something to sing about

As i walked in the park early this morning, i noticed one small bird singing his lungs out, much more poetically and louder than any other bird. As i looked at him, i wondered what motivates him to sing this way, who has put this song in his heart? I suspect it was much more than the sun rising on a new day, or the worm he had for breakfast, or even being free to fly around and enjoy God's glorious creation. I suspect this bird was in love.

I remember the feeling of being truly in love and being truly loved in return. It does cause one to sing, to dance, to become joyful and estatic, much similar to the bird i noticed this morning. For a moment i wondered where my song has gone, but i knew the answer before the question even entered my mind...

Then i was reminded of two birds i saw in the park many years ago. Neither of them were singing, and both seem to have lost all reason for singing. One sat all alone perched on a rock close to the edge of a pond. I'm not sure what it had gotten itself into, but it was covered in grease ir oil and couldn't fly. I wanted to help it, but the bird was just out of my reach. There was little hope for this bird, as I didn't know what to do. As tear came to my eye, as i recognised how many of us (some closer than we realise) are in similar situations, with our lives suddenly covered in muck, needing help but loosing hope in finding it.

Some time later on the same pond, i noticed a single swan, unusual since swans live in pairs. This swan's beak was grey rather than the usual peachy-orange colour. He seemed to be so sad. Had he lost his partner? whas there any hope of reuniting or finding a new love. And what would he need to bring the colour back to his beak?

No amount of food, no material item could bring a song like this into either bird's heart. The first bird needed to be rescued, cleaned and reunited with his family, with those he loves. The swan also needed to be rescued, but rescued by love. He needed someone to sing about, to share his life with again.

We all need things. We all need to be helped sometimes. But more than anything else, we need to find our song, something to sing about, something to feel true joy about. Wealth, popularity, all kinds of material things can never give us this lasting song, so why do we chase these things? This type of song can only be sung when we experience true love.

Not the place i want to be

It's past 2 am. I went to sleep about 3 hours ago, but was rudely kept awake by noise from the kitchen next door. Now i can't sleep as in my mind i conclude, this is not the place i want to be.

This conclusion is not only based on just the noise that kept me up tonight, but more so the noise of the society surrounding me. Constant noise from restless masses where little peace can be found. Busyness of life, people running in a rat race, to learn, to earn, and to consume their lives as fast as they can. And when a rare moment of 'rest' is found, it is consumed 'together' by bowing to a medium we have come to call TV.

We have turned into consumers, not producers. We expect to be entertained by others, rather than take time to create something ourselves. We look at the surface without looking at what's beneath, we have become superficial with all the people that we meet. 'How are you doing?' has become a polite catch phrase, rather than a genuine question we ask one another. We have consumed our time chasing materal things and skewed values that fail to bring us closer to one another, be it with family or friends.

It leads me to ask, what are we made of? What has been woven into the tapestry of our lives? Have we allowed the surrounding noise to weave us into society's standard pattern, or are we woven into a more unique pattern, created in deep contemplation, which requires peace, quiet and rest. But true rest, where our inner soul truly rests, has become so elusive to find.

So where is this rest found? As i've spent these past 2 weeks in this crazy metropolis, i see it's not easy to find rest here. Nor is it always easy to find rest in a more quiet places, as our minds are intertwined by the busyness and worries of this world. How do we free ourselves from this? Where can we find true rest?

'Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and i will give you rest' is the invitation Jesus gave (Matt 11:28). He seems to know something about what should be woven into mankind's tapestry. He sees our need to be unwoven from all the busyness that entangle us and keeps us from finding true rest, and desires to weave a much different pattern to the tapestry to our lives.

So how do we find this rest? We need to stop, listen and look for the deeper and richer threads of life, and somehow allow Him to weave a more beautiful design.

Driving in an new direction

I've been thinking lately i should change the format of my blog. Alot has changed in my life over the past 2 years, and as much as i have learned (and am still learning) from the past, what i do today is multiple times more important than lessons of the past.

