Useless Words

Words are important!
At least words used correctly are important.
When words are used flippantly or without thought they become meaningless.
In making words meaningless we strip speech of its beauty and words of their effectiveness. We make communication relative, and once communication is relative what is the point? Why even speak when the words that are used are completely subjective? We create ourselves into the people constructing the tower of Babel, where no one person is able to understand the other as we each carry around with us our own personal dictionary full of words defining words that are defined by us and have special meaning only to us.
Plus its just annoying!
There are two words in particular that have become completely useless in American pop culture: 1) "Feel" and 2) "Need." These two words have become overused to the point of being useless and I am not sure either really relates their intended meaning, as I will explain further...
But first, a tangent:
I am trying to anticipate arguments. The first I am trying to help as much as I can. I am sure there are those who are picking apart my own writing to show how ridiculous what I am saying is; they will try and find any misspelled or misused word and in doing so they think they have deconstructed my argument. In truth you've only discovered that I am slightly stupid or maybe dyslexic, you haven't really deconstructed the overall point that is made. You've proved the author is dumb, not the writing.
The other argument is in my choice of words to criticize. People may say that "like" should be involved in this list. That might be and there is an argument that can be made for it, but I would disagree. "Like" is not a useless word. It does not show our tendency to use words without regard to meaning and it does not try to communicate one thing while actually (if one is paying attention) communicate another. It is not useless. The problem with "like" is that it is entirely useful, and that is the terrible tragedy of it all. "Like" is used as a filler; it fills the silent beats between the necessary words. It is indicative of our fear of silence, rather than of our inability to properly communicate, or understand what it is that we are communicating. We should not fear silence in conversation, and we should not fear to take a second to respond. We would all do better to use "like" less often and let the silent beats exist. It gives us time to think about a response, about what is being communicated, about anything or everything. "Like" is a stupid word, but it is not useless.
Tangent completed, on to useless words:
1) "Feel": When asked what he felt was a Biblical view on capital punishment in the "Moody Student" (Moody Bible Institutes' student newspaper) a student replied: "I will always be an advocate for rehabilitation rather than capital punishment. I feel it is an Old Testament principle, but not a New Testament principle."* What in the name of Poseidon's trident does feeling have to do with any of that?! You feel pain, love, anger, joy! You don't feel whether or not capital punishment is a Biblical concept. I am not saying that feelings can't be objective realities I am saying that they are based on internal instinct and reaction. If I get a present, I feel joy, I cannot quantify that joy. I can manifest it with a smile, but I can't give proof of it. I can give proof that there is no such thing as an Old Testament concept that isn't also a New Testament concept(but that's a horse of a different color all together). Feelings are based on emotion and are, by consequence, fleeting. Those feelings are not lasting until partnered with a cognitive choice. Love is fleeting if not accompanied by the choice to show characteristics of love long after the feeling fades. Feelings are dangerous things. If we make decisions based on our feelings we are in a world of trouble. If we rely on how we feel to make a decision, rather than having reason and proof, then we are going to make poor decisions. I don't feel like working, but if I don't I will have no money. I don't feel like loving other Christians, but if I don't my witness is destroyed. We cannot base our lives on feelings. And if we are Christians trying to understand Biblical values through our feelings soon we are going to be very, very wrong. We're better off just reading the book and leaving our feelings out of interpreting Scripture.
If I can be blunt: It does not matter how you feel! Soon we will all die. When that happens this world will forget about most of us... probably all of us. It does not matter how you feel in the eternal perspective of things. All that matters is the truth. Lets not confuse our feelings with what is true. Be people who confess truth, not feelings.
And if you don't mean feeling in this sense than don't use the word! "Think" or "believe" are perfect words to use instead.**
2) "Need": Where to even begin with our shameful obsession with the concept of need?! I've spent enough time waiting tables at restaurants to hear my fair share of people say "yeah... I'm gonna need another soda." What a foolish thing to say! No one needs another soda! We live in the most wealthy country in the world. Even the poorest of us are the richest people in the world. We, as Christians are the most opulent Church this world has ever known. We don't need anything!!! To say the word need is an insult to those who actually experience need, those who go days without food, who wonder where they will sleep, and wonder how they will keep safe at night. To be honest with myself, I don't think I've ever needed anything. There was never an instance where a need of mine was not easily met. We need to be more grateful for the things that we have, and realize that they are blessings above and beyond what any of us need. We don't need soda with our meals, much less refills. We don't need beautiful cars or additions on our houses. We don't need seconds at dinner! But thanks be to God, who out of His abundance gives us all we need and more. I am concerned that this kind of language can make us ungrateful. We need to recognize our blessings and thank God for them. Not take them for granted. We need to start using the word want or desire more often, and stop mistaking our wants for needs.
Believe what you will about what I've said. But it is not a waste for me to emphasize:
Words are important!





