Author: Ron Baker

Every once in a while I read a fellow by the name of Samuel James – his articles can be found on Substack under Digital Liturgy.  Here is a bit from one of his latest thoughts:

On proximity and plausibility (the closer you are to a situation, the more likely you are to think that doing the “thing” is plausible even though against a belief system you hold).

Let us grant that proximity creates plausibility. Let us also grant that the modern, 5G-connected person is proximate to just about anything, from violent pornography to kinism to “how to make a bomb.” What kind of plausibility structure is arising out of this? Just how far out are the limits of our conscience expanding? And why don’t we seem to talk about this more?

The key text for this idea is Proverbs 7. Have you ever wondered why Solomon goes out of his way to describe in great detail the encounter between a foolish dude and an adulterous woman? It seems at first glance that Solomon takes a long time to tell a very simple story. But I think Solomon belabors the details—the time of day the boy goes by her house, what she’s wearing, and what she says—because he wants us to feel just how powerful this moment is. Every aspect of this interaction builds up a plausibility structure of illicit desire, to the point that not even the boy’s best logic can resist. For Solomon, the lesson is clear. He concludes not with, “Resist her charms” or “counter her lies,” but: “Do not stray into her paths.”

In the age of the Internet . . . All of us feel in control of our input. All of us feel in command of our virtual worlds. And yet all of us have instantaneous, un-filtered, completely private access to every single behavior, idea, or identity imaginable. Everything, all of the time. We literally inhabit a digital universe that possesses the power, every second of the day, to conjure up any image, any scenario, any how-to, any bigotry, any kink, any manifesto, any truth-claim…..anything we want. “Desensitized” is too small a word for our imaginations in the computer age. We are constantly on the precipice of human (and nonhuman) imagination, every, single, day.

Any framework for Christian witness in the 21st century—much less any framework for political theology or the wielding of power—must account for this. Any framework that doesn’t cannot comprehend the modern situation.

Every 2.5 days since August of 2005 (18 years) I have blogged a post online.  Roughly that is 2720 posts on my website (www.ronbaker.ca).  You can read them all there.  I did publish a book on the first 3 years of blog posts (what I hope were the best posts).  That is still on Amazon (https://www.amazon.ca/beginning-2005-2006-Random-thoughts/dp/0995937001/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1697905172&sr=8-1).

Want to know a bit about me?  I’m hidden online!!

I’ve watched Facebook comments to one of my recent posts.

I’d like to say that I can be totally objective to a new discussion point found in a posting or a comment.  And I strive towards that. 

But, I have come to realize that my past life determines my current life’s response to a future life.  As I encounter a story or statement, I may get triggered into a past tragedy or trauma, but that is not the original authour’s intent in opening their thought to others. 

I can choose to head into the trauma and find a way to link that to the current discussion.  I begin to reflect my own trauma in my comment.  And I reveal my self to others – with stories that are valid and legitimate.  I hope someone is listening.

At the same time, with both humility and self-control, I want to listen to the current discussion.  I want to meditate on the ideas, dig deeply into the intent and hopefully contribute to the well being of all.

That does not mean that I don’t rant at other times, given permission by others.  And sometimes where permission is not given, I will dip my toes in the water.  Perhaps there is a place for my rant – maybe just not now, or in the current format, or when the subject would be better accepted.

Life lived with others is never easy!  And that is daily life as life goes on (the title of my blog at www.ronbaker.ca)!

And that is my rant for the day. 

Photo of the day:  The eye of the grasshopper – a bit sideways, but nevertheless piercing!

I have carefully monitored my own reaction to Western Society.  Sometimes I’m happy that individuals have so many freedoms.  Other times I’m saddened that we can’t work corporately together because of our own selfishness.

I was listening to a webinar on preaching story.  One thought was to refrain as much as possible from giving dry boring application.  Let each person find their own interpretation.  Jesus talked in parables (stories) – a good approach.  But for those who were close followers he carefully explained stories.

I wonder if we love the idea of making up our own truth derived from stories.  Does that exercise become “doing whatever is right in our own eyes”?  How do we rein in individual interpretations for the sake of the group?  And who provides the clear “laws” to be followed? 

Photo of the day:  My 10 year old grandson just had his birthday.  He designed this “stream” for our yard design when he was younger.  He has a great future in yard work and engineering!