One of the things Jesus confronted over and over again had to do with his authority: What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this? So ask the people in John 2:18 after Jesus has "cleansed" the temple. If you look on pages 122-127 (124-129) you will find an extended conversation between Mack and the Trinity. Some questions to ponder:
- What is "authority", and how does one acquire it?
- How do we square God's goodness with the pervasive evil in our world?
- Put another way: "Papa" says to Mack: The real underlying flaw in your life, Mackenzie, is that you don't think that I am good. How is God's goodness related to our trust in God?
- What's the difference between a "mess" and a "fractal"? (For more on fractals see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal.)
- Are there instances you can point to in which you chose the "ravaged path of independence"?
- What is meant by the phrase (page 132 [134]): For any created being, autonomy is lunacy.
- How certain can we be that something is "good"?
- What "rights" do we have before God?
- Is there a difference between being "protected" and being "loved"?
Mark,
ReplyDeleteIn our conversation about whether or not God is good, perhaps, because "good" is such a subjective thing, we can agree that God is love. Love, and the actions that flow out of it can be seen as warm and forgiving, but it can also be seen as "tough-love" - where the person on the other end of the "tough-love" might not like it so much...but still the motivating force is love. I believe that God acts out of love for his creation.