Too many questions have flooded my head. and I have found myself again lacking an explanation, a reason, something to make it all fit- a sort of miraculous logic.
Man....the Beatles sing my soul sometimes
"Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be. For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see, there will be an answer. let it be."
I think I spend too much time getting to the most simple end- but I might not believe it if I didn't take the hard way- I'm under the impression that if I were initiating my faith and if it were based on my faithfulness to God to carry me through this life, this Christian life, then I would have let go a long time ago. Recently, His faithfulness to me has been by blowing apart every thought in my critical doubt.
I can nail nothing down without the existence of Jesus. Why justice, love, or knowledge? What can be directed higher than God? None of this life makes sense void of the culmination of Christ's life, death, and resurrection.
Thank God He is alive. Had he died, with Him also would have gone the way, the truth, and the life.
Therefore I am hopeful and herein lies my joy- my full out weepy joy.
"Let it be" - that there is an answer. It has been accomplished and it is for all of us to know.
John 14
"1"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3"If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
4"And you know the way where I am going."
5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?"
6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Oneness with the Father 7"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him."
8Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."
9Jesus said to him, "Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
Friday, 4 July 2008
My Aura is Purple
Sometimes ....well, a lot of the time I could be considered under the hippie influence.
So, bare with me if you don't tend to relate to that primise.
I was thinking the other day about how frustrated I have been with people; people in general not specifically narrowed to people that I know. Only a couple of years ago, this kind of frustration was non-existent in my life. Then I started getting frustrated that I had allowed the previous frustration into my life. Namaste (which by definition means -"I am your humble servant"- I'm reclaiming this!)
I realized that I haven't been treating people with a value that I used to. It comes down to this.
When you are faced with a person, any person:
"look for their soul"
Your actions should follow suit.
I'm pretty sure this is Biblical
So, bare with me if you don't tend to relate to that primise.
I was thinking the other day about how frustrated I have been with people; people in general not specifically narrowed to people that I know. Only a couple of years ago, this kind of frustration was non-existent in my life. Then I started getting frustrated that I had allowed the previous frustration into my life. Namaste (which by definition means -"I am your humble servant"- I'm reclaiming this!)
I realized that I haven't been treating people with a value that I used to. It comes down to this.
When you are faced with a person, any person:
"look for their soul"
Your actions should follow suit.
I'm pretty sure this is Biblical
Monday, 30 June 2008
Its not in vain
So..... I haven't written anything in about 2 weeks. Not that I haven't had time or haven't found anything to be sufficient material. The funny thing is that I've had about 4 or 5 ideas that could make some interesting journals or academic writting, good things to work through.
Processing is a thing we do. There are ways to avoid it. and most people do. We will find any excuse to find a distraction. This point was brought up in Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and of course many other authors such as Machen, and unfortunately, chewing on this ideas for a while will make you increasingly aware of when it is that you are distracting yourself. Me, I don't think that my mind can hold up under the pressure of reality, the human condition and what it has done to this world, and God's grace. The thought that these things co-exist is such an overwhelming and frightening thought until.... .... ... ... ... ...
I have said before that people who continue to take themselves too seriously will end up in paranoia. It is the same for those who are extremely narcissistic or people who are the center of their universe. You can never find happiness or contentment when in denial. The truth is that you are not the center, life is happening outside of your control, your rights are far fewer then you ever dreamed but... ... ... ... ...
I was visiting a church a couple of weeks ago. The pastor starts his sermon explaining that today's message would be on the age-old topic of love. He goes on to talk about the problems in teaching on love, one of which was how hard it is to refresh it when the congregation has heard it so many times before. I was annoyed. I was frustrated that the assumption was that the word (specifically concerning love) needed refreshing (change) and not the congregation. I sat there steaming for 20 mins. until the fever broke and then I sat there frustrated with myself for being so critical of a vessel of God. On the inside, the commentary that morning was enough to lash my self-esteem and keep me anxious although... ... ... .... ...
...What I hear now is -Child, I have forgiven you. You are free.
