Daily pages of reflection...for knowledge, understanding, to wisdom
Section of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci Section of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

Layers

March 6, 2019
Year 4, Day 65 | No Comments
Section of The Descent from the Cross, Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1435

The Bible has layered meaning which means it is to be understood first as history.  This is the context used by archaeologists.  Does the narrative stand up well to what is known in the history of mankind?  It is important that we gain this balance in order to interpret the spiritual meaning.  Spiritual meaning emerges from the parables of truth in experience, as it was used by the prophets, but more clearly by Jesus.  Jesus did not violate earth’s logic based on nature’s evidences, sometimes called Greek logic.  The evidence is verifiable, and is basic to what we now identify as Scientific.  It is so striking and useful for earth knowledge that some persons presume it is the only pattern… Read more

Wisdom Prayer

March 5, 2019
Year 4, Day 64 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Adulteress, Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, ca. 1545–50

A part of wisdom relates to discovering what wisdom is and how to apply it.  One of the main purposes of Scripture and preaching is for the reader/listener to discover the route of wisdom and follow it in thought and application.  Wisdom is the route, not the end.  There is a wisdom route that guides a Christian to a loving, righteous, active, fulfilling, joy-oriented life.  Along the main life’s route there are stopovers to accomplish purposes and goals, and from which we gain additional directions and services that make the wisdom route of journey fulfilling and satisfying.  We begin the route walking so to pick up (gain information) slowly at first, faster later when we learn contexts.  Finding we are… Read more

Work and Stewardship

March 4, 2019
Year 4, Day 63 | No Comments
Section of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

As any effective teacher does, the Lord urges us to test ourselves, partly so to prove the effectiveness of what the teacher is communicating.  Christian wisdom includes concepts of Scripture related to work.  We learn that the worker is to be paid fairly, for the contribution (sale of time and skill) to the objectives of an employer.  It is a needed form of rewarded servanthood, so to meet the needs and wants of mankind.  The system is first to address the needs of persons in society.  The worker needs to respect the system, and the employer needs to take responsibility for application of an ethical system that avoids misuse.  This last implies that the employer knows how to use the… Read more

Progress

March 3, 2019
Year 4, Day 62 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Adulteress, Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, ca. 1545–50

There is a balance in life, physical or spiritual, relating to the one and the many.  How do I do well for self while also serving society?  How do I gain benefit without taking benefit, perhaps rights, from others?  Must society operate on a principle that for every benefit gained by one person or group something be taken from another person or group?  If I am warm, well fed, and protected in my own domicile should another person be denied something of similar benefit?  Is there an irreducible level at which a human being has the right for no other reason than the respect we owe to conscious life in every person?  For modern civility the respect for life, principally… Read more

Charity and Giving

March 2, 2019
Year 4, Day 61 | No Comments
Section of The Infant Jesus and St. John the Baptist, Guido Reni, n.d.

A President of the United States proposed that the government, perceived as secular (to comfort the citizens offended or disapproving of spiritual interpretation of life) enter into agreements to work with faith-based groups to assist the nation in serving the welfare programs to other nations.  Some co-op was proposed because it was felt missionaries might be in best position to assure the government programs would serve the purpose for which they were given – to reach the truly needy people of the country served.  In the current system nations sometimes diverted the gifts to power persons or their choices with reduced volume going to the masses in need.  The programs would not be used in any direct way to benefit… Read more

Persons To Persons

March 1, 2019
Year 4, Day 60 | No Comments
Section of Adoration of the Magi, artist unknown

The nation is currently passing through a massive media blitz related to remarks made by an owner of a big league basketball team.  The remarks were severely negative about a human race differing from his.  The remarks were untrue in their implications of inferiority about the indicated race and stupid in a person of long experience greatly benefitting from the talents of the members of his team, made up of multi-racial and highly skilled athletes.  The team, currently in the playoffs, purchased some years ago for 150 million dollars is currently valued as worth 500 million dollars.  The general public is appalled at the statements.  The league has barred the owner from any contact with the team, has fined him… Read more

Preparation

February 28, 2019
Year 4, Day 59 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Benedetto Luti, 1715-20

My elder son and I were discussing marriage experience in its successes and failures, and what may be done to accent success and reduce failure.  One point discussed was related to pre-marital counseling. There is a secret in pre-marriage counseling that few persons appear to contemplate, but it becomes important in the influence for good in marriages: That promises made in advance of this event (or any other human event) have greater weight than those made during or after the event.  He immediately responded, in the light of understanding and approving the statement by saying: Dad, you ought to include that in one of your Pages. To comfort him (a minor motivation), and to find another insight into the advance… Read more

Holistic Christianity

February 27, 2019
Year 4, Day 58 | No Comments
Section of The Infant Jesus and St. John the Baptist, Guido Reni, n.d.

Christianity is first and primarily the offer of God, through Jesus Christ, to provide redemption to mankind.  That adoption is necessary because human imperfection (identified as sin, faulty, immoral, etc.) demands repair if the individual desires to be included as a child of God in the spiritual (immortal) meaning identified beyond the natural (mortal) creation.  God’s redemptive meaning spiritually proceeds beyond the natural creation, whereas God’s physical creation does not require spiritual identity in nature’s life – as the animals do not hold spiritual inheritance.  The concept is summarized in that human beings belong to God by his creative gesture, but unacceptable for immortal relationship with God.  In the acceptance of the redemptive plan of God, the human individual is… Read more

Starting at Go

February 26, 2019
Year 4, Day 57 | No Comments

For a world dominated by movements related to education, progress, pluralism, technology, economics, work and science as is our current world, I was arrested by the statement of Clancy Martin in The Atlantic magazine: Philosophers eager to write for popular audiences are finding readers who want answers science can’t offer.  How many times have I heard/read a similar statement, and made it myself?  It is an old concern for mankind – that knowledge and understanding of nature do not meet all our needs for meaning and truth.  Those concerned with ideas from beyond nature are often presumed to be superstitious, death-fearing, weak thinkers, perhaps exotic/mthical about this or that.  Admittedly there are some Christians beyond their depth in the controversies… Read more

Common Grace Finds Divine

February 25, 2019
Year 4, Day 56 | No Comments
Section of Sistine Chapel ceiling, Michaelangelo, 1508-1512

Immediately after the national elections in November, 2012, it was announced that an honored, gifted, respected leader in the military and other national appointments had an intimate affair with the person who had written his biography.  The scandal was reviewed numerous times through the media, with various interpretations, but with the universal agreement that this was a serious matter that might have meaning to national security, meant sorrow for families and friends. It provided a depressing feeling for those who had made the officer a model of what a person could be and do.  The various points continue as this is being written and may not play out for a year or so from this date, highly dependent upon the… Read more

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