My GRE experience ended propitiously. Next, MCAT in May/June 2007.

Future plans:
Backpack Mt. Rainer in Washington with my parents until Saturday, September 2nd
Graduate May 2007 with a B.S. in Cellular & Molecular Biology
Maybe attend Public Heath and Medical School as well as something else

Why M.D. instead of Ph.D.?

An M.D. provides more freedom than a Ph.D., because I can do basic science or clinical research, practice medicine and work abroad. Furthermore, medicine allows integration of the social and evangelical gospel. Both words and healing were pivotal in Jesus’ ministry. Feeding the hungry and ending violence are my passions, because they are Jesus’ passions. A Ph.D. would cloister me in academia. Compassion does not come from atop the Ivory Towers of American academies, but from the nadir of solidarity with the forgotten people. "The last will be first, and the first will be last." Healing people is not enough; the violence creating patients must also be cured. Medicine cuts through social barriers unlike anything else. Medicine provides a tangible way for me to unite evangelism, social justice and science around curing the consequences of violence and overpowering future violence with love today.

Why M.P.H.?

Since I’m interested in integrating social issues along with medicine, an M.P.H. will give me access to the realm of public policy. An M.D. provides temporary curative care and an M.P.H. works for long-term preventative care. It’s not enough to cure an individual, but the individual’s environment must also be cured of violence, hunger and disease for a lasting impact.

Becoming a Public Health Physician, such as Michael Van Rooyen, is my goal. However, Van Rooyen doesn’t do Christian ministry. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the key to a peaceful and loving world. All glory to God under who’s stainless banner we should rally for every loving cause!!!

End of Summer

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize

I’m subjugating my proclivity to write to prepare for the onerous GRE. Goodbye for about three weeks.

Cease writing

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize

This is taken from AskRealJesus.com. It explains the heart of Jesus’ teachings better than ever, especially about nonviolence.

The warrior is marching down the road, his sword sharpened, his mind set on battle. He meets a Master and his disciple. The Master says, “My son, where are you going with such fierce determination?”

The warrior answers, “The enemy has attacked our nation. He has destroyed two of our tallest buildings and taken away our peace. I go to destroy the enemy and bring back peace!”

The Master asks, “My son, if the enemy took away peace through violence, how can more violence bring back peace?”

The warrior declares, “There is no other way. When the enemy is destroyed, peace will return!”

The Master replies, “My son, I perceive that your heart is troubled. It is filled with anger and hatred towards the enemy. Might it be the anger and hatred that has taken away peace?”

The warrior says, “The enemy created the anger. Once the enemy is destroyed, the hatred will be gone and my peace will return!”

The Masters tries again, “My son, if the enemy caused your anger, then the enemy must rule your inner world. Perhaps you should conquer the enemy within before you do battle with the enemy without? Perhaps you should find peace in your heart before you attempt to bring peace to the world?”

The warrior declares, “I cannot find peace until the enemy is destroyed!” Then he marches on without looking back.

The Master smiles gently and walks on. His student exclaims, “Master, he did not understand your wisdom and is headed for his own destruction. How can you seem so unconcerned? Let us run after him and save him from himself!”

The Master replies, “My dearest student, if I preach inner peace, how can I let my own peace be disturbed by someone rejecting my message?

Besides, while his body might be destroyed, his soul will live on. One day the soul will tire of trying to bring peace by fighting outer enemies. It will discover the enemy within, and eventually it will discover the inner source of peace.

While we can seek to help others learn their lessons, we must never seek to force them.

Peace cannot be brought through force. Conflict is the absence of peace. Peace cannot be brought by removing conflict. Outer peace can be brought only through inner peace. The only way to bring peace is to BE peace wherever there is non-peace. Begin with yourself, my dear student!

Warrior of Peace

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize

Two views seem to exist on Christian living
1) live the minimum necessary for salvation
2) live perfectly as Christ is

The Catholic church defines this paradox quite well in the Evangelical Counsels. They state living perfectly is not for all Christians, only a select few who vow to follow poverty, chastity and obedience. "The love of riches is opposed by the counsel of poverty; the pleasures of the flesh, even the lawful pleasures of holy matrimony, are excluded by the counsel of chastity; while the desire for worldly power and honour is met by the counsel of holy obedience." I would also include nonviolence in the counsel of holy obedience.

The resolution to this paradox is in Luke 7:31-35
"To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:
   " ‘We played the flute for you,
      and you did not dance;
   we sang a dirge,
      and you did not cry.’ 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ‘ 35 But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

John the Baptist was separate, whereas Jesus live in community with society. Both were poor, chaste and obedient. It doesn’t matter how much you know, do, have faith or give up, but how much you love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

John the Baptist and Jesus both satisfied the Evangelical Counsels. kdf dfjd hfjdhf dfhdsj fhsdkfh sdjfhsd jfhsdjfhs d jldkf sjdklfjsd

Simple Living and Evangelical Counsels

This entry was originally published at Interconnectedness by Mikhail (Misha) Lomize