Who's the Best?

"How did you do on the test?" one student says to his neighbor. "What was the class average?" They all want to know. In all areas of life, we helplessly compare ourselves with others. Most people think: it's time to upgrade the car as the others' are nicer than mine. And: is she skinnier than I? Does he bench-press as much as I do? In cars, weight, homes, and everything else, we seek to be better than those around us. But we rarely even imagine being the best in the world. By comparing ourselves only with those around us, in effect, we limit ourselves by whom we hang around.

In Malcolm Gladwell's new book David and Goliath, he writes that we compare ourselves to people in the same boat as ourselves. We don't tend to form impressions globally. Thus, people who surround themselves with hardworking peers are often more motivated to work diligently than those whose friends are happy just to pass their classes. This may be why teachers encourage children to have heroes and role models.

While there are success stories of individuals who have leaped from poverty to prosperity, they are not common. Much more likely, we will not rise much beyond the achievement of our peers without substantial dedication and initiative. It is better to spend time with those who challenge you to excellence and encourage to reach for greatness, than those who are satisfied with mediocrity.

"They, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." II Corinthians 10:12

Home Is Where the Heart Is

If home is where the heart is, then mine spans the Atlantic. After four months in London - even though I couldn't master the accent - I was at home on that side of the pond. Being back in New York, I now have two places to call home.

Over the Fall semester, I recall many fantastic adventures in London, delightful travels across Europe, and fantastic British friends who welcomed me. With each goodbye hug, I wondered when I would see these wonderful people again, if ever. When tempted to be sad, I realized I ought to be grateful for the relationships that I had made, which is far preferable to never having the chance to know them. 

While in London and even more so on each trip abroad, I often meditated on this verse: "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73). When the trials came, when I felt that my flesh and heart were failing, I rested on this promise. It also became my prayer, to desire none besides Him, which is far easier said than done. In every way, God abundantly provided for me and answered my prayers. As just one example, I had asked God to provide a community of believers for me, for mutual encouragement, ministry-buddies, and to challenge me in my faith. Within just a couple weeks, He provided the most amazing group of students who became my close friends. And I have countless examples of His provision in very big and very little ways.

As I prepared to leave London, I realized that life in New York won't be quite as fun or enjoyable. Even though I firmly believe that circumstances matter far less than attitude, I know that the pleasures of London are over. I can no longer take the train to Paris in two hours or pop over to Portugal for the weekend. I can't wander through Covent Garden in the afternoon and stroll along the Thames at sunset. I can't stay out past the last tube and take the night bus home. I must move on from the "fun" stage of life. Yet I rejoice because God is good, and His will is perfect. I would rather be in the center of His will than anywhere else in the world. When life is too comfortable, growth is sparse. In tribulations, temptations and trials, we become fully dependent on God. God stretches us in places where we need stretching. He challenges us and gives us the grace and strength to rise to the challenge. We don't grow nearly as much as when times are hard. He doesn't promise happiness; He desires our holiness. Thus, I choose to embrace His plans and seek to ace these tests. Lord, not my will but Yours be done.

Lastly, I learned these lyrics at Christ Church London, and they became recurrent themes/prayers during my past few months:

"Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders; 

Let me walk upon the waters, wherever you will call me. 

Take me deeper than my feet would ever wander; 

And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." - Hillsong

"To You our hearts are open; nothing here is hidden. You are our one desire." - Matt Redman

God has been so faithful to lead me and strengthen me, and I have full confidence that my guardian angels worked overtime to guard and protect me. Anywhere outside His will is dangerous and absent of joy. Therefore, I choose to rejoice in His perfect wisdom, rest in His faithfulness, and praise Him for being the all-sufficient Lord. Not my will, but Yours.

Krakow

Poland: where everything is dirt cheap and ask the stereotypes are true. Perogies, borsch, vodka, sausages, cold weather, and very few English speakers. The buildings in Krakow are gorgeous, lots of old, towering stone structures line the roads of the city. The Wawel Castle sits at the top of the hill, where you can see the whole skyline view over the river and the old Jewish area.

In contrast to the southern European cities, such as Madrid and Lisbon where dinner isn't served until 9pm or so, Krakow is on a much earlier schedule. Most tourist sites close by 4pm. I was told that many office jobs start at 7am, but must tourist sites aren't open until 10am. How strange.

The city was established in 1257, with a barbican, moat, city walls all the way around, and the castle on the hill.  Shortly after Krakow was established, the area now called Poland united with Lithuania, which - at that time - also included Bulgaria, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. The union lasted for 500 years! The countries communicated in Latin, which was the language of the educated and of the church. Krakow is home to hundreds of churches and synagogues. Every few steps, you are in front of another church again.

Average income is €600 a month, which is incredibly low. They don't use the euro and cents but rather zlotys and grotzys. Most everything is laughably cheap. For example, a bowl of stew costs about $1.50, and a full plate of homemade perogies is about $2. Alcoholic drinks are under $2, and a bed in a hostel is $7 a night, including breakfast and all. The cheap prices, especially for alcohol, are one of the major reasons that many bachelor (stag) parties go to Krakow to celebrate. I highly recommend Krakow if you're on a budget - you can buy whatever you want, and it's still half the price of anywhere else in Europe!

