My name is Rob, and I confess that I never know what to write by way of introduction, so here's some generic stuff. Forgive me if it rambles. A year-and-a-half ago, my wife and I packed up our critters and our life in Indianapolis, Indiana to move to scenic Dubuque, Iowa for this whole seminary experience. So far it's been a very complicated case. "You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-yous" (El Duderino, 1998). In all, we're happy to be here and feel very blessed for the whole journey thus far.
I'm on the M.Div. track, second year. I don't know if that's important for you to know that, but there it is. I'm a Virgo, and I'm sure that's NOT important for you to know. Maybe more important is that I'm an INFP on the Myers-Briggs thingy. That means, among other things, that I don't like to fence in my options. In other words, I'm a little "disorganized." And for that reason, I don't have a firm set of questions in mind to guide my experience in Iceland.
I do know that I'm interested in how religion plays out in the daily lives of the people. Specifically, I'm interested to learn to what degree, if any, the adjective "Lutheran" bears meaning for people who come to Lutheranism "by default," as it were. I was raised Roman Catholic and wound up a Lutheran by coincidence (another post for another time, perhaps), so the whole concept of "cradle Lutheranism" is interesting for me, not only in my own context, but also as something to observe as we journey along through Iceland.
I guess that question has to do with identity, and the next one does, too. This question came to me as I was thinking about eating Hakarl (putrified shark) and other traditional (i.e. to an American palate, "gross") foods. The consumption of these things, like haggis in Scotland, seems to revolve around specific festival times, and calls to mind aspects of identity formation. What is it, then, about these foods, that calls for celebration? What is the meaning & importance of this kind of edible commemoration, and what does it say about the past, present and potential future identity of Icelanders? (Secondarily, does anyone actually enjoy it? Maybe an insensitive question, but it's on my mind.)
Maybe this final question is identity-related, too, and it comes from my experiences on Inis Mor (Inishmore) off the west coast of Ireland. As I was visiting there a few years back, two things occurred to me: 1) the people who live on the island seem to live in tension between a keen desire to maintain tradition and a desire to live like "everyone else" in Ireland (i.e. in modern homes with internet access and cable television, etc.). At the same time, 2) the island's economy is largely tourism-driven. While the people, through good stewardship of resources, might be able to sustain themselves on traditional agriculture and industry, it would be very difficult to prosper materially in that fashion - and yet, the tourism industry kind of relies on the fact that the island remain culturally traditional. That's it's very allure. How do people maintain their identity in the face of this tension? This is my question for the people of Iceland, as well. Maybe it's not an issue for them, at all, but it's something I'd like to observe while I'm there.
For someone with little to say, I've said too much. Catch you later.
Rob
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