"Beloved, let us love one another." ( 1 John 4:7 ) These words are said by one who was perfected in love, recognizing the sadness which broods over life, and is also tempered by the eternal.
The commandment is that you SHALL love, yet here is so much that would hinder us from loving. However, when you understand life and yourself, then it is as if you should not need to be commanded, because to love human beings is still the only thing worth living for; without this love you really do not live. p344
A profession of faith is simply not enough.
See here is the unity of mildness and rigour; that in all things you relate yourself to God is the greatest mildness and the greatest rigour. Like planets and galaxies floating around in space weightless yet with nearly infinite weight pulling on each other. The mildness of mercy and the rigour of judgement.
The gospel will not save you with rigour but with mildness. You can not get an external certainty of salvation..
Just as calling someone a hypocrite exposes yourself to the same examination, so too does accusing another person before God ( and God is always present ). Be wary of getting over-heated with accusations against the guilty, since to accuse another person before God is to accuse oneself.
As you have believed it will be given to you. Seeing the speck in another's eye becomes a speck in one's own eye. And Christianity is even more rigourous; this speck, in judgement, is a log.
The main fault of humans being that we forget that God is present.
O.T. like-for-like: "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"
Activist like-for-like: "see to it that you do unto others what other do unto you."
Christian like-for-like: as you do unto others, God does unto you. ( forgives, gives mercy, or doesn't forgive, etc.. this has nothing to do with what others do to you or say about you.
If you think you have merited something - punishment is all it is.
"Have an unforgettable fear and trembling, even though you rest in God's love. Such a person will certainly avoid speaking to God about the wrongs of others towards him, about the speck in his brother's eye, for such a person will rather speak to God only about grace, lest this fateful word JUSTICE lose everything for him through what he himself has called forth, the rigorous like-for-like." p 353
Showing posts with label Kierkegaard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kierkegaard. Show all posts
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 10
The Works of Love in Praising Love
In most cases, it is possible to say "It is one thing to say it, and quite another to do it." But in the case of the work of love in praising love, "Saying really is doing". I can't help but suspect some self-reference here to the work of Kierkegaard. But, SK removes this option by saying that the work of praising love must be done inwardly in self renunciation. Still....
How is this done inwardly? By thinking one thought. The world considers this unnecessary and extravagant. But it is self-renunciation which discovers that God is.
He who praises art and science emphasizes the cleavage between talented and untalented. But he who praises love equalizes all, not in a common poverty nor in a common mediocrity, but in the community of the highest.
In most cases, it is possible to say "It is one thing to say it, and quite another to do it." But in the case of the work of love in praising love, "Saying really is doing". I can't help but suspect some self-reference here to the work of Kierkegaard. But, SK removes this option by saying that the work of praising love must be done inwardly in self renunciation. Still....
How is this done inwardly? By thinking one thought. The world considers this unnecessary and extravagant. But it is self-renunciation which discovers that God is.
He who praises art and science emphasizes the cleavage between talented and untalented. But he who praises love equalizes all, not in a common poverty nor in a common mediocrity, but in the community of the highest.
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 9
The Work of Love in Remembering One Dead
Loving someone who is dead is prescribed as a method of testing or verifying one's ability to love when nothing is gained in return and there is no possibility to blame the dead person for why your love is not 100% faithful.
It is a strange chapter, but I can't help thinking ( three weeks before Easter ) that Kierkegaard is alluding to the fact that Chris did die, and this "practice" should help expose our difficulty in loving one who is dead and gone from this earth.
Loving someone who is dead is prescribed as a method of testing or verifying one's ability to love when nothing is gained in return and there is no possibility to blame the dead person for why your love is not 100% faithful.
It is a strange chapter, but I can't help thinking ( three weeks before Easter ) that Kierkegaard is alluding to the fact that Chris did die, and this "practice" should help expose our difficulty in loving one who is dead and gone from this earth.
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 8
The Victory of Reconciliation in Love
Spiritually understood, there are always two victories, a first victory and a second in which the first victory is preserved.
If a second victory is considered, a person never gets to be proud of his victory.
The first victory refers to overcoming evil with good. The unloving one is the vanquished. The strife is between good and evil. And it is a miracle if it succeeds.
Long before the enemy thinks of seeking reconciliation, the lover is already reconciled with him. Also, the lover does not let on any sign of superiority, brings the truth in such a way that she does not notice that he is the teacher. This is holy shyness.
