Sunday, November 30, 2008
What do mission organizations do for these people?
I used to think that people like missionaries were just being mettlesome and intruding on other people's lives. I mean why go all the way across to some unknown place and risk your life to save people who seem to be quite well off without any help from modern society. And anyways who's to say the missionaries would receive any appreciation or thanks for all their work?
It's only recently that I began to realize how shallow that sort of thinking was and that there's so much more in missionary work and how it can affect people's lives, for cultures like the Sawi and even our "modern" cultures.
Usually I would think, sure, Sawi culture is different, but there's no need to introduce to a new perspective on life to rescue them from their "evil ways." Who's to say that cannabalism is evil, and more evil than the disgusting murders commited in our cultures. Sin is supposed to be the same in God's eyes right? So then who are we to judge other people when we lie to, cheat, and deceive those around us everyday. So that's where I figured, the Sawi are just living the way they were brought up, there's no reason to change their views when they seem to be fine as they are.
Then I finally get it, missionaries don't just go in to convert people or "improve" lives, but to show another way to live, and the life they show them just happens to be the one that glow's with the warmth of Chirist's love. The belief in God isn't forced upon anyone but is simply related to and explained, it's up to one's own desire whether to follow it or not.
Life is a gift of God and in my opinion shouldn't be wasted by just functioning through everyday life without any thought of our own, constantly worrying about the many people/entities you have to please, and doing things that don't quite agree with you. I'm beginning to believe that if we can follow Christ's way we can avoid many of the unpleasantries in life and find our true calling and fulfill our duties as people put on Earth. And so if you ask me what I think missionaries do for people, I guess they help people find another light in life, modern or not, with or without our gratitude because the gratification they seek is given to them by God and doing His work.
Posted by Jin Yoo at 3:05 AM
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Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
So...this is going to sound very very sad. I've been trying to upload pictures and make everything look nice and pretty to look at right? But there's been some incredibly frustrating technical difficulties and my computer is stupid. So now I'm left with font that I can't change and no pictures...I think I did this post like a gazillion different times...not that I didn't have anything better to do. Right. Anyways, I've given up, I'm settling with good old fashioned writing and hope you guys aren't totally bored out of your minds from reading this boring plain pictureless post.
It's Thanksgiving and I'm here in the dorm, eating dorm food, YAY! Seriously when I go home there's some serious chowing down I have to do...haha just kidding. So in the spirit of Thanksgiving I have decided to list a buch of stuff I'm thankful for, cheesy yes, but it's a good oppertunity for me to reflect and appreciate everything that I usually take for more than granted so bear with me~^^
Life is hard and it really does suck most of the time, but I'm still thankful, so here thanks to:
~of course my mom and dad
~my lovely friends and this special person
~my dorm parants for being my home away from home
~cafeteria who provides the good stuff for our really big appetites
~the fact the diploma hasn't killed me yet
~the snow that should be coming soon...
~my favortie time of the year, Autumn
~the teachers and couslers, what's a student to do without you
~a year left before college apps, and sat, and toefl...;;
~all the crazy fun stuff that's happened this past semester
and now my brain stops functioning. Anyways hope you fun reading or not reading, thanks for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving yals!
Posted by Jin Yoo at 1:25 AM
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Monday, November 24, 2008
What should we do when we are confronted with other cultures? I've been living in a whole new culture for two years now, and it's still really very new. Consequently, this is one of the biggest questions in my life right now, and the thing that frustrates me the most, is the fact that I don't think there will ever be an answer. Now that the world is becoming "globalized," people are getting to experience the thousands of other cultures out there whether by t.v., internet, news, or even first hand. If it's something drastically different from what we're used to, cannablaism for example, the general reaction would at first probably be "ew," or something of that sort. However, I don't think that our thoughts should just stop at that. We should be able to go beyond the exterior shell of a culture and delve deeper into the spiritual meanings and reasonings for why they might act the way they do. Ask yourself a question, why? and then open your heart and mind to a whole new experience instead of closing yourself hiding away in fear and staying in your little safety box.Of course, saying this stuff isn't nearly as hard as acting it out because even inside our own society, take highschool for example, we have a hard time accepting differences, the "nerds" the "goths." And there's always the problem of understanding completely why things are the way they are even though you can be completely aware of the facts. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we are no where near as perfect as God and because of that we can't love and be a part of all the diverse cultures in the world. All we can do is work towards becoming a more open, accepting people, aware that even though we are all different in eachother's eyes we are equal in God's.
Stepping out of our comfort zones...
Posted by Jin Yoo at 9:20 PM
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Thursday, November 20, 2008
What factors of your native culture have informed your religious world view? Explain the impact of these factors?
Honestly, I'm quite confused as to what I am, what culture I belong too, and because of this I have struggled to find a belief system that I can find support from. Learning that I'm supposed to be living in two different worlds and meeting the never-ending expectations of both sides is a struggle that I have only recently started to face, and whether because of my inexperience or something other, this is an issue I find very difficult to come face to face with. I feel as if I am constantly brought back down to the harsh reality of the limitations of the human body and find that I have grown to have a bit of sarcastic and cynical outlook on life. However, this environment has helped me to keep an open mind to all the possibilities, except instead of finding a connection or belief of a religion in this case, things come in as more of just information. As far as my religion goes, currently I think the logical side that just acknowledges the facts on all these things, is going on a crash course towards the unfamiliar territory of faith and unlimited devotion to that one religion that will help me come to terms with my life, I think. I'm not really sure what's going to happen though, I know the facts, now I guess I just need to believe.
Posted by Jin Yoo at 3:45 AM
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peace_child