*this quote is filled with all sorts of problems that can be dissected with whole blogs (forget that, even books!) dedicated to explaining how its wrong. But for our purposes I'm gonna focus on the word "feel".
** but even if that student thinks or believes that capital punishment is an Old Testament concept alone, and not a New Testament concept he is still wrong... just thought I'd throw that out there.

the writing on the wall: philosophy is like a flying gold fish

I took this picture on my phone on the subway in Boston a few months back. The poster advertises that philosophy, particularly that provided by Philosophy Works, is able to set you free and think clearly.
Fair enough...
Its a nice idea.
But its ridiculous.
A hybrid of western and eastern thought (contradicting ideologies to begin with) is silly at best and leaves confusion and contradiction for all those who participate in it. Certainly they may feel better about themselves and hug a little bit more or walk around with peaceful little smiles but they will not have the answers. The poster itself proves my point that this philosophy is ridiculous and destructive. Freedom is symbolized by two goldfish jumping free of their water. Oh sweet freedom! They are no longer held in by the environment they've always lived in; they can experience a different world. Now, I'm no doctor but I know this much: when the fish are out of that water they will die very shortly! Sure they've broken lose, but they aren't free. They're about to suffocate. And that's the tragedy of modern philosophy.

Honesty (my mask is so tight i've become unable to breath)

we crack
smiles
or vases
proclaiming our cases
from pulpits
or dung heaps
as the city sleeps

eyes open, heart pounding, our screams are resounding

claiming serenity, pleading for pity, grasping for dignity, coming up empty

construct
abstractions
to replicated
our passions
convincing the masses
that we are alive

abandon pretension, disarm apprehension, reveal frustration, share celebration, a bold declaration, let each other in.

Voice for the Visionaries

Avid are the fans of this legalism. Devoted are the proponents of this righteous movement. Set in their ways are they. Stuck in their ways I seem to be. The path they set for right or wrong is the path I, along with they, follow. When the doctrine of “always was” drowns out the practicality of “what if” and the ideology of “safe steps” dominates the hopes of “what could be”, what do we have left, how can change come? We look behind us at the path that got us here and realize it is not the best way to go. Yet we look ahead... we move ahead in the way we’ve known. The way we've hated, the way that is familiar, the way that is accepted, the way that follows what our philosophers and thinkers, as shallow as they may be, have taught, written, and demanded. Change does not come easy. We walk the path we know before we forge the path that is best. We say its worth the risk, we think we’re wrong. We are the cynics, the philosophers, the sarcastic, the analyzers, and criticizers of this generation. We see so much potential, we’ve been given vision. We see.
Avid are the fans of legalism. Devoted are the proponents of this righteous movement. Set in their ways are they. Stuck in their ways we seem to be. Why don’t the visionaries speak in the city squares? Why don’t the prophets scream from the rooftops? Why don’t the cynics rise against to bring rebellion? Why don’t the seers bring their visions to the masses? Why do we stand in the shadows of the shallow? Visionaries should be the vision casters. That we might bring what could be into the world of what is. That we could make know to all what we have spoken amongst ourselves. That we could shout from the street corners and roof tops what we have whispered in the secret places. Let us bring the visions in our eyes to the people. That change may come. That we would no longer be slaves of what has always been. That we may be free in what can be... what is. When the masses raise their voices to a mighty scream the sirens song is of no effect, indeed the sirens song is dead. Raise your voices masses. Show them what to scream oh visionaries.

old poems

"The Weight of Glory (Tread Carefully Saints)"

life hangs in the balance of
these moments and choices
made in haste or careful (sometimes carefree) consideration
walking through minefields
and holy ground
makes for a heavy heart
and light steps
to understand
what every step can mean
and has meant to
saints sinners martyrs murders
and every soul in between
rusty shrapnel
and hallowed shrines
serve to remind of the consequences
of every step taken
and every blade of grass broken
by my foot...
and I am so frightened

God only knows if I'll make it or not
so I spray these 9 bullets cause they're all that I got

heavy heart light feet as I tread through mine fields
the footsteps of the martyrs will lead me home


"thirty thousand dollars well spent"

College dorms and overpriced books hallways wallpapered in phallic jokes a shower may be too much work a shot of cologne and a fabreeze sprayed shirt should work another paper why was Marx wrong was that a curse word in that song another sarcastic comment followed by an empty apology ten page papers screw it solitaire I ran out of gel so shave my hair was she looking at me or leading me on I will pray about it then pine over what went wrong wear my heart on my sleeve and my philosophy on my shirt self deprecations one thing but correction can hurt sarcasm is my best friend but no one else will be rebuke is a bad icebreaker but doe eyed females are deadly I love christian college


