Catch up

I took a break most of December: finals week and finishing papers, then Christmas break I had no impetus to blog. Still I have little of great consequence to say.

I read some sweet books though: Peter Kreeft never fails to impress with Heaven: The Heart's Deepest Longing. It was so solid and, like his book on the Tolkien's philosophy, helped me understand why I love what I love (this time being life and joy and such instead of fiction). Other books included stuff from the Armchair Theologian's series- Augustine and Aquinas. These are two dudes who are huge names in everything about life and theology and I knew most of their actual written works were way above my head so I went with this series that makes their stuff accessible and still yet presented at a high level. I really like Augustine- he and I think alike and I kinda want to hang out with him. The last literary project I embarked upon was The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I've seen this book quoted all over the place (mostly in philosophical junk and by Kreeft) and I knew I had to check it out myself. I'm about 200 pages in and really nothing enormous has happened, but I still like it. Unfortunately I was told twice today that lots of people get about to the point where I am and give up. I will chug on.*

Other things I did included making cookies and fudge. Camp reunions! Chillin with friends from high school or with my brother. And keeping up on world events. In that arena let me just point out in the midst of this so-called crisis: MONEY DOES NOT GIVE YOU HAPPINESS. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Don't depend on the things of this world or when it's taken from you, you will have nothing left.

Oh that reminds me. Israel and Gaza? What the heck. In the context of Rob Bell's new book Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto to the Church in Exile (which, yes, I am also reading) the whole deal of Israel's history of being oppressed, liberated, growing in power, then becoming the oppressor themselves is just mind blowing right now. Way to be a holy nation of priests there guys. I'm sure the Muslim world likes the example that God's holy people are setting for them. And yes, historically, the Church is now that chosen people (not doing so spectacularly either) but that's no excuse for Israel to throw it all out and give up.


*I'll try to let you know in the next month or so if this is actually true.