Personality Analysis: ENTP

get to know yourself: MBTI is the psychological analysis test that breaks peoples personalities into 16 different types based on Introverted/Extraverted, iNtuition/Sensing, Thinking/Feeling, Judging/Perceiving 

http://similarminds.com/jung.html

this psychological analysis is vital to understanding others around you and why they are the way they are. what makes them tick. as for david? get to know me: ENTP

"clever" is the word that perhaps describes ENTPs best. the absentminded professor who juggles half a dozen ideas for research papers and grant proposals in his mind while giving a highly entertaining lecture on an abstruse subject is a classic example of the type. so also is the stand-up comedian whose lampoons are both funny and incisively accurate.

ENTP personalities tend to use their mind in a very specific way and this is especially noticeable in the professional environment – they enjoy brainstorming and outlining all the options, but do their best to stay away from actual implementation. again, such a trait can be very valuable in certain situations, but cause tension in the workplace as the ENTP may be perceived as having fingers in many pies, but often failing to finish what they start. ENTPs also tend to be non-conformists and love challenging existing rules and routines, which makes them irreplaceable where there is a need to rip up the existing models and come up with new, original plans.

people with the ENTP personality type are often called devil’s advocates, and for a good reason. ENTPs absolutely love to argue and they do not really care that much what the argument is about, as long as it is fun. they may not actually support the idea they are arguing for, but may decide to go against the prevailing opinion, seeing this as a mental exercise.

ENTPs are very quick-witted and original, which gives them a great advantage in debates, academia and politics – however, they also tend to do very well in many other areas that require willingness to challenge the existing ideas and juggle multiple arguments. ENTPs tend to have a developed intuitive sense of humor that others may find harsh or confusing without explanation. being the devil's advocate often confuses, even angers, those who don't understand or accept the concept of argument as a sport.

one of the reasons why ENTPs are able to hold their ground in nearly every debate is their impressive knowledge and ability to jump from one idea to another, making unorthodox connections in the process. they do this with amazing speed and without much effort – the onslaught of arguments coming from the ENTP may easily confuse their opponent. this can be both a good and a bad thing, depending on who the ENTP is arguing with – they can easily shred their opponent’s arguments in a debate about politics or theoretical ideas, but cause immense stress in a romantic or familial relationship if they do that to their loved one. they do not process the concept of going too far. there is nothing worse to an ENTP than an unresolved issue, causing them to arguing or discuss a subject well past what may be appropriate for the other person.

the least developed area for the ENTP is the Sensing-Feeling arena. if the Sensing areas are neglected, the ENTP may tend to not take care of details in their life, making them disorganized, forgetful, and messy. if the Feeling part of themselves is neglected, the ENTP may not value other people's input enough, or may become overly harsh and aggressive.

ENTPs are usually very direct and honest. they do not really care about being seen as sensitive or compassionate, so their honesty may be quite brutal sometimes. ENTPs say what they think and do not mince their words – furthermore, they dislike people who try to beat around the bush, especially if they are about to ask the ENTP for a favour or correct them. consequently, ENTPs tend to be respected, but not necessarily liked – many people in society not only tolerate being lied to, they actually hope for and need to hear a lie in certain situations. the society tends to put feelings, sensitivities, and comfort above the unpleasant truth – this is likely to frustrate many ENTPs.

approaching an ENTP can often be difficult for an introvert. ENTPs tend to view the world as both spectator and gladiator, and if someone isn't catching their attention they are likely to overlook them. it's not that they don't care, but ENTPs are often forgetful of people who do not immediately have their attention.

the best approach in communicating with an ENTP is to be straightforward.
no games – they’ll win. no "pulling rank" – they’ll just want to put you in your place. no apologies – you’ll undermine yourself. try "i need/want to talk to you." generally ENTPs hate cliffhangers and may be reluctant to talk if it is over an email or text, without further explanation of the issue at hand.

curiosity will always win in the end with an ENTP. their love of spontaneity and ability to mentally strategize on the fly can lead them into any situation where they are out of their element or "flying blind" just so they can challenge themselves and be stimulated by the thrill of something new.

