Look at the gem, not the dirt it's wedged between
Original entries coming soon. Seriously this time. Soon.
In the meantime, this is old, but I thought it was worth repeating. It’s from Father Dowd.
Beyond this, though, I see a sad trend among some Catholics whose love and defense of Faith seems to make them myopic when it comes to Hope. The result is that they try harder and harder to defend the faith to the point of getting frustrated and wondering if it’s all worth it, wondering where it’s all going — in other words, losing hope. And when Hope is lost, Charity is not far behind. It is possible to have faith and still be on the road to perdition.
Think about that. Think about that very hard. Especially if you’re one of those damned unchurched, dechurched, new-churched, post-churched, pre-churched, or re-re-churched, whatever the hell all that means. Sorry. Caveat.
And who am I to talk? Well, it’s not me talking. I’m thinking about it with you. It was Father Dowd talking.
Don’t let my unfortunate tone blur your response to his fine lines. I’m upset and foolish at the moment. I’m avoiding talking about what I want to talk about it. We’ll talk about it later. Unless you’re not someone I talk to. Then we won’t.
Berate me if you must.
cory said,
Jul 23, 06:41 #
I saw you were on Gmail, I was away, we’ll talk sometime.
Dowd’s remark is interesting. Who can say when the traveler on the road to perdition comes to its final end?
I’m gonna go off here on something that came to my attention while reading your blog, whether it applies to anyone or not:
Every Christian requires fellowship in the Church (I’m not talking just hanging out with Christian friends) for his/her own good. Isolation from this community is detrimental to the believers faith. Personally, I think one cannot grasp the fullness of hope unless it is regularly seen practiced by others. I am amazed in my congregation and small group how their simple knowledge and faith in its childness far surpasses all I’ve done in many years. This leads me to hold conflicting opinions regarding higher learning.
Perhaps our (or just mine) Mennonite relatives and ancestors had reason to doubt higher theological learning. It is like a double-edged sword. In action it helps us win many battles, but strapped to our side out of use it so often cuts our legs as we attempt to continue on in our journey. When this happens to me (as I’m sure it does to all who attempt to ‘think’ about theo.), I find that I can love what I’ve learned one second (as it helps me overcome some obstructions), and the next second hate it with my greatest passion for arousing doubt in my mind, where all that was needed was childlike faith. The first is one road that leads some to perdition, perhaps.
Brad said,
Jul 23, 18:45 #
Digging through articles on mummification in arid environments I came across an ethnographic work from Tibet at the time of the Chinese invasion, and subsequent occupation. It spoke of a practice carried out in times of need, such as a drought or another catastrophe. Buddhist monks were said to bind themselves with a restraining cord, isolate themselves in a cave above the community, and perform tantric meditations for days, slowing their metabolism and heart rate to incredibly low levels. In time the symbiotic bacteria and microbes in their bodies died for lack of food, followed soon after by the monk. At the time of death the monk would expend every remaining bit of energy in intense concentration, raising their body temperature as much as 5 degrees, purging as much fluid as possible from their already dehydrated body. This led to so called “self mummification”. Their bodies were considered relics; left in place to ward off whatever troubles the community was suffering from. Another article talked about a professor from the states who went to Nepal, right on the border of Tibet, to study one of the few mummies not burned by the Chinese. He said it was one of the most life affirming experiences he’s ever had.
This is completely off your topic, but something I think about whenever I doubt something or am troubled by life in general.
Tristan said,
Jul 24, 16:42 #
Brad: Tangential, but very interesting nonetheless. Sometimes I wish I was taking anthropology. Yesterday I wished it were history. Anyway…
Maybe I’ll be able to search one out (a mummified monk) when I’m in China this year. I’d like to search out as many religious artifacts – dead and living – as possible. I’m curious to know how or why you find this monks comforting or life affirming. An expansion, perhaps?
Cory: I’ve written so many philosophy of higher learning papers, it has become hard for me to separate the intelligent answers I usually give out and the truth of my experience. You raise some good points. Your experience resonates to some extent with mine, though you clearly give more weight to your Mennonite heritage than I would. This is natural, since I have no Mennonite heritage.
Still, you’re probably right about a reason to doubt, I just dislike the typical Mennonite response to that reason (immensely, in fact – as I dislike typical Mennonite responses to most things).
I jump right into the muck and actually start dealing with the contents of these questions here, but I’m not really in the mood right now. Maybe later. Maybe over a game of pool?
Only two or three more weeks before I leave… We haven’t managed to arrange a game in the 6 months since you got back. That’s ridiculous.
cory said,
Jul 26, 05:42 #
and now I’m going to Korea and when I get back you’ll be in China. Life is quite a prank.
Brad said,
Jul 26, 10:08 #
You won’t find any in China, they burned all that they found along with the rest of Tibet’s herritage.
I find it life affirming becasue for me, those monks signify the pinaccle of dedication. They’re like Christ figures in a way, giving their lives for the good of the many. Ultimate sacrifice, it’s a practice seen in many world religions, but self mummification just had the most impact on me.