Instead of making a whole bunch of catch up posts, I figure I'll wrap up and reflect on the past week through this one post.
The early part of this week was somewhat stressful. Part of it was anticipation and anxiety over dental work that was coming up. I had the prep for the crown scheduled for Thursday, and everything from financing to scheduling issues rose their ugly heads. This was my first crown to be put in, but, I figured if I could survive the root canal they did months earlier, surely I can survive the crown. But, financing was difficult this time around because the job I had was just barely helping with paying some of the bills and apartment, and not much else. It may have worked out better if I had more jobs scheduled, but that's neither here nor there, now that I have a new job that, while it starts out part time, has a steady schedule, rather than one where you hope the events will be scheduled regular enough. Then there's also that this job can lead into full time employment, as the company hires full time internally. But that's most of all I will say about the new job, as, for now, I prefer to not have to hassle with all the legal issues that can come from having to say, "Yeah I work here, but I'm not speaking officially for the company." Maybe if I was a talking head with a news network or something, that would make sense. But I'm working retail, so yeah, it's not worth the hassle.
But that was part of the anxiousness over the week. Between the dental work and transitioning into new employment, that led to plenty of new uncertainties to mull over and do my best not to worry about things too much. It will be great to work into stead employment that seems to have promise for working into a career with the company. Yet, I can't keep a bit of that questioning and skepticism out of the back of my mind. For almost 4 years ago, I was supposedly starting a full time job at a call center that was supposed to be a start to building up experience towards a sales and marketing career. However, that company moved out of the area by about September of that year, so there went that hope for stability. I took up another year of AmeriCorps after that, hoping that maybe it might give me a chance to reflect on where I might go next. I was grateful for that second opportunity, as it allowed me to take on some leadership/managerial responsibility, as well as work on communications. Bonus was helping set up a Spanish interview, as well as being interviewed myself, with our program lead on a regional morning news show.
So yeah, much of the week was thinking about those things, especially since I had to prep them for whatever potential questions might be asked during the interview process over the previous weekend. I generally don't stress out over the questions, since I've learned over time that they're mostly trying to get conversation started so that they can get to know you. That, and they want to know where you fit in with the company, and how serious you are about wanting a job with them. This particular company I've known most of my life, have held respect for it, and could see myself working there. For those who know me, you probably know why it wasn't hard for me to visualize myself working there. If anything, my previous job was preparation for this one, even a literal foot in the door.
As excited as I was to start this new job, there were a few contingencies that closed for now. Some of them where looking into potential jobs in local government, which one of my G-Men friends was sending me information about. As great as those opportunities might of been, they were still only potential job opportunities, rather than an actual job being offered. It only makes sense to go for what is forming into a more certain possibility, rather than worry about all the things that are only potentialities. In this world, potentiality doesn't pay the bills - at least not unless you are in a job that pays you to think ahead regarding potential futures and planning ways to either promote or prevent such things. I have to say, I'm at least glad this current job I'm getting oriented into isn't quite as abstract. The straightforwardness of it is actually quite appealing.
On Thursday, I did go to the G-Men meeting in the morning. As I said to the judge, it was quite fitting to start the morning with a coffee among friends before having to lay myself at the mercy of the dentist. Reflecting on it, I suppose you could say it was somewhat like a mix between the Last Supper and the Agony in the Garden. Not exactly the say, for I am sure Christ suffered far more in the preparation for the cross than I did with the preparation of my first crown. But, I've been hearing for quite some time about offering up one's suffering, no matter how small, to Christ - to bear our crosses with him -, that I figured giving what small suffering may come from the dentist work, it may at least serve for any prayer requests asked about at the morning meeting, as well as any personal prayers and concerns. So at least Thursday profited for something, regardless the minor ordeal.
