Lunch with Jachin

Jachin was in town today and dropped by the office. We had lunch at the old @hand standby Tan Tan for some good Vietnamese grub. Jachin was told that he should really order the #20, because it is the best soup they have now. The rest of us received no special recommendations, and we were left to make the kind of ordering mistakes that they surely expect of us round eyes. Nevertheless, I was comfortable in my selection of the rice with pork chop, fried egg, and veggies.

Maybe Leo would have received more attention at Antonio's or Johnny would have gotten extra noodles at the Olive Garden. At the very least, I would expect some special attention at Jason's Deli.

Afterwards, Jachin joined me in my office for a lengthy discussion related to his religious journey and his Christian study program in California. At first, I held on to my typical cynicism and sarcasm that surfaces anytime someone begins to tell me how close they feel to Jesus and the holy spirit, yada, yada, yada.

But, at some point, I decided it would be easier, and perhaps more benefiical to me, to hear him out. Ever since I "wiped the slate clean" with respect to my religious beliefs, I've probably trended towards a more critical and patronizing view of those that accept traditional religious concepts. I realize now that my own ability to learn and grow, in a spiritual sense, will be inhibited if I grasp too firmly to this approach.

I still believe that most, if not, all people would benefit from this cleaning of the religious slate in their adolescent or young adult life. While it may be comfortable to embrace beliefs solely because they are held by your family, friends, and church, you can learn more about yourself if you attempt to derive your belief system after an honest and open self-discovery process.