What is your reaction to the quote below by C.S. Lewis regarding beauty as pointing to its Creator:
"The books of the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing.
These things--the beauty, the memory of our own past--are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers.
For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have not visited."
C.S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory" in Screwtape Proposes a Toast. London: Collins, 1965, p. 97-98.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Do you practice Shamar?
"The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it." Genesis 2.15
Keep = Shamar (in the original Hebrew)--a word that means to keep, tend, honor, guard...
Here are two thoughts:
1. Obviously a way to express our love and gratitude to the Lord, we are given the opportunity to shamar the earth--a faith-expression of eco-stewardship...
2. Here's a deeper thought--what if, and I know this is what if, but what if God's first covenant with his creation (and humankind) was to prepare the humans to understand what it meant to shamar something...They were to shamar the earth--something that required due diligence, continual effort, and an intoxicating desire to tend what he has been given...
Let's dig deeper now--what if, this was to teach humans what it meant to 'keep covenant'--everyday, and in everyway---so that when God would later introduce more revelatory covenants with his people--they would understand that to keep covenant was to shamar. The same word is used over and over again in the Torah to describe man's need to keep/tend/protect/honor YHWH's covenant with his people. What better way to teach covenant responsibility than to establish a 'base-line' covenant that is expected of all people everywhere--to shamar the earth?
Keep = Shamar (in the original Hebrew)--a word that means to keep, tend, honor, guard...
Here are two thoughts:
1. Obviously a way to express our love and gratitude to the Lord, we are given the opportunity to shamar the earth--a faith-expression of eco-stewardship...
2. Here's a deeper thought--what if, and I know this is what if, but what if God's first covenant with his creation (and humankind) was to prepare the humans to understand what it meant to shamar something...They were to shamar the earth--something that required due diligence, continual effort, and an intoxicating desire to tend what he has been given...
Let's dig deeper now--what if, this was to teach humans what it meant to 'keep covenant'--everyday, and in everyway---so that when God would later introduce more revelatory covenants with his people--they would understand that to keep covenant was to shamar. The same word is used over and over again in the Torah to describe man's need to keep/tend/protect/honor YHWH's covenant with his people. What better way to teach covenant responsibility than to establish a 'base-line' covenant that is expected of all people everywhere--to shamar the earth?
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What is eco-justice?
"Eco-justice occurs where human beings receive sufficient sustenance and build enough community to enjoy harmony with God, each other, and nature, and where the rest of creation is appreciated not simply as useful to humanity but as valuable to God."
Deiter T. Hessel, "Preaching for Creation's Sake: A Theological Framework" in For Creation's Sake, Geneva Press, 1985, p. 115.
Deiter T. Hessel, "Preaching for Creation's Sake: A Theological Framework" in For Creation's Sake, Geneva Press, 1985, p. 115.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Tale of the Sands, Part Me
As I've been thinking about yesterday's post, it really describes my spiritual journey with Christ. I don't know what lies ahead, but I feel much like that little stream--wanting desperately to cross so many deserts to reach so many different peoples. My heart is so burdened for the people of Morelia, Mexico--and for the people of the Northeastern U.S.; and for the people of Europe; and for Africa.
All I can do is trust that my Lord Jesus will guide me as I am completely evaporating into Him. This requires trust and surrender--in a constant rhythm of life.
All I can do is trust that my Lord Jesus will guide me as I am completely evaporating into Him. This requires trust and surrender--in a constant rhythm of life.
Monday, June 18, 2007
The Tale of the Sands
Recently, I ran across this wonderful illustration--enjoy!
The Tale of the Sands is about a little stream that wanted to cross the desert. Each time it tried it would be swallowed up in the hot desert sand. But one day a voice was heard reassuring the stream that it could cross the desert. When the stream inquired of the voice, this is what it was told.
"By hurtling in your own accustomed way you cannot get across. You will either disappear or become a marsh. You must allow the wind to carry you over, to your destination."
The stream could cross the desert by allowing itself to be absorbed in the wind. But the stream objected to this idea, since it had never been absorbed before. The stream wanted to maintain its individuality. If that were lost, how could the stream be itself?
"The wind," said the sand, "takes up water, carries it over the desert, and then lets it fall again. Falling as rain, the water again becomes a river."
The voice reminded the stream that its essential part is always being carried away to form a stream again, and this essential part is always elusive. So the stream raised its vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind, which bore it along gently and easily, letting it fall in the mountains miles away.
