Blind Spots
Seems to be time to blog something, but am having something of a blind spot at the moment (and a blind spot, as in the idea that there's too much light so you temporarily can't see anything or as in the idea that you are looking but you miss something because it's in the place you can't see - well either analogy fits). I went to a debate between Ravi Zaccharias (Christian apologist), a Moslem scholar and a member of the humanist society on the weekend, which was fascinating, and I have a head full of thoughts, but it's not an easy thing to blog about. I am going to order the CD so I can listen again and glean and distill more from it. The comment was made that what this country, and this world, needs is more open and courteous debate. And indeed we do!
One of the questions asked of the panel was "what does each religion have to offer in response to the life and death of someone like Steve Irwin and to his family?". The Christian answer was by far the most compelling, to me at any rate (Ravi made it clear that the fate of any one individual is God's business, but included CS Lewis' great quote that there are only two groups of people in this world - those who bend their knee to God and say "thy will be done" and those who refuse and so God says to them "thy will be done" ... and the thing to do is make sure you're in the first group), while the humanist said that they believe in celebrating the life lived, so I guess that does indeed make most of this country humanists, wherein funerals have become little more than celebrations of the life now gone ...
Incidentally, my Mum, who I think would have been largely unfamiliar with the pursuits of Steve Irwin, called me last Monday night to see if I had heard about his death, and said "he was just like your father" (from what she'd just seen on the news). No disrespect of the dead intended but I don't think my Dad was QUITE like Steve Irwin. He was a larger than life blonde character who loved the outdoors and wildlife and dreamed of filming a wildlife documentary, and he had a reckless streak (but he also died when he was only twenty-six so is locked in eternal youth for us) and that is about the extent of the similarities I think ... but it was an interesting thought!
I also have a doctrine exam next week, and a head full of all sorts of those interesting things, which I shall endeavour to reduce to bloggable pieces soon ...