A reality check
posted by James at
2:07 PM
|
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
"Look at the stars..."
One of the best birthday presents I may have ever received was four tickets to see Coldplay at the Gorge, which I, my sister and two friends did last night.
It. Was. Amazing. Whether they’re aware of it or not, I really think these British guys are doing God's work. The whole concert (and the general experience with their music, especially the newer stuff) was/is a celebration of beauty, it seemed to me. Their music is so positive, but not in a saccharine or forced way. Their performance was so opulent, visceral, beautiful…yes, I would definitely say transcendent. While other contemporary musicians are whining about breakups or bragging about their sexual conquests or just making angry noise, Coldplay is (are?) making music that is genuinely uplifting in a performance whose passion and beauty really smacks of the divine. I realize this is flowery, melodramatic language on my part, and this may be due somewhat to how exhausted I still am. But I honestly believe it to be true. And it’s just one other reason why I think God is most definitely at work in today’s pop culture; even though there is a great deal of ugly, insincere, wasteful garbage out there, there is also a great deal of stuff that is charged with creativity, beauty and energy that can only come from God, because it is from God that these things flow.
Coldplay, obviously, seem(s?) to form one such conduit.
It. Was. Amazing. Whether they’re aware of it or not, I really think these British guys are doing God's work. The whole concert (and the general experience with their music, especially the newer stuff) was/is a celebration of beauty, it seemed to me. Their music is so positive, but not in a saccharine or forced way. Their performance was so opulent, visceral, beautiful…yes, I would definitely say transcendent. While other contemporary musicians are whining about breakups or bragging about their sexual conquests or just making angry noise, Coldplay is (are?) making music that is genuinely uplifting in a performance whose passion and beauty really smacks of the divine. I realize this is flowery, melodramatic language on my part, and this may be due somewhat to how exhausted I still am. But I honestly believe it to be true. And it’s just one other reason why I think God is most definitely at work in today’s pop culture; even though there is a great deal of ugly, insincere, wasteful garbage out there, there is also a great deal of stuff that is charged with creativity, beauty and energy that can only come from God, because it is from God that these things flow.
Coldplay, obviously, seem(s?) to form one such conduit.
posted by James at
10:11 AM
|
Friday, July 10, 2009
Anarchy!
If I've been paying any attention lately to the philosophical battle in which the Church is entangled, I've learned that there are at least two worldviews which are fundamentally opposed to everything a good Catholic stands for. The first is materialism; the idea that the physical is all there is, that life came about from the random crashing of atoms, asteroids and amino acids and that any perception of love or beauty is merely an evolved reaction brought to you by neurotransmitters. The second is relativism; truth is what you make it, and everything is different for everyone. At least, that's more or less the perception I get of both these ideas.
One thing that both of these worldviews have in common is a proclivity towards atheism. Not my cup of tea, for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who peruses the archives of this blog. The second would be the idea that there is little or no "system" to the universe--the reality, whatever that may be--that we find ourselves in. The funny thing is that I've been finding myself to be more and more sympathetic to this latter idea.
Hwat???
Lemme 'splain.
A little over a year ago a friend of mine gave me a book that shook me and my worldview up a little bit, called Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge. One quote in particular from that book that has stuck to me is simply this: "There are no formulas with God. Period." Now, perhaps I'm extending Eldredge's meaning further than it was intended; I'm not sure. But I've taken that quote and its meaning very much to heart in the past year, it seems. It used to be that I would feel guilty for doing something if the good in it wasn't clearly stamped out and obvious, or if I couldn't find clear meaning in it at all. Eighteen months ago I might not have allowed myself to, for example, listen to the music of Say Anything, because they cuss a lot and sing about sex, etc. etc. But now I do, and why?
Because I like it. I like their music.
Ulp. Sounds a little dangerous, perhaps. But if there are no formulas with God, is it possible that, for example, He is in fact leading me closer to Him via the rather visceral lyrics and spastic melodies of Say Anything, perhaps as sincere expressions of human experience?
