Logocentric (adj).Regarding words and language as a fundamental expression of an external reality (especially applied as a negative term to traditional Western thought by postmodernist critics).
Sometimes I just write whatever I feel like. Other times I respond to prompts, many taken from the following places:
I have always enjoyed the longer distance running and skiing. The Marathon in Summer Olympics and the 50km Mass Start in the Winter. My wife can't understand how I can watch the same race for several hours. But they are fascinating to me. I like the Downhill Slalom, Bobsled and Luge sports. Attending a Winter Olympics remains on my bucket list.
My favorite sporting events in the Winter Olympics are the Luge, Bobsled, Figure Skating and curling. Initially, I thought I would be bored with curling but I'm not. It's fascinating how they determine each glide's angle and potential score.
When my children were younger we built them a luge course, they loved it. We were lucky that winter to have lots of snow to build up the walls and with some help with pallets that we covered with snow, it kept them and the neighborhood kids busy until it warmed up and melted. I was a lot more at ease with the luge course than I was when they decided to try arial jumps off our house roof. Never a dull moment when you live in Maine.
I am reading ESV through the Bible this time. Like you, I've explored a bunch of translations. My church uses NIV but my women's Bible study group (part of the same church) varies based on what Bible study we're doing.
Hope you enjoy the Olympics! I agree that the every four year thing makes them feel more special.
I read the New American Bible, which is a Catholic Bible. (NABRE) They include Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, which generally aren't included in other versions of the Bible. I would be curious to read an orthodox bible or the Ethiopian Bible as I hear they have differences as well.
As for the Olympics, I love the Winter Olympics. I'm just crossing my fingers I have time to watch!
In terms of the original texts the NASB has the best reputation among conservative scholars. It looks at more translations, has a sensible hierarchy of text selection and the best principles for approaching the translation task. It favors original texts when possible. The ESV and NKJV are on a similar level. The Net Bible gives the best overview of the discussions in its commentary. The NIV renders the original text to make it more readable. It is a more functional text which is why many churches use it but it is also less precise. Greek or Russian orthodox are more Septuagint orientated and there is a considerable amount of ethical or emotional rendering to the text.The disadvantage of the NASB is that it loses much of the Hebrew poetical style in its effort to be precise as this does not translate into the English
I'm very fortunate to have met some practicing and humble Christians. Truly humble people seek to serve, not attain power and influence. The actions of many Christians make me run the opposite way... as fast as I can.
In his book, Sit, Walk, Stand, Watchman Nee states: "Nothing has done greater damage to our Christian testimony than our trying to be right and demanding right of others. We become preoccupied with what is and what is not right. We ask ourselves,' Have we been justly or unjustly treated?' and we think thus to vindicate our actions. But that is not our standard. The whole question for us is one of crossbearing".
Jeff, this is an excellent book. Perhaps one for your reading list?
There are times when articles require context and commentary... and then there are days like this. Truth be told, I just had to share this article because it's so bizarre. If the title alone isn't enough to pique your interest, I'm going to re-post the excerpt from The Telegraph that this article cites and let it speak for itself:
"Purbrick, 63, who was part of Great Britain's equestrian team in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, took revenge on her lover, Lord Prior of Brampton, after catching him in the arms of another woman.
"After obtaining eight litres of pig's blood from a friend who was a butcher, she let herself into his south London flat and used a garden sprayer to paint the words "whore", "lady slut" and "big d*** lord" on the walls.
"She also drew a penis on the floor before emptying the remainder of the pig's blood everywhere and then leaving a cheque for £1,000."
WOW.
The NPR article goes on to provide additional context, such as the fact that Purbrick "played loud music" during the incident and specifically chose pigs' blood because her (now presumably former) lover had an affection for the animals. There's also a bit about how her attorney had to apologize for Purbrick showing up in court in pink shorts and a white T-Shirt because she couldn't find an Uber or a cab and had to walk to the courthouse from the London Underground station.
Her quote at the end of the article is great. Seriously, I know there will probably be precious few people regularly clicking through to the actual article for this challenge, but this one is really worth your time. It's approximately 500 words of pure, eyebrow-raising oddity, and highly recommended for anyone who needs a break from the more serious news of the day.
WOW.
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