The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament in the Christian Bible) speak in several places about the people being in Exile. Jeremiah in chapter 29 speaks of the Elders who had been taken off to Exile at Babylon along with the Priests of the Hebrew people. One translation speaks of the "residue of the Elders..."
In the 21st century the process is that Exile comes to the Elders of the Faith of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. With global communications and unlimited sharing of ideas as well a commodities and money, there is no remote place out of reach. We stay in one geographic place and the culture comes upon us and changes constantly.
The situation today is Exile for Elders in a foreign culture. This form of Exile is comparable to that which is spoken by Jeremiah. As an Elder in the Christian religion I search for anchoring points in Western culture. Being an older age Elder means being a survivor - part of the residue.
This is not a complaint. No, my writing is a step in gaining a voice in a culture that seems no longer interested in traditions that are separate from Entertainment and Commodity Exchange lubricated by money.
This is an experiment in using contemporary culture and its technology to find a better way of human life. I observe the confusion among so many citizens who search for meaning in life. Elders are seldom seen as reliable sources for useful thoughts and information.
This begins a continuing conversation.
Delton dkrueger@visi.com
