Off and away

In approximately 6 hours I am to get under way, headed to what should be my last major (planned) adventure of my time here in Turkey this year. I am joining a student group that is traveling down to Ephesus and seeing many of the major tourist sites between here and there on a 6-day trip. The sites should include the 7 cities of Revelation, the Gallipoli peninsula, and other places of historic/natural interest. I actually saw a couple of these sites already on my trip in December, but maybe that will just allow me to get a better understanding of what else is around.

Unfortunately I really don't have time for an extended post. I just finished Francis Schaeffer's trilogy yesterday; it has been good to read his Christian philosophy as I study various of the historic philosophers. Towards the end of He is There and He is not Silent, Schaeffer says that because Christians have an understanding of what is "really" there (as opposed to wondering if anything is actually there) and because we believe that man is made in the image of the creative God, we should have fertile imaginations. Some of his thoughts in this connection would be interesting to talk about in light of recent discussions of fantasy, whether that be Rowling's Harry Potter or Lewis's Narnia. Why has fantasy and fiction so often been a great tool of Christian thought? Why is it often so corrupt a form of communication? What makes for good, profitable fictional writing or speaking?

I think some of the answers to these questions are suggested in Schaeffer's book, though he does not deal explicitly with them here. But the questions are good to ponder. Till later...