First, let's start with the quote that starts it all, from C.S. Lewis' "The Discarded Image." This talks about how the Medieval beliefs were ALL flipped upside down with the discovery that the Earth rotates around the sun..instead of the opposite, fundamental beliefs everyone accepted as truth: there being concentric spheres that all ascended from the Earth and moved in a "cosmic dance" creating harmonious music; symbolic of the harmony of God's creation. This discovery by Copernicus and later Galileo traded an old model of reality for a new one, and had real costs associated with it. This quote shows what was at stake in trading in the old worldview for a newer one.:
"In our universe (the earth) is small, no doubt; but so are the galaxies, so is everything--and so what? But in theirs there was an absolute standard of comparison. The furthest sphere, Dante's maggio corpo, is, quite simply and finally, the largest object in existence....Hence to look out on the night sky with modern eyes is like looking out over a sea that fades away into mist, of looking about one in a trackless forest--trees forever and no horizon. To look up at the towering medieval universe is much more like looking at a great building. The 'space' of modern astronomy may arouse terror or bewilderment or vague reverie; the spheres of the old present us with an object in which the mind can rest, overwhelming in its greatness but safisfying in its harmony....Pascal's terror at le silence eternel de ces espaces infinis (the eternal silence of the infinite spaces) never entered his mind. He is like a man being conducted through an immense cathedral, not like one lost in a shoreless sea."
(so, based on this quote- imagery that goes with these ideas: Medieval Universe- looks like a towering cathedral; has harmony; spheres moving around Earth in a cosmic dance... Modern Universe (what we have today)- sea that fades away into mist; no harmony; earth rotates around sun... you can see how for the Medievals this would make them "spiritually homeless". The new model was less personal, less orderly, etc..)
Quote by Brian McLaren (via Neo-his fictious character):
"Most modern people love to relativize the viewpoints of the others against the unquestioned superiority of their own modern viewpoint. But in a way, you cross the threshold into postmodernity the moment you turn your critical scrutiny from others to yourself when you relativize your own modern viewpoint. When you do this, everything changes. It is like a conversion. You can't go back. You begin to see that what seemed like pure, objective certainty really depends heavily on a subjective preference for your personal viewpoint."~Brian McLaren's character, Neo in the book "A New Kind of Christian"
The next quote is, again, from C.S. Lewis' "The Discarded Image"..
"It would...be subtly misleading to say, 'The medievals thought the universe to be like that, but we know it to be like this.' Part of what we now know is that we cannot, in the old sense, 'know what the universe is like' and that no model we can build will be, in that old sense, 'like' it....There is no question here of the old Model's being shattered by the inrush of new phenomena. The truth would seem to be the reverse; that when changes in the human mind produce a sufficient disrelish of the old Model and a sufficient hankering for some new one, phenomena to support that new one will obediently turn up. I do not at all mean that these new phenomena are illusory. Nature has all sorts of phenomena in stock and can suit many different tastes."
My brain is going in all kinds of directions now with these ideas of Postmodernity..and what Modernity, in fact, is. Postmodernism isn't a BAD thing- it's actually a viewpoint that is emerging based on our evolving/ever-changing world. We can't be like the Medievals and just accept EVERYTHING the way we were brought up to believe- we need to challenge our preconceived notions..
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Interesting factoid from here (about Copenhagen Clocktower-most complicated clock): http://home.comcast.net/~davidriggs01/ps19-1.htm
Thanks, David Riggs..Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching...
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." (Psalm 19:1-2)
In the town hall in Copenhagen stands the world's most complicated clock. It took forty years to build at a cost of more than a million dollars. That clock has ten faces, fifteen thousand parts, and is accurate to two-fifths of a second every three hundred years. The clock computes the time of day, the days of the week, the months and years, and the movements of the planets for twenty-five hundred years. Some parts of that clock will not move until twenty-five centuries have passed.
What is intriguing about that clock is that it is not accurate. It loses two-fifths of a second every three hundred years. Like all clocks, that timepiece in Copenhagen must be regulated by a more precise clock, the universe itself. The universe, a mighty astronomical clock, with billions of moving parts, rolls on century after century with movements so reliable that all time on earth can be precisely measured against it.
