I obviously think too much

Okay, so I have this essay to write for school that is due on September 10, before I even arrive on campus. It's an essay on plagiarism and why a university should be concerned about their students following strict guidelines regarding avoiding plagiarism. Currently, at this exact point in time, I have a few scattered ideas typed out in a word document and no real structure at all. Thirteen days to go....I might think about starting on it soon.

Anyways, that's not the big point. As I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom last night after typing another random thought into that word document on plagiarism, I got a random thought: What does God think about plagiarism? Is it possible to plagiarize Him? More than that, if it's possible, how does He feel when we plagiarize Him?

Well, technically plagiarism is a sin against someone else. It's stealing, stealing someone else's work to be exact, whether artistic, musical, linguistic, mathematic, or scientific. It's also saying "Hey, I'm the one who created this!" when someone else deserves the credit instead. So I suppose to answer the question "how does He feel," I think that He feels sad, because we are hurting others by stealing from them.

So, is it possible to plagiarize God? Honestly, this is pure speculation from my point of view, as a lot of this blog has been, so feel free to disagree, but I feel that yes, it is possible to plagiarize God. In addition to the obvious (taking words from His Word and saying that you came up with them all by yourself), isn't it plagiarism when we plant something and then say, after it has grown, "I grew this?" We didn't grow it. We planted it. We watered it. We made sure it was positioned in the sun. But we didn't grow it. What about when we complete a very hard task, and then take a step back and say "I did this all by myself?" Did we really do that all by ourselves? In truth, we can't do anything without God.

On the other hand, God created us in His image with the ability to create. We can be original creatures and create things. God didn't create the car on the sixth day, nor did He paint the Mona Lisa. Some could argue that he may have inspired Pythagorean's Theorem and the Theory of Relativity, but I am not certain that that is the case.

So where do we draw the line? And does any of this even matter? I honestly don't think we need to go crazy about this whole thing. I found it intriguing enough to write about, but I think God would rather have us worry about more pressing matter, or in fact not worry at all.

The Bible says that what we do to the least of these, we also do to Jesus Christ. Creators are in a vulnerable position when they come up with something original and then send it out into the world to be criticized, acclaimed, or stolen. I almost feel as though by giving proper credit where proper credit is due when we ourselves are creating, we are indirectly being kind to those creators who are in a vulnerable position, thus doing so to Christ. I also believe that by recognizing and fully believing in our hearts that we humans would not even be capable of living without God, and by not being afraid to name Jesus as our Savior and the center of our lives, we are giving proper credit where proper credit is due to Him as well.

A vision for Generation Y

I finished reading it a while ago, but in any case I suggest that you read My Generation by Josh Riebock. Seriously, it's a good book. Anyways....because that previous comment doesn't fully relate to what I want to write about. Although it does have a small bit of pertinence.

I see great potential in the generation I am living in, which is to say the current middle school kids on through people in their late twenties. Seriously, I have met people who have been changed by God and I have seen people be changed by Him. I have seen fires lit from within. I feel my own burning within me.

All that needs to happen now is for each small fire to catch onto all of the other small fires and turn into one consuming blaze.

I have a dream that stems from Hillsong's song "Hosanna." It goes like this:

"I see a generation/Rising up to take their place/With selfless faith, selfless faith/I see a near revival/Stirring as we pray and seek/We're on our knees, we're on our knees."

My dream is for each and every child of God to recognize that the revival starts with us. We can't just keep waiting for a better time or for the right time, because that will never come. Christ has already sent us out into the world with the command to go and make disciples of all nations, helping them open their hearts to the love that God has for them and helping them walk into a life with Him!

Know what else? War is not inevitable. They say that of course war will always happen, because people have different ideas. But you know what? Having different ideas doesn't lead to war! Even if Person A and Person B despise each other and the ideas the other has, this doesn't lead to war! If neither Person A nor Person B actually want to go to war, then no war will happen. They will live in disagreement with each other, knowing that even though they dislike each other, they also dislike war, and wouldn't dare risk their values over a disagreement between people.

And you know what else? Hunger, homelessness, and widespread disease are not inevitable, either. But until you visit a country with significantly less than what you are living in, you might not realize this. I have seen people living with half of what I have, maybe less, who get along perfectly content, and who give to the people living in tents in the slums. Don't you think that, if we humbled ourselves and gave away more of what we have than we might feel comfortable with, we could provide homes for those out on the streets, or food for those who don't eat every day, or medication for those who suffer from easily-treatable diseases?

Another book recommendation: Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.

Okay, end of rant for today.

Think about it

I was watching one of Christine Caine's sermons and she mentioned this interesting piece of writing that really got me thinking, "Hey, I want to be like Jesus."

A Man Fell Into a Pit

A man fell into a pit and he couldn't get himself out.

A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there in the pit."

An objective person came along and said, "It is illogical that someone would fall down into that pit."

A Christian scientist came along and said, "You only think you are in a pit."

A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into the pit."

A newspaper reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.

A fundamentalist said, "You deserve your pit."

Confucius said, "If you had listened to me, you would not be in the pit."

Buddha said, "A pit is only your state of mind."

A realist said, "That is a pit!"

A scientist calculated the pressure necessary to get him out of the pit.

A geologist taught him to appreciate the rock strata in the pit.

A taxman asked him if he was paying taxes on the pit.

The city inspector asked him if he had a permit to dig a pit.

An evasive person came and avoided the person in the pit altogether.
A self-pitying person said, "You have not seen anything until you have seen my pit!"

A charismatic said, "Just confess, you are not in the pit."

An optimist said, "Things could get worse."

A pessimist said, "Things will get worse."

Jesus, seeing the man, knelt down and lifted him out of the pit.

-Author Unknown