Let´s start again.

I think it´s been like 12 months since i last had the urge to start writing a blog of some sort. But I have been thinking about it so much lately.
Because I think God is teaching me really profound things, that really really are worth sharing.

I cannot make any comments about the continuity of this sudden phase of typing-interest, so it is better i don´t make any promises, apart from one - I will write whenever I feel like doing it. And you are indeed welcome to read whenever you feel like it.

Also I can´t promise what I write is logical - don´t expect any coherency. I will jot down things the way they are inside of me.. and i can´t really be bothered keeping a clear trace of what is written - at times it will be random, be sure of it.
This blog will be different than any other I´ve written before. Instead of keeping "the audience" (if there is one) up to date with my personal life, although no doubt you will find elements of it in the text, I will fill these pages with the passion and inspiration I get from what I think God is doing in the world. And in me.
I want to write about politics, about society, about philosophy, about music.. about humanity. And whatever else seems to be having an effect on my heart.
Because I believe God is not boxed in churches or in our personal beliefs. He doesn´t just exist somewhere.

My claim this year is that God is not invisible - watch me prove it.
I think He is "out there". Way, WAY out there. He is walking about this planet. He meets people every day. People who are not Christians. People without titles or names.
He is in politics, He is in music, He is in relationships.
And I think for the most part - we just ignore Him. Alright, I´ll give some credit - we talk about Him. But can we really see Him?

I would like to say I fully can, but it is not always so. Not every day, but when I do turn to look, I can. And you know what? He is amazing. Different to anything I would´ve imagined. If someone would have told me what I will encounter a few years ago, I would have most probably labeled them a heretic and left it there.
Now.. I think I have taken the crazy one´s place.

So let´s get into the first topic that´s been haunting me this week, shall we?

I am in my second year in university studying international relations (no, i don´t know what i will become), which means a lot of different classes on political theory, philosophy, religion, culture, security issues - anything and everything you can think of that influences the way different states interact in this world.
So right now I am going through a time where I question why things are the way they are in the world and is there any possibility they could be different.

I have to admit, I have entered these studies as a complete air-head. Meaning that I have had prejudice and pride (haha) when being introduced to different issues; most of this cockiness has been tied to my faith, by the way. It´s a whole different topic, but i´ll just mention it so you know what i have in mind - you (Christians) know how sometimes you get so concerned about being "a light" that you forget that you can´t really illuminate yourself and that the call you got from Jesus doesn´t mean that you are superior (smarter, better or more beautiful) to others? Can you feel the sense of pride in there? Yeah. There you go.

It has taken me a whole year to understand that I´m actually in school so I can learn to think differently. I actually have to open my mind and my heart and allow God to weigh these things inside of me. I haven´t "gotten it" just by birth, not even my second one!
As I have begun moving towards shutting up and listening, I have found absolutely astonishing turnarounds in my perceptions of how life works. It is so awesome! And not in ANY way does this contradict my relationship with God, but actually it shows a completely new picture of Him to me.

My "Heureka-moments" are many.

Tonight, I will give you one:

So we had a discussion in International Security studies this week about realism/ neorealism vs liberalism/neoliberalism and which of these would be a solid perception of how the world works. Those of you who don´t know, go google to get a proper intro so you can argue with me :), but they are pretty much two different views on how international relations work in the world.
Realism is based on the basic claim about human nature by Thomas Hobbes ("Leviathan")- everybody is at war with everybody - which basicly means that human nature is essentially selfish and evil and life is a power-struggle. There is no trust, no cooperation (unless there are selfish reasons); the main goal in life is security and looking out for your own skin - because everyone is at war with everyone. Also importantly - for realists, reality doesn´t change. This is our nature, we will always be at war.
In terms of states - their assumption is that the rules are the same. According to John Mearsheimer, realism in international relations makes 5 assumptions:
1. The international system is anarchic - meaning there is no supreme power to govern the relations of states, it is a power struggle.
2. States inherently possess some offensive military capability, with which they
can hurt and possibly destroy each other
3. States can never be certain about the intentions of other states.
4. The most basic motive driving states is survival.
5. States think strategically about how to survive in the international system
(they are instrumentally rational)