according to Carl Jung's overall summary analysis of the ENTP "- risk-takers, easy-going, outgoing, rule breakers, thrill seeking behavior, comfortable in unfamiliar situations, appreciates strangeness, disorganized, adventurous, talented at presentation, aggressive, attention seeking, experience junky, insensitive, adaptable, not easily offended, messy, carefree, dangerous, fearless, careless, emotionally stable, spontaneous, improviser, always joking/trolling, player, wild and crazy, dominant, acts without thinking, not into organized religion." - (Carl Jung Type Description 1999)



Famous ENTP’s:

- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Alexander the Great
- Thomas Edison (Inventor)
- Benjamin Franklin
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President of Iran)
- Mao Zedong (Dictator of Communist China)
- Socrates
- Lewis Carroll (Author of Alice in Wonderland)
- Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno - Actor, Comedian)
- Jim Carrey



Fictional ENTP’s :

- The Joker
- Willy Wonka
- Doctor Who
- Ferris Bueller
- Dr. House
- Cpt. Jack Sparrow
- Tom Sawyer
- Indiana Jones
- Juno
- Bugs Bunny
- Ms. Frizzle (Magic School)
- Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
- Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)
- Dr. Emmett ‘Doc‘ Brown (Back to the Future)
- Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland)
- Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter)

The Bleeding Woman

I’d gotten used to the bleeding. And the weakness that went along with it. But it was the loneliness that consumed me.

For twelve years, my body has unnaturally bled. At first I thought it was just my monthly courses run long, but then it didn’t stop. I tried to hide it from my family of course, smuggling out the dirty rags to wash down at the river. But nothing gets past my mother. When she found out she just gave me that look, you know the one, the one that told me that I was a complete failure – worthless. Whatever was she going to do with an unclean daughter?

At first they tried to take me to doctors. Always the Roman doctors, not the Jewish ones – they didn’t want it getting out in our community that I was unclean. The doctors were more than willing to take my parents’ money, but nothing they did helped. The bleeding just continued – and I grew weaker and weaker. When it got to the point that I was too weak to even help my mother with the chores, my father had the idea to marry me off as quickly as possible. I assume he knew that my condition would be discovered, but then I would be another man’s problem.

I’m surprised I survived the night my husband found out the truth. I think I passed out sometime after the third blow weak as I was. The next thing I knew he had thrown me at my father’s doorstep – demanding payment for the humiliation of having been given worthless goods. My father, of course, denied knowing anything at all – calling me a deceptive harlot, spitting in my face, and saying that I was no daughter of his.

Now everyone knew I was unclean. No one could touch me, and everything I touched or anywhere I sat immediately became unclean. No shopkeeper would allow me near his wares; no housewife would allow me to pause to catch my breath on her doorstep. I begged as best I could for the occasional bite of bread, as my condition even barred me from the profession most desperate women end up turning to. No one wanted me.

So like I said, I got used to the bleeding and the weakness, but the loneliness got to me. No one’s touched me for nearly twelve years. Oh, I’ve been spat upon and received the occasional kick from daring young boys – but no hugs, no shoulder to cry upon, no sister to help braid my hair. And it’s been that long since I’ve been allowed in the synagogue as well – to raise my voice in praise to God or hear the precious words of the Torah read. I am as invisible and worthless to God as I am to everyone else.

But then I heard rumors about a rabbi who could heal the sick and even raise people from the dead. Now, I’d been to my fair share of doctors and magicians who had claimed they could heal me – but somehow I knew this man was different. I don’t know how I knew, but something deep inside gave me hope that this time I could finally be well.

It took me a few days though to work up the courage to approach him. I knew I could never ask him outright for healing – I doubt any rabbi would heal a woman who broke the taboo of speaking in public to a man. And I was sure he would despise me for making him unclean if I even came near him. So I knew that my only option was to secretly approach him. If he truly was a holy miracle worker, just touching the hem of his cloak should be enough. I was good at slipping quietly through crowds; I just prayed my touch would go unnoticed.

