The following video shares a portion of an audio interview with the late philosopher Alan Watts that is set creatively to a variety of images. In it he invites us to take seriously a very interesting and, I think, important question: “what would you do with your life if money was no object?” When he starts it seems like a nice question to ask. Like, “wouldn’t it be nice if this were the case.” As he moves on, observing that we can easily end up spending lots of our time on things we don’t enjoy, it becomes an important question. And then when he imagines the way we are teaching our children to choose things they despise by...
Mark 13:32-37
posted by DJL
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands...
Happiness
posted by DJL
From time to time I’ll hear Christians discuss the merits of happiness. Oddly, as wonderful as happiness might at first glance appear, in these conversations I often hear it discussed with a measure of suspicion. Happiness, they say, is fleeting, transient, and too often an object of desire,...
Mark 13:32-37
posted by DJL
“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands...
The Vulnerable God
posted by DJL
How do you picture God? I know that might sound like an odd question, but I have this hunch we all carry around a picture of God inside of us. On most days we might not even notice it’s there, but what that picture looks like greatly shapes not just our faith but also our outlook on life,...
Mark 13:28-31
posted by DJL
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all...
Peer Gynt on the Metro
posted by DJL
You already know I’m partial to flash mobs, so I’ll neither explain nor apologize for today’s post. 🙂 Maybe it’s the turn in the weather here in Minnesota – from warm and sunny to cold (as in 30 degrees colder overnight) and overcast — or maybe it’s being midway through the semester and feeling like I’m falling way behind, or maybe it’s looking at three trips (each one of which I really look forward to) in the next two weeks, but needed a pick-me-upper this morning. And when I stumbled across this video of the Copenhagen Philharmonic playing Grieg’s Peer Gynt in the subway to the surprise and delight of the...
Mark 13:24-27
posted by DJL
“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then...
Try Something New
posted by DJL
Maybe it’s because we’re still relatively early in a new school year, which always puts me in mind of learning new things. Or maybe I’m just in a rut and really need a chance to do something different. But whatever it is, I found Matthew Cutts’ TEDTak on “Trying Something New for 30 Days” just the right thing this morning. I’ve had three experiences like this that were incredibly energizing. First, when my oldest child started Suzuki violin lessons 10 years ago, I took lessons, too. At first this was a requirement of the method of instruction – Suzuki parents normally take 4 or 5 lessons to familiarize them with what will...
Mark 13:14-23
posted by DJL
“But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat....
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