The first few times I heard teaching on the freedom in Christ the context never seemed to face me with my own analytical mine-field happening in my brain. Before, it was about freedom from this world and sin but kept to a disassociated place.
Now, I can have patience with myself.
Processing is a thing we do. There are ways to avoid it. and most people do. We will find any excuse to find a distraction. This point was brought up in Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, and of course many other authors such as Machen, and unfortunately, chewing on this ideas for a while will make you increasingly aware of when it is that you are distracting yourself. Me, I don't think that my mind can hold up under the pressure of reality, the human condition and what it has done to this world, and God's grace. The thought that these things co-exist is such an overwhelming and frightening thought until.... .... ... ... ... ...
I have said before that people who continue to take themselves too seriously will end up in paranoia. It is the same for those who are extremely narcissistic or people who are the center of their universe. You can never find happiness or contentment when in denial. The truth is that you are not the center, life is happening outside of your control, your rights are far fewer then you ever dreamed but... ... ... ... ...
I was visiting a church a couple of weeks ago. The pastor starts his sermon explaining that today's message would be on the age-old topic of love. He goes on to talk about the problems in teaching on love, one of which was how hard it is to refresh it when the congregation has heard it so many times before. I was annoyed. I was frustrated that the assumption was that the word (specifically concerning love) needed refreshing (change) and not the congregation. I sat there steaming for 20 mins. until the fever broke and then I sat there frustrated with myself for being so critical of a vessel of God. On the inside, the commentary that morning was enough to lash my self-esteem and keep me anxious although... ... ... .... ...
...What I hear now is -Child, I have forgiven you. You are free.
The first few times I heard teaching on the freedom in Christ the context never seemed to face me with my own analytical mine-field happening in my brain. Before, it was about freedom from this world and sin but kept to a disassociated place.
Now, I can have patience with myself.
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
When Do You Live? Pascal on Time
Pascal on Time
Why are people consistently discontent with their present state though their present state is constantly changing? Blaise Pascal wrote, “We never keep to the present, we recall the past; we anticipate the future as if we found it too slow in coming and were trying to hurry it up, or we recall the past as if to stay its too rapid flight[1].” In my own reflection of this perspective on time, I became increasingly interested in the implications of living life from Pascal’s point of view. Responsively, I tried to illustrate the human disposition in a visual way; however, it is appropriate to first identify Pascal and the concept of time.
Pascal’s Background
Blaise Pascal is esteemed for being one of the greatest minds of all time. He is well known throughout the world for his mathematical and scientific discoveries; however, his most honored work was within the religious realm. Pascal had a difficult childhood. His education was conducted rigorously and he suffered from chronic illness until his early death at the age of thirty-nine. Consequently, he was sheltered from many physical realities, which provoked his keen awareness of ideals and metaphysics.
Pascal’s famous work, Pensees, is a collaboration of unfinished works found at the time of his death. Pascal’s vision of this completed work was to be an apologetic of the Christian faith. The organization of Pensees can be described using the illustration of a nucleus, instead of linear logic. There is a central theme to which everything else relates and draws its significance. For Pascal, the center rationalization of the relation between God and human beings is Christ.
Concept of Time
The notion of time has long occupied minds since the beginning. Philosophers and poets alike agree on three basic presuppositions about time. First, the proposal of succession: moments follow moments and may be recorded in an order. Secondly, time is continuous. There is no stopping a moment from following another. The continuity of time is independent of human authority. Finally, combining the two previous ideas, time is a continuous succession. Something may not succeed from nothing. Some suggest that this concept of time silently supplies evidence for the order of the universe.
Pascal on Time
Pascal believed it unwise to live life in anything other than the present state. He argued that a person’s reason for avoiding the present is part of the present’s nature- that is to pass. The past in its nature sheds light on the present and the future. Therefore, the future is our end. With this assessment we are always given the opportunity (as long as there are passing moments) to treat our present state as if its only purpose is to serve the next state of time. It is easy to live in the past and the future in fear that “this is as good as it gets.” By dwelling in the past we may have attained happiness, goodness, and “life.” The future, we think, has all of these to offer. As Pascal states, “Thus we never actually live, but hope to live, and since we are always planning how to be happy, it is inevitable that we should never be so[2].” What is given to us is our present state; it is the only promise of life we have. By giving the analysis of this art piece, my hope is to better convey the tension of humanity and time as described by Pascal.