Liberalism on the other hand perceives human nature as being characterized by reason and tolerance. According to John Locke, considered one of the founders, human nature allows men to be selfish, this is apparent with the introduction of currency. In a natural state however all people were equal and independent, and everyone had a natural right to defend his “Life, health, Liberty, or Possessions". Locke also advocated governmental separation of powers and believed that revolution is not only a right but an obligation in some circumstances.
Liberalism places the highest value on freedom of the individual. The first consequence of freedom is change.

Concerning international relations, while not denying the anarchic nature of the international system, neoliberals argue that its importance and effect has been exaggerated. The argument is focused on the neorealists' underestimation of "the varieties of cooperative behavior possible within... a decentralized system."
Both theories, however, consider the state and its interests as the central subject of analysis; Neoliberalism may have a wider conception of what those interests are.
Neoliberalism argues that even in an anarchic system of autonomous rational states, cooperation can emerge through the building of norms, regimes and institutions.

Of course this is a debate that would just last forever and i really will not get into it, but I will just share, what I think God opened my eyes to.

For the most part, I have been a sure realist. Not in its classical sense - agreeing with Hobbes´ completely, but a lot of it, yes, I have found truthful. In terms of interaction between states - history is so full of blood and full of proof of selfish interests. It has been a power struggle, millions have died because of it. And human nature, in my view, because of our separation from GOD, really is corrupt. Even our goodness isn´t really goodness - there is usually a selfish motive behind it. I have been thoroughly disappointed in humanity. Naturally, seeing all the injustice in the world I transferred this disappointment to a bigger scale.
And in this grim world, reading the claims of guys like Woodrow Wilson or whichever idealists - i have found it ABSURD and NAIVE.

Thus, learning about politics has been really interesting, but rather depressing - because it is full of this nature.

But an important point was struck at me during our lecture, when we started discussing a theory called constructivism.

This is an absolutely amazing one, because it completely agrees with realism, but it states that it´s true not because of human nature, but because it is socially constructed - meaning because we practice it.
Power-politics exists because because states practice it. But it could be different.
To them, the structures of human association are determined primarily by shared ideas rather than material forces. How we perceive the world matters, because it determines how we behave in it.

This thought is INSANE! But it struck me to my face that yeah it is easy to criticize everything and i still value talking about life the way it is. But in essence, i think the greatest problem with realism is that it is passive. If you´re a realist, you don´thave to change or even think about change. It is in itself an excuse to stay the way you are - in selfishness, if you will.

And so I started thinking about things - do things have to be unjust? Or the fact that they are - does it mean they have to stay this way? Maybe it really could be different?

And i think this idea is actually profoundly biblical - because i think God has hope in us and actually works through and with us. I am in no way denying all that is happening in the world nor the fallen state of our nature. And in the power of Jesus Christ - we are a new being. But here´s what i have come to think also - the whole idea of "the power of Christ" for me used to mean that people have to say a prayer and meet Jesus, then they can start doing justice.

I no longer think that is entirely true. Because I believe that anyone on this planet has the power to reach out to someone, love someone. And I believe Jesus can meet people "on the field", when they do acts like his. I think he can actually change people on the spot in doing so. Because unless a person climbs out of his cynical way of being, where is the point in telling him the truth? Or also, I have found that words have to backed by actions to have meaning - the same with spreading the gospel - people listen when they are surprised or shocked by your way of being, or actions, whatever - not because you said something awesome.
So you have to get out of your shoes and challenge them to get out of theirs (I mean really, truthfully), and both come back with a different look in their eyes. And that look is a work of God. You have met with Him, whether you can name it or not.
My heretical claim is the following - God meets with anyone willing to get out of their shoes.

In essence, in both big things and small things, yeah reality is reality.. but i have to believe that things can change, at least to some extent. Because God is "out there".