The Unity of Chaos

The Freedom Tower.

The older I get, the more I realize how complex and unpredictable the world is. Just look at the people around you. We are all inherently confused and uninformed organisms. I think that the majority of people, myself included, often carve out a box consisting of specific ideas and routines. One example of this is a group of tight-knit friends that make a conscious effort to shield each others backs and reciprocate in kind deeds to one another. And while this may sound naive or narrow-minded, if you take a step back and consider the alternative, suddenly rational ignorance doesn't sound all that bad. The only context that I can think of in which we as humans have any morsel of control over our surroundings is that of the home environment. In nearly every other sphere of life, especially in the urban landscape, there are literally millions of factors and forces that affect us on any given day and there is simply no way to even begin to realize all of the variables that are out of our control, much less control the variables themselves. In science they call this an independent variable. In a bittersweet sort of way, the fact that we all live in this chaotic world means that we all go through it together, and thus a sort of harmonious, coalescing vein weaves throughout every individual and to the next, and when we love we are tapping into that communal tie. Chaos knows no social classes or races, since nobody is exempt from havoc. While we as humans may try to convince ourselves that we can determine our own destinies and that we can simply go out there and seize the day, the truth is that we rarely have the luxury to predetermine the outcomes of all the occurrences that take place right before our eyes. The good news is that we have two powerful means of dealing with the events that unceasingly reproduce: the first is reaction, and the second is retrospective. The way we react to something ultimately depends on the attitude that we choose to employ in the situation. If we choose to make the most of the outcomes, regardless of whether or not it is the ideal one, then the outcome will have been fully expedited and therefore stewarded to the best of our abilities. The other tool with which we can clarify this unclear world is retrospective. Hind-sight is 20-20, so remember that it always pays off to look back on the things we experience and learn from them what we can.

I want to conclude by sharing with you a couple of quotes that I feel are both relevant and encouraging.

"The curious tasks of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design." F.A. Hayek

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

How To Find Peace

It seems everyone in our world today is trying to find inner peace. Actually, this is no new thing. Humans have longed for such an ideal state of being since the beginning. And yet modern culture seems to be moving us towards the polar opposite of tranquility. Perhaps peace is no longer attainable, and is only present on the face of tombstones.

 If humans are incapable of grasping and retaining inner peace until the afterlife (Wherever or whatever you may believe that is), then we must hunt for entities on this planet that are capable of embracing solitude. Three such entities that come to mind include Nature, animals, and children.

Studies show that petting a dog lowers your heart rate, thus causing ones body to relax. I believe that when a person stands within the deepest depths of Nature's bosom, and breathes in the fresh, pure air produced by the surrounding trees which so delicately envelop, we brush up against true, authentic peace. There is something about being in Nature that just puts our minds at ease, reminding us of what's important in life.

Although children aren't always viewed as the most peaceful of creatures, there is something about their careless- yet not apathetic - outlook on things, and the sheer curiosity which seems to lead their lives. It could be that children are more innocent than peaceful. Kids have not been embittered by this world. They are like a freshly washed napkin free of blemishes.

Most people would agree that the longer one lives on this cruel planet, and relentlessly battles with time, the colder ones soul becomes. We are like fish in a pond, aimlessly flopping our fins every which way, slightly aware of some superior being who resides above the surface. The truth is that behind every morsel of food, a rusty hook just may be waiting for us. There is no distinguishing one from the other.
At times there seems to be little difference between good and evil in these murky waters in which we float...

 

Turkish Delight

     

The Summer of 2009 changed me forever. My family and I went on a missions trip to Antalya, Turkey with a program called IMPACT. Our purpose was to encourage the Christian Turks who are being persecuted and oppressed by the tyrannical Muslim government. The country is 99.9% Muslim, and 0.01% "Other"; Christians fall into the latter category. Turks are truly hostile to the Christians there; the pastor of the church we visited, called the Antalya Evangelical Church, has had numerous near-death experiences, such as a man walking right in the church with a knife, heading towards the pastors office. 

              
     That month long trip impacted my family and I so much, that we just had to go back. Sure enough, God provided a way and we returned for a month, during the summer of 2010. I cannot put into words the marvelous impact that those two missions trips had on my life. I will never forget them. 

     Here is a link to the flickr page of Melis, a beautiful Christian who was one of the first to befriend us, and is a great photographer :      http://www.flickr.com/photos/46017406@N05/

     Here's a video that gives some context to the situation in Antalya, and talks about the church: http://youtu.be/NibzGSm7hs8