Allegory of the Cave: Joy in Struggles

It's been a while but let's get right down to it.
The picture above says it all. This young girl, was one of many who inspired me on YouTube with her inexplicable happiness while fighting cancer. May her soul rest in peace. 
A few days ago, I was asked to speak in my school's chapel (I go to a Christian University, very predictable huh) on how I find Joy in my struggles.
At first, I was taken aback, because truthfully, I sulk a lot! If things don't go my way, even if it means that I don't get white chocolate coffee in the morning, I tend to carry that throughout the whole day.
So, when I was asked to speak, I felt inadequate.

How can I, the chronic complainer talk about how I find joy in struggles?

More importantly, even if I find joy in struggles, how do I translate that to fellow college students without giving a cliche or Sunday School speech?

 Then it came to me, thanks to the Spirit of God that lives in me (I know non-Christians might  roll their eyes at this point.. it's all good).

The Allegory of the Cave in Plato's Republic

Without further ado, here's the excerpt from the speech I gave:

Today, I have been asked to reflect on how I find joy in struggles. As Christians we struggle from day to day in our faith walk with God and even other than that, we struggle with the harsh realities of life. Being here for almost five years, I have had the privilege of hearing some of the saddest situations that we as college students go through. Sometimes we struggle with balancing our academic and social lives, staying on top of our grades, struggling with depression, anxiety, panic and body image disorders; going through painful relationships, break ups and honestly, the list could go on and on. So how exactly do we find joy in all of this pain? How do we stay joyful when we know that our little brother is on a downward escalator with cystic fibrosis, or our father gets diagnosed with brain cancer? How do we smile amidst the hurt that some relationships bring, amidst failing our classes, or trying desperately to be financially stable.

 Joy in struggles. 

As paradoxical as it sounds, I think it’s actually possible. Let me tell you how.

Thanks to our wonderful professors here at Lee, some or even most of us have heard something about Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Basically, Socrates portrays a picture of prisoners chained together facing a wall. Behind them is a fire that illuminates objects and people that are walking behind them on the wall. As a result, the prisoners are only able to see shadows being cast on the wall. They can’t see the real objects behind them. Socrates’s main message here is the fact that humans have a false interpretation of reality because they are so far away from the source of illumination. Now, one of the things I like the most about the allegory is how many interpretations you can get from it. First, let’s imagine for a second that the prisoners are us; the chains are the struggles we face daily while the shadows represent our interpretations of our reality or struggles. The fire behind us is God who illuminates the true reality as we get closer to Him while the people and objects behind represent the true reality or permit me to say God’s reality for us or I can even go as far as saying joy. So let’s make this more personal. 

As Christians, we get chained by our struggles but rather than facing God we interpret our reality falsely. We face the wall and wallow in our struggles. We can’t turn around, (or at least it’s hard to turn around). 

The first thing we need to realize at this point is that our current interpretation of reality is an illusion. The struggle is real but our interpretation isn’t because anything not founded in the Word of God is not God’s reality for us.

So how do I find joy in my struggles? I turn around! When the world makes me think I don’t look good or I am not pretty, I turn around and there I see God’s Word telling me, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). When I struggle with my classes and feel like I have no plans for my future and I graduate in August, I turn around and hear Him say, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”(Jeremiah 29:11) When the world is in chaos, and my heart is constantly worried or unsettled, I turn around and see the Word clearly, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your heart and mind.” (Philippians 4:7) When I don’t know how I will pay my rent or get groceries for the month, I turn around and I know that he will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. (Philippians 4:19) When I feel sick to my very bones, I turn around and I am reminded that “by his stripes , I am healed” (Isaiah 53:5) And when I receive hate and anger from the people around me, I am comforted by how wide, long and high, how deep and how great His love for me is (Ephesians 3:18). To the person whose brother struggles with cystic fibrosis, I know it’s a difficult thing to wait for a cure coupled with fear of the future but we remember God’s word, that those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31). To the person whose father was diagnosed of brain cancer, while waiting on God remember that he is able to do exceedingly above all that we can ever ask or think or imagine.

Today, I implore all of us because I know we all struggle. Even though it seems difficult, turn around! Forget about what the world says about you. Turn to God and in Him you will find Joy. Thank you.

Well, we probably won't meet tomorrow..

or will we?

What are you doing for Valentine's?

Golly! (Wait, do people still say that?)
Anyways, it's Valentine's day in less than two weeks!! I get to eat chocolate and not feel guilty.
On a more serious note though, what exactly is the point of Valentine's?

