Why?

So on my almost-daily venture to Caribou Coffee for my almost-daily bout of attempted creativity and otherwise not-having-a-job-ness, there was a man standing on the corner of a major intersection I was going through, and he was holding a large sign with large print that said: "WHY?"

Now, my immediate response to this particular situation (if I was quick-witted enough, and it hadn't been relatively early in the morning (Noonish)) I would have driven past him and cried out my window: "WHY NOT?"
This got a good chuckle out of both my family, some of my friends, some of the Caribou employees.... and then I promptly forgot about it.

Today, in a similar day of not-having-a-job-ness, another man came in for coffee who was holding the same sign. And this time I actually stopped to think about it. 'Why'. An otherwise horrible product or advertisement placing, based on the fact that there was no other explanation of the sign, and it's entirely impossible for one to just stop real quick and ask what the sign is for. Busy intersections are rarely good for that sort of idiocy. So regardless of whatever company, product, ideal, or cause that this sign is standing for, I got to thinking about it.

WHY?

Such a small word, and yet it can bring about the entire downfall of lives, beliefs, faiths. It shakes the steadfastness of the strong and undermines the roots of the immovable, does it not?

WHY?

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why am I here on this earth?
Why am I not succeeding?
Why is God not speaking to me?
Why is God NOT THERE?
Why, Why, WHY!?

And when a person who truly does have hope in something is posed this question....
"I don't know." "I can't know."

And no answer is good enough to 'why'. Because the question 'Why?' so often comes from the disposition of desperation, weakness, or weariness. And almost no answer can answer enough.
No answer can completely soothe or calm or help.

But that is not to say there's no reason to try. Is not the question "why?" precisely what we must be prepared for? 'To give a reason for the hope that we have'?

It just got me thinking. Maybe it can get you thinking too.




How long will we stand on the street corners with our "God Hates Fags" signs, until we realize that our time is being sorely WASTED on HATING. No... God Hates Haters.

And the Haters aren't answering the questions "WHY?"

Which is the question that destroys.

Viva la Vida...

So the lyrics to this one make me think a little bit...

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringin'
Roman Cavalry choirs are singin'
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

You probably all know the song as well... It's off of Coldplay's most recent album, sharing the title of this song as well. So I wonder what kind of implication is being made... Check out the full lyrics and give me thoughts?

Parallel to Christ?

Belief of disbelief in the above?

"I know St. Peter won't call my name"....?

Lyrics intrigue me sometime.... and I'd love to figure out just what kind of thought was behind the writing of this one. Not that I'm critical in any way..... Just dreadfully curious :)

Kierkegaard, the Villainous Philosopher?

So when it comes to philosophy and theology, I'm a sucker. It's true. Can't you tell just by the title of the blog?
I'm reading a book titled "Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul" as a sort of character study for my writing. When it comes to writing a deep, rich character/hero, who better to study than The most conflicted, intricate hero (or dare I say antihero) in all comic history?

So my path goes from this to that, from the book to wikipedia, to philosophers, and I recalled my desire to read some of the works by Soren Kierkegaard. One of the biggest concepts he has come up with was involved in one of my classes: That the true flow of worship should be from the congregation (the 'performers') to God (the Audience (of One)) with leadership by those on the platform (the 'prompters'). And something came into my mind as I was reading a little bit about Kierkegaard. He was a Christian, a pastor even, but my vague memories of learning about Kierkegaard plaster the world "existentialist" all over him, and plant him in the same circle as Hegel (whom he dismissed in one of his works) Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre. Perhaps I'm missing a few vital memories, in which we redeem the purpose for which Kierkegaard was writing.... but I still get the feeling that the name Kierkegaard has ever been synonymous with the words "existentialism" and "cult philosophy".

So I wanted to look at one of the main thoughts that wikipedia vaguely covers, and think about how that thought is, or might be, redeemable as continued 'good thought'.

The Leap of Faith. Ah, yes, the scene that we've all watched in youth group when discussing faith. "You must believe, boy... You must... believe." - Henry Jones Sr. And in a most astounding and logic defying action, Indiana steps from the 'Lion's Head' and finds his faith rewarded by solid ground, hidden against the backdrop of the chasm. Quote, Wikipedia: "The leap of faith is his conception of how an individual would believe in God, or how a person would act in love. It is not a rational decision, as it is transcending rationality in favour of something more uncanny, that is, faith. As such he thought that to have faith is at the same time to have doubt."

And interesting thought... To have the faith to believe in God is to, at the same time, be forced to deal with the doubt that God might not exist. And believe nonetheless. The doubt of God's existence is the rational part of a human person's mind. I go on to quote: "For example, it takes no faith to believe that a pencil or a table exists, when one is looking at it and touching it. In the same way, to believe or have faith in God is to know that one has no perceptual or any other access to God, and yet still has faith in God."

So did we get stuck on the fact that Kierkegaard would enfer that to have faith in God, you must also doubt the fact that God exists? Or at least, overcome the doubt that God exists? I think that many times, I don't appreciate the fact that there is the possibility that God doesn't exist, as the human mind rationally works. My faith is so habitual, so 'without-a-doubt' that I don't appreciate the battle that a person must go through in their mind to believe in Christianity, after following the tenants of, say, non-theism. In this regard, maybe this is one of the reasons that faith seems to be so 'dead' in Christians today. When one grows up in, or spends a significant amount of their life in church, the absurdity of it all can very well dissipate. Now, as Christians, many of us have received some sort of affirmation that God, in fact, exists. This might be something termed as 'providence' or 'blessing' beyond human or natural means. Or it might be as important as literally hearing or seeing God. When this sort of thing punctuates our faith, then it is easier to continue believing.

But what if the other 70% of your congregation has not heard, seen, or been changed/touched by God in any way, shape, or form? It's easy to pick out the people for which church has become "the thing you do on Sunday morning" and nothing more. Habitual. I wonder if a brief reminder to our fellow brothers and sisters might be necessary - "Hey, you believe in someone who, by all human faculties, doesn't actually exist!" Might this stir an amount of fervor from our tired and habitual congregations? Or would this force a reevaluation of belief that would leave some truly questioning the faith that they thought they had?

I don't know... human beings act different ways...

To a degree, I do agree with what Kierkegaard say: that I have to remember that by faith is not based on any empirical evidence. Perhaps that may strengthen my faith all the more, especially when I receive something outside of empirical evidence that leads me to believe, more fervently, that God exists. In this light, I feel like one must take the occasional opportunity to question one's faith, so that in the end it will become all the stronger for it. Introspection, as Kierkegaard talks about. A vital part of a person's life.

Now I don't want to sound like I'm professing TRUTH to anyone. I'm just working through this in my own head as well. I think that maybe the aspect of 'mysticism' that Christianity is supposed to contain also involves the thought that our object and subject of worship is, by all empirical methods of evaluation, non-existent. I don't know about you, but I feel like it should make us excited when physical or situational proof arises of God or His work. I think I've noticed my Pastor thinking the same thing - somewhat pushing at the congregation to give a true measure of joy, instead of a polite golf-clap, when three souls are saved from eternal damnation!

So in light of reading this... what does one do? Perhaps a gentle, careful, introspection is necessary to strengthen your faith by remembering that you belief despite the lack of any proof. Recall that, even if empirical evidence has concluded that God does not exist, He has worked in your life somehow. Think of how and when that was. Then thank Him for His existence.

I end with a thought: "You have to take a step of faith. And when you do, you either discover something to stand upon, or you learn to fly."



Post-script: Again... I don't claim wisdom, nor truth. Only thought. Challenge me. Question me. Rebuke me. I want to grow as well :)