Old Notes (same Jason)

I am reorganizing my personal library (hopefully to make it easier to reference and find things) and just came across a note in my copy of "The Prophets", by Heschel. Its on Lee University paper, so it must have been while living in Cleveland just after I graduated. It has two things written on it with numbers out beside them:

1. "Ideas are dangerous, but are often treated lightly and glibbly ... especially in academic circles. There is hardly such a thing as a "merely academic" discussion. "The killing fields of Cambodia come from philosophical discussions in Paris." (Paul Johnson)"

Yep, I still agree. I think that quote is from when I attempted to read Johnson's "Modern Times" a giant history of our centure (1500 pages or so) ... maybe I should pick that one back up. It sounds good.

2. "You no longer have to be brilliant, intelligent and elite to come to the conclusion that life is meaningless ... that message is spoon-fed to millions."

Yep, that's still true as well ... except people seem to care even less that this is happening. Well I add to that as a further wake up call from Abraham Heschel "Are we alone in the wilderness of self, alone in this silent universe, of which we are part, and in whihc we feel at the same time like strangers? It is [precisely] such a situation that makes us ready to search for a voice of God in the world of man: the taste of utter loneliness; the discovery that unless God has a voice, the life of the spirit is a freak"

God help us.