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.
I recently came across a BBC series from 1969 called Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark. It’s presented by art historian Sir Kenneth Clark and explores Western art, philosophy, and cultural history. The series covers over two thousand years, from the fall of the Roman Empire to the mid-20th century. Clark takes viewers through architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, music, and philosophy, showing how these achievements shaped Western civilization. In a time when Western culture is often criticized, it’s refreshing to look at its contributions.
In the final episode, Clark shares his thoughts on order, forgiveness, and human sympathy. He believes in the power of history to teach us, and in courtesy as a way to avoid hurting others. His closing remarks highlight the importance of individuals with God-given genius, and how Western civilization has been a series of rebirths—despite setbacks. He warns, though, that a lack of confidence in our values can destroy a civilization just as much as war or chaos.
The following is what he said.
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
Clark’s words made me think about courtesy and authenticity. Somewhere along the way, some Baby Boomers and Generation X pushed the idea that being polite was inauthentic, and that authenticity was everything. But I’ve come to see that society needs civility to function. I’ve shifted my mindset from “Be authentic, no matter who it hurts” to “Be your best, most courteous self.” I regret the times I was rude in the name of being “real.” Civility and authenticity can coexist. You can be both genuine and polite—both are necessary in a world that too often values feelings over respect. And maybe it is time for Gen X's second act.
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.
I appreciated a recent interview with Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumpkins, where he shared some interesting thoughts on Generation X. A couple of his comments stood out to me.
Corgan mentioned, “I still remain hopeful that Gen X has a second act.” It’s a powerful statement, reflecting the feeling many of us have that our generation is still searching for its place. Gen X has often been labeled the “lost generation,” stuck between Baby Boomers and Millennials. While other generations have defined major cultural or political shifts, Gen X seems to have faded into the background.
Another quote that caught my attention was when Corgan said, “Gen X might be the only generation to not have a president.” It’s true—so far, no one from Gen X has held the highest office in the U.S. When you think about it, this is unusual. Boomers and Millennials have shaped the political and cultural landscapes in significant ways, but Gen X remains somewhat in the shadows, lacking that same level of influence.
It raises an important question: What will Gen X’s legacy be? Are we content being the “in-between” generation, or is there still time to make a lasting impact?
You can check out the full interview with Billy Corgan here. It’s a thought-provoking conversation, especially if you’re a member of Generation X.
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.
