Tofu and Running

The other day I went to Westmont’s Monday morning chapel. It was good seeing people there and then having a good swim session with Jon and Danny. Danny then took me to lunch. Free lunch is always a good thing.

Back to the chapel service. I can’t really remember what Nancy Ortberg spoke about, although she made me laugh a couple times and I remember it being really good. Her and her husband are good for each other: they have good stories but you can never really remember (albeit very good material) what they just explained and have to re-read it or ask someone what the heck they just said. Great stuff, it just doesn’t stick with me.

But one thing I do remember:

Tofu. She talked about tofu. She said it is one of those foods that nobody actually likes and that the only reason people say they like it is because they think that they’re being healthy and body-conscious. All lies. Big. Fat. Lies.

And so as I was at work yesterday, I was checking somebody out who was buying a lot of tofu. I looked up at her and asked her (in my head of course): “Do you really like this stuff? Does it make you feel good or do you want to throw it up after every bite you take? Wouldn’t you rather have a huge, big, nasty cheeseburger?” If she were to be honest with herself, she would’ve succumb to her urge for a cheeseburger. Animal style.

But my mind didn’t stop there. It’s always asking questions and venturing into unknown territories that usually get it confused and into a tangled mess. However, this time was not one of those. Remember those silly little analogies that you studied for and took during the SATs? You know, like “Bird is to Nest as Beaver is to Dam.” (I thought of that one by myself.)

Dwelling on analogies and after running a painful longer-than-usual run that day, I came up with an analogous comparison to tofu. Here goes: “Tofu is to Horrible as Running is to Extra-Horrible.” I stinkin’ hate running. People think they like it. They think it’s good for them. All lies.

I never once read about Adam and Eve doing cardio-workouts while in Eden. They were lounging and eating. Only until after the fall do they run the heck out of there (my interpretation, of course). And as a trusted mentor once explained about running, “I only have a certain number of heartbeats in my lifetime that God has ordained for me. Why would I want to do something like running that speeds up my heart and uses up those heartbeats even quicker?”

Case in point.

But in all honesty, running is good for you. I’ve been (trying not too successfully) to train for a half-marathon in November. This year, I’m not running because of some silly team-building exercise (which ended up being really good). Rather, I’m running for an organization that that same trusted mentor started a few years ago. Think fondly of me and offer up prayers as I “train” for the next month. It’s a horrible thing but for a good cause. One things certain, though, there’s no way I’m eating tofu.

“The music is all around you, all you have to do is listen.”

Thanks to those who have prodded me to continue to keep this thing going. And thank you to August Rush for prompting today’s thought – “The music is all around you, all you have to do is listen.”

I watched this movie the other night after a more-than-needed hangout time with by buddy, Evan. Aside from the fact that the little boy in this movie was devastatingly awkward most of the time, I enjoyed this movie so much that I watched it twice (sort of on accident) and ended up going to bed at 4:30AM.

This was a story about two long lost lovers trying to find each other years after their magical one night copulation which bred “August Rush.” August was wrongly (and unbeknowst by his mother) placed in an orphanage after he was born. All three (father, mother, child) have this eerie ability to ‘hear the music of our lives’ which eventually brings them all together at the end of the movie. Sound too good to be true? Hey, it’s a movie.

In the last month’s hiatus of not working, going to school (or doing anything really), I have been reflecting about life and our place in it as followers of Christ. I read a quote one time that expressed life with Christ as one of singing, dancing, and leaping. Thinking about our lives this way makes you feel like you’re in the midst of a great song as you sing with the chorus; or an amazing play as you are acting and dancing among the other actors. I’d like to think of our lives as this sort of thing, one where we are writing our own stories that fit in line with the Grand Story that the Father has been writing since the Beginning.

Which ushers me to ask this questions of myself: “What is the story I am writing?”

