Frames

Frames...I've been thinking about them today. Today me and PM had our review meeting. I actually look forward to these things...strange, I know...most people don't look forward to when their "boss reviews them". I put this in quotes because this isn't how I see it, this isn't how PM sees it, but it might be what an outside observer would say. So anyways, we usually have these meetings about once a week, and this one was the big 3 month review. (Crazy, I know!) Most of the time, we discuss the positive and the negative, discuss books, and usually end up thinking about something new to ponder over for the next few days, or even weeks. I've been thinking about one thing we talked about for over a month now.
Back to the frames, I didn't forget I made that comment. We talked about how each person has their frame of mind, and how each person "frames" an experience or though when they share it with someone else. A positive or negative spin or something entirely different can be placed on an experience. The dumb thing about all of this is that 1. You can't change some one else's frame and 2. Sometimes you don't realize the frame that you are "giving off" or "sharing" with other people.
I might be saying one thing, be meaning something different or slightly different, and the person receiving it might be perceiving it as something different altogether. What a mess, eh? If only we all used the frame that Christ used. The Jesus Creed is "Love God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others". Perceptions are hard things to change, and also hard things to recognize in yourself, but if we all made Jesus' priority our priority, we wouldn't have this huge issue of frames. I am not excluding myself from this situation, in fact, this whole thought was spurred on by something that I did. This might just be in the intro to this topic, as I continue to think through this issue. So I suggest you read PM's blog (he was planning on writing about the same thing), but his will most likely have a conclusion and be better thought out.
Another thing I've been thinking about is social justice. I really have been thinking about this since last spring semester while I was taking Urban Intercultural Studies (Thanks Dr. Bell). Me and my neighbor Kelly would walk back to the dorms frustrated after almost every class, and discuss for hours. Recently, it has come back to my attention. Hong Kong isn't poor, by some standards, but there are poor people. A few weeks ago I started noticing more things, and started to wonder about what I could do that wouldn't just appease my guilty conscience, but that would help these people in a way that THEY NEED...not the way that would make me feel better, or that I think they need. How can my brief few seconds in their life bring them closer to the kingdom or give them a small glimpse of it? The kingdom is all about relationships, and if I only have a minute or less with a person, what do I do? I also had an interesting experience in Thailand pertaining to this issue. It's really making me wonder what God is up to and where He is taking me... And do you know what? I DON'T KNOW! Me and Mike were laughing about it today, because I can't stand not knowing, so what better way to keep something in my mind than to not give me the answer to it...God is so tricky like that! Well, for my earlier question of how do I react to poor people in need that I see, I actually have come to a conclusion (for a while at least, until I am challenged with a new dimension of this predicament), but I would love to hear what you think...so leave me a comment!