2 Peter 1: 16-21 (links validated 1/29/24)

In his book, Aftermath: Life in the Fallout of the Third Reich, 1945-1955, Harald Jahner writes about a set of rules the philosopher Karl Jaspers established for discussions concerning the question of guilt. Jesus’ friends, including preachers, might see it as a parable for our posture toward the Scriptures, including the prophets. “Jaspers was sure that the most effective cleansing of Germans must consist of a profound change in their attitude towards discussion: ‘Germany can only return to itself when we communicate with one another.’ For Jaspers, the precondition for this was unsparing honesty. “He knew that through excessive relativization we can duck out of obligations, and therefore urgently demanded: ‘Let us learn to talk to one another. That is, let us not merely repeat our opinion, but hear what the other person thinks. Let us not only assert, but reflect in context, listen for reasons, prepared to reach a new insight. Let us inwardly attempt to assume the position of the other...

Hal Arkowitz and Scott O. Lilienfeld wrote an article in the Scientific American’s January 1, 2010 edition entitled, “Why Science Tells Us Not to Rely on Eyewitness Accounts.” It begins with Kirk Bloodsworth’s story. In 1984 Bloodsworth was convicted of raping and murdering a nine-year-old girl. The testimony of five eyewitnesses helped sentence him to die in the gas chamber. Yet after Bloodsworth had served nine years in prison, DNA testing proved him to be innocent. Arkowitz goes on to write, “Surveys show that most jurors place heavy weight on eyewitness testimony when deciding whether a suspect is guilty. But although eyewitness reports are sometimes accurate, jurors should not accept them uncritically because of the many factors that can bias such reports...

The novelist Marilynne Robinson is always reminding us of an insight she traces back to John Calvin: viz., we are surrounded by glory all the time in God’s good creation. It’s just that most of the time we cannot see it. But this is why Robinson loves lawn sprinklers. Because on clear days, sprinklers shoot forth water droplets into sunlight and when this happens and the sunlight refracts through the water, we realize that every single water droplet is really a cathedral, a jewel, a luminous rainbow of God’s own glory that suffuses us at all times. We glimpse this glory too rarely but it’s always there.

Illustrations of that postmodern perspective are everywhere in popular literature. Think of The Life of Pi, at the end of which the author suggests that this whole fantastic tale of a shipwrecked Indian boy and his tiger might be just one version of the true story. Did it happen that way at all? It doesn’t matter. It’s a good story. Or think of Atonement, in which the narrator admits at the very end that she has told the story the way she did to make atonement for the way she wrecked so many lives. The story is designed not to tell the truth, but to re-shape, even redeem, ruined lives. - See more at: Illustrations of that postmodern perspective are everywhere in popular literature. Think of The Life of Pi, at the end of which the author suggests that this whole fantastic tale of a shipwrecked Indian boy and his tiger might be just one version of the true story. Did it happen that way at all? It doesn’t matter. It’s a good story. Or think of Atonement, in which the narrator admits at the very end that she has told the story the way she did to make atonement for the way she wrecked so many lives. The story is designed not to tell the truth, but to re-shape, even redeem, ruined lives...

Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God: But only he who sees, takes off his shoes, The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries…