Right now I'm struggling with Plato and Christianity and my philosophy class and C.S. Lewis and heaven.
Is earth a copy of heaven, a flawed and sinful copy? Is the New Earth heaven? Is there time in heaven? Will contemplating the Forms in heaven get me any closer to truth? Is earth something I have to escape?
Am I emotionally weak for crying while reading "The Last Battle"?
Is everything true? Is there reason for believing what I believe beyond meaning for life? What if meaning for life doesn't really mean all that much anyway?
Dag, I missed Philosophy last semester.
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"What if meaning for life doesn't really mean all that much anyway?"
That probably sums up my issue with ascribing Christianity as "meaning for life." Human beings don't just need a reason to be alive, they need to enjoy being alive. We were created for a good world, not this broken one we inhabit. Yet at the same time we couldn't be good if died trying.
In that sense I do think Christianity is not the answer, but Christ, the personal God, can only give me life. Not a reason, not a future meaning, but the actual, real, full life. Not right now in full, I understand, but enough to keep me believing in my "soul" (Eugene Peterson-esque). I don't mean a "good time" like partying and modern comfort are good times. I mean the Kingdom I don't even understand, that is here but not here yet.
(late haste)
if we died trying*
believing, in my soul*
and... I understand waiting, and emptiness, and suffering are a huge part of the life of Christ's followers. I'm not scholarly enough to be able to cleverly connect the two, or not make mistakes in the way I word this... but maybe you get the drift of what I'm saying?
dear Ben: you think a lot!! I'm glad you're enjoying philosophy...sometimes you just need something to give you that extra push to want to keep doing what you're doing.
I've thought about heaven a lot before, and I don't think we'll even know the answers to that until...well, until we get there I guess. Which makes it kind of exciting!
And you are definately not emotionally weak for crying while you read The Last Battle. Those books are amazing. Actually, my little brother was just listening to the Focus on the Family Radio Theater production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...and C.S.Lewis was a pretty amazing writer. I love the parallels he uses of Christ and Aslan.
Anyway, I should stop making such long comments:P
Love, Carol-Lee Joy
"Is earth something I have to escape?"
You know how we were talking about Bowald's Religion Class the other day. He said something similar, that if we were uncomfortable on earth we would never be happy. But I am uncomfortable on earth, I can only wait in anticipation for the new heaven and the new earth, whose 'nature' (pardon the pun) or natures totally defies my imagination. That's where assistance from C.S. Lewis really comes in handy. I have been thinking a lot about the heaven and earth deal lately. weird that you should mention it. enjoy snow day #2.
why are you uncomfortable on earth?
God made you for here, not for heaven. He made you with the intention that you would walk this earth, in relationship with him, and enjoy him and his creation with him. Sucks that now there's sin in this world, but God's finished the process (the paperwork, if you will) of rescuing us from it----and now we just wait for D-day, for when he will take us from here, and plunk us down in a new earth where his original intentions will be possible (and un-wreck-able by klutzy human hands---we won't be klutzy anymore...) True, life here and now is confusing and frustrating and intimidating and hard and it hurts, but if you live too much for the eternal future, you will eternally be missing out on the beauty, the joy, the satisfaction, of living out God's intentions in the here-and-now!!
Much thanks and love.
Ben, it's all about God being glorified, regardless of what or how you perceive what He's doing. The point is that there is no point in knowing wether earth is heaven or heaven will be a perfect earth. God know what He's doing. Trust Him. Do what He gives you to do. Be thankful and joyful. Enjoy philosophy, but know when to let faith take over!
Love you lots!
I pretty much agree with everything my excellent choir-pianist said. At the same time, I really miss studying Philosophy.
I just don't always know how to figure out what God's giving me to do. But you already knew that.
Love, Lawren.
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