 For the benefit of those that do not know the supposed history of Valentine's Day, it is said that this day was named in honor of a Christian saint, St. Valentine. He fought against persecution and preached the gospel. Centuries later, Geoffrey Chaucer set this day apart for the purpose of expressing romantic love in the Roman empire.
This comes as no surprise to me because even in today's world, almost all Christian holidays lose their true meaning. It's been replaced by those that are marketing and selling products or those that just want a day where you can eat lots of food and smile at the stranger at Macy's for no just reason... (that used to be me, by the way). After these Christian holidays, everything goes back to normal. We never even wonder about their true meaning.

So what's my point?
Well, what are you doing this valentine's season?

For some of us, we are deciding to remain faithful to our husbands/wives (in my case, future husband).
For some of us, we have faith that our current significant others will turn around for the better.
For some of us, we are hopeful for a ring by spring.
For some of us, we just eat and stay happy!
For some of us, we Love!

"And now, these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love."
~ 1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV, The Bible

I pondered on this verse for three solid days. What exactly was Paul telling the Corinthians? I mean everyone knows love is of utmost importance. Faith and hope can't compare right? Big deal!

Let me make an attempt to explain what he meant.

First, Hebrews 11:6 puts it to us as Christians, that without faith it is impossible to please God. Surely, that's true because without faith, you would not even believe in God. I mean, faith is what keeps us going.
Secondly, during Job's trial period, his friend tells him he will be secure because there is hope. So we know that hope in God, gives us security and something to look forward to (unfathomable peace).
Lastly, we know from multiple verses that love covers our sins, imperfections and fears.

In faith, we believe and know that everything works together for our good. For those living in faith as I mentioned earlier, your results are going to be worthwhile because your faith pleases God who grants you everything above all you can ask or think.
In hope, we are convinced of our security in God. We know Christ in us is our hope of glory. For those of us living in hope this season, do not fret for your security is in God, the Creator of the Universe.
In love,we surpass faith and hope because now, we are not even thinking of ourselves. We are just loving others. We have come to the knowledge that love (agape) is the perfection of God's will in us. For in love, hope, faith and so much more exist.

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is just
Love is truthful
Love endures
love has faith
Love is hopeful
Love perseveres
Love is unconditional

So that's what Paul was telling us, just love God and one another and you don't have to worry about a thing. Christ said ALL THINGS ARE YOURS!!!!

For those of us living in love, we partake in God's mission and love those who we think do not deserve chocolates or flowers. We love them because God loved us first. So what are you doing this valentine's?
Are you loving? I am!

See you tomorrow!
Or will I?

Love is so not worth it!

I love you! I love chocolate. I really loved The Hunger Games!! What's not to love? The love of my life. I really love writing on this blog!
No seriously, I do.

So, what exactly is love?
The truth is, it behooves me to talk about the ironic lack of love in the "love" some of us express through our words and actions.

Now, some people may believe that love does not exist. Well, they very well may be right. In today's world, there exists the paradox of the oversimplifications of love and its intricate complexities. For some, love can be defined very simply as a feeling of strong affection directed towards an object. For others, love is very complex. Example:  "When love beckons you, follow him, (even) though his ways are hard and steep... For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you." ~ Gibran Kahlil Gibran

So as I asked earlier, how do we measure or define what love is?
Can we accept the following statements as love?

I love you, so I will kill anyone who harms you.
I love you, so I have to lie to you about the mistress I have on the side.
I love you, so.. (you know, you get the point).

Is this really love? Is this why people don't believe in its existence?
Based on my past experience, I have always considered love an utter waste of my resources (time, energy, money, experience, and whatever else I have to spend on that guy that thinks he's all that!). You feel me don't you? You could love a person and have them not love you back, (or vice versa). Two people could love each other and it would never work out simply because the timing wasn't right. Gosh, I hated having to go through that.

So, is it worth it to love, considering the possibilities of rejection, defacement, ridicule and sorrow?
Well for me, yes! At least, the God-kind, Agape.

You see, most of the times people express love, they probably are talking about phileo/storge (brotherly love), or mania (obsessive love), or pragma (realistic love), or eros (passionate love), or ludus (sport love).

We hardly mean agape (unconditional love).
Its the giving kind of love. The one that  doesn't require a "receipt"  or show of gratitude.
So yes, I want to love! I want  to agape! Even if it means getting rejected (although I do not wish for that).
It's so worth it!

Soon, we will explore the dimensions of the agape kind of love, because in the simplicity of this kind of love, therein lies its complexities.

