No need to point out the irony of posting that last quote.
We should have much peace if we would not busy ourselves with the sayings and doings of others.
— Thomas à Kempis
Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.
— Wendell Berry
Calculating the End — Again and Again
Apparently, there are many discussing what to expect on May 21. Of course, it’s not the first time that the end of the world has been predicted. Bill Leonard, professor of church history at Wake Forest, recently posted an article at Associated Baptist Press reviewing past mistaken predictions. Note the final two paragraphs:
For now, let’s keep last things last. The end will come, for individuals and ultimately for the entire enterprise, but perhaps the answers lie, not in escapist theories, but with dying whales, vanishing forests, polluted water and rising ozone, “the fire next time.” We recalculate yet another “Great Disappointment,” but refuse to listen to what the world and its non-human inhabitants are telling us. We hope for “peace and security,” plotting our escape as the planet cries in pain, edging toward its own end.
So if there is an ounce of Jesus in any of us, let’s opt out of the Rapture and stay right here to the bitter end, because there is still justice to be done and too much good to be accomplished to forsake this world, even in Jesus’ name. For Jesus’ sake let’s stay behind, loving God with all our hearts, and if we can muster it, loving our neighbors as ourselves. What Rapture!
Well said.
To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda or even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery; it means to live in such a way that one’s life would not make sense if God did not exist.
— Emmanuel Célestin Suhard
Another One for the Brothers
Sheri finished The Brothers Karamazov yesterday. Pancakes are on the menu for breakfast this morning.
I received an interesting “package” in campus mail yesterday. It’s a coconut with my name and box number written on it. There wasn’t a note attached, so I really don’t know what the significance of this is. Any ideas?
Nothing true can be said about God from a posture of defense.
— Marilynne Robinson
Sleep Deprivation
This is for all my students who send me emails at 3:00 in the morning.
From Tony Schwarz’s post titled “Sleep is More Important than Food” at the Harvard Business Review:
…In reality, the research suggests that even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant toll on our health, our mood, our cognitive capacity and our productivity.
Many of the effects we suffer are invisible. Insufficient sleep, for example, deeply impairs our ability to consolidate and stabilize learning that occurs during the waking day. In other words, it wreaks havoc on our memory.
Sleep deprivation doesn’t appear to be the best strategy to achieve a fulfilling educational experience. I have some grading to do, but I think I’ll take a nap instead.
