If you are person of truth, is there a place in your life for fiction? Isn't fiction just a complex way to lie? Whatsoever things are true (alethes),...If there be any virtue, or praise, think on these things. [Phil4:8] (to continue this thought in another direction, see also Fiction, Friction, and Factions)
"alethes" (truth) is an interesting Greek word. In the modern world, we normally think of truth as being self-evident, obvious, and easy to find. In contrast, the greek word shows a contrasting worldview. When a Greek word starts with "a-" it is a sign that it is a negation of some other word. (This is not always the case, but a general pattern to which students should pay attention) Another common greek word following this pattern is "amartano", ie: to sin, or to miss the mark. So this Greek word (alethes) for truth is derived from "a-" (not) plus "Lanthano" which means "to be hidden, to be hidden from one, secretly, unawares, without knowing" and is translated as "being hid , being ignorant of , unawares". This ancient Greek view is certainly compatible with the scientific worldview which sees truth as something that must be found or discovered.
There is an observation named the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, developed by the two American linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf on the cusp of the Great Depression in 1929-1930. This hypothesis can be described as elaborating two intertwined principles about language and worldview. The first might be called linguistic determinism, ie: our thought is determined by our language. The second principle, linguistic relativity, is that people who speak different languages perceive and think about the world quite differently. (interesting analogue on the Free Will-Predestination issue)
So if the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis is true, then just using a word like "truth" shapes our response to truth in different ways than a phrase like "not-hidden-stuff" (a loose translation of alethes).
In the same way, our experience, and the ideas that we already know, the foundation documents we remember (like the Bible), and the people we come to know, can also shape our response to truth.
This has a deep impact.
For example: remembering the scripture that "the Holy Spirit will lead us to all truth" [Jo 16:13], and that Jesus refers to himself as the "Way, the Truth, and the Life" [Jo 14:6] , means that our conception of truth is changed. It also changes our emotional and psychological worldview. We can know that truth does exist, and that it makes sense to "Seek the Lord while he might be found"[Isa 55:6]. We don't have to believe the futile thoughts that no matter how hard we seek for truth that it isn't there to be found anyway.
Some may argue that combination of the two thoughts from Jesus is that Paraclete will lead us to Jesus, but that we can't expect to be led to truth about other aspects of the world, such as Chemistry, Physics, or Philosophy. This is a shallow form of reasoning, which assumes only those two thoughts have bearing on the issue. Incidentally, this is the heart of creating an intelligent reasoning program, ie: being able to determine which facts and rules have bearing on each other, so that the best conclusions can be determined. The relevant fact I would argue that they miss is that "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." [Jo 1:3] and "For by him all things were created," [Col 1:16]. So if Jesus is the incarnate Creator, and the Holy Spirit leads us to him, and "By their fruits you will know them" [Mt 7:16] therefore a path the Holy Spirit can use to show us the Incarnate Truth is to show us the truth about his creation.
This also means that an inquiring mind, searching for Truth, is a good, and valorous goal. When we have such a mind, and act upon where it is led, we are honoring the Most High, and bringing his kingdom into our lives.
Truth Is.
As for us, we are called to discover, delight, and proclaim it.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Friday, February 04, 2005
Fortunes, Lyrics, and Quotes
Fortune Cookie: We must always have old memories and young hopes.
And a riff on a friend's quote: Judge a man by both the enemies and friends he has. His enemies will define what he stands for, his friends will define who he stands with.
And of course, from the Monkee's theme: We're the young generation and we have something to say.
So meandering among these, I realize that I've always been a part of the young generation. Generally, as I grew up, I really didn't want to leave childhood. It wasn't that I didn't understand Adult Responsibilities. I understand them quite well, thank you. After all, as the oldest brother of four kids, I knew that there is no shortage of adult responsibilities, and had at least a clue about what was involved. I've spent a lot of time talking to older adults, and hence knew more about World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II than most kids my age.
There were lots of hard realities which my compères and compadres were simply ignoring.
Using childish logic, I simply decided I'd grow up at my speed, not the one my body was pacing. And if I felt like never, then never it would be.
Hindering my plan to never grow up was that if you really pay attention to what is going on around you, then you really can't just be a kid for the rest of your life. Everyone in the world around you conspires against it. That being said, I'm just stubborn enough to think that some kind of adult-kid blend is better than an all-out abandonment of childhood. I want to keep some of the things that kids have going for them.
Intensity of life is great. Really being involved in what is happening now, is great. Carefully looking at things around you, rather than assuming they are the same as last time, is great. Beyond aspects of Living in the Now, other traits are great too. Some folks consider loyalty to your friends, and prioritizing your life based on idealistic understanding of how things ought to be as childish traits or just not being realistic. The problem with this abandonment mindset is that it avoids true reality.
We are never able to know everything. No matter how we may try to be, (or want to be) self-sufficient or independent or adult, we just can't do it. Recognizing what we can do and what we are incapable of doing is something most kids handle better than adults. There's something about becoming physically larger that causes some folks to forget they learned both of these facts as kids. Some of them start to act like they can do anything, contrary to all facts they see. Other folks start to think they are incapable of doing anything new, and so they limit their lives to stagnancy.
