Everything God has taught us and that Jesus has confirmed in his life clearly reveals a principle of Christianity I think we far too often misunderstand, limit, or disregard entirely:

God planted an element of sacrafice in us all. [It tends to make sense when you consider we were made in His image, that He would instill in us such a need to be self-sacraficing.] We are to give up ourselves in EVERY aspect. Take your upbringing, your opinions, your lifestyles, your temptations, your pride, and throw them away. God continually teaches to be less of ourselves and more of Him. To constantly be in a topsy-turvy balance of contradictions.

Then take Jesus' life and his ministry. If you claimed to be holy, he was quick to point out your flaws and sins; for the outcast, he gave them the miracles, his grace, his love. He encouraged those that had nothing to be proud of. In this way, he was always preaching this IMPOSSIBLE fine line - a thought process that was perfectly between cocky and humble; a lifestyle that was full of life [in Him] and also full of death [of yourself]; a heart that is both accepting of God, love, and grace, but also willing to sacrafice what you deem to be "earned" for the better of others. In this way, he was THE way, THE truth, and THE light - the perfect example that we can never fully accomplish, but always strive to attain. To be on any other side of this fine line is to need a kind of reassuring love or a blunt humbling experience.

I don't mean to get politcial on you, because I personally can't stand to think politically...

...wait. That in itself leaves something to be said. I hate politics because I have given up on politics. I've given up on politically molding the world. There will always be at least 3 sides to the story, each of which will [literally] fight to the death that they are moreso right than the other two. I find the whole situation of American politics to be -hopeless-. The word itself cries God, Jesus, salvation, evangelism, truth, and... well, hope. That's what we're all about - giving hope to the hopeless.

Anyways. Now that I've caught myself in that less-than-right way of seeing politics... I know many of you try not to get involved for the same reasons. But I encourage you to follow me through this.

Think of the people who have made the best of impacts on the world - Ghandi. Mother Teresa. Muhammad Ali. Jesus Christ. Martin Luther King, Jr. C.S. Lewis. They are the peacemakers, the revolutionaries, the activists. Some of these people have nothing to do with Christianity, others have nothing to do with politics, some aren't even Americans, but they all made HUGE impacts on American Christianity... or they should have.

I passionately believe that such a humble and sacraficial lifestyle is key in being Christlike. I mean, minus the whole "I'm the son of God" thing, these are ordinary people... not multi-millionaires that are largley influential by their position, status, or power. They are every day people, passionately living a lifestyle of a servant, of an activist. This in a nutshell is our calling - we aren't to expect riches and glamour by God's blessing, but a fulfillment of life. All of these people loved radically, not only in an everyday-smile-on-your-face love, but a revolutionary, life-changing, teaching sort of way. They didn't love in a way that moved too quickly to truly grasp. They didn't streak through history books throwing flowers and passing out religious tracts. They walked. They taught. They had people following them in their lifestyle, and they spread their philosophy of life and love. They made a difference. To this day, these people, their lives and love resonant in our society.

This is the Good News. To live a life like Christ is to change the world, regardless of status or money or power. To give 100% to love and to live passionately as a servant is to change EVERYTHING. This isn't a feel good message of encouragement to get you through the day. This is THE calling. The opportunity to become a Ghandi, a Mother Teresa, a revolutionary. Be an activist.

God's message to us is complicated. It's never black and white, in an interpretational sense. It's never clear cut or without a debate of some kind. But it is black and white in that God demands us to be both. To enlist in the struggle to find perfection where we are guaranteed that we won't find it - ourselves. It's a win - win situation. You cannot fail when you give it all to God.

Personally, I don't know what God has planned for me. I've been in college for over two years now and I still don't know what to do with my life. My majors have changed, my passions have changed, my life continues to be a struggle of contradictions, confusions, and walking by faith alone. Not to say this is always a noble path. Many times I've failed, I've quit, I've knowingly walked away from what I can only pray is the right path. But studying the people God has used, the message and calling He has asked of us..... all I know is I don't have much. But neither did anyone else that made a difference. Maybe it's denial or maybe it's relentless optimism. Either way I choose to see it as faith and perserverance. I don't know what God has planned for me this week, this semester, this year, or the next few years. I pray it continues to come at me at such confusion until He makes it 100% clear. I'll struggle the rest of my life for some clarification and guidance. I pray you're blessed with the same nothingness. The same freedom and [almost forced] reliance on God. Only when you have nothing but God can you become something amazing.