"In the purview of Advent thinking, however, any such system - theological, moral or economic - is an illusion."

It is comforting to have an explanatory system that accounts for everything; and we all have them.  Such a system may be a theological orthodoxy that delivers unfailing assurance.  Or such a system may be a moral code that confidently reduces everything to simple right and wrong with appropriate rewards and punishments.  Or such a system may be an economic orthodoxy, like free-market capitalism, that can reduce everything to production and consumption.  Any such system  comforts us and keeps us safe.

In the purview of Advent thinking, however, any such system - theological, moral or economic - is an illusion.  It is sure to be interrupted and exposed as inadequate and placed in jeopardy.  In Christian life,  Advent is the big interruption of all our explanatory illusions.

Walter Brueggemann:  Gift And Task:  Tuesday after Advent 2

In anticipation of not only advent but my plans for December, and as the Black Friday grossness is already underway, here's a little something to get into the spirit of things.  

Reading this yesterday made me realize how much I depended on such explanatory systems, how much of what I've had to get past to make any kind of progress in understanding the catastrophe we face was realizing that those systems,  the bromides and slogans of secular-atheist lefty orthodoxy, the authority of the authoritative voices and organs of that failed left, the more general holdings taught to any college-credentialed English language person in the post-WWII period* especially those surrounding "First Amendment" sloganeering and failure to learn.  

And, of course, what can be said about that on the play-left you can say about the hard right that has been eating the play-left's lunch for most of my lifetime due to such orthodoxy.  

There is no shortage of explanatory illusions.  I say, let's make attacking them a central part of the preparations for Christmas.  

Enough on that till Sunday. 

*  When does it stop being "post war"?  We're almost to the point where the people who remember as far back as 1945 are dying off.   Eventually it's got to end.   The hard lessons of that period were thwarted by exactly the kind of orthodox authority that I'm encouraging people to get past so we can avoid a repeat of WWII.