I'm back

I am finally back.
I realized it when I was in Greek, giddy with anticipation that the professor might call on me to rattle off my best attempt at 1 John.
I am so excited to me translating the New Testament again.
It's been a while (3years to be exact) since I last translated any, and I am so glad that I decided to take Greek again.

Do you know what I get to do tomorrow?
1. I get to talk theology at 8am,
2. I get to do more Greek,
and 3. I get to re-learn my Church history (well, the second half at least - Reformation here I come!!)!
All the while being spiritually and intellectually formed.

I LOVE it!

Sophia

I love sophia.
I love the wisdom.
I love how Proverbs depicts her.

Wisdom shouts in the street,
She lifts her voice in the square;
At the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings...
{Proverbs 1:20-21}

and

How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth...
{Proverbs 3:13-19}

I pray that I might seek her
and that I might, one day, embody her.

Come, Holy Spirit, Come.

Dynamics of Faith

I am constantly wondering about the dynamics of my own faith and where I stand on certain issues. I don't know the answers to most questions, and I certainly have plenty more of them to ask myself. Paul Tillich defines faith as "the state of being ultimately (actively) concerned" and this ultimacy "demands total surrender... and it promises total fulfillment." I struggle with my faith daily; sometimes I don't even know what I believe anymore. I feel like I'm flailing my arms for something to hold on to, knowing that there is something there but it is just out of my reach. I keep searching for the God whom I know in my heart but struggle daily to see. I feel like a fog has settled over my certainty to blur my view, but could that fog really bring me clarity? Best-selling author, Ann Lamott, says that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. Do we discover our true faith in our disillusionment? In my upcoming entries I will give you my thoughts on the topics I struggle with most. Until then be forming your own opinions on this: There is often a symbolic relationship between a religion and its culture. So, is religion culture dependant? Or, does religion transcend cultures? Are all religions of all cultures equally valid? Can there be truth in every religion? Is universalism a valid argument?