Another Day In Halifax

Well today will be my third day of classes here in Halifax.  I awoke this morning to a cold, rainy, dreary day, but all is good.  The majority of us are up and attending chapel service at 8:15 every morning and I have signed up, along with 2 other students to lead the chapel services next week.  One of individuals I am leading with is a trained ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter and so we will be doing much of our first service in sign and we will teach the attendees to sign the traditional response to prayers “Lord, hear our prayer,” so that there will be no verbal response to the prayer only a signed one.  It should be interesting.

I handed in my first reflection paper for my Nature and Grace course and I am a bit nervous, not really being sure of the expectations of the prof.  The reflection is on Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene, which basically states that all of our actions are the result of the built in, genetically coded, work of genes to ensure that they are passed along to successive generations.  In his theory there is no room for any divine influence in either people or in creation.  In the discussion there is much that actually makes sense in what he proposes and to be honest many would say that it forms a good explanation for the state of the world today; with all of its greed, war, selfishness, etc.

We will today be looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans and to the Colossians and from there we move on to Augustine and Aquinas and how they each look at the nature of humanity and the world and the role of grace within each.  It should be interesting.

I will continue to post as I am able and I hope that I will be able to get out this coming weekend and get some more pictures of Halifax to post.

Peace,

Patrick