Journo for Burdo
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Below are the 4 most recent journal entries recorded in the "burdo" journal:[<< Previous 4 entries]
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12:46 pm
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A passage from The Beach
Many years ago Mittu asked about passages from books that were favourites. I has no answer at the time, and even when I do think of a part of a book I like I find it hard to relate the passage directly. It usually can be quoted only in a part too small (a sentence) or too large (several paragraphs). And always when I cut it clear from it's context and let it stand naked and alone - it never seems as good as it does in the full flow of the book's narrative.
This one is from The Beach, after the narrator has first arrived and is fitting in. Each of the three parts are within a page of each other, but I've cut extraneous material for clarity:
"After that first day, wandering around the clearing, I didn't really question a single thing about the beach.
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"Assimilation: from day one we were working, everyone knew our names, we had beds allocated in the longhouse. I felt like I'd been living there my whole life.
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"There's this saying: in an all-blue world, colour doesn't exist. It makes a lot of sense to me. If something seems strange, you question it; but if the outside world is too distant to use as a comparison then nothing seems strange.
"Why would I question it anyway? Assimilating myself was the most natural thing in the world. I'd been doing it ever since I became a traveller. Another saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans. In the traveller's ten commandments, that's commandment number one. You don't march into Hindu temples and start saying, 'Why are you worshipping a cow?' You look around, take on board, adjust, accept."
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This morning I was reading a criticism of the historical-critical approach, specifically that it's assertion of reading all history as equally important has the effect of treating all tradition as false and thus rendering all history as unilluminating; in a similar way that cultural relativism's assertation that no culture is superior ultimately empties all culture of meaning.
What I like about the passage from The Beach is not so much the suggestion that the traveller should be an empty vessel - bringing nothing with them - but rather the idea that to understand and appreciate something requires the observer to become what they observe.
Perhaps I should have just chosen To Kill A Mockingbird instead:
"First of all," he said, "if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
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05:36 pm
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Australia Day housewarming
Photos of the housewarming.
I was particularly happy to find a good handful of Australian beers, and I thought the songlist was a good slice of the lucky country. Zosia created a fantastic spread of Aus-themed food (although the Pavlova was a joint-effort between Pe and me). Since bringing Australian wine as a housewarming gift turned out to be a popular choice, we now have an excellent selection of Australian wines :)
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09:17 am
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Ice on Whyte - ice sculpture photos
A few photos are here
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01:23 pm
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Composite nature of Jesus' roles
Hearing a mention of the Prophet, Priest, and King roles of Jesus this morning reminded me that I've been meaning to post a small observation about the composite nature of some of Jesus' roles.
Not only a prophet like Moses, but also the Word - the message of a prophet.
Not only the highest priest (in the order of Melchizedek), but also the blood sacrifice made by the priest.
Not only the king above all kings, but also the lowest servant, and the most loyal subject.
Not only the debtor, to whom all give account, but also the ransom that makes the payment.
Not only the judge of all, but also the punishment of that judgment (given out as mercy).
Not only the Way (and the shepherd/guide), but also the destination: to dwell in Him.
As usual with theology, I'm not sure if this was something I was meant to have understood all along and only just picked up - although a couple of them are explicit in the Epistles. I'm also assuming there are more of these composite roles, perhaps one concerning being the water of life?
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