"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. " 1 John 2:15

I can totally relate to it. Although I have lots of faults, and I have fallen short of the mark and messed up, even since becoming a Christian... still, I get disheartened by this messed up world, and I feel like an alien sometimes... many times, actually. The good news is, this is the way I'm supposed to feel, as a Christian. The bad part is, it can be kinda frustrating sometimes. Especially when you're around a lot of worldly people, (I don't mean 'worldly' in the good sense of the word, btw) who not only don't understand but are diametrically opposed to many of your views.

This is what the song 'Beautiful Letdown' (by Switchfoot) is about, and I'm gonna post the lyrics again, cause I can relate to this... maybe some of you can as well... I hope I'm not alone on this. :p



Beautiful Letdown
Lyrics by Switchfoot

It was a beautiful letdown
when I crashed and burned
when I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
it was a beautiful letdown
the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me
would never do

In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,
until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song
where I don't belong

It was a beautiful letdown
when you found me here
yeah for once in a rare blue moon
I see everything clear

I'll be a beautiful letdown
thats what I'll forever be
and though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free
we're still chasing our tails in the rising sun
and our dark water planet still spins in a race
where no one wins and no one's one

see I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song
where I don't belong
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come
kingdom come
Your kingdom come
won't you let me down yeah
let my foolish pride
forever let me down

easy living, you're not much like your name
easy dying, you look just about the same
would you please take me off your list?
easy living, please come on and let me down

What a beautiful letdown,
painfully uncool,
the church of the drop outs, the losers, the sinners,
the failures, and the fools
what a beautiful letdown
are we salt in the wound?
let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Feels like I don't belong here

Would you let me down
Come on and let me down
You always let me down
So glad that I'm let down

Come on and let me down
Cuz I don't belong here
Please
Won't you let me down?

As a Christian Anarchist I feel I really don't belong in this world at all. I always was different. When I was a kid other kids would have nothing to do with me.

But now that I am an adult I actually like the fact that I am different. And the more I look around the world and see so much evil I would say that conformming is not all its cracked up to be.

So Butter, you are not alone in this world. Don't be afraid to be different.

Peace etc.

I'm glad you understand what I'm saying... and I agree with what you said. We disagree on some political issues, but I appreciate you, Criminal. :)

Thanks and peace!

Definitely not something to be taken lightly. I imagine entire sermons could be written on this single verse. They probably have been.

To me this verse is saying quite plainly that there is no salvation without Jesus. The chapter gets more specific and I think has plenty to convict anyone quite easily.

He is the King of Kings. Loving and forgiving sinners is not an easy thing. You can do everything you think is right and still fall short of the mark. I believe Paul says quite plainly that all of us will and do fall short. But the good news is that He is right there with us always. :)

God Bless you Cindy. :)

Thank you jojo. :)

It was a beautiful letdown
when I crashed and burned
when I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
it was a beautiful letdown
the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me
would never do

i think everyone goes thru this a few times..eventually you learn to accept it as part of life..well..something like that. Oh yeah..and I am a real abuser of that attitude :p

buttercup, you are sweet and have a kind heart. That didn't just come from nowhere...it became part of you from something and I'm willing to bet that goes back a long way.

When I feel alone the best remedy seems to find a way not to be..whether its just hopping in the car for a ride or going to the mall for comic relief. :D

Redline, that was sweet of you, thank you mr! :D :)

But I'm getting the feeling that the main point of this thread has been misunderstood. I don't feel alone, that wasn't my point.. The thing I was saying was that I (and I'm sure other christians would agree) sometimes get disheartened with this world and sometimes feel like an alien.

which I guess is a good thing, because who wants to fit in to this world?

happiness is the world fitting to you...not the other way around ;)

happiness is the world fitting to you...not the other way around ;)
:nice: so true....it took me a long time and many trials and errors to come to that realization...
It was a beautiful letdown
when I crashed and burned
when I found myself alone, unknown and hurt
it was a beautiful letdown
the day I knew
that all the riches this world had to offer me
would never do

that's what it's been like for me, for the past two years...every word..

yeah. it doesn't have to be about me,me,me either...

