A bright spot on an excessively long composition exam today was an essay by Isaac Asimov. He challenges society's definition of intelligence. I think its a good start to thinking about all the ways culture screws with real value and worth. Its short, take a minute and read it.
What is intelligence, anyway?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
we have set our hope
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. ...We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..." 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, 8b-10
I'm not sure I can say that I've ever actually felt the "sentence of death." That's a very intense statement. Although, in the last few weeks and months I have been despairing. To be honest, in the last few months and weeks, my despair has reached an alarming depth. A few nights ago, I found myself in the darkest place I think I have ever been.
But God is the Father of Jesus Christ, the father -- the Source, the Originator -- of compassion, the God of all comfort. And I can rely on him to deliver me as he has done before.
He comforts us so that we can also comfort others with that same compassion he shows us. Jordan, my wonderful Jordan, was here last week and we were able to enter into this sharing of God's comfort. We spent hours talking and crying, sharing in one another's burdens, and offering words of comfort, encouragement, and exhortation. God overflowed through Jordan and into my life in a tangible and understandable way.
I can't say that the despair has lifted. But, I do see hope. And I am beginning to again place my reliance fully in God, not in myself and not in those around me. My strength, my validation, my hope must be in him. My God is mighty to save. He will deliver me.
our comfort will overflow...
...on him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
I'm not sure I can say that I've ever actually felt the "sentence of death." That's a very intense statement. Although, in the last few weeks and months I have been despairing. To be honest, in the last few months and weeks, my despair has reached an alarming depth. A few nights ago, I found myself in the darkest place I think I have ever been.
But God is the Father of Jesus Christ, the father -- the Source, the Originator -- of compassion, the God of all comfort. And I can rely on him to deliver me as he has done before.
He comforts us so that we can also comfort others with that same compassion he shows us. Jordan, my wonderful Jordan, was here last week and we were able to enter into this sharing of God's comfort. We spent hours talking and crying, sharing in one another's burdens, and offering words of comfort, encouragement, and exhortation. God overflowed through Jordan and into my life in a tangible and understandable way.
I can't say that the despair has lifted. But, I do see hope. And I am beginning to again place my reliance fully in God, not in myself and not in those around me. My strength, my validation, my hope must be in him. My God is mighty to save. He will deliver me.
our comfort will overflow...
...on him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.
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