Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Theology and my job

Here's a post that talks someone's writing about what Martin Luther said about the "theology of glory" versus the "theology of the cross." (Yes, I'm writing about someone who wrote about someone who wrote about what someone else wrote. Quit your complaining. I sometimes write stuff without links to other stuff.)
Internet Monk: Glorious Ruin
(If that doesn't give enough background info, read up on "Theology of the cross" on Google or Wikipedia.)

Something kind of funny that I noticed: "The theology of glory is the natural default setting for human beings addicted to control and measurement." My title at work is "Process Control Engineer." My job revolves around control and automation. That includes designing computerized controls that will keep pressures, temperatures, flow rates, etc. fairly constant in an industrial plant. And you can't control what you can't measure. Therefore, my job is all about control and measurement.

I'm sure this isn't what this author is talking about, but it's kind of a funny connection. At least to this nerd.

But more seriously, who doesn't prefer "work to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly, and, in general, good to evil" like Martin Luther's "theologian of glory"? It's so easy to run from suffering even if it seems to be for something worthwhile. And years of being a Christian still leave me with a weak grasp on what it means to follow Jesus and do good things without trying to earn God's favour, without that sense of obligation rather than simply out of love.

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