Not gonna elaborate on this..God's knowledge is definitely AMAZING! :)
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge." (Psalm 19:1-2)
In the town hall in Copenhagen stands the world's most complicated clock. It took forty years to build at a cost of more than a million dollars. That clock has ten faces, fifteen thousand parts, and is accurate to two-fifths of a second every three hundred years. The clock computes the time of day, the days of the week, the months and years, and the movements of the planets for twenty-five hundred years. Some parts of that clock will not move until twenty-five centuries have passed.
What is intriguing about that clock is that it is not accurate. It loses two-fifths of a second every three hundred years. Like all clocks, that timepiece in Copenhagen must be regulated by a more precise clock, the universe itself. The universe, a mighty astronomical clock, with billions of moving parts, rolls on century after century with movements so reliable that all time on earth can be precisely measured against it.
Not gonna elaborate on this..God's knowledge is definitely AMAZING! :)
Just some thoughts based on an e-mail I sent a friend...(we've been having a discussion about faith via e-mail/facebook, etc..)
Hey Mina,
I read this verse today, and I read it in a different way, b/c of the comments you wrote on my wall!! :) I never really focused on the word "knowledge" in this verse, but now I see it in a whole new light!! :) All the things we see in this beautiful creation, well, nature specifically (not things flawed humans have created), are ways for us to KNOW God exists. We can learn more about Him and His character through these things... how He lovingly cares for all plants and animals..and they were each made SO beautiful- we can know that He will take care of us, as well. :) And even in studying these things in the academic sense, in Science- we have KNOWLEDGE right there in our hands, that God exists..I can't even imagine rejecting God if you know the complexities of nature..
Here's the verse (it's a popular one, but seeing it differently ONLY b/c of the word "knowledge"..WOW!):
"The heaven's declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." -Psalm 19:1-2
Anyways, I think maybe you're right- that knowledge is a starting point for faith, but I think that ultimately, your HEART is what makes you believe. :) B/c these scientists, with all their knowledge, have everything it takes to believe, but they don't have the faith in their hearts. :) So, you're right that it's a combination of heart, soul and mind. :)
Well, love ya, ttyl!
~Audrey
Mina has spoken some wisdom into my heart..and made me see things in a new light. :) I always just saw my acceptance of Christ as a heart-action, and never really saw how knowledge was a part of it. I mean, it doesn't seem very logical to believe in God, and a human being sent down from Heaven to be God's son. I mean, all of these things aren't very logical to me. But, I think what I have come to find, is that- you definitely CAN have knowledge as part of the faith journey. Knowledge that this beautiful world around you was created, miraculously, by a flawless being. Yes, we humans can really screw things up, but ultimately, everything keeps flowing and cycling on. The world doesn't end just because we screw up. People die, wars happen, and we are destructive and violent and sinful, but God keeps this world going and going, and He helps restore everything and brings peace to our hearts, after all this horrible stuff. We are able to come to Him humbly, and thank Him for everything- even the pain and suffering, because ultimately, these horrible things only bring us closer to Him. They make us turn to Him, and weep at His feet, and pray He will heal us. There will be healing rivers in Heaven..Eden will be restored. Here is the verse I recently read:
Revelation 22:1-5
Eden Restored
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
I love this verse!
Well, off I go to get some work done! :) I'll try to start blogging again..gradually..haha! :) Have a good one~
I read this verse today, and I read it in a different way, b/c of the comments you wrote on my wall!! :) I never really focused on the word "knowledge" in this verse, but now I see it in a whole new light!! :) All the things we see in this beautiful creation, well, nature specifically (not things flawed humans have created), are ways for us to KNOW God exists. We can learn more about Him and His character through these things... how He lovingly cares for all plants and animals..and they were each made SO beautiful- we can know that He will take care of us, as well. :) And even in studying these things in the academic sense, in Science- we have KNOWLEDGE right there in our hands, that God exists..I can't even imagine rejecting God if you know the complexities of nature..
