Seth’s World View

Editorial:
Sorry this letter is getting out so late. Life has been crazy the past month or so. Anyways, hope this finds you all well.

Current Events:
Honestly, I’m not sure if I can remember everything that happened the past month. I do remember that on the 7th I helped coordinate an open-mike at a local coffee house. Though everything didn’t go according to plan, it went pretty well, and was a good time. The morning after, I flew to Pennsylvania. Little did I know what lay ahead.
I arrived in Baltimore around 4:30PM, jumped in my Ford Ranger rental, and headed out. That night, I hung out with my friend Amy and went to see Nate and James in concert, which was rather cool. Managed to get to Joel’s house around 1:30AM. It was really good to see my old friend again, give him a hug, chat awhile, then sleep.
The next few days I got to hang out with Joel, visit my old college campus (saw the Tanis’), meet Joel’s fiancé (Marcel), and just feel general nostalgia. When Joel called me into the living room to see two smoking towers, my first thought was, “OK, nothing new, they’ve been bombed before.” While it was certainly news, it didn’t grab me at all. From there, Joel and I traveled to E-town so we could have breakfast with Marcel, only to walk in and see what we didn’t see on TV. The twin towers were no more. And that’s when it hit me that this WAS a big deal.
I left and went to Messiah College to visit the bookstore and take some pictures of the campus. Thing was, I wasn’t in the mood. It was an interesting experience, to walk around the campus, seeing people morn, listening to the sounds of worship from Grantham Church, and just experiencing the feeling of shock with those I’d never met, but have a common bond with.
The next few days I got to see friends by the name of Jason, Heather, Wes & Jaime, and Neal. It really amazes me how I can not see people in over two years, and have friendships not skip a beat when I see them again. I am so thankful for good friends. While most people will fade away, it’s comforting to know some will remain.
Thursday afternoon and evening was Joel’s bachelor party (and that’s all I’ll say about that). Friday I stopped in to see Jeff (good to see him again) and buy Messiah memorabilia. The rest of the day was the rehearsal, where I got to have Cajon swordfish. Sunday the wedding took place. For me, it was the first time in a tux, first time in a limo, and first time in a wedding party (as the best man!!). Overall, I’ll treasure the whole experience.
I spent three days in Alexandria at a really nice hotel while doing work for NTU there. Though a server gave me some trouble, I managed to get out of Alexandria, and onto my plane in Baltimore (as scheduled).
One little insignificant detail to add. On Sunday morning, September 30, I ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles) in 2:03:57.

Reflections:
Emotion. The last month is hard to process. I miss old friends, and the connections I have with them. Just being in central PA made me feel nostalgia. It feels like home, with friends who are like family, and a place I’m familiar with. I like Colorado better, without question, yet am still drawn back there. Guess there’s something about our roots that we never truly escape. I do know this is where I need to be now, in Colorado, and that’s enough.

Being out east during the recent terrorist attacks made it so more real than if I was out here. I mean, I’ve been to NYC, DC, and PA. I’ve lived around there. It’s my home region this is happening in. I’m glad I was out there though, guess I just needed to be. I could comment on the tragedy itself, but since everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) has commented on the issue, I’ll refrain from the soapbox.

There are a few thoughts I’ll mention that derive from all of this though. My security is in Jesus Christ, not in my country’s ability to protect me, nor in my ability to be successful here. We never know what the future will bring, and to assume the future will just be a continuation of the present is unwise. My primary identity is not as an American. I am a child of God first. My brotherhood is with the few Arab Christians in the Middle East before it is with the American aetheist across the street. I’m not talking about love or friendship, because that is to be extended to all. I’m talking about family.

The past month at the Rock, we’ve talked about arrows, wounds that we inflict and those inflicted by others. Last week, we heard about God’s romance with humanity, and the passion we should live with because of God’s love for us. There are many areas in life where I have no problem taking a risk, whether moving to Colorado with no money or job, climbing a mountain during a storm, or running a half-marathon, I can deal with these things. Love, however, is the ultimate risk: Extending oneself to participate in someone else’s life. That scares me, because real relationships involve work, and serious pain, but also profound joy. Please pray that God will help me forget myself and to love and serve those around me, even if they don’t love me back.