Midnight Hour

Tonight Courtney reminded me of one of my favorite scenes in the Bonfire of the Vanities. Sherman is finally having to tell his boss about his awful predicament. The weight has been crushing Sherman for weeks, and he finally has no choice to notify his respected employer of the ordeal he is about to undergo.

His boss is interested, but Sherman soon realizes that this boss is really just as interested in the juicy story as he is in Sherman. To top it off his disregard he takes a call from a local celeb to thank him for letting him use his private jet. Twice, the vain celeb interrupts Sherman's gut-wrenching confession for frivolous chit-chat.

It becomes obvious as Sherman moves throughout his social circle that no one is really interested in him. Everyone is wrapped up in their own little world and pays attention to him only when he either benefits them in some way or when he is becoming a detriment to them.

I am afraid that Wolfe's description of the world is more accurate than not. Are you wrapped up in your own little world? or better yet, am I?

It is difficult to come up with too much evidence to the contrary. God help me.
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Well, it is that time again. At the behest of a friend, I am starting to read The Sacred Romance again. I started it several years ago, but it just didn't capture my imagination. I am hoping I get more out of it. I am sure that I have changed.

So many people have liked the Eldredge books, that I sort of feel obligated. I usually develop a bad attitude toward things like this and stay away from them. Sometimes, it turns out that I was right, but usually I end up liking it and feeling like an idiot. My dang pride gets the best of me every time. "I didn't find it first, so it can't be good, right?"

This disorder is commonly known as sin. Well, it is slightly more
complicated. It is Christian sin.

As you may have read, I have been reading The Da Vinci Code. I finished it last night, so I thought I would record at least one thought about the much read novel. The religious outlook The Da Vinci Code has me somewhat confused. On one hand, it seems that Sophie, Langdon, and Teabing are all in a search for truth. However, in the end, it is only Teabing, and perhaps the Church, that are really seeking truth. Sophie and in the end Langdon, are seeking what might be called peace. In some ways, the book shows the dichotomy that most people see when looking at religion in a pluralistic world. You can either search for truth, or you can search for peace.

A search for peace is only concerned with metaphor and mystery. It is not concerned with truth. Hypocritically, most seekers of peace make no claims to exclusive truth, except that there is none or at least that it cannot be found. Instead, they seem to see the essence of faith as believing without thinking. This is postmodern religion. "How it affects me," is the most important criteria for religion. They have given up on the idea of truth either because they are frustrated by all of the competing claims or the idea of exclusive truth is morally repugnant.

A search for truth, on the other hand, is concerned with how the claims of a religion correspond to reality. These usually end up being either radical atheists out to prove all religions false or religious zealots eager to prove their own superiority. This is modern religion. "How it aligns with objective(scientific) reality," is the most important criteria for religion. Confused about humanity's humble original condition and subsequent fall, they pridefully make all kinds of exclusive claims and gladly divide up humanity between those that are in and those that are out.

Christianity, and in truth all religions I have studied, make truth claims, and they all make exclusive truth claims. Islam claims that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. Buddhism claims nirvana can be reach by following the eight-fold path. Hinduism makes claims about reincarnation and law of karma. Christianity claims that Jesus Christ is the second person of a Triune God. Judaism claims that YHWH is the one true God. While some of these claims may be compatible, no religion is entirely compatible with another. In fact, most religions have further subdivisions based on irreconcilable interpretive disagreements.

I can hardly believe the statement in The Da Vinci Code that, "those who truly understand their faiths understand the stories are metaphorical." Surely Brown would not have us believe that the only true believers in a religion are those that espouse his own religion, one that rejects all claims to absolute truth. This is truly the height of arrogance.

It is certianly true that there have been some dastardly religious people in human history. There are so-called Christians that rank among the top. However, if one truly understands the scriptures one can see that the writers did not intended to put down women as Brown claims but to move their cultures to the ideal of equality. They did not seek to hold up current political or societal power structures, they stood outside of and usually against them.

Christianity invites all those with a critical mind to investigate its claims and experience true peace. Grace and Peace begins many of Paul's letters. Grace speaks of the objective fact that Christ has paved the way for the adoption as sons for all that will believe. And Peace speaks of the ever widening harmony God desires to pour out upon humanity. True seeks of truth and peace will be both satisfied and challenged if they would humble themselves and look for one outside them selves for safety. He eagerly awaits.
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I have been thinking lately about creation and evolution.  I am listening to a very interesting lecture series on anthropology, a subject just brimming with evolutionary theory. In addition, I am running up against many references to old earth and evolution theories in preschool science material.  I need to start figuring out exactly how to talk to my kids about this.

I am wondering about how to integrate the insights into biology, sociology, psychology, and anthropology we learn using evolutionary theories.  Evolution is not without merit, but it is not without problems either.  I working on a theory that adds some aspects evolution to creation at the fall.  We will see how it turns out.

On vacation I started a new book: The Da Vinci Code. It is certainly interesting. Much of it is patently false. Some of it is true. He is not a bad writer, and it definitely keeps your interest.

I have put off reading it for too long. It is more interesting than I thought it would be. While it is often aggravating, the story pulls you along quite well. In addition, it is a good conversation piece. I will need to do some research, but I have already seen many holes in Brown's theories.

More to come if time permits.

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Rusty and Sobo

Originally uploaded by bheathr.

Here is a good shot from our vacation. Visit flickr to see the set.

We had much fun with each other and our friends and family. I can't wait for Christ to come. I think we will be able to teleport so that we can be with all the people we love.