My Bible reading for today includes Deuteronomy 6:4-5. I really appreciate the three in one observation. I've never understood it in that way before, which helps me get a better grasp on the meaning of loving God with my heart, soul and strength. I also didn't realize that heart and mind are related, I thought they were two separate things, so very timely letter for today!
Definitely--the Hebrew word "levav," a little like the Greek word "phrēn," is often regarded as the seat of emotions *and* intentions, which in general are a little more conjoined than we typically assume in the modern world.
The New Testament regularly takes Greek words, having a range of meanings, and gives them a modified meaning. The similarities with existing usage are obvious. But they have a slant beyond Greek thought before the conception, birth, life, teaching, death, resurrection, ascension and promised future of Jesus Christ.
"Logos" is probably the most obvious example. It has an illustrious genealogy in classical philosophy. People can experience and partake of it. But no philosopher would have represented it as such in human form, as fully embodied in a person, before Jesus.
But of course where you DO see an anticipation of this meaning of "logos"—translated from chokhmah—is in the biblical wisdom literature—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job....
Yes!! The Septuagint is a rich resource here for tracking how Hebrew concepts and taxonomies got cross-referenced with Greek ones, and then how the NT authors wielded that material to convey the category-shattering ideas Jesus had inaugurated.
Thank you. I looked and apparently I had started to listen but raising my granddaughter gets in the way of personal pursuits. But ultimately, so worth it. She’s only 2 but her smile and laughter keep me going.
Paul tells us in Galatians that love is a fruit of the Spirit along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we try to manifest such fruit in our own flesh we will fail, 10 times out of 10. Oh, I might be able to fake it for a while but in the end I will fail. It is only when the root is in Christ that the fruit will be godly. No book, seminar, video or human attempt will produce it. So step 1 in achieving Christ like love requires Christ. It’s that simple and that complex. We will try our entire lifetimes and still fall short but in the trying, there can be much love and much fruit.
“Love . . . takes the ragged tangle of the heart, and the fractured shards of the soul, and quietly—while we’re not looking, while our attention isn’t on ourselves at all—it puts everything back together.”
Loved this entire column (especially that picture of pancakes, that made me salivate), but this quote was, for me, the key that unlocks love. The challenge is to direct the heart and mind outwardly rather than inwardly 24/7. In our simple, everyday interactions, how aware are we of others and not focused on ourselves? How often are we on our phones while at the grocery checkout, completely oblivious to the person at the register? In our modern world it really takes intention and effort to be present and focused on others, to be considerate, even in small ways. This may have always been the case, but our more recent dependence and addiction to screens complicates and hinders our best efforts. Humility is a difficult virtue to develop and accept.
As a life-long Humpty Dumpty, whose heart and soul have been cracked, battered, bruised and broken, only to be put back together again (often still bearing scars), I am learning that simple acts of charity, by the grace of God, are the only way to love. And it’s hard, and I have such a long way to go.
I’m currently reading “He Leadeth Me,” by Fr. Walter Ciszek, which tells of his time in prison and solitary confinement in the USSR. God allowed every sense of self to be stripped away so that the good priest could learn to trust and depend on God, who took this broken man and put him back together so that he could truly love and fulfill his purpose in life.
Thank you, Spencer. I’m so enjoying these letters and loving the comments.
Interesting. You say, if we make others the point of all we do, we make God the point of everything we are. Sounds nice, but speaking practically, I find I easily then get frustrated and turned back on myself because others disappoint me, try to manipulate me or are just difficult to love. Not saying I have this down even remotely, but just this morning I was contemplating that If I keep God as the center and point of all I do, If I love Him purposefully, I will view others as His work, and anything that is His work is more beautiful than I can see or understand. If I keep them in view as His workmanship I can love them because I love their Creator. Same goes for how I see myself. I'll probably come around and agree with you more after I've digested this for a week, but I think we become everything we are created to be and see others as lovable beautiful (as they are to God) when we make God the point of all we do.
Spencer - thanks for bringing the body back into the discussion! At age 70, I am looking forward to Heaven but grieving the loss of the physical love of my family. What in Heaven will replace the feel of holding my grandchildren, sharing experiences with my loved ones and physical love? (I fully expect to see my loved ones when they get to Heaven) The glass is VERY DARK over this aspect...
Why does God plan to raise these mortal bodies? Because He knows how important they are to us and so He must have a plan for physical love...When my 3 year old passed away in an accident, I grieved deeply for the loss. I found great solace in the fact that GOD understood the importance of that little body along with his soul and spirit. Why else would He plan for that bodily resurrection? He understands that we like pancakes!
I’ve never seen a better example of “iron sharpening iron.
My Bible reading for today includes Deuteronomy 6:4-5. I really appreciate the three in one observation. I've never understood it in that way before, which helps me get a better grasp on the meaning of loving God with my heart, soul and strength. I also didn't realize that heart and mind are related, I thought they were two separate things, so very timely letter for today!
