Studying the Bible

If you really want to know what the Truth says, you must study it for yourself. Most people trust their pastor or favorite Christian author to decide their theology for them. Don't be so gullible. With the existence of hundreds of denominations, surely they are not all right. Necessarily, there are superior and inferior theologies. Which is right?  How do you know?

Modern Christianity emphasizes emotionally-charged worship sessions, sharing and caring small groups, and praying for each other. But the practice of studying the Bible has fallen by the wayside. Many times, a group of Christians meeting together to discuss anything related to faith is considered a Bible study. How sad that the actual studying of the Bible is left primarily to seminary students and pastors. 

But there's hope. Studying the Bible is not as esoteric as it might seem. In the same way that students examine a text closely, you can study the Bible. You can do it on your own or with others. The inductive method is invaluable for helping you to form convictions about what a text means. There are three steps to inductive: observe, interpret, apply. Rather than reading preconceived notions into a text, inductive is the method of tracing the author's argument through a passage.

There are plenty of free materials and guides available.  I can highly recommend the 10 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VKdea7L6II as an introduction.  You can also check out its paper form http://t.co/OUbIAH3f7i (automatic download). Don't give up before you've even started!

No real student of the Scriptures ever said this is easy. Proverbs 2:1-5 says:

My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek for her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

God does not want us to stumble around in the dark. As the Master Communicator, He has made His Truth understandable to us, but it does requires some effort. How else can you defend why you believe what you believe?  

Visiting New York City

A friend asked me what to do on a visit to New York City. I've been exploring this city my whole life, and there is so much I've yet to see. However, this post focuses on the centrally-located highlights for short-term tourists. These places are consistent favorites from out-of-town friends, and they're perfect for low budgets and students.  This guide is designed for the summer time. I'll post another for winter, as the time times. Enjoy the Big Apple!!

You will likely want to visit some iconic locations:

• Times Square (On Broadway, from 45th St to 40th) - absolute must-see. It's been photographed millions of times before. Just soak it all in. And try not to get run over by the fast-walking New Yorkers who have no patience with tourists who stop on the sidewalk.
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (81st St and 5th Ave) - huge and fantastic. Be sure to visit the rooftop! There's no way to see it all, so just choose a couple. It's also entirely donations-based, so pay whatever you want (not the $12 they suggest).
• Natural History Museum (79th St and 8th Ave) - if you prefer animals, stories about evolution and want to see a giant whale. Also donations based.
• Chinatown - hundreds of little shops. Everything is cash-only. Good luck finding a bathroom down here. I recommend the bubble tea and the filled buns (baos) that you can get, either sweet or savory. You can also find unusual fruits on the street, including lychee. Beware the smelly fish stands.
• Wall Street - legendary. You can see the Stock Exchange, some old city buildings, the 9/11 memorial, and a whole bunch of business people.  It gets pretty quiet at night. 
• The NY Public Library (5th Ave and 41st), which is another outstanding place to visit. They currently have a children's book exhibit, which is phenomenal. Be sure to climb to the top floor and see the massive reading room!
• My favorite grassy place is Bryant Park. It's right in the middle of the city (40th-42nd Streets, between 5th and 6th Aves), and it includes the NY public library. In summer, the park has tons of free events, which you can find on their website.  You can eat a picnic here.  There's free wifi, an outdoor "reading room", ping pong tables, carousel, fountain, and lots of seats to people-watch ;) 
• Lots of people love Central Park. Honestly, there's nothing terribly special about it, but it's practically the only time we see nature.
• Grand Central Terminal (Park Ave and 42nd), where all the trains come in.  Lots of movies are filmed here. It's huge and beautiful. 
• Walk the Brooklyn Bridge - it's really pretty, especially at night. It's definitely a walk, but it's not too long.
• Walk the Highline Park (top: 30th St and 10th Ave until past 14th St) - raised subway tracks converted to a place for New Yorkers and tourists to hang out and walk around.
• Sit and listen to musicians playing in Washington Square Park (5th Ave and approximately 4th St).  The park is home to a gorgeous archway and countless NYU students. 

• Places to eat: 
• Shake Shack - quality burgers and milkshakes and frozen custards (like ice cream, but better). a handful of locations through the city.  Plus, a super friendly staff.
• Fantastic Thai food, all over the city, if you're into Thai.  I particularly like "Spice", which has like 10 locations, and I love a small place called Noodies (9th Ave and 55th).
• The Meatball Shop - super quality food, vegetarian options too, really fun atmosphere, a couple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
• Maoz Vegetarian - if you don't eat meat, or are in love with falafel, you can get some quality food at good prices.
• Random free things: 
• Pop in the Lindt store for a free chocolate truffle.
• Walk into any Godiva and join their "club", aka give them your email address, and you can get a free truffle every month (starting then).
• Stop in the Chelsea Market - it's an avenue long, completely indoors (i.e. excellent for a rainy day!), filled with bunches of hidden gems. They also offer lots of samples.  Check out the Filling Station for oils, vinegars and salts. Check out the winery for afternoon tastings. 
• Restrooms: Starbucks and McDonalds are the most reliable options. They're everywhere.

The subway is fairly straightforward, so you'll probably want to use it to get around.  You can get a week long unlimited Metro Card for about $30. Otherwise, rides cost $2.50 each, and each subway ride comes with a free bus transfer, within two hours.

There are a hundred other things to do and places to go.  If you only have a day or two, I don't recommend the Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island, nor the Harlem area.  But if you're particularly interested, go for it!  You could certainly go to a Broadway show or see the Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera or New York City Ballet, if you're not short on funds. Try not to get offended by New Yorkers. We're quite friendly if we start talking, and we very much enjoy giving directions (seriously). Whatever you decide to do, have a blast in the city that never sleeps!

Finding Free Bathrooms

After a few hours wandering through windy alleys and city squares and ornate cathedrals, you will inevitably start looking for closest bathroom. Most cafes discourage non-customers from using the water closet. Most fast food places have no pubic restrooms. Museum staffs will deny entry without a valid ticket. And you want to save your coins for some gelato later. Thus begins the hunt for the loo.

In Switzerland, public WCs reside all over the major cities, but they charge you for their service. In Amsterdam, you can search for days without finding a public WC, so don't even bother. In Brussels, you can watch the Manneken Pis pee in the fountain, but it's not recommended for tourists.

So then, here's the game plan.  Step one: look for any major hotels. They are usually located near the heart of the city. Once you've found one, walk in the lobby - alone or with a buddy, but never with a large group - and act as though you've been in before. Walk past the reception desk to the back of the lobby and use the cleanest restrooms you'll ever find. As Chesterton says, "Brittany doesn't understand why bathrooms have hotels."

Step two: if step one fails, look at the nearby cafes. You may need to stop outside a few places before you find one that is busy enough inside, but without a sign saying, "for customers only."

Step three: if there are no hotels or cafes, what are you doing in the middle of nowhere?! Nonetheless, go to Starbucks, Burger King, KFC or McDonalds. They're usually moderately clean. But sometimes the bathrooms are locked and require a code from your receipt. So they're not the most reliable.

If all else fails, look up, find a crane, and meander over to the construction site, where you will always find a Porta Potty.