Burke’s Blog

My head is full of all sorts of things, and it is really good for me to write them down and to share them.  They do no good if not shared.

The arts and humanities deal in truth, primarily not by reason but by feeling. Read about the difference between thinking and feeling. There can only be one truth, however, and a feeling that is compatible with rational truths discovered by philosophy and science (a subset of philosophy) is more likely to help us live a life more bound to the truth. Furthermore, when the arts are informed by goodness, religious truths based on prayer and the observation of Natural Law, then those artistic creations have a beauty that mirrors the ultimate truth and the ultimate goodness. They participate in creation as recreation.

The reason I am Catholic is not because I am somehow good at it.  In fact, I make a lot of choices in life that are rooted in fear, presumption, and selfishness.  The reason I am Catholic is because the people in my life who have been the most put-together, peaceful, and conscious of social justice have been Catholics.

Catholicism is in one sense ultimately simple, and in another sense infinitely difficult.  Life is full of paradox, and the Catholic system itself doesn’t shy away from paradox - it embraces the reality of paradox.  Any religion or spirituality that can put all of the answers completely into easy “either Heaven or Hell” or “neither Heaven nor Hell” should be avoided.

The Catholic Church has its share of problems.  A lot of its leaders make poor choices just like you and me.  But what outweighs any of these problems is an overall desire to promote social justice, the union of faith and reason, an intellectual historiography, and most of all the hope that there can be universal love and peace in the world, based on the teachings on Jesus Christ.

I am a musician, among other pursuits, and this blog mostly focuses on how musicians can approach their music in a way that gives glory to God, without leaving the rest of humanity behind.  Please enjoy what I have written and sign up for the RSS Feed.

If you like what you read, I know you will like my music too. I am happily married to a beautiful woman named Melanie, and we live along the U.S. Gulf Coast.