Come to Church, you Pagan Sinner.

Phew.
So now that Evolution is out of my system, onto brighter things.

Today I came home and for the first time I had the feeling that College might have lost its new, exotic sheen that it wore whence I first became friends with it. The commitments are becoming greater, the relationships with my teachers are becoming more jagged, my desire to sleep is becoming heavier. It feels very much like marriage.
Well, I guess that's not really a fair statement. I've never been married, so of course I wouldn't know what's like marriage and what's not. I suppose that at this stage of my life I simply perceive marriage as a bunch of homework and tedious commitments that make me sleepy.

And that is why I am repulsive when it comes to romances.

I was talking to a friend a couple days ago. I had invited him to church and he said that he would like to come. He also said many other things. He said that he felt like a mission project, and that I was the faithful missionary making sure I invited everyone I knew to church, because that's just what Christians do. This made me sad. It sounded like a very dry way of living... inviting people to church because you felt religiously obligated to do so. Or talking about Jesus because that's simply what we're commanded to do, and it's our cold and lonely destiny to be the obedient saints ministering to the wretches.
How lifeless. How ugly.

I told him that he wasn't a mission project, and that he was simply my friend.

The thing that I've found out about myself recently, and perhaps about humankind in general, is that we share with our friends that which we love. If I find a funny LOL Cats video on youtube, I share it with Ben Dunn. If I find a quirkily written New York Times clip, I share it with my mom. If I find a beautiful song by Yann Tiersen or someone else, I share it with Christy. I share the things that I care about to people that I care about. That's just kind of how we work.
I think that this can go with Jesus or with Church. You like Jesus.. you think he's a cool guy, perhaps the best thing that's ever happened to you. Don't you think it would be emotionally logical to talk about him with people that you care about? I don't know... just a wild guess.
And as for church, well... I love church. Yes, I sound regrettably churchy when I say I love church. But honestly, I do. I love old hymns and church pews. I love pastors who think about what they say. I like thinking and pondering about the strange concepts that surround God. And I think everyone who I care about should join me. That's the only reason I feel like inviting people to church. Not because it's my lofty obligation.

And don't get me wrong. Yes, church is nice sometimes. But when we get down to the nitty gritty, it's not your key into Heaven, wherever or whatever that is.

And on a third and completely unrelated note, the leaves are starting to fall. They gather up by the stairs leading up the hill to Cherry Hall. I like to make sure I step on them to get a good crunch before continuing on my way. It's satisfying... but only for a little while :)