DCM 2009

The Inner Ring

2009-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

This was the perfect piece of writing to end the class with. Lewis discusses inner rings- the second or unwritten systems that exist within societies. I'm sure many of us had visions back to middle or high school, because that's where we tend to witness the inner rings-the cliques, the clubs, and the exclusive groups. We all have wanted at one point or another, and might still want, to be a part of something...to belong. Lewis gives advice to students about these rings.

We are never formally admitted into rings by anyone, but we all know they exist and that we are either on the outside or inside of them. "One of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside." This statement is so true. Who didn't want to be a part of the cheerleading squad or the football team in high school? I hated cheerleading, and disliked most of the girls on the team, but I longed to be a part of their exclusive group. They were popular! Everyone loved them! Of course I wanted to be envied like they were. Lewis describes it like this..."A terrible bore...ah, but how much more terrible fi you were left out! It is tiring and unhealthy to lose your saturday afternoons: but to have them free becuase you don't matter, that is much worse." It's better to be a part of something you hate than to be alone, right? This is how the rings make us think; what would be the point of a club if no one was denied?

So we do all that we can to be accepted into a ring. The passion for the inner ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things, says Lewis. How many times have we dressed a certain way, spoke in a certain slang, or bought items to make us fit in? This desire to fit in can make us do crazy things. However, as long as we are governed by this desire we will never actually get what we want. "You are trying to peel an onion: if you succeed there will be nothing left. Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain." If I had pursued the cheerleading squad, my pleasure would have been very short lived. That's because I wanted to joing simply to be popular, not because I enjoyed the sport. Also, a desire to be a part of the ring is fun in itself. We like to want what we can't have, and once we are given what we want it's lost all it's magic.

"The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it." Once we stop looking for rings to join, we will be unaware of the ring we are in. We will become unaware to a real inside that we are in, that we are snug and safe in something that would like like a ring from the outside. However, the secrecy is accidental and people are not inside it by some lure of the esoteric. It is instead a few people who like the same things, like each other, and are genuinely interested in hearing one another's thoughts- not what other people are thinking on the outside.

This is all easier said than done. It's simple to say that we shouldn't look for groups that will make us popular, but it's what we all do. This isn't just describing what life was like a few years ago before college, it still pertains to us...and it will not stop. Even in the workplace we'll want to fit in with colleagues, but we must work to overcome our desire for the ring. We were all created with a purpose, with different gifts, and we have a lot to offer the world...but we won't be able to use our talents if we are wasting time searching for popularity. I pray for ears that hear God's will for me and eyes to see the people around me who love me for me. God will always accept us, and never reject us- I've never heard of a clique with that kind of generosity.

Human Pain

2009-01-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite readings. As college students, I would guess that many of us have parents who are getting old, fast. (or grandparents) It can be hard to watch people grow into such suffering states, but this chapter really helped me to understand why we experience pain, both physical and mental.

Pain is inevitable in a fallen world, and that is because we cause it-not God. With the freedom we are created with comes the choice to do good or bad; unfortunetly many of us decide to partake in evil. "It is men, not God, who have produced racks, whips, prisons, slavery, guns, bayonets, and bombs..." Although much suffering comes from men God gives torture too, but why would a loving God allow us to experience pain? If all is well with us, we would have very little reason to surrender to God. Many of us use God like a parachute- only in cases of emergencies. When everything is going according to our own plans, we have very little use for God. He uses pain to show that not everything is well on earth; it is His megaphone rousing the deaf world.

It is hard to think of God allowing bad to happen, because we often associate bad things with bad people. We cannot think this way though. Even the most wonderful people feel pain. Sometimes we don't even notice we are suffering, so God needs to awaken us from our sinful slumber. Pain shatters our illusions that what we have is our own and is enough to satisfy us. "God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full- there's nowhere for Him to put it." He wants us to have all the pleasures in the world, but we deny Him. We cannot live in peace if we are too busy distracting ourselves with earthly things. God takes away our sources of temporary happiness in order to give us an eternity of joy.

I really enjoyed listening to Peter Kreeft in class, and one of the things he said that stayed with me is that so many of us want a grandfather in Heaven, not a father. We picture God as this friendly old man who lets us do whatever we want in order to be happy, but that is not the case. It's not that God doesn't want us to be happy, it's quite the opposite. God wants us to be so happy that He takes away the parts of our lives that are hindering His plans for our joy. When we lose ourselves we can then finally find ourselves. Only through the work of God can that happen, and it sometimes involves the use of pain.

This chapter contains another great analogy. We often behave like a puppy when the hated bath is over-we shake ourselves clean only to run toward the nearest mud pile. We are so quick to fall back into sinful ways even after confessing our shamefulness to the Lord. "And that is why tribulations cannot cease until God either sees us remade or sees that our remaking is now hopeless."

We must remember that even in our suffering we must glorify God. He puts us in situations for reasons only He knows, so we cannot be quick to curse God. Insted of focusing on the pain we are in, we should be thankful for the joys that are ahead of us. God allows suffering, but He allows us to enjoy great splendors as well. It is only out of love that God uses pain as a way to restore us, and many of us forget that. I pray that I can have eyes that look beyond my pain and toward the redeeming work of the Lord. If I am in pain, there is probably something God wants to fix in my life or something He wants to reveal to me. How wonderful it is that we can rejoice even in our sufferings!

The Fall & Redemption (Plantinga)

2009-01-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

I don't remember ever talking about the fall chapter in class, so I think that is why I never blogged on it. That is why I'm adding it to the chapter on redemption.

Creation declares the glory of God, but it also declares the tragedy of fallenness, of chaos, of painful carnivorousness. Although there is so much beauty in the world there is also a lot of corruption; that is the result of the fall. Human life is not the way it is supposed to be, because we choose to live against God, our neighbors, even ourselves. Life has been like this ever since Adam & Eve ate that apple in the garden...

We have chosen to live against our ultimate good, the paradise God offered us, and now "evil lies close at hand." Evil is what is wrong with the world, and it is when we deviate from God. Anything that spoils shalom is evil; it is not shocking that God hates evil. Our sinful acts interfere with how things are meant to be, how God created us to live.

Original sin refers to the tendencies of the whole human race to be pulled into sin. We make wrong uses of God's gifts, we pollute relationships, make false gods , and we often don't even know we are doing wrong. We start with small sins such as lying, and suddenly we cannot tell which are the lies and which are the truths in our life.

So who is to blame for all of our wicked ways? Many think that all evil comes from Satan, but he cannot wreck the lives of those who are faithfully clung to Jesus Christ. Satan only decieves those who are already self-deceived. If we are not in continuous prayer with God we will not be strong enough to combat the Devil. Only with the Holy Spirit in us can we be firm in our beliefs and not be deceived by evil. "The problem is that we humans put our faith in nature or in ourselves instead of in God."

But there is hope!

Human misery does not last forever, for the grace of God grants mercy to the undeserving. As much as God hates sin, he loves to forgive us! We may leave His side but He never loses sight of us, and He never will. We can be free from our sins when we follow the ten commandments. It is not a set of rules humans have to fulfill to be rescued by God but it is besause we are saved we follow them. It seems strange to think we get freedom by obeying rules, but godly obedience liberates us. By following God's will, we are free from sin and corruption; we get to live the life that was meant for us.

