Yes. Thank you, David. Reading this, I wonder if Potok's father might have been based on the figure of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who revived the language of Hebrew by speaking only Hebrew to his son. That effectively meant his son could only communicate with his father, and with none of his peers. Given the choice, I choose to communicate with people. The Incarnation teaches us that, given the choice, God also chooses people.
I enjoyed this read and appreciated it's sentiment, the basic thrust of it's spirit. Nevertheless, I am left wondering about the "horror dynamic" you see (paint?) across all prayers: some "cosmic power is making itself incredibly local, and coming to be involved in the minute affairs of human beings at a moment of their extremity. The Holy One, blessed be He, has accommodated the divine majesty to interface with a narrow swath of time and space, and with a narrow band of humans."
I wonder if this depiction does justice to the concept of prayer. In the genuine Christian experience, I would question if it does, after all, much pivots on what "talking to God" is all about. In what way is the person talking? In what way is the person talking to something/someone? And what does it mean to talk to God? Much pivots on one's conception of God and here I would be interested to see exactly what conception of God the person - atheist, agnostic, or believer - holds in their grasp.
In my experience, that conception can truly be a horror show, but that only begs the question, for the believer may agree with the horrific depiction the non-believer gives of this God and still believe, just not in that conception.
Our lack of understanding is not evidence of indifference. Because we cannot see or because things do not happen in the ways we envision, does not mean a loving, forgoving, merciful and generous presence does not exist.
Yes. Thank you, David. Reading this, I wonder if Potok's father might have been based on the figure of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who revived the language of Hebrew by speaking only Hebrew to his son. That effectively meant his son could only communicate with his father, and with none of his peers. Given the choice, I choose to communicate with people. The Incarnation teaches us that, given the choice, God also chooses people.
Wow, yeah. Nice angle on the general feeling of helplessness towards all that's going on right now. Thank you.
I enjoyed this read and appreciated it's sentiment, the basic thrust of it's spirit. Nevertheless, I am left wondering about the "horror dynamic" you see (paint?) across all prayers: some "cosmic power is making itself incredibly local, and coming to be involved in the minute affairs of human beings at a moment of their extremity. The Holy One, blessed be He, has accommodated the divine majesty to interface with a narrow swath of time and space, and with a narrow band of humans."
I wonder if this depiction does justice to the concept of prayer. In the genuine Christian experience, I would question if it does, after all, much pivots on what "talking to God" is all about. In what way is the person talking? In what way is the person talking to something/someone? And what does it mean to talk to God? Much pivots on one's conception of God and here I would be interested to see exactly what conception of God the person - atheist, agnostic, or believer - holds in their grasp.
In my experience, that conception can truly be a horror show, but that only begs the question, for the believer may agree with the horrific depiction the non-believer gives of this God and still believe, just not in that conception.
We all have moments of fear.
Isaiah 55:6-9, today’s first reading.
Our lack of understanding is not evidence of indifference. Because we cannot see or because things do not happen in the ways we envision, does not mean a loving, forgoving, merciful and generous presence does not exist.