My Epiphany of the Day (7/19/2013)

What politicians often mean by "bipartisanship" is letting the blind guy drive, while the deaf guy listens for the cop sirens.

Guidance for Christian Entrepreneurship Sought

I've long been attracted to entrepreneurship.  After I began my advanced theological studies, I became interested in the interface of Christian theology and entrepreneurship.  I doubt that any organization has done more to pique my interests in this regard than the Acton Institute. 

It seems to me that God's call to care for the needy, implies...demands...more of believers than that we simply engage in handouts.  I simply cannot accept what seems to me a general attitude on the Theological Left that we fulfill our Christian obligation to care for the poor by rabble-rousing and demanding that someone else actually supply the jobs, food, opportunities, etc.  It is as though some think their only job is to shout and demand...and having done so, they've satisfied their calling to "provide" for the poor and needy.   This is, to my mind, a reprehensible thing.

It seems to me that we ought not to view our fellows merely as objects that need our ministrations in order to survive.  Rather, isn't it the case that our calling as beings created in the image of God, is to ourselves be creative and productive?  And as a corollary of that, doesn't it stand to reason that one of the highest ministries we can offer to the poor and needy is to help them flourish by unlocking their own capacities for creativity and production?

This is why I'm very interested in exploring the possibilities for entrepreneurial activity in my own life and station.  If any readers can direct me to sources you've found that are helpful in this regard, I would be very thankful.  (Please no spammers)

My Favorite Desmond Tutu Quote

I ran across an outstanding quote today by Desmond Tutu:  Don't raise your voice.  Improve your argument.

Yeah.  I'll be socking that one away for future use.

My Favorite Daniel Patrick Moynihan quote

You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. -- Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Getting something out of Psalms

I can't recall a time when I didn't hear other Christians speak of how "deep," "rich," etc. they found the Psalms.  This has long been a frustration to me, because it has never been my experience of this book.  It's not that I had any antipathy for the Psalms.  Indeed, I've often wanted to have similar experiences, I just...couldn't.

At times, I've wondered if my lack of psalmic epiphanies weren't due to some terrible deficiency in me.  Perhaps I was rotten to the core?  At best, maybe I was just spiritually insensitive--afflicted by a sort of spiritual Asperger Syndrome.

Recently, however, I've found reason to doubt those more pessimistic notions.  Admittedly, this all began when I was asked to adjunct an Old Testament survey class that would encompass the Psalms.  In attempting to bring myself "up to speed" in order to make a respectable attempt at teaching, I first read through a couple of books on the stylistic features of Hebrew parallelism and poetry.  Second, I decided that if I were going to expect my future students to read through this section of Scripture over the course of the class, then I ought to do so as well.  I mapped out how much I would need to read each day to keep up with the teaching schedule I had mapped out, and commenced work.

What I found is that the Psalms are finally "clicking" with me.  This has happened not so much through intensive focus on small sections of Scripture (a method that has brought me much enlightenment for other sections of Scripture) but rather through reading several psalms at a setting.  I have come to realize that--at least for me--the power of the Psalms is more in imaging them than in analyzing them.  In the attempt to immerse myself in their metaphors (I end up trying to imagine how particular passages might be portrayed by Hollywood on an unlimited budget). 

Perhaps this was my problem all along.  I was trying to experience a poetic emotional state, through largely (if not exclusively) rational analysis.  I'm curious if others have had similar challenges when reading the Psalms; And if so, how you responded to/coped with them.

Proverb of the Day: On Rudeness

Rudness is the weak man's imitation of strength. -- Eric Hoffer

Everytime I read Hoffer's quote, I feel a little guilty.  I doubt it can be absolutized (not sure how one would square this with the frequent biblical use of satire, taunt, mocking, etc.) but, in general, this strikes me as pretty accurate.

Guns and Goobers

Eric Shreiner and Dan Joseph have posted a great parody video of the anti-gun hysteria at CNSnews.com.  I heartily recommend it for a good laugh.