As Acting Soliloquists, we live in the our own little one-dimensional worlds, this is what I've called the me-dimension. The me-dimension, however, is also multi-dimensional. In my own little world, I have the following dimensions:
a) family dimension (how I interact solely with my immediate family)
b) extended family dimension (how I interact with solely with my extended family)
c) close friend dimension (how I interact solely with my close friends)
d) fringe friend dimension (how I interact solely with my not-so-close friends)
e) work dimension (how I interact with my work place)
f) school dimension (how I interact with my school)
g) church dimension (how I interact with my "religious" acquaintances)
h) social dimension (how I interact with the social world)
i) etc.
Living an effective acting soliloquist life requires us to interact with these multiple dimensions all at once; this leads us to the multi-dimensional, me-dimensional life. Since we actually tend to ignore others (as acting soliloquists) and compartmentalize our own lives, we are actually operating in a single dimension of our one-dimensional lives - which makes us ineffective acting soliloquists.
When General Petraeus recently resigned as the head of the CIA, there were several individuals who declared that President Barack Obama should have refused to accept his resignation because his personal life has no bearing on his professional life. In reality, though, General Petraeus was acting in the multi-dimensional, multi-dimensional realm when he decided to resign. I will certainly agree that his affair was a grave mistake effected as a single-dimension in his personal life and 2-dimensional world and I am certain it was a progressive "slow fade". However, General Petraeus realized that his professional life is an extension of his personal life. I applaud his decision to resign. We've had political leaders who are less honorable in their personal lives remain in leadership, but General Petraeus determined that he is not a person of mulitple personalities; he is a multi-dimensional person. Everything he does reflects on him as a whole.
In fact, we are all this way despite what we would like to claim. While society wants to claim that we can compartmentalize our lives, when a pastor of a church makes a mistake in his personal life, the first thing society points to is his profession, "And he's the pastor of XYZ Church". Every decision I make in my professional life, affects and reflects on my personal life and vice-versa. Your decisions in each individual dimension of your me-dimensional life, the collisions of the dimensions in your me-dimensional life, as well as the collisions of the dimensions of your me-dimensional life with the multi-dimensional world define you as a single, complete person. Don't run away from the multi-dimensional world because it is difficult, work at improving who you are. If your life is worth living, it is worth the effort to live it well in reality.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Acting Soliloquists
A soliloquist is one who talks to him/her-self. I am further defining an acting soliloquist as one who believes and lives as if he/she is the only being in existence. René Descartes would have been the epitome of an acting soliloquist if he had stopped his reasoning at, "I think, therefore I am."
We all talk to ourselves to some extent, some mentally and others audibly. It is a natural tendency, and perhaps it is healthy to some degree. In our culture, however, we are teaching and encouraging others to be single-dimensional, "me" thinkers. We have a tendency to evaluate most if not all issues based on how satisfied "I" am with it. Consider the epidemic divorce rate or the short job stints as examples. If my marriage or my job is not meeting all of my needs or making me happy, I can just leave and find someone or something else.
John Donne correctly stated, "No man is an island." We live in a multi-dimensional world. When we bring our one-dimensional, me-centered thinking into our multi-dimensional world, our delusions are completely crushed. Other people do exist, and they do have their own needs and desires. Real life is messy. No matter how wonderful my own little (or grandiose) world is, it is not reality. While some of us feign multi-dimensional living using politics, these people are really merely functional acting soliloquists. These individuals have only learned to manipulate the multi-dimensional world to fit into their own single-dimensional worlds.
How do we overcome the acting soliloquism syndrome?
1) Identify who I am (and who I am not).
2) Understand that the world is not about me.
3) Foster a genuine concern for other people.
In fact, the only way to overcome is with a proper worldview, grappling with and fully grasping the message and context of God's message in the Bible. James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." There is no better way to combat the lies of the world than to inundate oneself with Godliness. What does God desire of you? Care for others and keep yourself clean from worldliness. Get out of your me-centered, single-dimensional world, and step into the multi-dimensional reality.
