iced lemon tea

I used to do debate during my earlier years in college. It makes me proud to win an argument. I may have the truth or half of it, but I will defend and argue with it, to prove that my position is superior to yours. It doesn’t matter if you hold half of the truth that I held, or you hold a better position. Debate defines the superiority of your position between your argument and that of your opponent. People or witnesses are usually the judges. But if others think you failed and you believed you have fought well, then you are by no “buts” is the real winner by your own rules.
   
Discussion on the other hand (though sometimes being used interchangeably with debate), is the process of exchanging ideas that I believe fruitful to propositions of both side. It examine comments or arguments.  Discussion explores solution without compromising one’s position. I made a point since then to opt for discussion than debate, as far as my consciousness towards the conversation’s atmosphere is concerned. Debates water down your message and exchanging arrogance with arrogance spoils the purpose of examining the argument.
 
Arrogance dominates Debate. Discussion won’t prosper if one or both side exaggerates one’s own worth or importance in an overbearing manner. One have to listen the other and consider the opposing position from the other’s point of view before presenting your own argument. You have to understand how he perceive things. You can never say he’s wrong without understanding first what he really means. Presumption is a dangerous, unethical, unbecoming and an uncalled  attitude.
 
The weakest debater for me are those who can’t stick to the topic and desperately shifts to personal attack to gain grounds. He is a loser by position and is a deadbeat to warrant professional courtesy or civility. Prejudice rules his argument. His thought, action and emotion are filled with excessive pride. Arrogant people are often unable to realize they are not as good as they assume they are or have problems recognizing their own self limitations. Often, arrogant people can be overbearing and try to coerce/force people into doing what they don’t want to do with little regard for the other persons feelings or the groups best interest.
 
There is no absolute position in a human standard, everything is relative. You can’t say a person is an idiot just because he raises a question you thought you understand so well. You can’t say Peter’s theology is stupid as he’d never been to school, or Bill Gates was dumb just because he wasn’t able to finish even his first year in college. You can’t boast you have a higher level of intelligence just because you cannot explain. hehehe 
 
A person confident of his argument remains focused to, and solidly engaged  with, the topic.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5:46-47)

The Christian virtue of loving his enemies is absurdity to the secular world.

 

I’ve tried loving those who love me, but at times i still choose who to love in return. For there are those who love you that you don’t want to loved in return. Right?

How about loving those who don’t love you? It’s been a long desire of mine to sit with someone i don’t know, on a meal. Someone who can’t return the favor i am capable of giving. Someone who was neglected by society and family. Someone who feels hopeless and rejected. I hope it will happen one day, but should be by chance. I’m looking forward for the day that i will have my dinner with the "out casts". Just us. No fanfare.

I want it to be a part my lifestyle. Not just a one time event. No, it’s not about being a philanthropist. When that attitude is well-integrated in your being, there’s no special word for it. It simply defines YOU. You won’t see any gap. You’ll just going to see them as another creation like you. You won’t see them as less fortunate, and therefore you won’t see yourself as someone higher than them - in any respect.

But still, there can be walls that would segregate the one you choose to be with, and with them you don’t like. Even in this set-up, you would still pick those whom you think likes you, those who behaves well, those who could say kind words to you… and that makes you a failure.

I’m a failure as i was not able to do it with some whom i think would like me. And it’s a gross failure therefore, that i can’t do it with those who wouldn’t like me.

Yet Matthew 5:44 is commanding Christians to love their enemies. Whoa! Isn’t the Lord is going too far?!?  - Uhh…, probably not.

Jesus is raising a point that in loving those who loves you and greeting only your brothers doesn’t make you any better than the people around you.

It is by loving your enemies and praying for those who insults you that you will become the son of God.

I think i would die a failure. No, it’s not that i "think" am a failure, I BELIEVE I AM and WILL BE A FAILURE. I can only be thankful of God’s graciousness through the blood of Jesus that qualifies me for the sonship. For on my own, I will never be.

It’s not a one time event. Christianity anyway is not a one time experience, it should be a lifetime.

But i still pray that God would enable me to spit out pride and arrogance, for only then i can accept people as to who they are- with their infirmities and shame- just as God clothed me and my Sin with the white robe of Christ’s righteousness.

It might not happen overnight. It might not happen in my lifetime. But I hope to pass it down to any one i’ll meet along the way (maybe sa mga anak, maybe sa mga apo), that they too will enjoy the bliss of creating a difference.