Through baptism we become "in Christ" but that is only the start of a lifelong conversion process. We do not automatically receive the golden ticket into Heaven by attending on church service; we must be patient and let God work in us. "We are not saved by good works, but neither are we saved without them." By living a "good life" we are not necessarily living a holy life, pleasing to God. According to Lewis, we must act like children dressing in our parents' clothes. It's not an act of pretending, but an act of prepartion: we are to prepare to clothe ourselves in Christ. By expressing the image of God we are restoring shalom. Just as we are changed when we are "born again" we must also change the world around us. Everything needs restoring. The whole world belongs to God, so we cannot restore ourselves without reforming all of creation.

Many of us have said Plantinga is not inspiring, but we have to look at the messages he is trying to reveal to us. We are fallen beings; we are born into sinful lives. It is a tragedy, but it has a happy ending. By faith in God and living according to His plan, we are redeemed. There is hope for us all! No matter how many times we sin against God, He never leaves our side. He is always eager to restore us, to give us a second chance. What a wonderful Savior we have!

Man or Rabbit

2009-01-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this essay! Lewis uses such genius analogies, and this piece contains some of my favorites. They make understanding his points so much easier.

"Can't you lead a good life without believing in Christianity?" Lewis starts by asking this question, and his answer is basically no. If you are asking this question, you have most likely heard of Christianity and thus are rejecting God on dishonest terms. What it really means is that you do not want to know whether it is true or false but just if you should bother with Christianity or if being good is fine enough. Lewis says this person is like the man who won't look at his bank account because he's afraid of what he'll see or the man who refuses to see a doctor for the pain he's feeling because the doctor may reveal some terrible answers. Some of us are so afraid to really dive into Christianity and study it, because we know it will uncover truths in our lives that we aren't ready to face.

"You may not be certain yet whether or not you ought to be a Christian, but you do know you ought to be a man, not an ostrich hiding its head in the sand." This analogy is wonderful. So many of us choose to hide under the sand of our lies because we know we are only lying to ourselves; we refuse to acknowledge the truth and end up living in denial.

I will not doubt that there are honest, moral, just people out there who are not Christians. They may lead "good" lives, but that is only good according to their definitions. Nonetheless, the question of living a good life is not really the question. If people knew what life was truly about, they would know that "a decent life is mere machinery compared with the things we men are really made for." The divine life is not indispensable like morality is; living a good life does not allow you to be re-made. As Christians we are given the chance for the rabbit in us to disappear. The cowardly, sensual, ethical, intellectual parts of us will go away, only for us to find something we have never yet imagined: "a real Man, an ageless god, a son of God, strong, radiant, wise, beautiful, and drenched in joy."
This goes back to our discussion of the difference between happiness and joy. We can live decent lives, filled with happiness, but we do not experience joy without the love of God. The point of our existence is not to live a 'good life' but to live a life that pleases God and follows His plans for us.

As far as our discussion in class today goes, I just want to confess that I am struggling with becoming jaded and cynical. I did not grow up in a Christian home, and my friends were not Christians. Scripture and doctrine were not embedded in me throughout all of my education, yet God still showed His face to me. It has been hard for me to come in from the outside and listen to so many Christians who are very judgmental.
I do not think we can judge those who do not live in places like West Michigan where most of the population is Dutch and Reformed. It is very hard for me to believe that God would not make His existence known to every man. Lewis discusses an honest error of simply living a good life due to not ever knowing God; I am not sure if that is possible. Salvation is a mystery, and who are to try to pinpoint it down to a science? Just because we see people who may be "evil" in our eyes doesn't mean that God isn't using them somehow, and just because someone was immersed in a different culture doesn't mean they won't find their way to Christianity.

The Abolition of Man

2009-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

This was again one of the more difficult readings for me, and it is hard for me to form a deep opinion on something I have not fully comprehended yet. (It may not have helped that since it was hard for me to understand, I ended up skimming most of it...) Nonetheless, I think this piece displays Lewis's intellect and his passion for truth. He discusses the idea of the Natural Law and in what sense us humans have power over nature.

I like the second paragraph where he uses three examples to describe men trying to control nature: the aeroplane, the wireless, and the contraceptive. In a way, we excercise our power by flying when we are not naturally equipped to fly, to access the entire world wide web anywhere and anytime, and deciding when to have a child and when not to on our own terms. However, by using our power we become either the subject or the possessor of the power. By flying we may be exposed to bombs, and by surfing the web we are exposed to ads and spam messages. "What we call Man's power is, in reality, a power possessed by some men which they may, or may not, allow other men to profit by." This "power" is obtained not by man only but with nature as the instrument.

I really enjoyed this quote: "Each new power won by man is a power over man as well. Each advance leaves him weaker as well as stronger." This statement is so true, because any power we create on our own will never truly give us power. God has control over all, and when we try to establish control over someone or something withouth Him guiding us, it will inevitably fail. The moral code is written on our hearts, so anything that goes against that may bring us temporary strength but it will only make us weak in the long run.

"It is the magician's bargain: give up our soul, get power in return. But once our souls, that is, ourselves, have been given up, the power thus conferred will not belong to us. We shall in fact be the slaves and puppets of that to which we have given our souls." I think many of us try to have it both ways: we try to follow the natural law and we also try to act like mere nature and follow our own impulses. However, Lewis says this is impossible, and I agree. We cannot try to exert our own power in earthly matters while also claiming that God is all powerful.

During the discussion in class I just kept thinking of Karl Marx and his theory on how we are all living in a constant power struggle between the class systems. We all have this innate understanding of right and wrong, but it seems that the elite no longer believe in an objective truth. We are not striving to know the truth but instead what is 'right' or 'wrong' according to our own ideals. Thus, when something is not right to us we try to exert power over it and manipulate something to fit into our idea of right. The people with the most resources have the most power over people so the elite end up in power over others teaching a 'truth' that does not correlate with the truth written on our hearts.

Although we are created with a sense of what is right and what is wrong, we do not follow it due to the fall. Thus, we cannot only have knowledge of the truth, we must pair it with a desire to follow the truth. We have to want to do right, because the law often gets hidden and if we don't have a desire for it we aren't willing to dig it out again.

I'm not sure how correct my interpretations of this chapter are, but I tried to understand the best I could. Basically we have this objective moral code that transcends time and culture but struggle to obey it. Without God by our sides, we will continue to struggle with right and wrong because we are tainted by sin.

The Four Loves: Eros

2009-01-20T15:04:00.000-08:00

I am a visual learner, so today about drove me crazy! I apologize to you Adrianna and Paulo, but I found it very hard to follow Lewis when he was speaking on the recording. Maybe if he was reading exactly the words from the chapter, and I could read as he spoke, then I would have gotten more out of it. Nonetheless, I was able to follow his ideas when I was reading it alone. It amazes me that Lewis can write profoundly on a topic such as the Law of Human Nature and do the same on the topic of love and sexuality.

By eros Lewis means the state of 'being in love.' It is the appreciative part of love, compared to the animal element venus. Venus is the need-pleasure of love. Without eros, sexual desire wants the thing in itself; it doesn't want the woman, it just so happens that pleasure comes from the woman. On the contrary, eros wants the beloved, the woman, not just any woman.

Without eros, sexual desire is a fact about ourselves. The opposite is true with eros; sexual desire becomes about the beloved, it includes the other person involved. That is why with eros pleasure is a by-product. We do not seek sexual pleasure when we are in love, it just happens to come along with the whole package.