During the G-Men meeting, we discussed a few things, but I suppose charity became a focus for me. Some had noted their experience with charitable organizations, with one example coming about a person they had known that said something to the extent that all charity is about is getting people to open their wallets. That is not what I consider charity to be, but it is unfortunate how many see this bad example and make that the principle reason for why they scoff at charity. Yet, if one truly understands what is at the heart of the Christian religion, it is charity that is there in that bleeding heart of the sacred heart of Christ. And Christ bled blood for us, not money. For remember the one mandate, the one commandment that Christ gave was:
"A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another as I have loved you, and that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another." (John 13:34-35)
The Greek states it this way:
ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους. ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγάπην ἔχητε ἐν ἀλλήλοις.
Which transliterates:
entolin kainin didomi heminhin agapati allelous, kathos igapisa hemas hina kai hemis agapati allilous. en touto nosontai pantes hoti emoi mathitai este, ean agapin ekhite en allelois.
This transliterates most literally as:
"A new command I bind unto you: that you love one another, even as I have loved you and that you love one another. In this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you bear love for one another."
It is impressive how close the Douay Rheims translates from the Greek. But that's not the point. For the Greek term for 'love' being used in its various forms is ἀγάπη (agapi). In Greek, it is certainly as common as our own general term for 'love', and like our general term, it means a lot more than its general use conveys. And what should be important is how we associate love and charity as meaning the same theological virtue in Christianity. Thus faith hope and love are the core to the Christian theological virtues.
Now, if you want to get technical, the Latin of the verses does not use caritas. The above verses quoted in both English and Greek from John 13:34-35 are in Latin as such:
Mandatum novum do vobis: ut diligatis invicem: sicut dilexi vos, ut et vos diligatis invicem. In hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis, si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem. In hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis, si dilectionem habueritis ad invicem.
It translates literally as:
"A new mandate I give to you: that you choose to hold with high regard great love for one another, as I have chosen to hold all of you with high regard and great love, and so you must hold yourselves in this high regard and great love for one another. In this manner all shall know you as being my disciples, if you possess the ability to esteem each other in this great love for one another."
Therefore, even without caritas being the word used, the very essence of God's love that is conveyed by caritas is also made very clear in the exceptionally high regard and esteem that Christ is calling for his disciples to love each other by - the very love by which they will be known. And that type of love is what we define in the theological virtue of love/charity. Plus, the development of charity as the theological virtue is found in St. Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians:
"And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity." ( I Cor. 13:13)
The Greek has it as:
νυνὶ δὲ μένει πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη: τὰ τρία ταῦτα, μείζων δὲ τούτων ἡ ἀγάπη.
Which transliterates as:
nuni de meni pistis, elpis, agapi: ta tria tauta, mizon de touton hi agapi.
And literally translates as:
"Even to this very moment there remains faith, hope, love; in the manner of these three things, the greatest among them is love."
The Latin is written as follows:
Nunc autem manent fides, spes, caritas, tria haec: major autem horum est caritas.
And liteterally translates as:
"But now these remain: faith, hope, charity; these three: the greatest of these is charity."
Needless to say, one would think, especially among Christians, is the importance of love, the importance of true charity. Therefore, we cannot let any bad example dissuade us from the truth and the true virtue of charity. For without this charity that God loves us by, and calls us to live by, a world without that true charity would ultimately be evil. It would be hell on earth, or just simply hell. As Christians, it is not out hope to see hell on earth, or that as it is in hell, so thus it be on earth. That would be most satanic and demonic. No. We are called to love one another and pray in the Lord's Prayer, in the Our Father that His kingdom may come, and that His will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. And those why love/charity is the greatest virtue. For if you truly seek to love as God loves us, then even while you may live among the many miseries upon earth, you can seek out mercy in God's love and taste a slice of Heaven within that love. When we share this love with others, we help bring them close to Heaven and close to God as well. Thus is why our works of mercy, our works of love, that is, out works of charity are so important. For if we truly believe as we pray, then we ought to seek in our charity to aid in bringing out that slice of heaven on earth for others around us. In doing so, we follow in true charity, which is not about opening wallets, but opening hearts to God's grace and mercy.
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