I like blogging and learning from all kinds of people out there - and there are many conversations I am yet to have that I don't have yet (ex: inter-faith discussions). But I think I will become a moderate intellectual.
'Do all things in moderation' - I don't know who said that but they are accurate with those words. I have noticed that becoming too intellectual isn't helping me a single iota and in some cases I am losing touch with the people around me (we seem to be communicating on various wavelengths). So I have decided this isn't quite the point of the gospels (or the bible in general) so I will be moderate in this idea.
I am a very researched dude on a lot of subjects and have found that those subjects (and research) do very little for the value system I want to build within my life (ex: developing levels of compassion for the people around me). I figure I am wasting my time on a lot of this study since it's 'ends' have very little to show for it (ie: no value added). So I am a moderate logical person, a moderate rational thinker, a moderate reasonable person, a moderate intellectual.
Cause sometimes real life just defies logic, defies rationale, defies reason, or defies the intellectual aspects of life (or are just greater in weight than they are).
I think the values we pass onto one another just means so much more than anything 'smart' we might say. The teachings of Jesus lay down some pretty radical ideas about 'helping others out' - none of them being out-smarting the next dude - and a good load of them go against modern ideas of wealth building (or question the what is true wealth? - a poignant question for all of us in Capitalist gov't's).
Idea's like 'lose your life so you might keep it' require critical thought but also a detailed action plan. The idea 'take up your cross and follow me' is merely a call to action. These ideas redefine known logic. Logic has little to no value ouside of the action it can give? You want to think deeply about something - how about helping the poor within your community? It's logical, thoughful, and an action packed with meaning (deeper than words can truly convey). It's one of many avenues one might peruse for helping the 'least of these'.
It's like saying 'blessed are the poor' and then doing nothing for them. What's so 'blessed' about debating the saying and doing nothing about it? And that seems to be the strength of the gospel (good news) - that logic and reason can help but at some point they can never make you understand it - that which needs life needs the living.
That's how I became a moderate intellect.
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6 comments:
it's a good place to be, because you can get caught up in talking and never concentrate on the real things in life...because you can talk someone until you have no breath left, but if you "do" something for someone it speaks more than 10,000 words...it is truly a better place to be
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
"I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE."
Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Thanks MyGarden for the comment - and I totally agree.
BB, great scripture!
On the one hand, I think you can never learn enough about anything. As a physicist, I am constantly humbled that the more I learn, the more I realize how little I truly do know. Now the same thing applies to Christianity. The more I study, the more I learn, the more I realize how little I - or anyone else for that matter - really knows.
And on the other hand, Society and MyGarden illustrate why I became so frustrated with hosting and leading a Home Bible Study. It was all .. STUDY, and no action. Al reading about loving, and not loving. We would occassionally plan to go out to the homeless shelter or oldfolks home, but we would plan and plan and plan and plan it right out of existance. One night, I literally told our Study Group, To hell with this Bible Study, if we are going to go to the Oldfolks home, let's just go - NOW! oh no.. we had to sit and stall and pray about it, and we never went.
gag I just could not take it any more.
Thanks again for your articles.
"Do all things in moderation"
Does this include moderation? Or is it 'Do everything except moderation in moderation'?
I'm very glad that my faith is in Jesus, Who is readily accessible to those of low intellect as well as those of high intellect. I would not like to have my faith in a philosphy that required a high I.Q. and required life long residence in an ivory tower.
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