What's your calling?

In the past several years, I've felt drawn to a closer connection with my religion and to a sense of faith. That has led to, amongst other things, this blog. I find, however, that what I had hoped to gain from this experience I do not always gain. I find myself weekly contemplating letting this effort go as a good idea that either never came to fruition or that simply was at the wrong time.

At the same time, I find myself wondering if my chosen profession is what I really want. The more I learn about the fields I study, the more I see their dark sides, the things that make the daily grind miserable. I at one time loved what I do, but with each day that excitement wanes. I fear what I really enjoy is novelty, the idea of pursuing something new, the idea of overcoming a new challenge. If that's true, must I change careers every few years just to stay stimulated? Is it possible I'm going through a quarter-life crisis, and if so, is my indecision merely something to acknowledge, or am I really on the wrong track?

What am I supposed to do? How do I decide whether to continue this blog, continue my studies, start my life anew? Where does guidance come from? I want to believe that there's a proper path for each person, a way of living life that will bring fulfillment and happiness. How do I find that path? Is the path a set of decisions I make in this world, or within my own heart and mind, or a little of both? Are there signs to guide my way?

I remember the scene where Bruce Nolan, before he becomes Almighty, is given many (literal) signs and he misses them all. Am I missing my signs? Have there been hints at to where I will succeed, where I am most needed, and most importantly where I'll be most happy? I don't believe God will step down from Heaven and hand me a memo stating what I'm supposed to do, but harkening back to some of our earlier discussions on this blog, I do think there is divine guidance to be found in the events of the day-to-day. I just wish I knew how to understand those signs.

Do you believe you have a calling? If yes, have you found it? How did or will you find it? What do the signs look like? What guidance can you share with others?

Happy Holidays

The holiday season (as per secular definitions) is upon us. How will you be spending your time off? In what holiday observances will you engage? How will the holidays affect your daily life and your outlook on things? What meaning does the holiday season hold for you? How do your holiday observances connect you with a religious community? Most importantly, as commercialism bombards us, where do you find God during this season?

Good Acts to Follow

"Go and do thou likewise." (Luke 10:37)

Following up from last week, my wife asked why not pose the question of why people do GOOD things? Certainly, Aristotle's reasons may still apply, but is not there more?

The topics of good, altruism, generosity, and the like are complicated matters for psychologists and philosophers. While I'm not an expert on these subjects, it seems that, more or less, philosophers argue whether human nature is inherently evil, beast-like, selfish, or a blank slate - none of the academics seems to think it's inherently good. Psychologists seem to always be able to root everything back to selfish motivations - even the purest altruist seems to do things because it makes them feel good (endorphin junkies!).

I say, so what? What if everyone and everything IS selfish? Doesn't the ends justify the means? Not to mention, there's TONS of easier ways to feel good! Something drives good people to do things the hard way. Granted, it could be an overdeveloped sense of judging the reward by how hard it is to attain. However, it could also be that there is some greater good in the world with which some people feel connected. I propose that good is God.

If you know it's wrong, why do it?

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire." - Aristotle

Artistotle poses an interesting explanation for why good people sometimes do bad things. Certainly several of those motivations might account for such activity. If, however, we continue to do bad things, do we eventually become bad people? At what point does it stop being human fallibility and become "bad" per se. Is repenting each time enough? Is believing in God enough? How do intent and action differ here, and what role does each play in the status of our eternal souls?

Obstacles

"Don't forget your second wind. Sooner or later you'll feel that momentum kick in." - Billy Joel, You're Only Human (Second Wind)

Can religion, spirituality, faith, or God help us when times are hard? I think those that read this blog would certainly say yes, but how? Knowing that it will all be okay or is part of the grand scheme doesn't solve today's problems. Besides, I am a firm believer that God helps those who help themselves. So what do you do when you hit obstacle after obstacle, failure and failure, and the solution seems beyond your grasp? How can faith help you to make it to the next day?

I don't know which to be more worried by - the fact that I was so tired last week that I didn't notice that I failed to publish my post, or that noone emailed me to mention the fact that a post was missing. I'll write the latter off to people politely forgiving a lapse on my part and the former to my simply being tired at the end of a long week. Thus we move on.

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"For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end." (Psalm 48:14, NIV)

"You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." (Psalm 73:24, NIV)

"...He guides me in paths of righteousness..." (Psalm 23:3, NIV)

I find more and more in my life that there is rarely anything that is black and white. In fact, I find many of my decisions are choosing between the lesser of two evils (or, even worse, the least of many evils). Perhaps there is a way, given proper contemplation, energy, and resources, to make everything right, to always rise up in a situation and help everyone win. Most of us, however, can't be expected to be perfect all the time. So, within our daily limits, how do we find our way?

This reminds me of the day my father asked me why I was taking a course in ethics. He argued that everyone inherently knows what's right and wrong, and they'll act accordingly. He was of the opinion that noone needed a college-level course on what was "right" to behave better in the world. I explained to him that the course wasn't about what was ethical, it was how to decide what was ethical in the context of an apparent dilemma. I explained that we often have to decide what the right course is when there are unclear or contradictory guidelines, and I cited a number of examples being used in my course at the time (I seem to recall that he was particularly taken by the example of the young child in need of a blood transfusion but whose parent, being Jehovah's Witnesses, refused to allow it).

Ethics, and many related studies, including studies in religion, can guide us in decisions where it seems the course is not obvious. However, I want to believe that in some way my father was right - we all do know what's right, and if we listen to our hearts, and to God, we will always find the way. Perhaps the best ethicist, and the best religious leader, simply helps us hear ourselves more clearly.

May God guide us and give us strength.