| 1 | Grace is Everywhere: A reflection on Diary of a Country Priest at Englewood Review of Books
"And so in The Diary, nothing much happens. The conflict is not good versus evil, but rather “boredom” versus faith: the choice either to take for granted a world of habitual vice, moral compromise, and creeping death, or the choice to open yourself to love. And this conflict takes place in the pages of this diary – a diary kept with some misgivings."
Last summer I read Diary of A Country Priest and loved this reflection by Joe Krall as a follow-up. I kind of wished I'd read the reflection before reading the classic novel. On the other hand, now I'd like to read the book again.
| 2 | Inside Out and a theology of Sadness by Josh Larsen at Think Christian
"As most reviews have noted, Inside Out is about learning to reconcile joy and sadness, whether you’re a tween forced to move away from friends, as Riley is, or a parent who can no longer protect your child from life’s hardships. It’s a rich subject – one mined with Pixar’s usual combination of wit, intelligence and emotional resonance – and also one that echoes a Christian understanding of the human experience. Christianity, after all, is an expression of joy in response to - not in denial of - deep sadness."
This review is more like a snapshot into one aspect of the Pixar film. For a lot more detail, listen to the Filmspotting podcast where Josh Larsen and Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune) spell out what they agreed and what they agreed to disagree about Inside Out. I've haven't seen it yet, partly because I have a big "mom guilt" trigger these days and this film seems like it might send me to the therapist's office. Have you seen it? What'd you think?
| 3 | The Bible and same sex relationships: A review article by Tim Keller
"Therefore, in one of the great ironies of late modern times, when we celebrate diversity in so many other cultural sectors, we have truncated the ultimate unity-in-diversity: inter-gendered marriage. "
A reasonable, courteous, peaceful and Scriptural response. I highly recommend this article.
| 4 | Photographs: The Gorgeous Simplicity of life as a Siberian Nomad at Quartz
I'm going to keep this link handy for all of the coming 200-degree summer days in Austin. Somehow the Khanty people make cold look gorgeous.
I'm going to keep this link handy for all of the coming 200-degree summer days in Austin. Somehow the Khanty people make cold look gorgeous.
| 5 | The Rule of Life by D.L. Mayfield at Image Journal blog
"As soon as I tell the students class is finished (see you on Monday, Insha’Allah) they gather around Maryan. They are blessing her. They run their hands down her, from the top of her head down past her belly. They gather around and lift up their palms. Salat, salat. I don’t know exactly what they are saying, but I know enough. I am blessing her too. My heart is aflame for her, for everyone gathered around her. I am so tired of pretending otherwise, of acting like making and understanding these tiny marks on the page are of any importance at all. I just want to touch her arm and say be blessed. I just want to see her be okay. I just want to know that there is someone watching over her, a love and a presence who is much more able than I am to see it all. I will pray, I tell my students. That the baby will be okay. That Maryan will be okay."
I can't read D.L. Mayfield's essay without thinking of my mother and sister who have taught (and blessed and loved) ESL to adults at the American Civic Association in Binghamton. Sometimes my mother says to me, "If nothing else, I get to be a person who smiles at them."
| 6 | Spotlight on Austin with these three links: 100 Houses of Brentwood and Crestview (website of images of our neighborhooed from a neighbor photographer), Jaws on the Water at CNN & Getting Rid of Bosses The Atlantic
Houses in our neighborhood (the ones not gobbled up by greedy land developers), the innovative watching-film-as-experience scene in Austin and a spotlight of Austin cooperative business which includes our neighborhood pub the Black Star! Just 3 more reasons we love living here!
We rent so we can't sign our house up for the 100 Houses project. Here's a photo, though.
We rent so we can't sign our house up for the 100 Houses project. Here's a photo, though.
| 7 | Rectify is still television's quiet triumph at The Atlantic
"No television product wants the title Rectify has now claimed for two years in a row: the best show nobody’s watching. Toiling away on the Sundance Channel, the Southern Gothic tale of a man freed from death row after 19 years has received the kind of rave reviews that keep a show on the air despite desperately low ratings, and it’s back for a third season Thursday night. Rectify is slow and often hypnotic, but its deliberate style is all in the service of great storytelling, trading wild twists and turns for quiet poeticism."
For what it's worth I'll add my two cents: Rectify is one of the best (and hardest-to-watch) of anything I've ever seen on television.
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Hoping for a good and content weekend for us all, friends.
Peace....