See you tomorrow!

Or will I?

The Solution to Sin

Sin is awful! Mostly because it makes me feel guilty. It draws me away from God and I don't feel worthy of His love. 

So the solution to sin? Love.

I'll tell you a story. A long time ago, I had a boyfriend. Oh how I "loved" him. He gave me everything I ever asked for not expecting anything in return. As a result, I started to take advantage of him, I would wake him up in the middle of the night just because I could not sleep. He never complained. He just gave. And I received. I was selfish. It all came crashing down soon enough! There's so much you can give without getting anything in return. Give and Take. Phileo. That's the human-life. The human kind of love. This is not the love I am referring to.

As Christians, we live the God-life. Agape. Our standard for love should be based on God and not a trade by barter system. Now some of you may compare yourselves to my story saying, "Umm.. I am not like you. I would never do that. I love my family, friends and significant other." So you love your best friend? Good job! The quote above says it all.What's the fun in loving those who love you. Haven't you ever felt a thrill of excitement by offering help to a stranger? It's this unexplainable feeling of warmth + joy + peace all wrapped up in one.

We talked earlier on how fear and selfishness are the only two reasons why we sin. For me, I struggle more with selfishness. I am so overly concerned with my appearance, brains, attitudes, friends and so much more. It's always been all about me. So, let's get rid of fear and selfishness.

How to eradicate fear:
 1 John 4: 18 says "No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear..." 
Like I said yesterday, Fear indicates a misdirected trust but Love trusts God always! If you love God, trusting him always, you have no fear in you because regardless of the circumstances that you may be facing, there is something that stands true more than anything else, God and his love for you. The Lord is your shepherd, even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you should FEAR NO EVIL! In the same way, if you are capable to replicate this God-kind of love to God and others, you would not fear any person or circumstance because of the knowledge of God's love residing in you.

How to eradicate selfishness:
J.R. Miller rightly states that "Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity. Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness." How could you sin when your focus is on something else? Forget yourself! Seek ye first God's kingdom, and everything, I mean EVERYTHING ELSE will be added unto you. 
Let me give you a hint. The moment you start to pray to God that you want to stop sinning, you are still being selfish. Why? Because it's still about you. You don't like the way sin makes you feel so you want to stop. No, a thousand times No. Just forget yourself. Focus on satisfying God, loving him and others; months later, you will find yourself without sin. You will be so past it, you won't even realize it. 

So how do we get this God-kind of love? Hmmn.. just thinking about how I started to have the God kind of love excites me..

I'll see you tomorrow!

Or will I?

The MATH Problem of SIN: Let's Solve It!

Hello! I know I have taken a break from telling my story... that's partly because I felt pressed to talk about the the questions I feel a lot of Christians and non-Christians ask. But back to my story, Jesus found me again and this time I was sure I wasn't going back. But as you may know, I started to sin (or fall short of God's glory as the Bible says).

I started to wonder, "God, I have accepted Jesus as my savior and believed that he died for my sins. Old habits are dead, everything has become new. I am a NEW CREATION! Why then do I still have lustful thoughts, or lie about my grades or covet my best friend's successes? Come on! Why?"

And he told me (yes, we are in the 21st century and God actually talks to people), "You don't know me!"

"Ok! Hold up! I don't know you? You know more than anyone else that I read the Bible everyday. I have quiet time. Heck I even started tho blog because I wanted to share you with the world. Come on! You know that's not true." I retorted.

......... Well I was waiting for a reply just as you all are but .. Nothing!

That was the end of the conversation.

Due to my persistent nature, I set out to find out what that meant. After studying the Word and listening to some Christian messages, it came to me. 

You see what God meant was I don't trust him. Trust is so powerful that the lack of it could damage you and your relations with others. According to Erik Erikson, during infancy, children go through a Trust vs. Mistrust stage. If children have no parents or caregivers to trust, it is predicted that they will have a hard time trusting anyone for the rest of their lives, even themselves. Crazy huh!

So what does this have to do with sin?

Well the Bible states in Romans 14: 23 KJV "...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."

Meaning,  SIN = (-)negative FAITH

If I do not trust God, I will lie, steal, murder and do whatever it is you might call sin.

A Christian who steals a car simply does not trust that God can provide his needs (in this case a car)

Let me take this a step further. the only two reasons why we sin or do not trust God are fear and selfishness.