Travelling back to Canada two weeks ago, my aim was to take concrete steps in settling back on on this side of the pond. Finding a meaningful income and a place to live were close to the top of my priority list. Of course family is also very important, and with my mom experiencing health problems, getting her re-settled after spending almost a full month in the hospital has consumed the biggest chunk of my (and my sister's) time. Unfortunatly through all this there has been much more retrospect than looking forward.

I guess life can be compared to driving a car. If we spend too much time looking in the rear-view mirror, we may not see what's ahead, or worse yet get in an accident. Over 90% of our time we should be looking forward. Retrospect is so important, but in moderation. Too much retrospect will bog us down.

The Bible's always has wisdom for every topic of life, and this is no exception. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said 'when you put your hand to the plow, don't look back'. We all have a direction we need to go. So while we move forward, let's focus on what's ahead and only occasionally glance back to see where we came from A never forget those important times we need to stop for refueling directions and reflection.

SALT

Salt is an interesting material. Hard, heavy, translucent, usually granualer, though sometimes you can find it in large blocks. One amazing thing about salt is that it dissolves in water! Salt also kills. It kills bacteria, keeps food from rotting, and in larger quantities it can kill lakes, seas, vegetation, animals and humans. Yet we consume it with food, water and cannot survive without it.

Can salt in itself loose it saltiness? Jesus used salt as an example of what we should be, salt of the world, keeping it from rotting as many Bible scholars would conclude. We can also argue that our 'salt' should be spread in moderation, not in excess which may even kill another (we all know rubbing salt into a wound can be quite painful). But what about the dissolving qualities of salt? Is salt really useful as a solid when it does not dissolve?

Interesting thought, isn't it? Once salt dissolves, it is gone (at least gone from it's solid state)! We become a fluid, in one with what (or whom) we have salted. It can no longer be identified as salt in itself, although it can still be sensed and tasted. Is this another quality Jesus alluded to? To loose ourselves, the from we know. To to allow the salt to melt in, not to rub in our undissolved salt as many do...

As i was pondering this, i looked up some acronyms for salt. Some of the more intersting ones i found:

- same as last time
- single and loving it
- stand a little taller
- size, activity, location, time (military term)
- situation awareness logic tool
- serving and learning together
- salt and light together
- save a life today

Looking at these acronyms makes me ponder on how my 'salt' has effected my surroundings. Is it always the 'same as last time' or do i really love life, stand taller, aware of the time and place where i am, serving and learning with others, and most important has my 'salt' saved a life today?

Love by definition or discovery?

As i went for a walk early this morning, i took time to think deeply about how i have loved family, friends and God. I wondered what the foundation is for true love, and how can it be defined?

It's not the first time i've pondered this question. I've discussed conditional and unconditional love on this blog before, but what i'm exploring here is how by our definition may restrict love. Do we define love by our own parameters, and restrict it by our own expectation of what love should be? Or are we on a journey of discovery, with love motivating us to learn more about another person.

"Love does not begin by defining its objects: it discovers them." T.W. Manson

We like to put framework around our feelings, in defining our love of others. What does the Bible mean when it says 'love your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and your neighbour as yourself'? Do we simply package our love with good toughts and deeds, and say we have done our part? Do we package our love for others by thier additude and deeds towards us? Or is love inspiring us to discover more about them, to know more about their desires and needs, and give what we can for their benefit, not ours?

To love is to know, but if we are not interested in knowing can we say we really love? A person we may know very well, still has endless depth to be discovered. Even ourselves, are we constantly discovering more of our traits or atributes, ar are we 'set in our ways'. Relationships framed by definition tend not to grow, but those opened to discovery can flurish. Itõs our choice how we relate to friends, family and God. Choosing the path of discovery becomes an exciting journey of learning, and produces the fuel needed for love to grow.