the ode to 2010

In honor of the end of the year 2010, I have put together a little snapshot of what I really enjoyed/what influenced me significantly this last year. No, this is not another one of those top ten lists that every magazine and their look-a-like puts together every freaking year--this is a list of various media items that I discovered in the last year that impacted me in some way or another (most of these were created/published in 2010, but not all). Some of these are dramatic, others comical--even absurd, and still others gravely serious.

• Stephen Colbert's "Jesus Is a Liberal Democrat": 

Why I like this: Colbert exposes that for Christians to be selective in choosing whom they provide for in the name of compassion, they are not following the actual words of Jesus. Not only that, but the clip is just plain funny in a completely ironic way. In some respects, one can get the impression that Colbert is suggesting a connection between Jesus and Obama, I don't think he's trying to be sacrilegious--I think he's merely trying to further the idea that the stereotypical liberal perspective which tilts toward socialism (which is supposedly held by Obama) is more in line with Jesus' teachings that the attitude of only taking care of people if they deserve it. Additionally, his conclusion is gut-wrenchingly spot on. 

• Lady Gaga's "Speechless" (live)

Why I like this: Since her plunge into fame, Lady Gaga has received a host of drastically different responses to her music, videos, costumes, choices, etc. While I by no means would suggest that her music (for the general rule) is innocent or even clean, nor her life choices necessarily moral, I honestly admire her boldness and determination to be as dramatic as she wants to be. You may think that her oddness is a plea for attention, but I think it is (or at least part of it is) a desire to be a walking piece of avant-garde art. Perhaps for her its not enough to make art--she wants to be art as well. It is this overwhelming artistic-ness that draws me to her, and in the case of this song and video this element is very obvious in her costume, the stage props (killer piano!), and the dramatic way of singing. 

• Vimal's "Make Art, Not War"

Why I like this: I'm a big fan of Deviant Art, there are many times when I will just go on there and browse the newest submissions for the sake of enjoying the artistic abilities of people from all over the world. Other people's artwork can easily be a spark of creativity for one's own artistic endeavors. This particular picture, was created by an artist from India named Vimal (I included the link to his page in the title above--he has many lovely pieces of art on there). To me, this painting symbolizes the desire to create beauty (art, not war), even to the extent that one desires to wear and be beauty--so the boy paints birds on himself. 

•  The Onion's "Is Using a Minotaur to Gore Detainees a Form of Torture?"

Why I like this: The Onion is a continual source of hilarity for my life. This video is just plain absurd--which is why I like it. 

Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

•  Arcade Fire's interactive The Wilderness Downtown

Why I like this: If I was forced to pick a favorite band, Arcade Fire would probably win because of their outstanding talent, uniqueness, and intrigue. Most musical artists make music videos--Arcade Fire included--but to make an interactive website to one of your songs is a step up in creativity. 

•  Craig Ferguson interviews Dr. Cornel West

Why I like this: I first saw this video when my American Religions professor at the University of Washington showed it to the entire class. Since then, I've returned to it to watch it again and again and it never ceases to put a smile on my face. Not only does Ferguson have an awesome accent, but Dr. West is a magnetic personality with no apparent sense of "polite distance"--everyone is truly his brother. His ability to eloquently express his beliefs in such a genuine and non-condescending way, even though he is extremely educated, inspires me. Also, I would completely recommend his autobiography Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud and also the incredible rockumentary Call+Response: The World's 27 Million Dirtiest Secrets he is featured in.

•  Conan O'Brian's "Tofurkey Hunting"

Why I like this: Its just funny...and more than a little ridiculous. 

Pre-millennialism from the Social Perpective

Currently in my American Religions class, my professor is lecturing on American Christian fundamentalism. Today, he brought up the distinction between post-millennialism and pre-millennialism.

Post-mil was tightly associated with the social gospel developed by Walter Rauschenbusch, and was essentially the idea that if societal structures could be transformed/redeemed, people within the societies would then be transformed/redeemed--and this would be the exhibition of the coming of the Kingdom of God (otherwise known as the millennial reign of Christ described in the Bible). Pre-mil, however, arose from the era that Christian fundamentalism sprang from. It was essentially the idea that the worsening state of the world (corruption, war, poverty, societal evil, etc) is a sign of the impending return of Jesus. Pre-millennialism is most prominent idea within Conservative Evangelical Christian circles (which dominate the current perception of Christianity in general) today in America.

Sitting in lecture, when my professor brought up this distinction, I instantly thought: so if the fundamental Christian community believes that the onset of evil is a sign of the second coming (which is something, I assume rightly, they want to happen), than why do they get so outraged/up in arms against the onset of evil they see in their country? Why this fierce belief that if evil becomes celebrated in one's culture that it is something to be vehemently opposed to at all costs. After all, according to their own belief, should they not be excited about the onset of evil since it signals the return of Jesus? Should they not, in a sense, encourage the ongoing depravity of their earthly home?

