The paradigm in Christendom for the past thousand years has been to make folks have a “Christian” life on the outside in order to encourage them to accept Christ on the inside. I’m going to be silent on the efficacy of that approach – I’m not God, and He’s the judge. However, excepting a brave…
Hidden Beauty
One of my parents’ students from China dropped by to see them the other night, and I had an interesting chat with him about hiding beauty during the Cultural Revolution. He was eight when it started… he remembered the Protestant church next door the day they brought out all the illustrated books and pictures, piled…
Virtue or Blessing?
It would be useful if we could differentiate between the virtue inherent in our choices vs. our blessings. I keep having the conversation with friends who don’t want to say that they’re intelligent so as not to be prideful. That, IMO, is as silly as denying how tall you are. It is good to be…
The Odor of a Faraway Land
In my proposal that we embrace our citizenship in another Land, I am suggesting that we bring the odor of that land with us so long as we live in this one. In dancing to the music of a far-off land, perhaps we can create a curiosity that will draw others into the Wedding Party….
So much to do, so few hands
Christendom, particularly feminine Christendom, suffers from the problem of too much to do and not enough people to do it. The truth is, this world is fallen. Likewise, truth is that there is always going to be more work to be done than can get done. Truth is, God calls us to do good works…
Becoming Visible
It has been a trope of life as a middle-aged woman that one drops into invisibility as one ages. This is because our culture only sees those who are playing the mating game (or might play) as worthy of notice. But something that hasn’t been noticed is that many of us in this year of…
Letting Ourselves Be Real
I just finished an amazing book by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. One of the quotes that hit me between the teeth was: “The final breakthrough to fellowship does not occur, because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not have fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship…
Making Good, Better
I’m ruminating today about practicing the things that we are talented at and getting better than merely good. I’m wondering why we – mostly – don’t do that. When people are willing to put in the 10,000 hours (or whatever is necessary to master a skill), others are in awe. Which leaves me wondering –…
Is Beauty an Absolute?
Reading philosophy is valuable. Philosophers spend their time delineating concepts that are, for most of us, somewhat vague. Whether or not you agree with them, the value of their writing lies in the asking of the question and thus the crystallization of your own thoughts. What is Beauty? Beauty is difficult to pin down, and…
Expressing Social Emotion
We need common references to social emotions to function successfully as a culture. This is problematic in a melting pot country like our own – we don’t know how to communicate non-verbally to others in ways that they will understand emotionally. Emotions must be spoken to in the language of emotion. Words can be used,…