I really like when Lewis talks about the need for laughter, and how we cannot be completely serious about venus. 'Banish play and laughter from the bed of love and you may let in a false goddess." "Sensible lovers laugh." "It is a bad thing not to joke, worse, not to take a divine joke. Lewis even goes on to suggest lovers act in baffoonery. Only love that is short-lived doesn't include comedy, play, and even buffoonery.

One of the statements I liked best from this chapter is when Lewis uses a carton of cigarettes to describe how men seek pleasure. A man does not want a cigarette; he wants the pleasure that he obtains from a cigarette. If the pleasure come through some other medium, then he would desire that item instead. Lewis also mentions that men do not keep the carton after the cigarettes are gone. This is how many of us treat the opposite sex. Men seek the pleasure that comes from intercourse, so they engage in sex with many women, but afterwards the women are thrown out. They constantly want to be fulfilled but they need more and more to fill that longing. It goes back to this longing that we have for our Lord. Only He can satisfy us, but we are too busy looking for earthly ways to fill our voids. Sex is just another commodity these days, sold all over the media, so it is not shocking that sex is taken so lightly. So many of us are after venus when we should be after eros. I know that we all have this animal instinct in us, but we must learn to supress it. We can only do that with the help of God, and the help he brings us in other believers. I do not think we can use will power alone to combat lust and impurity, but we need it paired with guidance from our Lord. I pray for the courage to confess to God when I am weak in my desires and the strength to get back up when I am beaten down with my sins.

Is There Sex in Heaven?

2009-01-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

This piece of writing was discussed over dinner at the Ribeiro's home Saturday, but I did not attend that day. I was disappointed to see that no one commented on this, because it was a very interesting article.

Peter Kreeft gives seven reasons why the question of sex in Heaven is a good question, and it is mainly because they are both two great mysteries. Sex and Heaven are both things we desire, but we know very little about them. (This surprised me, because how much is there to know about sex?). Additionally, Kreeft thinks we ought to question both, since sex and Heaven are both taboo topics. We often think sex is an inappropriate, "dirty" topic, and Heaven is the opposite-it is too religious to talk about. What I really liked was when Kreeft said that we should never stop answering childish questions, and he gives an example of his daughter inquiring about her cat going to Heaven. I have found that children often ask more profound questions than adults; we should never ignore a question simply because the person asking is a minor. Another example of a silly question that is worth pondering is "did Adam and Eve fart before the fall?" I definitely laughed out loud after reading that.

Like I said earlier, I do not think there is much to know about sex. However, Kreeft says that we actually do not think about sex at all. "Dreaming, fantasizing, feeling, experimenting-yes. But honest, look-it-in-the-face thinking?--hardly ever. There is no subject int he world about which there is more heat and less light." I never thought about sex this way! It's so true; we partake in the action frequently but we do not actually think about the act itself ever. Another funny point is that we apparently don't think about it nor do we know how to do it. "It is when everyone's pipes are leaking that people buy books on plumbing." There are hundred of how-to books on the subject, so clearly we do not know much about it.

One principle Kreeft states is that sex is something you are, not something you do. The example of a nun having a sexual life was an unusual one, but it worked. Nuns cannot have sexual intercourse, but they are still indeed women. Their sex is a part of them just like age, race, and sense of humor. What Kreeft means is that we have triviliazed sex into a thing we do instead of a quality of our inner being. Sex is now a thing of external feelings rather than internal ones. If this principle is true, that sexuality is of our inner essence, then there is sex in Heaven. (This however does not mean that we will 'have' sex or if we will have sexually distinct social roles.)

A contrary principle is that sex is spiritual. "Sex is between the ears before it's between the legs" Kreeft suggests that we have sexual souls. This means that sex is not socially conditioned or environmental. It is instead hereditary; biological sexuality is innate, natural, and pervasive to every cell in the body.

"God is a sexual being, the most sexual of all beings." This should not be surprising, because if God is fully love, kindness, joy, and every thing that is good, why would He not be fully sexual? He created sex, so it is indeed good. Kreeft suggests that God is a sexual being because the triune relationship is a sexual one. I am not sure I fully understand how the trinity is a sexual...

So if there is sex in Heaven, what will be it's purpose? It will not be for baby-making or for marriage, so there must be another function. Intercourse on earth is a shadow of intercourse in Heaven, but what does that mean? This is where I get a little confused. Kreeft speculates that monogamy is for earth, not Heaven. On earth our bodies are private, but they are not in Heaven- we share each other's everything with no shame. "Promiscuity of spirit is a virtue." Since we have bodies on earth, and Jesus was ra,ised in the body, it is safe to assume we will have bodies in Heaven. Thus, we could speculate that there will be physical sexual intercourse in Heaven. Howver, Kreeft suggests that maybe if there's no intercourse in Heaven it's because there's something better to do. We cannot compare earthly sex with Heavenly sex since none of us have experienced the latter (yet?).

I found this to be very entertaining, but I'm not sold on all his ideas. I find it hard to believe we will have promiscuous sex in Heaven, and to be honest I am not sure if we will have physical sexual intercourse after we die. It seems that there would be much better, great, more fulfilling acts to experience in Heaven. If God is neither male nor female, how is the trinity a sexual relationship? If we will be neither male nor female in Heaven, how would we partake in sexual acts? I would be curious to read other pieces about this subject, since this is the first I have ever seen. A good read nonetheless.

The Poison of Subjectivism

2009-01-19T19:49:00.000-08:00

This piece was the hardest for me to read. It could be that I didn't get to fully digest it, since I was catching up on other readings, but I just didn't think it was as interesting as the others. I never got a clear definition of what subjectivism actually is, so I am not sure if I missed it or if it's just something we are expected to know. Anyway, I will try to point out some major quotes that illustrate his idea.

Lewis makes two points:
1. The human mind has no more power of intervening a new value than of planting a new sun in the sky or a new primary color in the spectrum.
2. Every attempt to do so consists in arbitrarily selecting some one maxim of traditional morality, isolating it from the rest, and erecting it into an unum necessarium.

All ideas of new or scientific or modern moralities must be dismissed as mere confusion, says Lewis.

"While we believe that good is something to be invented, we demand of our rulers such qualities as vision, dynamism, creativity, and the like. If we returned to the objective view we should demand qualities much rarer, and much more beneficial- virtue, knowledge, diligence, and skill."

As hard as I try to summarize this passage, I just cannot put a strong handle around it. Lewis is such a brilliant writer, and I often wish I could write such convincing arguments like he does. However, it is days like today that I cannot appreciate his logic like I should. Sometimes I need an easy read, an entertaining while still profound, read. I often feel like guilty for wanting to read Chronicles of Narnia when I have all these intellectual pieces of writing in front of me. However, I don't think that God wants us to always be so scholarly; I think He loves when we approach Him like a child.
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." — Mark 10:14-15
However, going along with our past readings on learning, I know that God wants me to seek out understanding and truth. I cannot simply give up reading something the moment I feel confused or frustrated.
"Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day." — Ps 25:4-5
I pray for a teachable heart, but I pray for the mind of a child- curious, inquisitive, not tainted by cynicism. I pray for a heart of perseverance, to keep seeking knowledge even when it seems impossible to contain.

