Back in Seattle Again

Here I am, in the lovely city of Seattle, Washington. Yet again. The sun is out. I’ve spent some great time lying in the grass and I have seen people that I didn’t expect to see whilst I was here. Truly the city (especially SPU’s campus) is a beautiful place. I always wish I could see it during the summer and at last my dream came true. So good.

I’ve had some great conversations today. I talked with my friend Bob Zurinsky (No Bob, I’m not using the word lightly). It was a great opportunity to process life. Bob always asks good questions the ones that take me some time to answer. The best thing about his questions is that they’re always “Why” sorts of questions. These are the ones I like the best. They take me the most time to think about, and allow me to verbally process while I answer.

Bob and I discussed friendships. What are they? What are true friendships? We talked about David and Jonathan’s friendship in the OT. After Jonathan dies David says something along the lines of “Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.” No, it wasn’t in a sexual sense. He means that Jonathan’s friendship was more valuable than any relationship David had ever experienced with a woman. Bob and I wondered, do we have friendships like this today? It seemed to us that the prevailing culture has asked us to accept the idea that we are made for a relationship with a member of the opposite sex (often times a “soul mate”) with whom we share the greatest intimacy. What are we to do with this biblical story in which David and Jonathan share a friendship that surpasses any other possible dating relationship?

I think it should make us ask ourselves if we’re asking something from dating and marriage that it cannot deliver. I think these things are really important. I think your spouse should possibly be your best friend. Marriage is becoming one flesh with someone, yet at this point David had been married for awhile. He still said what he did. What are we to conclude? Do we have friendships that reflect this and if not why? Are we all destined for such friendship or did David and Jonathan have a special thing. Undoubtedly they had something special, but I think it’s laziness to assume that each of us are not meant for something that great. I think that relationships take work. Even those relationships with people who are friends. If the journey of relationship with God is eternal and people are eternal beings too…then ought all our relationships with people take on the same element of intense pursuit that Christian men are urged to pursue women with or that Christians are urged to pursue God with?

I think we’ve lost the value of having people around to walk alongside. Our individualistic tendencies as Americans seem to have a terrible effect on our relationships. It’s as though we’re thinking “I can do this on my own.” When in reality we need both relationships with God and people that cost us something in order to become who we are meant to be. When we enter into relationship with God we learn that it will cost us all we are. When we enter into relationship with people we don’t seem to expect them to help us surrender to self-sacrifice. It seems like we expect “just hanging out” to be enough. Sorry. David didn’t think so. I don’t think God does either.

New subject. While I was talking with Bob I decided that I’m excited to go to Costa Rica. Part of the reason is that I am still in need of a break from SPU. Being a Peer Advisor and being a part of the “machine” for so long has left me tired. I’m excited to just be a student again. i don’t plan on doing any official leadership while I’m there, but in all honesty I think that leadership isn’t necessarily about positions and titles. I think leadership is about loving people ans serving them. Leadership is in essence following the two greatest commandments. Think about the fact that if you’re a Christian you are automatically an “ambassador of Christ”. This makes you a leader. No matter who you are. So leadership becomes our responsibility. We follow God and love others so that they may do the same (and because we can’t help it). So…that’s the goal while I’m there. In case you’re wondering. Also, I like doing well in classes. So that too.

That’s all for now. Time to go lay about in the sun again. Such a hard life.