Bierkergaard: The Writings of Soren Kierkegaard

Yes, my good friends in the podcast universe, I am back from Copenhagen where I walked around 70 miles retracing Soren's steps. And endured the thorn of flying to Europe and back as a 6'8" man in a 5'10" world. The Big Man got a bit broken and then blessed in Copenhagen. Like one of those delicious rolls that come out of Danish ovens. Sometimes we want to put the blessing before the brokenness but I don't think that is how it always works. Sometimes it goes the other way.

I go on a major riff on my trip today to Copenhagen, talking about matters of such things. And, some personal reflection on my pain of over 40 years with my knee and head. Finally, we end with Soren's first paragraph of the Upbuilding Discourse "Thorn In The Flesh" and how the term is torn from its biblical context and used lightly and superficially to refer almost anything that doesn't go our way. Even the trivial. This verse was certainly about a serious matter and we need to see it in that light and what God may be saying to us through Paul's awful physical infirmity. That when he is weak (Paul), Jesus is strong. One who endured the thorns and Cross for us.

Soren assures the Christian that the peace of God is only through God himself. Our trust in his goodness towards us provides patience and calmness.Pray for me as I head to Copenhagen next week to walk where Soren walked. I'll see if I have the time to do an episode next Wednesday before I depart. The week after is likely going to have to wait as I will be flying back to the States.

Soren observes that people can go to church and not experience God. At all. As if God is not there. Yet, the Christian has God in him and with him all of the time.

Can we, like the Apostle Paul, "Boast in our weakness?" That is a spiritual confession that frees us to accept God's grace. Some discussion of outward observance vs. inward obedience is explored. Too often outward observance actually works against accepting God's grace. Like we can do it on our own.

In this section of the Upbuilding Discourse of "Needing God" the deeper self counsels the first self that 'Even in this moment, everything can be changed." Soren does not want his readers to place their hope on the inconstancy of the external world. He likens us to children who can be swayed by a trinket of externality and thus forget our need for God. He wants us to lose that first self to find our deeper self.

Jesus says that without him, we can do nothing. That is to try and make ourselves right with God without him. Becoming nothing is freeing. All of our strivings, efforts, fruitless chasing of the wind. Rest in him. What seems hard makes life less difficult.

We are capable of nothing at all in regards to earning God's favor. It is by Grace alone by Faith alone. We are capable of nothing "Until the fire of God's love ignites the blaze."

God's grace even makes our sufferings brief and short.

Soren reminds us of that Scripture verse that "Godliness with contentment is great gain." So it is first Grace, then Godliness, then Contentment.