"The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

It has been some time since my last post. I just haven't had anything 'profound' or 'interesting' to say lately. Meh, what can you do? I feel like talking about some recent events in the world, and what I think about them.

Since I last wrote, Terri Schiavo died. What a huge row that caused, all of a sudden the euthanasia debate is center stage. I haven't really thought about euthanasia. I remember reading about it for my moral phil class last year, but I never really took a side. And I still don't. What stance I take is that there is no one definitive answer. It doesn't seem like it's completely wrong in all cases, nor completely correct in all cases. But, to tell the truth, I still haven't given it much thought. God, I hope I never have to. I also think that we are to care for and give support to those in need. Helping those who can't help themselves is a tradition rooted deep and wide throughout the biblical texts. But, that's about as far as my thinking has gone.

More recently, Pope John Paul has died. The day I heard the news was a sad day. I have much respect for my catholic brothers and sisters. I've already talked a little bit about how I stand in relation to Catholicism (ie, much more inclusive than many in my Protestant tradition). I also have much respect for Pope John Paul. Yes, I may disagree with some of his positions, but he was an incredible man. If the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran comes to the funeral of the head of the Catholic Church, you know this man carries weight. And, along with many, I think he was one of the best Popes the Roman Catholic Church has had in modern times. Probably lots more I can say about this, but I'll save it for now.

Seems like there's been a lot of death in the air recently. It's a brutal reality sometimes I wish weren't so. Paul was right, death is an enemy to be defeated. How much joy and love in this world has been torn apart by death. How much goodness in this world has been blackened by death. It bugs me when I see some Christians talk about death like it's a necessity to 'get to heaven'. Is it the Purpose Driven Life that talks about life as a 'temporary assignment'? (I'm not certain if it comes from that book, but I recall hearing so...someone please correct me if it's not!) Wherever it's from, that kind of thinking disgusts me. Assignment?! What, is life a big test so that we can go to heaven? No, life is a good thing. The universe was created and given life. God wanted to share himself--to share goodness and joy and love--with a living universe. No, death is an enemy. I do not think God is some cosmic sadist, bringing people into wonderful joy only to tear it apart at the worst moment. (Sometimes I think that I'm in some small way walking the path good ol' Lewis had to walk.) And no, we don't die so we can go to heaven and enjoy our eternal paradise; we wait with eager longing for life - for the new heaven and the new earth. We wait for God to restore and redeem his world - his universe; not to abandon his masterpiece in a great ball of flame.
And the wonderful philosophical discussions about an all good and an all knowing God and the existence of evil seem to me to miss the point. Evil isn't something to just sit and discuss in an ivory tower somewhere. Evil is something to be confronted, something to be defeated. God didn't come and talk philosophy with rich men in universities, he put a young Jewish rabbi on a cross, a young man crushed by evil. Evil which so many in the world have had to suffer, and which so many would continue to suffer. And that young rabbi rose to a life which evil could no longer corrupt. The 'Problem of Evil' indeed.

I think it's about time for me to get off my soap-box. I should stop before I get really heated up. I am horrible when I don't write calmly and with reflection. But, after all, this is a blog; it's a brain dump, not a dissertation. My apologies if I have caused offence, I don't aim to do that (though I seem to do it often). As always, I welcome comments.

Peace be with you all, especially during final exam period.