A Change of Heart

Today was the first day of summer where I could honestly say it was the first day I had nothing to do. Nothing planned anyways. I always have a blog I can write, always a Bible to read, and always food to eat. Aside from that, I mean, I had nothing to do. That meant that today was the today I had to start my summer reading. Now, if anyone has ever been in school, they know how awesome it is to finally get to that summer vacation: those few, seemingly short weeks of freedom that we have before we must once again carry the burden of homework and tests on our backs. Basically I think homework and tests are the only reason people really despise school. If there were no homework or tests, if we could go to school every day and be done with it at the end of that day, everyone would have a good time! After all, you get to learn cool things like how to make explosions in Chemistry and socialize with your friends regularly and often. There's nothing bad about that. But the reality is that those things are there, because most people don't want to learn voluntarily. Therefore, when summer break comes along, it's that much sweeter, because we aren't carrying any school-related stress burdens.

Well, I have something to say about The King's Academy and academic freedom. It doesn't exist until you graduate! And even then you get to go to college, and bam, you are back in the system. They had to take homework one step further and invent the most horrible homework assignment man could possibly have invented: Summer Reading! That means, we get a list of books that we are required to read, and we read them all before summer is over (in my case before August 17, even though school doesnt start until later - August 22nd - which is still too early), and they check this by giving you more work (i.e. book report type papers to complete). Well this is a problem isn't it, and being a male, I am inclined to solve such a problem. Well, it is technically homework, so I should apply the same principle I do to regular homework and this is what?: To bring God into it. Well, the first time I tried that didn't work out so well. I had no idea how to do that: I was reading Frankenstein for heaven's sakes. So, what was there to do. Well I got up and tried again, but instead of trying the same experiment expecting different results like a bad scientist, I sought out a different book to read.

I chose Two Gentlemen of Verona by Shakespeare. Now, I have always had a hard time reading Shakespeare, but when I started reading this, I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps God opened my eyes for a time, or perhaps this is one of Billy's simpler writings, or maybe I'm just progressing like that. In any case, I could read it and understand it! I actually laughed at Shakespeare at one point! I never would have dreamed of that happening. I remember always saying stuff like: "This is supposed to be comedy? This is ridiculous! A guy growing donkey ears isn't funny. That's just stupid" [A Midsummer Night's Dream]. Well, there was one segment in the passage I read - that being Act 1 - where this guy Proteus is proving that this guy Speed is a sheep.

SPEED
Sir Proteus, save you! Saw you my master?
PROTEUS
But now he parted hence, to embark for Milan.
SPEED
Twenty to one then he is shipp'd already,
And I have play'd the sheep in losing him.
PROTEUS
Indeed, a sheep doth very often stray,
An if the shepherd be a while away.
SPEED
You conclude that my master is a shepherd, then,
and I a sheep?
PROTEUS
I do.
SPEED
Why then, my horns are his horns, whether I wake or sleep.
PROTEUS
A silly answer and fitting well a sheep.
SPEED
This proves me still a sheep.
PROTEUS
True; and thy master a shepherd.
SPEED
Nay, that I can deny by a circumstance.
PROTEUS
It shall go hard but I'll prove it by another.
SPEED
The shepherd seeks the sheep, and not the sheep the
shepherd; but I seek my master, and my master seeks
not me: therefore I am no sheep.
PROTEUS
The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd; the
shepherd for food follows not the sheep: thou for
wages followest thy master; thy master for wages
follows not thee: therefore thou art a sheep.
SPEED
Such another proof will make me cry 'baa.'

Now, whether or not Speed is a sheep, I do not care. What I care about is the fact that I enjoyed reading that passage, and it inspired me to read more. Now, I quickly learned that Shakespeare has quite a difficult time staying off the subject of love. I have also been taught that any ideas a person presents that could or could not be trueshould be checked against the Bible. So, when someone in the story is talking about love, whether or not the author intends to be presenting a truth about love, I must check their statements against the Bible to be sure I am not sending myself any subliminal messages. Don't laugh. It happens. In any case, this is the quote:

JULIA
They do not love that do not show their love.
LUCETTA
O, they love least that let men know their love.

What surprises me - and what might surprise you as well - is the fact that these two lines are entirely true. They are both supported by the Bible and carry spiritual weight. I knew this as soon as I read both. The line by Julia is so directly applicable to the life of a Christian. It is the idea that if we are not bearing spiritual fruits, we are not a good tree. A change of heart results in a change of action. Love after all is an action! If we claim to be Christians, if we claim to love Christ, that will manifest itself in works (works on the other hand, will not bring forth a love for Christ).

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." ~ John 14:15
"He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." ~ John 14:21
"Jesus answered and said unto him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word...'" ~ John 14:23

Powerful indeed. This to say that if a brother is destitute of works, he should be cautioned to examine whether or not he has love for Christ, not to start doing good works. "But Evan," you say, "what about the next passage you introduced to use from Billy?" Well, with the idea of the Pharisees in mind, the quote I gave makes perfect sense. The Pharisees always tried to show how religious and spiritual they could be by doing works and following their law perfectly. They had a fake love, that was based on other people affirming their goodness. This is not how it should be with us, and this is what Lucetta was cautioning Julia about. If someone is very showy about what they do for someone else, it cannot be said that this doer loves. Let us take Matthew 6 as a great passage of example for this situation.

"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men... And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men." ~ Matthew 6:2,5

These hypocrites wanted to show off their deeds and good works to other people, proclaiming their love for God, and hopefully raising themselves up to a higher spiritual status. But that is selfishness, and true love is selfless.

"...love does not parade itself, is not puffed up" ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4

I think I've pretty much driven my point into the ground by now. I just thought I would share the ways I was looking for God today in what I was doing (however boring it might otherwise be) and encourage others to do the same!