Micah 6:8 December 22, 2007
Posted by Anya in : I won't keep things purposely vague , trackbackI’m currently reading (or perhaps contemplating would be the better word) Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton and I’m on the chapter The Suicide of Thought. It’s a long chapter, but Chesterton says so many things so beautifully that it is worth reading.
The man of this school goes first to a political meeting, where he complains that savages are treated as if they were beasts; then he takes his hat and umbrella and goes on to a scientific meeting, where he proves that they practically are beasts. In short, the modern revolutionist, being an infinite skeptic, is always engages in undermining his own mines. In his book on politics he attacks men for trampling on morality; in his book on ethics he attacks morality for trampling on men. Therefore the modern man in revolt has become practically useless for all purposes of revolt. By rebelling against everything he has lost his right to rebel against anything.
There are so many things which his words make me think of that it is almost impossible to untangle them all in my head: the sign which I saw a few years ago at the March for Life which showed a baby panda holding a sign saying “Save the Humans!”, C.S. Lewis’ oft-quoted words from The Abolition of Man
And all the time — such is the tragi-comedy of our situation — we continue to clamour for those very qualities we are rendering impossible. You can hardly open a periodical without coming across the statement that what our civilization needs is more ‘drive’, or dynamism, or self-sacrifice, or ‘creativity’. In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.
Also Steven Garber’s thoughtful book The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior During the University Years, and that book takes us back to Francis Schaeffer and his question (and book) How Should We Then Live?
How indeed? That question summarizes so much of the Christian life: we know what is true and now want to know how to live it out. What do knowing what is good and doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God look like? Pretty much everywhere I go where there are people who want to think, our questions come down to those things, and we talk about it… on the Rebelution, in the summae of Omnibus III, and with people I know. And it’s not usually like we’re trying to talk about these things; we just do.
He has told you, O man, what is good…
The other night, during carolling, the girls in my car were touching on this: what do we, as Christians, want to listen to on the radio, and what do we want to avoid? Is it good and “noble” to be giving up something for your family? Is it good to criticize someone who does that?
But to do justice…
Ben B and I hit on this point the other day (between simultaneously bashing our heads — into the wall or the table, not each other!). Is it justice for preachers to preach a gospel of self-help, rather than of the salvation which can only be found in Christ?
They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.
Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, they were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
[From Jeremiah 8:11, 12]
So the law is paralyzed,
and justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
so justice goes forth perverted.
[Habakkuk 1:4]
To love kindness…
Samwise and I talked about this the other day in relation to wasting time. He hit the matter on the head in his characteristically honest way: “a problem is our own selfishness… self-oriented.” *sigh* Some of my friends have the habit of being convicting. Imagine that. He had a very good point though — to waste time (and he and I don’t always agree on what that means!) is selfish… and being selfish is not being kind or merciful.
And to walk humbly with your God.
This point came up (and actually, for once, in very close words) with Griffin a few nights ago. We were talking (well, he was talking and I was mostly being a bad friend and being distracted by something) about walking with God — that it is what we need to face a life with a lot of uncertainties.
And I don’t have anything terribly clever to wrap this up with, I’m afraid; it was a long blog of a bit of my thoughts. 
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
[Micah 6:8]
Comments»
Oh, that was a great post. Chesterton is a genius. Everything he writes is beautiful, with what is called “startling clarity” by everyone who reviews books:) As soon as I saw that the post was titled “Micah 6:8,” I closed up everything else I was working on to read it. I’ve always loved that verse. It’s one of my favorites.
And of course I love Micah 7:7-8 as well…we wrote a song about though verses for my little brother when he was born.
Seize The Day!
-StrongJoy
Here you are! LOL!
Oh, my goodness. You are going to have a hard time dumbing down your discussions to fit into your general ed. classes like Humanities! But, speaking as a former professor of two of those Humanities classes, PLEASE don’t give up on the other freshmen, keep talking, sooner or later someone else will pick it up and then you will have found a kindred spirit and who knows you might be good friends some day! And your thoughtful comments will be a breath of fresh air for your poor beleaguered professors!
Keep up the good thinking! And stop dreaming about me. I have enough social commitments without that. Sheesh!