First Days

On Sunday, Amber and I had the chance of visiting our first "Emergent" church in the Pittsburgh area (apparently, there are quite a few of them). It was a wonderful service, including a very challenging message on practicing silence, an active time of worship, and an opportunity to meet new people (LOTS of college students). In fact, we got invited by a couple afterwards to go out to dinner with a group of the church members who were none other than J.P. Moreland's daughter and son-in-law. I couldn't believe it. I had been accepted to go to Biola - and sit under Moreland's tutelage there - but decided not because of my concerns of the school's narrow, fundamentalist background. And now, here I am in Pittsburgh talking to some of his family members in an Emergent church...hilarious... Dinner was good too - I had my first crack at Belgium beer, and Rick Steves was right - they do have the best beer in the world.

Then on Monday the 27th, I had my first class of my Duquesne education - a course on Aquinas's Summa Contra Gentiles, book 1. The class was mostly a review of the syllabus and introductory remarks, but I am excited to learn more as the teacher is very interested in helping us understand the historical context in which Aquinas wrote and why he was so keen to utilize the philosophy of Aristotle (which, come to find out, made him the enemy of a lot of people in the church...I guess not much has changed!!).

Last night was also my first day of work at my new job - the school library. I was introduced to all the ins and outs of checking books out, organizing books, shelving books, etc etc... not the most exciting work. It was a long night, and after closing and hopping on public transportation late at night, I didn't get home until 11:15...so we'll see how long this lasts!!

Ethics As First Philosophy: Living for the Neighbor

So I have finally finished reading Otherwise Than Being, a postmodern philosophical work by Jewish author Emmanual Levinas. It is most definitely the hardest read I've ever undertaken. I hope to provide a more thorough summary of the work in a later post (or maybe I should say "summaries"), but it should suffice at this point to say that what Levinas is fighting for is a view of the world and of oneself (being/essence) that does not leave the Other or the neighbor merely as an afterthought. In other words, rather than developing our understanding of ourselves in relation to our cognitive ability to think (contra Descartes, "I think, therefore I am") we ought to consider our existence within the context of the Other, as oneself-for-the-other, i.e. - my life has little meaning unless its connected to those around me and lived for those around me. Our bodily existence is not a machine (as Descartes said) and our relations with others cannot be reduced to a list of rules that we implement as a computer processes information. Rather, life requires decision-making, balancing and weighing various ethical issues, and making particular choices within unique moments. And in our finitude, we will never have ALL the information and all the objective certainty to know we will make the absolutely perfect decision in an ethical situation. And so, our decision must be based on love, on care for the Other. Thus, Levinas states, philosophy (philo=love, sophia=wisdom) is not so much "the love of wisdom but the wisdom of love." Levinas writes:

“The neighbor concerns me before all assumption, all commitment consented to or refused… I am bound to him before any liaison contracted. He orders me before being recognized. Here there is a relationship of kinship outside of all biology, “against all logic.” It is not because the neighbor would be recognized as belonging to he same genus as me that he concerns me. He is precisely other. The community with him begins in my obligation to him. The neighbor is a brother… In a sense nothing is more burdensome than a neighbor. Is not this desired one the undesirable itself? The neighbor who could not leave me indifferent, the undesirable desired one, has not revealed to desire the ways of access to him… To take hold of oneself for a present of welcome is already to take one’s distance, and miss the neighbor.” (87-88).

Again, more could be said, and hopefully, in another post I'll do more justice to the book. However, I wanted to share a poem (now put to music as of today) that I was inspired to write. Unlike most of my music, this came to me all in a matter of moments and I had it all together in finished form (with music) in just three days. I call it "Across the Street," but perhaps it should have a subheading stating "in honor of Emmanuel Levinas" as I believe it communicates at least one of the main facets of his philosophical work.

There you are traversing // Across the room you walk
Hiding behind the draperies // And on the phone you talk
I ponder if we’ll ever meet,
My neighbor across the street

Moonlight shines above the Burgh // Down here the TV glows
Living room lights caress the curbs // Mixing where traffic flows
A likely place where I might greet
The neighbor across the street

We go about our separate lives // Making calls, getting the mail
Dressing our selves, leaving the drive // It goes by fast, ever so frail
Could we pause, take time for tea
My dear neighbor across the street?

