I was perusing Revolution in Jesusland (and adding it to my blogroll ), and came across this post about some megachurch somewhere. It was mildly interesting. My interest was more thoroughly piqued, however, by this qoute:
Many of us have turned the Bible into a self-help program rather than a life-long process of self-denial.
This is a practice I’ve seen a lot of. I’m normally quite critical of it.
I think, given my present circumstances, that I’ve been rather too harsh on people, though. Life lately has been rough (and slow) going; this has become especially true since moving back to the Valley. Not that I’ve ever been a dazzling font of optimism. My life has been, overall, a monotonous routine of drudgery and disappointment punctuated only occasionally by the lilting strains of gladdening melodies, but only lately has it really started bugging me. None of my plans for life has yet shown any fruit. Not that I’m sinking in despair here, either. But I have to admit, I’ve not been feeling encouraged lately.
But if I have not the mind to hope, I do, at least, have the compulsion to act. Perseverance, in the absence of any success, has shown itself sufficient to the task before. It can be hard to remember that sometimes, and I suppose that’s what makes it so easy to fall prey to narcissistic ideologies. I’ve spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself lately, and in so doing I’ve been neglecting my obligations.
So I suppose I’d best pull myself together.
