Nathanael Szobody

On Being in Love

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

From every encounter, from every glance of the eye (however swiftly it takes hiding, so to speak, behind the eyelashes), one fetches something home, like the bird which in its busy season fetches one piece after another to its nest and yet constantly feels overwhelmed by the great wealth at its disposal.

— Soren Kierkegaard

Christ in the Lamentations

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

Among the prophecies of the Old Testament perhaps the least enjoyable in reading is that of Lamentations. And this for obvious reasons. It is the mourning of the prophet Jeremiah over the lost glory of Israel and the seeming abandonment by God of his people. This can make for some gloomy reading. The question naturally arises: why would this be inspired by God and put down in the canon of Holy Scriptures?

Resisting the Devil

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I resist the devil, and often it is with a fart that I chase him away. When he tempts me with silly sins I say, ‘Devil, yesterday I broke wind too. Have you written it down on your list?’

— Martin Luther

College Identity

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

I was recently asked by a friend what I thought college did for the identity of the students. The university likes to tell us that college is where we’ll ‘find ourselves.’ I appreciate the thoughtfulness of the question, and appreciate even more the opportunity to think on it myself!

The Faith of Abraham

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

In the sacrifice Abraham did lose Isaac. And that is the freedom. He did also get him back, though not in the physical way, for that would be a return to holding on, but he did receive back the true promise and essence of the gift of Isaac which he could never receive if he were to hold on to him bodily. What he gives up remains given up, i.e. henceforth he recognized Isaac as not belonging to him at all, but the true Isaac whom he holds on to by the strength of God’s promise in the face of the absurd is now given to him.