What if you were aching? // What if I heard you scream?
Would I keep channel surfing // With eyes glued to the screen?
It wouldn’t hurt to get off my seat
And make a stroll across the street

We go about our separate lives // Making calls, getting the mail
Dressing our selves, leaving the drive // It goes by fast, ever so frail
Could we pause, take time for tea
My dear neighbor across the street?

We may pass while on a walk // While you’re out for a jog
Or maybe I could bravely knock // And step out of this fog
Love is calling out to me // To see the neighbor across the street
I’m hostage ‘til he sets me free // The neighbor across the street

An Explanation of this New Journey

Many have asked why I've decided to pursue a master's degree in philosophy and why I've chosen to do it at at Catholic university of all places. Below is the general response I have given to those who have previously asked so that if there is anyone else still out there that is curious about my decision they can be rest assured I haven't become a heretic or fallen off the deep end. So here goes...

As for reasons behind my decision, interestingly enough, I talked to several Christian professors of philosophy (one at Calvin, one at Cedarville, and one at Grand Rapids Seminary) and all of them encouraged me to pursue a program at a Catholic school as they are about the only schools that have any kind of Christian bent that take philosophy seriously. I actually applied to Biola (an evangelical school in L.A.) and got accepted, but I had concerns as to the limitations of their program (as well as the cost of living!). One of Duquesne's strengths is Catholic Philosophy (e.g. – Augustine, Aquinas, Anselm, etc), which is basically the first 1500 years of church history and how these theologians appropriated current philosophical constructs to their thinking about God.

Upon graduation at Duquesne, I will then pursue a PhD (4-5 year) program in the area of philosophical theology or philosophy of religion. Here I hope to gain a better perspective of how philosophical thought has influenced Christian theology throughout church history, particularly in regards to its continued commitments to Platonic and Enlightenment thinking in Western Christianity. This study will afford opportunities to open up dialogue between other kinds of philosophy and Christian thinking including Eastern Philosophy and Postmodernism and consider what positive, redemptive contributions they can bring to the table.

Vocationally, the goal is that I be academically qualified to teach in a university setting (Christian or public – both of which have their advantages); however, if an opportunity within a church or para-church opened up that appeared to be an adequate fit with my giftedness, I would be very interested. My studies have vital missional applications as they relate to how Christians ought to interact with various cultures. Thus, I am very interested in teaching in a non-Western setting where the culture views the world from a different philosophical perspective than that of the West.

To put it another way, I could say that my motives for studying philosophy are three-fold:

(1) Jesus was not a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant living in American Suburbia but was a Jewish Middle Easterner from the 1st Century, so understanding philosophy from different ages and contexts is extremely important to understanding Jesus as well as other religions and cultures (thus, philosophy is a very important topic for missionaries).

(2) Up until only recent Church History, philosophy was an extremely important topic to theologians. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Tertullian, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and the Apostle Paul all addressed highly philosophical questions and engaged in the philosophy of people from non-Christian backgrounds. By seeing philosophy as (“the wisdom of the world”), without noting its redemptive aspects, we are then neglecting large portions of church history and thought.

(3) Inadvertently, point two also reveals how philosophy has influenced theology (and vice versa), which should be a very important topic for us so we can consider what presuppositions we have about the world, evil, life, humanity, etc that we bring to the table before we even open up the Bible (or any other book). Understanding our presuppositions will help us to dialogue with others, but it will also help us to consider the ways we add to the Gospel with our own Western thinking, cultural beliefs, etc.

[And for those who don't recognize the picture, it is Raphael's "School of Athens" depicting Plato and Aristotle, a fresco painted in 1510 at the Vatican Museum - I actually took this picture last May when we were there in 2006.]