I saw him hurry through the streets following one of the important synagogue leaders. His disciples were pushing the crowds away to help him through, but I knew that if I did not seize this opportunity, I may never get another chance. So I slipped through the crowds until I was close enough and then I reached out my hand and lightly brushed the edge of his cloak. And I felt a power course through me, I felt alive and full of a strength and energy I hadn’t felt in years. I knew I was healed. I wanted to shout for joy, I wanted to tell the whole town that I was clean again. But I knew no one would believe me, and I needed to quickly get away from this Jesus before he noticed me.

I was slipping away when I saw him stop in his tracks, and my heart sunk. He knew. He called out “who touched me?” His disciples laughed at him, they were in a crowd there were dozens of people touching him. But he asked it again and I knew my worst fears had been realized. I had risked it all for this one chance, and now I would be punished for my desperate attempt. I wondered if in his anger he would just whip me like the other men I had accidentally touched or if he would reverse my healing – condemning me to isolation for the rest of my life.

I knew I had no choice, so I threw myself at his feet, trembling in fear as I awaiting his punishment. I couldn’t even bear to look at him. I stammered out how I so desperately wanted to be well and how I knew that just touching his cloak would heal me, and that it did, that I was finally well. And I apologized over and over again for my brazen actions, hoping he would understand just a little why I dared make him unclean.

But then everything changed. You know when there’s that moment when your world shifts? This was it for me. He didn’t yell at me, he didn’t beat me. He didn’t even walk away in disgust. Instead he walked towards me and knelt down at my side. And then, and I will never forget this, he placed his hand on my shoulder and said “Daughter, your faith has healed you go in peace.” My own father had rejected me and no one had touched me in years, and here this rabbi blessed me and called me daughter. That touch, that word healed me more than just stopping the bleeding had. For the first time in years, I felt accepted and loved – I felt whole again.

Jesus looked past the names and labels that my culture had imposed upon me, and healed my wounds. He gave me a place at the table. - Julie Clawson

Redbulls and Microwaves

you spend your life trying to figure out what’s going on beneath the surface, yet you live your life like the surface is all that matters. it’s all about what it looks like. cause once you find the truth you have power, you have control. 

but truth is a sword, not for cutting everyone else, but to use on yourself. you’re so scared that if you spent half the time critiquing yourself as you do everything else, then you’ll be forced to deal with your issues. the only real control you have is over yourself. you then have to decide what kind of human you want to be. one that looks good? or one that struggles? 

there is a saying in islam, “the greatest jihad is the jihad of the self.” it means to essentially struggle and war with yourself. but why deal with issues when you have a microwave? 

the microwave represents our sense of fake as a culture. heat happens when atoms start drinking redbull. the more energy that an atom has the more adhd it gets. it starts jumping up and down and vibrating and climbing up the walls. energy = heat. 

normally and naturally, things start to cook when heat is externally applied. the heat stimulates and vibrates the atoms within causing the food to get hot and cook. but microwaves skip that whole process of internal struggle. instead they just manipulate the atoms with radiation. they are fake hot, and therefore fake cooked. 

some times we pretend that we can fix our lives with a microwave. oh there is something wrong with me? nuke it. say a simple prayer and your done. write a check and it’s fixed. but you can only ask god to help you so much. at some point you have to stop treating god like a microwave. instead, take that tank of gasoline god gave you and set yourself on fire. 

Foxes and Eagles

it’s a common misconception that christians have to pick the lesser of evils.
if you find yourself in a situation where you have to pick an evil of any kind, that in and of itself should be evidence that you are in an evil situation. no matter what, jesus ALWAYS has another way; a better way. but you first have to accept that the way of jesus is at odds with the world.

i do not support democracy.
i do not support capitalism.
i do not support socialism.
i do not support communism.
i do not support government.

