Ludwig Wittgenstein

This is another great thinker and writer.  I especially like how he writes about the solution to problems.  If you are trying to fit a square you into a circular life hole you will have many problems.  But if you realize that you are a square and find a way to fit into a square hole lifestyle than life will be filled with joy and peace.  It is interesting how Ludwig writes that those who seem to have no problems are looked at as being "...like a mole," and just wonder through life blindly.  This very thought goes along with my theory of the deconstruction of society through the media.  If we find God and true love and understanding through Him, we will start living like we were meant to live.  Free.  Think about how you would live with out all the external superficial  pressures of buy this, act like this, dress this way, think like this, like this music...    

Isac of Nineveh

I think these exerts from the writings of Isaac are really well in tune with God.  Our whole identity should be in God.  this means everything we do, say and think are to be in God.  those who want to be known by the world are usually those who have some great attraction to the things of the world.  To be attracted to the world is to be unattracted to God.  If someone wants to be as close to God as possible they should rely on Him for everything.  Consider death, someone who is humble to God in everything will look at death with confidence because they know that their life is in Gods hands.  And if "there is a love that is like a mighty spring gushing up out of the earth; it keeps flowing forever, and is inexhaustible." that is in God, we have no reason not to love and trust Him.  In the end it comes down to the heart.  It is not about what you do, but it is about why you do it.   

Symeon

I think this is an interesting viewpoint.  I agree that the more we know, the more we realize that we know nothing.  This concept applies to every facet of being.  The more knowledge we gan about God the greater we understand that we have no idea about His being.  The way to understanding starts in a room with two doors.  The first door when entered reveals a room with six doors.  This continues until there are to many doors to choose from.  Symeon believes that the way to break the cycle and find true understanding is not choose any doors and to clear the mind.   I really like the first passage which is filled with truth.  When some one is immersed in God they perceive everything differently.  It is the only way they can see.  It is like seeing for the first time.  suddenly the whole world is different. 

Al-Muhasibi

Freaking wow.  This man had peace, love, and joy that was overflowing through him into his writing.  His message is one of finding God through loving Him back.  It is refreshing to read this because so much of the world (or maybe just the United States) focuses on the ritualistic and religious aspect of finding got which causes peoples thoughts and actions to be skewed from that which God intended.  If we love Him and seek after Him we will find Him.  We will do so in a way that brings us into His love, peace, and joy that only he can give.  By focusing on the rules one will only be caused to stumble.  But, focusing on a deeply loving and longing relationship with God will have their path directed because they are motivated by the most powerful action of life, Love.

"Then he [God] throws you into self-mortification. so that you continue to strive and, for a while, to pride yourself upon your efforts, thinking that you are advancing or achieving something; but afterwards you fall into despair and feel no joy."  I think this is one way in which most of the American people have failed so miserably.  Our whole culture is flooded with the idea of self love.  Not self love as in being comfortable with ones self but a superficial self love that is derived from television and magazines, people are told (not suggested to) what to wear, how skinny they should be, how they should act, what is "cool", how much money they should make, how relationships should go, ect...  We are told that we only amount to what we can gain as opposed to what is true,this truth being what we can give.  Those who strive for fame and fortune have no joy when they achieve what they strived for, they only seem to want more money and more fame.  The more they get the less joy and satisfaction they have.  So why do so many people strive for these things?  Is it because they are stupid and can't see that pattern of increased wealth and decreased joy?  Is it because they know no other way?  These questions can only be answered by those living this life, but what I can say is I hope everyone would just stop and think, in order to realize what is truly important in live.  Then we can fight back at the social modeling of the mass media.       

Johannes

I think what she is writing about in the beginning of these passages is comparing God to an artist in a way.  Be gazing ate a beautiful painting one can grasp something about the painter.  This is because the painter can not create what is not in him/her.  Therefor the painting is in a way a slight  reflection of the painter, only with a painter few snapshots of this reflection can be seen because a person can only paint so many things.  Whereas God in creating all of the universe and everything on this planet gives us innumerable, constantly changing works of art.  Think about the millions upon millions of symbiotic relationships throughout nature.  This being only one small example of the pure awe inspiring mind blowing intricacies of God and His nature.  From these works of art that is nature we can catch a glimpse of the reflection of God as who He is.

Franz Kafka

He was a profound thinker.  I do not agree with a lot of what he says and some of it is down right confusing.  I don't see how it was impatience that got Adam and Eve expelled from paradise.  What were they impatient about?  They were already immortal as the bible would say, they had almost everything they wanted,  what got them kicked out was they wanted the one thing they could not have.  Fruit from the garden of good and evil.  I do partially agree that the reason they don't return is due to indolence.  All it takes it effort to find God.  If one does that they will most likely find him.  I like the line " beyond a certain point there is no return. This point has to be reached."  When someone finds the truth there is no going back.  Even if that person turn from the truth they still know it.  They will never be able to get rid of the knowledge of what is true.  He seems to have some aspect of Chinese religion in his philosophy.  Notably where he states " Idleness is the beginning of all vices, the crown of all virtue."  It is the same as do not doing.