I am a fan of life and all the experiences we get to enjoy together. We get to share in our wisdom with one another, to learn and love, grumble, complain, and – yes! – even cry. These things make our lives worth waking up morning after morning with the faithful certainty that God is good and loves us as we are. Because of this love we receive, we are charged to take a risk of faith and be truth-tellers in hopes of transforming a broken world alongside our Redeemer, Christ Jesus.

So I ask myself the question again, “What is the story I am writing?” Not even knowing how to answer this, more questions fog up my mind. “Is it even a good story? What’s the point of my story? Where’s the climax? Has it happened already (I hope not…)? What’s the next scene? Are the present characters in the story aiding to the progression of the story? WHAT IS THE THEME SONG TO MY STORY?!?!”

That last one’s a big one. Not really though.

I’ve been reflecting a lot the last month on my ‘life narrative’ and these very questions that I have listed above. The biggest question I’ve come up with (besides the theme song one) is one that bugs me a lot.

If I died, would the world lose a vital member of its community?

Before you call the suicide prevention hotline for me, hear me out. What I mean is this: If I were taken to be with Christ today, would the world community be losing someone it absolutely needs? Do I make that much of a difference in people’s lives? The hope of this would be a resounding ‘yes!’ And that’s what I hope it is.

My desire is that if I die, the world would mourn in such a way that they would know deep down they lost someone that compassionately contributed to the community and was a friend who helped point out the Kingdom of God and the work He is doing on earth.

That would be my hope for everyone. It doesn’t seem like it would be a good story if it were anything other than that. In the midst of this world of pain and heartache, I pray that we are able to hear the music around us and see that we are surrounded by beauty – the wonder of Creation, art, culture, the sounds of love and laughter, the whispers of hopes and the shouts of celebrations of new life, transformation, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

May we be good listeners as we act out our own stories.

Verbs & Nouns

I finished a book a few days ago that I thoroughly enjoyed front to back. Still not able to shake off the nerdy “Let’s keep notes on books I read!” habit that I developed the last few years in school, I took notes from time to time and reflected on them.

This one comes from a piece in the book where the main character is conversing with God who is personified by a large, black lady who seems to be a master of a cook. God tells the character in the book that She lives, in essence, as a verb. She is more in tune to verbs such as sing-ing, danc-ing, lov-ing, grow-ing, reap-ing, repent-ing, confess-ing, etc…ing. Humans, God says, have a knack for taking these animated and stimulating words and turning them into simple nouns. When we turn these lively words into nouns, they die.

Here’s a great example of what She (God) says:

“Let’s use the example of friendship and how removing the element of life from a verb can drastically alter a relationship. If you and I are friends, there is an expectancy that exists within our relationship. When we see each other or are apart, there is expectancy of being together, of laughing and talking. That expectancy has no concrete definition; it is alive and dynamic and everything that emerges from our being together is a unique gift shared by no one else. But what happens if I change that ‘expectancy’ to an ‘expectation’ – spoken or unspoken? Suddenly, law has entered into our relationship. You are now expected to perform in a way that meets my expectations. Our living friendship rapidly deteriorates into a dead thing with rules and requirements. It is no longer about you and me, but about what friends are supposed to do, or the responsibilities of a good friend” (W.P.Y., The Shack, 205).

These words are lovely!

Though not entirely with every situation, I can insert many of my relationships with friends that go awry into this statement. When we have certain expectations for people and relationships, something will, inevitably, come about that will let our perception of that other person be tainted (and vice versa). This can be a painful and confusing time where you have an expectancy of the other person and they flat out fail to meet it.

This is something I have been trying to work on as of late. Not having huge expectations – or any at all – is tough to do (and seemingly impossible) given the context a lot of us have grown up in. However, I’ve noticed that when I do venture out and let those preconceived ideas about other folks go and just enjoy being in the presence of the other, that time is wonderfully spent.

No agenda. No rules. No limitations to where that friendship can go.

What a great thing to think about and to strive for in day-to-day interactions with people. I hope that I can let those faulty perceptions of mine hang low (or maybe even disappear!?) as I enter into new stories and relationships in life. God- help my relationships and my life be lived as a verb.

Peace.