I'm reading Desiring God by John Piper. So far it's been really interesting. He's arguing Christian Hedonism, which sounds really weird at first. But so far it makes sense. Here's his philosophy:
1. The longing to be happy is a universal human experience, and it is good, not sinful.
2. We should never try to deny or resist our longing to be happy, as though it were a bad impulse. Instead, we should seek to intensify this longing and nourish it with whatever will provide the deepest and most enduring satisfaction.
3. The deepest and most enduring happiness is found only in God. Not from God, but in God.
4. The happiness we find in God reaches its consummation when it is shared with others in the manifold ways of love.
5. To the extent that we try to abandon the pursuit of our own pleasure, we fail to honor God and love people. Or, to put it positively: The pursuit of pleasure is a necessary part of all worship and virtue. That is:
The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.
Sounds pretty freeing to me. So far, I'm intrigued. Lately I feel like my desires are really complex and convoluted. I don't really know what I want anymore. I had come to the conclusion that it didn't really matter, that ultimately my desires didn't matter. But I'm reconsidering that. Pure and simple desires...I guess that's what I hope I'll develop in the next coming season. New Years resolution, anyone?
Will I become a Christian Hedonist? We'll see...
Also, What Dreams May Come is a really good movie. If you're into visual movies, and metaphysical stuff, I recommend it!
