By the time executives get married, take on a mortgage, raise kids, cope with the crabgrass, climb the corporate ladder, do their best to manage career pressures, build their net worth and get into their 40s, they’ve lost touch with what they believe in and care about most deeply. -Allan Cox, CEO coach and author
I refuse to believe that it has to be this way, that you can’t have it all and be true to yourself. Then again, I’m not interested in most people’s definition of having it all. Do I want a satisfying career? Yes, but my goal is not to reach the top of the corporate ladder. I want to build my own ladder, chart my own course, and enjoy the journey with my family by my side.
I’m reading Surprised by Hope, the latest book by N.T. Wright, which is about the Resurrection and how it should affect our worldview and the church’s mission on earth. I like this quote from a chapter entitled “The Strange Story of Easter.”
And the question of Jesus’s resurrection, though it may in some senses burst the boundaries of history, also remains within them; that is precisely why it is so important, so disturbing, so life-and-death. We could cope-the world could cope-with a Jesus who ultimately remains a wonderful idea inside his disciples’ minds and hearts. The world cannot cope with a Jesus who comes out of the tomb, who inaugurates God’s new creation right in the middle of the old one.
Via Grace and Orange Clogs, I found this YouTube video of Dr. Tim Keller speaking at Google HQ about his new book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. The entire hour is worth watching for those interested, but there were a couple points in which I took particular interest. Keller argued that there is a sort of three rung ladder which people often climb as they move towards belief in God. The three rungs he described are as follows:
Disbelief is as much a leap of faith as is belief
Disbelief actually takes more faith than does belief
Belief takes more than just reason; it requires a personal commitment
In justifying the first rung, Keller made a great point about many of the common objections to the existence of God. Namely, that they often make assumptions about the nature of God before even being willing to admit God might exist. A related point, which he also discussed, was best worded by Bright Eyes a few years ago: “If you swear that there’s no truth, who cares? How come you say it like you’re right?”
I never said my politics were entirely consistent. Despite a strong preference for low taxes and limited government, I believe in the work ONE is promoting in Africa and I’m glad President Bush has supported that work. Now, unfortunately, the President and Congress are on the verge of cutting that funding by $1 Billion in 2009.
ONE is campaigning to get 60 senators to sign an amendment that would restore this funding to the budget, and they need your help. Sign the petition here.
