Currently Listening Book of Lightning By The Waterboys see related

like pigs in s!#%

Ok. I'm back. Sorry it's so long - for the 2 of you who will read this. Anyway, here's my thots:

Last night, around a neighbour's fire pit and after a friendly bar-b-q, a rather rustic yokel put a question to me - one I, as a professional philosopher and theologian, have encountered before. "Why would anyone want to study philosophy?" he lancinated, with more than a little animosity. I deflected his response, not wanting to incite a riot (there were other PhD's around the fire), and after all, he was several drinks in: "Perhaps a person might want to open a bait shop," I joked. "You know, a 'philosophy and bait shop'." Everyone laughed. But not my irritated friend. "I mean, what's the point!? What good does to anyone to ask questions and think about stuff like that? After all, no one agrees on the answers after thousands of years!" And he launched into a lengthy lecture outlining (very loosely) the reasons why philosophy and theology were too abstract and not worthy pursuits, all in the name of practicality and usefulness. The self-reflexive irony between his form and content did not escape me, nor did the self-referential incoherence of his argument.

Atypically, I remained silent - but continued a dialogue in my head. It was J.S. Mill, himself no enemy of utility and practicality, who declared that "It is better to be Socrates disatisfied, than a pig and be satisfied." Mill was distinguishing between a qualitative, higher order of pleasures and a lower, quantitative order. The life of the mind is a distinctly human activity and it's goods are intrinsic - not derived from quantitative aggregation, piling up the number, intensity and duration of stimulations. In other words, it is simply better to pursue intellectual questions of a philosophical and theological nature, even if one never arrives at a final and conclusive resting point, simply because pursuing such questions are good. Period. And this is doubly so for Christians who (presumably) agree with Jesus that the highest a human being can do is to love God with all one's being, particularly with one's mind (Lk 10:27).

Jesus' injunction should be enuf; but if someone questions the importance of Christians pursuing philosophy or theology, my response is: "It is important only if you wish to be human. If you want to be a pig, wallowing in the s!#%, go ahead and just live your life by stimulus-response."

Failing that, a simple, "At least one learns to articulate to oneself and others one's beliefs coherently" will suffice.

Currently Reading A New Kind of Conversation By Myron Bradley Penner, Hunter Barnes see related

Facebook Infatuation

Currently Reading A New Kind of Conversation By Myron Bradley Penner, Hunter Barnes see related

A New Kind of Conversation

I am engaging in shameless self-promotion here for my new book (edited with Hunter Barnes) A New Kind of Conversation: Blogging Toward a Postmodern Faith, Paternoster-Authentic Media.

Spread the news. Buy 15 copies.

peace... 

Even as we are known...

Big Jerr's dead!

No...not "Garcia." I heard he's still hiding out somewhere in the hills of Napa. It's Falwell who's gone. And I have to say that I am a little weary (already) of the eulogizing that's going on. (Rev. Al Shaprton saying nice things about Jerry Falwell on Larry King Live!?)

Perhaps one ought not speak ill of the dead - and I genuinely pray that he may rest in perpetual light, as the Book of Common Prayer puts it - but if I am asked to recount my memories of Jerry (and I have been asked; as an alumn of LU I find myself on a mailing list with other alumni who are passing around "Jerry moments"), my honest recollections are tortured. Jerry produced a mixed bag of fruit, to my mind.

Jerry was a man who would give the shoes off his feet (literally!) to a homeless person; and then that afternoon fire a LU faculty member who had to feed a family on a shoestring budget, just because he heard a rumour from a big donor.

He was a man who would faithfully preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ while making fun of "Adam and Steve" and the "National Order of Witches."

Jerry was a man who would ask his faculty members to accept the lowest pay scale of like-institutions in service of his vision of the kingdom of God and its mission; and then accept for himself a salary that was among the top three in the nation and live in a gated mansion.

And so on. For every person who could give testimony to the wonderful things Jerry did for them, there is (at least) one person who could tell of the ways his or her life was seriously damaged by Jerry's actions or words.

I realize that Jerry Falwell was instrumental in bringing about many positive contributions to peoples lives, and by no means do I wish to paint him with a single brush. He did some pretty amazing things while creating his empire and he could charm the pants (metphorically - I'm starting no rumours) off anything that had two legs. I myself had several very pleasant encounters with the man. I guess one must decide whether his life's accomplishments overshadow and justify the injury and collateral damage he caused. I, for one, have a hard time overlooking the rotten stuff. 

So in my own reflections on Jerry's legacy I want to have some integrity. I did not agree with much of what he said and did and represented when he was alive; and that does not change just because he is now with his maker.

For my part, I pray that Jerry Falwell will rest in the grace of God our Father, in the love of Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.; that he will receive the forgiveness and love of God, and dwell with Him eternally. 

After all, each of us will have our own reckoning and everyone - I, perhaps, more than anyone - will have his or her theology corrected on that day when we will know, even as we are known.

P.S. Jodi's party is tonight. Woo-Hoo!

Currently Listening Golden Age of Radio By Josh Ritter see related

Back to 3 Hills

The spring wind blew my beard away. And I cut my hair. Just couldn't put put up with the hippy, "Grizzly Adams", look. I feel like my "self" again.

Jodi is away in California for Mother's Day. She left Wednesday - returns tonight. On the first night she was gone Isabella threw up in her bed - all over her bed, actually. And all over herself, her pillows, her blankets, her stuffed animals...you get the picture. I had the pleasure and joy of washing sheets and bathing Bella - twice actually - in the middle of the night. Lovely. She's just today feeling well enough to go outside but Abigail came home Friday with a sore tummy and couldn't go to church this a.m. I swear anything bad that is going to happen to us waits for Jodi to go away. I've been feeling a little dodgy myself for a couple of days now. Needless to say we're all looking forward to her return tonight.

We're also looking forward to returning to 3 Hills (at least some of us are - Jodi's not so keen on it) next Monday. I have to fly to Vancouver to teach at Carey Theological College on the 27th, so I'm keeping very busy. I won't bore you with all the details of work, but it has been very productive while we've been here. We're at that bitter-sweet stage where everything we enjoy we realize we're doing for the last time before we leave. People have been so good, so loving, so welcoming to us here. We have been very blessed.

Jodi's having a CD release party next Friday, which promises to be a blast. It will bring the various facets of our life here (church, library, kids choir, etc.) together in one event. Jodi's put a band together. It should be fun. You can check her Xanga blog for details. Go to jodipenner.com to listen to samples of all the songs on the album. I'm biased, of course, but I think it's pretty good.

Anyway, that's me for now. See some of you in 3 Hills.

peace...