Knowing God vs. Knowing About God

Would you agree with this statement: “Christianity isn’t a religion—it’s a relationship.” Specifically, it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ. This idea is supposed to be the characteristic that distinguishes Christianity from every other religion in the world.

But at times it still seems like a mere religion.

Hebrews 11:6 says God is “a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him.” Without going into detail, the last few years of my life have been filled with tragedy and disappointment, especially the last six months. There have been times when I felt close to God, like He was the Abba Father (Rom. 8:15) and friend (John 15:15) He said He was. I was sure He was telling me what to do, and I went and did it. But everything either didn’t improve or it worsened. When I needed God most, He let me down or seemed far away.

I’ve done a lot of reading on what it means to have a relationship with God, but there are two distinct and opposite camps on the subject (and on the related topic of finding God’s will). One says that the Bible is God’s last word on all matters, that He hasn’t given any more revelation since it was written and that it’s all we need. Bible study will yield the answers we seek, and in turn we should use the brains God gave us to make a decision. The other camp is composed of the mystics: the saints who seem to commune with God in a tangible way. They seem to either hear a literal voice or a voice in their spirit. Some even speak of God “touching” them.

So, I am left confused. One camp seems to make seem impersonal, to the point it borders on deism. If the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, why are left only with a book of stories and teachings on which to base our decisions and choices? Is that not what every other religion is the world does? They all have holy books written by their gods and teachers full of rules and laws that they are told to live by. Christians, on the other hand, are supposed to have actual fellowship with their God and Teacher. Again, it’s not a religion but a relationship.

Yet the other camp seems to be made up of people who are either misguided or they have an exceptional connection with God. This leads me to believe they are either clueless dreamers who can’t think for themselves, or God is playing favorites with them (which, supposedly, He doesn’t do [Acts 10:34, Rom. 2:11]).

There’s a huge difference between reading about someone and knowing that person. For example, it’s the difference between reading every biography written about President Obama and meeting with and befriending the man himself. Why is it any different with God? The Bible is the final word on all matters and no revelation should ever contradict it, but I don’t want my faith to be limited to reading a book. I want to know God as a real, breathing Person. Is that not why Jesus came? Isn’t that why He gave Christians the Holy Spirit? To know Him intimately and not just know about Him?

Yet my faith still seems more like a religion than a relationship.

How about you? Do you think Christianity is a religion, a relationship, or both? How do you seek fellowship with God? Do you feel close to Him?

NaPoWriMo Round-Up 2

I've neglected to post the rest of the poems I wrote for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo). My apologies, readers. If you didn't keep up with them on my author's website, let me post them here for you. I went on to write some nerdy poems, a few love poems, a few more haikus, and I wrote a sonnet as the climax (I'd never written a sonnet before).

Day 16: "When I'm With You"
Day 17: "Slander"
Day 18: "Silence"
Days 19-20: Haiku 3 and Haiku 4
Day 21: "Run"
Day 22: "Warzone"
Day 23: "Another Psalm"
Day 24: "Too Good to Be True"
Day 25: "Nonsense"
Day 26: "Broken Wings"
Day 27: "Avengers Assemble"
Day 28: "Escape"
Day 29: "Fortress of Solitude"
Day 30: "Finding the Right Dance Partner"

My Day as Captain America

As you can tell from my profile picture, I have a Captain America costume. I bought it last year for Halloween, also intending to wear it to see The Avengers when it opened. Unfortunately, my plans for how that would happen were frustrated up all the way up to the film’s release Friday. I wanted to go to a midnight showing or see it in IMAX in Fort Wayne, among other plans.

Regardless, I was able to make arrangements to see it with a few friends Saturday afternoon. Saturday was also Free Comic Book Day, and since I had heard from a buddy that he was his sons were going to Chimp’s Comics (the comic shop in Warsaw, Indiana) dressed as Bane and Scarecrow, my resolve to wear my costume was solidified.

My brother Jarod and I left the next morning, picked up my buddy Sergio, and I promptly changed into my costume. No sooner did we arrive at the shop and I walk out of the car did people take notice of me. Owen, a young man who came dressed as a character from the comic Chew, saw me and immediately said, “That’s awesome! I want a picture!” We snapped a few and I went into the shop, but I remembered that I had to get a few more things out of my car, so I went to get them.

As soon as I walked through the door, there stood a red-headed five- or six-year-old boy with his mother and, I presume, his older sister. The mom said they were coming out to see me because her son saw me and was excited. She asked me if I would pose for some pictures, and I said, “Yes.” I looked down at the boy and asked, “What’s your name?” “Noah,” he replied nervously. “That’s a good name. You gonna build an ark?” He said, “No.” With a little persuasion by his mother, I posed for a few pictures. I think his sister took a picture with me, too. I thought to myself, Now I know what it’s like being a mall Santa Claus at Christmas.

A few other fellow cosplayers took pictures with me during the half-hour I was at the shop. I posed with a Wolverine in civilian clothes (he had no claws, but he did have a stogie), a middle school boy wearing an Iron Man mask, a few more with Owen, and a few with Sergio and Jarod. (Unfortunately, I learned we had missed those friends I mentioned would be there).

Owen asked me if I’d seen the movie yet, and I said I would be seeing it that afternoon at 2:30. He said he was going to be at that showing—and added that I should wear the costume. I said I wasn’t sure if I would or not, that I’d only intended to wear it to the shop. But within minutes, I made up my mind that I would wear it.

Since we had some time to kill, Sergio, Jarod, and I drove to the local GameStop. I wore the full costume in the shop. Nobody bat an eye at me, probably because the people there were aware of Free Comic Book Day and the movie. Then we went to Wal-Mart to get food for lunch. I went in without the gloves, mask, or shield. Surprisingly, I didn’t get any weird looks there.

