I watched the grainy, blocky video in silence. My friend was singing “Land slide” and I felt a cer tain taut ness in my eye brows and a pecu liar heavi ness in the cor ners of my mouth. By now it had become a famil iar feel ing, this phys i cal expres sion of sorrow. Can the child within my heart rise above Can I sail through the chang ing ocean tides Can I han dle the sea sons of my life?” ~Fleet wood Mac, “Land slide,” The Dance, 1997 Sonia Lee '06, whose mel low and res o nant voice was … [Read more...] about The Pursuit of Suffering
Suffering
Advent and John the Baptist
If Advent is new to you, I don't blame you for feeling a bit confused. Advent as preparation for Christmas is a no-brainer. All these other things, like Jesus' return, that are a part of Advent, can seem beside the point. But in the second week of Advent, a figure takes center stage who both completely makes sense and who stretches our brains: John the Baptist. It makes sense to speak of John in Advent. John the Baptist is the one we know is coming to “prepare the way.” Listen to what the angel says to his father … [Read more...] about Advent and John the Baptist
Where Is God When It Rains?
As I write this, several million homes are without power on the East Coast due to Hurricane Sandy. Except for natural disasters like this one, it's easy to forget our connection to the weather, nature, and the rest of Creation. Even for those in the midst of the hurricane, modern comforts —like Netflix, which experienced a boost in online streaming in the areas affected by severe weather —help take the edge off of the danger outside. In the most recent episode of Mars Hill Audio, Norman Wirzba discusses his new book … [Read more...] about Where Is God When It Rains?
Evangelicals and Suffering (When God Talks Back)
Last week, in my discussion of what evangelicals can learn about themselves from T.M. Luhrmann's When God Talks Back, I mentioned our approach to suffering. Originally, I wasn't going to write another post on the book, but I wanted to come back to this important topic. Luhrmann discusses suffering in a chapter titled, "Darkness," along with the related issue of feeling distant from God. Early in the chapter, Luhrmann describes the Vineyard's approach in this way: Churches like the Vineyard handle the problem of … [Read more...] about Evangelicals and Suffering (When God Talks Back)
Advent: Walking in Deep Darkness
Are you scared of the dark? My two daughters don't like the dark. At night, when it is time for them to go up stairs to bed, they want lights on. And then they need a nightlight all night long. I think they will grow out of it – for now we leave the hallway light on for them. Photo credit: SkyD via Flickr Advent is a season for contemplating darkness. We remember the 450 years the people of Israel waited for God to act, and think about the “darkness” of this period when it seemed God's light had been withdrawn. … [Read more...] about Advent: Walking in Deep Darkness