protect us from.
Another example is the woman figure in Oedipus' life, the queen Jocasta. She loves him, and begs him to not follow down a path she knows will end in grief. She has the foresight to see the utter ruin his revelation will bring not only himself, but all the kingdom. When he's on the edge of discovery, Jocasta begs him to stop, "No, by the gods! If indeed you care for your own life, do not go after this! I grieve enough," (48, line 1087). How many times have we had a misunderstanding of opinion with a spouse, a sibling, a parent? They care so much for us, and we still follow our route into self-misery.
Tragedies are tragic, and pretty much everyone dies or wishes they could die. But there is still something we can learn from them. Because they aren't reality, they can show us the most extreme of the human experience, and teach us lessons that we might not ever be able to learn in real life.
Sources:
Thomas, J. E. Oedipus Rex. Clayton, Del.: Prestwick House, 2005. Print.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
What?...So What?...Now What?
Application is truly the key to personal progress, no matter what phase or flavor of life you're in. In an effort to take all my incredible learning up here at college and actually do something with it, I will do a sort of "weekly wrap-up". I'm going to base it off of three simple questions:
-What exactly did I learn?
-So what? Why does it matter?
-Now what? How am I going to start doing it?
So, this week comes from something that I learned in my New Testament class. We are currently studying the beginning of Christ's ministry as related in the Four Gospels. My professor has an interesting teaching method. He starts the class as normal, relating history and such. But then, for the last twenty minutes of class, we have a "focus text", where we put down our notes and really get into what is being said--this portion isn't even part of the testable material, it is just for us.
What?
I realize that Christ wasn't too interested in being complicated. He genuinely just wanted to help people. He made time for the one, and it was always personal and authentic. Even John the Baptist, for all his "vipers" and "perverse generation", simply told the people who came to him that they needed to share and care more. Is that really the great Kingdom of Heaven? Actually, I hope so.
So What?
Isn't it interesting that Jesus Christ, the most glorious and powerful of all our Heavenly Father's children, didn't need any of that? What does that say about me? I think that righteousness and obedience is important, but maybe it is best measured by how kindly we treat others. How can I show love to God, who loved me so much more first? It's important because if any of us want to become more like the Savior, we're going to have to learn how to break those social "don't do that" norms and reach out to those who need saving.
Now What?
I'm making a promise that this weekend, and really from here on out, I will do more. All of us have our places where we "draw the line" on how far we'll go to help someone else out. I hope to consciously cross that line more regularly, and I'd encourage all of you to do the same. Let's push that boundary out and fill the world with goodness!
-What exactly did I learn?
-So what? Why does it matter?
-Now what? How am I going to start doing it?
So, this week comes from something that I learned in my New Testament class. We are currently studying the beginning of Christ's ministry as related in the Four Gospels. My professor has an interesting teaching method. He starts the class as normal, relating history and such. But then, for the last twenty minutes of class, we have a "focus text", where we put down our notes and really get into what is being said--this portion isn't even part of the testable material, it is just for us.
What?
I realize that Christ wasn't too interested in being complicated. He genuinely just wanted to help people. He made time for the one, and it was always personal and authentic. Even John the Baptist, for all his "vipers" and "perverse generation", simply told the people who came to him that they needed to share and care more. Is that really the great Kingdom of Heaven? Actually, I hope so.
So What?
Isn't it interesting that Jesus Christ, the most glorious and powerful of all our Heavenly Father's children, didn't need any of that? What does that say about me? I think that righteousness and obedience is important, but maybe it is best measured by how kindly we treat others. How can I show love to God, who loved me so much more first? It's important because if any of us want to become more like the Savior, we're going to have to learn how to break those social "don't do that" norms and reach out to those who need saving.
Now What?
I'm making a promise that this weekend, and really from here on out, I will do more. All of us have our places where we "draw the line" on how far we'll go to help someone else out. I hope to consciously cross that line more regularly, and I'd encourage all of you to do the same. Let's push that boundary out and fill the world with goodness!
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Epitaphs
To those of you who don't know me, and well, to those of you who do, I want to start out by introducing myself a little bit. I could give a long "life story", but I think it would be much more fun and effective to try and summarize myself with some short titles. Some "epitaphs", if you will:
The Wise
As humbly as can be said, I know a few things. More than anything, other people have told me that I am "wise beyond my years", which I thank them for. I don't pretend to be an expert on anything, and in fact, I'm usually pretty out of the loop on most things. But what I do understand is how we need to serve each other, and how to interact respectfully. I have had some great examples to look up to through the years.
