It is a recurring historical truth that succession is difficult. Monarchs with no heir typically bequeath civil war.
Before deciding they wanted a king “like all the nations” – even though that meant rejecting God as king, and rejecting all of the serious warnings from Samuel (1st Samuel 8) – God directly appointed Israel’s leaders.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius governed for nearly twenty years (161-180 A.D.), earning the distinction of being the last of the “Five Good Emperors.” Marcus was a philosopher-king, capable of defeating his political and military leaders, while also becoming known as one of the finer Stoic philosophers of his day.
Peter Leithart once wrote, “I want to read the Old Testament and the New as a disciple of Jesus, and that means following in the footsteps of the disciples’ methods of reading. I am not satisfied with learning to read only the Bible from Jesus and Paul. As a disciple of Jesus, I want to follow his lead whenever I pick up a text, whether it be the Song of Songs or Song of Myself. I begin from the assumption that the apostles are not employing some bizarre form of sacred hermeneutics when they find Christology and ecclesiology around every corner of the Old Testament. They are giving
Dr. Peter Kreeft has authored dozens of books, ranging from the works of Thomas Aquinas to imaginative dialogues with a re-incarnate Socrates, from books for children to books on surfing.
For those of us on the “Western” calendar, the Lenten season has passed. We are now in the joyful throes of Easter, to be followed shortly by our Orthodox friends.
Recently, in the children’s catechism class at church, we reviewed the story of the Flood, Noah, and the ark. And, in the course of reviewing that story with them, I reread Genesis 6-9 and, in doing so, noticed something that should have been clear before. Hear Genesis 9:12-16:
Is beauty in the eye of the beholder? Or, is there an objective nature to beauty that transcends the opinions, tastes, and preferences of the individual?
In The Supper of the Lamb, Robert Farrar Capon splits the difference between subjectivism and strict objectivism, made possible by the amateur, the lover. The amateur "thinks heedlessness a sin and boredom a heresy." It is the amateur who looks upon the things at hand so lovingly that he finds beauty, sometimes breathtaking beauty, in them.
Capon writes:
Robert Farrar Capon's "cookbook" The Supper of the Lamb rested on my "to read" list for an embarrassingly long time. Embarrassing because, now that I have begun reading it, I feel foolish for having not begun it years ago.
The Episcopalian priest/chef combines recipes, cooking insights, and beautiful pastoral wisdom into one work that defies big box bookstore categories (the very mention of which dates me, I know).
As I read through, I will pass along thoughts and passages that refuse to leave me in peace. Here's one from the opening pages:
Thanksgiving Day joins together friends and family to feast, laugh, and reflect upon the innumerable blessings God has granted each of us (including the ones gathered around the table). And, while Thanksgiving has sadly morphed into “Turkey Day” for many – a day to eat too much, watch football games they don’t care much about, and plan Black Friday shopping – the act of giving thanks is important.
My family and I just enjoyed a week on Cherry Grove beach in South Carolina. A November beach trip means deserted beaches and a far more relaxed tone to an otherwise hectic touristy area. We took a riverboat ride down the Intercoastal Waterway, learning about erosion between cheesy live renditions of Jimmy Buffett songs (which should never be played in sub-70 degree weather).
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