The Other.

{This is an old post that I had saved as a 'draft', I did not know that was

 possible, any way here it is.} 

 Communication theory has said that we develop a concept of our self by engaging with other people. We express ideas through symbols (words, body language) these symbols are interpreted by another person then returned to us, we interpret and then re-express... Though this is a overly simple and dumbed down explanation, the idea is that we develop our sense of self through interaction with the other. If this is true we need other people in order be ourselves. 

New Goal

I have gone surfing twice in the last seven days and it turns out that I am not as talented as I would have liked to think. Both days I was accompanied by guys that were much more talented, as  a result I found that I picked up 3 or 4 things that I could be doing differently each time, either by observing, messing up or the loving taunt of my fiend. the learning curve is steep and I am grateful for the practice in humility. 

It is now a new goal of mine that I should always be involved  in something that I am not very good at, so that I never forget to be a learner. Of course this is very easy for me at my present stage in life, but I like to think that one day I will be at least a partial  expert in something. Even when that happens I will continue to find things to do wich I am not even equal to those around me, so that I remain in a position of humility and learning. 

Free will

in answer to the question, how does the story of God hardening pharos heart effect our view of free will? 

 have heard it said that Pharo already chose to be against God, so the act of God harding his heart was not changing is will but letting him continue to act against God as previously chosen. 

that being one answer 

i think to more properly answer the question one would have to engage in the question of what are we actually talking about when we say, free will. in no way will i ever try to tackle that question, but it seems to be that there may be something to saying that God violated pharos "free Will" and made it impossible to choose anything but to be against God and the Israelites because his heart was hardened. with that in consideration,

The Bible does not tell us of another time that God has intervened in this way, or that it is something God does. But if God did what would it change for us ? I don't think it should change anything, except maybe increase our realization that God is God and we are not. 

i don't blog enough

i am now in two new classes this quarter, and they should be very stimulating.

that or they will kill my spirit and crush my ego because they will cause me to discover that a really am not the brilliant intellectual i imagine my self to be. 

 I have two nagging thoughts chewing on my brain cells at the moment.

one is having to do with understanding the bible through a narrative approach.

and two is the Question. What is politics? 

oddly enough the two classes that i am currently taking are titled, narrative approach to theology and political theology 

so i will now force my self to stop for the sake of lengthiness. but i hope to post more on these soon.   

For Your Consideration.

Here are two stories that lead to Questions for consideration 

1.  i actually watched the Oscar's the other night, not sure why, but i did. So, as i was watching a bunch of movies that i had never heard of get awards, it became apparent to me that the academy seems to have an agenda that becomes very obvious with each academy award show. coarse its no secret that Hollywood is considered liberal, but it also seems that they have a different criteria that they work with each year. any way it lead me to this Question. is it possible that a movie written by a stripper about a teen pregnancy could have more impact on reducing abortions in this country then all the political lobbying combined? if it is true that abortion is about the debate between pro choice and pro life then is it possible that a movie that highlights the beauty of protecting and valuing life, even if it requires personal sacrifice, or especially as it requires personal sacrifice, could do more to shape the way a culture views and therefore reacts to abortion?

probably not, nor is Juno this Film. but i think it is worth considering.

2.  i was having a discussion with a couple of theology students the other day and one of them had just discovered somethings about some people that she really looked up to that caused her tremendous pain and confusion. this combined with a few other things led her to the place where her response to God and most things was that "there are no answers." after a short time in discussion and acknowledging that there is suffering in the world and how God might be working... she stated again that she is all about preaching that "there are no answers." this  time i questioned her. "is that really what you believe?" She paused, then replied... any way here is my question, as she stated that "there are no answers" it stuck me as not a statement of despair but of a strange sort of hope and peace, mixed with much pain. 

so what about the idea of there being no answers is comforting?

is it a generational/cultural thing? 

is it a hope/despair thing?

or is she on to something? 

Worth considering? maybe... 

am i loved?

Sometimes it is hard to be generous with love when we are not loved. 

  Walter Brueggemann describes the conflict between what he calls the powerful pull of scarcity against the good news of Gods abundance. beginning with Genesis one Brueggemann shows that the God of the Bible is the the God of abundance, he tracks through the creation story sighting the plenty of creation in which God observes "it is good" there are trees and plants and fruit... and "it is good" there are birds in the sky and fish in the sea and animals of all kinds... and "it is very good" then there is man and woman and they are told to be fruitful and multiply... And God is the God of abundance.  yet somewhere in the story the belief in scarcity emerges. pharaoh to in Egypt looks around and sees that there might not be enough "good stuff" to go around in need to get Control of all i can, - scarcity, so much so that he enslaves the people and gains control of all the lad he can. the Israelites then find themselves being led into the desert, the desert which is the picture of scarcity, yet they find Gods abundance. every morning they wake up and they find all the need, yet they cant control nor predict, yet those that needed much had all they needed and those that needed little had plenty. here we find the Sabbath as a picture and recognition that God has provided all we need, we need not gather every day. working every day is living in scarcity cause i need to get all i can cause there may not be enough good stuff. the Israelites as Brueggemann points out are in constant conflict between the myth of scarcity and the reality of Gods abundance, they hoard the manna, because they do not know if there will be enough tomorrow, there is plenty every day yet they cant Control it so the do what they can to control it and forget about Gods abundance and revert to scarcity.  Pharaoh controlled one of the most prosperous and fertile areas in the world yet... 

it is never really about the reality of the material/economy at hand, as much as it is about ones belief about it. 

what was i talking about again... 

Jesus something something something i know for the something something me so... 

Any way Walter Brueggemann is super smart dude and you should read some of his other stuff as well  

Why you know?

 So I am under the impression that the first Blog post that one is supposed to accomplish is the explanation of the Title of his or her Blog. 

So if i had an explanation it would either Be having to do with Ecclesiastes, "there is nothing new under the sun" Or it could come from the understanding that people really are aware of much of what there is to know, sometimes it is more a Question of articulation or completion of information and concepts.  But your guess is a as good as mine.