Chapter 1: Drunk

Lawrence came home drunk. Again. It was the fourth straight night. The smell, the laughter, the freedom. Boy how he enjoyed himself. These late night rendezvous were becoming routine. Every day after work, he’d be out late enjoying himself. So much so that all of his regular routines were compromised and he neglected his other responsibilities. He didn’t stay at work late to finish his projects. The gym and exercise became afterthoughts. His life was changing for better or worse and he simply couldn’t concentrate on anything else.

But it didn’t matter, especially after tonight. Tonight topped all of the previous nights. Even at 3:43am as he fumbled for his keys in the darkness, nothing could wipe that smile off his face. He couldn’t help but enjoy himself. Just like the previous nights, he would collapse into bed without changing his clothes and without showering. He actually preferred it that way because when he woke up in the morning, it reminded him of the amazing night he just experienced.

He went to sleep thinking one thing, how much fun it was going to be tomorrow night. How intoxicated he was going to get. How drunk he got off of her love.

Religion? Your first post is about religion?

I never intended my first blog post to be about religion, but it’s been on my mind for a few days after reading, The Case for Faith. In fact it’s been on my mind for awhile now, and seeing my perspective change on Christianity is crazy. Having finished reading two books, The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, I have a completely different view of what it means to be Christian. In my exploration of Christianity, there are a bunch of obstacles in the way. This proverbial path towards becoming Christian is littered with questions and concerns. Let’s look at one.

So Many Christians, So Many Sinners
One of my obstacles centered on why so many horrendous things were done in the name of Christianity such as The Crusades. Heck even normal people living their lives perform obviously sinful actions and still call themselves followers of God. Why would I want to be a part of a religion whose people can’t seem to help themselves from doing immoral things?

Then I read this. Gandhi said of Christianity, “I love Christ, but not Christians”. It’s so simple, but powerful. Think about it. The one and only representative of Christianity should be Jesus Christ and how he lived his life. He was loving, cared for the poor, the sick, the weak. He embodied what it means to be a great person. That is what it means to be Christian. Ignore the Christians, focus on Jesus. Honoring him and living your life after what he taught, that is what Christianity is.

I’ve come to believe that 80% of Christians are not people you want representing Christianity. Whether it’s because they live a purposefully sinful life or because they simply cannot help it, these so-called Christians are poor examples. So, I’m trying to separate the two, trying to separate Jesus and Christianity from Christians because the two are not the same. Christianity isn’t about these people, it’s about living your life honoring God.

It’s an interesting revelation for me because it allows me to ignore all the junk said about Christians, ignore all the negative news, and focus on how Jesus lived his life and understand what that really means.

I can tell that as I learn more and more about Christianity, I’m going to write more and more about this and what I’m finding. Hey it's a big piece of what's going on in my life, gotta write about it. It’s forcing me to focus on each obstacle and clarify my thoughts.

Does Gandhi's quote have the same effect on you as it did on me?

EDIT: What are your thoughts on Gandhi's quote?

The Welcome Wagon has Arrived

What the heck is this blog about? And what is a Proverbial Post-It? We don't even know, but we will be writing. Writing about whatever we feel like. Here are some of our ideas:

- describing a scene of a picture
- starting a chapter story
- debating! We pick a topic and have to bring only one point at a time and argue it
- short story, emphasis on short
- pick 5 words and weave them into a story
- find a news article and make an argument for or against something in it
- pick a letter and every sentence has to start with that letter
- poems - haiku, limerick, rap, etc
- write a children's story

Come to think of it, we'll probably just be writing about whatever is on our minds. Sometimes we'll write about a certain topic, other times we'll just write because we want to write. We're just trying to get better at writing and have fun at the same time.

Let's get writing...