In the social sciences, n stands for the number of cases which you have studied. So n=1 means you’ve been studying one case as opposed to many. If you don’t mind bearing with me for a short while, I will forge ahead with my little ethnography of this one guy.
He would say things like: “I’ve got to go and see the boys” by which he means the guys that hang out at the pub all afternoon most days. He loves them as they love him. To tell the truth he almost needs them and he is refreshed by their friendship.
He would say things like: “I’ve got to go and see the boys” by which he means the guys that hang out at the pub all afternoon most days. He loves them as they love him. To tell the truth he almost needs them and he is refreshed by their friendship.
When required to go to some sort of “spiritual” retreat he sticks it out for about an hour and then either goes back to watching telly in his room or disappears off to the pub. Celtic prayers printed on blue paper are not his thing.
When I talk about “downward mobility” over pizza, he sort of acquiesces, but instantaneously I understand the terrible pretentiousness of that concept. That guy takes embodiment to a whole new level. A level that’s not even reflexive or self-aware. He doesn’t just love folks, he needs them.
When I talk about “downward mobility” over pizza, he sort of acquiesces, but instantaneously I understand the terrible pretentiousness of that concept. That guy takes embodiment to a whole new level. A level that’s not even reflexive or self-aware. He doesn’t just love folks, he needs them.
I suspect it’s the same for God. It’s an utter, fundamental need for God, one that dispenses with the Celtic prayers at retreats and (sometimes) with prayers altogether whenever he’d rather spend time loving God’s creation. Prayer is not a duty. It is a need. It’ll pop back of its own accord. Immense. Compelling. It will find you.
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