Genetics is a rather fascinating discipline. Further proving intelligent design to myself, at least, geneticists study the heredity and variation in living organisms. Gregor Mendel, in the mid-nineteenth century, first started to observe that we inherit certain traits through the distinctive units now called genes. Genes match up with regions in our DNA, a chain of nucleotides occurring in what appears to be a twisted ladder. Geneticists have been able to observe the molecular sequences involved with many diseases. Due to the decreased costs of sequencing and computation, researchers completed mapping out the sequence of the human genome in 2003. And, though we have come a long way in genetic research, there is much left to discover.
There are some of my genes that I am thankful for, like the one that gave me my oft-complimented eyes. There are also a few of my genes that I could live without, such as those genes that have possibly made my jeans a little tighter. There are a number of traits that can’t be explained any other way than genetics. There are also a number of traits that stand at the middle of the debate between nature and nurture. We often find a place of comfort in our given conditions. We explain our current behavior based on our past and occasionally fail to recognize our responsibility in making positive choices.
“The Parable of the Sower” in Luke 8 shows how the word of God is received by various groups of people. It is possible for us to say that we have no roots in Christianity. We can say that people in our lives, problematic experiences, or a lack of solid teaching have made it difficult for us to properly receive the word of God. However, we can also make the choice to be “good soil”, producing a crop. There are those that explain faith as a genetic trait. However, the word of God can be received by anyone.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
My Heart Goes Out to You
No matter the quality of the writing or oral presentation, it is difficult to truly empathize with the troubles of a fellow human being without actually living through them. Even then, every situation effects each individual involved differently. Let’s say that for instance, you have to pass a test in order to obtain a certain certification or pass a class necessary towards your college degree. You spend hours studying for the test, rejecting invitations to social gatherings and putting aside leisure activities. You have a friend taking the same test, yet he studies very little. His life is barely interrupted by what you consider to be an important milestone. When the results are issued for this test, you discover that you have failed while your friend has passed with little effort put forth.
Stories like these tend to stir up a number of feelings in one’s heart. This story is actually my story. And, of the two main characters, I wasn’t the one cracking open the books. At the time, I had little empathy for my friend. I would say something like, “Sorry to hear that, man” with very little thought of the hurt that my friend was truly experiencing. It was years later, when my own tests in college and elsewhere became more difficult, that I began to reflect on the plight of my friend.
We can easily say, “Life is not fair” when we look at all the trouble in the world and in our own lives. I am sure we all have experienced being passed over for a job opening, date, or some other opportunity. In times like these, it has always been helpful for me to remember the true empathy of Jesus. In Luke 7:11-17, Jesus raises the son of a widow. He doesn’t simply perform this miracle and pass on unaffected. It says in verse 13 that “His heart went out to her”. Our hearts need to go out to those in trouble and in pain.
Stories like these tend to stir up a number of feelings in one’s heart. This story is actually my story. And, of the two main characters, I wasn’t the one cracking open the books. At the time, I had little empathy for my friend. I would say something like, “Sorry to hear that, man” with very little thought of the hurt that my friend was truly experiencing. It was years later, when my own tests in college and elsewhere became more difficult, that I began to reflect on the plight of my friend.
We can easily say, “Life is not fair” when we look at all the trouble in the world and in our own lives. I am sure we all have experienced being passed over for a job opening, date, or some other opportunity. In times like these, it has always been helpful for me to remember the true empathy of Jesus. In Luke 7:11-17, Jesus raises the son of a widow. He doesn’t simply perform this miracle and pass on unaffected. It says in verse 13 that “His heart went out to her”. Our hearts need to go out to those in trouble and in pain.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Blessings and Woes
Our world has little trouble in classifying its inhabitants. We qualify each other on the basses of race, religion, beauty, wealth, and other exterior characteristics. And, no matter how removed we believe ourselves to be from this concept, it’s often difficult not to apply labels of poor, rich, ugly, pretty, black, white, etc. I don’t remember the existence of these labels at the beginning of my years in elementary school. My friends were from many different backgrounds and all looked different. But, I didn’t care about the skin color or number of rooms in their houses that my friends had. My biggest concern was having something exciting to bring to “show and tell”.
The older I get, the more I notice how limited my perspective can be. I almost immediately have opinions about an individual based on my first impression. Often, it’s just how an individual speaks that inspires me to apply criterion. My intention is not to make those reading this feel guilty or to make you afraid to approach me. I merely want us to see people through the eyes of Jesus. One of Jesus’ first concerns was to unify people. He often defied convention by reaching out to those considered to be outcasts by the majority of society. Jesus showed love to lepers, tax collectors, and prostitutes.
In Luke 6:17-49, we read Jesus’ sermon on a “level place”. He begins by giving blessings to those who are poor, hungry, sad, and hated. Jesus then applies woes to the rich, well fed, laughing, and those spoke well of. Jesus isn’t trying to make people feel bad if they are enjoying life. He wants us to understand that blessings don’t come to those who put all of their focus on enjoying their lives. Jesus continues to say that we must love our enemies and not judge others. We need to have a broad perspective. We need to see what matters. We need to have empathy for and try to understand each other.
The older I get, the more I notice how limited my perspective can be. I almost immediately have opinions about an individual based on my first impression. Often, it’s just how an individual speaks that inspires me to apply criterion. My intention is not to make those reading this feel guilty or to make you afraid to approach me. I merely want us to see people through the eyes of Jesus. One of Jesus’ first concerns was to unify people. He often defied convention by reaching out to those considered to be outcasts by the majority of society. Jesus showed love to lepers, tax collectors, and prostitutes.
In Luke 6:17-49, we read Jesus’ sermon on a “level place”. He begins by giving blessings to those who are poor, hungry, sad, and hated. Jesus then applies woes to the rich, well fed, laughing, and those spoke well of. Jesus isn’t trying to make people feel bad if they are enjoying life. He wants us to understand that blessings don’t come to those who put all of their focus on enjoying their lives. Jesus continues to say that we must love our enemies and not judge others. We need to have a broad perspective. We need to see what matters. We need to have empathy for and try to understand each other.
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