Hot Tea
I have my first thought to put on
this page (not my first thought ever, just the first one to actually make it onto
my super-dee-duper web-page). The thought is of the highest import. It may influence
how you purchase beverages in the future. And the thought that really came to
fruition on January 14, 1999 is,
Hot tea, no matter how delicious the ingredients sound,
typically smells much better than it tastes.
Yes, I know. A tragic fact that
may have been better left unsaid. Sometimes sugar or honey can aide in the recovery
of some of that taste, but alas, one's nose will truly experience the majority
of the satisfaction in the experience. I am reminded of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Though Orpheus traveled to the very bowels of the earth to gain his love back
from the Underworld, it simply could not be. Though so rich and tangible that
the reality of fullfillment seemed but a breath away, Orpheus looked back over
his shoulder and Eurydice was forever returned to the dominion of Hades. Of course,
tea drinking may not be the subject of many great mythological works, but like
a painting of paradise that cannot be entered, so is the unattainable bridge between
the scent and taste of a cup of tea.
e-mail
Here is a clip from an e-mail I sent someone awhile back.
I thought it was worth reproducing here, considering that what is written in the
excerpt is really true. But I will not allow it to be submitted into evidence.
Well, though my thoughts are active, my body
grows tired. My fingers type less accurately, and begin to threaten to strike....me...
across the face. But I will overpower them by sitting on them and typing with
my nose, who is all too eager to gain the valuble job experience. i typed this
entire sentence with my nose just to see if i could. My fingers are typing again
now, hence the reason why I can capitalize words again. Welll, I really must
go before I just get really out of hand!
Humble pride
More errant rambling. About pride.
3 PM. I was wondering why people think that
they are better than other people. And then I started feeling better than the
people who think that they're better than other people. Ha Ha! That was a trip,
for sure. So I just decided to feel fine. I don't want to put myself beneath
other people's feet, but at the same time, "holier than thou" complex is to
be avoided like the plague. So I try to be friendly, but it's hard to be friendly
to everyone. Life goes on.
Legalism
Paul speaks on the need to be perfect.
My "philosophy" class got me thinking today.
We were talking about Nietzsche (I can spell it without looking now!) and his
distaste for Socrates (almost really a personal distaste. He calls Socrates
ugly). And I got to thinking, "Christians have a real trap before them. And
so many Christians fall into the trap, and that's one of the reasons that the
world today hates Christians (or at least, in America). Christians get wrapped
up in rules, and for those who are so gung-ho about following the rules and
always presenting this perfect little Christian image, they start to think,
"Following the rules makes me good, and being good brings me salvation." Why
not? We're always taught that, he who breaks the rules is "bad." But where we're
so foolish is that rules are rules, they have no power to make someone good
or bad. We are all just as bad. Only a miracle could change our identity (and
even now, it's not me that's good, it's Christ. God sees Christ. If he saw me,
he'd hit the smite button without a thought. There we are with the didactic
portion of tonight's e-mail.