Day 122: Possibly the Hippopotamus?

Now you might want to be wondering what in the world the title of today's blog is; allow me to explain.

So today I was rostered for choir during the 10 and 12 service this morning; along with Communion, it was so good. We also got the honor and privilege of hearing from Aslan himself, Robert Fergusson, and his message (like every other one he presents) blew my mind. It was called "Possibly the Hippopotamus"; he named it that after a footnote found in Job 40:15 when God says, "Look at the behemoth". In my Bible, there's a footnote that says 'possibly the hippopotamus or the elephant'. That's pretty much what made Aslan's message so amazing. He spoke on questions we ask that just can't be answered; the fact that he used this footnote as a setup for humor made this particular message something to remember. He listed some questions that generally all people have asked, such as "Why did this person have to die?", "What happens after death?", and "Why is there suffering in the world?" His answer, going along with the title, was "Well, possibly the hippopotamus." It's not supposed to make sense because we just don't have the answer. Then he said that the answer to all these questions is "I don't know." this is the best answer you could ever give to these questions; wouldn't you agree? How could we know the answers? God never told us the answers. Possibly because it's not for us to know at all. Maybe if we did know, it'd be hard for us to believe and accept it. Maybe God wouldn't be as respected and praised if He gave away ALL the answers to life's questions. In the end, Aslan said that it shouldn't be about what we don't know, but rather about what we DO know. In Job 19:25-26, Job said, "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, yet in my flesh will I see God." Of all people to say something like that, it was the one man that deserved to (and did) ask all these questions towards God. It's not about what we don't know and can't answer; it's about we do know and believe to be the truth. It sure made me think.. but all the more reason to admire Aslan and his way of thinking!
After the morning services, I had lunch with Donny, Valerie, and Elisa; we went to a nearby Thai place and had some amazing food; seriously, I could have Thai food every day if I wanted to! We had a great time just talking and sharing some similar life experiences; it's times like these that I fully appreciate God sending me here. After that awesome lunch, I joined Donny at his place, where he and his roommate Josh (I call him Reece, since that's his last name) were playing their new video game, Splinter Cell: Conviction. That's one tense game; but I'll admit it's pretty fun to watch.
The only other thing that happened today was going to evening service, where Crishan gave an awesome message on how we all have things in life that God cuts to help us grow. He used the analogy of pruning branches, where farmers cut off the branches that don't produce fruit so that the tree can keep growing. It was a good message to take home.
Overall, this day was good. Because God is good. Because God is God. And because God does good. Amen.

God bless,
Steven