I have some ideas of why this is so--some are kinder than others.

1) they are in love with idea of America. This is not uncommon or unique, the United States' history is marked vividly with groups/individuals almost literally worshiping the idea of a free country and even having the belief that democracy is a gift from God and that He wills us to spread this democracy to the world. In this sense, the United States is a..."perfect example" of God's will. So, now that such intensely rapid secularization is occurring, fear of God's wrath abounds--the idea that they have failed their stewardship. Or perhaps, their patriotism is too mixed up in their religion--they see the United States as their state of heaven so to speak and they want no one nor nothing to violate their perception of it.

2) they fear being judged for their country's choices. Since we do live in a country where we are all somewhat involved in deciding what gets implemented in policy, we do elect leaders, etc, we are somehow responsible for our country's actions and beliefs. In this sense, when the United States becomes secularized and even immoral--this is the cause for a great amount spiritual stress and worry. The fear of judgment is a very powerful force in the human psyche.

3) directly related to the second point is the idea that when Jesus comes back, Christians should be discovered to be working for Him in the dying world. This point, I think, is truly commendable. When the master returns, the servants should indeed be found to be doing what their master wishes--there is nothing worse nor more embarrassing than having him come back to the servants carousing, spitting all over his reputation, etc.

While I think #3 is the most commendable reason for not just apathetically letting the world die as we await the second coming, I still question the resulting actions. If they want to be found doing the will of Jesus when he returns, why spend so much time vehemently opposing things like, for example, gay marriage? I'm fully aware that Christian fundamentalists (as a general rule) believe homosexuality to immoral and all that. Regardless of that belief, would they, as the servants, be proud to say to their master: "sir, we've made sure all the heretics and sinners are aware of their lack of you and their fate!"? For myself, as a servant--hell no, I would be ashamed if that's what I had to say. I am inclined to believe that the master wouldn't be pleased either. What then would be pleasing? I think, to be truly not ashamed when the master returns, would be to actively care for the unfortunate, the poor, the orphans and widows, the exploited, the hated, etc. Is this just the Rauschenbusch's social gospel? Probably.

Do I therefore, think that post-mil is better than pre-mil? Not necessarily. Post-mil represents a utopian ideal--and is therefore something I don't think can ever be achieved. Additionally, I think some of the presuppositions within post-mil are flawed. For example, people make the structures of society; therefore, to redeem the structures, you must redeem the people who compose them. Such a mass scale redemption is impossible to guarantee due to the concept of free will--people may and do choose to reject the redemption. I am more inclined to the post-mil camp because of their emphasis on working toward the betterment of society--even though I think their goal is impossible.

In closing, some general questions:

Is it not better to strive to be constructive as opposed to destructive?

Are the legalization of ideas deemed immoral really worth getting paranoid about?

Would it not be more worthwhile to actively work to live out what we know Jesus commanded--love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself?

peace and brain stimulation my friends.

an incredible force

i think its undeniable around the world that music is an incredible force. every country and culture produces their own versions of life in music. by listening to music i think people can experience the unspoken emotions of other people and oftentimes we can identify with those emotions--even if we never thought we had them. i know for myself that there are a lot of songs that i consider to be the sorta soundtracks of my life. the following videos are a sample of sorts of the tunes that have really felt like they're exhibiting my life in one way or another.

"Meet Me On the Equinox" ~ Death Cab For Cutie

you can ridicule me because this song is on the New Moon soundtrack, it doesn't matter that much to me--the song is still freaking incredible! this song has really been close in the last month or so because of the line "everything, everything ends". its an acknowledgment that even though things now are wonderful (or perhaps terrible) everything ends. every good friendship and relationship will someday end. life as we know it will eventually end. it's a sober realization, but i think it helps one to enjoy, focus, and get the most out of now, knowing that there is an end.

"Love the Way You Lie" ~ Eminem (ft. Rihanna) [note: if you have an issue with hearing the "f" word consider yourself warned]

this song makes me think about how i am and what i don't want in my life or in a relationship (not to mention its stinking catchy). i find it so easy to lie to myself, ignore the blaring problems, and barge into situations telling myself that everything will be alright and that i can avoid getting hurt. sure, love and even attraction is powerful; but so is dishonesty, mistrust, and hatred. essentially, this song is a strong reminder of what to prevent in one's life.

"Down" ~ Anberlin

it's a song for when i feel like i have nothing left, no energy left to move in any direction but down. just a simple plea for someone to prevent all sorts of last acts of desperation (with some killer vocal harmonies).

