July 20, 1969, man walks on the moon. I'm happy to report that I was only one year old and don't remember this amazing moment in our nation's history. But for some reason I've always been intrigued by the story. In high school, my favorite movie was The Right Stuff. I decided that year that I would marry Ed Harris or Dennis Quaid...whichever asked me first. I watched this movie and was amazed mostly by the rigorous physical trials these individuals endured in order to be chosen to be on the team of those worthy enough to participate in the space program. I also fell in true love with Sam Shepherd as Chuck Yeager. What a man! He had all the ability and guts it took to excell over the highly book educated candidates but was never even a contender because of his lack of higher education.
We all know different personalities of Christians and other religions for that matter. We know those who have really big theology brains...those who have studied, dialoged and commentaried on every theological concept imaginable. I fell deep into that well in college. I mistook heady theology for spirituality. Then we know those who are all experience...all emotion...and never seem to sober up long enough to 'think'; decern for themselves what scripture says and how it will be applied to our own life. I think of how in The Right Stuff, there should have been a candidate who was the perfect combination of Chuck Yeager and the college boys. One who had the heart AND the brain in perfect alignment. I wonder if that's what we strive for in our relationship with God and in our practice of growing spiritually....that most healthy and worthy combination of heart and brain.
1 comment:
I agree about seeking the blend of heart and brain. It’s ‘A Question of Balance’ (to coin the title of an old Moody Blues album). We have to take sometimes seemingly opposite characteristics and synthesize them into a higher-level trait. I suggest an additional three other balances to strive for:
1. Heart vs brain
2. Inward reflection vs outward communications with others
3. Practical, realistic view vs an intuitive, idealistic view
4. Orderly production vs spontaneous wanderings
There probably was only one person who achieved such balance, but he stands as an example for all of us to follow.
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