“I am only trying to show that the old Christian doctrine of being made 'perfect through suffering'" is not incredible.”- The Problem Of Pain: C.S. Lewis
The old saying goes “ What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” I think that that is true. Pain is something that shows our mortality. Though annoying sometimes, it reminds us of our frailty. Pain is what keeps us in check. No one can escape it.
In the Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis tries to make the concept of pain compatible with God’s character. I don’t think that pain is a problem. Saying that it is a “problem” implies that it can be solved. But as mortal humans, and pain being a natural reminder of that mortality, it would be impossible to “solve” the pain of losing a loved one, or of being burned by a hot pan, or of a paper cut, on our own. We need an outside force, be it aloe or God, to come in and heal the pain.
It really isn’t that large of a mystery “why” our lives are filled with pain. It is part of the natural order of this world, a fallen world, in which the rule of opposites applies. In order for us to know pleasure, we must first know pain. But more than that, I think that without living in pain, we could never know the gift God has given us in redemption. In order to understand, perhaps not comprehend, the glory of heaven, we must first know what hell is like, or at least sample it through our mortality. How could we possibly understand “grace” if we have not known the difference in “suffering”?
What we all would like to believe is that there can be heaven on this Earth. But I think the truth is that that heaven sailed away long ago. God does not call us to make this fallen world into our own version of paradise, and we should not try to. Accepting “pain”, as strange as it sounds, is ultimately accepting God’s grace (for a Christian). I means that we understand not only our mortality, and the mortality of the things around us, but that He is the one who offers us a world truly free of that pain.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Blessed to Read Inspired Work
“But to evade the Son of Man, to look the other way, to pretend you haven't noticed, to become suddenly absorbed in something on the other side of the street, to leave the receiver off the telephone because it might be He who was ringing up, to leave unopened certain letters in a strange hand- writing because they might be from Him - this is a different matter. You may not be certain yet whether 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.” – Man Or Rabbit: C.S. Lewis
I used to think that going to church every Sunday with my family was all I needed to do…when I was a child. Then my Grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Every Sunday I went to church I prayed and prayed that she would get well. I thought that the building of the church was where God lived, and that I could only pray there. She died when I was nine, and I didn’t understand why God didn’t make her well again. I prayed in his house, why didn’t he answer?
Now that I’m older I realize that it is not my will, but God’s that matters most in this world. At that age, however, I decided to act out. I told my parents that I no longer wanted to go to church. I did not want to go to the place where I felt I had been betrayed. Fortunately, my parents made a deal with me. I needed to go to church, but I did not have to stay for Sunday school.
Now, I know this is unconventional, but I am grateful that my parents allowed me some leeway as far as church was concerned. I was at a point in my faith journey where I needed to take ownership of my faith and truly understand it. I couldn’t rely on my church family to shelter my faith for me any longer, now that I had realized that life was more than sunshine, and that faith was something that needed to be a personal project.
I’m still on that journey. I know that my faith journey is not a conventional one, and I am still growing, though that growth is at my own pace. I originally started by rebuilding my faith from the bottom up. I argued for the existence of God, which came hand in hand with morality. How could I have a sense of what is right or wrong if there was nothing to show me and hold me accountable for the wrong? Philosophically, I guess you could say that I became a strong moralist.
When reading Man or Rabbit, I was struck by this quote, as it was something I hadn’t thought about before. “Morality is indispensable: but the Divine Life, which gives itself to us and which calls us to be gods, intends for us something in which morality will be swallowed up.” I’m still coming to grips with the amount of work I have before me. I had never made the connection that morality, or at least an over attention to morality for morality’s sake could hinder the journey to “divine life.”
I think that more than anything I am grateful for the experiences I have had building faith from almost zero. Things like Man or Rabbit awaken in me thoughts I would never have had if I had not needed to grab hold of my beliefs so early on. I hope to continue to learn more, and fully intend to read more C.S. Lewis in order to see how he came to believe as strongly what he dedicated his life to.
I used to think that going to church every Sunday with my family was all I needed to do…when I was a child. Then my Grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. Every Sunday I went to church I prayed and prayed that she would get well. I thought that the building of the church was where God lived, and that I could only pray there. She died when I was nine, and I didn’t understand why God didn’t make her well again. I prayed in his house, why didn’t he answer?
Now that I’m older I realize that it is not my will, but God’s that matters most in this world. At that age, however, I decided to act out. I told my parents that I no longer wanted to go to church. I did not want to go to the place where I felt I had been betrayed. Fortunately, my parents made a deal with me. I needed to go to church, but I did not have to stay for Sunday school.
