The End of Solitude

Great piece:

The End of Solitude – ChronicleReview.com: “This is what the contemporary self wants. It wants to be recognized, wants to be connected: It wants to be visible. If not to the millions, on Survivor or Oprah, then to the hundreds, on Twitter or Facebook. This is the quality that validates us, this is how we become real to ourselves — by being seen by others. The great contemporary terror is anonymity.

So we live exclusively in relation to others, and what disappears from our lives is solitude. Technology is taking away our privacy and our concentration, but it is also taking away our ability to be alone.”

Lots to reflect on there.

Atonement

My seminary pal Thomas has a thoughtful post on atonement theories and how the more traditional models ring hollow for him:

Thomas Whitley – What’s Your Atonement Theory?: “If you pick one of these, why? If you operate from a different theory of atonement what is it and why? I am curious because I am having difficulty finding these theories very meaningful for me.”

I have to echo Thomas here. I’ve never been extremely comfortable focusing on the atonement side of my faith, so this is an issue I struggle with (when the issue presents itself).

I’ve always been attracted to Terry Brook’s The Druid of Shannara for my own atonement allegory 🙂

Asheville Tweetup at Nine Mile

Here are a few great shots of today’s awesome tweetup at Nine Mile (my new fav restaurant here in town) courtesy of Travis (@orbiting_chaaa)

Asheville, NC – Tweetup pics 01-22-2009 at Ninemile

Finding my place here in Asheville is becoming much easier because of the new friends that I’m meeting at these events. These things are really becoming a highlight of the Asheville scene for me!

Thanks to everyone who put this one together!