Bits past, present, and future
In reviewing the past I have noticed two obvious tendencies — of creation and destruction — relative to culture. One occurs when governments use power to create an ideal culture and so they oppress, repress, forbid, and otherwise restrict anything but those elements conforming to ideology. I see Russia under Stalin, Germany under [...]
So, Advent is “Coming,” and we grapple with mystery. Some of us with abstractions, others with personal fervor. Can one who has in delight cradled a newborn transfer all the reciprocal sensations into his or her heart — the center of being, of life? The “Yes” is possible because we are whole, [...]
What about Pentecostal Scientology? It was in the news this morning. I’ll bet L. Ron Hubbard never anticipated that combination, but he and his ilk shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Scientology is but one of the synthetic, or to use a term Catherine Albanese has used (A Republic of Mind and Spirit: [...]
Spring on the Plains! and the Red River Valley. Well, not just yet, but soon. The weekend’s winds kicked up some 3-4 foot troughs on Texoma Saturday. They brought some more of New Mexico, West Texas, and western Oklahoma eastward, too, so there must have been a bit of dust-storming westward. [...]
Ah, perfect love! For today, let us relegate the classical, sacrificial charity-love to a wall seat where it shall surely remain, but for a few lines. Take up (as C. S. Lewis did in his The Four Loves) the subtle joys of Affection (Storge) or the often-neglected, sometimes scorned, virtues of Friendship (Philia) [...]
From the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia we learn of three historical Saints Valentine, martyrs all in the second century; a bishop, a priest of Rome, and a Christian, possibly a priest, in North Africa. Medieval folk associated the Feast Day of St. Valentine, February 14, with the pairing of birds and from there with [...]
It’s no secret to my extended clan that BuzzFever is alive and growing. I want to congratulate son Curtis and supportive, collaborative daughter-in-law Crystal for a truly interesting business site with The Lord-Only-Knows potential. It’s just one idea, but it is REAL.
This is my first entry for 2007; I hope to have more [...]
~ I will never forget Oscar Thompson’s key theme of his book Concentric Circles of Concern: the most important word in the English language is relationships. Not love. Relationships. No relationships, no love. I watch Jesus gathering disciples (John 1 is a good place to start watching with me). [...]
Others have had more definitive things to say about the blogosphere, the bloglic (blogging public, as in, “One must choose one’s words carefully when writing in bloglic.”), and the democratizing influences of the World Wide Web. Yes, the weblogging phenomenon is huge — and voices proliferate! Oh, that all whose voices should be [...]
I am told that this year American Muslims are ordering more halal (properly slaughtered) turkeys for Thanksgiving dinner–it’s another way of taking part in the life here. I teach Chinese history and keep an eye on China. Thanksgiving in China isn’t necessarily a visiting American’s holiday; Chinese friends say they celebrate, too.