I prefer an enemy who tells the truth than an enemy which lies; an enemy which seems more like to us, and which we could slip into thinking well of.
It is far better to know who is your enemy and who is your friend than to be duped by a false friend- someone who is actually your enemy but lies to get something from you.
I feel as if Marxism has been the West's lying enemy/false friend. It spoke sweet nothings to us (sweet things that do not exist in reality), and we listened. We took some of what it said; we believed it, and we still don't know how much (even I keep finding out more assumptions I have that I realise are false). We are taken in and we do not realise it because of the deceitful enemy who masqueraded as a friend oh so many years ago. The more obvious bits we think we have eradicated, but really we didn't know how deeply the world bought into Marxism. And we don't know what we've lost. We don't remember anything before Marxism took us in, so we do not know that we have lost something precious.
(Marxism is merely an example, though a very important one to me, of a paradigm I see in myself. I prefer a clear enemy than a hard-to-peg one. You want to be able to fight your enemy, and you can't do it without understanding your enemy.)
Monday, November 18, 2019
Sunday, November 17, 2019
On Getting Used To Things
This will be rather harder to articulate, I believe.
From my own experience, I have learned that clearly we can learn to like things we don't at present like. The process might vary from person to person, but generally if you are exposed to something enough, whether you once hated it, you will grow used to it, and often grow not to mind it, and possibly even grow to like it.
People know this (at least in some areas) in relation to social media and being around certain people enough. You begin to grow like them. You begin to like the same things they like (yes, we may all protest that we don't, but consider it- if it's true, it's very important). Hence some people will say to beware what people you spend most of your time with (and even how you spend that time), and it is the basis for the extreme that some Christians fall into of avoiding 'polluting influences'; that even being exposed once to an 'evil thing' will contaminate you. I do not agree with this because there's no room for anyone figuring out what is bad- you just have to trust some other person and it doesn't even allow for learning wisdom and discernment; for growing.
I believe it is very important to expose ourselves to good things to shape goodness in ourselves, and to counter the influence of bad things all around. We will not even know all of the bad things that are barraging us, and for that reason it is even more important to edify ourselves with good things.
Realise that if the Bible says this, it means it. Christians must consider why it would be so important to emphasise it as much as this.
Due to my kind of classical background, I have believed it to be important to expose myself more and more to the truly excellent things, like good music, good literature, well-thought-out ideas, just whatever I believe is truly edifying. It is also clearly good for me to do this. I really am whole-er, less dark and despairing, when I am seeing more of those good things. It's not that in my current state it makes some crazy difference; I merely find myself less hopeless than I thought possible. The beauty of a well-composed piece of Baroque music is a boon. Of course what is good has to be debated, but it really ought to be, rather than where we seem to be today, hardly discussing the hierarchy of badness and goodness.
One very interesting thing I often forget is how very, very important it is to make certain I do not fall into the trap of noticing all the things that are wrong in life. I have been, of course, concerned about what's happening these days, as anyone likely is, regardless of which position they take on The Issues. I have tended to focus on what's wrong, instead of 1. focusing on the good elements I can see present, and 2. focusing on the good that I still have a choice to apply in my life. In other words, I am not thinking of what I need, but rather what I imagine is harming me, or impeding me (o victim that I am!), which is the wrong way to go about getting what you need. I do know what I ought to be doing, so I ought to be doing it! And doing what ought to be done is the actual way God prescribes for us to fight the forces of darkness. Christians had better decide if they trust God on this.
Focus on the negative influences us. However, I never see how it does so until I am already fighting against it; saying no to the addictive desire to understand problems, looking instead for something good. If one focuses on the good, I posit one will be more able to see and understand problems, and therefore more able to act. Perhaps the addictive desire to see the negative side of things prevents one from changing it because we know if it's solved, we won't still have that 'scab to pick', so to speak. It certainly is the case in relationships that we refuse to allow people to say they're sorry so that we can still enjoy criticising and finding fault with them.
This reminds me of the what C. S. Lewis said- the better we become, the more we see our badness.
From my own experience, I have learned that clearly we can learn to like things we don't at present like. The process might vary from person to person, but generally if you are exposed to something enough, whether you once hated it, you will grow used to it, and often grow not to mind it, and possibly even grow to like it.
People know this (at least in some areas) in relation to social media and being around certain people enough. You begin to grow like them. You begin to like the same things they like (yes, we may all protest that we don't, but consider it- if it's true, it's very important). Hence some people will say to beware what people you spend most of your time with (and even how you spend that time), and it is the basis for the extreme that some Christians fall into of avoiding 'polluting influences'; that even being exposed once to an 'evil thing' will contaminate you. I do not agree with this because there's no room for anyone figuring out what is bad- you just have to trust some other person and it doesn't even allow for learning wisdom and discernment; for growing.