Now, I know this is unconventional, but I am grateful that my parents allowed me some leeway as far as church was concerned. I was at a point in my faith journey where I needed to take ownership of my faith and truly understand it. I couldn’t rely on my church family to shelter my faith for me any longer, now that I had realized that life was more than sunshine, and that faith was something that needed to be a personal project.
I’m still on that journey. I know that my faith journey is not a conventional one, and I am still growing, though that growth is at my own pace. I originally started by rebuilding my faith from the bottom up. I argued for the existence of God, which came hand in hand with morality. How could I have a sense of what is right or wrong if there was nothing to show me and hold me accountable for the wrong? Philosophically, I guess you could say that I became a strong moralist.
When reading Man or Rabbit, I was struck by this quote, as it was something I hadn’t thought about before. “Morality is indispensable: but the Divine Life, which gives itself to us and which calls us to be gods, intends for us something in which morality will be swallowed up.” I’m still coming to grips with the amount of work I have before me. I had never made the connection that morality, or at least an over attention to morality for morality’s sake could hinder the journey to “divine life.”
I think that more than anything I am grateful for the experiences I have had building faith from almost zero. Things like Man or Rabbit awaken in me thoughts I would never have had if I had not needed to grab hold of my beliefs so early on. I hope to continue to learn more, and fully intend to read more C.S. Lewis in order to see how he came to believe as strongly what he dedicated his life to.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A Reward too Small
Can revenge become a God? In Greek Mythology, Nemesis was the goddess of revenge, exacting punishment on those who committed hubris (extreme arrogance). She was unforgiving, punishing everyone equally. The Egyptians worshiped the God Petbe, who also represented and unforgiving vengeance.
The movie “Paradise Now”, revenge and God play an integral role as we follow to suicide bombers, Said and Khaled. Khaled wants to exact revenge on the Israelis for their hubris, the arrogance they show by flaunting their riches and pretending to be “victims” as he puts it. Said wants to prove that, though his father was a weak "collaborator”, he is not, and feels that he must do this in order to bring honor back to his family.
Sadly, the audience also witnesses how used they are. The cell that sends them on this “important mission” to bomb a wedding merely treats them as a means to an end. They show them no support or care, and nothing but what they can do for the “ideal” matters. This is shown through the bumbling manner in which all situations outside of ritual are handled. Before they undergo the cleansing, which involves the cutting of hair and cleaning of the body, they film their martyr tape. What is to be a courageous speech by Khaled on the injustice of Israel and His holy quest is stalled when the camera turns out to be broken and he must repeat himself over and over, while obviously looking unnerved about what he is about to do. Later, he finds out his tape is being sold for next to nothing in the photo shop around the corner, and that he is one of hundreds that have never been seen or sold.
The twist of this movie is when the two, Said and Khaled, are separated at the beginning of their mission after crossing the Israeli boarder. They are spooked when a patrol car passes by and return running back to Pakistan, separating in the process. Unfortunately, this gives them time to really think about what they are doing, having the reminder of plastic explosives tied around their waists wherever they go. Said, unable to find Khaled, returns to Israel, looking to complete the mission. Khaled returns to Pakistan with the cell leader, awaiting Said’s return. During this time, the two make discoveries that later seal their fates at the end of the movie.
But what I find most intriguing is the title. “Paradise Now” sounds like it is a quest to bring paradise to Earth. The quest for paradise, for escape, is brought up in the movie many times. Khaled, when driving with the daughter of a famous martyr in search of Said, says “I’d rather have paradise in heaven than live in this hell.” To which she replied, “So you would turn this into your personal war?” I think that this sums up the heart of the movie’s argument. As the audience watches the actions of these characters, we see that their reasons are not holy at all, but rather selfish. And in the end, a bus full of people does get blown up (I will not give away who goes through with the “mission” as it was only one of them), and the director gives a clear message through the final scene. There is a white light, brightness, and then nothing. Completely black. No paradise. Just darkness.
I believe that this message is something that is made stronger having seen the lives of the two characters. They were not heroes, or courageous. Just men who having been embittered by poverty, grasped at any prospect of hope they could find, even a false one, and in the end, were used and discarded. There was no “paradise now”. They worshiped their revenge, not God, and in doing so, paid a price so high for a reward too small. The one who died is now nothing more than a video, lying dusty on the shelf of a rundown Photoshop, and no one outside of his family will know what he did or who he was.
I definitely recommend this movie to everyone. It is a realistic showing of what vengeance can do to our hearts if we let it.
