life as art
I've been reading Seth Godin's book "The Icarus Deception". I must admit that Godin's style, though admirably terse, often slides past me without traction. Every page or two, however, i find a brilliant phrase or sentence which totally captivates me.
“Art is what it is to be human”
Life as art. Every thought, word, act... art. Every moment... art. What a beautiful thought! This changes everything.
the mayor
As you head out of the metro on the four-lane highway that goes west, you will find the village on the south.
The good people of the village love nothing better than a good cause. Nothing slips their attention. They protested the war, they campaigned against fiscal irresponsibility. The sex-trade was duly marched against, and fair-trade coffee is consumed in quantities that keeps the village hyper-alert to the next new thing.
The mayor of the village is very good at identifying the next new cause. He knows his village, and knows exactly what will get them going.
And nobody does a protest better. There's always a powerful sense of energy when they get going, and a deep sense of achievement and closure when they're done protesting.
When he first started leading these protests years ago, he worked hard to mobilize the people who marched for the cause into working toward real change. That was amazing. But they soon discovered that true change was difficult work, and people were too busy with their jobs and families anyhow. It was too hard to sustain.
it turned out that most of the buzz was in the protest and the parade, anyhow. And while they were busy trying to effect change, along came another critical new cause to be concerned over, and what were they going to do? Keep working the old cause (which wasn't working out like they'd hoped, anyway) while this new one fell by the wayside?
And so they decided they were all about creating awareness through parades, protests and promotions. Sure, every once in a while something practical would emerge from a parade, but the elders of the village sagely observed that these practical programs proved to be a distraction from their primary focus. There was only so much time, after all. Their niche was clearly creating awareness through protests, and they needed to stick to their calling. It was generally hoped that someone somewhere would be roused into action by their protests, parades and promotions. We've all got our part to play, they said to each other.
...
The village has all kinds of momentum. It's filled with energy, and there's a good deal of buzz over the next new cause. Isn't it amazing, they say to each other, how united we are in changing our world for good?
Every now and then, the mayor senses that something seems to be missing, and wonders if they're really making a difference. But then the buzz of leading the next parade renews his vigor. And off he goes, kissing babies, shaking hands, chatting with the villagers, making remarkably moving speeches, working the crowd. He enjoys that potent sense of leading something important. And his constituents cheer him on as he leads the parade, walking with slow, purposeful and weighty steps. It's a good cause, a great cause, after all.
We're doing good work, he tells himself. Awareness is important, after all. You can't make a difference if you don't know what's what, right?
justice & mercy
But a man named Ananias—his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him—sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it.
Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to God.”
Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.
Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in.
Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?” “Yes,” she said, “that price.”
Peter responded, “What’s going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you’re next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with. (Acts 5:1–11)
Questions fill my heart:
- Why did A&S fall down dead? Shock at being discovered? Or, more directly, did the Holy Spirit take their lives?
- Would Jesus call them his own?
- Was this execution punishment for their lying and deception? Discipline of a terminal nature?
- Why wasn't every sin in the church dealt with in such summary manner?
- What happened to mercy? Did justice and wrath prevail?
- Were A&S's sin settled completely and comprehensively on the cross? If so, what justifies this execution?
- How do we read Romans 8:1 with this story as backdrop? Galatians 6:1-2?
- How do mercy and justice work, this side of the cross?
- Is the gift of mercy simply to be hoped for, but not expected, in every failure?
- What light does this throw on Jesus?
and he died
This is the kind of phrase that simply stops you in your tracks. And he died...
And then, right before the end, we find: And then one day he was simply gone. God took him...
When Adam was 130 years old, he had a son who was just like him, his very spirit and image, and named him Seth. After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Adam lived a total of 930 years. And he died.
When Seth was 105 years old, he had Enosh. After Seth had Enosh, he lived another 807 years, having more sons and daughters. Seth lived a total of 912 years. And he died.
When Enosh was ninety years old, he had Kenan. After he had Kenan, he lived another 815 years, having more sons and daughters. Enosh lived a total of 905 years. And he died.
When Kenan was seventy years old, he had Mahalalel. After he had Mahalalel, he lived another 840 years, having more sons and daughters. Kenan lived a total of 910 years. And he died.
When Mahalalel was sixty-five years old, he had Jared. After he had Jared, he lived another 830 years, having more sons and daughters. Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years. And he died.
When Jared was 162 years old, he had Enoch. After he had Enoch, he lived another 800 years, having more sons and daughters. Jared lived a total of 962 years. And he died.
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he had Methuselah. Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him.
When Methuselah was 187 years old, he had Lamech. After he had Lamech, he lived another 782 years. Methuselah lived a total of 969 years. And he died.
When Lamech was 182 years old, he had a son. He named him Noah, saying, “This one will give us a break from the hard work of farming the ground that GOD cursed.” After Lamech had Noah, he lived another 595 years, having more sons and daughters. Lamech lived a total of 777 years. And he died. (Genesis 5:3–31)
sotm
Eugene's take on the sermon-on-the-mount made me stop and reflect.
When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘carefull,’ you find yourselves cared for.
“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom." (Matthew 5:1–10)