Art Analysis: Based on Pascal’s writings on Time
For this particular piece, the perspectives at which the subjects are photographed are representative of the state of time, whether that is past, present, or future. The past tense is a shot from the front, revealing the entire face. Because we look at the past with a well-rounded perspective, it can be evaluated and analyzed. The present tense was photographed from the profile of each subject, in order to convey that, we are distressed that we cannot make a sure stance on whether our disposition is good or bad. We cannot see, or evaluate, while in the present unless we are looking at the past or the future. Depending on the way each subject’s head is turned reveals which “tense” (past present, or future) they tend to depend on when evaluating their present state. The smaller photograph in each present photo reveals the state that the subject is presently evaluating. In organizing this and attempting to be consistent with Pascal, I had to create a system. The states of the present tense are segmented into sub-categories: present/past, present/present-past, present/present-future, and present/future. There is a problem with this method- to divide the present state up could result in endless segments.
The best way I could represent the present was to make time lines, extending from the “past” and the “future” to show the movement of time. However, these lines do not touch or cross in the middle of the glass because the “present” can change the image of the future or it may change the evaluation of the past.
The organization of the photos is very intentional. If you look closely at the “present” photos, including the smaller photos, you’ll see that they are arranged from the top and the bottom, in opposition of each other, until they meet in the center. The most central photo represents the most “present” that one may be. The subject has both profile shots with the smaller photos reflecting on both tenses (past and future, never dependent more on one than the other). The photos surrounding her (the most present photos) also cover her, because truly “present-minded” people are few, and many times misunderstood. Also, in the center of the piece (the present) the images become visibly murky. This was simply to emphasize the confusion of the present. Some of the photographs overlap. The purpose is to represent the reality that people affect one another, and consequently their own personal dispositions concerning time and perspective.
After spending significant time thinking about Pascal’s concepts and working to illustrate them, I found great depth and wisdom from Pascal. Though it may seem that he is pessimistic about the human disposition of time I found incredible comfort and a refreshed understanding of God. One of the first names that we see God reference Godself is “the great I AM.” I find that my rest and peace in this disposition of time must be found in God. I believe that the process of my logical progression is consistent with the purpose that Pascal intended for the Pensees, to direct every thought towards understanding God.
[1] Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 2nd ed (London; Penguin Books Ltd., 1995). 13
[2] Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 2nd ed (London; Penguin Books Ltd., 1995). 13
Why are people consistently discontent with their present state though their present state is constantly changing? Blaise Pascal wrote, “We never keep to the present, we recall the past; we anticipate the future as if we found it too slow in coming and were trying to hurry it up, or we recall the past as if to stay its too rapid flight[1].” In my own reflection of this perspective on time, I became increasingly interested in the implications of living life from Pascal’s point of view. Responsively, I tried to illustrate the human disposition in a visual way; however, it is appropriate to first identify Pascal and the concept of time.
Pascal’s Background
Blaise Pascal is esteemed for being one of the greatest minds of all time. He is well known throughout the world for his mathematical and scientific discoveries; however, his most honored work was within the religious realm. Pascal had a difficult childhood. His education was conducted rigorously and he suffered from chronic illness until his early death at the age of thirty-nine. Consequently, he was sheltered from many physical realities, which provoked his keen awareness of ideals and metaphysics.
Pascal’s famous work, Pensees, is a collaboration of unfinished works found at the time of his death. Pascal’s vision of this completed work was to be an apologetic of the Christian faith. The organization of Pensees can be described using the illustration of a nucleus, instead of linear logic. There is a central theme to which everything else relates and draws its significance. For Pascal, the center rationalization of the relation between God and human beings is Christ.
