The line between good and evil runs down each of our hearts

The other day we addressed in class if humans are naturally evil or good.  I had previously done some research on the topic and this is what I have concluded based on looking at the bible and consulting my dad.
In the beginning it was good, everything was good including people. But sin came and took everything that was once good and corrupted it, including people. At this point humans have a sinful nature and are evil and hopeless.
However this isn't the end of the story because Jesus comes.
He comes and dies in our place and changes everything. He redeems us. He saves us from our sin and restores us. His death bridges the gap between us and God and He allows us to be reunited with him.
When he leaves the earth the Holy Spirit comes and dwells among us.
For people who proclaim to be Christians and have accepted the Holy Spirit, they now have the Holy Spirit living inside them.
We are now guided by the Holy Spirit so in that sense we are good. However, we still live in a world full of sin and we still have sinful flesh so we cannot be perfect.
Sad to say our human souls are trapped in sinful flesh (bodies) that have a sinful appetite. This explains why "good" people, although they do good things can never be perfect. Because of God's grace, the Holy Spirit acts as a guide and leads us towards making the right decision, however until we are reunited with God we can't experience the good and true nature that humanity had in the beginning of creation.  For right now we only get glimpses of what God originally intended the world to be. It is not humans who are good but rather God who is good and working through us who helps us to fight our sinful flesh.
My dad likes to say that the line between good and evil runs down each of our hearts. Instead of just a yes naturally evil or naturally good it is a mix because we have a soul that craves to return to it's intended good state but it is trapped inside a sinful body and they are constantly at battle, the Holy Spirit helps us to fight that internal conflict and gives us guidance and power to make wise decisions. No one is perfect, God is perfect, and because He loves us He sent his son to restore us, we get a glimpse of what a perfect world would be like.

I have a few biblical references from where I have made my conclusions.

Galatians 5:16-17  Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.

2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

We are blessed

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was a beautiful story with a hopeful ending and I totally loved it.  Not only did it give an insight to life in the Middle East but it also told a heart breaking story that ended positively which was genius. The insane amount of difficulties the women of this story went through opened my eyes to how many things we, especially in America, take for granted.
First of all, the fact that the story took place during war with rockets always being fired and no consistant control of government shows how although American politics are not perfect they are at least somewhat reliable.  Prior to reading this book I had no knowledge of what it is like in Afghanistan and according to this book it was completely opposite from what the news tells us.  The constant change in leadership and the knowledge that at any moment a rocket could come and destroy everything and everyone you love is a huge weight so many people had to carry.  A lot of people, me included, don't really get too involved with politics or just spend hours arguing on Facebook about who should be able to get married and what drugs should be legal. I am not trying to belittle our rights, however in comparison to the political issues in other countries who are being consistently overpowered and there is no order whatsoever we have it easy. Although our government isn't perfect we don't have to be afraid to leave the house because of warlords or bombs, this book showed me how I should be grateful for the safety provided for me by my country.
Another thing that the story showed I should be thankful for is my relationship with my parents.  Mariam had a tough relationship with her mother as well as her father. Her parents never approved of or supported her because she was illegitimate. When Jalil sent her away I was so upset because the relationship between her and her dad was not real. Laila also didn't have a great relationship with her mother because she was so upset about the deaths of her sons. I am so blessed to have two parents who love me and are dedicated to give me the best life has to offer.
The last part of the story that really stood out to me was the way the book ended with the marriage of Tariq and Laila.  The one night when they were together and the little boy came in in the middle of the night and Tariq willingly got right up to take him back to bed was just a beautiful moment.  They had gone through such hardship that the fact they were all together under the same roof in a safe spot outweighed any complaints they could have about getting woken up.  I think about some of the romantic comedies about couples who are parents and don't get any sleep and how horrible it is for them.  What in our society is considered a nuisance was a blessing for the family in Pakistan. That to me is just too incredible. It makes such a huge statement about the differences in our two societies.  We don't appreciate the things that are sometimes impossible in other countries.
Reading a book like A Thousand Splendid Suns can take you to a different world and open your eyes to the fact that we take so much for granted. If you never experience life outside what you already know you never can truly appreciate all the wonderful, blessings we have here in the States.
We are so blessed.

Why did I like the Awakening

This past month we finished reading The Awakening by Kate Chopin and while reading it I realized I was truly enjoying what I was reading.  Now upon reading the back cover and seeing that is a book about a married woman who discovers "the power of her own sexuality" and I thought why do I like this book about a married woman cheating on her husband? Usually when that happens in a book I no longer enjoy it because it goes against my moral code but it's because it wasn't a story focused on adultery, that wasn't the main statement. This was an empowering statement about individuality and how women are given roles by society.
When I started reading the book I really enjoyed the atmosphere the imagery put me in.  The beach in the Gulf of Mexico is definitely a more desirable place to be than wintery Pennsylvania.  I also enjoyed reading about Edna's friendships with the people they met on vacation.  The dinners together and music to me was lovely.
Upon reading the book I discovered the social commentary that Chopin was making about the treatment of women.  Now I'm not a crazy feminist, I like guys opening doors for girls and I believe in a marriage there are certain things husbands and wives should do. However, what the book addresses and what I also believe is that anyone, man or woman, needs their own identity before entering a relationship. The reason I liked this book was because Edna realized that she had no identity besides the one handed to her, being a wife and a mother, and discovered she was more than that. She was a human being, she had feelings and thoughts and emotions.
However she also recognized that society was not going to accept her and so she swam out into the ocean and killed herself. Another part of books I don't usually like, however Edna's choice to me was empowering.  Compared to Okonkwo and Invisibleman Edna's suicide did not seem like the end, it was more like moving on to the next thing.  The way Chopin wrote the story and built up to it there was no other way to end the book.  The ending was inspiring rather than depressing. I'm not saying I condone suicide but for the statement Chopin was making the ending was perfect.
Now, Edna was not without fault. The concept of her liberation that I did not approve of was her choice for adultery as a way of finding herself.  She was depending on a man to help her to find herself, which is not a weight another human being can handle.  This is a huge problem for people in relationships.  They become consumed with the idea of the other person so much that they begin to become their identity. When people refer to them instead of calling them their name it becomes so-and-so's girlfriend or boyfriend.  They also find their self worth in how that other person views and treats them.  Edna was guilty of this and it is the one aspect of her finding herself I didn't like because she is on a path towards self discovery and it was as a result of falling in love with one man and sleeping with another.  Even though both instances were steps towards her self discovery it sent a mixed message.
Now, in this whole process of reading I was wondering how I could fit my faith into my interpretation of the Awakening. The statement made by the novel was that we need to find ourselves and women at this time period were not allot the ability to find themselves.  Edna never actually found herself completely she started the process however moved on to the next life.  It spoke on the fact that we as humans are all empty and need to be filled.  Edna was first established on her roll as a wife and mother, then she tried to fill herself with the affection of a man, and even physical affection, however none of these were sufficient.  However that hole can be filled with the Holy Spirit.  I don't mean to get all wacky and spiritual, however Jesus is where I ground my identity.  When I think about who I am the answer is I am a beloved daughter of Christ.  I am strong in that, and because that is in the core of my being it transfers itself throughout my life and I am filled with confidence. I also know I am loved by my family and friends.  Being loved by God first grounds me in who I am and then from there it's the love of other people.  People change and are inconsistent which is why they can't be used to define us. God is constant.
Because this books addresses the emptiness caused by sin and also addresses the importance of finding ourselves I can say with confidence that I really liked the Awakening.