I would also just add that sometimes I get the "walking dictionary" comment because of my vast (and probably pointless) knowledge, especially with the more fact-based things. I like to know how things work, and I love discovering the hidden details. That has led me to learn lots of random facts.
The Peaceable Friend
This is maybe an epitaph that has come in just the last few years. Yes, everyone has their breaking points when it comes to stress, anger, irritation, or competition. So I kind of feel like it's my job to keep other people from reaching those points. By nature, I'm a pretty tolerant guy, and so I can usually get along with people from any walk of life. I just think that everything is better when we all get along! I still have a sense of humor, but I have learned that it's better to resolve conflict rather than create it.
Player of Games
Come on, who doesn't like to play? Everyone has their preferences, and mine tend heavily toward group settings. I love playing dice and card games, especially Texas Hold 'em (no real money or betting, of course!). I also love pretty much any kind of board game, especially classic Risk. Of course, I've played my fair share of computer and video games, which are so much fun with friends and family involved. Sports are also fun, even though I'm not the best. I usually just step back and watch the pros do their thing.
Dreamer of Awesomeness
Obviously, the key word here is "dreamer", meaning that it's not reality. As long as I can remember, I have always had a huge imagination. In fact, I recall many times actually creating my own little worlds--all in my head, of course. I love thinking of how life would be if we all lived in a different land. Or the coolness of a world filled with mythical beasts. Or what it would be like if we all had different super-powers. You know, stuff like that. I dream it, and maybe someday, it will actually be that way.
I may not be dead yet, but maybe these epitaphs work for me while living. Hopefully I can continue to aspire to bigger and better and probably more meaningful things throughout the years ahead.
The Wise
As humbly as can be said, I know a few things. More than anything, other people have told me that I am "wise beyond my years", which I thank them for. I don't pretend to be an expert on anything, and in fact, I'm usually pretty out of the loop on most things. But what I do understand is how we need to serve each other, and how to interact respectfully. I have had some great examples to look up to through the years.
I would also just add that sometimes I get the "walking dictionary" comment because of my vast (and probably pointless) knowledge, especially with the more fact-based things. I like to know how things work, and I love discovering the hidden details. That has led me to learn lots of random facts.
The Peaceable Friend
This is maybe an epitaph that has come in just the last few years. Yes, everyone has their breaking points when it comes to stress, anger, irritation, or competition. So I kind of feel like it's my job to keep other people from reaching those points. By nature, I'm a pretty tolerant guy, and so I can usually get along with people from any walk of life. I just think that everything is better when we all get along! I still have a sense of humor, but I have learned that it's better to resolve conflict rather than create it.
Player of Games
Come on, who doesn't like to play? Everyone has their preferences, and mine tend heavily toward group settings. I love playing dice and card games, especially Texas Hold 'em (no real money or betting, of course!). I also love pretty much any kind of board game, especially classic Risk. Of course, I've played my fair share of computer and video games, which are so much fun with friends and family involved. Sports are also fun, even though I'm not the best. I usually just step back and watch the pros do their thing.
Dreamer of Awesomeness
Obviously, the key word here is "dreamer", meaning that it's not reality. As long as I can remember, I have always had a huge imagination. In fact, I recall many times actually creating my own little worlds--all in my head, of course. I love thinking of how life would be if we all lived in a different land. Or the coolness of a world filled with mythical beasts. Or what it would be like if we all had different super-powers. You know, stuff like that. I dream it, and maybe someday, it will actually be that way.
I may not be dead yet, but maybe these epitaphs work for me while living. Hopefully I can continue to aspire to bigger and better and probably more meaningful things throughout the years ahead.
A Good Place to Start
Hello everyone. As I have enjoyed my own family's blogs for many years now, I decided that it's high time to create my own. Conveniently, it also happens to be required for two of my courses here at Brigham Young University this semester. What a coincidence! =)
So, to those of you who may decide to read about my awesome adventures, please note that every once in a while, you'll probably find something that may seem a little "assigned" or forced. I will try to make it as personal as possible for maximum enjoyment. Happy reading!
So, to those of you who may decide to read about my awesome adventures, please note that every once in a while, you'll probably find something that may seem a little "assigned" or forced. I will try to make it as personal as possible for maximum enjoyment. Happy reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)