For those who haven't heard, our friend David is in the hospital after having a pretty serious seizure a couple days ago. Thank God Tiana and Eric, at whose place David was couch surfing, were able to find him and dial 911. After giving us quite a scare, he seems to be getting back to normal, flirting with his nurse, joking about his catheter, and requesting his electronic toys. I've been able to talk to him a couple times since waking up, and he sounds strong and happy. He's been had a CT, EEG, and MRI, which have ruled out a tumor and shown that the seizures are done. Apparently they've ruled out meningitis also, so the biggest scares are off the table. He also said looking back at some old EEGs, the docs think they've located an epileptic focus*. While it's a bit of a punch to roll with, let's be thankful they now know what's up, and this should be pretty manageable for him. We love ya Dave, and you're in our prayers. Hopefully we'll get to see you soon; Lizzie's itchin' to dance with her uncle David soon!

*In the comments Kallie has pointed out something my wife tells me all the time not to do. Sorry to let med jargon seep in. Anyway, epilepsy is basically when a bunch of neurons in the brain start firing all together and way too much. Sometimes there can be a small point (a focus) in the brain with firing patterns that can lead to this scary pattern. The EEG measures brainwaves that represent neurons firing, and sometimes certain patterns can point to a focus in a certain area of the brain, which is good for solidifying diagnosis and deciding the best treatment options.

1. The Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder. 1994 (Okay, it was really written in 72, but I'm cheating and using the second edition to get it qualified; it's just that good.) I'm not sure I've ever read a book that so thoroughly challenges the way I live my life. I could sure stand to read it again as I face the secular onslaught here in Manhattan, but Vic Heasley still has it. I'm pretty sure none of my Ivy League friends here ever swapped theology books with their organic chemistry profs. :D I miss PLNU.

2. Torture and Eucharist, William T. Cavanaugh. 1998. Just plain good. Great content and great writing. While many of the details have been lost, it sticks out in my mind for its general awesomeness.

3. Resident Aliens, Stanley Hauerwas and William H. Willimon. 1989. There need to be more books like this. And more people need to read them. I can't think of a more appropriate primer for a layperson as to why we ought to reconsider the status quo Christianity in North America today.

I've got to say the third position was a bit rough for me to narrow down. Arguably Unleashing the Scripture isn't as important, but it is very important to me because this book, assigned in Pastor John's Biblical Theology class, introduced me to a new way of thinking that turned my life upside down. (Incidentally, I'm not sure my wife has yet forgiven him for exposing me to this thought. Okay, not really. But she sure endured WAY too many boring discussions.) Also, had Theology and Social Theory actually been, you know, readable, it would have easily made my list. Alas, I relegate it to honorable mention.

Hmm... Not sure who is left out there other than Pastor John. I tag him, and I'm taking suggestions for two more.

Okay, I'm off to study more pathophysiology. It'll probably be a few more months before you hear from me again.

Thanks to James K. A. Smith for reminding us to pray for Ted Haggard. In the end, this is a heartbreaking story, and a family will never be the same once CNN and Fox News stop covering it.

Over at God's Politics Amy Sullivan has an intriguing post on the Haggard story. Call it spin, but I too am hopeful good can come out of this in the end. Personally knowing a gay person drastically changes the was a person thinks about the issue. Haggard has positively influenced many lives, so hopefully his story can garner some sympathy among a typically homophobic crowd.

Finally, in light of the death sentence handed down for Saddam, I find Dale's post on the U.S. as an accessory the crimes for which Hussein was sentenced. Sad indeed. And hypocrital! I think it says a lot about the true character of this country that we start and support illegal wars, execute our criminals, and depose and hang dictators when they no longer help our cause and block us from lots of oil with which we can continue to poison the earth.

In light of this, I found this post quite relevant to my relationship with my dear friend. In it Lee links to a couple good posts elsewhere about contemporary atheists. Find them here and here.

Let me rip off those posts in light of my experiences. It seems those who get the most airtime and references, the likes of Dawkins, Dennett, and Harris, are even worse at building straw-man arguments than my atheist friend. "God equals tooth fairy" may represent the faith of some, but I'm convinced it misrepresents the faith of most, and modern atheists who use that flaccid argument do their projects a disservice by that lazy tack. I'm curious why Nietzsche isn't more of a hero these days. Indeed, I find his work fascinating and convicting. I find his work a remarkably adept critique of modernity, and I think he shifted things by basically showing we cannot believe in anything. While I think authentic faith is the only other alternative to his nihilism, I don't think a fundamentalist's apologetics isn't the reason one ought to practice the faith. Rather, when the modern project is dismantled, all we can hope for is to "out-narrate" other metanarratives. (I think I'm really tipping my Radical Orthodoxy cards here. :D )

What surprises me about the approaches of the Dennets, Dawkins, and Harrises is their utilization of outdated philosophy. Isn't strident logical positivism a bit philosophically immature? It strikes me as ironic that I seem to be a bigger fan of Nietzsche and Foucault's work than these thinkers are. Not that my buddy's arguments don't challenge me immensely, but I just don't see myself one day soon realizing I've been believing in a heavenly Santa Claus all along.

Also, for those who have problems calling the situation in Iraq "civil war", check out this interesting little post at TPM.