We all talk to ourselves to some extent, some mentally and others audibly. It is a natural tendency, and perhaps it is healthy to some degree. In our culture, however, we are teaching and encouraging others to be single-dimensional, "me" thinkers. We have a tendency to evaluate most if not all issues based on how satisfied "I" am with it. Consider the epidemic divorce rate or the short job stints as examples. If my marriage or my job is not meeting all of my needs or making me happy, I can just leave and find someone or something else.
John Donne correctly stated, "No man is an island." We live in a multi-dimensional world. When we bring our one-dimensional, me-centered thinking into our multi-dimensional world, our delusions are completely crushed. Other people do exist, and they do have their own needs and desires. Real life is messy. No matter how wonderful my own little (or grandiose) world is, it is not reality. While some of us feign multi-dimensional living using politics, these people are really merely functional acting soliloquists. These individuals have only learned to manipulate the multi-dimensional world to fit into their own single-dimensional worlds.
How do we overcome the acting soliloquism syndrome?
1) Identify who I am (and who I am not).
2) Understand that the world is not about me.
3) Foster a genuine concern for other people.
In fact, the only way to overcome is with a proper worldview, grappling with and fully grasping the message and context of God's message in the Bible. James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." There is no better way to combat the lies of the world than to inundate oneself with Godliness. What does God desire of you? Care for others and keep yourself clean from worldliness. Get out of your me-centered, single-dimensional world, and step into the multi-dimensional reality.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The King Sacrifice
In the game of chess, the king is the most important piece (and the weakest), and the object of the game is to protect him while capturing the opponent's king. One of the most highly esteemed tactics in the game of chess is the sacrifice. This tactic involves giving away a pawn or piece seemingly for free while effecting a counter-attack to gain material or positional advantage. Since the queen is the most powerful piece on the chessboard, when she is sacrificed, the moves are calculated (or desperate), and some decisive advantage is nearly always achieved.
In the cosmic game of chess, the most important piece is also the most powerful piece, the King. We, the pawns, are weak but not expendable. As Jesus says, the Good Shepherd knows His sheep and will go after a single lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, John 10). God, in His divine sovereignty, sacrificed the King for the sake of the pawn. If a queen sacrifice for the sake of the king is extravagant in chess, how much more extravagant is God's King sacrifice for the sake of His pawns (Ephesians 1:7-9, 1 John 3:1)?
Romans 5:6-10 tells us:
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
In the cosmic game of chess, the most important piece is also the most powerful piece, the King. We, the pawns, are weak but not expendable. As Jesus says, the Good Shepherd knows His sheep and will go after a single lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14, John 10). God, in His divine sovereignty, sacrificed the King for the sake of the pawn. If a queen sacrifice for the sake of the king is extravagant in chess, how much more extravagant is God's King sacrifice for the sake of His pawns (Ephesians 1:7-9, 1 John 3:1)?
Romans 5:6-10 tells us:
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Maturity, Spiritual Maturity
What does it mean to be mature? More specifically, what does it mean to be spiritually mature?
Each person should aspire to attain maturity. Merriam-Webster offers a variety of definitions. When dealing with inanimate objects or concepts, it is accurate to associate age with maturity. However, we've all met immature adults. This tells us that age is not a guarantor of maturity in the physical, psychological, or behavior realms. In the math and science world, we could attempt to build a correlation between age and maturity, but we'd find a poor coefficient of correlation (R2). Why? Because such a study would require multi variate analysis. We'd need to identify several other variables and all of their relations, functions, and transformations combined to accurately predict maturity. Such variables would include life experiences, locale, familiar relationships, work history, etc. The more applicable definition offered by Merriam-Webster for our subject of discussion relates maturity to development which depends on the many additional variables.
While it is difficult to predict another's level of maturity by looking at them or based solely on their age, it is simple to evaluate your own maturity level. How do you behave in difficult situations? How do you respond under pressure? How do you carry on the daily, routine tasks of life?