Here's the verse (it's a popular one, but seeing it differently ONLY b/c of the word "knowledge"..WOW!):
"The heaven's declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge." -Psalm 19:1-2
Anyways, I think maybe you're right- that knowledge is a starting point for faith, but I think that ultimately, your HEART is what makes you believe. :) B/c these scientists, with all their knowledge, have everything it takes to believe, but they don't have the faith in their hearts. :) So, you're right that it's a combination of heart, soul and mind. :)
Well, love ya, ttyl!
~Audrey
Mina has spoken some wisdom into my heart..and made me see things in a new light. :) I always just saw my acceptance of Christ as a heart-action, and never really saw how knowledge was a part of it. I mean, it doesn't seem very logical to believe in God, and a human being sent down from Heaven to be God's son. I mean, all of these things aren't very logical to me. But, I think what I have come to find, is that- you definitely CAN have knowledge as part of the faith journey. Knowledge that this beautiful world around you was created, miraculously, by a flawless being. Yes, we humans can really screw things up, but ultimately, everything keeps flowing and cycling on. The world doesn't end just because we screw up. People die, wars happen, and we are destructive and violent and sinful, but God keeps this world going and going, and He helps restore everything and brings peace to our hearts, after all this horrible stuff. We are able to come to Him humbly, and thank Him for everything- even the pain and suffering, because ultimately, these horrible things only bring us closer to Him. They make us turn to Him, and weep at His feet, and pray He will heal us. There will be healing rivers in Heaven..Eden will be restored. Here is the verse I recently read:
Revelation 22:1-5
Eden Restored
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
I love this verse!
Well, off I go to get some work done! :) I'll try to start blogging again..gradually..haha! :) Have a good one~
Friday, February 18, 2011
Don't love your life too much..
"One or Two Things" by Mary Oliver
Don’t bother me.
I’ve just
been born.
The butterfly’s loping flight
carries it through the country of the leaves
delicately, and well enough to get it
where it wants to go, wherever that is, stopping
here and there to fuzzle the damp throats
of flowers and the black mud; up
and down it swings, frenzied and aimless; and sometimes
for long delicious moments it is perfectly
lazy, riding motionless in the breeze on the soft stalk
of some ordinary flower.
The god of dirt
came up to me many times and said
so many wise and delectable things, I lay
on the grass listening
to his dog voice,
crow voice,
frog voice; now, he said, and now,
and never once mentioned forever,
which has nevertheless always been,
like a sharp iron hoof,
at the center of my mind.
One or two things are all you need
to travel over the blue pond, over the deep
roughage of the trees and through the stiff
flowers of lightening – some deep
memory of pleasure, some cutting
knowledge of pain.
But to lift the hoof!
For that you need
an idea.
For years and years I struggled
just to love my life. And then
the butterfly rose, weightless, in the wind.
“Don’t love your life
too much,” it said,
and vanished
into the world.
Don’t bother me.
I’ve just
been born.
The butterfly’s loping flight
carries it through the country of the leaves
delicately, and well enough to get it
where it wants to go, wherever that is, stopping
here and there to fuzzle the damp throats
of flowers and the black mud; up
and down it swings, frenzied and aimless; and sometimes
for long delicious moments it is perfectly
lazy, riding motionless in the breeze on the soft stalk
of some ordinary flower.
The god of dirt
came up to me many times and said
so many wise and delectable things, I lay
on the grass listening
to his dog voice,
crow voice,
frog voice; now, he said, and now,
and never once mentioned forever,
which has nevertheless always been,
like a sharp iron hoof,
at the center of my mind.
One or two things are all you need
to travel over the blue pond, over the deep
roughage of the trees and through the stiff
flowers of lightening – some deep
memory of pleasure, some cutting
knowledge of pain.
But to lift the hoof!
For that you need
an idea.
For years and years I struggled
just to love my life. And then
the butterfly rose, weightless, in the wind.
“Don’t love your life
too much,” it said,
and vanished
into the world.
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