2017 in Review Part 3

Not everyone enjoys year-end reviews but there is certainly some value in looking back on our own year. I am hopeful that this guide through a year of blogs may remind you of the significant events in your year.

It took watching the movie twice, but Arrival eventually became one of my favourite movies of 2017. The movie is much ado about the idea of rewiring our brains by learning the language of an alien culture. It clearly overstates its case but is brilliantly scripted and leaves one with a sense of hope regarding science, linguistics, and human understanding, even as it offers a sharp warning of how we use our own words and the militarization of culture. 

My April 17 blog-post was an ode to every band in which I have ever participated and particularly a tribute to the songs I have written or co-written over the years. The song, “No Hit Wonder,” is an exaggerated (I don't really have quite such lofty goals) autobiographical sketch of one man’s desire for fame. At some level, you may be able to relate as well. 

I paid closer attention to what my friends were writing in 2017. Several of my friends published books in this year. I read their works, blogged about them, and enjoyed learning how the books had come to be. The publishing industry has changed significantly in the last few years but what stays the same is the significant amount of effort one must put in if one wishes to write a readable book. My friend, Cam Taylor, published his book, Detour, in 2017. Two of my posts were dedicated to quoting and understanding this book. 

The “problem of pain,” is a perennial problem in Christian theology and a perennial topic in my blog posts. In the month of May, I tackled it again. This time, I added in concepts I had been learning from an evolutionary creation perspective. I am now thoroughly convinced that this is a fruitful way to analyse the problem and all of my future thoughts on the subject will be seen through the lens of how the “pain” and suffering of the evolutionary process leads to beings who will one day be more fit for relationship with God.

That’s a lot of thinking, dreaming, writing, and creating in just five months of the year. The next review blog will likely take me through the month of July in which I published my first novel. I pray that you too might be analysing your own life as we move forward.