Just as each person should aspire to maturity, each believer should aspire to spiritual maturity. While maturity depends on physical, psychological, and behavioral development, spiritual maturity depends on Christian character development. The aspiring believer must study God's character and emulate it. While believers and religious institutions attempt to use many exterior measuring sticks to evaluate spiritual maturity, these tools do not function properly because any exterior variable you identify is actually dependent on what the writer of Hebrews uses to define spiritual maturity.
Hebrews 5:13-14, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
If you are a believer, your primary task is to train your senses to discern good and evil, so you can behave like Christ. Spiritual maturity cannot be measured by the absence of profanity from your vocabulary, the lack of alcohol in your consumptive diet, or the abstention from adulterous behaviors. Spiritual maturity is not a measure of what is missing from your life; it is a measure of how Christlike you are. Practice and train your senses to discern good from evil, and behave like Christ - that is spiritual maturity.
Each person should aspire to attain maturity. Merriam-Webster offers a variety of definitions. When dealing with inanimate objects or concepts, it is accurate to associate age with maturity. However, we've all met immature adults. This tells us that age is not a guarantor of maturity in the physical, psychological, or behavior realms. In the math and science world, we could attempt to build a correlation between age and maturity, but we'd find a poor coefficient of correlation (R2). Why? Because such a study would require multi variate analysis. We'd need to identify several other variables and all of their relations, functions, and transformations combined to accurately predict maturity. Such variables would include life experiences, locale, familiar relationships, work history, etc. The more applicable definition offered by Merriam-Webster for our subject of discussion relates maturity to development which depends on the many additional variables.
While it is difficult to predict another's level of maturity by looking at them or based solely on their age, it is simple to evaluate your own maturity level. How do you behave in difficult situations? How do you respond under pressure? How do you carry on the daily, routine tasks of life?
Just as each person should aspire to maturity, each believer should aspire to spiritual maturity. While maturity depends on physical, psychological, and behavioral development, spiritual maturity depends on Christian character development. The aspiring believer must study God's character and emulate it. While believers and religious institutions attempt to use many exterior measuring sticks to evaluate spiritual maturity, these tools do not function properly because any exterior variable you identify is actually dependent on what the writer of Hebrews uses to define spiritual maturity.
Hebrews 5:13-14, "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."
If you are a believer, your primary task is to train your senses to discern good and evil, so you can behave like Christ. Spiritual maturity cannot be measured by the absence of profanity from your vocabulary, the lack of alcohol in your consumptive diet, or the abstention from adulterous behaviors. Spiritual maturity is not a measure of what is missing from your life; it is a measure of how Christlike you are. Practice and train your senses to discern good from evil, and behave like Christ - that is spiritual maturity.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Reconciling the God of the OT and NT
Why is it that God seems to have changed from being so judgmental in the OT and so forgiving in the NT? I struggled with this question for a few years until I studied more of God's nature and how He has revealed Himself through scripture.
In the OT, God instructed us in various ways and by a variety of people what He desires. Micah says it this way, "Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God," (Micah 6:6-8). I would suggest that as we fulfill the 3rd part of this (walking humbly with our God), the other 2 come naturally.
The Israelites spent their time pursuing other gods. While these other gods had several names, we can better understand these gods as the pursuit of sensuality, pleasure, materialism, and self fulfillment. The pursuit of these 4 gods leads us to treat others with disregard. Ultimately, this leads one to be unjust in our dealings with others, to be unkind to other people, and to be arrogant with respect to God.
Jesus summed up the prophets and the Law with these 2 basic commandments: 1) Love God and 2) Love People. How can we love people until we love God? How can we love God until we know God? How can we know God until we study His word and learn His character? In reality, Jesus' message was no different than that of the OT. So what should we expect if we do not follow His instruction?
In today's society, we are still pursuing the same false gods as the Israelites. While God is patient and forgiving, He will bring every action into judgment.
In the OT, God instructed us in various ways and by a variety of people what He desires. Micah says it this way, "Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God," (Micah 6:6-8). I would suggest that as we fulfill the 3rd part of this (walking humbly with our God), the other 2 come naturally.
