Anxiously Awaiting

Okay, this would be the first in a number of posts where I explain: me. This should be good, so hang tight. Warning, this post requires Asian fonts be installed on your computer. See this article for help.

I love the japanese language. No, I’m not an Anime nerd. I simply enjoy listening to my sensei speak in class, and moreover I am elated when I understand what she is saying. This love for the language has gradually developed during my quest for free or easy A’s at Georgia Tech. Cooincidentally, JAPN 1001 and 1002 were both 4 hour classes, and rumored to be “Easier than M-Train” classes. I’m all about that.

So I took the first two (A, B), and I was hooked. Unfortunately, JAPN 2001 and 2002 have turned out to be significantly harder than the first two, but I have grown fond of my sensei and I put in the necessary work. Over the 2 years that I have been speaking this wonderfully complex and confusing language, I have picked up a couple of language substitutions. For instance if you ask me a yes or no question, the answer will come in one of two forms:

はい (hai)
or
いいえ (iie)

The first word, which is the word for yes, is pronnounced like hi in english, but with a slightly pronnounced long e sound at the end. The second one, the word for no, sounds like an elongated short i sound with a short e sound at the end. In addition to this, there are a couple of general responses that japanese people say to let the other person know that they are paying attention.

Formal

そうですか。 (soo desu ka)
そうですね。 (soo desu ne)

Plain

そうだ (soo da)
そうだね (soo da ne)

Since Japanese is l33t, it actually has two different ways of speaking. Formal speech and plain speech. Plain speech is more or less used between equals. For instance, if I used plain speech while talking to my sensei, I would probably get thumped.

The first formal phrase, depending on tone, can mean a range of things. Most of the time when I use it I intend for it to mean “Really?” or something like that. The second formal phrase is more or less a confirmation or reinforcement of what was just said.

The first plain phrase is another way of saying yes, but it is often used when confirming your state or an action. The second plain phrase is just another way of saying the second formal phrase.

That’s it for the first class. Now you know some basic Japanese phrases. Class dismissed.

Facebook has offically become retarded. When I first joined during my sophmore year at Tech it was kind of a cool thing. I liked the idea that universities were represented in the system as homogenus groups of people. Sure, you could have cross university friends, but groups were exclusive.

Now everything has changed. It seems Facebook has been plagued by one screw up after another. First, they open it up to high schoolers. Facebook was known as a college social networking tool, so that change was quite unwelcome. It sparked numerous protest groups and petitions. Next, they introduce feeds before coding the privacy tools to control them. Privacy is a pretty important thing there guys. And now, they open the system up to anyone with a valid email address (with a few restrictions).

I’m not upset with Facebook, mainly because I only use it to keep in touch with some friends at other colleges, and I’m not terribly fond of social networking sites. I do, however, realize their potential. If anything, Facebook is a much better implementation than myspace, but things change. Let’s hope not.

Apparently my blog ate my other post. No matter, I wasn’t saying anything of importance anyway =P. This week has started out stressful, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better. I have lots of work to keep me busy, and as a result of that I still haven’t taken my last load of laundry out of the dryer. It has been there since Sunday.

I filled out most of my degree petition. The only thing left now is to take it by the CoC to get an advisor to get the dumb thing signed and help me fill out the courses section.

I have a management test tomorrow, but I’m pretty sure it will be easy. I’m still going to study for it anyway. Easy classes at Tech have a way of throwing curve balls at your “getting an A” aspirations. Especially since the test will be multiple choice (blech).

Prayer needed. Thxbai.

I just spent two hours witnessing to Georgia Tech students on the sidewalk. This is kinda long, so read it later if you dont have time. Please don’t TLDR it.

Every year there is a particular group of people who come to Tech campus and stage a protest. They bring all manners of banners with spiritually offensive messages on them. I got a call earlier today from a friend stating that they were at it again, and this time they had quite a crowd. The last time I saw them here–and by them I mean one person, the protest was basically ignored. I was one of the only people to actually talk to the guy.

So I head out from Rib’s and Blues on 5th street towards The Shaft. About halfway there I started feeling heavy. I can’t really explain it, but I felt very afraid. I felt hated, and like something did not want me to go.

As I walked by the library and turned onto Atlantic street I was greated with the sounds of someone shouting. As I walked closer there was a man holding a small Bible and a shirt with the words “Repent or go to Hell” written in bold red letters. “Georgia Tech is a cesspool! What are you doing here? You are filling your head with worldly knowledge so you can get more money!” he shouted as he stared straight at me and waved his little Testament. The irony of this situation made me chuckle. I am a born again Christian, and I am at Georgia Tech because God led me here, but that’s a story for another day. I pulled my NASB bible out of my backpack as I walked by him.

