Ten Years Ago

You've Changed 56% in 10 Years

You've done a good job changing with the times, but deep down, you're still the same person. Your clothes, job, and friends may have changed some - but it hasn't changed you.

How Much Have You Changed in 10 Years?

Elephant

Catholic Baptists?!

Thanks to Mark Goodacre's NT Gateway Weblog, I today discovered Euangelion. Very, very interesting reading. "Catholic Baptists", eh?!? Wow! Maybe I've just been leading a sheltered life but that's a strikingly revolutionary concept for me. Now, yes, looked at from an Orthodox (or Roman Catholic) perspective, one could argue about the incompleteness of the proposed "seven point plan for Baptist Catholicity" ... but this is way more than I would have ever expected - especially when I remember my own childhood Baptist upbringing: ultra "free church" and anti-tradition, at least anti- any tradition related to the early/historical Church. But now, Deo gratias, another glimmer of hope in a sometimes wearyingly dark world!

"Ethical" Stem Cell Research?

The story seemed a mite suspicious when I first heard about it - scientists developing a method of extracting stem cells for research from "embryos" without having to kill them ... now, it seems evident that this isn't exactly the wonderful panacaea that we'd been promised. Ryan T. Anderson writing in FIRST THINGS:

"Recent reports of scientists creating “ethical” embryonic stem cells are false or misleading. And there is reason to be very concerned ... "... In essence, the new report says that a single cell can be removed from an embryo at the 8-cell stage, and the remaining 7-celled embryo will continue to develop unaffected. The single cell removed would then be cultured to produce embryonic stem cells. Everyone is a winner ... "... As the original report in Nature and their accompanying news coverage make clear, the researchers did, in fact, destroy many human embryos in the process of creating these stem-cell lines. This, of course, belies the content of the headlines and also calls into question the ethical reliability of those involved in this research project ... "... In the end, the scientific community must affirm its commitment to search for cures while also respecting the innate dignity not only of the people they seek to help but also of all human beings, at whatever stage of their development. Only stem-cell research (and all other research) proposals that treat the embryonic human being as a subject of full moral worth can succeed."

Another Tiger Yawning

Garfield ...

Tiger Yawning?

Hurford Golf 2006

Congratulations to Matthew and Kevin, co-winners of a (no doubt) thrilling 2006 Hurford Mini Golf Tournament! For an added dimension of excitement and suspense, the action this year took place indoors, under the lights. Official (Glow-in-the-Dark) results: Kevin - 50 Matthew - 50 Julia - 52 Peter - 53 Stefan - 53 Phil - 54 Andrew - 55* Elma - 58 Liz - 60 Beverley - 65 * I'm afraid last year's champ spent way too much time working, earning money this summer instead of practising. Sigh.

Leuty Street Lifeguard Station

The filioque

I've recently heard (and read) a couple of sermons and statements from Catholic priests that have made me reconsider the importance and implications of the filioque. Bottom line: St Photios may have been more right than I had thought! One sermon, in fact, characterized the Holy Spirit as the "child" proceeding from the mutual love of the Father and the Son. Gulp. Is that an accurate reflection of Catholic theology?!? Sure doesn't sound right to me ... instead of three equal eternal Persons we seem to be introducing a distinct hierarchy into the internal life of the Trinity here ... but what do I know? So ... off to re-read On The Mystagogy of the Holy Spirit. Etc. More later I'm sure.

Butterfly 12

Spiritual Ecumenism

From an Orthodox perspective - with all the thousand year long history behind me that that entails, especially in regards to our relationships and recriminations vis a vis the Roman Catholic Church - I firmly believe that if there is any hope for a true "union" of all Christians in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church - based not on any grudgingly agreed-upon lowest common denominator but in Truth, The Truth, in Jesus Christ Himself - it can be achieved only by a growth in our own personal holiness. The more we come to resemble our Divine Lord, the more our errors, our misconceptions, our prejudices, yes, our sins will fade away ... and, no, this won't be any sort of minimalism at all. Quite the contrary! In any case, I remember Pope Benedict saying something similar at last year's World Youth Day ... but couldn't find his statement ... till today: "It is obvious that this dialogue can develop only in a context of sincere and committed spirituality. We cannot 'bring about' unity by our powers alone. We can only obtain unity as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, spiritual ecumenism - prayer, conversion and the sanctification of life - constitutes the heart of the meeting and of the ecumenical movement (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 8; Ut Unum Sint, 15ff., 21, etc.). It could be said that the best form of ecumenism consists in living in accordance with the Gospel." ECUMENICAL MEETING - ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI - Cologne, Archbishop’s House. Friday, 19 August 2005. Hmm. And now I'm seeing connections to Soloviev's "A Short Story of Antichrist" ...

By way of explanation

I originally conceived of this, ahem, space as a photo blog. Unfortunately, whilst currently trying to juggle two full-time careers - software development and care-giver for an elderly & ailing mother - the only time I have for photography and life, really, is the bright sun of noonday. Not always the best light for life ... and the very worst time of day for photography. Nevertheless, out I go ... camera in tow ... most days ...

As in most of life, there may also be a spiritual meaning in all this. (Hopefully not like peeling an onion: underneath one layer another and, then, another and another ... leaving ... well, nothing.)