Life Metaphor
Well ... I'm at day 5 and though I'm coming to interesting or maybe disturbing conclusions about all sorts of things ... I wondering about the Purpose Driven Life and ... am I missing something here? I'm getting a very clear sense that there is a dichotomy developing between "life"and "living", with Rick Warren very much much more interested in one and me in the other.
Life ... in the abstract, a test, a trust, a temporary assignment given by God so that I can struggle, strain, prove myself and finally get a reward. Living, in concreto, very much an engaging opportunity ... life as classroom ... life as laboratory ... life as (oh I feel a cliche coming on) ... journey. And yet in all of this an ever increasing uneasiness that I am judging Warren too harshly, afterall, I admire the man, am in awe of what he has accomplished, am impressed by what he lives for.
What he lives for and the outstanding success he has achieved as well as the impact that he has had on so many lives makes me ask the question. How can he and I arrive at such different conclusions about what life is really about? The teacher Jesus said in speaking of ... well ... almost anyone, "By their fruits, shall you know them" I guess that means look at a person, look at what thay have accomplished with their life ... but more importantly look at whether there is more joy in them and around them because they are where they are and who they are and then you'll know. I supposed I could ascribe Pastor Warren's outstanding "fruits" to circumstances, being in the right location, at an opportune moment, having the right support, knowing the right people, etc. All of what we would call "condition" and as such that would make it ... in a word meaningless excuses and reasons. From a place of faith, Warren would call it all Providence and I would call it Consciousness. Doesn't change the fact that Good attends us both to the degree of our faith.
You know sometimes it's just easier and to believe that God is rewarding me according to my faith than to wonder what is right with or wrong with my "consciousness"
So ...Life metaphor ... Living is definitely a test (self administered) and a trust (self-managed) ... and from an in the flesh perspective ... definitely temporary ... NO argument there Rick!
BTW, Thanks for some VERY stimulating time in the think tank
Life ... in the abstract, a test, a trust, a temporary assignment given by God so that I can struggle, strain, prove myself and finally get a reward. Living, in concreto, very much an engaging opportunity ... life as classroom ... life as laboratory ... life as (oh I feel a cliche coming on) ... journey. And yet in all of this an ever increasing uneasiness that I am judging Warren too harshly, afterall, I admire the man, am in awe of what he has accomplished, am impressed by what he lives for.
What he lives for and the outstanding success he has achieved as well as the impact that he has had on so many lives makes me ask the question. How can he and I arrive at such different conclusions about what life is really about? The teacher Jesus said in speaking of ... well ... almost anyone, "By their fruits, shall you know them" I guess that means look at a person, look at what thay have accomplished with their life ... but more importantly look at whether there is more joy in them and around them because they are where they are and who they are and then you'll know. I supposed I could ascribe Pastor Warren's outstanding "fruits" to circumstances, being in the right location, at an opportune moment, having the right support, knowing the right people, etc. All of what we would call "condition" and as such that would make it ... in a word meaningless excuses and reasons. From a place of faith, Warren would call it all Providence and I would call it Consciousness. Doesn't change the fact that Good attends us both to the degree of our faith.
You know sometimes it's just easier and to believe that God is rewarding me according to my faith than to wonder what is right with or wrong with my "consciousness"
So ...Life metaphor ... Living is definitely a test (self administered) and a trust (self-managed) ... and from an in the flesh perspective ... definitely temporary ... NO argument there Rick!
BTW, Thanks for some VERY stimulating time in the think tank
posted by Rev-T at 7:27 AM
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