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dezirk88
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Name: derek
Country: United States
State: Missouri
Metro: Columbia
Gender: Male
Interests: music, photography, theory in action, non-fiction, dumpster diving, gooey butter cake, espresso, etc.
Expertise: reticence, verbosity, simplicity
Occupation: Other
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
2/11/2004
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| an adaptation:
"If a transtemporal, transfinite good is our real destiny, then any other good on which our desire fixes must be in some degree fallacious, us bear at best only a symbolical elation to what will truly satisfy.
"... almost all our modern philosophies [or campaigns] have been devised to convince us that the good of man is to be found on this earth [this america]. And yet it is a remarkable thing that such [campaigns] of Progress or Creative Evolution [change] themselves bear reluctant witness to the truth that our real goal is elsewhere. When they want to convince you that earth [america] is your home, notice how they set about it. They begin by trying to persuade you that [america] can be made into heaven, thus giving a sop to your sense of exile in [america] as it is [or whichever given administration]. Next, they tell you that this fortunate event is still a god way off in the future [beginning next january], thus giving a sop to your knowledge that the fatherland is not here and now. Finally, lest your longing for the transtemporal should awake and spoil the whole affair, they use any rhetoric that comes to hand to keep out of your mind the recollection that even if all the happiness they promised could come to man [in america], yet still each generation [or administration] would lose it by death, including the last generation of all, and the whole story would be nothing, not even a story, for ever and ever. Hence all the nonsense that Mr. Shaw puts into the final speech of Lilith, and Bergson's remark that the elan vital is capable of surmounting all obstacles [yes, we can], perhaps even death [yes we can]-- as if we could believe that an social or biological development on this planet [or this country] will delay the senility of the sun or reverse the second law of thermodynamics." -from The Weight of Glory, C.S. Lewis (brackets mine)
with this in mind, go see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY
now, all of this is by no means an attack specifically on obama, or anyone else. it is however what has been running through my mind in the midst of so much rhetoric throughout these primaries. much of what we hear seems to me to be this sort of thing. indeed christians are called, i believe, to work out God's Kingdom on earth, but always with a sort of holy indifference, knowing that it will not fully come until He does. something in me quivers at the connection that Hope, though indeed real, is dependent upon or somehow proffered by any specific candidate. there are certainly good and bad candidates, and there are certainly right and wrong directions for the country, which we should all be involved shaping in daily. but the best president in history will do little to change reality, or to give me any more or less Hope. i as much as anyone would like to be able to rally around a leader. but that leader should have an appropriate estimate of his importance, important though he may be. just some grains of salt. God give us wisdom, perspective, and Hope deeper and longer than any administration. Now i'm off to vote.
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| Death's fiercest feeling is loss. The loss of what's been, and of things hoped for. Pictures of moments past come in waves, like greatest-hits, playing over and over; growing reminders of all that is gone. And those who have lost grieve, rightfully, that loss. But grief must give way to gratefulness. Gratefulness for all that has been given that will remain.
Most of us can say that we are more full because of Haldon Wayne Varner. There are innumerable good things in our lives, in my life, because of him. Because of this man, many of us are. Not only do we exist, we are who we are, in large part, because of him. Through him and with him we have been given much and learned much.
So, grief mingles with joy—with the joy of having known a man so full of life, of love for his family, of humor, and of generosity, and kindness. I don't recall ever hearing the words "I love you", but he told me constantly. He told me in the way he patiently taught me, in the way he never lost a breath before offering his strong helping hands. In the way those same iron hands gripped mine, taking joy in strength, in those challenges of might we both knew I'd never win. And I never wanted to. I wanted to learn and grow from that strength, and trust in it. I feared it and loved it, just as I loved this grandfather, this husband, father, great-grandfather, hero, this real-life Duke.
I will miss all that he was. But he has had his strong hand in making me, and I know I'll never really be without him. So, my grief mingles with joy, because the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. But He has truly given, and the He has given, and He has given. And for this I am grateful; that all these things will remain—until He takes us as well.
written for Haldon Wayne Varner, December 31, 2007 | | |
| •in memorium•
<
Haldon Wayne Varner
Oct. 2, 1929- Dec. 28, 2007
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. | | |
| "What an increase
there is in his powers
when in research
or in battle,
Man catches the breath of affections
or comradeship;
what fulfillment
when, in the instant of danger
or enthusiasm,
he finds in a flash that he has glimpsed
the wonders of a kindred spirit.
These faint glimmerings
should help us realize
what a formidable power and joy
and capacity for action
still slumber in the human spirit."(fic)*
-Teilhard de Chardin, Building the Earth
-*(format in context)
-been reading this book lately. kind of fluffy, but this passage stuck out to me. made me remember and long. i miss some friends greatly. you know who you are.
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| so, i'm obviously not still on my honeymoon, though if i wanted to be sickly sweetly romantical, i could say it still feels like i am. whether that's true or not, marriage is fantastic. i'm loving it. i'm not really sure exactly what to say that would flesh that statement out. it's just too great. i'm still excited for what's to come, though we have no idea what that will be. i'm currently scouring the earth for work. and of course she's making me look bad. everyone wants to hire an adorable, wonderful, delightful, brilliant girl. not a big market for long-haired, ill-groomed, lanky, philosophy majors. but something will come. or maybe she'll just be my sugar mama. i'm okay with that. still taking photos. if you get the chance check out www.derekjenkins-photography.com and www.flickr.com/photos/elninomudo. the later is more frequently updated. enjoying that. in other news, i'm an uncle!!! my sister valerie had a little girl this past sunday. i'm very excited. welcome to the world Lucy Kae Evans. we will love you.
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