Argument

I often engage in argument for its own sake- not to be contrary, but more "for sport" or to enjoy the critical thinking it requires. It asks to orbit the subject on all sides

This kind of mutually entertaining argument cooperates with a few understood standards

perhaps I presume those who argue with me are up to the same challenge

of life and death

when you die-
when your conscious frame is bare,
what will become of this?

all the tastes,
familiar textures,
the slight din of silence

the cool rain,
a pebble's weight and shape,
any and all-
you will not remember it.

it will all be sent away
left behind
it will triangle down the horizon
to a point you'll never see again


no voice will echo in your thoughts,
the colors and disposition of life-
will it not all fade as a steam
and be considered no more?

death is its own. resolute and final.
the transaction begs no introduction.
what has been will be no longer.

what, then, of life?
does it concern itself with death?
life goes about its duty
of forgetting death,
cheating and mocking the grave.

there is no reverence in the halls of young men
life is but an endless avenue
of gain and waste, gain and waste

when you die-
when your conscious frame is bare,
what will become of this?

all the tastes,
familiar textures,
the slight din of silence

the cool rain,
a pebble's weight and shape,
any and all-
you will not remember it.

it will all be sent away
left behind
it will triangle down the horizon
to a point you'll never see again


no voice will echo in your thoughts,
the colors and disposition of life-
will it not all fade as a steam
and be considered no more?

death is its own. resolute and final.
the transaction begs no introduction.
what has been will be no longer.

what, then, of life?
does it concern itself with death?
life goes about its duty
of forgetting death,
cheating and mocking the grave.

there is no reverence in the halls of young men
life is but an endless avenue
of gain and waste, gain and waste

the church, on culture

tight perspectives
woven often by a reinforced sense of self-preservation in the face of pressure

responses to things like addiction, lifestyle choices, heresy in ways that are black and white with no reasons, and with no attempt to understand the alternative mindset and how to assist in some way. abstaining from a fellow human who you believe is in trouble... that's cowardly and irresponsible. we have the answer. or do we? if we're not willing to share it as the answer, then maybe we don't have the answer, we merely believe in the idea of the answer. internalizing practical truth is crucial to engaging the world correctly.


a warning for the church, not a blanket classification.

x and y

Our generation is spread so thin.

Yes, we can touch whatever we want whenever we want it. We know so many people, we have so many interests. Limitless connection, endless advancement. So many beautiful things.

Competing things. Each area of interest is a flurry of individuals vying for attention. There may be more opportunity in this internet-driven time, but any real opportunity is taken up quickly by the best of the best. The rest of us are faced with the realization of globalization's ruthlessness. It's like we're boiled down to thousands of beads, each auditioning to be a pearl.

Even if this isn't true - if opportunities are only as diverse as the needs that are also springing up - we're still left with endless directions to head. Most of us are nearly forced (maybe by our own instincts for self-preservation) to dive into multiple areas of interest at once, following the latest and best, hoping to reflect it all in a way that would make us feel more complete. We become a collage of lifestyles, continuous adaptive suck-ups, if you will - we seem to observe people we admire and imitate what they imitate. Those who follow are getting as much credit as those who lead. How interesting.

Something else that bothers me about our day - the decline of the event. I feel as if we've become so continuous in our communications, so satisfied in our contact, that seeing one another is not as monumental of an occurrence. A friend's personality can still be felt through a text, and we get a small sense of what it's like being with them in person. Over time, this may compound and translate eventually into a casual meeting after years of actual separation, instead of a huge party celebrating a reunion. Perhaps this is best, I don't know. But it seems unsettling to me, that we compensate for physical presence and attention with virtual snapshots. We might be becoming lazy, spoiled. I've had a small fear in the back of my mind for a while - that we might be depending too much on technology to define our relationships and livelihoods. It's a great supplement, but I fear it may threaten replacement.