As with most city centers, the main market square is filled with pigeons. The Polish consider them rats with wings and blame them for spreading disease. Apparently the famous Polish bagels were originally for feeding the pigeons, and they still have that connotation in their minds, so locals don't actually eat them. Given the prevalence of the bagel stands, I was tempted to doubt this fact, until I learned that Krakow's population is only 1 million including students, but they have 9 million tourists visiting each year. I suppose the tourists keep them in business. You might as well go there yourself and have some :)

Borstch and perogies filled with cheese - cost $4 (£2.50)

The cathedral on Wawel Hill (in the castle)

The view from the top of Wawel Hill

The Jewish cemetery

Madrid: student wonderland

Madrid is a city where everyone lives a student lifestyle. They nap in the afternoon, go out for very late dinners, and stay out til all hours of the night. They never think about the time, and they love every moment of life. As you'd expect, Madrid comes alive most at night. It's a great place to stay up late and sleep all day... perfect for hipsters, students, young people, and the young at heart ;)

Tapas - if you've never had them - are basically "little plates" of all sorts of food. It's a far superior form of bar food. While you drink, you eat mini portions, essentially filling up on a bunch of appetizers. The whole idea is brilliant, and Madrid has perfected it. In New York City, for contrast, many people meet at a bar after work, to spend time with their friends, but they invariably order over-priced unhealthy bar food, for lack of other options. Sometimes I wonder why such fantastic ideas have not taken off around the world.

Madrid has been a popular place throughout history to conquer. Originally part of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths took power, until the Moors invaded from Northern Africa and gained the whole area in only three years, which is incredibly quick for international invasions. Next comes the Hapsburg dynasty in 1492, a very significant year for the Spaniards. Not only for Christopher Columbus, but also because the Jews were forced to leave the country. The New World led to the Golden Age, where goods from Africa and American led to a major influx of gold into the region. Then when Charles II had no heir, they had a war of succession, where 400,000 died as the nobles........

The pictures are of tapas, the Crystal Palace in the Parque de Retiro, the bridge which used to be the top suicide location until the city put up glass panels, the bear of the city center (wish I knew his story), and the king's palace. ¡Hasta luego!

Edinburrruh and the Highlands

For a country where the 1600s are still recent history, Scotland is a history-lover's paradise. With the exception of their mini-Parthenon, every building is just as beautiful as the next. From Waverly Bridge, you gaze at numerous gorgeous and massive stone buildings. There is so much to love in this old city, from haggis to hills to history (In case you're skeptical, haggis isn't made the same way today as it was centuries ago). In all of Scotland, there are over twice as many sheep as people. In the Highlands, sparcely populated with only 250,000 people, there are 10 million sheep. But what I want to know is who counted all those sheep. Do Scots suffer from insomnia?

Bagpipers entertain tourists on the Royal Mile, wearing kilts as they pipe away. Everyone else dresses normally, as you would expect for a Western country, except the museum employees wore a uniform of checkered blue and green cashmere pants, something that would never be taken seriously outside Scotland.

Edinburgh is delightful, but the weather is about as terrible as it gets. It rains far more than in London. Nonetheless, the city's charm attracted J.K. Rowling, and she moved there before she started writing her books. You can find many sources of her inspiration, from a gravestone with the name McGonigal to a boarding school with four towers, and you can visit the Elephant Cafe where she began writing about Harry Potter.

And Scotland is home to the Highlands and thousands of lochs. Enjoy the pictures!

People Watching from the Cafe

Of all the joys of working from a coffee shop, people-watching is one of the best. Here are a few people who passed by the window in the rain. [Location: Maida Vale, London]

First, a gentleman passes by with a large umbrella in one hand and a leash in the other, with a Chocolate Labrador on a end. The lab refused to follow his owner, stubbornly stopping wherever he wanted. The gentleman almost dragged the lab across the street against his will. They disappeared around a corner.

Then a younger man passed by, walking briskly with his hood up, holding a leash to a small, cream colored spaniel. The spaniel bounced alongside, entirely infatuated with the taste of his leash. I'm impressed how the dog simultaneously managed to chew the leash, bounce incessantly, and stay by the side of his owner. After a few minutes, they came back past the window with a full shopping bag.

Across the street, a thin, silver-haired, middle-aged man wandered down the street with a caramel-colored pitbull. The man wasn't bothered by the rain. While he technically was walking his dog, it seemed much more like the dog was walking him, not due to the dog's size or strength but the indifference of the owner.

A number of people passed quickly in black business clothes and overcoats and dark umbrellas, with their heads down. They're not appreciating the weather. I don't blame them.

The window where I'm sitting has a large overhang over the sidewalk, so a number of people stopped for a moment in the shelter. They would have a quick smoke, use their iPhones, or drink a coffee, wishing they had remembered to bring an umbrella with them today.

Not Good Enough to Do Good

Did you know that God is picky about who can do good works? Random acts of kindness may actually be despicable in God's eyes, even when done by believers. It's a radical concept, generally ignored by contemporary churches, but it's in the Bible. Check out Titus 1:16 "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." 

Paul is writing to Titus about disobedient believers. These are believers, who "profess to know God." They know about Jesus and are likely attending Titus' church. They are born again, part of God's family. But they don't live like it. As a result, God says they are "disqualified for every good work." What a strange concept. Because of their disobedience, God doesn't accept their good works. It's a bit like a father whose daughter won't talk to him or listen to anything he says, but then she washes all the dishes after dinner. Her good works are really useless, until the obedience is in place.

God expects us believers to be obedient. He has already granted us enough grace, power, and mercy to have full victory over the trials we face. No temptation is too great with His strength (I Cor 10:13). It's not okay just to "let go and let God." He expects loyalty from us. As His children, we ought to spend time with Him each day, asking Him what He requires of us and making Him Lord over our lives. He expects daily decisions to deny ourselves and follow Him, to become disciples and to make disciples. It's an all-consuming life work. And I strive to give my whole life to this task.


"For [the Lord] delights in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6