[March 1999 journal entry]
Note the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s experience does not appear to have any profound impact on/for those around him other than his wife. Note the explanations of the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s sufferings offered by his three close friends illustrate the explanations of human suffering that are generated and permitted by/within the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm – e.g., ‘proportionality’ (i.e., ‘you prosper or suffer no more than you deserve’) or ‘it will be better in the future’ or ‘you reap what you sow’ or ‘you are not tested beyond what you can bear’ or ‘there must be some undisclosed sinfulness’ or ‘there must be some divine purpose beyond human comprehension’ or . . . . Note the caravan travelers mentioned in the story/play Job are located outside the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm circle. Their stories become the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s most significant resource. Their wisdom is more authentic and persuasive than is ‘religious’ wisdom. Note the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm fosters/promotes an ‘entitlement’ spirituality, ethic, and theology. Note that, for those not troubled by tragic human suffering in the theological way the ‘scrapheap’ Job was troubled due to his being within the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm, a spirituality becomes possible that is characterized by (1) humility, (2) empathy, (3) gratefulness, (4) self-discipline, (5) ability to be truly present with sufferers, (6) . . . .
Note the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s experience does not appear to have any profound impact on/for those around him other than his wife. Note the explanations of the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s sufferings offered by his three close friends illustrate the explanations of human suffering that are generated and permitted by/within the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm – e.g., ‘proportionality’ (i.e., ‘you prosper or suffer no more than you deserve’) or ‘it will be better in the future’ or ‘you reap what you sow’ or ‘you are not tested beyond what you can bear’ or ‘there must be some undisclosed sinfulness’ or ‘there must be some divine purpose beyond human comprehension’ or . . . . Note the caravan travelers mentioned in the story/play Job are located outside the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm circle. Their stories become the ‘scrapheap’ Job’s most significant resource. Their wisdom is more authentic and persuasive than is ‘religious’ wisdom. Note the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm fosters/promotes an ‘entitlement’ spirituality, ethic, and theology. Note that, for those not troubled by tragic human suffering in the theological way the ‘scrapheap’ Job was troubled due to his being within the ‘religious’ T/O paradigm, a spirituality becomes possible that is characterized by (1) humility, (2) empathy, (3) gratefulness, (4) self-discipline, (5) ability to be truly present with sufferers, (6) . . . .