The movie “Paradise Now”, revenge and God play an integral role as we follow to suicide bombers, Said and Khaled. Khaled wants to exact revenge on the Israelis for their hubris, the arrogance they show by flaunting their riches and pretending to be “victims” as he puts it. Said wants to prove that, though his father was a weak "collaborator”, he is not, and feels that he must do this in order to bring honor back to his family.
Sadly, the audience also witnesses how used they are. The cell that sends them on this “important mission” to bomb a wedding merely treats them as a means to an end. They show them no support or care, and nothing but what they can do for the “ideal” matters. This is shown through the bumbling manner in which all situations outside of ritual are handled. Before they undergo the cleansing, which involves the cutting of hair and cleaning of the body, they film their martyr tape. What is to be a courageous speech by Khaled on the injustice of Israel and His holy quest is stalled when the camera turns out to be broken and he must repeat himself over and over, while obviously looking unnerved about what he is about to do. Later, he finds out his tape is being sold for next to nothing in the photo shop around the corner, and that he is one of hundreds that have never been seen or sold.
The twist of this movie is when the two, Said and Khaled, are separated at the beginning of their mission after crossing the Israeli boarder. They are spooked when a patrol car passes by and return running back to Pakistan, separating in the process. Unfortunately, this gives them time to really think about what they are doing, having the reminder of plastic explosives tied around their waists wherever they go. Said, unable to find Khaled, returns to Israel, looking to complete the mission. Khaled returns to Pakistan with the cell leader, awaiting Said’s return. During this time, the two make discoveries that later seal their fates at the end of the movie.
But what I find most intriguing is the title. “Paradise Now” sounds like it is a quest to bring paradise to Earth. The quest for paradise, for escape, is brought up in the movie many times. Khaled, when driving with the daughter of a famous martyr in search of Said, says “I’d rather have paradise in heaven than live in this hell.” To which she replied, “So you would turn this into your personal war?” I think that this sums up the heart of the movie’s argument. As the audience watches the actions of these characters, we see that their reasons are not holy at all, but rather selfish. And in the end, a bus full of people does get blown up (I will not give away who goes through with the “mission” as it was only one of them), and the director gives a clear message through the final scene. There is a white light, brightness, and then nothing. Completely black. No paradise. Just darkness.
I believe that this message is something that is made stronger having seen the lives of the two characters. They were not heroes, or courageous. Just men who having been embittered by poverty, grasped at any prospect of hope they could find, even a false one, and in the end, were used and discarded. There was no “paradise now”. They worshiped their revenge, not God, and in doing so, paid a price so high for a reward too small. The one who died is now nothing more than a video, lying dusty on the shelf of a rundown Photoshop, and no one outside of his family will know what he did or who he was.
I definitely recommend this movie to everyone. It is a realistic showing of what vengeance can do to our hearts if we let it.
Means or End
We all have our own inner ring. Our families, friends, classmates, all comprise the ring of people we associate ourselves with. As C.S. Lewis says in his lecture The Inner Ring, “You discover gradually, in almost indefinable ways, that it exists and that you are outside it; and then later, perhaps, that you are inside it”. Sometimes you don’t ask to be admitted into a ring, but just happen to become apart of one.
I agree with Lewis when he says, “Of all the passions, 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.” Who hasn’t, for want of being a part of that one group of kids, gone along with making fun of someone, or playing pranks? We have all succumbed to “wanting” the Inner Ring, and those who say they have not are succumbing to the need to be liked by the ring of people who have.
But I also believe that it should be remembered that it is not the Rings themselves that are evil. It’s easy to think, “Well, I don’t have to be responsible when the Ring that seduced me turned out to be evil, thus tainting my actions to be apart of it.” Being seduced by fame and money, or even the prospect of acceptance does not excuse sin, nor is it a good reason for any personal action. You do not say, “The devil made me brush my teeth” or “The devil made me go to school”. The devil does not control you, nor does he have any sway over your actions unless you let him.
So it is with the Rings. They are good, but like most good things they can also breed Evil in regards to the lengths people will go to be apart of them. They see the ring as their final destination. That being apart of that Ring will bring them everything they ever wanted. They no long see the forest for the trees, focused on that one objective and willing to do anything to complete it. I believe that it is important, as Ring membership is unavoidable, to evaluate your actions by this statement. “Am I joining this Ring as a ‘means’ or as an ‘end’.”
I agree with Lewis when he says, “Of all the passions, 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.” Who hasn’t, for want of being a part of that one group of kids, gone along with making fun of someone, or playing pranks? We have all succumbed to “wanting” the Inner Ring, and those who say they have not are succumbing to the need to be liked by the ring of people who have.
