2018: A New Year ready for new adventures

Darkness must pass
A new day will come
And when the sun shines
It will shine out the clearer.
—J.R.R. Tolkien

 

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can.
— J.R.R Tolkien

 

Strangers hold onto man for two hours after he threatens to jump off bridge

Occasionally you wake up to a news story that helps start your day off in a happy way.

“A group of heroes have been pictured waiting with a man for two hours to stop him from jumping from a bridge.
[…]
“Each person held on to different parts of his body, refusing to let him go. Some even tied ropes around his body and legs to secure him to the railings until the emergency services could arrive.

“None of the people are thought to have known each other before the incident – but they all stayed with the man for two hours.”

This is one of those stories that can brighten anyone’s day and really restore faith in mankind.

What is wrong with the world?

What's Wrong with the World Book Cover What's Wrong with the World
G.K. Chesterton

In the aptly titled treatise What's Wrong With the World, one of the twentieth century's most memorable and prolific writers takes on education, government, big business, feminism, and a host of other topics. A steadfast champion of the working man, family, and faith, Chesterton eloquently opposed materialism, snobbery, hypocrisy, and any adversary of freedom and simplicity in modern society.
Culled from the thousands of essays he contributed to newspapers and periodicals over his lifetime, the critical works collected for this edition pulse with the author's unique brand of clever commentary. As readable and rewarding today as when they were written over a century ago, these pieces offer Chesterton's unparalleled analysis of contemporary ideals, his incisive critique of modern efficiency, and his humorous but heartfelt defense of the common man against trendsetting social assaults

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”

—

“…to begin everything with the weather is a sort of pagan way of beginning everything with prayer.”

In some ways it’s hard to know what this book is all about as it sometimes seems to be a little all over the place. It’s about men, women, family, marriage, the home, politics, the right to vote, Calvinism, specialism, commerce, Catholicism, tradition, the future, the past, modern education, socialism…oh, I remember what it’s about. “What’s Wrong with the World.”

I have to say though, that this is the only book whose Dedication has had me laughing out loud.

The crux of his argument, at its simplest, is based on the idea that every person is unique and worthwhile and society should work for the good of the person and the family and the Home rather than the other way around. It was refreshing to read, especially for his lifting up of the importance of those women who choose to stay at home supporting their families rather than juggle full-time work. Now I don’t mean to denigrate working mothers in anyway whatsoever, but it is nice to read something positive that lifts up the stay-at-home mother for a change. Even if you disagree with Chesterton, you have to respect his kindly and deferential manner of stating his case.

On the other hand, it is easily agreed that some of his other views on women, especially with suggesting they shouldn’t vote are definitely dated.

Some readers may get annoyed with Chesterton’s sweeping statements. When he is struck by a good idea, he does not pause to deliberate over the details, but lays out his theory in whole, and in a grand and masterly fashion. I admit this frustrated me on occasion but, on the whole I found provided a starter for my own thinking and further research on the various topics.

On the whole, a thought-provoking and worthwhile read and one which I will probably re-read at some point.

Losing my religion, keeping my faith

Is it possible for a man to lose his religion but keep his faith in God? Even more so, is it possible for a man to lose his religion and, in doing so, find his faith is even stronger than before.

Can losing religion make a man a better, more faithful Christian than before?

When everything gets stripped away faith can remain as long as what remains is the simple truth of:

“I see the need for Jesus.”

This then gets built up to:

I want Jesus.

And then a new, fresh, yearning wells up inside and the man dives back into understanding and learning with new eyes. It is a whole new way of seeing the world.

It is possible because I am that man.

April Fool’s All Year Round?

“Apparently April 1st is the only day of the year people evaluate the news they’re reading and sharing on the internet with a critical eye.”

We should extend April Fool’s to a year round event – the societal benefits would outweigh the downsides.