idle banter

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

so it seems

that without a hint of the spectacular or the unusual, we lose interest and conversation dries up...

why are we so slow to recognise the benefits of the slow, steady, plodding kind of method to growth?

i've actually posted this quote before...

The essential thing in 'heaven and earth' is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living." -Friedrich Nietzsche

posted by barry at 6:55 pm

4 Comments:

  • instant gratification?

    the 'long view' is something that doesn't come naturally to people. It's much easier to move on to something more interesting (OK, maybe this is just my ADD coming through)

    the thing about delayed gratification is that it's .... delayed. I think it's a bit superficial to blame consumer culture etc, it's just part of who we naturally are.

    So how do we commit to a long obedience in the same direction?

    More importantly (for now), how can idle banter contribute to that?

    what would a long obedience in the same direction mean for idle banter?

    -an online bible study?
    -commenting everyday regardless of the excitement factor of the post?
    -none of these?

    fxeyiesr

    By Blogger Peter le Roux, at 7/05/2006 09:31:00 pm  

  • Anyone with other ideas on how we meaningfully commit to a long obedience in the same direction?

    oepdkw

    By Blogger Peter le Roux, at 7/07/2006 03:00:00 pm  

  • That's an interesting point Herc- sometimes things don't work because we don't try them for long enough, so we drop it and try something else. A post modern view certainly allows us to explore more options.

    I suppose the problem there is really that I don't have a set of spiritual goals that I can measure success against- so it's difficult to know whether something is really working.

    Now I'm not talking about being completely amoral and godless when I say I don't have spiritual goals. Let me put it another way- how many of us have 'roadmaps' or 'business plans' for our journey with Christ? Real, measurable, objectives?

    I'm aware that being too prescriptive can put God in a box and we end up missing out on Him, but probably something hindering my long obedience in the same direction is not knowing exactly what that direction is.

    wdtqnmg

    By Blogger Peter le Roux, at 7/10/2006 09:47:00 am  

  • pete,

    i think that my frustration with idle banter has been the sense of "who am i talking to?". I'm not phased by strangers reading my comments, but I do need to feel that we are in conversation. Conversation requires a committment. i therefore like your suggestions that we commit ourselves to a regular visit and a regular comment.

    I wouldn't be keen for more legislation than that... but I would also want to encourage people to engage the "not so argumentative" subjects. I think that many really good (but bland) insights have been offered and spat out by a excitement based readsership.

    and COMMENT! otherwise there's no conversation.

    By Blogger barry, at 8/14/2006 10:11:00 am  

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