Musings: Notes From My Daybook

Thanks to Pat for the link to piece by Dick Meyer, titled The Lonely States of America. Meyer cites a paper by three sociologists at Duke and University of Arizona on the grim reality of loneliness in American culture. The paper, "Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades," comes out of a major survey program called the General Social Survey.

Highlights (or lowlights):
Nearly 25% of all Americans have no person to discuss important matters with.
53% have no one outside of their family.
People have less friends than twenty years ago.

To think that 1 out of 4 Americans have no one to share deep or important issues is striking and points out the need for community in stark ways. Isn't it an irony that we have internet access, email, voicemail, text messaging, and cell phones but fewer and fewer people to really talk to. The lights are on, but no one is at home. The human spirit is shriveling up in a world of technological advance.

The release of the new Superman movie is attracting attention. And some are seeing some christological perspectives being offered. I like the comments on the Out of Ur blog on the new movie. The point: it is one thing to explore spirituality through film and it is an entirely different thing to try to wring out the masses by turning every film into a marketing extravaganza to the church.

It is only Monday but Sunday's coming!

Isaiah 6, Isaiah's call, is a text that commands attention and evokes mystery. The pride of Israel cut down in a defiant moment by leprosy sobers the young prophet who finds himself confronted by the incomparable power of Yahweh. In the flash of a moment the loss of king gives way to the recognition that he himself is lost--silenced among a people whose sinful lives characterize defiance and a disregard for the true king--Yahweh.

The prophet cries out and finds healing. The prophet, having received blessing is then willing to embrace the call when Yahweh asks the question of mission.

And it is no picnic. Isaiah is told that people won't listen and even though he preaches the word until the cows come home and you know what freezes over, the fact remains that there will be folks who won't listen--no matter what.

But Isaiah goes anyway. I think that is what worship, real worship does to a person. It alters them. It makes them willing to take risks and adsorb difficulties and keep right on going no matter what because they have been in God's presence and everything else takes its que from that reality.

Isaiah was one remarkable guy. One day in the presence of the Lord changed his life. What would a life lived in the presence of the Lord look like?