this does not mean that i give up and am not active in the affairs of the world.
this does not mean that i run away from conflict and live in a christian bubble.
it means that as a follower of jesus i am called to a higher standard of living than the world, not just morally and ethically, but politically as well. it is easy for american christians to accept the moral standards of jesus, and reject the political ones. because once they subject themselves to following jesus with their entire lives, and not just morally, it might require them to sacrifice their sense patriotism. simply being a good person that lives by morals and ethics does not put you at odds with the world, but rejecting their systems of power and control (i.e. religion, government, occupation) makes you their enemy. you can not serve two masters. you can not support man made structures and god’s way of life. jesus is your caesar, your president, your government, your religion, your occupation, your life. you can not compartmentalize the message of jesus.

it is convenient to quote scripture when it fits your personal/political agenda (i.e. abortion, war, promiscuous sex, drinking, smoking, cursing).
 but when it asks you to take up your cross and follow jesus, or love and pray for your enemy, or forgive those who wish you harm, or lay down your life in the action of rebuking violence like jesus did; it becomes much too easy to not take those things literally.

what we have cultivated is a society that worships ethics, morals, and rules, and ignores the lifestyle of the prophets. rebellion, revolution, social justice, mercy, antiwar, nonviolence, peace, forgiveness. these traits are desired by people but are snuffed out and made to be looked down upon by the religious and governmental systems of power, because it threatens their power. if people were to actually take jesus serious it would be very bad business for man made structures.  a christianity based on morality is dead. if following jesus is boring, that is a big hint that you are following the wrong jesus. if your life is lacking adventure, revolution, and passion then you need to reevaluate what kind of god you profess to know. knowing god requires a response.

originally the act of baptism was not a simple ritual reserved for baby christians and cleansing young men of their addictions to pornography. it was a change in allegiance. it required you to stop living a dead life and live a radical new life that had love and selflessness at its core, and was accompanied with a vow of nonviolence. a radical life does not mean screaming in tongues and going to all night prayer rallies seeking some emotional spiritual high. it does not mean grabbing led zeppelin albums and playboy magazines and burning them in a giant fire. it does not mean voting republican or keeping the ten commandments in courthouses. it does not mean fighting for god’s english name on our filthy (root of all evil) money. it does not mean outlawing abortion and gay marriage. it does not mean trying to fuse the church and the state. did jesus hold picketing rallies outside the gates of rome telling them they were evil and sinners and need to repent? did he try to convince rome in anyway that they needed to be more godly? did he try to reason with caesar and tell him that instead of his name, god’s name should really be on their money? no. jesus didn’t give governments the time of day. give to caesars what is caesars, and give to god what is gods. once you give god what is his, there isn’t much left for caesar is there?

a radical life looks like this: [you have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' but i say to you, do not resist an evildoer. but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you. you have heard that it was said, 'you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' but i say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. for if you only love those who love you, what good is that? do not even the gentiles do the same? be mature, therefore, as your heavenly father is mature.] - matt 5

a life that looks like jesus is not simply a life that avoids sin. jesus stood up to the religious and governmental powers of his day. the church of the first three centuries (the church before it acquired political power) was hated and persecuted. many were viciously put to death. the main reason was that the early christians would not buy into the values of the roman empire. they were accused of being unpatriotic, subversive, and cowards (for their unwillingness to serve in the military). early christians were not killed simply because they were christian. the martyrs you hear about died because they opposed the roman government. they were not killed for worshiping jesus, they were killed for NOT worshiping caesar. the act of following jesus meant you DIDN’T follow caesar. words like ‘saviour‘ and ‘lord‘ and ‘king of kings’ were political roman campaign slogans before they were hillsong lyrics and common christian lingo. by calling jesus their king of kings, it was a direct and explicit insult to the roman government and it’s rule. it was a refusal to endorse, support, or following the government of their day. it was the equivalent of saying jesus is my one and only master and chief. jesus is my president. the word christian literally means - little christ. to rome, when you said you were a christian, it meant that like jesus, you were an anti-roman, anti-violent, religious terrorist. jesus was a threat to rome cause he said caesar had no real authority, that rome was simply an evil construct and an instrument of the powers of this world. being apart of god’s kingdom means you are NOT apart of the kingdoms of this world (i.e. america, israel, england, china, etc). the people of god are called to be in the world but not of it.

