Comments on: Aimlessness and Affluenza

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:37:08 +0000

subversive..”research paper. nothing big 10 pages”. just made me laugh…that sounds like torture to me and REALLY big!!! :)

amos…LOVE this! with freedom comes responsibility…our culture allows us to believe we can make choices and obtain freedom with no responsibility. which leads to an entire generation on a road toooo where?? great thoughts…i’m with mike…i would like to hear more on this. good read though!

By: subversivechurch

subversivechurch — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:54:57 +0000

Good thinking. I don’t want to sound critical, but you have had several ideas and theories on your site that I think you need to flesh out and research. Not that there is anything worng with what you are saying. Exactly the opposite. These are ideas that need to be heard in a fully developed argument or statement.

I have been digging into the Reformation this past week for my research paper. Nothing big 10 pages, but the ancillary reading has been amazing. If anything comes of this degree, it will be the focusing of my aimlessness. I’m really starting to question the need for another Reformation.

I’ll talk more about that soon, but in the meantime, do consider working on your ideas. Ask the questions and then follow them as far as you can.

-mike

By: Jessie

Jessie — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:12:43 +0000

You hit it: AIMLESSNESS! My mom and I were just talking about it and this generation’s direction, or lack there of. It seems that generation after generation are falling, considerably so, farther and deeper into this mindset. I see it hitting my brothers generation so incredibly hard.

Nice!

By: ash

ash — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:19:49 +0000

you talk about aimlessness. i think we have to learn to find the happy medium between being lost and aimless AND having an adventure. i have a cousin who literally has her and her husband’s life laid out, planned to the tee…the month and year they’ll have another kid, to their eating/exercise health plan to when they build and sell their next house….you name it! and for me? that would be BORING and frustrating. there are def. people who are just lost…but then again, where is the line when we talk about being open and “going w/ the flow,” b/c i think it can be healthy to not have every minute planned nor expected, we just get disappointed b/c life happens…..like you said, moderation.

i think that yes, we were made for a purpose- but we were given the gift of choice so…the “instinct” if you will to find truth, purpose, something worth living and dying for, falls by the waistside b/c of our choices.

AT the same time- for ME, personally, i think the dreams i pursue come from a deep rooted need to break out of the box. i grew up in a home where the box was emphsized and the need, desire, desperation even drove me to get where i am. it’s not all self…it came from a combination of adapting the work ethic of my dad, to the inspiration, “go for it,” attitude from john, to the realization of who i am from master’s commission to learning from the mistakes of my last relationship…..add all that to the personality i have and interests….you get my drive & and openess to whatever may be next.

shrug.

By: amoslanka

amoslanka — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:40:39 +0000

@jordan — Following God doesn’t really fit under “unquestionable direction” because as you said, it is a choice. . When I mention unquestionable direction, I’m mainly referring more to decisions in life that are survival based or have no alternative options. These situations are very rare in our modern lives due to affluence and everything that technology brings right to our door.

Depending on your particular belief about the movement and motives of God, religion brings more choice to the table, especially for those who don’t believe God to be handing them hourly “marching orders”, as it may be called. Even searching for the “will of God” adds countless options because in a way, discernment of God’s “marching orders” requires deciding what they in fact are. Once determined (if it is your belief that they can be), those who have truly already made the choice to follow are actually benefitted in that respect because they then have some unquestionable direction.

By: jordan

jordan — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:07:02 +0000

great post!!!

unquestionable direction? don’t you think that even in the certainty of unquestionable direction…a choice is made? i don’t know your experience in your faith but even in the certainty of direction, God has me choose to trust Him. to follow an unquestionable direction means sacrifice…generally speaking!

i see what you’re saying by “fear” and being “lost when surrounded by possibility” and i agree with what you’re saying about our culture.

“Freedom and choice is a good and holy thing, but can so cloud proverbial “path of life” that we wind up wandering pathless.” – great thought

again…great post. i love your thoughts!