"Half Light II (No Celebration)" ~ Arcade Fire

there are so many good lines in this song such as "wanna wash away my sins/in the presence of my friends" and "some people say/they've already lost/but they're afraid to pay the cost/for what we've lost" to name just two. lately, i've been thinking a lot about my hometown, my childhood, and the current state of my world. this song expresses a lot of sentiments that make me look back in a melancholic way...but at the same time to keep pressing forward to the future--hopefully not becoming a robot in the process. to me, its a song about grief but at the same time a song about a wisp of hope "someday we'll see this long gone"--ending with what sounds like a fading march into heaven. [note: there are SO many good Arcade Fire songs that i could go on an on about but i won't bore you. if you happen to be interested check out: "Empty Room", "Sprawl II", "City With No Children", "We Used to Wait" and "Ready to Start"]

"Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?" ~ Moby

easily one of the most touching songs in my opinion. its the blues asking two simple intertwined questions "why does my heart feel so bad/why does my soul feel so bad?"--and that's basically the whole song. while so simple, it is so powerful. its the simple question that i keep asking on those days when i hurt for no conscious reason.

"Zooropa" ~ U2

any song that opens with "what do you want?" gets my attention. this song is an expression of what it feels like to be swirling around, not knowing up from down, confusion, overwhelming circumstances with so many complex and yet simple questions--very close to how my life has been recently. one question that always catches me is "i've been hiding/what have i been hiding from?" as someone who has frequently fights crippling fear this question digs every time--what exactly am i hiding from? the ending is glorious with the comforting suggestion "don't worry baby, it's gonna be alright/uncertainty could be a guiding light" and then later "take your head out of the mud baby".

so yeah.

spiral

the world feels like its in a spiral. entropy is the force that's sucking us all down some sort of massive black hole.

people tell me that, i being in college, will have the time of my life--a time of almost endless opportunities. this is all true to some extent, but it makes me feel old. i go to class, and the more our terrible economy is dissected, the more i hear of the quality of life, and the more philosophy i read the more i can feel the end of my life coming. the world is so incredibly depressing. it's hard to get out of bed knowing that an endless number of people are dying terrible deaths every time i breathe.

sounds rather morbid eh?

at 18, one would think i have the world ahead and yet i feel like i'm running out of time to live. i feel like i've been saying goodbye to way too many people i love.

lately, this feeling of an impending end has been motivating me to get out and do some things i've never done before. yeah, i have a bucket list--its getting rather long in fact.

i just hate the idea of working to get the bachelor's (maybe master's) degree out of the way and then settling down with a full time job until whatever next happens. i want to be a nomad/hippie first...want to see the world before i get too tied up with being an adult. honestly, i don't know if i ever want to get tied down to particular place. i want to get some piercings, maybe even get a tattoo with a priceless meaning. i want to paint a enormous amount of masterpieces...especially a mural. i'm ok with people thinking i've gone off the deep end--it doesn't matter anymore what they think.

in a lot of ways i feel like i'm walking away from fear.

the road ahead is super unclear...and it yeah it makes me worry sometimes but at the same time i've realized how much it sucks when i'm not brave enough to try something just because i've never done it before.

and for those who might wonder, i haven't kicked God out the back window. not to say our relationship is by any means ideal. my beliefs have gotten torn out and revamped a lot. faith is an endless struggle. hope is...something i need but at the same time something i have a hard time believing in. i still have a hard time going to church. regardless of all that, i keep coming back to Jesus--the idea of someone perfect dying for this stupid world. i keep coming back to the idea that the poor are important and whats first is actually last and whats last is actually first. redemption. forgiveness. immortality. its at least a way to cope with all the injustice and calamity out there. maybe i've just constructed a massive web of theodicy, but i like to think its better than being cynical and thinking i'm brave by facing an empty hole alone and depressed.

life in the city

so. i live in Seattle now...and its amazing. why?

1) having access to a car isn't necessary
2) there is a lot to do (concerts, etc)
3) there are a lot of people to meet
4) there are a lot of places to shop (heh heh)

as for being in college, meh...nothing too new except the surroundings and size of classes. the reading load appears to be a lot heavier here than it was at the community college i went to last year...which isn't that nice in my opinion.

dorm life. well...it doesn't feel like home even though i find myself calling my room that because it's where all my stuff is. overall, its definitely a lot better than what i expected.

so yep.

new albums

in the last two months, two albums that i have anticipated were released. #1 being Arcade Fire's The Suburbs, and #2 being Anberlin's Dark is the Way, Light is a Place. i confess to having preordered both albums and that i shelled out the money to see both bands on their tours this fall-- and i'm not ashamed of either of those facts.

as for the albums themselves.