[and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - romans 12:2] [if you were of the world, the world would love its own. but because you are not of the world, but i have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you - john 15:19]

these passages aren’t talking about easy christianity. they aren’t talking about refraining from watching R-rated films, reading harry potter, listening to rap, voting for the wrong party, or using the F-word. that is a shallow christianity that focuses solely on morals. this passage is addressing something much deeper and much harder. something that requires you to be at odds with not only your culture but your very own nation as well. american christians today reject and condemn their culture, but praise and idolize their nation with a devote sense of patriotism. 

but jesus did the opposite. he engaged and entered into his culture. he immersed himself in the depths of social poverty. this doesn’t mean to engage in culture that is outside your convictions. but as paul said, maybe you are a little bit stuck. you’re still drinking milk when you should be eating steak. you are so obsessed and concerned with convictions of morality that you have ignored convictions of politics (or rather convictions against politics). you don’t have any films over the rating PG and only listen to jesus culture, but you don’t know a single person that is gay, homeless, orphaned, muslim, or addicted. you write them off as hurt and broken sinners that need jesus, and make a point to keep your children away from them. how can you change your culture by avoiding these people? you might be the only picture of jesus they ever get. you can’t make it their responsibility to come to church and THEN they’ll get ‘saved’. it is your responsibility as the representation of jesus on earth to go to them. not to preach condemnation and give them a ticket to heaven, but to be their friend. to live everyday how jesus did. don’t have a hidden agenda when you talk to people. is the only reason you are talking to these ‘sinners‘ because you are hoping they ‘accept jesus into their heart’? or do you see the way they live and see it is broken and unhealthy and maybe they just need a friend? it is astounding how many of my relatives and friends don’t know anyone that isn’t a middle-class white conservative christian. the most diverse they get is being forced to be around someone at work that is a half black atheist that voted for obama. that is what i call a radical christian life WOW AMEN! no, that isn’t radical. that isn’t even christian. it’s easy to love jesus, but it’s harder to be LIKE jesus.

christ has no body but yours,
no hands, no feet on earth but yours,
yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world,
yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
yours are the eyes, you are his body - teresa of avila


[now when jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. and a scribe came up and said to him, “teacher, i will follow you wherever you go.” and jesus said to him, “foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”] - matt 8: 19-20

if one were to hear this saying today they would most likely ask why jesus transitioned to teaching about zoology instead of following. however, those living under the roman empire around 30 A.D. would have understood his cryptic words if they had ears to hear.

the first animal seen is a fox. foxes have the temerity to associate with lions at the kill. foxes will snatch what they can of the lions prey and dodge the consequences. to this particular audience a fox represents king herod. he played fox to caesar’s lion which is mentioned in luke 13:32. herod is a political nuisance. one should not waste their time with him. in early jewish literature the fox images a lesser person compared to the genuinely powerful, who were called lions. herod not only represents the sly and tricky ways of a politician with jewish heritage (religious), but he also represented the israelite system (political) as a whole. 

thus jesus says that the ruler herod has a place in the religious systems of this world. the bird is next introduced connecting jesus’ audience to the eagle symbolizing the mighty roman empire. those in power, those in empire have a place. finally, a contrasting conjunction is seen where the son of man fits. he has nowhere. he does not have a place in the world as the contrasting examples do. he does not display the same kind of authority that the powers of the world have. he moves outside of systems, outside of common kingdoms. through the latter it is seen that jesus is doing something new contrary to the way of the world. he is bringing this new way about through a stance of weakness. it is this weakness that people are asked to follow. 

if one is truly to go where jesus goes they first must realize what this scribe who is talking to jesus had to realize. those who were born into the family of israel prided themselves in knowing that they were god’s chosen people. the book of matthew displays a strong jewish orientation in this story knowing that his readers may recognize such a contrast between jesus’ identity and the religious identity. though jesus was born of the jewish line, he does not find his place within the israelite system. a follower of jesus will be placeless in this world. they must let go of their security in the established orders of the world, religiously and politically. those established in the world’s systems feel a sense of safety knowing that they are under the powerful. it is far more difficult to feel safe when following the powerless not knowing what is to come. jesus is inviting them to let go of their old trust in the world and step forward toward jesus’ new and unknown ways. they are asked to let go of what made sense to them before.

no response. no actions are seen from this once enthusiastic scribe who now knows the cost of following jesus. 

