Shakespeare's Hamlet reminds me of myself in some ways. Of course I'm referring to Prince Hamlet, the brooding, self-reflecting, doubting, questioning yet impetuous protagonist in the play. He seems to lack the effervescence that I probably have somewhere inside my character, but he seems to contain several very contradicting sides, which I sometimes do.

The compulsary reading one Christian book every week for my module has probably done me good. These books come from a myraid of writers, all from different theological perspectives: Catholics, Lutherans, Anabaptists, Anglicans... but they are all men who try to love and obey God, abeit with very different ideas on how to get along doing it. And it really has blessed my spiritual journey no end. I've had some spiritual questions answered, and after reading so many contradicting ideas on Christianity I've come to decide that Christianity is indeed a faith, requring much blind faith, and I've become much less neurotic about having to "prove" Christianity.

And of course Peter Kauffmann, who is both an intellectual and a man of faith... he's inspired me and shown that it is indeed possible to be both. It's really God's blessing that my faith can indeed be strengthened rather than shaken by the taking of a Christianity module at a liberal arts college... I was fully prepared to have to fight for my life to defend my Christianity because of the module, but instead I've been inspired to be a better Christian by it. It's a small miracle.

Come on, UNC is the college that produced the skeptic Bart Ehrmann, the Christian pastor-turned-agnostic who "once was found but now is lost".

And of course, I've been blessed by the Singaporean cell group and by my relationships with the people in it.... and by Grace Church, which has always encouraged me and challenged me to greater Christian piety, and by the "Compline" services every Sunday night at the Episcopal Chapel of the Cross, the IVCF Large Group meetings on Thursday nights, and by many many other things... been encouraged by Shannon's salvation and by the spiritual growth of the people around me. I came over here expecting to have to struggle to keep my faith but indeed God has protected and preserved me and helped me to grow.

A passing thought: George W Bush claims that he is led by Jesus to declare war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Whatever happened to "love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek"?

I think "turn the other cheek" is a very liberating philosophy. It's almost zen, a bit like Buddhuism, but it's also different in that it's based on faith that God will protect and make everything good, and comfort, and bless and reward in the afterlife.
But much of our problems come from desire and competition: competition for grades, jobs, promotions, friends, mates (i.e. girlfriends). Competition causes so many problems, if we could really turn the other cheek and just be content with being last in life, we would be happier.

and Jesus did advocate being last in life: for who is last shall become first.