When we start to ask questions about Divine
action, it may rock our faith in the God we think we know. Some believers
will not want to go here. But, I’d wager it is worth asking just what view of
the natural world and God we have when we assume that God is clearing traffic
jams to ensure we’ll make a flight for vacation. The old picture that God somehow reaches in from the outside to keep
everything going or to act in particular ways should be carefully re-examined.
Yes, I know. Exploring these types of issues will be difficult, yet in light of
what we now are beginning to discover about how the world works, simplistic
scenarios of Divine action are no longer viable, but have to be challenged.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Reflection for the Week - April 30
Monday, April 9, 2018
Reflection for the Week - April 9
In our book From Evolution to Eden, we refer to the publicized image of “science
as a candle in the dark.” We contend that, in some sense, this picture has a
ring of truth. New research is uncovering interesting things about nature and
humans as part of it - de-crypting DNA and now making tremendous progress in
doing the same with the human brain are going to be monumental. Building off
this, we get a better vision of what’s happening now. The “light” of the
natural sciences can no longer be considered separately from that of the human
sciences, including theology. To a greater and greater degree – they need to be
in dialogue with each other. The days when the natural sciences were thought to
be only about material, measurement, and mechanism are over. It’s not that natural
science is not about those, but it is now about much more and because of this
the human sciences have to pay attention (notice I didn’t write and agree with
it all). Thus, let’s face it, some of our theology, for example, will have to
be established from outside the biblical text. Once DNA and the brain took
center stage, we entered new territory, which has serious implications for our
understanding of God, spirituality, and the whole of life.
Friday, April 6, 2018
Friday Musings - April 6
It’s almost as if the “poetic moment” is a
suspension of time, in time. That is, this interruption allows for a spontaneity
in the creative impulse to slash through the stark and monotonous ticking of
the clock. The, aesthetically charged, then opens up imaginative possibilities
for us to be in contact with that which is beyond, while we remain tethered to
what is within. Fascinating !
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Thursday Thoughts - April 5
The reduction-isms that permeate our culture and
many academic disciplines has about as much to do with reality as a merry go
round. Reducing God, humanity, and the world to the manageable, is a false
target. An embrace of a more expansive picture that integrates imagination and
mystery may, in truth, be closer to the mark concerning the real.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Living Spiritual Rhythms - April 4
Total self-independence or total God dependence are not realistic options for life. Totalities are just out of the question. We lack access. Rather, it seems to me that God challenges us to be “dependently independent.” This blended configuration has to be worked out, but it gives us an opportunity to be the “in tension” creatures we’re intended to be, instead of violating ourselves, others, or God through totalizing illusions.
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
New Book !
Reading the Gospel of Mark is a fascinating
adventure, with the destiny of humanity hanging in the balance. Where’s it all
going? In this narrative commentary, I wager
https://www.amazon.com/Living-Marks-Story-Gregory-Laughery/dp/1938367359/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1518097729&sr=1-2&keywords=laughery
Monday, April 2, 2018
Reflection for the Week - April 2
Feelings
are highly significant, though they are not decisive when it comes to
knowledge. In order to assess whether feelings are trustworthy or deceptive, it
is crucial that they be in dialogue with the rest of who we are, including
reason and sense observation, so that we have a more holistic perspective. We
should not stop, however, at interpersonal dialogue.
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