I can't even publish a short paragraph everyday! Que ridiculoso (or whatever!
So, here is 5 more "learnings" to make up for the past 3 days.
(My lame excuse: I was writing my last paper)
Today is technically my last day in Israel. I leave for Jordan tomorrow morning for a week, then I am flying from Jordan to Tel Aviv, from Tel Aviv home. So, I will be home in a week! So crazy.
Number 6
Time goes by so so so quick. I have always realized this, but I especially see this when thinking about the past year. Its literally insane how fast the time goes on.
Number 5
America is so young! Everyday I walk by rocks and structures that outdate America by hundreds of years. It blows my mind that when you look at how much can happen in 200 years in America, and compare it to how much we know has happened in other parts of the world in thousands of years, how little we actually know.
For example, if you study Egypt, you cover hundreds years of history before the Bible was really even begins its story. And yet, this can all be studied in a week or so.
Compared to America, where you could spend your entire life studying just world war II.
In other words, while American history is very, very, very, very, very,
very, very, very young, there is just as much history to study in that short period of time, as there is to study in 2,000 years of Egyptian history. This shows how little academia knows about the past. It also shows how fast man is progressing, and how significantly different we are today from ancient man.
Number 4
The Bible is the most complicated book I have ever read. When people say it is the most influential book in history, it is so true. It blows my mind how much of the world is influenced and driven by this book. On top of that, it is amazing to see how many ways people live out that influence. I will always be confused and perplexed by this.
Number 3
Everyday life is the key and point to life. In other words, the future is not life and the past is not life. Rather, the absolute basis of life is the present....and the only thing taking place in the present is your literal actions. The present is the only "tense" that can be physically acted on. The past and the future are all in the head. Therefor, cosmology and world-views are only valuable if they effect the present- which is your current state of actions.
I think this is why God calls for a literal, everyday 24-7 obsession over Him. This also is part of the logical reasonings behind the Torah. The only thing that prevents us from living right now the way He might desire is either because we are too worried about the future (and therefor living life in context to that worry), or we are afraid of our past (and therefor living life now in light of that). This result of this is the motive for life in the present changes and that may lead to ones everyday life not being lived to its fullest potential.
(I am not saying to not plan ahead or to not learn from the past; rather I am saying to realize that in the end, it is up to the present to create the future, and therefor the past. It makes no sense to concern oneself with thoughts of the future [cosmology for example] or past [history for example] if it does not influence the present... doing so is called "not living in reality")
The implications this has on the Bible is fascinating.
Number 2
Motive is the key to everything. Without motive, action (therefor, reality) is not worth living. Motive and action are the essential foundations of life.
This is fascinating because the Bible only gives us the actions, but never tells the motives behind the actions.
It is the interpretation of these actions without knowing the motive that is a key factor in the difference between how Christianity and Judaism understand the Bible.
Judaism seeks to find the motive behind the actions described in the text; therefor, the Oral Law. The motive is sought out, but the action of the text is still required. Example: Text says to keep Sabbath. The motive/ true intentions are sought for, but the action of "keeping sabbath" is still required, regardless of the understood motive to do so. This can result in extreme blind faith, or extreme legalism.
Christianity seeks to put the right motives into anyones actions. The result of this is that you can act how you want if your motives are good. The Bible is nothing but examples of this (the actions given in the Bible are only examples, and not necessarily the only result of any of the right motives... this is similar to Judaism but drastically difference) Example: The text says to keep Sabbath. But the presumed principal behind Sabbath is looked at. Therefor, you can keep Sabbath any day you want, as long as your motive lines up with the presumed motive to do so. This results in people having amazing motives for their actions, but can also lead to ones own justification for sin.
I firmly believe that an understanding of the two combined makes the most sense with what the text says. This is the role historical and social understandings behind the Bible can have.
History helps fill this gap, for the general sense of motive behind the text can become clearer with the understanding of the historical society of that time.
Number 1
The top thing I have learned deals with the results of my time here.
I hope to write about this within the first few weeks after I am back. I will need time to think about this.
In the mean time, this is the last blog I write from Israel! I can't believe I am leaving.
It has truly been beyond amazing.
I'm going to go camp in the desert for a week.
Byes.
