In the movie Shadowlands, one of C.S. Lewis's friends describes him as a man who specialized in "easy answers to difficult questions". Lewis was already famous for his Narnia books and was a popular speaker, especially on the subject of the problem of pain. His friend Christopher was not as convinced of the truth of Lewis's view as others were. But he got to see the ideas put to the test as he witnessed the plunge into the "dark night of the soul" that Lewis experienced after his wife Joy died. There were no easy answers now, only dread and emptiness. How would he find his way out of the darkness? How could he explain the silence?
One of the many reasons I love the Bible is the honesty that is found there. Honest truth, not platitudes. Job spends many days grappling with finding his way forward after the loss of everything. And in a supremely ironic twist, his comforters prove to be his biggest opponents. No easy answers there. Almost all of the prophets are called to deal honestly with the grim realities of their particular generations. Yet, as each one does so, he is made aware of God's personal presence. Not necessarily an answer, but a presence. One of my favorites is Habakkuk. He opens his book with these questions - "O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?.....Why do You show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble?.. Why do you look on those who deal treacherously and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he?" That's a lot of questions! He then says this - "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected." He expects God to show up. That is faith.
Lewis did find the way forward, and he wrote about it in his novel Till We Have Faces. At the end of the book, as the main character Orual finally has her chance to voice her complaints and questions, she concludes, "I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?" Lewis found what we all need to find - not answers but presence. Emmanuel. God with us. Simple - yes. Easy - no.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Monday, May 12, 2014
Friday, January 28, 2011
We Need Old Stories
I've been teaching a class in Greek and Roman literature this year to high school students and have been reminded that human nature has remained pretty constant throughout the generations. While we've made advances in knowledge about the world around us, I'm pretty sure we've lost knowledge about the world within - we no longer know our souls for what they really are.
One of the things that constantly amazes me when I'm looking at the daily news reports is how naive people seem. Even with multiple degrees and years of schooling, many folks miss the simplest truths.
One reality that the Greeks saw that we seem to be unaware of is the concept of hubris, or excessive pride. It's painfully obvious in the plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone that the kings, for all their good intentions, are closed to the counsel of others because they are so sure they have the right perspective. They need to be strong leaders, so they won't consider any change of course. Ultimately, everything they hope to preserve (their good intention) is destroyed because of their pride.
I want my children and my students to read and think about these old stories. They are as current as today's news reports! I pray that they move into adulthood with an accurate and humble view of themselves and an ability to honestly assess situations and people. We need adults who have let go of the magical thinking of childhood, who realize that all the wishing and believing in the world won't make things right. Leadership takes discernment, an ability to make wise choices, a willingness to learn the truth, a cautious approach to making pronouncements, and a determination to persevere in hard times. In a nutshell, it takes humility and hard work. The old stories tell us these things; E-News Tonight can't and won't.
One of the things that constantly amazes me when I'm looking at the daily news reports is how naive people seem. Even with multiple degrees and years of schooling, many folks miss the simplest truths.
One reality that the Greeks saw that we seem to be unaware of is the concept of hubris, or excessive pride. It's painfully obvious in the plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone that the kings, for all their good intentions, are closed to the counsel of others because they are so sure they have the right perspective. They need to be strong leaders, so they won't consider any change of course. Ultimately, everything they hope to preserve (their good intention) is destroyed because of their pride.
I want my children and my students to read and think about these old stories. They are as current as today's news reports! I pray that they move into adulthood with an accurate and humble view of themselves and an ability to honestly assess situations and people. We need adults who have let go of the magical thinking of childhood, who realize that all the wishing and believing in the world won't make things right. Leadership takes discernment, an ability to make wise choices, a willingness to learn the truth, a cautious approach to making pronouncements, and a determination to persevere in hard times. In a nutshell, it takes humility and hard work. The old stories tell us these things; E-News Tonight can't and won't.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Commonplaces
I finished a fascinating book yesterday entitled The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. The subtitle is "What the Internet is Doing to Our Brain", but it not just an anti-Web tirade. Mr. Carr chronicles the history of man's quest to communicate and how the changes over time (invention of the alphabet, printing press, etc.) impacted culture. As he explores the development of the Internet, he brings in relevant research about the inner workings of the brain. I honestly couldn't put this book down, and there are many topics he introduced that I want to explore.
One thing that caught my eye was his mention of the use of "commonplaces" as a help for memory and thought. These were basically what we might call journals -- notebooks for recording quotes, ideas, or questions about what a person was reading. The idea of recording these sorts of things was suggested first (as far as we know) by Erasmus in 1512. Because of his habit of writing down excerpts from things he read, he was able to memorize an amazing amount of classical literature.
This amazing feat of memorization was not what grabbed my attention, though. It was the connection between the habit of "journaling" and the creation of thought. Taking time to write down quotes as well as responses to ideas begins the process of thinking deeply. In fact, Francis Bacon wrote that working consistently in a commonplace "supplies matter to invention".
Today there are beautiful notebooks available in bookstores everywhere. Sadly, most of us don't have (or take) the time to sit and write down much beyond a to-do list. However, I do think we've kept the idea of the commonplace and transferred it to a digital format -- the blog! As I've perused blogs over the past few years, I've found myself gravitating to those that are more like commonplaces. I enjoy reading snippets of reading, hearing another person's reaction to or questions about about what they're reading, and following the comments that often serve as a sort of conversation about the ideas.
So be prepared! I have a lot to process from Carr's book, and I'll be doing some of that here. If you enjoy being part of the process or conversation, pour a cup of tea and join me.
Blessings,
Linda
One thing that caught my eye was his mention of the use of "commonplaces" as a help for memory and thought. These were basically what we might call journals -- notebooks for recording quotes, ideas, or questions about what a person was reading. The idea of recording these sorts of things was suggested first (as far as we know) by Erasmus in 1512. Because of his habit of writing down excerpts from things he read, he was able to memorize an amazing amount of classical literature.
This amazing feat of memorization was not what grabbed my attention, though. It was the connection between the habit of "journaling" and the creation of thought. Taking time to write down quotes as well as responses to ideas begins the process of thinking deeply. In fact, Francis Bacon wrote that working consistently in a commonplace "supplies matter to invention".
Today there are beautiful notebooks available in bookstores everywhere. Sadly, most of us don't have (or take) the time to sit and write down much beyond a to-do list. However, I do think we've kept the idea of the commonplace and transferred it to a digital format -- the blog! As I've perused blogs over the past few years, I've found myself gravitating to those that are more like commonplaces. I enjoy reading snippets of reading, hearing another person's reaction to or questions about about what they're reading, and following the comments that often serve as a sort of conversation about the ideas.
So be prepared! I have a lot to process from Carr's book, and I'll be doing some of that here. If you enjoy being part of the process or conversation, pour a cup of tea and join me.
Blessings,
Linda
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