Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all that he had. The rich young ruler couldn't do it. I've heard so many sermons preached about this passage. They each bypass the actul selling of his goods and reflect on the man's heart. It's as if the preachers of the Christian church are telling us that there is no need to part with your earthly belongings as long as your heart is in the right place. I'm just going to be frank: I don't see anything of that nature in this passage. This guy was 'just' in everything that he did. He wanted to do even more. Jesus told him to sell everything. He couldn't do it. I think it's aboslutely WRONG to preach a message saying that "his heart was in the wrong place, and you haven't any reason to part with your earthly belongings."
I believe that man is ruled by what he posesses. You have to devote time and money (which takes time to incure) to everything you possess. The less you have, the less time and money you need to devote to stuff. I believe this to be fact. I don't think that there is any getting around it. The question that I'm left pondering is what of our conveniences might actually be affording us time.
If I own a vehicle which allows me to move from one point to another much quicker than walking, how much extra time is the vehicle actually affording me and at what expense? Pollution is an obvious expense. As is excersize lost while driving, as opposed to walking, leading to poorer health. The loss of time spent in nature, not listening to the birds and the wind in the trees, I feel is an expense. Obvisously the vehicle allows travel in harsher conditions that walking wouldn't allow. I'm responcible for car insurance, gasoline, oil, maintainenance. All of which, I must spend time making money, inorder to afford. My vehicle would require time cleaning. I am wondering of the checks and balances of all the stuff we've accumulated in this, our society of rich young rulers.
It seems we've surrounded ourselves with un-natural time saving devises that have disonected us from nature and, I feel, are swallowing up much of our time. I'm frusterated.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
St. Patrick of Ireland by Philip Freeman
I finished reading St. Patrick of Ireland for the second time yesterday. I really love this book.
It's odd to me how the writer is so grotesque in his description of the barbaric antcient Irish compared to many other books I've read on this subject. Most authors seem to look down upon the ideas of the Irish being canables, making ritual blood sacrifices and such, but the descriptions of such traditions of the Irish recorded in this book really stick out to me like soar thumb. Looking past this veiwpoint however I love the way the author looks into the man of St. Patrick by analyzing his surviving two letters along with the age he lived in.
To me this book is so full of light, telling the story of a man who was enslaved at a young age, found God while in servitiude in a pasture of sheep on an Irish hillside, was then sent on a journey home directed and protected by God, and ultimatley called by God to return to the Island of his enslavement to free the barbaric Irish through the redeeming power of Christ. The entire book is filled with great historical information not only about St. Patrick but about Britian, the Roman empire, the Irish, and the church.
From an evangelical Christians veiwpoint it seemed like the author, although relaying Patricks relationship with God, in terms of God speaking to him in dreams, and warning him of coming danger in the future, didn't necessarily believe God was truley behind these dreams and visions. I liked how the author wrote, in my opinion, so skeptically of Patricks encounters with God. The simple telling of the story, with no convincing of it's validity involved, made it seem very raw and real. I could imagine for myself the reality of Patrick waking from a dream in which God spoke to him. I could imagine for myself the enemny seizing Patrick and imobilzing him. I could imagine for myself the aboslute faith and the beautiful relationship Patrick must have had with God. I think the story is beautiful and reassuring of God's unchanging nature.
I tend to look at the time of Patrick as very unspiritual. I always imagine that the monks and bishops of the Catholic church were very religious and although I don't doubt they had faith in God and somewhat of a relationship with Him I never imagine such an intense beatiful spirit filled relationship as that which is relayed in this book. It's encouraging, enlightening, and confirming of the unchanging nature of God. It makes me admire the evangelists of Patricks age. It paints a beautiful picture of the gospel of Christ coming to Ireland. It's a great true story and I feel the author does and excellent non bias job of telling it. I really love this book.
It's odd to me how the writer is so grotesque in his description of the barbaric antcient Irish compared to many other books I've read on this subject. Most authors seem to look down upon the ideas of the Irish being canables, making ritual blood sacrifices and such, but the descriptions of such traditions of the Irish recorded in this book really stick out to me like soar thumb. Looking past this veiwpoint however I love the way the author looks into the man of St. Patrick by analyzing his surviving two letters along with the age he lived in.
To me this book is so full of light, telling the story of a man who was enslaved at a young age, found God while in servitiude in a pasture of sheep on an Irish hillside, was then sent on a journey home directed and protected by God, and ultimatley called by God to return to the Island of his enslavement to free the barbaric Irish through the redeeming power of Christ. The entire book is filled with great historical information not only about St. Patrick but about Britian, the Roman empire, the Irish, and the church.
From an evangelical Christians veiwpoint it seemed like the author, although relaying Patricks relationship with God, in terms of God speaking to him in dreams, and warning him of coming danger in the future, didn't necessarily believe God was truley behind these dreams and visions. I liked how the author wrote, in my opinion, so skeptically of Patricks encounters with God. The simple telling of the story, with no convincing of it's validity involved, made it seem very raw and real. I could imagine for myself the reality of Patrick waking from a dream in which God spoke to him. I could imagine for myself the enemny seizing Patrick and imobilzing him. I could imagine for myself the aboslute faith and the beautiful relationship Patrick must have had with God. I think the story is beautiful and reassuring of God's unchanging nature.
I tend to look at the time of Patrick as very unspiritual. I always imagine that the monks and bishops of the Catholic church were very religious and although I don't doubt they had faith in God and somewhat of a relationship with Him I never imagine such an intense beatiful spirit filled relationship as that which is relayed in this book. It's encouraging, enlightening, and confirming of the unchanging nature of God. It makes me admire the evangelists of Patricks age. It paints a beautiful picture of the gospel of Christ coming to Ireland. It's a great true story and I feel the author does and excellent non bias job of telling it. I really love this book.
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