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

Cultural Orientation

July 19, 2018
Year 3, Day 200 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Benedetto Luti, 1715-20

There is a maintenance context for personal Christian life.  The factors relate to the Fruit of the Holy Spirit referred to by the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, but expanded in various passages, especially relating to additional factors like prayer in dynamic Christian life.  The Apostle did not mean for his list to be interpreted as the only factors, as we would not presume to cover all fruits in nature when we have discussed the qualities of apples, oranges and figs.  The Fruit here is identified as one, but identified in several mentioned.  We may understand it in recognizing there is one bowl of fruit on the table, but in that bowl are many fruits.  We are the vessel, cultivating… Read more

Default Choices

July 18, 2018
Year 3, Day 199 | No Comments
Section of Adoration of the Magi, artist unknown

It is built into the life of human beings that they must make decisions (choices).  This is especially related to the concept of problem solving.  God expects us to devote time, thought, energy and application to solving problems.  Masses of the population live without an awareness of the obligation to help others through problem solving, and to use the skill of problem solving to avoid some further potential problems.  The nation at this writing is going through a period when the national government is at impasse on creating and managing a national budget that includes debt reduction.  The failure to address the issue becomes an unwanted choice by default.  The choice not to work out the problem creates a silent… Read more

Increments

July 17, 2018
Year 3, Day 198 | No Comments
Section of The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio, 1602

Pundits and preachers try to find future history in the movements of persons and society as they find them.  If done skillfully they gain some prophetic insight.  Perceptive persons not limited to their own emotions, prejudices, and traditions, even intellectual orientation, may be quite perceptive in what will happen in this or that context during their lifetimes, perhaps after.  Psychics often play on the process, so to retain their reputations among some groups for what appear to be insightful proclamations.  Even guessing at the future a person will often feel wise in that thoughtful guesses will often become realistic.  Not all accidents are negative.  Chance is chance, and can go either way or enough in change in our presumed directions… Read more

History and Historians

July 16, 2018
Year 3, Day 197 | No Comments
Section of The Infant Jesus and St. John the Baptist, Guido Reni, n.d.

As a lad in elementary and high school, I took different kinds of jobs, as permitted for the times during the 1930s, the Great Depression years.  One of those jobs was as a paper boy peddling newspapers to customers, selling extras on the street, and managing the little money that came from hours devoted to subscribers.  Newspapers were three cents each, and I received a penny from each cash sale.  Subscribers paid twenty cents weekly, for seven days delivery.  I received six of the twenty.  I learned to like and read newspapers, graduating gradually from the funnies to the front page as well as editorials and sports pages.  I remember well the day Billy Sunday died, and the small squib… Read more

Democracy

July 15, 2018
Year 3, Day 196 | No Comments
Section of The Crucifixion, Pedro Orrente, ca. 1625–30

There was an underlying feeling among the founding fathers of the United States that government, though necessary, was a problem that needed some internal control to accomplish the purpose of social life, defense and cooperative means for advancement with protection of human rights. The states tried confederation for a few years during and after the Revolutionary War, but discovered that the smaller units, with differences would not accomplish the vision for the nation in peace and cooperation. Even in the realization that a larger representative government forging a nation in life context defined as freedom with responsibility, there was  doubt that it would work.  Europe called it the American experiment and many thoughtful leaders believed it would fade, and some… Read more

Answers

July 14, 2018
Year 3, Day 195 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Adulteress, Lucas Cranach the Younger and Workshop, ca. 1545–50

Drawing from the various media one is reminded of man’s persistent concern: Are we mortal only?  It was a preoccupation with Solomon in an attempt to understand both the claims of humanism, and the claims of spiritual promise to immortality.  He experimented with the natural (mortal) context, through the various suggested routes, and found, at the conclusion that all is vanity (vapor).  Conclusion may be faced with bravery and acceptance, with fear and doubting, with hope and faith, and with a spate of responses physical (from raised fist to folded hands), and spiritual (from imagination that is human, to revelation that is divine). One is intrigued by the experiences of persons who seek their immortality (meaning) in physical prowess.  As… Read more

Backsliding

July 13, 2018
Year 3, Day 194 | No Comments
Section of The Crucifixion, Pedro Orrente, ca. 1625–30

Backsliding is generally related to religious perceptions.  This person, once a believer and active in faith turns away from the spiritual beliefs and conduct related to those beliefs.  The turn may be gently made, and the person fades from church culture to secular, sometimes even holding on to some of the former conduct related to faith.  I knew a fellow who turning away from faith continued to tithe his income and once gave thousands of dollars at a fundraiser I attended, and with whom my host and I shared the same banquet table.  He slipped his check to the host immediately after the dinner, and departed before the main program so as not to face the spiritual context of the… Read more

Self Orientation

July 12, 2018
Year 3, Day 193 | No Comments
Section of Sistine Chapel ceiling, Michaelangelo, 1508-1512

There is Christian self-orientation that seems mysterious, but, when lived, seems also to be quite superior to the appeal of what may be called a natural orientation.  There is overlap between the natural and the Christian in numerous factors, but the differences are significant and life changing for the person who may have previously lived only in a natural context.  The humanistic context is marked by both affirmatives and negatives that often bring us to self-contradiction, even self-competition.  In that circumstance we may show one side today and another tomorrow.  Rightly cast, the negatives suggest the affirmatives as illustrated in the Ten Commandments.  The negative: Do not bear false witness, is a negative cast for an affirmative: Always tell the… Read more

End Time

July 11, 2018
Year 3, Day 192 | No Comments
Section of Noli me Tangere by Hans Holbein the Younger

That God wants us to live practically is clear from Scripture – in general satisfaction with human experience during our earth sojourn.  Issues of health, family, work, aspiration, orientation (physical and/or spiritual) are addressed with implications of blessings (affirmatives) and curses (negatives) as part of the course for daily living – the Ebals and Gerizims of life.  From Mounts Ebal and Gerizim, Israel’s tribes shouted blessings and curses, and with acknowledgments between them of what it was that each had shouted. (Deuteronomy 27:11-47)  It was the end time for Moses.  On the conclusion of that event, he died. The extent and balance of these inevitable life accompaniments (affirmative and negative factors) are interpreted differently.  They are neutral in themselves, but… Read more

Exasperation

July 10, 2018
Year 3, Day 191 | No Comments
Section of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

Exasperation is a normal response found rather often in our experience.  Although we think of it as a negative factor in our lives it serves good purpose when we address its cause in a mature context.  It brings improvement when we treat it in the way it ought to be perceived and managed.  If we are mature, we keep it in boundaries, and it indicates that we may need to do something about the cause of the exasperation.  Parents who do not feel exasperation, with understanding, for conflict in their children will not likely be effective parents.  The exasperation ought to be mild enough not to generate anger, or eat away too much time in addressing it, but used properly… Read more

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