Spiritually understood, there are always two victories, a first victory and a second in which the first victory is preserved.
If a second victory is considered, a person never gets to be proud of his victory.
The first victory refers to overcoming evil with good. The unloving one is the vanquished. The strife is between good and evil. And it is a miracle if it succeeds.
Long before the enemy thinks of seeking reconciliation, the lover is already reconciled with him. Also, the lover does not let on any sign of superiority, brings the truth in such a way that she does not notice that he is the teacher. This is holy shyness.
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 7
Mercifullness
Preaching should solely and only be about mercilessness. Mercy is not equal to charity. Even those who are physically incapable of performing acts of charity can and should be merciful.
"Because a person has heart, it does not follow that he has money." p293 "The fact is the world does not understand the eternal" p302
Mercifullness is an offering of the heart. p 297
Preaching should solely and only be about mercilessness. Mercy is not equal to charity. Even those who are physically incapable of performing acts of charity can and should be merciful.
"Because a person has heart, it does not follow that he has money." p293 "The fact is the world does not understand the eternal" p302
Mercifullness is an offering of the heart. p 297
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 6
Love Abides.
If love endures, then it is equally certain that it exists in the future. Set this consolation against all terrors of the future - love abides.
Love is eternal - to fall out of love is impossible for the true lover.
Just as silence is a normal part of a conversation, a break can and is a normal part of love. The conversation can be picked up again at any point in the future.
Spiritual love contains in itself the spring which flows unto eternal life. One can not be eternally faithful to that which is not eternal.
Ont the other hand there is no hate that ultimately will not have to give up.
If love endures, then it is equally certain that it exists in the future. Set this consolation against all terrors of the future - love abides.
Love is eternal - to fall out of love is impossible for the true lover.
Just as silence is a normal part of a conversation, a break can and is a normal part of love. The conversation can be picked up again at any point in the future.
Spiritual love contains in itself the spring which flows unto eternal life. One can not be eternally faithful to that which is not eternal.
Ont the other hand there is no hate that ultimately will not have to give up.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 5
Love Hides the Multiplicity of Sin
Love is what stops sin and the effects of sin and the temptation to sin from spreading.
"What love does; it is. What love is; it does." Love does not "discover" or take notice of sin even when it knows they exist. Love is ignorant and small-townish and "a babe in evil" meaning it does not even try to understand evil. For trying to understand evil is to look for excuses for one's sins.
Gossip helps corrupt others and multiply sin. Why to we pay good money to bring scandal and gossip into our houses?
Love hides the multiplicity of sin by forgiveness. Forgiveness is the opposite of creating and this takes vitality away from sin. On the other hand withholding forgiveness nourishes sin and the continuation of sin is a new sin.
Sin finds an opportunity in the commandment and the prohibition. But, it is not as though the occasion caused the sin.
"What love does; it is. What love is; it does." Love does not "discover" or take notice of sin even when it knows they exist. Love is ignorant and small-townish and "a babe in evil" meaning it does not even try to understand evil. For trying to understand evil is to look for excuses for one's sins.
Gossip helps corrupt others and multiply sin. Why to we pay good money to bring scandal and gossip into our houses?
Love hides the multiplicity of sin by forgiveness. Forgiveness is the opposite of creating and this takes vitality away from sin. On the other hand withholding forgiveness nourishes sin and the continuation of sin is a new sin.
Sin finds an opportunity in the commandment and the prohibition. But, it is not as though the occasion caused the sin.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 4
Love Seeks Not Its Own
That would be self-love.
True love gives like the gift already belongs to the recipient.
That would be self-love.
True love gives like the gift already belongs to the recipient.
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 3
Love Hopes All Things
The one who hopes is just as expectant as the one who fears. The difference is that the possibility of the good is more than just a possibility, for it is the eternal. This is the basis of the fact that one who hopes can never be deceived.
Everyone who does not understand that the whole of life shall be a time of hope is in despair. No one can hope unless he also loves. The down drag of discouragement, downfall, perdition are all worldliness.
The lover has no indolence of habit, no pettiness of mind, no picayunishness of prudence, no extensiveness of experience, no slackness of the years, no evil bitterness of passion corrupts his hope or adulterates possibility. Every morning, yes, every moment, he renews his hope and enlivens possibility, if love endures and he endures in love.
If there were no love, hope would be a blessed, awaited letter with no one to collect it.