The Israelites spent their time pursuing other gods. While these other gods had several names, we can better understand these gods as the pursuit of sensuality, pleasure, materialism, and self fulfillment. The pursuit of these 4 gods leads us to treat others with disregard. Ultimately, this leads one to be unjust in our dealings with others, to be unkind to other people, and to be arrogant with respect to God.
Jesus summed up the prophets and the Law with these 2 basic commandments: 1) Love God and 2) Love People. How can we love people until we love God? How can we love God until we know God? How can we know God until we study His word and learn His character? In reality, Jesus' message was no different than that of the OT. So what should we expect if we do not follow His instruction?
In today's society, we are still pursuing the same false gods as the Israelites. While God is patient and forgiving, He will bring every action into judgment.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
The Mathematics of Marriage and Life
Christianity's view on marriage is often misunderstood. Jesus quoted the Old Testament passage "The two shall become one flesh." In our world of advanced knowledge, we know that one plus one can never equal one, so was Jesus wrong or crazy?
1 + 1 < > 1
Was Jesus advocating that one of the 2 marriage partners must lose his or her own identity (0+1 = 1) or that marriage is really a 50/50 relationship (0.5+0.5 = 1)? No. Neither partner should relinquish his or her identity; marriage is not a 50/50 relationship; and furthermore, we are not incomplete and made complete in marriage (as if we were only half alive until we are married). Marriage is a relationship in which 2 complete people become one.
1 * 1 = 1
Jesus was stating that 2 complete people form a single union and bond in a single marriage. My identity is still intact, and the identity of my wife is still intact; in fact, a perfect marriage is one that allows me to be myself.
0*a = 0 -> zero is a selfish number in multiplication (or a sink)
1*a = a -> 1 is the identity of multiplication.
My identity is found in Christ, and I am only myself in Christ who gives me life and breath.
I can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5).
I can do all things with Christ (Phil 4:13).
The trouble with marriage is that as individuals, none of us is perfect. We are a fraction of what we should be. God designed us to be complete, a perfect 1 as it were, but we don't meet the standard (Rom 3:23). In mathematics, when 2 fractions are multiplied, the result is not closer to 1; it is closer to 0.
My bride is a pretty good person; let's give her a 0.8. I'm not quite as good as she is, but I'm still pretty good, so let's give me a 0.7.
Our relationship is then defined by the multiplication of our own lives: 0.8 * 0.7 = 0.56. The result clearly indicates that our marriage is further from unity than either of us individually. My imperfection and sin compounded with that of my bride causes my marriage to be farther from Godly than either of us would have been alone. This is why the marriage relationship is so difficult.
Interestingly enough, the marriage relationship can never be closer to unity than the weaker member (remember 1 * a = a), so even if one person is perfect, the marriage will still only be as close to Godly as the imperfect person. Since none of us is perfect, we can all improve our marriages by improving our own walk with Christ.
1 + 1 < > 1
Was Jesus advocating that one of the 2 marriage partners must lose his or her own identity (0+1 = 1) or that marriage is really a 50/50 relationship (0.5+0.5 = 1)? No. Neither partner should relinquish his or her identity; marriage is not a 50/50 relationship; and furthermore, we are not incomplete and made complete in marriage (as if we were only half alive until we are married). Marriage is a relationship in which 2 complete people become one.
1 * 1 = 1
Jesus was stating that 2 complete people form a single union and bond in a single marriage. My identity is still intact, and the identity of my wife is still intact; in fact, a perfect marriage is one that allows me to be myself.
0*a = 0 -> zero is a selfish number in multiplication (or a sink)
1*a = a -> 1 is the identity of multiplication.
My identity is found in Christ, and I am only myself in Christ who gives me life and breath.
I can do nothing without Christ (John 15:5).
I can do all things with Christ (Phil 4:13).
The trouble with marriage is that as individuals, none of us is perfect. We are a fraction of what we should be. God designed us to be complete, a perfect 1 as it were, but we don't meet the standard (Rom 3:23). In mathematics, when 2 fractions are multiplied, the result is not closer to 1; it is closer to 0.
