I really admire Matt Mullenweg, the genius behind WordPress. Born in Houston, Texas, Matt is a tech wizard who co-founded WordPress in 2003 when he was 19. His journey is like a digital adventure, starting with a passion for blogging and evolving into a platform that powers a one third of the internet, including this blog. Matt is not just a tech person; he's also a proponent of open-source software and a champion for a more democratized web, which is a big part of what drew me to the web and is still one of the things I love about it. With his visionary leadership, WordPress has become the go-to platform for bloggers and businesses alike. Cheers to the minds shaping the digital landscape.
Watching this long form interview, got me excited once again on creating vs consuming and the power of a free and open web. I am often encouraged by listening to intelligent and interesting conversations like this one.
“How am I complicit in creating the conditions that I say I don’t want?”
Ethan Hawke and his daughter Maya Hawke were recently interviewed by Bishop Barron. Ethan and Maya’s most recent project is “Wildcat,” a film about the great twentieth-century author Flannery O’Connor. The film is directed by Ethan, and Flannery O’Connor is played by Maya. During the interview Ethan talks about people who struggle to find how they are. His answer to this struck me as wise. I listened to the entire interview, over an hour, and had to go back and listen again to this clip:
You know a lot of people go around the world and they go like, "Who am I?" you know, "I don't know who I am" and if you want to know who you are, you can make a case to be made, a very compelling case that God is telling you who you are by what you love, yeah and if you get close to what you love, what you love expands. And in the pursuit of excellence in any talent that you are given, that you are given, that everybody is given, right, in in the expression of Excellence at it you do honor to your maker right?
Ethan Hawke
In case you want to see the entire interview, I have included it here. The quote from above comes from about minute 5:55 to 6:41
Civility and authenticity are not mutually exclusive.
"Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark" was a groundbreaking television documentary series produced by the BBC in 1969. The series was presented by art historian Sir Kenneth Clark, it aimed to explore the history of Western art and philosophy from the fall of the Roman Empire up to the mid-20th century. Across thirteen episodes, Clark journeyed through over two thousand years of western cultural history, delving into the various epochs, civilizations, and notable figures that significantly influenced the course of Western intellectual, artistic, and cultural development. He discussed the great works of architecture, sculpture, and painting, as well as literature, music, and philosophy, contextualizing each within its period and offering a wide-ranging, yet personal, survey of Western civilization. At time when all we ever seem to hear is how western civilization has destroyed the world, I find examining the benefits refreshing.
At this point I reveal myself in my true colours as a stick-in-the-mud! I hold a number of beliefs that have been repudiated by the liveliest intellects of our time: I believe that order is better than chaos Creation better than destruction. I prefer gentleness to violence; forgiveness to vendetta. On the whole I think that knowledge is preferable to ignorance, and I am sure that human sympathy is more valuable than ideology. I believe that in spite of recent triumphs of science men haven't changed much in the last two thousand years and in consequence, we must still try to learn from history: History is ourselves.
I also hold one or two beliefs that are more difficult to put shortly: For example, I believe in courtesy - the ritual by which we avoid hurting other people's feelings by satisfying our own egos And I think we should remember that we are part of a great whole - which for convenience we call Nature - All living things are our brothers and sisters. Above all I believe in the God-given genius of certain individuals and I value a society that makes their existence possible.
These programmes have been filled with great work of genius: in architecture, sculpture and painting, in philosophy, poetry and music; in science and engineering There they are - you can't dismiss them and they're only a fraction of what Western man has achieved in the last 1000 years - often after setbacks and deviations at least as destructive as those of our own time. Western Civilisation has been a series of rebirths. Surely, this should give us confidence in ourselves. I said at the beginning of the series that it's lack of confidence more than anything else that kills a civilisation: we can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion, just as effectively as by bombs. Fifty years ago, W.B. Yeats who was more like a man of genius than anyone I've ever known… wrote a prophetic poem - and in it he said: "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction while the worst are full of passionate intensity." Well, that was certainly true between the wars - and it damn nearly destroyed us. Is it true today? - Not quite because good people have convictions - rather too many of them. The trouble is that there is still no centre. The moral and intellectual failure of Marxism has left us with no alternative to heroic materialism and that isn't enough. One may be optimistic but one can't exactly be joyful at the prospect before us.