50 shades of God

when people say god is for you, what do they think that means? that god is always on their side? clearly god can't be on everyones side. what they really mean is god wants the best for everyone. but what does that look like? that can all too often lead to conclusions of a theology that supports the notion that god makes people go through hardships to make them better. cause like some parents, they think god will do what is best even if it hurts the child at the time. cause after all, the ends justify the means when it comes to god apparently. but when it comes to humans we call them tyrannical dictators. it seems silly to suggest that humans need to hold god accountable. he is god after all right? what he says and does goes. even if what it looks like god is doing is wrong and evil, but he gets a free pass; a god pass. and of course god isn't a naughty little troublemaker behind the scenes, hoping he won't get caught red handed by his friends. but we sometimes seem to 'think' god does or says something out of character. instead of dig deeper and question god, we give him a free pass. we add the new out-of-character trait that we seemed to have just witnessed and assume it was god. 

all throughout the bible, god's closest friends were the ones that held him accountable. they were the ones that got upset when it seemed like he was out of line, out of touch, and out of character. they were/are the prophets. 

but god is never out of line. not because he is god though. but because he never breaks character. what makes god so amazing is not how powerful and divine he is, it is just the opposite. god is not wonderful because he is a god. god is perfect because of who he is not because of what he is. he is willing to let his reputation and name get trashed and dragged through the mud by his supposed best friends. sometimes in order to love us and have a relationship with humans he was to associate with us. just like when people gave jesus crap for hanging out with homeless hookers and pot-heads. god also gets crap for things he is believed to have said and done, which in reality is far from it. there is nothing worse than when someone you don't know drops your name and associates you with things that have nothing to do with you. saying things about you and telling people what you are for and what you believe in. but when that person isn't getting the information directly from you, but rather from an article they read about you, or some else's experience, it can be a little more than frustrating. it can be hurtful. 

god gets hurt a lot. and he has to live with that. he has to live with the fact that the creatures that are suppose to reflect him on earth are both murders as well as lovers. only something so beautiful and sacred as a human could cause so much joy and so much pain. why doesn't god just end it all and scream atop the mountains who he is and what he's all about? cause that would be breaking character. sure god can be dramatic and neurotic sometimes, but he's not self obsessed. and he isn't one for easy answers and picking sides. he is nonviolent and subversive in nature. he is slow to anger, and values mercy over sacrifice. even if we believe differently because of what we think we found in the bible. just like when you are having a conversation over text messaging and something gets lost in translation, so also meaning behind scripture is lost.

 you and your friend get in a fight because they completely missed the point of what you were trying to say and thought you meant one thing, when in reality you said something else. it is better to take a step back and look at the character of someone before you rush to a silly conclusion that they have split-personality disorder or were lying the whole time. 

don't assume you have god figured out, he is more complex than a cop or superman. he isn't black and white, more like 50 shades of gray. he isn't just a really good guy that is always right. and he isn't an egotistical narcissist that only loves you cause you are wearing his sons name-brand. whatever your concept of god is, i guarantee you he is so much better than that.

Maturity

I find that people have a false perception of what actual maturity entails. 

We are taught to believe that at some point all people stop being children and become adults, and the defining quality of an adult being maturity. In traditional american thinking we hold the following definitions as evidence of that maturity: 

- responsibility

- accountability  

- integrity

- loyalty

- honesty

- leadership

- a career

- success

- power

- social status

- active member of a social group

As long as you have a stable job, handle your finances well, obey the authorities, have a healthy family life, stay up-to-date on politics and news around the world, and believe in a higher power, you are considered to live a healthy and mature life.

I propose a different definition of what it means to truly be mature. To be truly mature, is to be fully human.