Man, that sounds so gross and intellectual. Blah. But hopefully you know what I mean.
Here, essentially, is what I'm getting at: We know that God is present in the world; despite the panicked assertions of some, we could even say He permeates it. Yes, there is also a great deal of evil, but the goodness and power of God far outstrips it. Also, we know that someone who earnestly seeks Him will find Him--knock and the door will be opened. If we sincerely ask God that His will be accomplished in us, then it will be, in some way or another. We do our part by living by the basic moral precepts that He has outlined for us via Scripture and the Church, and He, in turn, will guide us according to the situations, feelings, opportunities and people that come in and out of our lives.
Therefore:
Beyond the aforementioned basic moral precepts, life is not a maze to be navigated, not a complex and unforgiving game with inscrutable rules. It's an adventure, constantly new terrain to be explored because there are no formulas.
Anarchy! Anything can happen! Gasp! Yes, I use the word "anarchy" pretty loosely here. Forgive me, it just looks so cool with an exclamation point next to it.
Aaaanywaaaay....perhaps the conclusion that I've just outlined actually is dangerous and wrongheaded--after all, it does cause me to empathize with the relativists somewhat, simply in that it gives me the impression that human experience is, in fact, much more individualized than I'd first thought. I'd welcome criticism from anyone who may care to offer it. In any case, it's something to think about.
One thing that both of these worldviews have in common is a proclivity towards atheism. Not my cup of tea, for reasons that should be obvious to anyone who peruses the archives of this blog. The second would be the idea that there is little or no "system" to the universe--the reality, whatever that may be--that we find ourselves in. The funny thing is that I've been finding myself to be more and more sympathetic to this latter idea.
Hwat???
Lemme 'splain.
A little over a year ago a friend of mine gave me a book that shook me and my worldview up a little bit, called Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge. One quote in particular from that book that has stuck to me is simply this: "There are no formulas with God. Period." Now, perhaps I'm extending Eldredge's meaning further than it was intended; I'm not sure. But I've taken that quote and its meaning very much to heart in the past year, it seems. It used to be that I would feel guilty for doing something if the good in it wasn't clearly stamped out and obvious, or if I couldn't find clear meaning in it at all. Eighteen months ago I might not have allowed myself to, for example, listen to the music of Say Anything, because they cuss a lot and sing about sex, etc. etc. But now I do, and why?
Because I like it. I like their music.
Ulp. Sounds a little dangerous, perhaps. But if there are no formulas with God, is it possible that, for example, He is in fact leading me closer to Him via the rather visceral lyrics and spastic melodies of Say Anything, perhaps as sincere expressions of human experience?
Man, that sounds so gross and intellectual. Blah. But hopefully you know what I mean.
Here, essentially, is what I'm getting at: We know that God is present in the world; despite the panicked assertions of some, we could even say He permeates it. Yes, there is also a great deal of evil, but the goodness and power of God far outstrips it. Also, we know that someone who earnestly seeks Him will find Him--knock and the door will be opened. If we sincerely ask God that His will be accomplished in us, then it will be, in some way or another. We do our part by living by the basic moral precepts that He has outlined for us via Scripture and the Church, and He, in turn, will guide us according to the situations, feelings, opportunities and people that come in and out of our lives.
Therefore:
Beyond the aforementioned basic moral precepts, life is not a maze to be navigated, not a complex and unforgiving game with inscrutable rules. It's an adventure, constantly new terrain to be explored because there are no formulas.
Anarchy! Anything can happen! Gasp! Yes, I use the word "anarchy" pretty loosely here. Forgive me, it just looks so cool with an exclamation point next to it.
Aaaanywaaaay....perhaps the conclusion that I've just outlined actually is dangerous and wrongheaded--after all, it does cause me to empathize with the relativists somewhat, simply in that it gives me the impression that human experience is, in fact, much more individualized than I'd first thought. I'd welcome criticism from anyone who may care to offer it. In any case, it's something to think about.
posted by James at
5:59 PM
|
