In defense of being smart(er than I)

Driving in to work this morning, I listened to some evangelist railing against the intelligentsia and scholarship.

Huh, I scratched my head.

Isn't it amazing that of all people, Christian evangelists would object to scholarship and "the intelligentsia". I know there are those out there that would say that it is totally believable, after all, if someone professes Christianity, they've already demonstrated a lack of intelligence.

I won't argue one way or the other with the latter.

My beef is with that evangelist and his ilk.

The one thing that sets humanity above the animals is precisely it's intellect (though, some may argue otherwise... namely that nothing sets us apart from the animals.)

We, as Christian, believe that God created us. In fact, we believe that "God created humanity in God's own image..." The Psalmist is astounded that "For You have made [humanity] a little lower than the angels"... btw, other texts actually say "You have made [humanity] little lower than God."

My point is this: for all the time humanity has been on this planet, our goal has been the pursuit of knowledge. If God did not wish us using our intellect, the intellect that God gave us in the first place, then why give it? Why not make us slaves to our instincts, rummaging in the fields and running down prey?

Actually, there is humor in this for me. Because the anti-intellectualism espoused by this evangelist really plays right in to the hands of those who WOULD reduce humans to the status of animals, depriving us of personal responsibility and forgiving all our actions, all our faults by merely blaming it on our culture or our environment.

Humanity is meant to rise above our environment. It's the whole point of the Creation stories that humanity is meant to rule the environment, not be ruled by it.

Only by conscious decision not to cave in to the influences of environment can we hope to progress.

Nor do I deny that environment plays a role in our development; I merely believe that we can't fall back on our environment as a sop for our own failings.

Musings on Proslogium

"Thou wast not, then, yesterday, nor wilt thou be tomorrow; but yesterday and today and tomorrow thou art; or, rather, neither yesterday nor today nor tomorrow thou art; but simply, thou art, outside all time. For yesterday and today and tomorrow have no existence, except in time; but thou, although nothing exists without thee, nevertheless dost not exist in space or time, but all things exist in thee. For nothing contains thee, but thou containest all." Proslogium, Ch. XIX, Anselm of Canterbury.

I have often come back to these words of Anselm over the past decade. Much of his writing really was of little interest to me, but this has stuck in my mind. It is true, Anselm's philosophical proof for God's existence has been easily refuted. These words, however, have been a jumping off point for much of my own philosophy and theology.

What Anselm is saying is quite easy, once you wrap yourself around the antiquated prose. To start, the following must be understood:

1. To be contained by something is to be limited by that thing.
1a. To exist in time is to be contained in time.

2. God is unlimitable.

3. The unlimitable God, therefore, cannot be contained by time.

In addition, Anselm takes for granted that while God is contained by nothing, all things are contained by God. Thus, time is contained by God.

So, to unwrap the opening paragraph, since God is not contained by time, but rather contains all, and thus time, God is outside of time (and thus space.) Therefore, God merely IS. It cannot be said of God that God Was or God Will be. God IS. All things that have ever happened in the past, all that will happen in the future, all these are now to God.

In this understanding then, when we speak of Jesus Christ's Incarnation, that incarnation is simply God, the Son of God, stepping out of the eternal now of God into time and space. For a time, God exists in time and space.

And so, it is possible for humanity to participate with God in the eternal now because as we experience those element's of Jesus life, death and resurrection through worship and prayer, we step out of time and space into the presence which is God. We encounter the eternal now of Jesus when we read of his life, and put ourself into the present of the story.

So, when I contemplate what the Christian cults call Eucharist, that Last Supper of which Jesus partook, when I too partake of Eucharist, I am not doing in memory of him, but rather participating in the now of his gift.

And the journey forks...

I've spent some time today browsing through other blogs. It's been a humbling experience. In fact, I just finished reading one blog from the beginning of September up to today's post, and am in utter awe of the young man who wrote it. I wish I had the talent he has for self-expression. Here was a young man, gay, Native American, with a true gift that I hope to be able to share for a long time to come.

*****

Past week has been a harsh one for me. I've spent the past 7 months preparing for this week, as Excel gathered for it's annual All Team Gathering. There were all the logistics of preparing for the event. And there was the reality the event would be one of those life-changing moments.

I've served Excel on it's Executive Committee since September 1999. For the first three years, I chaired the body, and then for another year and a half served as Clerk. These past 6 months, I was a member-at-large. Now, I am no longer in service in this way. I was so looking forward to this time being over.

I wasn't expecting the hole it's left! I didn't expect the let down. I have another one ahead... Board of Directors for MCC-O.... I'll be stepping down in just two months.

I viewed my service to Excel as a ministry... we all do. I believe I gave a great deal to that Ministry, and I believe I did it well. There were things I could have done better. I'm sure others would argue that my service was average at best. They may think what they will.

As I approach these next two months, I realize that when that day arrives, and I step down life will take a new direction. I suspect that will leave as deep a sense of loss as this week's. And, I'll be free of the responsibilities that I've carried. Oh-so-minor compared to many people in this world... but these two bodies have been my life for these past 4 - 5 years!

Life after MCC-O-BOD.... what will it look like? I don't know. I honestly wonder if I can truly have no role in life. I want to just step back and wait for that voice to speak to me again... to guide me into the next ministry.

Perhaps it already has. We have a Weekend Exercise to plan and put on in 2005. That's going to take much of the first half of the year.

Then, I really am feeling a strong sense that I need to take the lead in taking an Excel weekend to Australia... and will shoot for 2006 for that.

It's going to be an exciting time, if that really is what I decide to do.