the weblog of Ian & Lauren McLaren

WIND CHILL WARNING: Steinbach-St Adolphe-Dominion City-Vita-Richer
Issued at 4:24 AM CST THURSDAY 15 JANUARY 2009

EXTREME WIND CHILLS MINUS 40 TO MINUS 45 MODERATING BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS A WARNING THAT EXTREME WIND CHILL CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING IN THESE REGIONS. MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS..LISTEN FOR UPDATED STATEMENTS.
TEMPERATURES OF MINUS 30 TO MINUS 35 CELSIUS COMBINED WITH NORTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KM/H ARE PRODUCING WIND CHILLS IN THE MID MINUS 40’S OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN MANITOBA THIS MORNING. EXTREME CAUTION IS ADVISED AS UNDER THESE CONDITIONS EXPOSED SKIN MAY FREEZE IN AS LITTLE AS 5 MINUTES. WIND CHILL VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO MODERATE SLIGHTLY BY LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS WINDS DIMINISH

For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of the big four North American professional sports. In descending order, I love the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL [with the order of basketball and baseball probably being flipped around up until the Raptors came into existence].

I think it’s time to add a fifth sport onto that list. I have officially become a fan of the beautiful game.

I suppose it started innocently enough. Lauren and I traveled to London a few years ago, and my goal was to come home with a football jersey as a souvenir. I picked up an England national jersey and a Chelsea jersey, and decided that I would check the scores from time to time so that if anyone who saw me wear the shirt asked a question about either squad, I wouldn’t look like a complete poser. I followed England through the ’06 World Cup and watched all of their matches in their entirety. As for league play, I didn’t really watch it due to lack of cable [which I now know doesn’t really matter thanks to a couple helpful websites.] I did chat about it some with my friend Jon at Prov last year and was right into the Champions League final last May [which Chelsea lost on penalty kicks to Manchester United … boo].

And now that we are in Aberdeen, I actually have a local team to cheer for, Aberdeen FC. The Dons got off to a bit of a slow start, but led by SPL player of the month for December Lee Miller, they are now 1 point out of third spot, and to make it there would allow them to qualify for Champions League play next year. Lauren and I are planning on attending a match possibly next month, but will probably sit in the family section to avoid excessive rowdiness. Although judging by some of the kids children around here, that might not necessarily be the case! I also have decided to become a regular Chelsea supporter. I have been to the pub to watch two matches so far, the last being a total beat down by Manchester United. Ouch. Their prospects for this season are not looking the best.

One more thing. Living in Canada, one can’t imagine that there is anything bigger than hockey. It’s the first thing covered on all sports shows, and it’s talked about and reported to death. But I have to say that nothing compares to the level of interest and coverage that football receives over here. The entire sports section is filled with detailed information about every match, and the seedier papers are right into the players personal business. There’s the odd rugby or tennis article, but football, on a global perspective, is without question the most popular sport. And from what I have seen of the TV coverage, it’s non-stop on the sports networks.

One more thing. I really like the idea of in season on going tournaments too. I think the NHL and NBA should look into that to spice up the regular season months.

All that to say, I’m hooked. Here’s to Scotland qualifying for the 2010 World Cup!

I have been going over a load of material for my upcoming exams, and one of the biggest things I have been learning about is the importance of reframing. This came up in regards to the idea of theodicy, attempts to rationally explain the problem of evil and answer questions in regards to the love of God in its midst. The problem with this approach is that it is often a strictly intellectual exercise, completely detached from the reality of human experience. As Terrence Tilley explains is, theodicy is a discourse practice, which is purely theoretical. It does not respond to lament and not addressed to people who suffer. It is an intellectual pursuit, detached from the reality of human experience. Evil must be counteracted, not explained or rationalized.

Issues of sin, evil and suffering must be reframed in light of the cross and resurrection. Theodicy come from theo + dike, literally the justice of God. The justice of God culminates in the cross of Christ, a scene of great suffering that, when looked at from a different angle, is also a symbol of the hope of the resurrection whereby all things are put back together.

Austin Farrer puts it like this:

God does not give us explanations, he gives us his son. A Son is better than an explanation. The explanation of our death leaves us no less dead than we are; but a Son gives us life in which to live. Suffering is the pathway to redemption.

I like what Stanley Hauerwas has to say about all this. Within the context of the early church, questions of sin, evil and suffering did not have to be explained, for to explain would undercut the need to respond in meaningful ways; what was required was a means to go on even in the face of evil. The response was not to question God’s love, goodness and power, but to become the kind of loving community wherein the impact of sin, evil and suffering could be absorbed, resisted and transformed. The response was reactive as opposed to reflective; evil, sin and suffering were not seen a metaphysical problem that needed a solution, but rather practical challenges requiring a response, helping people to persevere in faith until Christ returned.

John Swinton argues that we need to ask what do sin, evil and suffering do? as opposed to getting bogged down in why questions. Sin, evil and suffering tear us away from our identity and purpose as creatures created in the image of God, and prevent us from loving God fully. Our response must aim to mend those who are broken by the effects of sin, evil and suffering, and to enable and sustain faith in the midst of suffering. This begins by reflecting on the cross [symbol of embodied solidarity and involvement] and developing forms of practice that are saturated with love, compassion, mercy and healing.

Speaking of the reality of human experience, I better get back to studying. Hopefully I can remember what I just typed if a question like this pops up on my exam. Thankfully, when it comes to real life application, I’ll be able to draw from Raging With Compassion; I can’t stress enough how much this book has influenced my thinking over the past few months.