Attention Fixing: A Hint of What is to Come

December 15, 2017

Advent 2017: Hope in the Shadow

A hint of restoration appeared as we meditated through Advent 1. This hint should nudge us to a question: Why restoration? Advent 2 answers that question. Restoration happens to make way for righteousness. That righteousness shows itself so prominently in the Advent 2* readings makes sense. We are anticipating Jesus’ arrival and the reason Jesus arrived was to make us – you and me – righteous.

December 7, 2017

Advent 2017 and a Hint of What is to Come

Today marks the sta

rt of the second week of Advent 2017*. Reading through the first week of Advent Readings increased my anticipation. Of course, this anticipation is for Jesus. The temptation leading to Christmas, though, is to think that of course we are anticipating Jesus and just leave it at that without actually reflecting on what this means. This week, I began to see hints of what anticipating Jesus means. For the first week of Advent I am anticipating restoration for two reasons. First, the Psalmists from this week’s readings are hinting at it. Second, I am desperate for restoration today, some three millennia after they were writing. Advent begins, then, with a hint of anticipation that my desperation will be noticed.

What You're Reading

I tend to approach situations both as a contemplative and as an activist. This is framed by my Christian faith. I believe the bodily resurrection of Jesus is an historical reality and that this event is at the centre of the rest of reality.

My understanding of the world says there is a single truth; however, I am a fallible creature like everyone else and am therefore unable to grasp truth entirely. If something is true I will acknowledge it as so, whether the source shares my all of my belief or none of my belief. Any true statement about the creation will inevitably point to the creator.

I've adopted wording for the title of this blog from The Message, Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible. Romans 12 tells readers to focus on God and that change will naturally grow from this. If I approach the world both as a contemplative and as an activist and look to the resurrection as the source of all good transformation, I need to give due attention to God. This blog is my attempt to do so.

Attention Fixing began life in an earlier form in 2011. As my purposes for blogging changed, I decided to launch a new blog. Some (though not all) of the entries from my previous blog made their way here.