Plantinga Chapter Five

2009-01-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

This chapter correlated very well with "Learning in War-Time." Although Lewis is more philosophical, Plantinga conveys the same message- just in simpler terms.

"Given Jesus' summons, his followers have always understood that to be a "Christ person" is to be a "kingdom person." Working in the kingdom is our way of life. And many followers have concluded that we need powerful Christian education to learn how to serve the kingdom most intelligently." Just as we cannot separate ourselves from secular and sacred parts of life, we cannot live on earth without living in the kingdom of God. Additionally, we must be educated so we know how to live the life that is most pleasing to God in His kingdom.

Although we already live in the kingdom, we often pray for the kingdom to come- as if it doesn't exist yet. In troubled times we pray, we beg, for the kingdom to come and save us from our misery. People who have it really bad desire the kingdom of God with every fiber of their being, but this is not a feeling most of us share. When we are having a good day, many of us secretly pray for the kingdom to come another day. We pray and hope that "your kingdom come" but not right away. This is because we think our earthly kingdom is just fine; we don't desire something better when life on earth is going great. We get too comfortable with our own way of life that the coming of the kingdom is far from our minds. I pray that I will start living in the kingdom of God instead of my own earthly kingdom; I too often think I have my own life in control and when it goes well I have no need for God. Instead of longing for God to come to me in times of sorrow, I need to acknowledge His presence is never fleeing. Our earthly kingdom, no matter how joyful it can be, will never compare to the kingdom of the Lord.

Furthermore, to say that God is the supreme ruler means that He is not the only ruler. God has created us to have dominion, so there are presidents, chiefs, chairmen, etc. "We all have a particular sphere over which we have our say." We do not reign alone though; we have our say, but only in community with others. Living in the kingdom of God means learning how to mesh our personal kingdoms with those of others. This means sharing living space, classrooms, or work space. Although we have small, personal kingdoms, God's kingdom is over all of them.

This relates to learning, because in the kingdom of God we must know how to take part in earthly kingdoms. A Christian still votes, and we have to be educated on what candidate would most glorify God. If we don't vote, we can pray for leaders to make good choices and obey them by paying taxes. There are earthly institutions that play a huge role in God's kingdom. Hospitals, schools, recreational clubs, etc. all extend God's sovereignty to every part of life. A prime citizen of the kingdom longs for shalom, so we are to participate in activities that contribute to the coming of shalom.

"God's other name is Surprise." Life is not perfectly balanced and organized, so we must be prepared for whatever God throws in our path. If we are educated in a wide array of topics, bumps in the road will not trip us up. We will be able to continue on, even if that means a new road with new sub-kingdoms. Since we are created with a desire to learn, we will not be following God's will if we are not constantly seeking knowledge. Knowledge of our Lord is what will build us up first, since He is our rock that everything stands on. If we seek God first, He will show what we need to know. I pray for a humble heart, that confesses it cannot know anything before it knows about the Lord, and that every piece of knowledge is a gift from God.

Learning in War-Time

2009-01-19T16:03:00.001-08:00

I really enjoyed reading this sermon, because I often wonder what I am doing at school when I should be out experiencing life and following my hopes and dreams. However, in my head I have my own plans but they are not likely God's plans. Furthermore, I find it difficult to believe that it is God's will for me to spend years in college. Lewis presented an argument that shined light on my thoughts though.

"How can you be so frivolous and selfish as to think of anything but the war?" "How can you be so frivolous and selfish as to think of anything but the salvation of human souls?"

Lewis wrote this in a time when a war was going on, but I think it has great importance for anyone, in any time period. How can we as college students be so selfish as to spend all our time in classes and not out helping the poor? However, we cannot think that life is so exclusive. We can be religious while still being national. "Before I became a Christian I do not think I fully realized that on'es life, after conversion would inevitable consist in doing most of the same things one had been doing before: one hopes, in a new spirit, but still the same things." I like this a lot, because I most of think this way. We expect life to completely change the instant we become a Christian, but that is not the case. We live the same life before, but now we have a new motivation. Lewis says that neither enlistment in the army nor Christianity will obliterate the human life; neither of the two will wash away the life we lived before we entered them.
"Life has never been normal."
We tend to compare our new life with our old, thinking that becoming a Christian (or soldier, or doctor, etc.) means leaving our "normal" life, and that is just not true.

I really like when Lewis says that political duties are worth dying for, but not living for. A man must die for his country, but no man must live for his country. This is the opposite of religious duties, because religion must occupy our whole life. "God's claim is infinite and inexorable." We belong to God, so we must not surrender ourselves to earthly duties. There should not be competition between the two though; God is present everywhere, so even our earthly duties can glorify Him. "All our merely natural activities will be accepted, if they are offered to God, even the humblest: and all of them, even the noblest, will be sinful if they are not." A lot of people in class disagreed with that statement, but I do not. I think that everything we do can either please God or pull us away from Him. Everything from clothing, sports, work, play can be used sinfully or they can be used to please God. All activities we do can be sacred if we do them in the name of the Lord.

It's not until the middle of the sermon does Lewis actually get into the need for learning and education. "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy must be answered." We must be educated to combat the ignorant. God created us with this desire to learn, and if we do not learn about Him we cannot spread word of His awesomeness. Additionally, we must know about other religions and practices so we can be equipped to argue for the Truth. However, we cannot simply have knowledge; we must pair it with action. "The only people who achieve much are those who want knowledge so badly that they seek it while the conditions are still unfavorable." There may be a war going on, but we must seek to learn at all times. We cannot wait for ideal conditions, because ideal conditions do not exist. "If men had postponed the search for knowledge and beauty until they were secure the search would never have begun."

I pray to have this kind of understanding about the purpose of learning. "When this happens..." or "When I graduate..." or "After I make enough money..." are all phrases I am guilty of using. However, the time is now, and I cannot afford to waste any of the time God has blessed me with. We cannot know when our time is up on earth, so we cannot assume we will do God's will next week or next year.

Mere Christianity

2009-01-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

In the first few chapters of this book, Lewis does an extraordinary job laying out the idea of The Law of Human Nature. Two points Lewis makes are that all humans have a curious feeling that they should act in a certain way, and also that humans do not in fact behave in that way. We all know the Law of Nature, but we all break it.
Chapter two distinguishes instincts from law, because a feeling of desire to help someone is very different from feeling you ought to help someone, whether you want to or not. An example is if someone is drowning, you will feel two desires: one to give help (herd instinct) and one to keep out of danger (self-preservation). Additionally, you will feel something that tells you to help the person drowning and suppress the impulse to run away. "The moral law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys."
I really like when Lewis talks about impulses not being bad. Some people in class thought that our impulse to kill must be a bad one, since it is bad to kill. However, Lewis points out that the impulse to kill is appropriate for a soldier. I do not think the impulse to kill would be felt unless you were in great danger; if I was being attacked, the impulse to kill my attacker is not a bad one. Moreover, sexual impulses are not bad ones but may be bad in certain situations. We must know when to restrain and when to embrace our impulses.There are no impulses or instincts that we must always follow, no matter what. They cannot be an absolute guide, because love for humanity must also be paired with justice. The moral law is not an instinct or set of instincts; it directs the instincts.
Lewis brings up the point that although we have different cultural practices and beliefs, the moral differences between countries are not that great. Rules of the road or the type of clothing worn vary from time to time and from location to location, but the moral code is running through them all. People often do not distinguish between difference between morality and differences of belief about facts.
In chapter three, the laws of nature are discussed. In the case of nature, law means "what it always does." A stone will always fall when dropped. This is not because it is under some sort of order, but this is just what in fact it does. "The Law of Gravity tells you what stones do if you drop them; but the Law of Human Nature tells you what human beings ought to do and do not." There is not a behavior that stones ought to act in, and there is nothing else needed but facts when it comes to electronics or molecules. Human beings however need more than facts. We must admit that the Law of Human Nature is a real thing, and it is not made up by ourselves. There is something above and beyond the ordinary facts of men's behavior...'a real law, which none of us made, but which we find pressing on us."
It continues to amaze me how brilliant C.S Lewis is. He presents this topic flawlessly, and it still holds true years after he wrote it. Our group did not have much to say about this piece of writing, because there was nothing to disagree with. He presents a truth that cannot be argued against. However, if we cannot argue against it, we must figure out what to do with it. If we do not follow this Law of Human Nature, how can start to? If the power behind the facts is God (which is what Lewis is leading up to) how can we open our ears and eyes to follow this guide more thoroughly?
Lastly, I just find it so interesting that this Law runs through everyone, every denomination. God is the force behind all of our actions, yet we still have groups of followers who are fighting and competing against one another. It does not make sense to me.

