your drop of serotoninrain...
Oh, I absolutely affirm what you've just written!
And I had actually left another comment, in response to Jen's, reading in part: "We should be pleased when we occasionally manage to rise above ourselves, but not surprised when we vastly more often cannot. That probably sounds cynical, but I'm not really a cynic at heart...just a realist. If there's any cynicism it's reserved for those who think that there's a solution to our self-made predicaments that doesn't involve God changing hearts."
This is why I drop by here regularly, amigo!
Yes, I saw the comment you quoted above when I was setting the trackback. I was going to update the post, but my head was spinning as it was.
Thanks!
Good thoughts, Jim. I don't know that I'm ready to really weigh in on all of this. I think I'm still a little shellshocked by it all.
One question, though, for now. When you write "We are powerless without the Other as well as others", what exactly are you referring to by the capitalized Other? I thought I understood, but then I got a little confused by that sentence.
Eh. Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to God, specifically God in the person of Christ. Hence the capitalization. I was trying to relate the need of the divine Other to the need of Earthly others through which (speaking specifically about the Body of Christ) Jesus himself is present in this world.
Hope that clarifies things a little.
...Okay, now back to reading Conversation Peace part deux.
I think you've hit upon a central (and critical) tension we can't ignore as Christians:
We are called to live a life worthy of our calling, yet we are to be humble and consciously accept God's guidance, power, and grace. I think, in the Evangelical tradition, there's a lot more focus on the former than the latter.
Any time we forget to trust in God and try to change ourselves and the world, we get depressed. At least, I can't imagine it being otherwise. Vanity of vanities are all things under the sun.
Should we act in a Christian manner? Absolutely. We should resist evil, we should donate money and time, etc., etc. But all that is vanity, I think, if it isn't seen as service to God rather than our attempt to solve the world's problems.
Hi Scott and welcome to the blog.
Your comments sound truly Chestertonian. Which is a wonderful thing, IMO.
Thanks for sharing and blessings to you.
I'd like to suggest too that donating money and maybe even my own two hands (attached to the rest of my body of course) in the wake of this catastrophe can be used by God even if I don't trust or know God-- and God might further use those in changing me!
Jim
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