Some disjointed thoughts

I've had two things that have been on my mind recently: what it means to be a human and Showbread's significance in my life.

New Orleans is infamous for its crime. I looked at a map yesterday that plotted all of the murders that have occurred this year. What do you know, a big chunk of them are south of Gentilly. Murder, stealing, and hurting other people really disgusts me. What drives people to do this? We are not that much different from each other. We all experience happiness, anger, anxiety, and loneliness. Why do people feel the need to treat each other with such contempt? It's selfish and ignorant. No one is entitled to the take someone's else humanity away. Someone once held a cookie in front of me and asked me to beg for it like a dog. I was incredibly insulted. I watch people treat cashiers like they are servants or whipping boys. Aren't they people with feelings too? Humanity is our relationship point with the entire world population. I believe humanity is beautiful. We should preserve it and treat it, if not with admiration, at least with respect!

On my second note, I want to discus why I love Showbread. On a more superficial level, I always admire their music. It is a different experience with every CD. Not many bands can pull off versatility with virtuosity. The lyrics are heartfelt and deep. The sounds are layered and suprising. Their shows are amazing and well thought out. Many bands just go on stage, dressed in their tattered attire, and play their music. Showbread wears matching outfits and rock as hard as they can. Most importantly, this band gives me hope for what I want to see happen in the future. They are true to their music, which I believe they consider is their art, while also being consistent with their message of proclaiming God. How many people can say that? They tour with nonChristians in venues filled with nonChristians, and yet they have managed to stay consistent with their message. I feel so inspired!

Furthermore, in one of my favorite songs, "Stabbing Art to Death," they talk about true art. The lyrics discuss how art is superficial if it is an expression of one's self instead of being an expression of inspiration from God. Beautiful and true! It reminds of the popular idea of Humanism during the Renaissance (that resonnates through today), where the artists celebrated their ability to create and forgot about God's ultimate power as the Creator. I believe that creating a painting, sculpture, drawing, book, meal, or whatever gives people a chance to connect with God on a different level. You get to experience the fulfillment, satisfaction, excitement, and love that God feels about His creations. At any rate, I'm glad Showbread seems to have their priorities straight.

Well, that's about it here. We're all getting ready for the end of the semester. Matt started a new position in the Center for New Testament Textual Studies, so we're pretty excited about that! Things are going great here in New Orleans. We are always finding something to do. We've made some really great friends at Celebration church. I feel like we are in the right place at the right time!