Letter XII

2009-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

I know far too many people who are afraid to talk about the devil and more specifically, the idea of evil being present in the world. However, I think the more we know about something the more we will be able to combat it. In this letter, Screwtape is talking about how even the smallest sins, the shortest pulls away from God, can lead us closer to the devil. I do not think most people view their sins this way. "I just skipped church this one time, it's not a big deal." "I got drunk last weekend, but this weekend I won't." It seems that we tend to think our relationship with God is just as good as it was last week, month, year, even though we've been slowing falling away. This quote sums it up well:
"As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago. And while he thinks that, we do not have to contend with the explicit repentance of a definite, fully recognized, sin, but only with his vague, though uneasy, feeling that he hasn't been doing very well lately."
It is easy to go to a Christian college, because if we drink or have sex or whatever, we are still surrounded by Christians and still go to chapel everyday. We think that we've just made some new friends or started participating in new activities, and we are still just as close to God as we've always been. However, this letter also says how our temptations will soon become our desires. We may start going to parties and not drink, but then we'll have a drink or two and feel guilty, but as time goes on we'll end up wanting to drink and wanting to do it more and more.
"It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. ....Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."
This ending really struck me, because I know that I don't do "big" sins, but I do many small ones. Every time I choose to sleep in instead of going to church, go to Johny's instead of chapel, or sit on facebook instead of praying, I am gradually edging away from the Light and into the Nothing. What can be terrifying to think about is the fact that the devil knows this. He knows my weaknesses and when I am vulnerable. It is uncomfortable to think that someone other than God knows me in and out. However, it can also be comforting to know that God knows me and He knows when to strenghten me when I am weak. With Him, I can combat the temptations that lead me to the devil, and God always brings me out of the darkness.
This letter made me think of all the choices I make, and how even the smallest ones could have great impact on my life. Listening to offensive music, watching inappropriate televion shows, or looking at magazines that promote a false truth, can all change our relationship with God. There is always going to be something there to tempt us or distract us, so it is up to us to know when we are being led astray. Small sins can lead to big sins, and soon we may be too far in to get out of the mess we made. Fortunetly, God never leaves our side, and He is always there to listen to our prayers and forgive us. I pray for a humble heart, one that not only recognizes when I make a mistake but is also eager to tell God about it and let it go. Only with Him can I resist the devil.

Plantinga Chapter Two

2009-01-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

I know it will be impossible to sum up the idea of creation in one blog, so I will focus on a few main points that I liked from Plantinga's second chapter.
What is often hard to fathom is the fact that God did not need to create us. However, it makes sense when you think about the trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in community together, so there is no need for a community to be made. God is not and never was lonely; the persons in the trinity love and glorify one another. Plantinga says "nothing internal or external to God compelled Him to create." To know that God did not create me out of necessity or accident makes His love so much more fulfilling. How wonderful it is to have a Father who made you out of pure love! "Creation is an act of imaginative love." What is even more astounding is that God loved us before we even existed. I don't know how many of you think the world was created in a literal six days, I"m not completely sure where I even stand in that argument, but thinking of creation always makes me think of this song by sleeping at last:

“You were a million years of work,”Said God and His angels, with needle and thread.They kissed your head and said,“You’re a good kid and you make us proud.So just give your best and the rest will come,And we’ll see you soon.”

To think that God spent years creating me, thinking about every detail, and rejoicing in His work when He was done creating me....It's just so hard to comprehend. I love the image of God looking down on me, saying "you make me proud."

The creation story tells us a lot about who God is. He graciously made room for something other than Himself to exist. With all the power God has, he chose to expand the realm of being and went to work creating. Because of His selfless love and great imagination we are able to enjoy sunsets, stars, oceans, mountains, kittens, etc...It's so easy to look at nature and think something is beautiful, but when you actually look at it and realize God created it, it's almost unbelievable. There is a song by mewithoutyou (actually it is a 3 part series) that is about seeing a spider and having it confirm his deepest beliefs. I do not think you can see the intricate details put into each and every being and not believe in God; even the smallest of creatures, spiders, ants, ladybugs, are His work.

I love when Plantinga says (in reference to the books in the Bible) "These highly poetic chapters do not teach us zoology but they do teach us something important. The chapters teach us that God loves creation. God celebrates creation. God even plays with his creation." He made every part of creation unique, unlike any other in and out of its species. Plantinga suggests that the created world is a stage not for humans but for God. This is a very humbling way to see the world. We often see this place as our own, as if we created it ourselves. Instead, we should be looking at every person, object, animal, as if we are looking at millions of pieces of God's glory. I pray to have eyes that can look at any aspect of creation and see that it is good, since God is completely and fully good.

Show & Tell

2009-01-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

I thought it was bizarre that we were having show and tell in college, but it turned out to be very entertaining and also inspiring. Although it was quite a stretch to relate many of the youtube videos to our topics, it was a nice change of pace to sit and laugh all class period!

The song I chose to share was by my favorite band, mewithoutyou. It is a song titled "Torches Together" and it is one that I continue to learn and interpet things differently each time I listen. Here are the lyrics:

Why burn poor and lonely under a bowl or under a lampshade
Or on the shelf beside the bed
Where at night you lay turning like a door on its hinges?...
First on your left side, then on your right side...then your left side again.
Why burn poor and lonely?
Tell all the stones we're gonna make a building...
We'll be cut into shape and set into place
Or if you'd rather be a window, I'll gladly be the frame,
Reflecting any kind words, we'll let in all their blame...
And ruin our reputation all the same.
So never mind our plan making, we'll start living...
Anyway, aren't you unbearably sad?
Then why burn so poor and lonely?
We'll be like torches!
We'll be like torches!
We'll be like torches...OH!!
We'll be torches together...TORCHES TOGETHER!!
We'll be like torches!
We'll be like torches...with whatever respect our tattered dignity demands,
Torches together...hand in hand.
Why pluck one string...what good is just one note?
Oh, one string sounds fine, I guess...but we were once 'one notes',
We were lonely wheat quietly ground into grain...What light and momentary pain!
So why the safe distance, this curious look?
Why tear out single pages when you can throw away the book?
Why pluck one string when you can strum the guitar?
Strum the guitar!Strum the guitar!
Strum the guitar...with no beginning, with no end.
Take down the guitar and strum the guitar!
Strum the guitar if you're afraid.
And I'm afraid and everyone's afraid and everyone knows it,
But we don't have to be afraid anymore.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
You sang a sad song...but none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
And you sang a sad song, and none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
You sang a sad song...but none of us cried.
You played the flute, but no one was dancing,
And you sang a sad song...you sang such a sad song.

