Wisdom, vexation, and Kierkegaard

In my own pursuit of wisdom, I have taken it upon myself to see what the father has to say about wisdom, as any follower of Christ should. In the book of Ecclesiastes, we find many words both of wisdom and about wisdom. I first began reading through this book to find wisdom. What I have found rather, has been something entirely different. I have found a few words of wisdom, but even more so have I found wisdom about wisdom. In the very first chapter, the preacher tells the reader, that with wisdom comes much vexation. There is a wonderful idea that comes from my favorite philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. In his psuedonymous work Fear and Trembling, Johannes de Silentio writes about faith. He says, "Each will be remembered, but each was great wholly in proportion to the magnitude of that with which he struggled." I love these words. They encourage me to struggle with great things, with great ideas, both good and bad. And if what our late brother had to say is indeed true, then it seems that with great struggle comes great wisdom. May we struggle with the difficult problems of our time, in order that we may become wise.

Harry Reid and Offenses

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has received lots of criticism as of late due to his words about President Barrack Obama which have been published in a book entitled "Game Change" written by two journalists, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. The Senator is quoted as saying that he believed America was ready to have a "light-skinned" black man "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." These remarks were not well taken by many, especially conservatives such as Michael Steele and John Cornyn. CNN, Fox News, New York Times, and many other news agencies have been covering the story heavily since the weekend. Some writers seem to suggest that his words were offensive.

As a politician myself, (I may have a small constituency but I am an elected official) I know that what I say is almost always taken in by many and can at times, offend people. This is something that all politicians deal with simply because politics occurs when people disagree. When politicians speak, their constituents are listening as well as their opponents.

That being said, within the past year I have given a few public addresses in my constituency and have spoken many words in a public manner. Not all of these words have sat well with those who heard them. I have even been said to have offended people with my words. As a politician, I must ask, 'What was said that was offensive?' Still, as a philosopher I must ask the question, 'What is an offense?'

So then, what is an offense? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an offense (in the sense that we are talking about with Harry Reid and myself) is felt or perceived by someone. It is a wounding of someone's feelings. In many cases it is resentment caused, be it voluntary or involuntary, by someone, usually with words. An offense can sometimes come from a perceived insult, even if there was no insult. This is crucial to our understanding and assessment of offenses. It seems that when someone is offended by my words (or in other cases, Harry Reid's), they have perceived something, namely an insult. This then, implies that an offense can be very subjective. I could be offended by someone simply because I perceive their words as insulting, without them even being insulting. This would allow for a crude misinterpretation of a person's words to be labeled as an offense. Which means that the heart of the matter would not be in a person's words but in the perception of the words, leaving all the weight on, not the offender, but the offended. Well, that just seems backwards doesn't it? If an offense comes from a perceived intention, does the actual intention even matter? If Harry Reid intended to praise Barrack Obama, but many perceived his words as insulting, have we done Mr. Reid any justice? It may be hard to imagine, but what if Harry Reid had publicly said that 'America is ready for a black president' and someone perceived that as an insult. Do we then suggest that Mr. Reid has offended someone and should feel guilty? The answer seems obviously no.

I submit that a true offense is rooted in a true insult, be it voluntary or involuntary, and is demeaning to a human being. The root then is not the perception of the insult, but the insult itself. The perception is merely a guiding path to the insult, if one occurs. What I, Harry Reid, and anyone who is accused of an offense in this manner of thought should be concerned with is determining whether a true insult was given.

The New Year

As I begin my studies once again for the month of January, I am excited about the new year. Typically, I do not feel this way. The new year always marks the beginning of a 5 month waiting period for summer, which I think is way too long. I love the summer months in my home state of South Carolina. The beach is beautiful, the air is warm and going without shoes is much easier. That's when the best fishing happens, and ammunition costs for skeet shooting go down. I am always impatient when waiting for summer. It is my favorite time of year. This year is no different. I have found even more reason to be impatient.

As my father continues to bless me I continue to grow thankful. My trip home over the holidays proved more useful than ever before. There is so much waiting for me there that would ensure a strong case of 'senioritis'. God is calling me home. That much is clear. And I could not be more excited. Yet, it is also clear that I cannot start my task there until I have finished my task in the West.

My reason for excitement I think comes from a hint of certainty. For the past three years, I have been on this day ready for the summer, a period which will end with my returning west. This January is different. These will be my last 5 months in the state of California. At which point I will return to God's country. I don't know what all is in store for me back home, but I sense there are great things there and I know that is where I will be next. Although I have enjoyed my time in California, my father has reminded me that my home is in Carolina, and will forever be. This has been uncertain in my mind until now, and that is a comforting thought. So Charleston, I will return to you soon, knowing that I belong there. This gives me great comfort as I begin my final period of study on the west coast.

