Digital. Literary. Graffiti.

The Act of Patience

Standing in line can be intensely aggravating. Whether it be waiting at the border or simply waiting in a line at the bank, standing in line can be pretty difficult. Usually, I meet this challenge with my ipod, a few songs, a podcast or a game or two.

But today was different. Instead, I chose not to go with my Ipod. I chose to wait and to stand as silently. It was a weirdly interesting experience. In 15 minutes,

- I made faces at an infant.
- I helped direct an elderly lady to another line.
- I smile a young person that looked like he was having a bad day.

I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I felt a lot better by not hiding behind my headphones. I was able to interact with those around me and possibly make things better simply by choosing to wait, by choosing to stand and not succumb to a desire to be entertained. All of these graces were had simply by waiting.

Sometimes, waiting is forced upon us and it an be difficult, but when a choice is made to deliberately do whatever is required (ie: wait, stand in line etc), I find there is a grace to be had that increases patience a hundred fold. Instead of being in a rush, choose to wait, choose to be patient, and turn something that is seemingly irritable into an act of kindness.

Patience then, isn’t merely a quality, it’s a choice.

A choice that requires and rewards ultimately with grace.

Breathe and Stop

I know many atheists out there that argue that prayer is a useless activity. “Shouting out mentally towards a faint depiction of God is mere delusion.” But when you think about it, in the middle of intense stress or anxiety, praying is a particularly useful solution. It centers us. It reminds us why we do what we do. It allows us to reconnect back to our humanity, provides us a retreat from a stressful situation, is a mental and emotional sanctuary.

Too often we try to think through our problems. And while thinking is a good exercise of course, praying allows us to be deprived of meaningless thoughts, so that we can centre ourselves to receive meaningful grace. Especially for those who are cerebral like I am, this truth is forgotten all too often.

When I’m angry, frustrated, flustered or even annoyed, I rationalize. I think. I seethe. I worry. I blame. I point fingers. I try to cheer myself up. I do all sorts of things that prevent me from arriving at a true solution.

Praying points me towards heaven. Praying points me to God, to peace, to love. Yes, thinking is a big part of it, but thinking completely devoid of prayer far too often produces more problems rather than push toward the solution.

Pray without fear, without anxiety for result. Pray because it’s the last sanctuary. Pray because Jesus loves you.

And if you don’t know how to pray, breathe, stop.

Be quiet for a second and rest in our Lord.

For your sake, and because He loves you too, for His.

Deep See Diving

I was having a conversation with a brother today about the possibility of having a one on one. He responded with, “I’ll do it if you dance for conference.” And while I knew he was joking, I couldn’t help but think of the conundrum: is the opportunity to get to know someone on a deep level worth public humiliation?

After reflecting about it, I would say, “definitely.” It may seem a little one-sided; dancing at conference for me would be a one time only thing whereas a one on one could be had in theory whenever.

The real asset to be gained however is time and knowledge. Wealth can be spent. Products can be damaged to the point of uselessness. But the opportunity to become intimately aware of someone, to know them to the point of prayer, to spend precious time with someone is a true gift: a gift well worth the energy and effort.

And yes, well worth the humiliation.

If you don’t believe, believe Christ. We all know He went pretty far to be intimately with us.

Humiliation included.

Epic Battle

While my head nodded rhythmically to the Roots album-titled track How I Got Over, I couldn’t help but think about how the Philadelphia based crew has persevered not only as artists, but as artists producing worthwhile quality music. From Phrenology to Illadelph Halflife to Tipping Point to Rising Down, the Roots were already in the same conversation as A Tribe Called Quest as greatest hip hop band ever. Because of their perseverance, anybody want to comment on whether or not they’ve surpassed them?

The Roots vs A Tribe Called Quest

Call it.

My Mom’s Other Boys

After nine years, today was the last Sunday Father Joseph Nguyen celebrated Mass for St. Andrew’s Parish. During the celebration of Mass, my mind could not help but a wander a little towards the impact he and other priests have had on me and my family.

For my mother, brother and I, priests are more than just the celebrators of the sacraments (although that in itself is a huge deal). Father Joseph and Father Hien (who is also leaving), are/were part of our family. Father Hien would ritualistically call my mom, “mom.” Father Joseph assured her when my brother and I left for the seminary and on mission respectively. In the absence of her sons, Father Joseph and Father Hien were her ‘other boys.’

Our God knows that I didn’t always understand, or even agree with them, but He also knows that my family and I are going to miss them dearly. God bless you Father Joseph and Father Hien. Thank you for serving us as you did.