Learning the Pennyslvania Way

Well today I experienced the joys of getting acclimated to the process required to get one's driver's license and title registered in the state of PA. First, one must go to the DMV with about five forms of identification (SSI Card, Passport, two proofs of address, old driver's license). After paying for that, I went over to AAA to get my car title transfered (yup - the state has contracted out all their licensing to a private org!). They told me I had to get the VIN confirmed by an auto mechanic. So, next, I went to Sears Automotive so someone could write the numbers of my VIN onto a sheet of paper. Back to AAA to pay out the rear for a title and license plate. And finally, tomorrow I have to get my car inspected and have emissions tests ran on it...and then do it all over again for Amber's car. Craziness!

Today, I was also offered a job at the Duquesne school library working part-time as a circulation desk assistant. It's not great pay but certainly better than a fast-food joint or retail, and since the rest of my life will be spent doing research, I thought I might get used to spending my time in the library.

That's basically the highlights of today... tomorrow we check out the farmer's market that goes on every Saturday morning at the Mount Lebanon main street strip.

Brock

Artwork and Nature Make for a Good Sabbath

Yesterday, we took a much-needed day off from all the unpacking and settling in here in Pittsburgh and went to Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. But this isn’t just any botanical gardens, as it is currently showcasing several art pieces by Chihuly interspersed within the different rooms. Some blend in so well with the plants that one can easily walk right by if they’re not paying attention. Here’s some of our favorites:















Yes - the leafy plant in the middle of the far left is made of glass!

























Anywho...back to real life after a brief respite (Amber just said, "We need to clean up around here. We're living in dishevelment." I, on the other, think it looks pretty good all things considered). Today, I spent my day cleaning up the house and testing the light rail public transportation system to see how it worked (no muggings or winding up on the complete opposite side of Pittsburgh, so I considered it a victory). And tomorrow, I have a job interview at the Duquesne Library, so I'm going to actually have to get up early and dress nice... ugh...

Onward Eastward (Moving Part 2)

At 11:15 AM on Saturday morning, we said goodbye to our friends and family who worked so vigorously to clean our house and load our cars. In our caravan of vehicles was Beth’s Jetta, my two-door Civic, Amber’s Civic, the Clark’s GMC Sierra truck, and the 15-foot moving truck – all packed to the hilt! As soon as we got out of Indianapolis, we came across road construction and six miles of stopped traffic. We inched forward, and over half an hour later, we were finally in the clear (good thing we left early!). And as we traversed across Indiana, I sang…

So keep'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

- Derek Webb “Faith My Eyes”

After a brief stop for Taco Bell, it was on to Ohio. At mile marker 54 (the exit for Cedarville University), I called my brother Bryce and talked to him for 15 minutes. A couple hours later, we were in the hills of East Ohio where we saw a community of Amish men – all adorned in their hats – building a huge post-frame barn. The sight – combined with the backseat full of house plants fighting the heat and wind of an unair-conditioned car reminded me that though this trip is just one leg of a journey on a path meandering ever on and on and stopping every so often into a new abode until I finally make it home.

Father Abraham/Do you remember when
You were called to a land/And didn’t know the way
‘Cause we are wandering/ In a foreign land
We are children of the/Promise of the faith

And I long to find it/Can you feel it, too?
That the sun that’s shining/Is a shadow of the truth

This is a far country, a far country/ Not my home

- Andrew Petersen “Far Country”

Down a steep hill and across a bridge and we were into West Virginia. The moving truck – and my little Honda for that matter(!) – were having quite the trouble getting up the hills, but onward we persevered. In only a few moments, we finally finished our trek on I-70 and were heading north on I-79 to Pittsburgh.

Finally, all five of our cars reached the house – just a couple minutes before our landlord arrived to meet us and give us the keys. And then came the “joy” of unloading. We unpacked what was necessary from the truck, took a break to eat the lasagna my mom had packed us, and went back out to unpack the cars. Finally, exhausted, we went to bed and left the rest to be done in the morning.

