it looks like my stopover in paris (i'm going to visit vania for a few days before coming home) is going to be affected by the planned metro strike on wed (rail workers are going on strike over sarkozy's pension reform plans), but instead of feeling bad about it i'll try to adopt a more philosophical approach.
boasting about tomorrow
"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." - James 4:14 (NIV)
this was the verse which came to my mind when vania first told me about the strike. treasure what you have, but never take anything forgranted. like the athlete who is completely consumed with winning the gold medal, if you're nothing without some (earthly) thing, you're nothing even with it.
slaves and masters
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favouritism with him." - Ephesians 6:5-9 (NIV)
i can't really comment on french domestic politics, but i don't see how either party (the government or the rail workers) is going to benefit from the current situation. for that matter, it doesn't look like either party is going to budge either. a real prisoners' dilemma.
one body, many parts
"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are are many parts, but one body.
The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it." - 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 (NIV)
even on a secular level, it is literally crippling if the different parts of the same body refuse to work together for the common good. in the social contract, rousseau observes that 'the undertakings which bind us to the social body are obligatory only because they are mutual; and their nature is such that in fulfilling them we cannot work for others without working for ourselves'.
each footballer on (or off) the pitch has a part to play; each piece on (or off) the chessboard has a part to play; each soldier on (or off) the battlefield has a part to play. the one who is "less presentable" should not say that he does not belong to the body, but instead support the one who is "more presentable". on the other hand, the one who is "more presentable" should not say that he does not need the one who is "less presentable", but instead acknowledge his support.
on our part, we are not to judge the other parts of the body we belong to, but instead to examine whether we ourselves are doing our part.
judging others
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." - Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV)
"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you - who are you to judge your neighbour?" - James 4:11-12 (NIV)
"Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumour spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"" - John 21:20-23 (NIV)
give thanks
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
above all, i'm thankful that my stopover in paris is on in the first place and that i'm coming home for christmas - hopefully! i'm going to pray about it and trust that whatever the case, it'll all work out eventually.
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name
the best is yet to be!
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