Comments on: On Not Answering Questions, and Georgia Lee http://philcrissman.com/2007/04/24/on-not-answering-questions-and-georgia-lee Web Development, startups, entrepreneurship, books, art, and other stuff Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:42:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Phil Crissman http://philcrissman.com/2007/04/24/on-not-answering-questions-and-georgia-lee#comment-1309 Phil Crissman Mon, 14 May 2007 01:11:24 +0000 http://www.philcrissman.com/2007/04/24/on-not-answering-questions-and-georgia-lee/#comment-1309 Thanks for the comment, Simon; the book by Fiddes sounds interesting, I'll have to look for it. It's a tough thing, to admit uncertainty, especially in certain circles of the church that I've been used to hanging out in. There's certain things about which we ought to be certain, but not to the point of being obnoxious or having no empathy... maybe that's the difficult part. Also, if we have a pat answer for everything, it's very easy to ignore the tough, messy questions, and to avoid rolling up the sleeves, as you say. Grace & Peace! Thanks for the comment, Simon; the book by Fiddes sounds interesting, I’ll have to look for it.

It’s a tough thing, to admit uncertainty, especially in certain circles of the church that I’ve been used to hanging out in. There’s certain things about which we ought to be certain, but not to the point of being obnoxious or having no empathy… maybe that’s the difficult part.

Also, if we have a pat answer for everything, it’s very easy to ignore the tough, messy questions, and to avoid rolling up the sleeves, as you say.

Grace & Peace!

]]> By: Simon http://philcrissman.com/2007/04/24/on-not-answering-questions-and-georgia-lee#comment-1308 Simon Sat, 12 May 2007 14:40:14 +0000 http://www.philcrissman.com/2007/04/24/on-not-answering-questions-and-georgia-lee/#comment-1308 Very helpful comments. I've only recently discovered Tom Waits and Georgia Lee is my favourite (yes, I'm a Brit). I agree that any attempts at theodicy can sound either feeble or callous in the face of the death of a child. There has been much publicity in Britain over the disappearance of a three-year-old last week while on holiday with her parents in Portugal. Madeleine is blonde and her parents are both doctors. One can't help wondering whether this would have received so much publicity if Madeleine was black and her mother was a single parent addict. Paul Fiddes, in his book 'Past Event, Present Salvation', quotes from Eli Wiesel' book 'Night' in which a Jewish child is hanged in a concentration camp during WWII. An on-looker asks, bitterly, 'where is your God?'. Another answers 'there, on the gallows'. The implication is that God is dead, but Fiddes argues that this second comment points us to Jesus on the cross: God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. I believe this to be true, but I also find it helpful when Christians admit the limits of their certainty, while rolling uo their sleeves and getting down to the business of sharing in God's mission to the world. Very helpful comments. I’ve only recently discovered Tom Waits and Georgia Lee is my favourite (yes, I’m a Brit). I agree that any attempts at theodicy can sound either feeble or callous in the face of the death of a child. There has been much publicity in Britain over the disappearance of a three-year-old last week while on holiday with her parents in Portugal. Madeleine is blonde and her parents are both doctors. One can’t help wondering whether this would have received so much publicity if Madeleine was black and her mother was a single parent addict.

Paul Fiddes, in his book ‘Past Event, Present Salvation’, quotes from Eli Wiesel’ book ‘Night’ in which a Jewish child is hanged in a concentration camp during WWII. An on-looker asks, bitterly, ‘where is your God?’. Another answers ‘there, on the gallows’. The implication is that God is dead, but Fiddes argues that this second comment points us to Jesus on the cross: God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.

I believe this to be true, but I also find it helpful when Christians admit the limits of their certainty, while rolling uo their sleeves and getting down to the business of sharing in God’s mission to the world.

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