The one who hopes is just as expectant as the one who fears. The difference is that the possibility of the good is more than just a possibility, for it is the eternal. This is the basis of the fact that one who hopes can never be deceived.
Everyone who does not understand that the whole of life shall be a time of hope is in despair. No one can hope unless he also loves. The down drag of discouragement, downfall, perdition are all worldliness.
The lover has no indolence of habit, no pettiness of mind, no picayunishness of prudence, no extensiveness of experience, no slackness of the years, no evil bitterness of passion corrupts his hope or adulterates possibility. Every morning, yes, every moment, he renews his hope and enlivens possibility, if love endures and he endures in love.
If there were no love, hope would be a blessed, awaited letter with no one to collect it.
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 2
Love Believes all Things - and it is never Deceived.
Experience teaches that one acts prudently by NOT believing everything. Existence will test you and judges you every moment.
If someone says that one the basis of the possibility of being deceived one should believe nothing, then we can argue the opposite. You can expect good from even the lowliest fellow, for it is possible that his baseness is merely an illusion. If we COULD judge every human, then everything would turn outward (external, superficial, acts ) and the God-relationship would be eliminated. Living would become easy; but empty.
Knowledge is placing these contrasting possibilities in equilibrium. Mistrust is not equilibrium. It tends towards evil, envy, spite, corruption. Love understands that truth and deception both extend just as far and that in judging between possibilities the judger is revealed.
Giving one's money (or love) away willingly is not the same as being deceived out of one's money (or love). There is no desire to try to get it back.
In the light of the eternal, there is only one possible deception which is self-deception or giving up love.
Experience teaches that one acts prudently by NOT believing everything. Existence will test you and judges you every moment.
If someone says that one the basis of the possibility of being deceived one should believe nothing, then we can argue the opposite. You can expect good from even the lowliest fellow, for it is possible that his baseness is merely an illusion. If we COULD judge every human, then everything would turn outward (external, superficial, acts ) and the God-relationship would be eliminated. Living would become easy; but empty.
Knowledge is placing these contrasting possibilities in equilibrium. Mistrust is not equilibrium. It tends towards evil, envy, spite, corruption. Love understands that truth and deception both extend just as far and that in judging between possibilities the judger is revealed.
Giving one's money (or love) away willingly is not the same as being deceived out of one's money (or love). There is no desire to try to get it back.
In the light of the eternal, there is only one possible deception which is self-deception or giving up love.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Part 2 Chapter 1
Love Builds Up
Spiritual language including scripture is transferred or metaphorical language. Thus, saying love builds up (Corinthians 13) is a metaphor.
P212
To build up means to presuppose love; to be loving means to presuppose love; only love builds up. For to build up means to draw forth something from the ground up, but spiritually love is the ground of everything. No man can bestow the ground of love in another man's heart; nevertheless, love is the ground and one can only build up by presuposing love. Take love away - then there is no one who builds up andno one who is built up.
Spiritual language including scripture is transferred or metaphorical language. Thus, saying love builds up (Corinthians 13) is a metaphor.
P212
To build up means to presuppose love; to be loving means to presuppose love; only love builds up. For to build up means to draw forth something from the ground up, but spiritually love is the ground of everything. No man can bestow the ground of love in another man's heart; nevertheless, love is the ground and one can only build up by presuposing love. Take love away - then there is no one who builds up andno one who is built up.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 5
Our Duty To Be in the Debt of Love to Each Other
Love is a passion, a want, a longing. "It takes everything and it gives everything."
Love is best described as an infinite debt. And it is the lover that is in debt, it does not place the loved one in debt. To the loved one the most trifling expression is infinitely great than all sacrifices and all sacrifices are infinitely less than the smallest trifle in making partial payment on the debt.
As soon as love concentrates on itself it is out of its element - it is lost when it becomes an object for itself. It becomes a fixed point, a boundary or a stopping place instead of an immeasurable infinitude.
For love to be truly earnest, we must recognize a higher power over it. Otherwise it is simply human passion, intention, or fanaticism. Only the God-relationship is earnestness. Since Christianity does not simply ponder or dwell on the condition, but hastens to the task, there are two aspects to love; namely conscience and act.
The second aspect of acting out one's love in the world creates a double danger. The first is the self-renunciation side of love which by definition puts one's own will beneath everyone else's. The second is the resulting mockery of the world which considers this foolish behaviour. The mockery grows stronger the more earnest a Christian one becomes. The example Kierkegaard uses is that of two sets of children playing together. One set of children brought up very strictly join a group of children who were not brought up so strictly. When the strictly brought up children refuse to join in with some of the behaviour of the less strictly brought up children, they will be seen as foolish and mocked because they do not understand the strictly brought up children's behaviour.