Health Care Bill Failure

Is health care an human right? Have you ever asked yourself this question? If you haven't, then you should. How you answer this question will determine how you would go about voting for the current health care bill before congress. With the recent passing of the bill in the United States Senate, we have failed. We have failed, not because we are pursuing a universal system, but because we have not answered this question. We have failed to take this thought captive. If we continue to allow thoughts to take us captive and not the other way around, then we as a Church, a people, a nation will fail.

Camp is Over

Well, this week we wrapped up our final session of Propel My Life at Covenant College in Georgia. This next week will be spent debriefing the summer here in Pine Mountain. It is a bitter sweet moment. It is unfortunate that my teaching opportunities have ceased for the time being. Yet, I'm glad that camp is over. I have found that camp is not my forte. I have very much enjoyed the time in the classroom. I really feel in my element when I am teaching/preaching. However, as an introvert, it is very difficult for me to be around people all day long. Not just 9 to 5, but also from 5 to 9. This has been very waring on me emotionally and physically. With little alone time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. I have suffered greatly. Yet! God is good. The Lord has seen fit to use this long summer to prepare me for the upcoming school year where interacting with people will be part of my daily routine, and for this I must be prepared. I am thankful for that and know that in His sovereignty, God has given me a taste of what administration is like over the past few weeks.

To all who were praying for me, thank you. Your prayers were felt and God sure blessed me. I look forward to the coming year and serving Biola University as Associated Student President.

Mountain Top Experiences: Old and New

As we pass over the midway point of what will be the final chapter of Propel My Life 2009, I cannot help but stop and look back at what we have experienced this summer. In June, we started our expedition at Covenant College, located in Lookout Mountain, GA. It is truly a lookout on this mountain top. Visibility is almost endless from atop this 2,000 ft summit. The name really suits the location well. This location was a great place to start the summer. We really did start at the top of a mountain, both physically and spiritually. The energy was high during the first week. We were all excited. It was a great first week.
After leaving Lookout Mt, our team experienced some dry spots. There were a couple times where we didn't get things done as well as we hoped or something didn't go as planned. I know I didn't do as good a job of teaching as I'm capable of. The reason why? We lost focus in the mundane. Driving from location to location, setting up and tearing down equipment, all of the ordinary "little" things that we have to do in order to do our job became the focus of our attention. We got lost in the rush and in the noise of camp life.

As we close this summer's adventure, once again we are at the top of Lookout Mountain, some 2,000 ft up in the air. I am reminded of Elijah's mountain top experience in 1 Kings 19. After Elijah proved the prophets of Baal wrong, he fled from the pursuit of Jezebel. When The Lord told Elijah to listen for His voice, Elijah did so but did not find the Lord in the great wind, the earthquake, nor in the fire. It was in a still, small whisper that The Lord spoke. It was in what Elijah didn't expect. As I return to this mountain top, I reflect upon where I have sought to find God. I have searched in places where I expect to find Him. What I forgot, was that God does not always speak in ways that we expect.

In the midst of the driving, and the setting up and tearing down, and even while we ate, and filled out forms, and purchased gas for the van, God has not left us. He has been with us all along the way, in ways we would not expect.

We must remember to look for God in the midst of the "small" things. While we are going from work to home in rush hour traffic, God is still with us and can speak to us. While we are cleaning the table up after supper, God can speak to us. While we ought not cease looking for God in the ordinary places, we cannot neglect those quiet moments where The Lord is subtle, and clear.

Kierkegaard: Humor on Money

In the midst of my readings on Kierkegaard this semester, I came across a text the other day that was quite amusing.
"From what I know about the political situation, it would be easy for Denmark to borrow fifteen million rix-dollars. Why does no one think of this? Now and then we hear that someone is a genius and does not pay his debts, why should a nation not do the same, provided there is agreement? Borrow fifteen million; use it not to pay off our debts but for public entertainment. Let us celebrate the millennium with fun and games. Just as there currently are boxes everywhere for contributions of money, there should be bowl everywhere filled with money. Everything would be free: the theater would be free, prostitutes would be free, rides to Deer Park would be free, funerals would be free, one's funeral eulogy would be free. I say "free" for if money is always available, everything is free in a way. No one would be allowed to own any property. An exception should be made only for me. I shall set aside for myself one hundred rix-dollars a day deposited in a London bank, partly because I cannot manage on less, partly because I am the one who provided the idea, and finally because no one knows if I will not be able to think up a new idea when the fifteen million is exhausted.
SK
Either/Or, A Fragment of Life