"...my expression of (unmediated as well as mediated)
Wim,
Your question and concern is legitimate and warranted. My testimony to the witness of being drawn out of the reflective nature to guide and inform human relations inevitably and…"
"Dear Keith,
Would it be helpful to distinguish the function of language of expressing experience from its function to reflect on it (e.g. in order to analyse and evaluate it)? Could we then distinguish 'languages' that…"
"Dear Debbie,
Thanks for sharing. Glad to have been of help.
Does "connectedness of all and everything" work for you as description of the source of that 'inward Light' (those 'waves')? Could 'awareness of that…"
"Wim,
Your observation that I think we need both reflection and direct inspiration is significant to me. Equally as significant is your question prefaced by the observation that: I employ both 'reflective languages'…"
"Dear Debbie,
Do you experience only/mainly depravity in your environment?? Where -in your experience/understanding- does that 'inward Light' originate? (If you can tell; I can't.)
With f&Friendly greetings,
Wim"
"Dear Keith,
Thanks for your response. Thanks for your testimony.
It is a little hard for me to understand it, partly because English is not my mother tongue, partly because of grammatical imprecision and some mistakes in your writing. I noted that…"
"Wim,
Through the eternal power and presence of the immanent spirit of Jesus Christ in my conscience, it is discovered to me a different way than (and brought me off) the reflective process to guide and inform human relations and interactions. Jesus…"
"Dear Bill,
Thanks for your reflections!
What about "He made the Church visible to us, the body of Christ"? I'll leave it open whether that implies (for you) 'avoiding enmeshment in institutionalised religion', 'working…"
"Recently, a middle-aged man who grew up nearby died, "suddenly" I guess. He had three young daughters. No wife was mentioned in his obituary. The essay mentioned several of his favorite activities but said nothing about…"
"Reading Wim's paper makes me realize my "personal distance" from churches, including the ones I have belonged to. Am I a stand-alone Christian? NO! But I am one who is reluctant to become enmeshed in the workings of…"
"Dear Bill,
From my perspective there is nothing "under examination" between Coleen and me, except maybe our ability to connect despite differences of perspective. We are primarily building a relation rather than exchanging information and…"
"Dear Coleen,
I wrote "Secularization for the sake of religion" from the reality of Dutch society, as experienced and acknowledged by most Christians here: we are quickly becoming marginalized. Not persecuted, but irrelevant.…"
"Dear Coleen,
You ask: "if you do everything right, is it enough?" Doing a right thing implies 'contributing to the Kingdom' to me, rather than 'staying within law/rules' (like in 'being sufficiently charitable,…"
"Dear Bill,
I looked up this review of Kugel's book. Where does it move beyond my insights, according to you? What is the box that you see limiting me?
Yes, humanity is in the same condition as its ancestors in Biblical times. So religions of…"
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