When one recommends Christianity, one should not be silent on this danger.
Love is a passion, a want, a longing. "It takes everything and it gives everything."
Love is best described as an infinite debt. And it is the lover that is in debt, it does not place the loved one in debt. To the loved one the most trifling expression is infinitely great than all sacrifices and all sacrifices are infinitely less than the smallest trifle in making partial payment on the debt.
As soon as love concentrates on itself it is out of its element - it is lost when it becomes an object for itself. It becomes a fixed point, a boundary or a stopping place instead of an immeasurable infinitude.
For love to be truly earnest, we must recognize a higher power over it. Otherwise it is simply human passion, intention, or fanaticism. Only the God-relationship is earnestness. Since Christianity does not simply ponder or dwell on the condition, but hastens to the task, there are two aspects to love; namely conscience and act.
The second aspect of acting out one's love in the world creates a double danger. The first is the self-renunciation side of love which by definition puts one's own will beneath everyone else's. The second is the resulting mockery of the world which considers this foolish behaviour. The mockery grows stronger the more earnest a Christian one becomes. The example Kierkegaard uses is that of two sets of children playing together. One set of children brought up very strictly join a group of children who were not brought up so strictly. When the strictly brought up children refuse to join in with some of the behaviour of the less strictly brought up children, they will be seen as foolish and mocked because they do not understand the strictly brought up children's behaviour.
When one recommends Christianity, one should not be silent on this danger.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 4
Our duty to love those we see.
The need for love and the need to love are deeply embedded in the human nature. This is visible in the need for community that we all share to some extent. Most "religious" folks would also add there is a human need to love God. A Christian has the added qualification that "anyone who says he loves God, but hates his brother ( fellow human ) is a liar."
Our duty is to love all those we see, not to seek out those with lovable qualities and love them. In other words our task is not to find the lovable object, but to find the object lovable.
Special Considerations:
If you want to show that your life is intended for service to God, then let it serve men. For God has indicated, if you love me, love the ones you see.
Those who call it misfortune that they have not found a lover ( ie someone to love ) further prevent themselves from finding him or her since the do not understand the initial step.
If the duty is to be fulfilled, there is to be no double-mindedness about the lovers faults, weaknesses or imperfections. The love is limitless and unchanged regardless whether the object changes. See for example Jesus love of Peter. "when he no longer loves you, when he perhaps turns indifferent away to love someone else, love him as you see him when he betrays and denies you."
The need for love and the need to love are deeply embedded in the human nature. This is visible in the need for community that we all share to some extent. Most "religious" folks would also add there is a human need to love God. A Christian has the added qualification that "anyone who says he loves God, but hates his brother ( fellow human ) is a liar."
Our duty is to love all those we see, not to seek out those with lovable qualities and love them. In other words our task is not to find the lovable object, but to find the object lovable.
Special Considerations:
If you want to show that your life is intended for service to God, then let it serve men. For God has indicated, if you love me, love the ones you see.
Those who call it misfortune that they have not found a lover ( ie someone to love ) further prevent themselves from finding him or her since the do not understand the initial step.
If the duty is to be fulfilled, there is to be no double-mindedness about the lovers faults, weaknesses or imperfections. The love is limitless and unchanged regardless whether the object changes. See for example Jesus love of Peter. "when he no longer loves you, when he perhaps turns indifferent away to love someone else, love him as you see him when he betrays and denies you."
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 3b
Love is a matter of conscience
For love to be the sum of the commandments it must be from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, but in this chapter S.K. deals mainly with conscience stating that "love is a matter of conscience in which the other two are essentially contained and to which they essentially lead."
He does this be walking through the process of showing that in Christianity, everything is a matter of conscience and that the primary task, as defined earlier is to love. Therefore, all love must first be a matter of conscience. To love falsely is to hate.
Since, love ( and faith ) are a matter of inwardness ( and conscience ) they do not require visible evidence and proof from the object loved, but have confidence due to the confidential relationship that comes from confiding in one another.
Confide -> Confidential -> Confidence
For love to be the sum of the commandments it must be from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, but in this chapter S.K. deals mainly with conscience stating that "love is a matter of conscience in which the other two are essentially contained and to which they essentially lead."
