Yes the ducks are back.
Yes there is still a lot of snow.
Rick came over yesterday to discover that three of our neighbors had cleaned off our snow. We have a big area because we are on the corner. There was a path cleared down the driveway, but the rest has to be cleaned off, Rick got right to waok to do this major task, Dad and I worry it is too much for him but we also appreciate all he is doing.
Laura took Spenser out for his walks today. I took him out this evenning but I cannot walk far with my walker as the paths are very narrow in places. I want to clear an area in the front of all snow so he can go on grass. He is not happy. We thought of going to Boundary Park but I doubt if it is any better.
I came across some letters as I was going through my writings and I was thinking how important letters are. It helps us to remember what was going on at that time of their writing.
I am reminded of the importance of Paul's letters to understand the Jewish faith tradition.
" When we we take seriously Paul.s religious experience . the historical contexts of his message and the central metaphors that shape his message we find an apostle whose teachings and pasions stand in considerable continuity with Jesus," _ Marus J, Borg
His letters are controversal and not easy to understand.
5 comments:
That's a good quote by Borg. Thanks
Contrary to the quoted piece (even with its three qualifications and weasel words) there is not much continuity between Jesus and Paul, the main reason being the two never met. Paul was out creating the central tenants of Christianity via his preaching and his letters after Jesus was dead but before any of the gospels were written.
One exception.
The central impulse of Jesus was formed when he came over the hill, walked down to the riverbank, sat down under a tree and heard John the Baptist say, "Prepare yourself: The Kingdom of God is at hand." That rung a bell in his Gallian brain, and that is what he preached, it seems, until he was killed in Jerusalem. It explains so much - why worry about the Romans? Why stay home and look after your parents? Why worry about material things? Why worry about so many trivial, earthly matters, when the thing that truly needed to be done was to prepare yourself for the Kingdom of God on earth arriving soon, so soon? The point was to be alive, so alive, now: that was the way to prepare yourself for the Kingdom of God on Earth.
Jesus clearly continued on John's theme that the new age was imminent. Interestingly, this is the only thing that Paul seems to have picked up from meeting the 'Pillars' in Jerusalem (which very strongly suggests it was the central theme of what Jesus preached). Paul himself often wrote that the "kingdom of God is at hand.".
So this is the only continuity. Not a minor thing, but Christianity has moved on and become a bureaucratic juggernaut. The working premise of Christianity, as with any other religion (and all religions are worldly organizations), is that the Kingdom of God is not at hand. It is not near. But your individual end is near. So support us so we can ease your way towards distant heaven that will never, contrary to what John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul said, actually arrive here on earth. The irony is that we wouldn't need religion if they had been right.
Contrary to Paul's central theme - that the death and resurrection of Jesus was basically the creation of a magic surfboard whereby we can all surf into heaven - I prefer Jesus' message of being alive and preparing for the Kingdom of God on earth.
Paul says the death of Jesus was the important thing. I disagree.
Love,
Rick
And I hope those crazy ducks like snow!
We went out to the grocery store and it is very weird out there. The Port Mann bridge is closed and there are no cars on the highway. Our drive wasn't too bad, but we got home before the worst of the freezing rain.
Sandra
Post a Comment