This song has a lot of biblical background in it. Matthew 5:14-16 says "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." I think a lot of us are lights in the sense that we are good Christians and hang out with other believers, but when it comes to shining onto the rest of the world, few bystanders would notice we are Christians. We are not shining as bright as we could be.

The first stanza talks about this plan to make a building, and it goes along with "Our English Syllabus" because life is not clearly balanced and organized. We get too caught up in deadlines and making everything perfect when we should stop making plans and just live. God will give us what we need and lead us where we need to be; we won't get there making our own plan.

I abosuletly love when Aaron Weiss sings the "Strum the guitar!" part. It's such a strong message; why just do okay when we can do great? We are not living fully enough, and we are too easily pleased (Weight of Glory). We settle for a nice note that sounds good, when we could strum the guitar and play a whole song that sounds amazing. Also, this stanza asks, why the safe distance? Again, we are too easily pleased. We ask God for help in troubled times or we turn to Him to confess, but why not be with God ALL the time? There doesn't have to be a distance. God is with us at all times if we seek him to be.

The end of the song comes from Luke 7:32. It says "We played music for you, but you didn't dance. We played a funeral song, and you didn't cry." In the song the pronouns are turned around as if God played a flute but we didn't dance and He sang a sad song but we didn't cry. This is harder to understand, but I think that we are too caught up in the earthly world that we lose sight of God. We close our ears and we don't hear that he is singing to us or playing a beautiful song. He can be found in any part of creation, but we shut him out.

If you haven't ever heard of mewithoutyou, I suggest you get some of their music. The most theological album is their newest one, Brother, Sister. Aaron Weiss sings about biblical concepts using such interesting and profound lyrics. This man lives out a life some of us would think is radical and outrageous, but I think Jesus would think he's more normal than any of us. He eats out of trash cans at restaurants, because we throw out so much food that is just wasted. He also chose to live poor in a community in Philly. If you ever saw him, you'd think he was homeless for the way he looks. He chooses to live a simple life and focus on his relationship with God instead of earthly desires...not exactly the typical life of a rockstar.

The Weight of Glory

2009-01-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this passage, and it has one of my favorite quotes from Lewis. "Our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." I know I have referenced this quote before, but I think it really sums up how most of us act on a daily basis. We mistake earthly desire as something real and fulfilling, when the opposite is true. We tend to settle for less instead of searching for something greater. It goes along with what Lewis says later that these desires are good images of what we really long for but if they are mistake for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. We can long for sunny days but we must not worship the sun, beach, sand, etc. We can enjoy the nice weather but it is nothing compared to the paradise we have not yet found but will one day enjoy.

In class many of us wondered why the need and urgency of glory isn't embedded deeper with us and why we aren't constantly striving for it. I think we have put too much of our attention into earthly things that it can be hard to imagine a life without them. Lewis says that no natural happiness will satisfy our desires, and we cannot explain glory because it is a desire for something that has never actually happened in our experience. It is a different kind of satisifaction we find in the Lord. Instead of finding pleasure through music or books, we will find all our desires satisfied completely in the Lord, not through Him. Heaven is outside our experience, but this should not discourage our longing. "If Christianity could tell me no more than of the far off land than my own temperment led me to surmise already, then Christianity would be no higher than myself." What good is a religion that you know precisely every detail and can figure out all on your own? If we could know all the details of our God then there would be no need for Christ or the Holy Spirit to bring us to Him.

I really like when Lewis talks about there not being any vanity when we meet face to face with God. "She will be free from the miserable illusion that it is her doing." "If God is satisfied with the work, the work may be satisfied with itself." I think it is hard to grasp that God will be so pleased and overjoyed with us. It is comforting and exciting to know that some day we will be a real ingredient in the divine happiness...to be loved by God..."a weight or burden of glory which our thoughts can hardly sustain." It is so amazing that by the works of Christ we will stand in the presence of God and survive His examination. Not only will we "pass" but we will have His approval; He will be pleased with us.

Our group also talked about the saying "Meanwhile the cross comes before the crown and tomorrow is a Monday morning." It's reassuring that each day is new and another chance to start over. We are not only forgiven once and only once, but we are forgiven each and every day. God continues to love and care for us even when we have bad days. We also liked "there are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal." Lewis suggests that everyday we are faced with overwhelming possibilities that our neighbors are gods and goddesses. It is interesting to think of the people behind the faces we see everyday; they could be someone totally different than they appear to be. You never know how God might be using others to speak to you, so we should not judge or brush off others around us. I love that Lewis ends with this: "Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbor he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ ver latitat- the glorifier and the glorified, Glory himself, is truly hidden." I pray that I develop eyes that can see my neighbors in that kind of light.

Eleanor Rigby

2009-01-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

Personally, I am not a big fan of the Beatles and this certainly is not one of their songs that I like. Additionally, I found it hard to find connections to our readings with this song. What some people were saying in class made sense though. There seems to be some disconnect between the church and the people. This Father McKenzie is writing sermons that no one is hearing; he is working but no one is being saved. We could say that this is how the church acts far too often. It expects people to come to it and it doesn't go out to the people. I have been a part of churches where all there was was talk about helping the poor and needing to reach out to the community of nonbelievers, but there was never any action. There is so much talk amongst religious people because it is easy to quote Bible verses and pretend to know all about caring for the poor. Few of us actually act on our concerns.
Eleanor is described as living in a dream and waiting at the door, but no one comes and she dies alone. It says that she hides her face in a jar by the door. This can go along with the Pilgrims Regress and how we put on masks to hide who we really are. Maybe she put on a mask to hide her true self and she goes to the church to find support. However, no one comes and she does not seek anyone else out. She is lonely and the song is asking where all these lonely people come from. I think far too many of us are wallowing in our own self pity instead of trying to change parts of our lives. We expect God to swoop down and save the day, but if we are not actively seeking Him we will develop eyes that can see Him on a regular basis. We have to be pursuing God and living a life that glorifies Him, not just waiting for Him to make our life perfect.

Our English Syllabus

2009-01-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

In "Our English Syllabus" Lewis suggests that educating is not the same as learning. Aristotle would say that education should be preparation for leisure, and Lewis goes further when he says that education should be aimed at producing the "good" man. A good man has good taste and good feeling, is interesting and interested, and happy. "That is why education seems to me so important: it actualizes that potentiality for leisure..." I like this point because it seems that we are all working and working and never making time for play. We are not meant to be working so much, because we are not the same as the dumb animals. Man is the only amateur animal; all others are professionals. They don't have leisure and don't deserve it. We were not created to be like the other animals on earth, so we should not act like them.

