Grasping for the wind, or beyond

Many people have commented on this BBC interview - Jeremy Paxman in an unusual interview with comedian Russell Brand. Unlike his public persona (of which, to be honest, I know very little, as his speech seemed vulgar enough to put me off listening to him ages ago), Brand shows has real insight into culture and human nature. I often think that comedians are left to be the only ones in our age and culture who are permitted insight and understanding of human nature and society. They are the court jesters, who are allowed to preach unpleasant truths to the powerful and comfortable, in the name of entertainment.

Brand - I don't want to dwell here with such trivial things for very much longer.
Paxo - You mean you seek death?
Brand - Not death. But between now and death, it would be ever so nice I think, if I were able to achieve something that is truly valuable, some evocation of beauty, togetherness, an exposure of the illusion of separation, and some connection between people; perhaps use this energy for something better than leaving voicemail...'

Brand - Now I am famous and what does it mean: ashes in my mouth. ... Someone told me once that all desire is the desire to be at one with God in substitute form. So perhaps we can draw attention not to the shadow on the wall, but the source of light itself.

The substance of the interview is worth hearing (if you can ignore the few profanities).

I want to send Brand a copy of C.S.Lewis' Surprised by Joy. He seems to have 'got' that celebrity, or mundane non-celebrity, are all vanity and grasping for the wind. He wants to get through it and find something genuinely weighty, which will transform him. But would he cope with the weight of glory, if he held it in his hand? It might pierce him right through, unless he has been transformed to bear the image of the Man from glory.

[Aside: Paxman finds it unusual that Brand's so intense or in earnest about what he's saying. One of the aspects of British culture which I really don't like is how being in earnest or passionate about serious things is found somewhat Odd, and Not To Be Encouraged.]

STEP and laugh!

A not-so-new, but recommended health regime: STEP and laugh. That's Stop Taking Everything Personally, and laugh! As in a Shakespearean comedy, we know the end, so it's ok to laugh in the middle. (Especially, to laugh at ourselves.) For more, see Ed Welch's post: Reasons to Laugh, Each Day.

Caption competition: leader debates

Not having a TV license, I'm catching the party leaders' TV debates a bit at a time after they're live, on iplayer. So it was with much amusement that I saw the opening freeze shot for yesterday's debate:


Clegg: We're the only ones who have told you the details of what we would cut - 50% waste, 50% waste in all past governments: look, we don't need 2 legs: think how much we could save by only using one!
Brown: I agree with Nick.
Cameron: Give me strength!

Caption competition open!

[Please note: bad language and character assassination attempts not welcome. Keep the humour good!]

Timely new Driscoll title

I wish I'd spotted this earlier today - but a great new Driscoll book is out: Sweetheart. The review's worth reading.

Insurance salesmen are good

...for something, anyhow. Heading my work email as a sponsored link, came the following quotation.

"I detest life-insurance agents; they always argue that I shall some day die, which is not so."

Stephen Leacock, Canadian economist & humourist (1869 - 1944)

On radio 3 the other day, the presenter asked an interviewee (paraphrased), 'This composer died so young: do you think that he was aware of his own mortality?' It was asked as if mortality was something which only afflicted those who die young. My answer would be, 'Pity the fool who is not aware of their own mortality.'

We should be aware of more than mortality, however:

Calvinist fun

A bit of silliness from a man with a guitar... who thinks his wife's a Calvinist.

[HT: Mark Meynell]

Don't worry!

Again, [HT Mark Meynell], this time from Private Eye:

Abusism

Abusism. No, not a belief in encouraging abuse, but in light of the recent much-publicised bus ads (which at least get people discussing God and the consequences of His existence):[HT: Dan Hames]

Existential angst

Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life

[HT: Adrian]

How great I am!

The sick song of the human heart, which so often sings this under its breath. Not that anyone hears the tune, but the effects can usually be seen. How humbling it is to ask, "Why did I just say that? Why did I just do Y?" So often the answer is "Worship." But not as we'd like to profess:

Logic on fire!

One of the books I'm currently reading is Piper's "The Supremacy of God in preaching". In it he encourages (expounds? exalts over? delights in?) expository exaltation. But apparently he's been developing a new homiletic technique: expository combustion. I think it might catch on. And with that frivolous thought, I'm happily away for the weekend.

Book recommendations

Trueman's at it again, with his "book review section of Reformed Man Today" listing "the following three must reads for all cutting-edge confessional types out there:" - the first caught my eye because studying for a Biblical view of state, politics, and church is currently somewhere on my radar of interest...

The Christian's Guide to Voting by Brad Sikorski. Sikorski, a doyen of pro-life causes such as the NRA, `The Hang Hillary Now Campaign' and `The Committee to Bring Back Old Smokey' writes with his customary light wit, disarming modesty, mischievous sense of humour and penetrating insight. A must-read guide which will take you through the complexities and nuances of the moral and intellectual maze of the contemporary political scene and tell you which Republican candidates the Bible requires you to vote for and which ones are simply paid agents of Hugo Chavez bent on destroying civilisation as we know it. A 700 Club `Book of the Decade' selection.

Reformed Eye for the Evangelical Guy by Derek Delboy-Thomas and Liggy Ligon-Duncan. Coffee table book based on the hit TV series. If your idea of style is Thomas Kinkade paintings, Inspirational Choir of the Tabernacle albums, and Benny-Hinn style Nehru jackets, then this is the book for you. Let A-list Reformed celebs, Del and Liggy, lead you to a more confessional approach to style. Comes with free charcoal-grey double-breasted suit, white shirt and J Crew tie.

[Read more.] Reminds me of a certain 2 ladies at Word Alive doing 'What Not to Wear' to a certain evangelist.