Starry Night (Van Gogh)
Welcome to this blog on Christian Poetry & Discussion of the Sacred in Contemporary Consciousness and Culture. Through this blog, I hope to raise the too-neglected topic of what is meant by the sacred, by transcendent reality, in the very midst of our lives. The focus is Christian in my writing about the often counter-cultural, startling, and unique meanings of the teachings and Presence of Jesus Christ in the mental and cultural landscape of our times.
For many people, the sacred is a foreign, forgotten, or rejected idea. But the absence of the sacred in one’s life, or in a culture’s life, can be like diving into quicksand, a loss of the purposes and values of life as our egos pull us down.
For example, topics for future blog postings can include the following:
What is meant by “God”?
Why has the sacred been eclipsed or lessened for so many?
How does one “know” the truth of the Christian vision?
Can poetry be a way to creatively regain an experience of the sacred/God?
Is imagination a complement to religious faith?
What spiritual and psychological wisdom can Christian saints, mystics, poets, artists, scientists contribute to our awareness of the sacred in our lives?
What do current events disclose about our mindset and zeitgeist
Is contemplation necessary to live a profoundly active life?
What can monks and monastic life over the centuries teach us about how to life?
Why do I refer to God or Christ in my poetry as absurd or strange, and am I being absurd in doing so?
What is Christian mysticism and want does it say to us?
What is meant by what Catholicism calls a “culture of life”?
Does doubt have a role in spiritual faith and growth?
I plan on posting on a regular basis and hope we can form a community of people with the great questions of life, existence, and God in our hearts and minds. And perhaps, as Rilke says, we may live some day into answers. St. Augustine said “patience is the companion of wisdom” and a patient perseverance is the intended spirit of this blog and its bearing some fruit, no matter how small, in any of our lives.