Five Favorite online reads: free hugs, teapotism and slushy flat bottoms

For all the reasons I mentioned on Wednesday I'm getting simple around here. That means listing 5 things instead of 7 things here each weekend.

Also, I found a way to hangout with friends at work. It's called find a dark, empty office and invite a couple of friends to join you on your break.

Five Favorites from this week: online reads.

-- 1 --

Love Unleashed Through Suffering: the continuing significance of John Paul II's Salvific Doloris by Dawn Eden at First Things: I respect Dawn Eden. She wrote one of the best descriptions of forgiveness I've ever read in her book My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints. Her story adds weight to her recall on the thirtieth anniversary of John Paul's apostolic letter on the Gospel of Suffering.

"John Paul uses the strongest language possible: Suffering in Christ “ unleashes” love—again, both in the sufferer, who is united with Christ at the most intimate level, and in the one who ministers to him in imitation of Christ."

And Protestant philosopher Alvin Plantinga called it “surely one of the finest documents (outside the Bible) ever written” on its topic.

-- 2 --

Is Atheism Irrational: an interview with Alvin Plantinga at the NY Times: Speaking of Plantinga I read this interview because so many friends linked to it this week. I responded to his defense of theistic arguments in the academic sphere with equal parts giggling (teapotism?!?), puzzlement and epiphany.

"Some atheists seem to think that a sufficient reason for atheism is the fact (as they say) that we no longer need God to explain natural phenomena — lightning and thunder for example. We now have science. As a justification of atheism, this is pretty lame. We no longer need the moon to explain or account for lunacy; it hardly follows that belief in the nonexistence of the moon (a-moonism?) is justified."

What can I say? I enjoy reading things that I only understand about 15% of the substance. Things like philosophy. And sometimes poetry.

-- 3 --

Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel hold hands at National Geographic's Tumblr, Found: Simply sweet. Also, I look forward to every update on this daily photo site.

-- 4 --

Winter Olympic Love at Cake, Tea and Dreams: I overheard a conversation in the office this week in which two employees mention how little they care about following the Olympics. How can this be?!? Katie Noah Gibson gets it.

"The pageantry of the opening ceremonies, the bright colors of all the different countries’ flags, the hushed tension as we watch the competitions and the bursts of cheering at the end of a run, a race or a routine. I love the cheesy ads featuring the athletes, the clips of vintage Olympic triumphs, and Morgan Freeman’s voice."

Here's my idea: I keep thinking how fun it would be to create a glossary of commentator’s terms during Olympics. Wouldn’t that be fun? Like the word “twizzles” during ice dancing, and “he fell victim to the slushy flat bottom” in this week’s half-pipe snowboarding. Am I right??

-- 5 --

Free Hugs: a video short from comic Amber Bixby I needed to laugh this week. I watched an I Love Lucy mini-marathon with my daughters Thursday night. (they've never watched it -- how can this be?!?) And I watched this video promo by our friend Amber. Repeatedly.