The weirdest part of the day was returning to Sergio’s trailer and watching the infamous cult movie Troll 2 on Netflix. Yes, I “trolled” Troll 2 in a Captain America costume.

We arrived at the theatre a little after 2:00. I decided not to take the shield so I didn’t have to keep it on my lap the whole time. We met up with our mutual friend Josh, who immediately rolled his eyes at me. The girl selling tickets complimented my costume, saying she’d dressed as Spider-Man for one of that character’s movies.

Then, as had been true the whole day, as soon as I walked into the auditorium, I was the most popular guy in the room.

For the next 15 minutes, I did almost nothing but pose for photos. Little kids, teens, and Owen (who was sitting behind my group--and held me for one picture in the cradle carry) all asked me to pose for pictures. If people didn’t pose with me, they had me stand in the aisle while they snapped photos of me with their smartphones. I’m gonna have to start charging, I thought. Only when the movie was about to start was I able to sit with my group, which consisted of Jarod, Sergio, Josh, Bill, Jean (Bill’s girlfriend), and Mr. Miller (Bill’s dad).

The movie was awesome, as I said in my review.

Afterward, I was asked for three more pictures before I reached the lobby. Several middle school kids asked me to pose with them. I was beginning to wish I’d brought the shield now. Finally, once I rejoined my group (minus Jarod, who was picked up by our mom), Mr. Miller insisted  on taking a picture of me with everyone! He even announced to passersby that I was the real Captain America! IT was hilarious.

We all drove to Sergio’s, where I changed out of my costume—and into a Captain America T-shirt that looks like the torso of his costume! So, I still looked like him (sorta) for the rest of the evening while we all hung out.

“AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!”

‘The Avengers’ is a marvel

 Rating: A+

(Note: This is the first of a two-part blog about seeing Marvel’s The Avengers. This is my review of the film. My next one will be about my experience seeing it).

After four years and five movies of build-up, Marvel Comics has unleashed its premiere superhero team on moviegoers. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the Hulk are joined by Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury in an epic war against the fallen god Loki and his alien army. Was it worth the wait? Does it live up to the hype?

One word describes this film: marvelous.

The Avengers has all the trademarks of a summer blockbuster: loads of special effects, explosions, and action. Indeed, the climax almost seems to have been directed by Michael Bay with its 45-minute climax of relentless and loud battles. But it is Joss Whedon leading these heroes from the director’s chair.

Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly) is possibly the nerdiest filmmaker in Hollywood, but he’s also a witty storyteller. More importantly, he knows how to manage ensemble casts and create memorable characters. In fact, underneath all the insanity that runs through The Avengers beats the heart of a character-driven story. They’re just as important—if not more so—as the battles and special effects. Each character, though larger than life, is never allowed to outshine the others. All are given adequate screen time for the audience to bond with and to do amazing feats. Best of all, each is ripped straight from the pages of the comics. (SPOILER WARNING) The only one who seems a bit underused is Hawkeye, who spends most of the first half of the film under Loki’s mind control. And, much like he did in 2005’s Serenity, Whedon kills a fan-favorite character, albeit not one of the superheroes. This time it was Agent Coulson, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who has appeared several previous films. Thankfully, he dies well, and his sacrifice pushes the Avengers to put their squabbles aside and unite against Loki. (SPOILERS END)

The script, which was written by Whedon, is full of wit and profundity. The heroes banter and fight using clever witticisms. There’s even some great physical comedy. But it also has light and dark meditations on the people’s need for heroes and human nature. Whedon also pays off moviegoers and comics fans who have watched Marvel Studios’ previous five films by tying them together with clever references and even some flashbacks. Gwyneth Paltrow even reprises her role as Tony Stark’s (Iron Man) girlfriend Pepper Potts in a cameo.

Speaking of actors, a better cast couldn’t have been, well, assembled. Robert Downey, Jr. still plays Tony Stark/Iron Man as a likeable egomaniac. Chris Evans continues to leave the shadow of the Human Torch behind with his performance as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Christ Hemsworth imbues Thor with more ham and humanity. Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) have their characters fleshed out more or given full-fledged chances to shine. Tom Hiddleston continues to give Loki great depth with complex motivations and even some sympathy. The new guy is Mark Ruffalo, who takes over for Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. He fills the big green shoes well. Unlike he predecessors, he not only played Banner but did the motion capture for the Hulk, creating a unity unseen in previous screen adaptations of the character. (Fun fact: bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the classic TV series starring Bill Bixby, voiced the Hulk in this film).

The special effects are colorful, fun, and exciting, much like the characters. Considering one is a special effect (the Hulk) and another is heavily dependent on special effects to be realized on screen (Iron Man), that is an accurate statement. ILM has outdone themselves here, realizing not only these characters and/or their powers and weapons on screen, but also creating the invading aliens and their dark homeworld.

The Avengers is an incredible balance of character, action, special effects, story, and humor. It’s also a faithful adaptation of the source material that even the most nitpicky of fans will enjoy.

EXCELSIOR!

NaPoWriMo Round-Up (Days 5-15)

Here's a quick round-up of my National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) entries from my author's website (sorry for the delay in posting updates here):

Day 5: "Lamentations of a Robot Overlord"
Day 6: "My Love, Our Crucible"
Day 7: "Surgery"
Day 8: "Falling Into the Abyss"
Day 9: "I'm Not Superman"
Day 10: "Under the Mighty Maple"
Day 11: "Farewell"
Days 12&13: Haiku 1 and Haiku 2
Day 14: "Writer's Block"
Day 15: "Waiting for Winter's End"