Today I thought I'd try and have a hack at posting something decent besides my most recent spate of the dreaded Blogger's Block (BB). I've been busy at work putting together technical documents this week and nothing puts a damper on your creativity quite as well as having to read and write technical documentation. Reading "An M10 hex head stainless steel bolt/nut arrangement shall be fitted to the main body of the mast for earthing purposes." isn't exactly inspiring; nor does it make my job seem very glamorous. So I start staring out the window admiring one of our neighbour's Audi A8's and think "I guess the specification of the right bolt is pretty important to make that car drive as awesomely as it does". And slowly force my eyes back onto the screen and start picking up my imaginary machete to hack my way through the deadly jungle of boredom that is technical specification writing.
One thing I have been thinking about was the comment Pastor Chris said on Tuesday night. It went something like: "I don't know what's up with Christian's and smoking! It's like you have adultery, and then just one short step below it you have the totally despicable sin of smoking. No where in the Bible does it say smoking is a sin." I laughed, and said something about how the second-hand smoke gives other people cancer and hence it slowly kills the people a smoker hangs around with. Then he said "You can die from a car accident, but we all still drive." Then I just told him, "I just don't like the look of people having a smoke outside Church, it seems disrespectful." I have to admit, smoking just always seemed like something devious and shady to me. People who light up before and after a Church service always give me the impression that they're forced to be there due to their wives, or have no interest in the freedom from addiction a true understanding of the gospel will bring. I think the way I was reared played a role in me formulating this uber-judgemental view; but more likely I harbour it because it deflects attention of my glaring sin. My dad used to say that smoking is a crutch for people who have not learned their true identity in Christ. I see it the same way but instead of trying to help the hurting; I'd rather get the Gestapo to pick them up so the blight they cause in front of our Church can be safely removed. It's easier that way because then I don't have to offend them by saying something like "Your smoking habit is disgusting, giving us all cancer with your secondary smoke. Show some respect! This is the Church man!" So from today I'll trust God not to judge my fellow Christian smokers and if I can; give them the support they need to free them from the disgusting habit.
3 comments:
Insightful...I would say something about how smoking might be a deflection from lesser-identified psycho-social issues (also known as projection) but that kinda makes me want to go light up ;P LOL
Ryan, Lol! That was brilliant
Great Post :-)
Talking about smoking I once heard of a Pastor who was asked by a
member of his congregation whether smokers go to heaven. His answer
was, "Yes, just sooner than the rest of us"
I personally think smoking is one of the worst habits anyone can ever have, flicking ash all over the place, throwing cigarette ends all over the place, and the smell...UGH. I sit next to the passage at work and unfortunately I get all the smells of the people walking past my desk to and from the smoking area. Sometimes I just want to gag at some of the "I fight fires during my lunchbreak" smells coming off some of the people.
I just remembered about a hilarious sign my office put up in the smoking area, I think I must go take a photo of it and post it on my blog.
I am JMR from JMRPub.com
Post a Comment