I believe it is very important to expose ourselves to good things to shape goodness in ourselves, and to counter the influence of bad things all around. We will not even know all of the bad things that are barraging us, and for that reason it is even more important to edify ourselves with good things.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.- Philippians 4:8, KJV
Realise that if the Bible says this, it means it. Christians must consider why it would be so important to emphasise it as much as this.
Due to my kind of classical background, I have believed it to be important to expose myself more and more to the truly excellent things, like good music, good literature, well-thought-out ideas, just whatever I believe is truly edifying. It is also clearly good for me to do this. I really am whole-er, less dark and despairing, when I am seeing more of those good things. It's not that in my current state it makes some crazy difference; I merely find myself less hopeless than I thought possible. The beauty of a well-composed piece of Baroque music is a boon. Of course what is good has to be debated, but it really ought to be, rather than where we seem to be today, hardly discussing the hierarchy of badness and goodness.
One very interesting thing I often forget is how very, very important it is to make certain I do not fall into the trap of noticing all the things that are wrong in life. I have been, of course, concerned about what's happening these days, as anyone likely is, regardless of which position they take on The Issues. I have tended to focus on what's wrong, instead of 1. focusing on the good elements I can see present, and 2. focusing on the good that I still have a choice to apply in my life. In other words, I am not thinking of what I need, but rather what I imagine is harming me, or impeding me (o victim that I am!), which is the wrong way to go about getting what you need. I do know what I ought to be doing, so I ought to be doing it! And doing what ought to be done is the actual way God prescribes for us to fight the forces of darkness. Christians had better decide if they trust God on this.
Focus on the negative influences us. However, I never see how it does so until I am already fighting against it; saying no to the addictive desire to understand problems, looking instead for something good. If one focuses on the good, I posit one will be more able to see and understand problems, and therefore more able to act. Perhaps the addictive desire to see the negative side of things prevents one from changing it because we know if it's solved, we won't still have that 'scab to pick', so to speak. It certainly is the case in relationships that we refuse to allow people to say they're sorry so that we can still enjoy criticising and finding fault with them.
This reminds me of the what C. S. Lewis said- the better we become, the more we see our badness.
What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.- C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew (Whether you see it being related or not, I'm just leaving this here.)
Lack of Hatred is Not Love
We think it is worse to hate than not to love. But to love is a Christian's duty- being a lover is one of perfected man's identities.
We should love all people, we should learn what is right and good and truly beautiful and love that. We must be lovers, not merely not-haters- it is not enough not to hate things; to be lukewarm towards God and what God created.
So we must seek what is excellent, in the world, in people. It is hard to love people without looking for some good in them- that is why the two doctrines, the Image of God and the Fall of Man, are so important. We must understand others are 'as good' as we are. We must understand we are 'as bad' as everyone else is. These are the facts that are the remedy for the disinterest and cynicism we often feel towards things- particularly the things we feel it towards which we know are not in and of themselves bad.
This whole 'not hating is not enough/is not love' could be applied to the subject of judgement. We are told not to judge others. The Bible implies in many passages that we are, in fact, called to find the good in things, and I think about it as, we are to amplify the good we see. In the case of 'disagreeable conversation', one applies this by looking to find where the other person is right, where the two people can agree, as well as in a possible case of the other conversant's ignorance, where they got it right. Emphasise the good, make clear where Truth is, go back to the very point of disagreement, and things are a lot better than trying to nitpick apart the other person's arguments, finding everything which is wrong with what they said and even with themselves (it easily devolves into ad hominem attacks).
We should love all people, we should learn what is right and good and truly beautiful and love that. We must be lovers, not merely not-haters- it is not enough not to hate things; to be lukewarm towards God and what God created.
So we must seek what is excellent, in the world, in people. It is hard to love people without looking for some good in them- that is why the two doctrines, the Image of God and the Fall of Man, are so important. We must understand others are 'as good' as we are. We must understand we are 'as bad' as everyone else is. These are the facts that are the remedy for the disinterest and cynicism we often feel towards things- particularly the things we feel it towards which we know are not in and of themselves bad.
This whole 'not hating is not enough/is not love' could be applied to the subject of judgement. We are told not to judge others. The Bible implies in many passages that we are, in fact, called to find the good in things, and I think about it as, we are to amplify the good we see. In the case of 'disagreeable conversation', one applies this by looking to find where the other person is right, where the two people can agree, as well as in a possible case of the other conversant's ignorance, where they got it right. Emphasise the good, make clear where Truth is, go back to the very point of disagreement, and things are a lot better than trying to nitpick apart the other person's arguments, finding everything which is wrong with what they said and even with themselves (it easily devolves into ad hominem attacks).
