Thoughtfullness

I have been reading a book titled, Raging with Compassion: Postmodern Responses to the Problem of Evil, which I highly recommend. I have major problems with most books on pastoral care or the theodicy question. My problem is that most of them are intellectual defenses of God or pure theory with no practical appilcation. I have very little patience with theology that is not practical or applicable to a persons life. I guesse one would have to say I am a practical theologian.

Anyway, the point here is that most books that address the theodicy question do so in a highly intellectual way. In psychology this is a defense mechanism called intellectuallism. Meaning that if we keep an event in the intellectual realm, then we do not have to really examine our feelings about the event. Therefore, we really never fully integrate the event into our life and are defended against the event. In Raging with Compassion, this is Swinton's critique of most theodicies. I think he is absolutely correct. Most ventures into the theodicy are simply psychological defenses against having to actually respond to the evil in the world around us. If we intellectualize, blame the victim (say it is because of his or her or thier sin) or call God evil, then we protect ourselves. We find comfort in our reasoning and assure ourselves it could not happen to us. However, Swinton, goes on to say that the real question is not why thier is evil in the world, but how are we as Christians going to respond to the evil.

Swinton defines evil as anything that interferes with our relationship with God. Therefore, when an evil event occurs, how do we as Christians bring the presence of Christ into this event. One of the ways that this is done, is through what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. He talks about how most people do not think about their actions. He uses the example Otto Adalf Eichman, who was a prominant member of the Nazi governmnet of Germany during WWII. Eichman was responsible for organizing the roundups and transportation of Jews to the death camps. He was put on trial at Nuremberg. He had two psychological evaluations the first came down that he was a monster and enjoyed killing people and all that. The second though, was quite interesting. This woman was actually impressed by his normality and said that he was a short sighted buraecrat whose life seemed marked by an inability to see the long term results of his actions. In other words, he simply did or could not think about the consequences of what he was doing at the time. He was thoughtless.

We in the United States of America, live in a thoughtless culture. We want things now so we put them on a credit card, never thinking about what 15% interest is going to do to us in the future. We shop for cars not on what the whole price is going to be, but what our payment is going to be. Usually not even think ing about that balloon payment on the end, that will be more than the car is worth. We also have people who can step on others to get to the top, not thinking about the long term. We have drug use for the high at the moment, never considering the long term physical consequences, or the emotional consequences for other around us.

It seems to me one thing we as Christian can add to our culture is what Swinton calls thoughtfullness. The ability to think about our actions, both in the short term and the long term, and reflect on the possible consequences of both our actions and inactions.

Stardust-the movie-- spoiler

I just saw one of the best movies I have ever seen. It was called Stardust and is based on the book by Neil Gaimon. I have not read many of Neil Gaimon's multitude of books. I have read most of his book that he wrote with Terry Pratchett about the apocolypse. It is a funny and good book and I want to finish it someday. In fact I would reccomend it to anyone who likes Hitchhikers Guide or Monty Python, it is a funny book. However, my family and I went to see this movie, because I wanted to see it and it was on at the time we wanted to go to a movie. It was an outstanding movie that the whole family loved.

I would compare the movie to the Princess Bride, it is a fantasy complete with pirates and three witches. The basic story is that Tristan, who is a prince from the world across the wall, but does not know this, is desires the affection of a woman named Victoria. She, though, is more interested in marrying someone who has money and a power. Tristan and Victoria see a falling star and Tristan declares that he would get that star for her, if it would earn her love. She tells him to go for it, but he only has one week. The star fell on the other side of the wall, so he goes back and tells his father that he was going to go to other side of the wall and get the star. His father reveals to him that he is a child from that side of the wall and that his mother was a slave to a witch. In the basket which Tristan had been delivered to his father there had been a note and a candle. The candle was magical and would deliver you to wherever you were thinking about when it burned. Tristan burned it to find his mother, but he inadvertently thought about the star and went to the place the star had landed. The star was a woman instead of a rock as he thought it would be. The star agrees to go with him to Victoria and off they go. In the mean time three witches saw the star fall and one sets out to find the star so they could eat her heart and live forever. The witch that goes out is played by Michelle Pfiefer and she does a great job.
On the way they are also pursued by several princes who are competing to become the king. Each of these princes die one by one and the ghosts are hilarious. On the way Tristan and the star encounter an in the closet gay pirate, played by Robert DeNiro, which is absolutely hilarious. Tristan falls in love with the star and becomes king and they live forever happily ever after.

It is a must see movie, even if my description does not sound very interesting. Between Robert DeNiro as a cross dressing gay pirate and the ghosts, I have not laughed so hard at a movie since The Princess Bride. Also, the movie actually ended. Oh they could make a sequel in the same world, but it would need new characters and such, because it showed what happens in the end. This is almost a novel concept in todays movies.

Anyway, the story is an old fashioned fairytale, with great special effects. The vilians are evil and the good are good. The hero goes from zero to being king and realizes what true love is on the way. I laughed and my son and daughter got scared during parts of the movie. Just scared enough to hold my hand not quite watching. It was just a great movie.

Alaska Trip and loners

Well, I didn't get to post anything while we were in Alaska. I didn't know that my brother in law did not have a computer. Oh well, it was a great trip. We were able to go on a whale watching cruise, go fishing, see the Anchorage Zoo, the Native Heritage Center a water fall, I forgot the name of and go to Hatcher's Pass. It was a wonderfull trip, probably one of the best vacations I have ever had.

It is always interesting to go on a trip and stay with other people. It always makes me more thankful for what I have. I love visiting other places and seing the sights. I find it even more interesting to get to know some of the local people and expereince thier culture. For example, it seems to me that most, not all by any means, but a good portion of Alaskans like to live on the edge of society and culture. I'm not talking about Antisocial people or psychotic killers that get a cabin in the woods in order to make bombs, I'm just talking about people who need little contact with other people, who are comfortable with who they are and enjoy being individuals. People that the true pioneer spirit still lives in.

Some people would call them loners. I hesitate to use this term, because it is mostly used to describe people who have just opened fire on others and then shot themselves. A true loner, though, is not a killer, but a person who simply renews his or herself by being by themselves. They are usually someone who is very comfortable with who they are and have limited energy for social interaction. When I say limited energy, I do not mean no energy. Just probably less than what most people have.

I found myself really enjoying being around people like that. Perhaps I have found a place that harbors kindred spirits. Now do not get me wrong, I am not going to drop everything and move to Alaska right away. I love where I live. However, in recognizing these kindred spirits in Alaska, I was also able to recognize why I love where I live so much. I am a loner. This is not a negative, it is simply who I am. Being a loner I still like to be around people. I can still connect to people. In fact, I have connected more to people, since recognizing myself as a loner than I did before. Despite what the world says about us loners, we are wonderful people. In my small community I see that there are other loners and they understand. We do not have to talk about it, but there is an implicit understanding of being loners and joining together, for lack of a better term. In enjoy the company of others, but loners make the deep connections that I prefer. Loners understand that time alone is not time wasted. You can have fun and be alone.

This community seems to allow time alone and also provide some social interaction. I always enjoy our card games, they are once a month. However, once a month is enough. I also enjoy paintball, which does require interaction with others, but also some individual time of hiding in the woods waiting and watching and listening.

Anyway, the bottom line is, I am extremely glad to be home. I missed my house, my bed and my community. It is nice to live in a place that I can feel like it is home. Thank God for vacations, because they make me thank God for home.