This one is my response Paris Hilton going to jail and the media circus that went with it:
"the news (a poem about whats important in the good ol' U.S of A)"
somepoliticianisontrialPARISHILTONISINJAILblahblahblah
darfurSHECRIEDWHENSHERECEIVEDHERSENTENCEsome
crapabouttheeconomyorsomethingSHEWASDRAGGEDFROM
THECOURTROOMSCREAMINGFORHERMOMMYtheresbeen
awargoingonactuallymaybeafewSHEISBEINGRELOCATEDSIG
HTINGMEDICALCONCERNSaidspandemicBOOKDEALSARE
BEINGDISCUSSEDpolaricecapsmeltingVERSACEDOESN'TMA
KEORANGEJUMPSUITS

if it helps... there are 9 characteristics listed in the fruit of the spirit.

media propaganda (I swear I'm not paranoid)

This is an image on myspace advertising for people to "get out and vote!"
What fun!
Whether intentional or not this seems like total propaganda and it frustrates me. I'm not stating my political views here. I don't know who I'm voting for. But this picture here seems to present a bias. Obama looks comfortable, relaxed, confident, and (in the most heterosexual way possible) attractive. While McCain... well, he doesn't even look like he knows where on God's green earth he is. He looks awkward, like the uncle at the family party no one wants to be there and was invited out of guilt but refuses to get the hint and leave.
Perhaps I'm reading into this too much, I've been accused of as much in my life. But I know two things: 1) Media has a powerful effect on culture and politics, and 2) Media (particular that marketed at our generation: MTV, bloggers, etc) have been less than candid about their left leaning, which is often masked with bipartisan "Get out the vote" rhetoric. I'll quickly explain these two points:
1) Had I not settled on Church history as a major I might have put my mind towards a number of different historical subjects. One of the topics that has interested me the most is the history of media and its impact on culture, particularly the impact television has had on culture and politics (and more recently the internet). In the election between Nixon and Kennedy (which the Wikipeadians can tell you about here) in 1960 television is said to have played a pivotal role. As best as I can remember (The wikipedians are no help in reminding me) this was the first election with a televised debate that was also over radio. Showing up to the debate Kennedy was shaved, with a nice black suit and healthy disposition. Nixon showed up with stubble, a brown suit (that did not look good on cameras), and was sick. Needless to say he was much less visually appealing. The interesting thing is that a survey showed that those who watched the debate felt that Kennedy did better, while those who listened on the radio believed Nixon did better. Clearly, the new visual component had a dramatic effect that the Kennedy administration planned for (they did test screenings) and Nixon did not. I'm not necessary saying this is a bad thing, I'm just saying its something we need to be aware of. We need to consider how the media is subconsciously influencing us.
2) MTV in 1992 had the "Rock the Vote" campaign trying to get college age students to get out and vote. The MTV generation was told the importance of their vote on the nation. Clearly their leaning was towards the left, giving positive time to Clinton. Chris Cornell, lead singer from Sound Garden and Audioslave, later went on record saying that he did not contribute to the Rock the Vote ads because he felt that MTV was more interested in getting people to vote for Clinton, rather than getting people to vote in general. He felt this was misleading. So do I. I have no problem with people making their voices heard regarding who they feel will make a better candidate. I am uncomfortable with them disguising it as unbiased when it clearly is.

Apathy City

I wanted to conduct a social experiment. I wanted to find out if anyone in this city cared about anyone else. I was going to be the bait, every person I walked past was going to be my test subject.
I did not want dramatic acts of heroism. I just wanted a smile, a nod, even for someone just to look me in the eye... just to acknowledge my existence as a human being.
No one smiled, no one nodded, hardly anyone looked me in the eye, and a few people nearly ran into me had I not noticed them first and moved out of their way.

I was disappointed.

A self-righteous disappointment. These masses, so caught up in their own lives, too narcissistic to care about anyone else but themselves, so wrapped up in their own lives that they didn't care about anyone else's broke my heart.
As I arrived at this "holy realization" I was simultaneously stepping over the third homeless person I had passed that night.
No eye contact, no nod, no smile, no help. They might as well have not been there at all.
And I realized that I didn't care about them really either, nor any other person I had passed and judged. Sure I tried smiling, but I cared little for their life, their pain, their hopes, their eternity. I didn't care about them, I cared only about whether or not they cared about me.

And I was disappointed.

I don't know.

Maybe its something they're putting in the water...