Lord Kenneth Clark
I have been thinking a lot about courtesy and how Baby Boomers and Generation X, in many ways, sold society that courtesy was inauthentic and, therefore, should be avoided. I have realized that this view is not only short-sighted, but also neglects the fact that a society needs courtesy and manners to remain civil. I have tried to reframe my core values, shifting from "Be authentic no matter who it hurts" to "Be your best, most courteous self." I regret the times in my life that I was ill mannered and uncivil, and believed I was justified in doing so, in the name of authenticity. So, anytime I hear about someone praising the virtues of courtesy, it piques my interest. Civility and authenticity are not mutually exclusive. Being polite and genuine can coexist.
I have been appreciating both of these creators for some time. So when they started a back and forth debate, I was excited to hear what they had to say. I think I learn more hearing for both sides of a well articulated argument than so many other situations.
One: A Question Protestants Can't Answer.
Two: Yep, I have an Answer
Three: Responding to Dr. Gavin Ortland
As much as I love books, you are still only hearing one argument. When you listen to a thoughtful debate, you get to have a balanced view and then draw your own conclusions.
This video from two years ago in which Dr. Gavin Ortland is one of the videos I appreciated his content the most. The way he embraced his own faith deconstruction with honesty and integrity was and is inspiring to me.
Over the years, I have attended various nondenominational churches, and I have seen many of these churches stray from their original mission. I've observed two primary reasons for this: scandals and corruption within the leadership of the church, or a slow drift away from the church's original mission and adapting to the culture so much that it become just another social club. In both cases, the result is a weakened sense of community and a diminished focus on the core principles of the faith.
After stepping away from churches altogether, I began to realized that I too was drifting toward my weakness. I also began to realize the importance of a faith community and the role it plays in helping us stay accountable to our faith. This prompted me to explore the history of the church and to reexamine my own theological beliefs. I want to understand the ways in which our culture has influenced Christian beliefs and as a result it has drifted away from the Christianity Christ himself taught. I no longer believe that a pastor who opened his church to hippies to accommodate them is the source of historical truth.
Don't get me wrong, I am all about opening church to any and all, but not at the expense of adapting our beliefs to a broken culture.
As I've delved deeper into the history of Christianity, I have come to appreciate so much of the aesthetic beauty of the Catholic church and the Christian Orthodox church and have come to see those things as beautiful tools that have the potential of helping someone keep their faith healthy. This has caused me to question whether the modern nondenominational church is truly sustainable in the long run. Without accountability above the leadership of the church, it's easy for these communities to drift away from their original mission and become vulnerable to the weaknesses of their pastors.
The thousands of denominations that have emerged within Protestantism also raise questions about whether the split from the Catholic Church was a success. It's important to consider whether the Catholic Church has truly reformed on the issues that Martin Luther protested, and whether the nondenominational church is truly closer to the truth. I have also come to realize that much of what I was told about what Catholic's believe is simply not true.
Orthodox Christians would say that protestants seeking to rediscover early Christianity that has not been tainted by a modern society and look to the Catholic church, didn't go back in history far enough.
I am not a Catholic, but beyond aesthetics, I can appreciate their acknowledgment of the need for authority. I have really appreciated some of the creators on YouTube out there diving into these topics and hashing them out.
I don't have all the answers, and I have so many questions about Catholicism, Orthodoxy and many protestant denominations, but I believe that asking these questions and exploring the history of the church is an important part of strengthening our faith and finding the right community to support us on our spiritual journey. What I know for now, is that I no longer believe a church can live as an island with no authority or accountability. Just like there was wisdom in the American founders to account for human weakness, and so they endeavored to set up checks and balances for those weaknesses, Churches need that as well.
