I think this is going to be one of my longest journal entries in a while, with a few events, but way too many thoughts.
For one, I had a really interesting conversation about my faith with a Muslim. He asked questions about the eternal Godhead, and even though I’m no theologian, I could answer many of his questions as they spiralled down to an origin he had in mind—and honestly, that felt good.
There’s still a good number of theories to cover, but it felt good to craft the story of salvation in a digestible conversation.
I’m constantly impressed by how easily our minds are influenced—by an interaction, something we see, or even just music. I could be set on doing something in the short term, and one song later, I’m moving in a different direction.
It sounds trivial, but it’s the single thing that helps us take action and make decisions. Our emotions are steering wheels.
Another realization hit me hard this week: life is moving really quickly. Every new conversation makes me feel like I’m growing up faster than I expected. I’m still a child at home, but people on the street greet me with “sir,” and old people greet me when I pass. A few years ago, that never happened. Oh life!
This week, I also experienced firsthand how hard it is to instil values in a child. During home fellowship, we discussed contentment and asked the kids how they stay content. Their answers were all in the third person—“The person will not mind what others have…” But we were talking about them.
I couldn’t help but think: if you can only imagine that trait in someone else and not yourself, then we have some unlearning to do. That shift, from the third person to the first person, is necessary for real growth.
One final thing: I need to remind myself (again) that being a Bible scholar is easy. Anyone can quote verses. But practising what you know—that’s the hard part. That’s where the real work lies.
It’s hard, but if you practice the little you know, I think that will make Jesus happier rather than gathering knowledge of multiple bible references.
This is important because of how we human beings romanticize knowledge.
There’s more I want to say, but I’ll save that for next week. It was not long after all.
Hope your week is off to a great start. Have a good one. See ya!