We are so thankful to be here – for all those who helped us packing and unpacking – and that all our stuff made it safely…ok so Amber JUST unpacked the first box with a broken dish. I think super glue will fix it! We’re still settling in for sure – and still waiting for the Sept. 7 closing date of our house in Indy – but we’ve had some good opportunities to get to know the town already and do some sightseeing (more on that later).

Last Days in Indy (Moving Part 1)

Greetings from Pittsburgh!

We’re finally getting settled into our new abode here in the Steeler city (where we are quickly finding that everything really does revolve around the Steelers!). Needless to say, the last two weeks have been jammed with activities as we wrapped up our lives in Indianapolis and headed east. Here’s a recap:

At the end of July, our good friends Jake & Carrie hosted a going-away party for us (with the help of Kandice and Beth). This was no easy task, mind you, not because we have such an overwhelming number of friends but because Carrie’s grandfather was laid rest that same morning (not to mention the unexpected guests who shared intriguing tales about “butt darts”…). All in all, it was a wonderful Saturday evening filled with laughter and joy as many of our closest friends sat around and told stories and reminisced. As the night wore on, I had to keep telling myself, “Soak this moment in. Really enjoy yourself and this time to be with these people.” Truly, it was such a wonderful moment, I felt almost like I was a part of a movie, as when the camera is panning away from a picture perfect house at the end of the flick and the light is glowing from the house while laughter and conversation can be heard from within. A little taste of heaven.

A couple days later – July 31^st to be exact – was my last day as an employee of College Park Church. The church staff planned a wonderful luncheon in our honor including an unforgettable relay race involving two wheelchairs (both of which will most likely never be used again!), spinning around cones, and lots of fear and trust as Amber and I were wheeled around by members of the staff [Note to self: when wheelchairs begin moving at more than 3-4 mph, they start rattling and shaking as if an earthquake has caught hold of them]. By the end of the lunch, we were overwhelmed by the generosity and friendship of our church family as they showered us with words of encouragement and gifts.

At this point in the summer, we were beginning to wonder if our house would ever sell. Another person was ready to make an offer and backed out. We lowered the price in hopes of getting it off our hands before moving. During this nail-biting time I not only learned the all the more the truth that I’m not the Sovereign of the universe, but Amber and I had the fun of hosting my college friends, Phil & Krista, for KC’s wedding and introduce them to the joy of having to keep your house immaculate at the possibility of a showing that could occur at any moment. That first week of August is still a blur as it was filled with running around with the bridal party (on crutches mind you, as my foot was broken!) and catching up with old friends. Like the parties the week before, it was a memorable time of fun and laughter – particularly when the groomsmen went putt-putting. We laughed until our bellies hurt on one hole when KC hit his ball out of the “rock trap” (instead of a sand trap) only to watch it roll twelve feet right past the hole, bounce on the back wall, and roll all the way back to about three inches from where the ball had been.

The last week in Indy was frenzied to say the least. As I was running around performing errands, setting up our utilities in Pittsburgh, and changing our addresses with every company known to man, I was also fielding phone calls from our real estate company. On Monday night (the 6^th), Dennis, Timothy, and I watched the extended version of The Return of the King. Ah…what a good movie. Yet again, I cried near the end when Aragorn is crowned king and the four Hobbits bow only to hear Aragorn say, “My friends, you bow to no one.” Then, Aragorn and all the people of the land bow in honor to the four Hobbits.

Tuesday the 7^th. We finally get the call we’ve been waiting for – four days before the move! An offer has been made on the house – and a good one at that. Our agent thinks he can get another $1,000 out of it, and I’m thinking, “Let’s just take the offer!!!” Things started moving fast at that point. As we boxed the last of our belongings, an inspection was done on the house.

On Friday night, after a long day at the State Fair (gotta love how that greasy food sticks to your stomach!), Amber’s parents and several friends helped us start loading up the moving truck. By the end of the night, we were over halfway done. On Saturday morning, we finished loading up the truck and our vehicles – and thanks to my dad’s slick packing skills, we somehow were able to fit everything in. The truck was load from top to bottom, and I had no problem admitting my cowardice and allowing Amber’s dad to drive it to Pittsburgh! ...