“There are things in this world which deserve our awe.”
- Dr.John Hodges
Diana West wrote The Death of the Grown Up. Our culture holds up perpetual immaturity and childishness as a sign of coolness and sophistication.
Wisdom of the old paths. Learn from elders & their books. “Honor your father and your mother...” If you think you invented Christianity, you’re living in fairy land. The Faith is passed on through the generations.
Progressivism: The latest is the best. We need the correction of our fathers and mothers. Anytime you cross an immature person you create a scene--much like the teachers throwing a temper-tantrum and marching on Madison. Now if the poor got up and protested against high taxes for businesses, I would sit up and listen.
Conflicting Principles
Richard Weaver noted in Ideas have Consequences that the French revolution was advocating conflicting principles. Modern Liberalism requires the elements of Radical individualism--the “peace” of no relationships and no people--and Radical Egalitarianism: ‘Let every one have the same outcome.’ The motto of the French Revolution was “Liberté, égalité, fraternité, ou la mort,” ‘Let’s have liberty, equality and fraternity for everybody.’ They don’t fit together.
People are not equal in talents, age, abilities, gifts, etc. There is diversity in the family, difference in responsibilities, older and younger together. True liberty comes from Christ.
Taste in Art
One of the first things a culture under judgment loses, when it refuses to grow up, is their appreciation for the arts. Art loses much of its pith, meaning and worth, because, to appreciate art, you must learn from previous generations who went before you.
In Greek mythology the nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Memory, they were the source of inspiration for the arts and sciences: comedy, tragedy, theatre, mythology, music, dance, astronomy, history, epic poetry and lyric poetry. Bach encapsulated the greats that went before him. The whole idea of inspiration came from memory.
Our culture has redefined taste to be “personal preference.”
Taste is the ability to discern the excellent from the inferior. J. I. Packer said, “Taste is a facet of wisdom.” There is an ought-ness to taste. The waterfall: “I like that, it’s pretty,” versus “That is sublime.” Subjective opinions versus objective beauty.
Making the winning shot in basketball isn’t heroism. A jogger along the Potomac died saving plane-crash victims dying from the icy water. The hero sacrifices of himself. Crises reveals character. Make words meaningful. Christ dying to save us is the ultimate picture of heroism.
Diana West said, “What has disappeared from our culture is an appreciation for what goes along with maturity: Forbearance and honor, patience and responsibility, perspective and wisdom, sobriety, decorum and manners, and the wisdom to know what is appropriate and when.” We are coming to a time when we don’t even know we’re barbarians.
The purpose of education is to train our souls to love the things that are worth loving.
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