"Learning is not education; but it can be used educationally by those who do not propose to pursue learning all their lives." Lewis gives an example of playing a game; playing will bring pleasure but it happens to bring good health too. However, if we play a game just for the sake of getting good health we are likely to not gain good health. We can attend every class all four years, but that does not mean we will have learned anything. If we attend just for the sake of getting an education, we will not leave educated. It is more than just attending; what we put into a class is what we will get out of it. Sometimes it is hard to be passionate about a subject when Calvin forces us to take some we might not like. Nonetheless, we should study outside of class and put a strong effort into looking beyond the assignments on our own to learn, not just be educated.

My favorite part of this piece of writing is when Lewis says "For the life of learning knows nothing of this nicely balanced encyclopedic arrangement." He is talking about the liberal arts college that requires a wide range of classes to be taken, but those classes together are not found together naturally on their own. A class syllabus that tells of the deadlines and assignments required is not preparing us for the real world, because life does not act so perfectly balanced and organized. Life is random, and we will be faced with many surprises that some of us might not be prepared for. I admit that I would go crazy without a syllabus telling me the exact time and date of the assignments due; I need set standards and requirements or else I'll be worrying if I did the work correctly. However, at my job I do not have my boss telling me exactly what to do each and every day. It has been a real adjustment learning to do work on my own that I think needs to be done. A lot of us in class were saying we did not like the core curriculum at Calvin, and I used to feel that way as well. It seems like a waste of my money to be taking classes I hate. However, now that I work a pretty serious job I am realizing that I have to do a lot more than what my job title implies. Just because I work for a Pharmaceutical company doesn't mean I am only working with drugs. I have to run reports, so I have to learn how to work the computer software and how to read graphs and how to present results to others. Our jobs are not going to be limited to topics like our classes are.

The last paragraph of this is very good. I wish I could have been in a class with Lewis as my professor because I think it would have been so challenging and unlike any other class I've taken.

The Logical Song

2009-01-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

"The Logical Song" presents ideas we can all relate to. Supertramp released the song in 1979, but it is still very relevant to this day and age. When we are young we are carefree and don't question anything we are told to do. Every day is a new adventure for us and we can't wait to get out into the world and play.

As we grow up, we start shifting our focus toward grades, appearance, members of the opposite sex; soon we are focusing on work, deadlines, bills, and family. Although we grow older it seems that we continue to not question the world around us. Just like we were afraid of getting put in time out, now we are afraid of getting fired, put in jail, divorce, and the list goes on and on. We have been conditioned to live a certain way; society guides us so that we don't have to guide ourselves. Forces all around us tell us who to be and what to think, so of course we are terrified to be ourselves. "Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical, liberal, fanatical, criminal." We are expected to fit into this mold so anything we do outside of that mold labels us as unusual and outrageous. It is this contradictory way of life we live in; we are forced to conform and yet we are also told to be ourselves and embrace the "freedom" we have in this country.

This song made me think of the C.S Lewis quote found in chapter one of Plantinga's book where Lewis says we are far too easily pleased. Way too many of us go through the motions day to day and never stop to question or take a break. "Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned? I know it sounds absurd, but please tell me who I am." Examine the activities that fall between the start and end of your day, are you engaging in play, work, or rest that you desire to participate in? For me, it can be very hard some mornings to get up and make it to class, work, or wherever I am going that day. That is because my mindset is far too often "I need to go to class to get an A, to graduate, to find a job" or "I have to go to work to make money, to pay bills, to keep my car running." Rarely am I engaging in a life that stimulates my mind and acts on my creativity. I think a lot of us get too caught up in who we are supposed to be, defined by the media around us, that we don't know how to be who we want to be and who God wants us to be. We've become too reserved and content that we aren't even aware of what we're learning, what our purpose is, and what brings us joy.

What I am struggling with as I contemplate after each reading is the answer to all the questions that arise from the texts. As a college student I am expected to be studying hard to graduate and at the same time I am supposed to be having the time of my life, embracing freedom and new changes. It seems that I am living in a world that is one big contradiction and I do not know to change that. I would much rather be downtown on the streets interacting with the poor, instead of sitting in a classroom talking about how to help them. However, this would not pay my bills or get me a degree so I am stuck in the routine society has laid out for me.

The Sermon and the Lunch

2009-01-11T17:38:00.000-08:00

For those of you who didn't go to lunch today, we discussed the first chapter of Lewis's "Pilgrim's Regress." What I like most about C.S Lewis is that he writes about theological concepts but in a way that is entertaining and easily understood. This piece of writing is like many of his others, written in a fictional story format.

It is a story about a young boy who represents Lewis and his preconceptions about Christianity. He is told that if he breaks any rules he will be sent to a place that is essentially hell. This is what a lot of children perceive religion: if you sin even the smallest sin, you will not go to Heaven. I don't think that just kids have this point of view. Personally, I did not grow up in a Christian home like most Calvin College students did. I did not attend private schooling until now, and my journey to Christianity was made without the company of my family. Thus, when I was learning about following God I thought all that mattered was keeping the ten commandments and making sure I did everything the Bible told me to. The thought of sinning was terrifying, because I couldn't grasp the concept of grace. Further in the book, grace is introduced to the story, and I also have developed a different view of Christianity.

Another part of the story was a character (I can't remember what one!) who puts on and takes off a mask. He does this when he changes topics in conversation, serious and relaxed ones. This is also something many people in the Church end up doing. We put on this mask to look very grim when we talk about God because it is such a grave topic, then take it off to discuss what we did over the weekend. I think we have this change in personality because we often don't see God as a part of our everyday life. He is a topic to discuss on Sundays but not a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who is with us at all times.

I think we also put on masks because we don't have many churches that are vulnerable and open to complete honesty. We talked about a story where a couple was getting married because the woman was pregnant. They had to confess their sin to the church before they could be married, and the congregation was floored. It was a shock because there were many others who had done the same sin and even more who had sins that needed to be confessed. I went to a new church tonight that had about 20 people. A man got in front and told us a brutally honest confession about his faith journey, and no one was shocked. It was such a comforting, safe, honest place to be. We don't have to be in the basement of a small, simple church to be at ease. All of us are sinners, but Jesus died for our sins. It should be a comforting and humbling practice to confess our sins to one another; we can then rejoice in the grace we are given.

I look forward to reading this entire book. It seems to be like the Narnia series, but for adults, and it's not a series...but today sparked my interest in it!

(Also, for those of you going to dinner next weekend, be ready for some very great food! Adrianna is a wonderful cook. It was wonderful seeing Paulo and her outside of the classroom.)

Longing and Hope

2009-01-09T15:44:00.001-08:00

After reading C.S Lewis it seemed very strange to be reading Plantinga, because the two writers have very different styles. The chapter on longing and hope was so straight forward and simple compared to previous Lewis readings that required me to re-read and contemplate afterwards. Also, after reading straight from the source it was interesting to see Plantinga quote Lewis frequently. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable change of pace.

Plantinga introduces the chapter with describing a sense of longing and yearning that we all experience. The German word sehnsucht is used to express this constant searching and seeking that is unavoidable. Unfortunetly, we are usually looking for some material object to fullfill our longings. We live in an age of consumerism and we are bombarded with advertisements telling us to buy a new product even though we just bought the "old" version last week. Of course we continue to purchase the new items because we believe that they will bring us the happiness we are desperately craving. Along with material objects we often search for a man or woman to satisfy all of our needs. When they fall short of our expectations we move on and continue the search. It is a cycle that does not end, because we cannot find any object or person on earth to answer all of our longings.

