A variety of thoughts on this sunny April Thursday:
+ I was thinking how power is the modern equivalent of will. We want to have power over all aspects of our lives, with powerlessness one of the most hated of all hateful ideas. But if we take Christ’s “not my will, but yours, be done” and do the word swap, how would it impact the way we live? What does it mean to surrender power to a higher authority in a society where individualism reigns and each person demands the right to control his or her life?
+ In keeping with that thought, whatever happened in the Church to the concept of corporate sin? And how are we worse off for its loss?
+ There is something odd happening in the Church when thousands (or even millions) of American Christians are lamenting Rick Santorum’s leaving the presidential race. A few months ago, not one person was clamoring for Santorum to be president, and yet when it appears he will not be, people are disappointed. As for Mitt Romney, one can say the same thing. I mean, who was screaming for him to occupy the White House? All this becomes even more puzzling when one considers my previous thoughts on power.
+ Not a day goes by when I don’t consider that the general emotional outlook of this country is nowhere near as healthy as it was when I was younger. Yes, yes, yes, “the olden days were better” someone will quote at me with a wink, but still.
+ I get the feeling also that in the rush to be good Christians, we have forgotten Jesus.
+ Now that everyone is on Facebook (and a few lonely souls inhabit Google +), can any of us say our interpersonal relationships are better?
+ Along those lines, the last of my small groups stopped meeting. I used to be part of four or five at a time. Now, none. That makes me sad. Looks like I’ll be bowling alone.
+ So far, 2012 has been a lovely year weatherwise. But here in SW Ohio, we were in the 80s in February, 70s in March, and now 60s in April. Should we expect snow in July?
+ Why is it that so few people seem to be able to commit to anything anymore? What happened to a person’s word? Does that concept mean anything today?
+ It’s sad, but the people who seem to do the most Bible study are often the ones who miss the most obvious portions of the Bible. Or they try like the dickens to explain away the hard parts (or the parts they are failing to live up to) by going all systematic theology on us. Anymore, I don’t have a lot of interest in what the self-labeled scholars are saying. And when someone recommends a recently written book on Christian subjects, my reaction is meh, since I rarely read any that make any astute points that challenge the status quo (or they fail to provide workable solutions when they do post a challenge). In short, people just aren’t using Holy Spirit sense, which is the only kind of spiritual insight that matters.
+ Right now, Alan Knox at The Assembling of the Church is writing one of the best Christian blogs on the Internet. He should be a regular read for everyone, because he is not afraid to touch verboten subjects and question the crazy way we Christians practice the Faith.
+ At The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia, Arthur Sido is regularly writing some insightful posts in the same vein as Knox’s.
Dan,
Thank you very much for the kind words. I’ve been following and enjoying your blog for several years now. Keep up the great writing!
-Alan
When we were kids, the Cold War structured (and contained) our fears. The prospect of nuclear annihilation hung very real overhead; the only ways to feel about it was either futile resignation or faint hope. The Soviet Union stood as an existential threat, and a less-appealing alternative to Americanism (in the eyes of other countries), which boosted our cultural stock value. Media outlets were few and hegemonic (3 TV networks, local newspapers, national magazines), which created a common culture.
We’re now free to see the world however we want (geopolitically, informationally, communitarily), and capitalism’s pursuit of profit is unencumbered by the burden of having to look good, to uphold its own global reputation.
Arguably we lost more than we won when the Cold War ended. But it bred its own psychoses to be sure.
I can’t understand people’s reaction to politics and potential presidential candidates. It’s almost like everyone is a blank etch-o-sketch walking around, then they hear some trusted media personality or local pastor tell them to vote for so and so for some reason, and that becomes their de facto opinion, but if you press them and ask if they’d have supported that person without being influenced by others, they become less than honest and get all altruistic about how its the issues that matter. Yet, fast forward a few months, that person drops out, and suddenly they will deny ever supporting them. Go figure.
All I know about Santorum is that I will never vote for someone whom Lou Engle has laid hands on.