Rahim speaks about intimacy and spirituality
| intimacy | | | frustration with school | | | spirituality | | | crazy rahim |
Feeling Needed
> We always want to feel needed. We feel affirmed and secure in a group of friends. That’s why I think there are a lot of gangs on the street. A gang provides a community where you are not only wanted, but you are also needed and taken care of. The same goes for family, church, even mosque. Undoubtedly at one time or another, these things will disappoint or hurt us.
> With girls, it is the same thing, but on a far more intimate level. You’ll notice that there are people who can’t stand being without a relationship. Their security is tied to their relationship. Most guys won’t admit their feelings of need. They feel the need to put on a front as a macho man.
> I still have strong desires to be with a woman; I know these desires are given by God. One big difference now is that the whole idea of wanting to always be in a relationship, to get some "action," doesn’t appeal to me anymore. It doesn’t appeal to me anymore because I know that whether it’s a girlfriend or a wife, the person I’m with will some day inevitably disappoint me. All things: relationships, success, material things, family and even friends, will fail me. But there’s Christ who has not failed me yet. He is always there. I don’t mean to get all churchy, but what I mean is that Jesus won’t fail us. He says he won’t fail us. He promises this.
> I get frustrated with the whole school system–the whole mundane, rat race system. School is no longer about education; school seems to be about marks. Your marks determine a lot and it’s hard for me to see past the marks sometimes. In some of my classes I’m not even concerned about learning. I get so concerned about earning the marks. Marks are about getting a status symbol.
> At school, it’s a constant struggle for me to be kind and gentle when I’m absolutely frustrated with the way this world gives you a number and decides what to do with you–what options to give you based on that number. Society judges you by your performance, appearance, and demeanor.
> Marks are not an accurate reflection of our intelligence or how much we’ve learned. They are simply an indicator of how well we take tests. Marks are the academic world’s validation of your intelligence, like a UPC code on a product. Marks show how well you fit into the box of academia.
> I know a lot of students who are depraved. They run around, party, drink, and try to feel satisfied. It’s almost like a fantasy world–an escape so they don’t have to face their worries and stress. I see retreating to this fantasy world as a matter of spiritual depravity.
> When I say this, I need to add that this is exactly how I used to act and how I used to think. Some people think it’s a little harsh to say but, when we are all alone and brutally honest with ourselves, harsh turns into another word for honesty. You’ve got to know what you believe in, who you are, and where you’re going.
> Spirituality is something that sets your feet on the ground in terms of how you deal with people, how you do your work, the way you live your life and how you treat others. A spiritual grounding in life determines how you deal with some of the things life throws at you, whether it is financial and family problems, failure, death, or sickness.
> I was once asked why people should consider a relationship with God. My response was: “Why do you consider eating food everyday or, even simpler, breathing? You consider it because these things are vital to your survival”.
> If you are seeking to find God, my advice is to always ask the question, "Why?" Be very critical in the things you read and the people you talk to. And always seek the truth. Don’t be swept away by shallow or trendy thinking.
> I’m known for doing crazy things… But the craziest thing I’ve ever done was eating a wolf spider.
The spider was about 1.5 inches in diameter! It stung my gums when I bit into it and made the right side of my face numb.
Fifteen minutes later, after having chewed it, I pulled out one of its legs that was still stuck in my teeth!
Related reading:
- Sex and the search for intimacy
- Questions about spirituality? Read our spirituality articles
- What’s your Spiritual Interest Quotient? Take our SIQ quiz and find out
- How you can know God personally
- Back to Student Profiles
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