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Here's two interactions that happened during my break that I'm glad about:

1. The LUS encounter.

A guy who went to seminary at liberty university came and visited my house this break and had dinner with my me and my family (yes, I'm pretty sure that here that actually is correct grammar, I guess I'll find out soon). This was a good thing because up until now I've basically made fun of Liberty University or else been very negative about it. I really don't know much about Liberty, but what I've heard I haven't liked. But it was good to feel someone from there, because when I did I was embarrassed about making fun of it, and that's probably a good reason to stop making fun of something.

2. The Western Guy Marrying a Thai Woman Encounter

On my flight from Chiang Rai to Bangkok, I say next to an Australian guy. Early on in the flight he told me that he was going back to Australia, then coming back soon to get married. I felt like asking if he was marrying a Thai, but didn't ask because I wondered if he would feel like I was criticizing him even by asking the question. But it stayed on my mind, so I did, and I'm glad I did, because I'm using to seeing old white men with young Thai girls, and feeling very angry at the men. But it wasn't like that with this guy. For one thing, the girl is only 9 years younger than him, so it's not one of the marriages with a 20 or 30 year difference. He was probably in his 50s (he was talking about retiring within the year) so she was probably in her 40s, maybe 50s. 1 point for him. I also assume that when the Thai girls marry the men, they do it for money. In this situation, though, it sounded like the woman was pretty well off, and that probably wasn't as significant of a factor. 1 point for her.

Here's the simplified equation of what I'm writing: prejudice = bad.

I wonder if it's such a bad thing to marry for money. It makes sense in some ways, not that I feel like I would want to.

I was thinking yesterday about how it would be a good resolution to not be impressed by anyone ever again. No one should be on a pedestal, it's dehumanizing. I think about this sometimes with homeless people, that people I know who want to minister them (and I'm not talking about my brother, actually, in case anyone was wondering since he works with the homeless) have this almost worshipful or awestruck attitude towards them. I think it's dehumanizing (even if it's positive dehumanization). I see it also with people who want to be missionaries to Africa, or to work with a certain group of people. They're amazed by them. I also see this with boys towards girls, and less with girls towards boys (but maybe I just don't see it as much). Actually, the attitude I'm thinking of isn't amazement, it's idealization. Sorry, but child victims of the Tsunami weren't great little kids, a lot of them were bratty, just like kids every where else, and a lot of them were fun, just like kids everywhere else. Black people aren't sweet and amazing people because they have a history of being oppressed.

Anyway, the point isn't to put down anyone, at all, it's just that idealizing others doesn't do you or them any good. It may not be the opposite of a loving attitude, but it's definitely divergent from loving. Love isn't only seeing what's good and best in people (or inventing things that aren't there), it's looking at everything, the shitty parts and the things that bug you about them along with the great parts and things you like. Love is not invention.

Blah blah blah. What the fuck do I know about love?