Concept of Time
The notion of time has long occupied minds since the beginning. Philosophers and poets alike agree on three basic presuppositions about time. First, the proposal of succession: moments follow moments and may be recorded in an order. Secondly, time is continuous. There is no stopping a moment from following another. The continuity of time is independent of human authority. Finally, combining the two previous ideas, time is a continuous succession. Something may not succeed from nothing. Some suggest that this concept of time silently supplies evidence for the order of the universe.
Pascal on Time
Pascal believed it unwise to live life in anything other than the present state. He argued that a person’s reason for avoiding the present is part of the present’s nature- that is to pass. The past in its nature sheds light on the present and the future. Therefore, the future is our end. With this assessment we are always given the opportunity (as long as there are passing moments) to treat our present state as if its only purpose is to serve the next state of time. It is easy to live in the past and the future in fear that “this is as good as it gets.” By dwelling in the past we may have attained happiness, goodness, and “life.” The future, we think, has all of these to offer. As Pascal states, “Thus we never actually live, but hope to live, and since we are always planning how to be happy, it is inevitable that we should never be so[2].” What is given to us is our present state; it is the only promise of life we have. By giving the analysis of this art piece, my hope is to better convey the tension of humanity and time as described by Pascal.
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Art Analysis: Based on Pascal’s writings on Time
For this particular piece, the perspectives at which the subjects are photographed are representative of the state of time, whether that is past, present, or future. The past tense is a shot from the front, revealing the entire face. Because we look at the past with a well-rounded perspective, it can be evaluated and analyzed. The present tense was photographed from the profile of each subject, in order to convey that, we are distressed that we cannot make a sure stance on whether our disposition is good or bad. We cannot see, or evaluate, while in the present unless we are looking at the past or the future. Depending on the way each subject’s head is turned reveals which “tense” (past present, or future) they tend to depend on when evaluating their present state. The smaller photograph in each present photo reveals the state that the subject is presently evaluating. In organizing this and attempting to be consistent with Pascal, I had to create a system. The states of the present tense are segmented into sub-categories: present/past, present/present-past, present/present-future, and present/future. There is a problem with this method- to divide the present state up could result in endless segments.
The best way I could represent the present was to make time lines, extending from the “past” and the “future” to show the movement of time. However, these lines do not touch or cross in the middle of the glass because the “present” can change the image of the future or it may change the evaluation of the past.
The organization of the photos is very intentional. If you look closely at the “present” photos, including the smaller photos, you’ll see that they are arranged from the top and the bottom, in opposition of each other, until they meet in the center. The most central photo represents the most “present” that one may be. The subject has both profile shots with the smaller photos reflecting on both tenses (past and future, never dependent more on one than the other). The photos surrounding her (the most present photos) also cover her, because truly “present-minded” people are few, and many times misunderstood. Also, in the center of the piece (the present) the images become visibly murky. This was simply to emphasize the confusion of the present. Some of the photographs overlap. The purpose is to represent the reality that people affect one another, and consequently their own personal dispositions concerning time and perspective.
After spending significant time thinking about Pascal’s concepts and working to illustrate them, I found great depth and wisdom from Pascal. Though it may seem that he is pessimistic about the human disposition of time I found incredible comfort and a refreshed understanding of God. One of the first names that we see God reference Godself is “the great I AM.” I find that my rest and peace in this disposition of time must be found in God. I believe that the process of my logical progression is consistent with the purpose that Pascal intended for the Pensees, to direct every thought towards understanding God.
[1] Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 2nd ed (London; Penguin Books Ltd., 1995). 13
[2] Blaise Pascal, Pensees, 2nd ed (London; Penguin Books Ltd., 1995). 13
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
An Explanation
After long, long anticipation and the most flattering encouragement, I have agreed to grace the world with words. I'm laughing and you better be too.
This blog has been birthed out of the post-graduation labor pains. I personally do not relate to this type of mentality concerning what I affectionately call the "NEXT" for college graduates with no immediate plans. I am actually fairly optimistic about life in general and have found that it is more enjoyable when you're not in denial, obsessed with a past or future happiness.
After sorting that out, I realized just how much my philosophy concerning God, life, and the world around me are significantly related to the every, present day.
These entries are simply an outworking of what is being sorted out internally.
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