My bride is a pretty good person; let's give her a 0.8. I'm not quite as good as she is, but I'm still pretty good, so let's give me a 0.7.
Our relationship is then defined by the multiplication of our own lives: 0.8 * 0.7 = 0.56. The result clearly indicates that our marriage is further from unity than either of us individually. My imperfection and sin compounded with that of my bride causes my marriage to be farther from Godly than either of us would have been alone. This is why the marriage relationship is so difficult.
Interestingly enough, the marriage relationship can never be closer to unity than the weaker member (remember 1 * a = a), so even if one person is perfect, the marriage will still only be as close to Godly as the imperfect person. Since none of us is perfect, we can all improve our marriages by improving our own walk with Christ.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Missing Piece
One previous post dealt with lost pawns (keeping an eternal focus), and another dealt with substituting pieces (traditional marriage) - both leaning on the chess analogy. In this blog, however, I'll borrow an analogy from jigsaw puzzles.
What is the most important piece of a jigsaw puzzle? There are many good answers including...
- the corner pieces - to frame the puzzle
- the edge pieces - to provide boundaries
- the center pieces - to fill in the subject matter
- the first piece - to start well
- the last piece - to complete
- the box top - to set out the big picture
However, I'd suggest that the most important piece is the "missing piece." Recently while my young bride and I worked a small puzzle that she got on a trip to the Texas State Capitol and the Alamo, we wound up missing a piece of the puzzle. This piece in particular was an edge piece, so we were looking for it from the beginning. It was suspicious that we hadn't found it even halfway through working the puzzle, so we could see the writing on the wall fairly early.
What does the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle represent? It represents incompletion. Something (presumably) out of our control prevented us from reaching our goal. [I say presumably because we could have lost that piece.]
The analogy of the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle applies to our lives in many fashions.
- your hunt for a job immediately after college - you have no experience
- your desire to attend a sold-out sporting event - you have no ticket
- your pursuit for independence - you have no driver's license (or money, etc.)
Some of these factors are within our control and some are not. Sometimes it is our decision that limits us and manifests itself as the missing piece. Perhaps you want a better job, but it requires better job performance.
In the kingdom of God, we are all pieces of God's eternal puzzle. Some pieces are played early and firmly; others are first mangled and forced in; some are played in the wrong spot; and still others are never played at all. Which piece are you in God's eternal puzzle? Prayerfully and carefully seek out your position. Don't be the missing piece.
What is the most important piece of a jigsaw puzzle? There are many good answers including...
- the corner pieces - to frame the puzzle
- the edge pieces - to provide boundaries
- the center pieces - to fill in the subject matter
- the first piece - to start well
- the last piece - to complete
- the box top - to set out the big picture
However, I'd suggest that the most important piece is the "missing piece." Recently while my young bride and I worked a small puzzle that she got on a trip to the Texas State Capitol and the Alamo, we wound up missing a piece of the puzzle. This piece in particular was an edge piece, so we were looking for it from the beginning. It was suspicious that we hadn't found it even halfway through working the puzzle, so we could see the writing on the wall fairly early.
What does the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle represent? It represents incompletion. Something (presumably) out of our control prevented us from reaching our goal. [I say presumably because we could have lost that piece.]
The analogy of the missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle applies to our lives in many fashions.
- your hunt for a job immediately after college - you have no experience
- your desire to attend a sold-out sporting event - you have no ticket
- your pursuit for independence - you have no driver's license (or money, etc.)
Some of these factors are within our control and some are not. Sometimes it is our decision that limits us and manifests itself as the missing piece. Perhaps you want a better job, but it requires better job performance.
In the kingdom of God, we are all pieces of God's eternal puzzle. Some pieces are played early and firmly; others are first mangled and forced in; some are played in the wrong spot; and still others are never played at all. Which piece are you in God's eternal puzzle? Prayerfully and carefully seek out your position. Don't be the missing piece.
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