Augustine says "O Lord, you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." We are born with this longing to know God, to be "in" Him, and nothing else will satisfy us until that happens. Although our earthly desires will never fully bring us joy, Lewis says that they point us beyond the things of the earth to the ultimate reality of God. It's okay to want a lover, but we should look to expand the number of things that excite our longing. If we put all our hope into one item or person we are likely to be left dissappointed (unless of course, that person is God). Additionally, we should look beyond our lovers, friends, music, landscapes, etc. to see how they can bring us closer to God.

Plantinga suggests that longing is an ingredient of hope. Whether it is a good grade, a call from that special someone, or a sunny day, we all hope for several things each and every day. However, the hope that is described is much more specific. You can only hope for something you want, and if you really want it you will develop a longing for it. Plantinga says a hopeful person imagines something, believes that something is possible, and desires that something he or she imagines and believes in. Ultimately we are all hoping for shalom. This hebrew word doesn't have a direct english translation, but in a way it means peace. It is a state in which all things are the way they are supposed to be.

Personally, I get way too caught up with my own idea of how things are supposed to be that I often lose sight of God's plan. I really like the Lewis quote "where except in the present can the eternal be met?" Many of us spend too much time in the past or future, wondering what could have changed or what it will be like if changes are made. We lose ourselves in our own false worlds because we have such strong yearnings that we try to fullfill without God. How terrible it would be to live a life that can only be satisfied by obtaining earthly things, because they rarely provide a happiness that is long lasting.

Right to Happiness

2009-01-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed this piece of writing by Lewis, because it is something that is still very relevant to today's society. I admit that I often fall victim to this attitude of thinking I have a right to happiness, but I am just one of many. The more I think about it though, I agree with what Lewis says.

In the Declaration of Independence it states we have the pursuit of happiness, but this is only within legal boundaries. Man is not entitled to pursue happiness by any and every means- including murder, rape, robbery, treason, or fraud. We are actually quite limited in what we are allowed to do since happiness depends on so many different factors. What makes one person happy may make another person terribly sad, angry, hurt, etc. No society would last if each individual had the right to pursue their happiness.

Lewis uses a scenario of two couples who divorce to pursue their sexual happiness to explain his point. It seems that more and more people are getting divorces today and I wouldn't be surprised if sexual dissatisfaction was a common reason. Mr.A in this story left his wife to pursue his happiness with another women, but his "right" to do this caused unhappiness to Mrs.A. Also, it will likely cause unhappiness to Mrs.B when Mr.A gets bored with this new women and looks for yet another new one. We cannot all have a right to happiness, because there will always be someone who is not happy.

In class we discussed the difference between joy and happiness. God created us, and we are called to follow His plans for us. Thus, we were not created to pursue our individual desires. We do not have a right to happiness, but we can rest in knowing that when we follow God we will experience joy. Happiness is often temporary, and it depends on the situation and time. I find comfort in knowing that although my earthly desires are often not met, I can find eternal joy in the Lord. He provides all that we need; what we usually think will bring us happiness is material things that we do not need at all. We all strive to find happiness, but we should instead be working toward finding eternal joy.

Bulverism

2009-01-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

I must warn you now that I had a greater difficulty reading “Bulverism” than “Meditation in a Tool Shed.” I don’t know if it was the wording or the change in perspective at the end, but I wasn’t able to take a firm stand and come to a clear point after reading this piece. I will nonetheless pick out a few parts that I found interesting and attempt to discuss their meanings.

Bulverism is the term Lewis uses to describe 20^th century thought. He describes it when he says: “…you must show that a man is wrong before you start explaining why he is wrong. The modern method is to assume without discussion that he is wrong and then distract his attention from this (the only real issue) by busily explaining how he became to be so silly.”

This reading goes along with “Meditation in a Tool Shed” because both discuss the idea of rational thinking. Freudians have discovered that we exist as bundles of complexes and Marxists have discovered that we exist as members of some economic class, but both of these views are ideologically tainted at the source. This brings up the question, are all thoughts tainted? Also, does the taint invalidate the tainted thought-in the sense of making it untrue-or not? If we believe that all thoughts are tainted, then we cannot invalidate other sources of thought, nor can others invalidate our own thoughts. Christianity is thus tainted just as much as Freudianism and Marxism. However, if we say that only some thoughts are tainted we present ourselves with the problem choosing which thoughts are true and which are not.

I like when Lewis says “for Bulverism is a truly democratic game in the sense that all can play it all day long, and that it give no unfair advantage to the small and offensive minority who reason.” He also says that you can only find out rights and wrongs by reasoning, but the forces that discredit reason depend on reasoning. “You must reason even to Bulverize.” Like he said in the previous reading, you cannot make a proof to prove that all proofs are tainted. The proof that all proofs are invalid must be invalid in itself.

Later Lewis says that our values are even affected by social factors. As a sociology major, I learn more about this every day. Our minds are affected by physical events, and our thoughts are conditioned, not caused. I love thinking about why people think they way they do and a lot of it comes down to social factors, not necessarily genetic factors. Even the reason you use to describe the social factors is tainted though.

Basically I am left in the same spot I was before: what are we to do about Bulverism? How can we train ourselves to look at thing and look along things?

Meditation in a Tool Shed

2009-01-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

In “Meditation in a Tool Shed” C.S Lewis describes two ways that people tend to explain something. We either look at a situation or we look along a situation. Rarely do people look both ways though. Lewis gives a few great examples that require describing situations both internally and externally. The one I like the most is a young man in love; his world is turned upside down when he meets this lady and he feels a joy that’s very new to him. Internally he is in “in love,” and he is in love with a young woman who embodies perfection. However, from the outside a scientist can describe the man’s experience as merely an act of genes and biological stimulus. The woman too does not portray perfection or anything close to it, from a passerby. I think this example really shows that you cannot look at something and know it, nor can you be in a situation and know it completely. A scientist may study the concept of love and understand exactly how it works biologically, but unless he or she has actually experienced love it will not be fully comprehended. It goes the other way around as well; to experience love is to know about love first.

I’ve always hated science, probably because there’s only room for one right answer. However, I think it’s important to have a mix of science and experience in our lives. My relationship with God for example could not exist without theology as well as personal encounters. I can read books written by people who have studied God for years and be very knowledgeable about Him, but I do not think I could be a Christian without both looking at Him and looking along with Him. Since this is a course about developing a Christian mind, I think it was smart to start with this reading. It introduces a way of analyzing that might not be familiar with all of us. We are probably not even aware when we come to a conclusion about something that we are using our own bias to construct an argument. Being Christians we are already bias in our view, since we hold a belief that not everyone else holds. We base ideas on stories that, from the inside, we all agree as truths; others on the outside read the same stories as fictional pieces.

Although I enjoyed this, I was left hanging, waiting for an answer from Lewis. He sets us up to believe that we are fighting these two views when we should be embracing both of them, but he does not tell us how to do this. “You cannot have a proof that no proofs matter.” So what are we to do? Are we supposed to go along knowing that there is no absolute Truth, but instead, many individual truths? I like the picture we drew in class about the beam of light and the tree and our eyesight and how all of it is dependent on the greater power of the sun. It is like we have all these truths that may not be completely true, but they all stem from the greatest truth that is God.