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

Christian Transition

October 12, 2019
Year 4, Day 285 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Benedetto Luti, 1715-20

Tears well up as I begin this Page of the four years series related to the family of wife and children that was gifted to me from God.  That is an important communication – a gift from God, but, emphasis here is on that person who bore to me four children, and surprisingly to her, lost a fetus some days after conception.  She sometimes thought of herself as having born five children although the lost tissue was not recognizable to her.  She knew no reason for abortion and the event during her ablutions one morning stayed in her psyche for some months.  I was the only one with whom she shared the loss, and the matter was moderated in that… Read more

Paradise

October 11, 2019
Year 4, Day 284 | No Comments
Section of The Descent from the Cross, Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1435

In spiritual context, my logic forbids me from believing that God is ever thwarted – even if in mortal logic it appears to be so in some conflicts of evil with good.  It can’t be possible for conclusions, so his plans will be completed for every project that he originates.  At the beginning of earth life for mankind, the feature of the image of God related to mankind assured that the perfect beginning (Eden/Adam/Eve) would be made with future consequences of perfect completion.  We dare not say that for mankind – depravity, folly, mismanagement, death or any other negative, large or small, will survive in the ultimate denouement of the creative gesture of God that we summarize as nature.  Mankind… Read more

Scatological

October 10, 2019
Year 4, Day 283 | No Comments
Section of The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio, 1602

For several years into their lives children will follow what we may term: reaction conduct.  Much of it is cute, enhanced by the innocence, play, determination, animation, enjoyment, or pain, danger, damage, risk, and the like in all.  Seeing the response of older persons the child may even intensify the attitude and conduct in which the event is carried through.  A parent may rescue the child, or encourage continuance in the context of the event.  The scattered conduct pattern may have gotten attention from others.  Attention satisfying to the child is carried over to adult life.  Many adults continue the scattered pattern that fulfills emotional preferences into years when cerebral conduct is the standard pattern for the vast majority of… Read more

Government

October 9, 2019
Year 4, Day 282 | No Comments

There is evidence that Scripture accepts a variety of government formulations, and acknowledges whatever government is in power.  The affirmative reason for this appears to be that some government is better than no government; that human peace is better than warfare/pillage; that change can be organized without massive violence and ugliness; that any government is liked and disliked by groupings in the general society; and, both the rulers and the ruled have self-interests that can distort, weaken, even destroy governments.  Many of these factors are found in the experience of the biblical patriarchs and Israel.  Illustrations are numerous, but some were periods dominated by oppressive nations like Egypt before Moses’ accomplishments; tribalism with family domination in Moses leadership; confederacy under… Read more

Life and Language

October 8, 2019
Year 4, Day 281 | No Comments

I have just finished reading the history of the story about: the wife of Jesus, appearing straightforwardly in the Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 41 No.3. (BAR).  This story began with the claim by Simcha Jacobovici that he had found a papyrus fragment, about the size of a calling card, referring to Jesus’ wife.  There was no documentation for validity, or adequate explanation of the mystery.  Further there was great doubt engendered by other undocumented and unusual claims made by the same man – one of which was that he had a nail used at Christ’s crucifixion.  Written by a friend of Simcha, but objective in tone, the extended article stated: BAR does not publish Simcha’s most far-fetched claims.  During the… Read more

Holistic Life

October 7, 2019
Year 4, Day 280 | No Comments
Section of The Crucifixion, Pedro Orrente, ca. 1625–30

Human life is a complicated journey, an envelope full of many factors that make it up, that influence it, that form it, that give it a body, mystery, consciousness, reflection and emotions.  With understanding that there are those who seek to escape life challenge, the vast majority of persons desire perpetuation of their lives – likely in better context than those pertaining in earth life, even when earth life appears to be pleasant, meaningful, and fulfilling.  Mankind holds dearly to mortal life until illness, mental and physical, has become too unbearable.  Even faith that includes heaven is taken with a heaven-can-wait attitude. The theology of Christianity uses the word Hope to indicate the concept of immortality and assurance in it…. Read more

Storms

October 6, 2019
Year 4, Day 279 | No Comments
Section of The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio, 1602

We ought to be concerned and clear about Christian culture related to the accumulations of world history.   Examples of the tragedies in mankind’s natural history (which is never wholly natural, in that God has never given up on assisting mankind) reveal what seem like oddities difficult to explain. We may become uncertain about God’s care when great cities, and verdant forests, are devastated in natural storm occurrences of drought, wind, water, and fire.  We also live with relatively little attention to even larger dragged-out tragedies affecting whole populations caused by the negatives of mankind.  Christians can affect at least some of the world’s culture for good, by addressing the matter of personal and national relationships with both models of care… Read more

Odd of God

October 5, 2019
Year 4, Day 278 | No Comments
Section of The Descent from the Cross, Rogier van der Weyden, c. 1435

A major matter in the analyses and practices of daily human life relates to direction which an idea or conduct may indicate.  If it indicates an improvement in principle or conduct it is likely that the factor is to be followed forward to the end, not only for the education of the persons in a context, but to advance the quality of life.  If the indication is negative, the context needs some amendment, perhaps avoidance.  In the affirmative meaning, the overarching value is righteousness.  Righteousness grows out of the holiness of God, made applicable and practical in an imperfect world.  The holiness of God never changes, and the righteousness he offers to mankind should be regarded as set in any… Read more

Media and Meaning

October 4, 2019
Year 4, Day 277 | No Comments
Section of The Infant Jesus and St. John the Baptist, Guido Reni, n.d.

At this writing an issue of Forbes magazine that focuses on business, freedom, economics and wealth has carried a major article on the television series of ten episodes entitled The Bible.  The series has been a strong success as measured by the number of viewers tuning into it.  This is taken by the industry as the measure of success, and of the taste of the public for later copycat programming by others seeking similar success.  In the final evaluation the measure is made on the costs of production as related to the income the finished production registers for those producing and distributing the program product.  The economics of programs following some theme related to the Bible offer fabulous profits for… Read more

Secularism

October 3, 2019
Year 4, Day 276 | No Comments
Section of Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Benedetto Luti, 1715-20

Faith is a divine presupposition, perhaps believed before the evidence related to a particular faith brand is found and evaluated.  During the course of wandering through life we sense the contradictions and paradoxes related to life experiences that seem to demand meaningful faith from us.  One of the ways we make sense of everything is to adopt a faith context.  Coming down on one side of the perceived information with contradictions and paradoxes we choose to believe in God.  Coming down on the other side we choose not to believe.  We may spend the rest of our lives collecting to memory that which we believe to be the feelings, reasons and evidences for our beliefs.  Either we believe there is… Read more

← Newer posts
Older posts →