Saturday, September 20, 2008

Does God (always) give sufficient grace to avoid temptation?

I've often taken comfort, and sometimes guilt, from 1 Cor. 10:13. It's the "(for any temptation) God will provide a way of escape" passage. As a future-oriented promise, it gives me hope. But when I consider past failures in light of it, I think "you idiot! you could have escaped!" So, is this true? For the Christian, is it true that, for all past temptations, if I had simply availed myself of the divinely-provided escape hatch, I would not have committed the sin? What of the future-oriented version -- for any temptation that I will face, it is possible for me to overcome it. True?(Where 'possible' here means more than logical possibility -- it means 'within the capabilities of an ordinary human, given the grace provided.' That is, it would not require some Herculean effort on my part.)

Alexander Pruss prompted my thoughts on the subject with this excellent post.
Thursday, September 11, 2008

Micro-blogging

I read something recently about a practice called 'micro-blogging.' I thought I'd give it a try. Instead of explaining it, I'll just do it.

I walked through campus this morning and was struck with the beauty of the flora and with God's hand in it all. I even tried my hand at a poem -- my first in quite a few years.

After the taste of rain
Has settled on petals
In pink and yellow
There is pleasure
That an open-eyed observer
Can also imbibe.