resolution

It is my endeavor to read what is good and profitable and to read with purpose. Reading aimlessly and absorbing information without digestion seems to carry with it the same problems as overeating. In that food is swallowed often without being broken down and the palate fails to make distinctions in flavor. Reading whatever is put in front of me has the same effect. So I want to read broadly and with discernment.

haiku

Guitar Dave, a street musician and friend wrote this haiku on a napkin and gave it to me.

*Haiku*

Impermanence is;
Haiku scrawled on a napkin,
That once was a tree.

-- "Vogue Rogue"

Thoughts on the Resurrection

Easter is next week. It seems like this time of year the History Channel and various other outlets make some announcement meant to diminish the Christian aspect of this holiday. Take for example last year when the "Tomb of Jesus" special appeared which was supposed to be proof that Jesus did not leave behind an empty tomb, but rather that he died and was buried and stayed that way like everyone else. These shows don't bug me, I expect them every year and there are always flaws in their arguments. What bothers me, is when the scholars on these shows make claims that Jesus didn't die and that they are still Christians in spite of that fact. What?! I'm not a philosopher but the logic behind those claims is what loses me. If Jesus didn't die then how did a new religion rise up based on his death with 30 years of his death? If Jesus didn't die then why do we have documented evidence of people that were willing to die for a belief in his death and resurrection? Couldn't somebody have told those people that the guy they were dying for was living in Jerusalem and having kids with Mary Magdalene? Obviously this is not hard, scientific evidence. I'm just saying from a logical point of view a religion should not have come about based on his death and resurrection. I don't see any reason that his followers would have made that up. There is no reason to assume that someone's death and resurrection somehow brought about the forgiveness of your sins, unless this actually happened and the resurrected Jesus appeared to them and explained it.

Paul, one of these first century Christians wrote,

"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied."
-- 1 Corinthians 15: 12 - 19

I think he realized how foolish it would have been to worship someone who had not died and rose again.

it's the end of the world as we know it....

I've been having interesting conversations with friends lately about the end of the world. I'll admit right now that I'm a big History Channel fan, though I think a lot of their facts are skewed. Over the last week they have been showing a plethora of specials about the Apocalypse, the end of the world and various doomsday theories. One such show parallels the prophecies of Nostradamus, the Mayan priests, and others and their belief about something catastrophic that will occur on December 21, 2012. I have my doubts that there is anything significant about that date other than it will be the Winter Solstice for that year.
I guess I bring this up because I feel like for the first time in my life I'm beginning to think about my own mortality. In a lot of ways I feel a sense of fear and apprehension about the future. This is probably common, and I might return to this subject in a later post. For the moment I'm just curious what your thought are concerning the end of the world. What do you believe about it? What are your feelings regarding it?

It's the 50th anniversary of Legos.

HT: brickshelf.com

narrative or absolute truth?

I've been thinking lately about how to read the Bible. Some people read the Bible dogmatically and seem to just be looking for ammunition so they can support their own arguments. The converse option seems to be to look at it as a grand narrative, which is great I think. But then I wonder if that can be harmful as well. If the Bible is simply a narrative or a good story (a true story, but a story nonetheless) then it seems robbed of its power. When we come across something we disagree with or something that disagrees with my worldview then I can simply dismiss it. After all, it's only a story written by men with their own preconceived opinions. So I guess I'm just writing this out to see if there can be a balance; a way to read the Bible and see the grand narrative, but also see it as divinely inspired and worthy of my obedience even if it calls me to different conclusions then those of the world.
These are just some thoughts I'm having and they may not make much sense. What are your thoughts on this subject?