In this way, the stream learned its true identity from the sands which extend from the riverside all the way to the mountain. Thus it is said that the way traversed by the Stream of Life is written in the Sands.
(For Creation's Sake: Preaching, Ecology, & Justice. Edited by Dieter T. Hessel, The Geneva Press, Philadelphia, 1985, p. 53)
The Tale of the Sands is about a little stream that wanted to cross the desert. Each time it tried it would be swallowed up in the hot desert sand. But one day a voice was heard reassuring the stream that it could cross the desert. When the stream inquired of the voice, this is what it was told.
"By hurtling in your own accustomed way you cannot get across. You will either disappear or become a marsh. You must allow the wind to carry you over, to your destination."
The stream could cross the desert by allowing itself to be absorbed in the wind. But the stream objected to this idea, since it had never been absorbed before. The stream wanted to maintain its individuality. If that were lost, how could the stream be itself?
"The wind," said the sand, "takes up water, carries it over the desert, and then lets it fall again. Falling as rain, the water again becomes a river."
The voice reminded the stream that its essential part is always being carried away to form a stream again, and this essential part is always elusive. So the stream raised its vapor into the welcoming arms of the wind, which bore it along gently and easily, letting it fall in the mountains miles away.
In this way, the stream learned its true identity from the sands which extend from the riverside all the way to the mountain. Thus it is said that the way traversed by the Stream of Life is written in the Sands.
(For Creation's Sake: Preaching, Ecology, & Justice. Edited by Dieter T. Hessel, The Geneva Press, Philadelphia, 1985, p. 53)
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Father's Day--the toughest day of the my year
Dad if you're reading this, I wish you a happy Father's day. If you're totally oblivious, that's ok too.
As for the environment and theology--no new insights today. Just a sincere desire to help others to see how connected we are with everything.
As for the environment and theology--no new insights today. Just a sincere desire to help others to see how connected we are with everything.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Kansas City clouds up the sky with Ozone
Yesterday wasn't so good here in Kansas City. After predicting for some time that this would happen, the city exceeded its ozone limitations with too much air pollution...50cent bus rides went into effect, and car pooling was revisited in this morning's paper. I'm glad the city is concerned--it should be. Part of being a 'Good Samaritan' is learning to care for others--even people we never meet but affect by our air pollution.
Have a great day!
:)Brian
Have a great day!
:)Brian
Friday, June 15, 2007
Subject--Object a problematic way to see things?
I was reading recently about Heidegger's thesis that when we operate from a subject-object worldview, we end up treating the earth as a tool instead of a living system that we are part of...
Now, I don't believe the earth is living--but it does have living ecosystems on it for sure. In fact, I think one could make a solid argument that the world (and universe) is decaying and dying (2nd law of thermodynamics) and we know that the earth is slowing down in its rotation (Wired Magazine had an interesting article a couple of years ago about that).
But, Heidegger seemed bothered by the utiliarian view that humans seem to have of the earth. He 'kicked against this' --what he called "Technodasein"--but saying that we should see ourselves as living poetry on a canvass called earth. Both are needed, and in his eyes, both are partners.
I'm not willing to go that far...I do think he brings up an interesting viewpoint, but I just can't let go of Imago Dei as referenced to humans in the scriptures. Yes we are formed from the earth. But to say equal partners is not where I'm willing to go.
Now, I don't believe the earth is living--but it does have living ecosystems on it for sure. In fact, I think one could make a solid argument that the world (and universe) is decaying and dying (2nd law of thermodynamics) and we know that the earth is slowing down in its rotation (Wired Magazine had an interesting article a couple of years ago about that).
But, Heidegger seemed bothered by the utiliarian view that humans seem to have of the earth. He 'kicked against this' --what he called "Technodasein"--but saying that we should see ourselves as living poetry on a canvass called earth. Both are needed, and in his eyes, both are partners.
I'm not willing to go that far...I do think he brings up an interesting viewpoint, but I just can't let go of Imago Dei as referenced to humans in the scriptures. Yes we are formed from the earth. But to say equal partners is not where I'm willing to go.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Starting work on my dissertation
Ok, it's time to do some heavy lifting and read a bunch of stuff. I'm writing a dissertation on how Christians are to care for the earth as an expression of their faith in Jesus. I desire to look at the Biblical mandate(s) established by God for this responsibility, and then to demonstrate that Jesus' actions as portrayed in the Seven Miracles of the Gospel of St. John display his own eco-theologica bent. And as a model of what it means to follow God, we are to imitate his example.
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