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God’s Suffering
Nov. 8th, 2020 | Se Ri Lee MC ‘23+1
In my previous encounters with this verse from Isaiah 53, my thoughts had always dwelled on the word “suffer,” then shifted to pondering God’s inexplicable reason for allowing suffering a place in the world. This time, as I read over it, my eyes rested on the “him.” It suddenly occurred to me that God put Himself through suffering. It was God’s will for His Son Jesus (i.e. God Himself [1]) to suffer perhaps the greatest suffering of all time: death through torture, crucifixion on the cross.
Love at a Distance. Feast From Afar.
Oct 27, 2020 | By Daniel Chabeda ES ‘22
I ordered myself food through UberEats for the first time on Monday, October 19, 2020, six years after the service launched, two years after moving to college, and 18 months after I downloaded the app. I thought about why it took me so long to utilize the convenient and popular food delivery service. The app is thoroughly-vetted, the deals are great, and I am generally a homebody who enjoys keeping cozy in my room: UberEats should have been my jam! I rarely eat out (homebody) and spend money infrequently, but despite these sensible explanations, I ultimately realized that it was not a dispositional or financial quality that held me back. My reticence was based in a deep-rooted social and spiritual conception that meals exist for community.
Take Off Your Shoes
Oct 21, 2020 | By Jadan Anderson MC ‘22
God makes strange first impressions. When God introduced himself to Moses, He decided to do so as a bush that was on fire. What’s more, the first thing God said to Moses wasn’t “hello” or “I am God,” but “take off your sandals.”
When I hear the term “holy ground” I think about the Catholic churches of my childhood. I was taught that people should greet God with their very best, especially in His own space. For that reason, I showered before every Mass, donned my finest clothes, and put on my designated, closed-toed church shoes. It seemed that everyone at Mass did the same. Though I enjoyed dressing up on Sundays, the older I grew the more I perceived an element of hiddenness under all the garb. By the time I was a teenager, I thought those fancy clothes were something of a separation between us and our holy God, or at least symbolized a need to be more or be better in order to approach God. But I kept dressing up because, if I ever arrived at church barefoot, my grandparents would rain fire upon my mom and dad.
Seeing Each Other
Oct 11, 2020 | By Sharla Moody BK '22
There are few things harder to grapple with in this world than the realization that our loved ones are just as imperfect as everyone else. This perhaps marks the change from child to adult, when we learn that our parents are not gods, but rather complex and flawed people just like ourselves. When we meet a new romantic partner, at first it seems that they can do no wrong. Yet the U.S.’s depressingly high divorce rate suggests otherwise. We sometimes view love—not just romantic love, but also familial—through rose-colored lenses. But the people we love dearly can also cut us deeply precisely because we love them.
Gumiho
Oct 4, 2020 | By Jason Lee TD ‘22.5
The only book I’ve ever stolen is a book of Korean myths. At the time, I’d only ever heard the versions my mother told me when I was younger. She’s a wonderful storyteller and invested much time and attention into ensuring I dreamt about the same characters she did. Dokkae-bis, dragon kings, tigers, a miserable fool of a frog— I loved folklore, and though they had to share space with Pokemon and Iron Giant, these characters became a consuming fixation.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: An Icon for Our Times?
Sept 27, 2020 | By Raquel Sequeira TD ‘21.5
“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” “When there are nine.” “I grew up not knowing there was a glass ceiling because of you.” “Thank you for inspiring this lady lawyer.” “I dissent.”
I paced the pavement in front of the Supreme Court, squinting to read the hundreds of chalk messages obscured by my lengthening shadow. Golden hour on Capitol Hill is one of my favorite places to be. Now, I was sharing the sunset with a crowd—not one of the angry crowds that often storm the white marble steps before abortion cases, but a crowd subdued to silent awe. People kept their distance from each other and even from the police barrier-turned-memorial, endowing the chalked-up sidewalk with a sense of sacredness.
Upcoming Events:
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Weekly Meetings
THURSDAYS 5-7PM, Branford College Trumbull Room
Discuss with us what it means to think Christianly and write for our publication.
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Philosophy of Everyday Life Seminar
THURSDAY SEPT 11TH 6:15-7:45PM, Elm Institute
Join us at the Elm Institute for a private version of the Elm’s popular seminar “The Philosophy of Everyday Life”. Readings will be focused on Friendship. No prior reading required. Food provided.
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Divinity School Private Archival Tour
THURSDAY SEPT 18th, 9AM, Yale Divinity School
We will be looking at the Yale Divinity School’s missionary collection, specifically focusing on letters from international ecumenical movements from America to China. We will be looking at how these relate to our theme of freidnship in a more nuanced way. We will be walking up from cross-campus at 8:30 am, but you can also meet at the YDS gates at 9 am.
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William Blake Private Exhibition Tour
THURSDAY OCT 2ND, TIME TBA
Peter Wicks of the Elm Institute will guide us through the traveling exhibition ‘William Blake: Burning Bright’ at Yale Center for British Art. No previous experience with art or William Blake required.