I mean, I came upon a turtle in the middle of this fire road where I walk the dog alot. my first thought was "cool. i should take him home.", but my gut feeling was that this guy belonged down in the creek so I placed him in the brush where he could make his way home.

People seem to be that way too. You find yourself stuck in the middle of some path and wait to see if you will find the help to make the right choice.

before you get run over by a truck or something :p

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. " 1 John 2:15

Yes, that's a good one.

I can totally relate to it. Although I have lots of faults, and I have fallen short of the mark and messed up, even since becoming a Christian...

That's OK. You're still loved anyway, whatever your faults are (I have no idea) :D

You're just dealing with the forces of evil working overtime to try to frustrate you and separate you from God. Don't give 'em the satifaction. :)

still, I get disheartened by this messed up world, and I feel like an alien sometimes... many times, actually.

Yes, and of course I feel the same way. Times not so long ago I wished I could escape this hellhole. Not that I ever did anything as far as physically preparing for suicide, but sometimes I wish I wasn't here. I know this world would be worse off without me, but I wasn't better off with this world. But by faith I persevere.

The good news is, this is the way I'm supposed to feel, as a Christian. The bad part is, it can be kinda frustrating sometimes. Especially when you're around a lot of worldly people, (I don't mean 'worldly' in the good sense of the word, btw) who not only don't understand but are diametrically opposed to many of your views.


We were going through 2 Timothy today in Sunday School....

Godlessness in the Last Days

CHAPTER 3
1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them...

Paul's Charge to Timothy

10You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ...

16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

You brought up some good points, CCC.. thanks for that post. :) btw, those verses you posted remind me of another one kinda like that. (about how the world will be in latter days) I'll find it and post it later, cause it's so true.

and thanks for the kind words! :D you are loved also.

edit: btw, I like the sig pic! :cool: :nice:

very distracting.
I read a poem once i was young---not so long ago--a few decades after 1905???

If you get about the best thing God invents it is simple beauty of Iscarot hanging himself

Not my words,but fitting,because men at last knows that he is alone in the unfeeling immensity of God's ungratefull grace,of which neither his destiny nor his duty have been written down

We disagree on some political issues, but I appreciate you,

Only some? hehe, there's still hope that you might yet still become an anarchrist! :nice:


:P

edit: btw, I like the sig pic! :cool: :nice:

Yeah, it's cool and all, but where is Mumia Abu Jamal? :|

Yeah, it's cool and all, but where is Mumia Abu Jamal? :|

Inside every anarchist's wet dream? (cop-killers tend not to be very good civil rights activists)

BTW, she would have been commenting on a different sig at that time (I forget which it was at the time, maybe my Reagan tribute sig), though I would imagine she'd dig the one I have now. :)

Inside every anarchist's wet dream? (cop-killers tend not to be very good civil rights activists)

Oh and I thought that a right to a fair trail was part of having "civil rights." But anyway, I posted that in a non-serious manner with a black political figure wholly opposite of your pantheon. Just playing around a little.

BTW, she would have been commenting on a different sig at that time (I forget which it was at the time, maybe my Reagan tribute sig), though I would imagine she'd dig the one I have now. :)

I must admit, I haven't been here as much as before, so I don't recall your Reagan signature. The last one I remember was the sized map of Indonesia...

Just playing around a little.

I know.

I'll save the unrelated debate for another thread and leave it at that.

I know.

I'll save the unrelated debate for another thread and leave it at that.


PS, your pantheon is missing Condi Rice :p

PS, your pantheon is missing Condi Rice :p

Condi didn't make the cut. :p

I shoulda put Clarence Thomas on there (maybe I'll try to squeeze him in later)... and there are many more I could have put on there, but space limitations and all that jazz. :D