the masses

we take cultural meanings and make them our own and then we make them the standard.
e.g. when there's a full moon, it is an evil night or a bad thing etc. This idea was taken from back in the days, perhaps with witches and werewolves etc. Basically, someone made a claim on the full moon and from that day, it's been accepted as an evil thing. E.g. in some superstitious cultures, or in spirituality. and everyone is ok with that. No one is say... hold on a minute... everything that's been created from the beginning of time is good.
I guess it's a steep slope to climb, so people would rather not climb that hill. Instead they give it up to those who claim the moon to be evil or whatever.

Another example is colour. Take purple for example, in the western like cultures, it represents royalty and in other cultures like Thailand, purple is the colour of mourning. People own these meanings because it has been passed down to them through culture, experience and everything that is around them. But, in truth purple doesnt really mean royalty or mourning. We just decide. In other words, it can mean anything but we define it. By nature it is good, by that I mean, not bad.

Not many decide what things means to them. Many simply grow up and the meanings are passed down to them through family, culture, experience, tv/media etc. They always follow the masses. Most things follow a cycle. From discovering it to defining it. From ideas or wisdom of man, to colours, from nature to music etc etc.

This is not to say that the masses are wrong simply that the masses are taken as the rule

the line up

The reality of gang violence against young girls is just shocking. The term line up is not used so that one can point out who the perpetrator is but rather, is used sometimes as initiation where a young woman from 12yrs old is bound to have sex with all the members in the gang. The boys line up to have their way with the girl. They essentially make her commit to be gang raped.

Have a listen

The Lineup to assault

I had a dream on the morning of the 9th July '10. The last day of fast. It was a strange dream and I didnt know what to do with it yet so I waited. Prayed that morning and everything was just hitting on the dream. I cant remember much of it now. I actually forgot about it until last night. made a note in my mind to write it down.

Anyway, in the dream, there was this guy and he liked things to be a certain way. And he had a woman with him, I think they were together. Anyway, the dream was kinda in black and white. The couple were in black and their environment was white, like an empty space. Imagine how they draw speech bubbles. They were basically in a speech bubble.
Anyway, this guy liked things a certain way, a lil controlling and this woman was like a doormat and she was aware that she was and this was a conscious choice that she had made. To become his doormat. Anyway, she seemed ok about this. She was pretty much squashed but she wasn't exactly sad. Every now and then, she'd get something from outside the speech bubble. You know the little triangle at the beginning of the speech bubble, that's where she went to. It was like her secret something and having that thing was the thing that made her smile. It made her OK

Think thats when it stopped

Let there be light

The first night back, I was really tired so went to bed early - probably midnight. Anyway, started sinking into sleep and then realised that there were two attacking presence in the room. one in one corner and another in the opposite corner. And I couldn't speak. I was willing myself and commanding then to go flee and surrounding the room with fire but my mouth couldn't open. So I willed myself to get up cause I also couldnt move. So I got up and made declarations, blotting out by the blood etc. Then went back to bed. 10mins later the same thing happened. And the same process happened. So this time when I woke, I spoke to the corners being aware that they see and hear me, and again the blood, declarations of who I am boundaries etc. And then I remembered "let there be light... and the darkness could not comprehend it, used the bedroom light as an example. By this time it was 2am in the morning and I was just wanting to rest. So made up that I wasnt going to get up again or be disturbed.
Finally, Peace...
I'm a light sleeper though so I woke up again, this time it was a person, someone walking on the stairs dont know if they were going to the toilet.
Finally, again, peace ... Next thing I remember s waking uo the next morning

Simplicity

⁵"And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

⁶"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

^7-13"The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

^14-15"In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part.

^16-18"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.

I feel this is the most important type of prayer but there are others e.g. petitioning

the iron rod

I heard of a story where two people were fasting together. Perhaps they went camping for the weekend to be away from the distractions of life. Lets imagine they were fasting for a long time. Lets call them John, who is the father and Tom. Now, it was coming to the end of the fast and they just had 2 hours left to fast and then they'd pray and after all that, they'd have something to eat.
So, 10mins into the prayer Tom is starting to see stars and feel light headed. He then sits down to pray to prevent himself from fainting. His father realises what happens, his response is to tell Tom that this is an important time and he should stand and keep going. That he also feels tired but they just have to go all out. Tom communicated that he'll faint if they continue but his father takes no for an answer and then stands next to Tom to keep him standing.
A few minutes later, Tom passes out...
Luckily, his father was standing next to him so no damage none. i.e. he didnt hit his head on the ground etc.
So Tom eventually wakes, and feels like there's no air and feels hot etc. His father continues praying and Tom is making sense of what just happens and probably waits for his dad to finish praying so that he can get a drink.
Praying done... Tom starts to stand but his knees feel like jelly and his body is a little shaky, he decides to crawl to the tap to drink. His father sees him doing this then decides to carry him to the tap. Tom drinks, finds some bread and then just wants to sleep/rest his body.

The next day his dad asks him how he feels and he says he feels fine. His dad then asks him if he was upset that they didnt get to finish the fasting and praying well. Tom is shocked. And makes the conclusion, form his fathers comment, that his father didnt really care about him fainting, he wasnt up set about him fainting, instead, he was upset that they didnt finish in the manner in which he calls "well". and perhaps resented Tom for fainting because he spoiled his dads plans.


In cases like this it makes me wonder why we deal with people like this. With a rod of iron and not with love. I am always amazed by the example given, that it is always better to be at peace or reconcilled with a brother first then to approach God. To leave your ideas of what is perhaps "holy" and persue love Matt5:22