How about “No!” – how about “Not that!” ?

— Midweek Meditations:
thoughts, inspiration and encouragement
from ACF community members —

Sometimes encouragement – or the nudge one needs – comes from unexpected sources. I had such an experience some months ago and hope to share it with you.

Two or three years ago during Lent we listened to a podcast series by Jonathan Sachs. (Unfortunately he recently passed away.) It’s called “Morality in the 21st Century“ and deals with exactly this topic from a variety of perspectives. I really liked listening to all these interesting people in conversation with Jonathan Sachs. One of them was Jordan Peterson of whom I had not heard before and didn’t hear about him again until some months ago.

Then the omniscient youtube-algorithm decided to suggest something by Jordan Peterson to me and I thought “Hey, that’s one of these Lent people I so much liked listening to.” and tried the video and then the next and the video after that … I stumbled across many pearls and would like to show you one of my favourites with some comments:

• Click here to watch: “It’s a hell of a thing to call us a cancer on the planet.” Jordan Peterson
• (Ignore the name, I don’t know who chose it and don’t expect a nicely ordered speech.)
• Listen to it until 4:04 (now comes a passage that’s interesting and in a self-ironic way funny but does not contribute to the topic)
• Then go back to it at 9:47 and listen to it to the end

I so much like this defiant, strong attitude when he talks about an optimism that’s not naive. Sometimes a bit of defiance and anger about the right things can be much more energizing than pseudo-Christian meekness. Why not use this energy?

I also like his interpretation of the Abrahamic stories and how to successfully live in the strange land. May it encourage you, too.

I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant 
between me and you and your descendants
after you for the generations to come,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 
The whole land of Canaan, 
where you now reside as a foreigner, 
I will give as an everlasting possession
to you and your descendants after you; 
and I will be their God.”
Then God said to Abraham,
“As for you, you must keep my covenant, 
you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

Genesis 17:7-9