But I also believe that it should be remembered that it is not the Rings themselves that are evil. It’s easy to think, “Well, I don’t have to be responsible when the Ring that seduced me turned out to be evil, thus tainting my actions to be apart of it.” Being seduced by fame and money, or even the prospect of acceptance does not excuse sin, nor is it a good reason for any personal action. You do not say, “The devil made me brush my teeth” or “The devil made me go to school”. The devil does not control you, nor does he have any sway over your actions unless you let him.
So it is with the Rings. They are good, but like most good things they can also breed Evil in regards to the lengths people will go to be apart of them. They see the ring as their final destination. That being apart of that Ring will bring them everything they ever wanted. They no long see the forest for the trees, focused on that one objective and willing to do anything to complete it. I believe that it is important, as Ring membership is unavoidable, to evaluate your actions by this statement. “Am I joining this Ring as a ‘means’ or as an ‘end’.”
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Friend of Friends
Note: I’m writing this as one who has never been “in love”. Most certainly I have had infatuations, but never “love”
I feel that in today’s society, where casual dating, mating, and marrying are the fades, it is truly difficult to find the type of relationship that is God centered. We are all running forward to the next new thing. Growing up I had a generic view of how events in life were to unfold. 1-18: Grow up and go through grade school. 19-24: College and dating. 25-35: Get married. And after 35? Well, if not married then never married. Now, of course, I realize nothing is generic, especially life. And I’ve also realized that love is not generic either.
While dating is an entity unto itself, I feel that it is a good pre-curser to what it would be like to build a relationship. Like no two people are the same, no two relationships are the same. C.S. Lewis talked about what things need to be present in a workable relationship, and for the most part I am forced to agree. But I also feel that in combining filial, stroge, and eros together, you cannot do them all at once. I think there is a method to there formation.
For me I am someone who does not like taking risks where relationships are concerned. I like to form a friendship first. There is a certainty in a solid friendship that is always present in married couples that have been together for a long, long, time. I really feel that this certainty is more important than any of the other components in a marriage. This is not to say that the other things are not necessary. A triangle is not a triangle without three points. But I do think that for marriage, and relationships in general, there must be a commradery, a friendship, that will last beyond the romantic and glue the people together no matter what life throws there way.
I feel that in today’s society, where casual dating, mating, and marrying are the fades, it is truly difficult to find the type of relationship that is God centered. We are all running forward to the next new thing. Growing up I had a generic view of how events in life were to unfold. 1-18: Grow up and go through grade school. 19-24: College and dating. 25-35: Get married. And after 35? Well, if not married then never married. Now, of course, I realize nothing is generic, especially life. And I’ve also realized that love is not generic either.
While dating is an entity unto itself, I feel that it is a good pre-curser to what it would be like to build a relationship. Like no two people are the same, no two relationships are the same. C.S. Lewis talked about what things need to be present in a workable relationship, and for the most part I am forced to agree. But I also feel that in combining filial, stroge, and eros together, you cannot do them all at once. I think there is a method to there formation.
For me I am someone who does not like taking risks where relationships are concerned. I like to form a friendship first. There is a certainty in a solid friendship that is always present in married couples that have been together for a long, long, time. I really feel that this certainty is more important than any of the other components in a marriage. This is not to say that the other things are not necessary. A triangle is not a triangle without three points. But I do think that for marriage, and relationships in general, there must be a commradery, a friendship, that will last beyond the romantic and glue the people together no matter what life throws there way.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Vocation Vacation
This past year I was offered an opportunity for this coming May to return to Japan. Last summer I was in Japan as a teacher, but now I was being offered the chance to be a student. My first instinct was to cry out, “YES!” but rational won out and I asked my professor the burning questions. “How much will it cost.” and “What will this trip do for me?” As I had every intention of going to Japan, regardless of the cost, I still was compelled to ask, for the sake of logic. Too often I think we are like this when it comes to God.
C.S Lewis brushes over purpose in his speech “Learning in War-time”. He states “ A man’s upbringing, his talent, his circumstances, are usually a tolerable index of his vocation.” Too often when we are presented with an opportunity to better ourselves, as I was with Japan, we focus too much on the minor details. Like Jona, we search for a reason not to go. We search for what we think could be a better vocation than the one God is leading us too.
While we may not realize now the path vocation God has chosen for us, it is still important to grab at any opportunity to discover the answer…even if it means trying something you never thought you would or traveling halfway around the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