So what am I advocating? Simple truth: We need help.
Where does our help come from? Our friends, Our God, and Our history.
So the friends we make, shape us, cover us, and enhance us. For love covers a multitude of shortcomings. Jesus reminded us that we should become as a little child to be great in the kingdom of heaven. [Mt 18:4] As a child, we have hopes with no reason, but as an adult, our young hopes need more foundations, and the Hope of Glory [Col 1:27] is a very good basis for life. As children of God, we will always be learning, growing, becoming more than we were.
Our present experiences when combined with our memories of old dynamically create our Self.
Finally, our enemies. It has been said, beyond your good friends, no one understands you better than your enemies. In a paradoxical way, we need our enemies just as strongly as we need our friends. In fact, we are commanded to love them. Our enemies help give us clarity of thought, because their antagonism takes advantage of a muddled self. In the process of really opposing, they force us to think through ideas, and resolve inconsistencies. They are part of the character building process that God has given so that we can have integrity, passion, and something to stand for. And in some strange way, in rare cases, some of them change or we change, and friendship ensues.
And a riff on a friend's quote: Judge a man by both the enemies and friends he has. His enemies will define what he stands for, his friends will define who he stands with.
And of course, from the Monkee's theme: We're the young generation and we have something to say.
So meandering among these, I realize that I've always been a part of the young generation. Generally, as I grew up, I really didn't want to leave childhood. It wasn't that I didn't understand Adult Responsibilities. I understand them quite well, thank you. After all, as the oldest brother of four kids, I knew that there is no shortage of adult responsibilities, and had at least a clue about what was involved. I've spent a lot of time talking to older adults, and hence knew more about World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II than most kids my age.
There were lots of hard realities which my compères and compadres were simply ignoring.
Using childish logic, I simply decided I'd grow up at my speed, not the one my body was pacing. And if I felt like never, then never it would be.
Hindering my plan to never grow up was that if you really pay attention to what is going on around you, then you really can't just be a kid for the rest of your life. Everyone in the world around you conspires against it. That being said, I'm just stubborn enough to think that some kind of adult-kid blend is better than an all-out abandonment of childhood. I want to keep some of the things that kids have going for them.
Intensity of life is great. Really being involved in what is happening now, is great. Carefully looking at things around you, rather than assuming they are the same as last time, is great. Beyond aspects of Living in the Now, other traits are great too. Some folks consider loyalty to your friends, and prioritizing your life based on idealistic understanding of how things ought to be as childish traits or just not being realistic. The problem with this abandonment mindset is that it avoids true reality.
We are never able to know everything. No matter how we may try to be, (or want to be) self-sufficient or independent or adult, we just can't do it. Recognizing what we can do and what we are incapable of doing is something most kids handle better than adults. There's something about becoming physically larger that causes some folks to forget they learned both of these facts as kids. Some of them start to act like they can do anything, contrary to all facts they see. Other folks start to think they are incapable of doing anything new, and so they limit their lives to stagnancy.
So what am I advocating? Simple truth: We need help.
Where does our help come from? Our friends, Our God, and Our history.
So the friends we make, shape us, cover us, and enhance us. For love covers a multitude of shortcomings. Jesus reminded us that we should become as a little child to be great in the kingdom of heaven. [Mt 18:4] As a child, we have hopes with no reason, but as an adult, our young hopes need more foundations, and the Hope of Glory [Col 1:27] is a very good basis for life. As children of God, we will always be learning, growing, becoming more than we were.
Our present experiences when combined with our memories of old dynamically create our Self.
Finally, our enemies. It has been said, beyond your good friends, no one understands you better than your enemies. In a paradoxical way, we need our enemies just as strongly as we need our friends. In fact, we are commanded to love them. Our enemies help give us clarity of thought, because their antagonism takes advantage of a muddled self. In the process of really opposing, they force us to think through ideas, and resolve inconsistencies. They are part of the character building process that God has given so that we can have integrity, passion, and something to stand for. And in some strange way, in rare cases, some of them change or we change, and friendship ensues.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Praxis and Practice
To develop oneself, one must act.
The word praxis comes from an
1) Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning.
2) Habitual or established practice; custom.
3) Translating an idea into action
4) The performance of an action.
In other words, learning comes from doing, or tritely stated "Practice makes Perfect". Ideas become real through action. The way that we do things becomes the way that others around us, by custom or by training, do them. When we act, whether listening to a Muse, or when Meandering, we can bring life to the plans we have made. And since laughing is the best way to be living, Mirth can give us life.
Hence the name of my blog.
The word praxis comes from an
1) Practical application or exercise of a branch of learning.
2) Habitual or established practice; custom.
3) Translating an idea into action
4) The performance of an action.
In other words, learning comes from doing, or tritely stated "Practice makes Perfect". Ideas become real through action. The way that we do things becomes the way that others around us, by custom or by training, do them. When we act, whether listening to a Muse, or when Meandering, we can bring life to the plans we have made. And since laughing is the best way to be living, Mirth can give us life.
Hence the name of my blog.
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