1. I read something really interesting from one from one of the directors of CPT who used to work out in Middle East about peace. He says something quite interesting in regard to how we make peace in our world (you can find the full article here):
In real listening we don’t necessarily learn so much that is new. Actually we simply recognize much of what we already know. The catch is that we all have highly-developed systems of sorting, judging and eliminating information that either doesn’t fit or makes us uncomfortable. We train ourselves to do that. By listening more deeply to outbursts, to body language and the choice of words we get hints that can move peacemaking along because we know where to get started with warnings, activism and interpretation. In real listening my impatience, prejudice, and need to analyse is overcome. I let the messenger’s total communication affect me.
2. Over at Vox Nova there is a discussion about increased gun sales in California. Donald commented over there saying that it probably because NRAites probably think Obama is going to pass a ban on assault weapons. This is apparently driving up the cost of guns.
4. Good quotes from McCabe on forgiveness on Alan Creech’s Blog.
5. Peter Rollins talks about ironic faith. Here is a brief quote:
“Revelation became this idea of almost God saying something to you, whispering in your ear, and you could hear the message of the Gospel without heeding it. You could know the truth of the faith without it actually transforming your radical subjectivity. … I’m trying to de-center the idea that we can somehow have the answers without it transforming us radically.”
There is more talk of Amazon Kindle on the web (thanks to Jim West for pointing me to it). I think it is important for people to be up to date on issues of the e-paper revolution (see the BBC’s comments here). Microsoft is no longer in this race to try and compete with google books. Let me make a few predictions based on this latest information:
1) The richest person will be the one who combines the iPhone with the kindle and can do it at low cost.
2) Google and apple will team up to create an online library that can be accessed through their cellular device. There will be previews of books and the ability to buy books online.
3) There will be more decentralized books being written and desiminated via cellular devices than ever before. Writing will become more free-form in nature. Novels will be writen for niche audiences and complex artistic books will be much cheaper to make and print for visual enjoyment (i.e. comics)
4) Just as news has become individualized, books will also become individualized and the amount of books will increase because of the relative decrease in start-up costs.
2) Jesus manifesto is dealing with issues of dispensantionalism and eschatology. Sam argues on there that the dispensationalist view of the second coming holds a paradox: the first time Jesus comes to save the prostitute and the second time he comes to kill them. He struggles with how to make the two different missions of Jesus come together. He brings up the point that our end-times eschatology influences of practice of church (for the intellecutal: ecclesiology). Often a dispensationalist theology, he argues, makes us unconcerned with the present world. Do you agree?
3) Visit here for up to date news on decisions for Obama’s cabinet. I personally would like to see Colin Powell in his cabinet. What do others think about this? Some think John Kerry will be the next secretary of state? Really? What do you think?
4) The New York Times writes on the difficulties Obama will face after his inaguration. What is the main issue that you want to see Obama address in his first one hundred days?
5) FFF argues that education is a socialist regime. I argued in my letter that Obama should provide more reforms and more resources for schools, but do you think the federal government should just take a step back instead and let states deal with these issues?
