A Little Bit of Faith in the Human Race
I was at school today and I reached into my pocket to pull out a dollar. I dug around in there and grabbed everything I could find. I came up with eleven bucks and thought, "man, I just went to the bank, where did all my money go? I haven't bought anything but gas and guitar strings... and well, maybe one doughnut. I guess that gas prices are going up faster than I realized." and I put the money back in my pocket and went to leave. Just then this guy I had never met said, "Uh, Man? I think you just dropped some money on the ground." Lo and Behold, there on the ground was thirty dollars that I had unknowingly dropped.
It was a pretty simple gesture really, but the guy didn't have to do it. I would have walked away and never known and he would have been thirty dollars richer. However, he chose to do the honorable and honest thing and tell me. It really made an impact on me. Sometimes I feel lost in the thousands of other students on campus who try to not make eye contact with anybody they don't know. If they are feeling extra courageous one day they mumble a half audible "thanks" when somebody holds a door for them. Today somebody stepped out of that crowd and helped me out when I didn't even know that I was in need.
I know a lot of Christians who think that people are "totally depraved," but I don't buy that. Sure, we're a fallen race and we can't save ourselves, but we are created in the image of God. This is a powerful truth!!! As humans made in God's image we come pre-packaged with some of God's qualities. For instance, people are naturally creative and they have an inherent desire to be loved and to love in return. It's easy to focus on what's bad about people, especially strangers, but I would argue that your average person has more good qualities than evil flaws. Look for it, I'm sure that you will see it.
18 Comments:
Let me be the first to comment... uh... yeah. I agree. i like to look for things that I like about people. It does something for your mindset. Like when I hear a song I don't like, i look for something i like in the music.
I'll be the second to post.. uh.. Ian, you owe me 30 dollars.
Die Blickmaschine muß nach Deutschland kommen, und Spiel auf einer Tour mit Jungen legt Feuer.
"The view machine must come to Germany, and fire puts to play on a route with boys."
Wow.. I'm guessing you need to go to Germany with Boy Sets Fire.
Wow! I would love to go to Germany! Did you write that, HoSco?
No, I didn't, but after I translated it, I thought people might think it was me. But honestly, it wasn't. Probably Jason. ;)
I tried to go to the boysetsfire website but it was only in german... did I go to the wrong place? or can non-german speaking people just not get it?
Go to http://boysetsfire.com/homeFlash.html and if you speak english you can read it.
Ah!!! cool
thanka... btw.. anyone tried that trident Tropical twist gum?? it's really good!
You guys should do a 'rare import' version of your EP and call it Die Blickmaschine.
Hey Ian, i can't find any travel warning about venezuela or really anything bad going on right now, how about you? so i think we should buy the tickets, $401, now or very soon. Hows jan 10-31 sound? good luck studying
el guapo
Here's the latest. They have a seriously fluid political climate.
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/venezuela.html
Sorry if that was a joke, but having spent 2 weeks in Central America recently.. and having my stepsister's SEAL husband tell me it's dangerous.. I just don't want people to get hurt.
Hey, what was it like down there? That comment was serious. We're probably going to Venezuella. How dangerous is it really?
AI!!! Que bueno!!! where in venezuela and for how long? Well, how is school going?
School/life considering there is only one of you left in college.
does anyone else have a problem with posting a comment? sometimes it won't let me post. anyways.... i looked at the site about venezuela, many robberies and such, but they weren't on the state department's travel warning list, with all the normal culprits, iraq, west gaza, my bedroom. thanks Ho, for the information.
el guapo
guapo, You just have to be patient. Sometimes blogger sucks about that. It happens to me too, but if you wait for a little bit, it will eventually work.
Guapo, they're not as much of a priority right now for the state department (in light of the conflict in the middle east that is spilling over into your bedroom), but that link is the current state department dossier on Venezuela.
In 2002 there was the big deal with Chavez and the dictatorship issue.. hey, where there's oil...
The embassy was pulling people out. Just last year there were citizens were calling for a 'recall' vote, but how do you recall a dictator? (heheh) Chavez was actually quoted as saying that, [sic] "the only recall happening any time soon will be in California."
So, make of it what you will.. basically if you want to go, follow some simple guidelines-- do NOT travel at night, do NOT stray from the 'beaten path', and do NOT eat after midnight. Wait.. scratch that last one.
If you do any sight seeing, start at 8am and wrap it up by noon. Most tourists will be coming in a few hours after you've already started and you'll be out in time for siesta, with enough time to do other activities before the sun gets low in the sky.
Do not stray from your 'encampment' without a trusted guide, and do not get into cabs or vehicles from which you cannot easily extricate yourself.
I assume you've travelled 3rd world before, so you know the deal about how to work with your passport, currency, cards, registering with the embassy, etc.
So what are you planning to do there? T
he places along where I visited in Central America had some serious, serious poverty. But nothing compared to what I saw in Tanzania. Although, the capital city did have a mural to Tupac and Biggie painted on the side of shack. :)
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