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Policy and Method
It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking a certain way of doing things is what will work, but as Christians we're basically told that that will not necessarily work. Unless you happen to consider as your method the way that God already does things, which is usually not the case as it's hard to accept.
It is easy to fall into trusting policies and methods to solve problems. From what I've seen so far, the actual solution is usually something we don't expect. In the moment we often think we understand problems completely in the big picture, but the recurring fact is that we never, ever really do. Especially when we really think we do- the thing we are inclined to make an exception of this rule. Even those of us who accept this will make exceptions- I do it, even though I've seen this since I was a child. I will want to say that this one thing always works, but it just doesn't. I have also learned that what makes 'this one thing' work in the cases where it does is wisdom.
The example of where I was thinking about this was specifically government policy, I suppose. So many at this time think that if we enacted something in policy, then things would be solved. I am at the point where I see that it will not work, and it probably isn't even possible, to 'fix' what's happening with policy (go ahead, for now, and imagine which side I'm on ;) ). The only true solution is to go back to the most basic level of family and church and do what we ought to have been doing all this time, but forgot because we go off into our Executive Mindsets and think Big and Nationwide is the solution.
God is counterintuitive- He turned the world topsy-turvy. History shows that He is right, too, I believe. The falling of small stones starts an avalanche, and likely the beginning seed that started what we see is not even possible to find out (much to my consternation). I have begun to be very strongly convinced that the Christian's little stones is exactly what God has been drilling into our heads from the beginning of Scripture. Every little principle, love of neighbour. No. It is not a specific kind of love of neighbour. It is merely love of neighbour, agape, charity. And the trouble of that is that you have to follow God and actually look to Him first to find the definitions. That is actually The Christian Walk- we don't know it all, we are gradually learning how little we know, and constantly having to hold out our hands empty and say 'I do not know, You do- show me what I must do.'
We do not trust God if we rely first on the world's prescription of How To Fix Things (and what they should look like, too), and then when that fails turn to God's way- this only makes us mercenary Christians. Kings and nations fall to the ground. We know this. All the Wisdom of Man will fall into dust. It does not continue. It is a deception, an illusion we keep giving in to, even when it betrays us right and left (to our anxiety and despair). The only solution is God's way, the way that fits with all the facets of reality.
It is easy to fall into trusting policies and methods to solve problems. From what I've seen so far, the actual solution is usually something we don't expect. In the moment we often think we understand problems completely in the big picture, but the recurring fact is that we never, ever really do. Especially when we really think we do- the thing we are inclined to make an exception of this rule. Even those of us who accept this will make exceptions- I do it, even though I've seen this since I was a child. I will want to say that this one thing always works, but it just doesn't. I have also learned that what makes 'this one thing' work in the cases where it does is wisdom.
The example of where I was thinking about this was specifically government policy, I suppose. So many at this time think that if we enacted something in policy, then things would be solved. I am at the point where I see that it will not work, and it probably isn't even possible, to 'fix' what's happening with policy (go ahead, for now, and imagine which side I'm on ;) ). The only true solution is to go back to the most basic level of family and church and do what we ought to have been doing all this time, but forgot because we go off into our Executive Mindsets and think Big and Nationwide is the solution.
God is counterintuitive- He turned the world topsy-turvy. History shows that He is right, too, I believe. The falling of small stones starts an avalanche, and likely the beginning seed that started what we see is not even possible to find out (much to my consternation). I have begun to be very strongly convinced that the Christian's little stones is exactly what God has been drilling into our heads from the beginning of Scripture. Every little principle, love of neighbour. No. It is not a specific kind of love of neighbour. It is merely love of neighbour, agape, charity. And the trouble of that is that you have to follow God and actually look to Him first to find the definitions. That is actually The Christian Walk- we don't know it all, we are gradually learning how little we know, and constantly having to hold out our hands empty and say 'I do not know, You do- show me what I must do.'
We do not trust God if we rely first on the world's prescription of How To Fix Things (and what they should look like, too), and then when that fails turn to God's way- this only makes us mercenary Christians. Kings and nations fall to the ground. We know this. All the Wisdom of Man will fall into dust. It does not continue. It is a deception, an illusion we keep giving in to, even when it betrays us right and left (to our anxiety and despair). The only solution is God's way, the way that fits with all the facets of reality.
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