We can still learn

Sorry for the lateness I forgot to hit publish yesterday.

This week we have been discussing Living the Sabbath and most of us have been pointing out the problems with Wirzba's ideas. While there is nothing wrong with scrutinizing his writing this way we sometimes miss the big idea and possibly miss out on the point he is trying to get across. Wirzba wants us to realize that our society is not very godly and christians should try to be more like God. We may not agree with the methods he wants us to use but this point is still valid. Most of his ideas are extremes and are probably not the end all be all of his ideology. Because of this many of us see him as an ideologue who isn't open to compromise and is telling us to be the same way. I would say that he wants us to discuss his ideas and find the middle ground that works for each of us individually rather than taking his points at face value. Sometimes my scrutinization is the polar opposite of Wirzba's points and it may seem that I don't think he has anything valid to say. My points are usually so extreme in the opposite direction because he writes in this extreme style. So instead of dealing in shades of grey I just take the black to his white, then we can find the grey in group discussions.

It can also be difficult for our class to identify with what Wirzba is saying because some of us are exactly what he seems to be railing against. Personally I'm the type of person who pushes myself to greater heights because I want to. I always want to do better than I did before so I was never satisfied with a B. Not because of the "rat race" or because of societal pressure but because of me. I wanted that A sure my parents did too but I wanted it, so I got it. The same would be true if I was a part of the business world, I wouldn't be trying to make more money so I could go out and buy stuff but because its how that world measures success. If I was a runningback I'd want to get the most running yards possible, a baseball player the most home runs. The reason that people like Bill Gates keep making more money isn't because their not satisfied with how much they have and want more its because they love to succeed. Wirzba talks about how we are less happy than we have been in the past because we are always striving for the top that is impossible. Well what about the people who enjoy striving? Most mountain climbers don't just climb one mountain and then say DONE! One's enough! Time to rest. No they love climbing mountains to they go climb another one. Maybe Gates just loves trying to make money and so he keeps doing it, maybe he doesn't care about the prize so much as the race (he gives most of it away after all). Maybe Wirzba never intended his book for the small percentage of people who find satisfaction and joy in work but the fact remains that those of us who do are going to find it hard to identify with what he is trying to say.

I'll get off now.