Field Trip!

I just bought the U.K. first edition of G. K. Chesterton’s “Orthodoxy” (amazing!). The way he tells his story of how Christianity began to make sense to him and the way he describes the attributes of it that appeal to him, makes you want to be a child again. His chapter “Ethics of Elfland” is singularly the most influential chapter of literature I have read (with the rest of the chapters right behind probably). It makes you think the only proper way to look at Christianity is through a child’s eyes.

As I was leaving school today, I saw a class of probably first graders - most likely on a field trip - crossing the street. Every three kids had an adult with them but it seemed merely as a security, not so much an actual presence. Some of them had interlocking arms skipping together, some had their hands tightly held by others (adults and children alike), others were bold enough to just stay near others. I saw little guys with smiles ear to ear and glasses too big for their faces (I could have sworn it was me at that age), other boys were looking around aimlessly, little girls had long, flowing hair in bows and were, even at that age, much more civilized but still too childish to know the difference. As the light turned red and the white man in a box told us we can walk (I could have walked before it turned red between the traffic surges but I felt like my reputation and testimony would be ruined to encourage such behavior), I watched them as two boys surged a couple of feet ahead trying to jump on each white line like the black street was hot lava. With each jump one kid yelled out “Hop! Hop! Hop!” I just had to smile! I wanted to follow them but I refrained thinking I would be considered some pedophile (how sad is it that you can’t enjoy the company of a kid anymore without weird looks?) It was a sight that will lighten up my next week!

I’m now listening to Joanna Newsom because she is a child. I told a friend yesterday off the top of my head that I can’t get out of my head. She said that she can’t find men, only boys. As I pondered that I just asked her, “Do you know what a man is? I don’t even know what it is.” I went on to say that I think being a man has little to do with being “grown up” or mature. Sure we should be mature in faith and so on (although Christ said that means to be like a child) but Christ did say if we want to be in His kingdom we must be like children. What that entails I’m not quite sure, but I keep thinking about it. I have a feeling it goes beyond having child-like faith. And what exactly child-like faith? It is not ignorance, so it is not knowledge-based. I have a feeling it is more perspective-based. But I am convinced that to be like a child is to be closer to God. Judaism doesn’t even regard children as sinful; children are a innocent and represent redemption. They are the most important age. Although I’m convinced that a child is not innocent in a state of morality or the soul; they are innocent in perspective. They have yet to find out “being bad” is in everyone else. They’re not skeptical yet – they see things as they are given to them, and understand and expect, for instance, that an infinite, all-powerful God will have a fish swallow a man. Why not? It is the “grown up” who will still be skeptical and find ways around that. I think this is a part of it but these are merely thoughts. I’ll look into it.

Solomon's Views on Woodworking and Photography

The past couple of days I've been dealing with decisions. I bid on Lenski's commentaries on ebay, and I know I don't need them but I'll be glad I have them one day. I went to Home Depot to look at tools yesterday and today. I want to learn carpentry or woodworking; I need a bookcase for my commentaries. . . I've been looking at digital SLR cameras, I've been advised to get a Nikon D50. I've moved on pretty much from wanting guitar stuff and music stuff in general. I'm not sure if I'm looking at these other things to replace my desire for music or what. Photography, however great it is, isn't for me. I want it because someone else wants it. Woodworking takes up space and time and trial and error. . . it seems like something I'll take on when I'm older, but maybe not. So I'm at a crossroads: what now?

King Solomon said, "Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward for my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun."

What is "profit" to Solomon? He had plenty of material profit and I don't think he is talking about a desire for excess of profit. It is an immaterial profit Solomon is searching for. When he mentions the works his hands had done and the labor he had toiled over it makes me think of a craftsmen. I'm sure he was thinking of much grander things - maybe even building the Temple and a marvelous kingdom - but I think of him building a table. I think this probably because it hits me personally at the moment. I say this to say that I think Solomon wasn't just thinking of his grand achievements; he was thinking way too simple and thus way too profound. It's those little things that we do in our homes after the grand schemes of success or just living are over that make us really feel empty. Think about it; everytime we hear a story of a man with great success feel empty or commit suicide it is in the quietness of the simple things. Money doesn't satisfy; why? Because money doesn't effect the simple things in life. Sure Apple has a bunch of novelty products that make music more accessible and so on, but I'm not talking about that. If the simple things in life are merely the physical realities then Apple is the source of all meaning to me. But it is obviously not. We must remember the immaterial.

Immaterial profit is found in what is not under the sun - God. Now before you think, "Duh!" Let's see what this entails. When we chase after the material for meaning we find vanity because meaning is not material. My ipod is not meaning, maybe the idea of the ipod can give me meaning, but not it itself. This is why the Temple could have easily been meaningless to Solomon. What Solomon finds is that God gives meaning because He makes human beings make sense. It is amazing how something physical, like building a table, can bring so much spiritual satisfaction - much more than most other things we do with our minds, or hearts, or whatever. Why is this link so strong? Our image or likeness of God. God saw creation and said what? "IT IS GOOD!" Creation at it's heart is a good thing. When we "create" or form (much like what God did of man out of the dust), we are dwelling in the image of God. God created to please Himself (not in a perverted or slavish way, but in a very innocent way). We must never lose this pleasure of "creating" or we lose ourselves.

Solomon wasn't looking for God, he was looking for meaning. When we find God, we find meaning. God himself is not meaning, but His existence gives meaning. We find the meaning of love, communication, order, autonomy, and more in the fact that God created us. We gain the answer to the question, "Who am I?" in this realizatiion. Solomon says at the end of Ecclesiastes: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." Or this is what makes man complete. When we find God, recognize his prestige, and obey him we are complete. To find and fear God is to realize who you are and who He is, to obey Him is to merely bring these realizations to living so that it is not just an idea but a way of life. When we find who we are - when we find our meaning in God - living itself becomes meaningful.

I didn' mean to say half of that but there it is.