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
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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, April 21, 2012

Some Randomly Not Necessarily Connected Thoughts

I'm not much of a fan of Paul Tillich's theology, but I love this quote by him: "Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."
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I wish the church would offer a third and alternative way in dealing with race relations in America. In light of the Trayvon Martin tragedy, Christians have, like everyone else, gone to their predictable polarized corners, and in so doing remain unable to offer a way forward. Of course, how can Christians offer an alternative when we struggle ourselves to move forward on race? The old adage remains sadly true-- Sunday morning in America is the most segregated time of the week.
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In a visit to the Henry Ford Museum this week, President Obama sat for a few moments on the bus made famous by Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat in the front and go to the back, the place typically reserved for African Americans in the segregated South. It was a profoundly meaningful moment, if you ask me.
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Here's a great article by Michael Lindvall on Karl Barth and his belief that truth is proportional. I quote only the last paragraph:
Karl Barth knew that his theology mattered profoundly. He would not have poured his life into his work had he not held the highest estimation of the importance and truth of what he wrote, taught and believed. But Barth understood that his mortal understanding of the divine truth was proportional. He fathomed that God's thoughts were not finally the same thing as Barth's thoughts. He understood that his theology and the truth it captured must be set next to his awareness that even the Church Dogmatics would end up "on some heavenly floor as a pile of waste paper."
Theology matters, but God matters even more.
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Louisburg, NC is hosting its 39th annual whistling contest. I've never been very good at whistling. My grandfather, on the other hand, was the best whistler I've ever heard. He could easily get someone's attention with a loud blow. I, on the other hand, simply sound like I'm slowly losing air.
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Well, we all have to eat anyway. Check out this graphic.
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In order to understand how the universe works, scientists have theorized the existence of dark matter. Now a new study suggests that dark matter may not exist after all. No matter how many mysteries of the cosmos we discover, there will always be mysteries to solve... and to wonder at in amazement. Our marvelous creation bears witness to an even more marvelous Creator.
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This Week in History: On April 16, 1521, Martin Luther arrived at the Diet of Worms to discuss his 95 theses and his criticism of the abuse of indulgences. He believed he would receive a fair hearing, but that was not to be. He was ordered to repudiate his views. His response has echoed throughout history and became a rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation: "Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear, and distinct grounds of reasoning . . . then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me! Amen!" Historians debate whether Luther actually said the last part, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me!"

By the way, Luther did not oppose indulgences, per se. He rejected their sale and what he believed was their abuse.
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A Silly Season in Politics Newsflash: Supporters of Mitt Romney are arguing that his so-called "silver spoon" upbringing does not matter to voters while his opponents are saying that it does. My guess is that it does matter to voters but not to the extent that some political pundits think. Come November, the voters will elect the person who they believe will be the best president. No amount of political pundit spin will change that. Political spin disguised as political analysis is silly, and sensible people aren't fooled by it.
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And finally, this great quote from G.K. Chesterton, whose writing I am reacquainting myself with once again: "Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

2 comments:

Chuck Tackett said...

Allan, are you saying that you felt Rosa Parks' activism was a profoundly meaningful moment or President Obama's visit?

Allan R. Bevere said...

The President's of course.