Fear: Anything done in fear indicates a misdirected trust (i.e trusting the wrong thing). One who is scared of dogs, trusts in the ability of the dog causing harm rather than in the trust of one being able to fight the dog (depending on the dog, its always best to run). If I was born in a country that prosecuted Christians, chances are that I may lie about my faith out of the fear of being tortured or killed. Therefore, this fear indicates my trust in the ability of others rather than placing my trust in God knowing he will save me.

Selfishness: A selfish act indicates the need to benefit oneself over others. Stealing, murder and lust are all acts of selfishness. If you focus on yourself alone rather than on God and others, I put it to you, YOU WILL SIN!

So FEAR + SELFISHNESS = SIN = (-)negative FAITH

(note: the two don't have to occur at the same time to be called sin)

To every basic math problem, there is a solution.

I know the solution to sin. Do you?

Let me know in the comments section below

We'll talk more later.

See you tomorrow!

Or will I?

Why do we suffer?

Let us imagine for a second that evil does not exist. The world has never known evil. You wake up in the morning, take a shower and dress up for work. You get in your car, no crazy drivers on the road, no stop lights, the world just seems peaceful. You get to work, there's nothing for you to do because there exists no problem (evil) needing a solution. You get off work, hang out with your friends and talk about how good life is. Really? That's the world you want to live in? A toy world. A world that knows no darkness because of the continuous presence of light. A world that asks no questions, that has no hope because everything is available. There is no lack, poverty or suffering. Really?

In Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl rightly states that “If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.” 

Why then do we suffer?

In order to answer this question we have to understand where suffering came from. Where exactly did this idea of injustice, cruelty and suffering come from? The answer is goodness. 

If you are like me, there are probably a countless number of times you have left food to spoil in your fridge. You become aware of this as a result of either the pungent smell or the nasty taste (hopefully the former). 

From this illustration we can see that good can become bad. And that is how suffering ensues. Perverted Goodness (more of that on here).

Now the next question would be, 
"Fine Dupsy (my nickname btw)! You win. Why then does God allow us suffer?"

"Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having." ~ C.S. Lewis

I will admit that in some moments, I really wished for God to take away this idea of free will, just so we can stop fighting each other and causing pain to one another. But then, in the moments of my happiness, I want free will. I want to actually feel good when I get a car, promotion or what not. So you see, suffering has to exist alongside happiness.

Fortunately for me, this cool guy came to me and told me I did not have to suffer anymore. He said he would die for me so I could go on living. He said he would be my strength when I become weak. That he would stand up for me, when I am bullied. How could I resist this offer? How could anyone?

Oh, he also said this offer was not of a limited edition. He wanted me to let everyone know that his offer still stands. So, do you want to take him up on it?

I did! We'll talk about what happens after that later.

See you tomorrow!

Or will I?

Let us try to disprove God!

In an attempt to disprove God, I found myself proving him more and more. Now, most Christians would attest to the fact that we all doubt God's existence at one point or the other. For me it was an either-or situation. Either God existed and I did not want to admit to the fact or He does not exist and all Christians are living a fatuous life.

The first option was at the time impossible for me to imagine. I mean how could I be wrong? (I am human after all).
The second option was easier to believe at the time and so I set out to prove it.
After reading books and doing a lot of research, I made out this argument.

Premise 1: The so-called God claims to be perfect (good, all-knowing, supreme, supernatural, and whatever great word he has been dignified with).
Premise 2: The so-called God claims to have created the universe and all that is in it (including man).
Premise 3: The universe is not good  (aka there lies the existence of evil).
Conclusion: God is either not perfect or does not exist.

If this God is not perfect and does not live by his claims, he is obviously not worthy of my worship or even interest. Hence, it was only natural for me to claim that God does not exist.
I was wrong.

Now let me tell you why.
If man is a part of the universe that this so-called God created, how is it supposed to rate its creator?
It's as ridiculous as clay trying to determine the credibility and ability of the potter (with failed attempts of course).

Why then do we try to determine God's perfection?

Secondly, what is perfection anyway? How are we as humans able to discern what goodness is? Does this not suggest that there is a locus (form of measure) for what goodness is?

If you are with me so far, it means you agree that there is a standard we use to measure good and evil.
If you are not, pretend that I am right for a second.
What is this standard (or at least who created it)? Please do not tell me that humans created this standard! That's just a bunch of hogwash. No offense.

This standard is God!
That's the purpose of this blog.

• to tell you my story.
• to let you know that God exists.
• to convince you that He and He alone created the universe.
• to let you know that most Christians have absolutely know idea who God is.

See you tomorrow!

Or will I?