growing pains (by emily)
recently a dear friend of mine approached me saying she wasn't sure she knew me anymore. after all, i've made a lot of changes recently, and she was afraid i was becoming "hardened" and "cynical."
it's true, my time here in korea has opened up opportunities to learn more about who i am. i have been challenged to think about my responsibility as a person, a Christian, and a consumer. for years i've not cared about politics, the environment, or even health. i think that was very selfish of me.
our lives are too short not to care. too short not to form opinions, especially about things that matter.
recently the Evangelical Association of Christians (representing millions of Evangelical Christians) refused to take a stand on the Global Warming Issue. as well, Dr. Dobson -- founder of Focus on the Family -- has vouched for the war on Iraq, saying it is a "just war."
as i see it, we as believers have two responsibilities: to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls and minds, and to love our neighbour as ourself.
to love God means to love the Creator of this earth -- the Creator of animals, nature, and the universe.
to love our neighbour means, essentially, to treat them as we'd want to be treated. to put it bluntly, it means NOT KILLING THEM.
for us to avoid taking a stand on the environment, and to support war for profit, is to go against the very foundation of what we believe.
loving our neighbours also means looking out for the "little guys" -- such as the mom and pop stores, the farms that are being bought out by 'corporate slaughterhouses,' the jews in world war two, and countries such as haiti who are dirt-poor.
my friend kerri has taught me a lot about living naturally. her philosophy is to live with as little negative impact as possible; she questions everything she does. she still feels convicted for taking an airplane to korea, because it eradicates all of her recycling and bicycling efforts in regards to hurting the environment. she is a vegan, who cares deeply about people and watches little or no television. and she wouldn't call herself a Christian.
how much more of a responsibility do we who claim to know the Creator have?
i've been realizing this, and waking up. as many of you know, i've stopped eating meat except that provided by farmer's markets or the farm directly (in order to fight the corporate farm); i will no longer shop at Wal-mart (one of many 'bad corporations' -- please watch "The High Cost of Low Prices"), and i have given up my greatest love -- coffee -- because it's harmful to me. trent and i are looking into converting a diesel car to 'bio-diesel' when we return, and will be sharing a home with another couple in order to live even more frugally and economically. as well, i've been writing articles about our nation clinging to its identity.
i have changed... i hope you can accept and love me, and i hope it challenges you to think about the choices you make as well. i love you!
it's true, my time here in korea has opened up opportunities to learn more about who i am. i have been challenged to think about my responsibility as a person, a Christian, and a consumer. for years i've not cared about politics, the environment, or even health. i think that was very selfish of me.
our lives are too short not to care. too short not to form opinions, especially about things that matter.
recently the Evangelical Association of Christians (representing millions of Evangelical Christians) refused to take a stand on the Global Warming Issue. as well, Dr. Dobson -- founder of Focus on the Family -- has vouched for the war on Iraq, saying it is a "just war."
as i see it, we as believers have two responsibilities: to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, souls and minds, and to love our neighbour as ourself.
to love God means to love the Creator of this earth -- the Creator of animals, nature, and the universe.
to love our neighbour means, essentially, to treat them as we'd want to be treated. to put it bluntly, it means NOT KILLING THEM.
for us to avoid taking a stand on the environment, and to support war for profit, is to go against the very foundation of what we believe.
loving our neighbours also means looking out for the "little guys" -- such as the mom and pop stores, the farms that are being bought out by 'corporate slaughterhouses,' the jews in world war two, and countries such as haiti who are dirt-poor.
my friend kerri has taught me a lot about living naturally. her philosophy is to live with as little negative impact as possible; she questions everything she does. she still feels convicted for taking an airplane to korea, because it eradicates all of her recycling and bicycling efforts in regards to hurting the environment. she is a vegan, who cares deeply about people and watches little or no television. and she wouldn't call herself a Christian.
how much more of a responsibility do we who claim to know the Creator have?
i've been realizing this, and waking up. as many of you know, i've stopped eating meat except that provided by farmer's markets or the farm directly (in order to fight the corporate farm); i will no longer shop at Wal-mart (one of many 'bad corporations' -- please watch "The High Cost of Low Prices"), and i have given up my greatest love -- coffee -- because it's harmful to me. trent and i are looking into converting a diesel car to 'bio-diesel' when we return, and will be sharing a home with another couple in order to live even more frugally and economically. as well, i've been writing articles about our nation clinging to its identity.
i have changed... i hope you can accept and love me, and i hope it challenges you to think about the choices you make as well. i love you!
posted by kanadians in korea at 6:16 AM
3 Comments:
Hey sweetgirl =)
I have sort of felt the same way as your friend (I won't lie) -- you have changed, but we all are constantly changing. One thing I feel is that your heart has truly remained the same, your focus has just shifted and broadend because of your life experience, and I understand that. It challenges me, and encourages me at the same time.
I think that it's dangerous to not change. Be encouraged dear sister, in heaven is where our treasure lies, our hearts true home...and your heart has not hardened to that. "wise as serpents, innocent as doves..." . love you! a.
we can change even more in a strange world. it was, probably, kind of different environment when you arrived here. i think we can reflect ourselves properly and become much more mature when we're apart from what we used to live, whom we used to meet and the way we used to behave.
i talk at random, haha...
everybody changes. lucky that you feel you're happy for your changes :)
you'll challenge a lot things more and it'll motivate your people,
like me (^_^)
have a lovely sunday!!
I know we've talked about this before but this blog brings it home more strongly - you wanting to share a house with friends to cut costs when I've been eagerly waiting to have your help back here again. We'd be happy to pay you for what you do...& room & board.You're maybe concerned about being smothered with rules & regs. You've lived successfully on your own for 4 years,and I think you've shown maturity in the decisions made; love you, Mom
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