He does this be walking through the process of showing that in Christianity, everything is a matter of conscience and that the primary task, as defined earlier is to love. Therefore, all love must first be a matter of conscience. To love falsely is to hate.
Since, love ( and faith ) are a matter of inwardness ( and conscience ) they do not require visible evidence and proof from the object loved, but have confidence due to the confidential relationship that comes from confiding in one another.
Confide -> Confidential -> Confidence
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 3a
Love is the fulfillling of the Law
Regarding the illustration of Matthew 21:28-31 "No" does not hide anything, but a "yes" very easily becomes a deception. The first son that answered "no", is closer to doing his father's will than the second son who answered "yes" and changed his mind.
Asking "who is my neighbour" creates a trap for yourself. For Jesus, love is pure action in that he acts and does not simply feel. "Love is no shirker of tasks."
Love is the fulfilling of the Law. It is not contradictory or conflicting. Love is the sum of the commandments. Think of the law as the artist's sketch. love is the painting that results from the sketch. There is no quarrel between them any more than between hunger and the blessing which satisfies it.
To love God is to love oneself in truth and to help another person to love God is to love another.
What the law demands is not up for debate or interpretation. It is not an accidental morality such as determined by the majority. If the majority do wrong - it is still wrong.
The world says "look out for number one" but the law says ignore escapes and excuses. Love begins with a relationship with God and is characterized by inwardness and perseverance. Yet time does not alter the eternal requirement that love is the fulfillment of the law.
We are the first son, and we daily face the opportunity to move from our initial "no" to a loving, repentant "yes".
Regarding the illustration of Matthew 21:28-31 "No" does not hide anything, but a "yes" very easily becomes a deception. The first son that answered "no", is closer to doing his father's will than the second son who answered "yes" and changed his mind.
Asking "who is my neighbour" creates a trap for yourself. For Jesus, love is pure action in that he acts and does not simply feel. "Love is no shirker of tasks."
Love is the fulfilling of the Law. It is not contradictory or conflicting. Love is the sum of the commandments. Think of the law as the artist's sketch. love is the painting that results from the sketch. There is no quarrel between them any more than between hunger and the blessing which satisfies it.
To love God is to love oneself in truth and to help another person to love God is to love another.
What the law demands is not up for debate or interpretation. It is not an accidental morality such as determined by the majority. If the majority do wrong - it is still wrong.
The world says "look out for number one" but the law says ignore escapes and excuses. Love begins with a relationship with God and is characterized by inwardness and perseverance. Yet time does not alter the eternal requirement that love is the fulfillment of the law.
We are the first son, and we daily face the opportunity to move from our initial "no" to a loving, repentant "yes".
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 2
"You shall love your neighbour."
Only when it is a duty to love, only then is it eternally secure.
Love of neighbour brings equality not duplicity. Any differences are only disguises.
You love your neighbour up close or not at all.
1) We have no control over the world.
2) In death there is no reward or consolation for avoiding one's neighbour.
Therefore -place yourself where God can use you.
Where is that? In the position of loving your neighbour.
Only when it is a duty to love, only then is it eternally secure.
Love of neighbour brings equality not duplicity. Any differences are only disguises.
You love your neighbour up close or not at all.
1) We have no control over the world.
2) In death there is no reward or consolation for avoiding one's neighbour.
Therefore -place yourself where God can use you.
Where is that? In the position of loving your neighbour.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Kierkegaard - Works of Love Chapter 1
Given that a tree is known by its fruit (Luke 6:44), a loving person ought to be known by works of love.
Some difficulties to this:
1) works of love have loving motives - but motives are not always visible
2) love (as opposed to work) is hard to see by those without it
3) many people console themselves with the (false) belief that love does not exist.
These difficulties do not negate the truth of Luke 6:44. The are simply my explanation of the fact that we are not in a position to attempt to judge others' works.
Other important notes regarding Christian Love:
- Christian Love is required to tie together the temporal and the eternal.
- Christian Love is the best defense against hypocrisy.
Some difficulties to this:
1) works of love have loving motives - but motives are not always visible
2) love (as opposed to work) is hard to see by those without it
3) many people console themselves with the (false) belief that love does not exist.
These difficulties do not negate the truth of Luke 6:44. The are simply my explanation of the fact that we are not in a position to attempt to judge others' works.
Other important notes regarding Christian Love:
- Christian Love is required to tie together the temporal and the eternal.
- Christian Love is the best defense against hypocrisy.