I suggest that throughout the narrative of the bible, from Genesis to Jesus, god is trying to show humans how to be fully human. In the poem that starts out genesis, god is extremely intimate with the first humans. God walked and talked in the garden with these humans, teaching them what life was, what death was. God wanted to teach them about evil, and about love. Humans are the most beautiful and incredible creature in the entire universe; the apex of all creation. Humans bear the image of the living god. But humans were infantile in their existence. Humans did not know how to channel there thoughts and desires. They needed guidance. Humans needed a mentor. And just as a ten year old with access to a million dollar trust-fund, we abused our gifts. To quote the poet of Song of Songs: 'don't awaken love before it so desires'. Humanity opened up pandoras box before they were fully ready; they ate the forbidden fruit before they learned how to maturely handle the truth. With great knowledge comes great responsibility, and humanity was not in a place were it was able to be mature yet. Humans didn't want to wait for god to show them the truths about the tree of good and evil, they wanted instant gratification. Given enough time, it is reasonable to assume that god would one day explain this so called tree, but not before they were ready to handle it. 

From the beginning, god has continually been trying to bring us back to the metaphor of the garden. Not to a state of perfection, but to a state of human maturity. A relationship where god is the mentor and humans are the student. God tries again later with Abraham. God realized that maybe if one people group were set apart from the rest, that through them the whole world could then be reconciled and find their way back to their human roots, the roots of relationship. God's intention was that through the nation of israel, all humanity would learn how to be human again. But when god finally gets to a place where that is possible, his people reject him. God brings his people out of Egypt, out of the systems and empires of this world, and into a fresh beginning; the wilderness. But when Moses comes down from the mountain with the amazing news that this god wants to have no mediator, no middle man, no priest, just the people and god, the people get scared. The people reject direct relationship with their god, and turn to human rule instead. They ask if Moses can speak on behalf of god, out of fear that god will destroy them.

This pattern is recycled over and over throughout the entire bible, and again with Jesus. This time god resides his spirit in a human. The spirit of god become flesh to bring humans back to the true meaning of their humanity. Jesus was the first fully mature human. Through Jesus we see what true maturity as a human was meant to look like all along.  

- love

- compassion

- forgiveness

- grace

- empathy

- freedom from oppression

- social justice

- separation from the ways and systems of this world

The american view of maturity has stunted the christian adult. Sometime after high school and college, adults stop asking the existential questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What is the meaning of life? What does it mean to be human?

They become content and comfortable. They choose the superficial way to maturity, instead of the hard way. They are responsible and have a good career and are respected in their community and church, but they don't really know who they are or what they want from life. They fall back on recycled generic answers such as: I am a child of christ! I am here to love and be loved! I am here to do god's will for my life!

But that is only scratching the surface of true identity. They stop asking questions, so they stop growing. 

What good is it to be deemed responsible and mature by society, if you don't even know who you are?

Maturity modeled after Jesus is often thought of as foolish by the systems of this world, often even by the church. It values humility over self-affirmation. Grace over justice. Weakness over power. 

Maturity is found in the ability to give a voice to the voiceless. When you stand up for the oppressed and fight the powers that subject them to a life of dehumanization, you find true maturity. When your life echoes selflessness over selfishness, you are on your way to becoming fully human. True maturity is found in humility. A life of sacrificial love always trumps the standards of living that the world has to offer.

Spiritual Stories and the Deconstruction of Historical Myths Suspicious of the Powers

Everyday Thoughts: Finding God in David's Stories of Violence:

Jan Just Turned 13

some tasty treats i've been listening to this month:

François Hardy / Le Temps De L'Amour

Atoms for Peace / Judge, Jury, Executioner

Four Tet / Pyramid

Shiny Toy Guns / If I Lost You

The Kills / U.R.A. Fever

James Brown & 2Pac / Unchained (The Payback Untouchable)

John Legend / Who Did That To You

Annibale E I Cantori Moderni / TRINITY: TITOLI

Panjabi MC / Jatt Ho Giya Sharabee

Panjabi MC / Soundz Of The Des

Panjabi MC / Jogi

Skream / Inhumane

Skream / Copy Cat (feat. Kelis)