A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life

A Weblog Dedicated to the Discussion of the Christian Faith and 21st Century Life
___
I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, –that unless I believed, I should not understand.-- St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Saturday, March 03, 2012

Some Randomly Not Necessarily Connected Thoughts

We are once again approaching another silly season of politics with another election. I read an article yesterday on new studies by research scientists that have concluded that we human beings are not smart enough to elect the best people for political office. There is no doubt some truth to this, but I think it's probably preferable for people to keep electing mediocre politicians than being stuck with a mediocre dictator you can't substitute for another less-than-stellar option. More frequent change is probably a good thing even though it's change that is more of the same. As I say often-- the great thing about democracy is that everybody has a voice and a vote. The terrible thing about democracy is that everybody has a voice and a vote.

Conservative political commentator, Andrew Breitbart died suddenly this week. I understand that politics is a mean and emotional business, and that there is much and constant criticism to be leveled. What I don't understand is why people can't refrain from making snide and snarky and rotten comments about the recently deceased even before they are in the grave? Whether you liked Breitbart's politics and methods or not, what justification is there for anyone to utter such harsh words on the occasion of someone's death when his loved one's (including his four young children) are in mourning? The same thing happened when Ted Kennedy died a few years ago. Is it not possible for partisans to mitigate their addictive obsession with politics long enough to hold off the bomb throwing until at least after the funeral? Why do some people take themselves and their views so seriously that they let them trump their humanity? Let us not forget that one thing we all have in common is that we are going to die. None of us is going to get out of life alive.

Enough on politics... I was wondering the other day why people who know the least are the ones who know it the loudest.
.
I really like Aquinas' Treatise on the Virtues, but I find Aristotle's account of virtue much more interesting; and I am not sure why.
.
This week a blogger wrote a spot on post on how the theological fog is killing mainline Protestantism. He is surely right. The discouraging thing is that I fear too many mainline Protestants feel safe not being able to see six inches in front of their faces.

In this season of Lent we must remember that God's grace is a transforming thing able to forgive and heal and... we must never forget... sanctify.

For God so loved the world that he didn't send a committee.

I've been teaching a Sunday school class on Jesus' parables. The one thing that has struck me as I have prepared each week is that in several of the parables, the ones who complain that they have been treated unjustly do seem to have a valid concern. Perhaps these persons serve as a reminder that our ways are not God's ways and that divine justice and grace are given on God's terms.

Thomas Jefferson was the first president to use the hand shake as a formal greeting instead of the traditional bow. I have no particular reason for mentioning this. It is, after all, a random and not necessarily connected thought.

A New Mexico man has found an image of Jesus on a tortilla he was preparing on Ash Wednesday. Is this the culinary version of the Shroud of Turin? After all, both were used as wraps.

And now to end with Kingdom politics-- This Tweet from Rev. Mike Slaughter: "Jesus didn't yield 2 Caesar's politics. Zealot militancy, Sadducee liberalism, Pharisee grace-lessness. Follow God's mission."

Amen, Brother Mike, Amen!

3 comments:

Craig L. Adams said...

Well, hand shakes are largely responsible for spreading disease, so now we should blame Thomas Jefferson.

Richard H said...

"This week a blogger wrote a spot on post on how the theological fog is killing mainline Protestantism. He is surely right."

If disunity is the greatest evil, then surely maintaining "theological fog" is a necessity. The fog covers up the decay and disguises the hanky-panky going on within the tradition.

Allan R. Bevere said...

Richard,

Now you're meddling.

Keep up the good work!