Definitely--the Hebrew word "levav," a little like the Greek word "phrēn," is often regarded as the seat of emotions *and* intentions, which in general are a little more conjoined than we typically assume in the modern world.
The New Testament regularly takes Greek words, having a range of meanings, and gives them a modified meaning. The similarities with existing usage are obvious. But they have a slant beyond Greek thought before the conception, birth, life, teaching, death, resurrection, ascension and promised future of Jesus Christ.
"Logos" is probably the most obvious example. It has an illustrious genealogy in classical philosophy. People can experience and partake of it. But no philosopher would have represented it as such in human form, as fully embodied in a person, before Jesus.
But of course where you DO see an anticipation of this meaning of "logos"—translated from chokhmah—is in the biblical wisdom literature—Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job....
Yes!! The Septuagint is a rich resource here for tracking how Hebrew concepts and taxonomies got cross-referenced with Greek ones, and then how the NT authors wielded that material to convey the category-shattering ideas Jesus had inaugurated.
I did an episode on the Agape example if you’re interested: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/young-heretics/id1513602173?i=1000631595105
Sorry to bother you, how can I find that episode on Spotify, that is where I listen to Young Heretics.
Here you go!
https://open.spotify.com/episode/124JDL8hJO0HEX4occAdGk?si=QP2E5POaTGS2WbXRW_sjfA
Thank you. I looked and apparently I had started to listen but raising my granddaughter gets in the way of personal pursuits. But ultimately, so worth it. She’s only 2 but her smile and laughter keep me going.
So not defining one’s self worth by “likes” on social media is also the beginning of wisdom ?
Paul tells us in Galatians that love is a fruit of the Spirit along with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we try to manifest such fruit in our own flesh we will fail, 10 times out of 10. Oh, I might be able to fake it for a while but in the end I will fail. It is only when the root is in Christ that the fruit will be godly. No book, seminar, video or human attempt will produce it. So step 1 in achieving Christ like love requires Christ. It’s that simple and that complex. We will try our entire lifetimes and still fall short but in the trying, there can be much love and much fruit.
“Love . . . takes the ragged tangle of the heart, and the fractured shards of the soul, and quietly—while we’re not looking, while our attention isn’t on ourselves at all—it puts everything back together.”
Loved this entire column (especially that picture of pancakes, that made me salivate), but this quote was, for me, the key that unlocks love. The challenge is to direct the heart and mind outwardly rather than inwardly 24/7. In our simple, everyday interactions, how aware are we of others and not focused on ourselves? How often are we on our phones while at the grocery checkout, completely oblivious to the person at the register? In our modern world it really takes intention and effort to be present and focused on others, to be considerate, even in small ways. This may have always been the case, but our more recent dependence and addiction to screens complicates and hinders our best efforts. Humility is a difficult virtue to develop and accept.
As a life-long Humpty Dumpty, whose heart and soul have been cracked, battered, bruised and broken, only to be put back together again (often still bearing scars), I am learning that simple acts of charity, by the grace of God, are the only way to love. And it’s hard, and I have such a long way to go.
I’m currently reading “He Leadeth Me,” by Fr. Walter Ciszek, which tells of his time in prison and solitary confinement in the USSR. God allowed every sense of self to be stripped away so that the good priest could learn to trust and depend on God, who took this broken man and put him back together so that he could truly love and fulfill his purpose in life.
Thank you, Spencer. I’m so enjoying these letters and loving the comments.
Interesting. You say, if we make others the point of all we do, we make God the point of everything we are. Sounds nice, but speaking practically, I find I easily then get frustrated and turned back on myself because others disappoint me, try to manipulate me or are just difficult to love. Not saying I have this down even remotely, but just this morning I was contemplating that If I keep God as the center and point of all I do, If I love Him purposefully, I will view others as His work, and anything that is His work is more beautiful than I can see or understand. If I keep them in view as His workmanship I can love them because I love their Creator. Same goes for how I see myself. I'll probably come around and agree with you more after I've digested this for a week, but I think we become everything we are created to be and see others as lovable beautiful (as they are to God) when we make God the point of all we do.
Spencer - thanks for bringing the body back into the discussion! At age 70, I am looking forward to Heaven but grieving the loss of the physical love of my family. What in Heaven will replace the feel of holding my grandchildren, sharing experiences with my loved ones and physical love? (I fully expect to see my loved ones when they get to Heaven) The glass is VERY DARK over this aspect...
Why does God plan to raise these mortal bodies? Because He knows how important they are to us and so He must have a plan for physical love...When my 3 year old passed away in an accident, I grieved deeply for the loss. I found great solace in the fact that GOD understood the importance of that little body along with his soul and spirit. Why else would He plan for that bodily resurrection? He understands that we like pancakes!