I continued on only to be greated by even more shouting. The little amphitheater where we often hold outside club meetings was packed to bursting with shouting students, and down front was a sweating man in a gray suit yelling some unintelligable scripture. All around the theater were men wearing message boards and holding giant banners with miscellaneous messages of condemnation on them. I met with my friend Justin and one of his classmates from Kung-fu, and they were both witnessing to a young Muslim lady and an atheist that had just finished talking to one of the bannermen. We spent alot of time with those two after we got them away from the bannerman, and it seemed that they were open to the Gospel, but they voiced their disgust over the bannermen’s methods.

Overall, I really don’t know what to say about the experience right now. It’s all still sinking in. I spent most of my time walking around and telling people that the message of Christ is contrary to what these people were preaching. I got a very good response from most of the people there, and a few other Christians rallied with me. I also witnessed to two of the bannermen. Those guys were spouting off scripture like machine guns, and it depressed me a little. They never gave me enough time to look through my Bible to find the verses that I wanted to show them, and their knowledge is further proof that I really need to get into memorizing scripture.

But one particular person stood out to me. He wasn’t carrying a banner, he was holding an NIV new testament (which, according to all the others bannermen the KJV was the only true version of the Bible), and he seemed different than the others. My heart really goes out to that man, because he is a shining fire in the midst of currupt and pharasaic men. He said something that pierced my soul and stirred up a fire so bright that I swear my body temperature went up a couple of degrees. “You may not agree with what these guys are saying–I definately don’t, but look at all these people. Some of them are interested now for whatever reason. So go witness brother!” he said. Those few words hit me like a Mac truck. So I witnessed. For the first time in a long time, I told people about Jesus directly.

I am convinced that God can turn anything for His glory, but now I have another concrete example of it. Through the false teachings of those people, I was able to preach the love and grace that I am so familiar with. I am unfathomably joyful that God used me, and I have been praying all week that something would happen so that I could be a light to this campus.

As a thought exercise, consider this verse (took me a while to find it):

“15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Philippians 1:15-18

These people were teaching false doctrine. How do I know? One particular man said that he stopped sinning once he was saved. Another said I was going to hell because I didn’t read the KJV version of the Bible. This guy arrogantly spouted off statistics about the different changes from the KJV to my NASB, and yelped a short victory “booyah” when he was finished. His friend triumphantly chimed in an equally arrogant “Buuuurrrrnnned!” The fruits of these people were confusion, hatred, anger, outrage, and the general stirring up of nonbelievers and believers alike. The gospel we preach should, and will, make people uncomfortable, but this was not the intention of the bannermen. They justified their condemnation and overtly incorrect views by taking verses completely out of context. I think that’s enough to convict them. But if you still don’t believe me, go to their website and make your own decision.

The above verse talks about the motives that people have for preaching the Gospel, not the Gospel they preach. There are tons of different verses that condemn false teaching, but this particular verse applies to people who preach the Gospel, but for their own selfish gain. It assumes that the message preached is the correct one. That is very important. We as Christians cannot stand for false doctrines. While I was talking to the other Christians around the amphitheater, I had a friend from CCC quote the spirit of this particular verse to me in their defense. Consider:

“3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” 1 Timothy 6:3-5

The theme of this particular verse is about financial gain, but part of it rings true here as well. Some of these people fit the description in verses 4 and 5 perfectly. Most of them were arrogant, they were stirring up trouble among the people. Jesus commands us to be peacekeepers!

In any event, God was glorified today through the actions of these people, but it was not in the way they intended. I met some new Christian friends there, and I was able to witness to the people who were there for the “comedy hour.” While riding on the bus back to the TSRB I felt a deep burden for this campus, and I cannot simply stand around and do nothing anymore. All of the organizations I have been a part of on campus seem way too much like a social clique than a ministry machine. I don’t know where God is leading me, but I feel something stirring in me. It feels so good to be used by God, why in the world would I ever want to go back to being a comfortable and complacent follower? If I am apathetic, am I a follower at all?

Well, my wallet was found. The fact that it had nothing in it when it was found is beside the point. Well, almost nothing. They left my buzz card (would have been nice if I hadn’t already paid 20 bux for a new one), my blockbuster card, and all my picks. I guess the perp doesn’t like Jim Dunlop 1mm picks. Now I just have to go stand in line at the DMV for a bajillion hours and get my new license.

It turned up at the post office in Buckhead. It’s rather interesting how the lady contacted me. She called blockbuster and had them call me. She also called my best friends mom, whose name and number was on a check that was in my wallet. So, I have my $15 piece of cloth and velcro back. Yay.

I called the Dakalb PD to let them know that I had found it, and apparently they couldn’t find the police report I filed last week. Yeah, that merits no comment.