Living Little, Loving Lots

Today Kylee and I went to a pool to do some reading/studying/chillaxing. Then we came back and watched A Beautiful Mind.

While I was reading Becoming the Answers to Our Prayers by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove at the pool, I came across two quotes. One by Mother Teresa: “We can do no great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it." And another by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community." In A Beautiful Mind, John Nash (Crowe) struggles with schizophrenia and isolates himself from social activities. At one point in the movie, he returns to Princeton to talk to the Dean (a fellow former Princeton student and academic competitor). Nash mentions how he and his wife believes it would be best for him to gain some social interaction in a familiar setting in order to gain control over his life again. He just wanted to get permission to hang around the campus. The Dean (the name escapes me) agrees and says something to the effect of “that’s what friends are for.” Nash responds, “Is that what we are, friends?” The Dean says, “Of course. We always have been.”

While in the library, Nash learns to interact with other students and offers one his sandwich. Soon students gather around him and intently listens as he continues to share his wisdom and offer input on their theories and whatnot. Nash learns to love others and community is in turn built around him. Nash remains on the campus for the rest of his life, sharing many experiences with many others in community.

The first part of the quote, “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community” is one that I have take to heart. I’m one for dreaming and loving what I dream. ‘What’s the best way to make this community come into existence and for it to remain successful?” Then, “How can I make it grow?” This is the wrong motive, this will destroy. The revolution of Jesus is to just love. That’s the Love Revolution. It’s easy, and it’s done in small things with great love, not in great things... not in things we deem successful by world’s standards (growth, return, etc.). Only through small things with great love will others catch the vision. Think about it: How many people were in Jesus’ community that he used the change the world through love? Only 12. But he focused intently on helping them understand this love that he offers. We must love on the micro level, not the macro. In micro acts, we build relationship and acts are personal and done in love. People (relationship-wise) get lost in macro acts. Acts are not personal and done only to fulfill worldly desires of growth, success, return, ego, recognition, whatev. This “love” will not change a person, it will not change the world. Live in the little and love lots.

The best way to commit to Christ and to the Father is by loving others. This gets me fired up:

"So whether it gets us awards or gets us killed, we have chosen to follow Jesus and to cry out with his prayer. His last words on the cross were a cry to his Father, 'Into your hands I commit my spirit.' We want to live and die with the same resolve. We will dance the revolution of God till they kill us, then we will dance some more."