The Search Continues
This week's quote du jour is in the form of a parable from the Rule of St. Benedict (an order to which all authentic Christians would do well to heed in these days):
The Bush campaign has tried to formulate truth and package it in such a way as to present itself as the only option for our safety and security (something that Christians should learn to trust to God alone). One of their tactics has been to repeatedly paint John Kerry as a "flip-flopper" (don't get me started on the immature use of playground rhetoric). However, it seems Mr. Kerry was voting, as was the rest of Congress, based on the information at hand. The difference now, 20 months and thousands of lives later, is that Kerry is willing to admit that it was, and continues to be, a mistake. A mistake having less to do with national defense than national dependence on oil.
As an interesting, and decidedly less political commentary on the parable, it is interesting to note that the Teacher did not tell the visitor to turn to Jabez or The Purpose Driven Life for direction (see earlier post on this blog regarding my personal visit to Saddleback). Truth must be sought after, dug for, and wrestled with. There is no easy way. It is disturbing, in these days of hype and commercialism, to see so many churches following the god of marketing and pre-packaged faith.
peace
Once upon a time a visitor came to the monastery looking for the purpose and meaning of life.
The Teacher said to the visitor, "If what you seek is Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else."
"I know," the visitor said. "To find Truth I must have an overwhelming passion for it."
"No," the Teacher said. "In order to find Truth, you must have an unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong."
The Bush campaign has tried to formulate truth and package it in such a way as to present itself as the only option for our safety and security (something that Christians should learn to trust to God alone). One of their tactics has been to repeatedly paint John Kerry as a "flip-flopper" (don't get me started on the immature use of playground rhetoric). However, it seems Mr. Kerry was voting, as was the rest of Congress, based on the information at hand. The difference now, 20 months and thousands of lives later, is that Kerry is willing to admit that it was, and continues to be, a mistake. A mistake having less to do with national defense than national dependence on oil.
As an interesting, and decidedly less political commentary on the parable, it is interesting to note that the Teacher did not tell the visitor to turn to Jabez or The Purpose Driven Life for direction (see earlier post on this blog regarding my personal visit to Saddleback). Truth must be sought after, dug for, and wrestled with. There is no easy way. It is disturbing, in these days of hype and commercialism, to see so many churches following the god of marketing and pre-packaged faith.
peace
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