Hmm

I didn’t know where this page should actually go, but here it is nonetheless. As the 80′s rap song of the same name, this page is about things that make you go, “Hmm.”

Randomly-reinforced behavior

In college, I learned that randomly-reinforced behavior is the hardest to extinguish. The best example I know of randomly-reinforced activity is fishing. You never know if you’re going to catch a big one, and it’s that possibility that drives you to try. That helped me to understand why my dad is so nuts for the sport. Sometimes it’s like that with me when it comes to computer games. It’s a question of whether I can jump on the internet and win on a public server. (It didn’t use to be much of a question, but I just don’t play that much anymore.) But then it stuck me the other day, does this apply to the Spirit as well? We all understand that God doesn’t move in the same way twice. I never really put it together before, but an 18-year old kid explained it to me the other day. He said that, of course, God didn’t react the same way to our same behaviors – that it was different each time – because when we do the exact same things in prayer or worship, it’s not as fresh or lively (1 Peter 2:5) because we’ve done it before. We’re used to it. And so is God. And so interacting with God might be considered randomly-reinforced behavior. However, don’t be fooled. Random reinforcement is reinforced – as applies to my psychological phenomenon under question – externally. It’s not entirely up to us whether we catch a fish. Sometimes, fish just don’t want to eat. The question of whether God is going to move in a powerful way in our lives is dependent on whether we are doing something moving to God. Thus, prayer and worship are internally dependent. These behaviors, enacted in faith, love, and exuberance always get a reaction from God.

The map is not the terrain

As another memory from college, I learned that the map is not the terrain. Meaning that even though you might have a map, it may be wrong, it may describe something you’re not interested in, or it may simply be for another location than for which you thought you were going. The metaphysical ramifications should be obvious. It’s that the map can be a help, but it isn’t the whole story. It is only a representation. It’s taken me about 8 years, but it occurred to me that the Bible is such a “map.” It certainly is accurate, but it isn’t comprehensive, and by that, I mean it won’t answer every question you throw at it. What it does do, however, is fully describe how to establish a relationship with the Almighty, out of which can flow all the understanding you can tolerate. The Bible itself says that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide into all Truth. (John 16:13) Does that mean we don’t need the Bible? Hardly. But just like I had a map and still got lost looking for the physics building during my first semester at Purdue, only finding out that I was right in front of the building when I asked a passerby, the Holy Ghost (and pastors and others) are there to explain the map such that we understand the terrain it represents.

English phrases

English phrases that have their origin in the Bible:

• “Put out to pasture.” – Daniel 5:33
• “The handwriting on the wall.” – Daniel 5:5
• “Now a days.” – 1 Sam 25:10
• “Am I my brother’s keeper?” – Gen 4:9
• “The blind leading the blind.” – Matt 15:14
• “Serving two masters.” – Matt 6:24
• “Beside himself.” – Acts 26:24
• “Eat, drink, and be merry.” – Ecc 8:15
• “Half–baked.” – Hos 7:8
• “Give them enough rope, and they’ll hang themselves.” – Est 7:9
• “The right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing.” – Matt 6:3
• “Here today; gone tomorrow.” – James 4:14
• “He’s a man after my own heart.” – 1 Sam 13:14

Pentecostalisms

I’m sorry if I offend anyone, but Apostolic Pentecostals, just like any other group that has ever had a common interest, have a lingo. These are some that I have noticed along with their “interpretation.” And please understand that this is merely in jest.

• “Got in church.” – Received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• “Praise the Lord, brother!” – Hi.
• “The devil didn’t give it to me and the devil can’t take it away!” – I’m not going to backslide (q.v.)
• “Backslide” – Turn away from God. (Though every Pentecostal seems to be confused about how to conjugate this verb, it is found in the Bible.)
• “I can’t see the difference between <insert some sin> and <insert a gray area>.” – I know I shouldn’t do it, but I’m going to do it anyway.
• “Amen!”, “Preach it!”, and “Come on!” – Various ways of saying that one approves or agrees with what is being preached.
• “Hm well!” – Amen. (q.v.) Predominant in churches of “character.”
• “I covet your prayers.” – Pray for me. (We’re not supposed to covet, are we?)

Quotes

Quotes that struck me as memorable from the people around me.

• “I am going to a meeting shortly about the test lab. I told them up front it would not happen. But they thought I was being How do I say it, difficult. Now they are starting to understand that dificultly is getting something that maybe a good Idea.” – Eddie D.
• “Bands like Dokken are proof that, if intelligent life exists elsewhere, they are practicing their version of the Prime Directive.” – me
• “That’s not funny. This place is scaring me.” – Eddie D.
• “So what do you mean by planning?” – Mahua R.