The Suburbs wasn't surprising to me at all, except perhaps in the sense that there was very little eccentric-ness featured in it compared to say, Funeral. also, this album, for the general rule doesn't possess any of the bitter, strange opinions that Neon Bible was such a great exhibit of. that's not to say that The Suburbs is lacking--it's far from that actually. songs like "Empty Room" with wild string intros, "City With No Children" with insanely catchy rhythms, and "Sprawl II" with angelic voices and pounding under beats, make the album absolutely incredible in my opinion. lyrically, the title is 100% appropriate, in fact all of the songs are built around the title. and as usual, there are statements that make any one think such as: "And you feel so right/But how come you can't sleep at night?" ("Modern Man"). overall, i would whole heartily suggest The Suburbs to anyone who likes indie rock; even if you found their last two albums too eccentric you might find this one more accessible.

Dark is the Way, Light is the Place was however, a big surprise. prior to the album release there was quotes flying around the internet about how the band members considered this album their "magnum opus" and along the same lines of their hit album Cities (and my favorite by far). honestly, after the first listen i hated this album. now that i've given it more spins i can say i enjoy it a lot more--but it still feels lacking. there just seems to be so many things wrong about this album. for one, the opening song is, in my opinion, completely un-sing-a-long-able; therefore making it pretty much a flop. another different, not necessarily wrong, thing is the percentage of slower to average speed songs; in comparison to their prior albums this trend sticks out. one definite disappointment is the lower epic-ness of the closing song. "Depraved" is epic for sure, but not nearly on the same level as "(*fin)" or "Miserabile Visu". perhaps the biggest wrong is the complete unrelatedness of the title and the songs that compose the album--i just don't see the connection between the two anywhere. all of this is not to say that Dark is the Way, Light is a Place is a bad album, or that i hate it (i definitely would suggest songs like "Down", "Pray Tell", and "Impossible" to anyone), it's just obviously not Anberlin's magnum opus.

i'm definitely looking forward to seeing Arcade Fire on September 29th at KeyArena, and Anberlin on October 14th at the Showbox SoDo

YAY.

so, in a little over a week i shall be collecting all of my pertinent belongings and relocating from what i affectionately call the "boonies" to the city known to the world as Seattle, WA.

YAY.

packing, however, is a drudge. mostly because it seems pointless to box up clothes, shoes, etc that i will undoubtedly wear between now and the 24th of September. not to mention, i have very little time of late to pack due to the ridiculous number of hours i shall be working in the next week. between working from 4:30 to 10:30 tonight, 7:30 am to 3 pm thursday and friday and then 7:30 am to 10:30 pm on saturday and sunday, i'm going to not be home much at all.

and then there is the dilemma of what exactly to pack, i have absolutely no idea what my dorm room will look like, how much space i will have, and all that so its very hard to know what i will have room for and what i won't. i do know that since i'll have two roommates that its going to be tight. plus, i know that i'll be fairly if not ridiculously busy all the time so i probably won't have time to do crafty stuff much so i'll prolly opt to leave the sewing machine, painting supplies, and perhaps even beading stuff at home--for at least the first quarter. but...meh, i don't really know yet.

but yes, i find the prospect of moving to Seattle to be very exciting indeed. i shall miss many of the people that won't be around, but the new environment and experiences will be a very good change. after all, one can't stay at home forever.

i shall try not to neglect this blog too terribly this up coming year.

revamp.

i'm not sure if anyone has noticed, but its been many months since i've last written a blog post here. various circumstances have influenced this neglect: graduating, working, getting ready for next fall, watching way too much Lost, Chuck, & Arrested Development, and sleeping.

but as a hodge-podge of random mumblings, consider the following.

-> i've taken up the practice of jewelry making and plan to set up an etsy store in the hopefully near future.

-> i didn't get into the bachelor's program of social work at the school i'm going to.

-> getting an average total of $30 in tips every day i work is very pleasant.

-> i'm moving to Seattle in a little less than two months--naturally i find this very exciting as my surroundings there will be dramatically different than what i'm accustomed to.

on and end note as i have run out of time, check out the following:

-> The Year Of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs (one man attempts to follow the Bible's commandments as closely as possible for a year).

-> Swoon by Silversun Pickups (possibly my favorite album at this time).

-> my revamped blog site :D (notice that the background, header, and music selection are all different--if you like, leave a comment giving your opinion on the revamp).

not my equal

God is not my equal.

What a profound, and yet obvious fact.

Often time I treat him as my equal, I think of him in terms of another person with whom I discuss things with--having the mentality that he is a "friend" and I do not need to do something his way just because he "suggests" (or commands) it. And other times feeling like he uses blackmail to get my surrender--"I'll keep you away from hell as long as you do what I say". And yet, if he is what he says he is--the maker of everything--than he is not my equal. For as the verse says "He who built the house has more honor than the house" (Hebrews 3:3), the maker is greater than what he has made. He is not just another opinion in the crowd of many and he's not a cruel friend with a power complex.

everyone like music, right?

Selling of Innocents

I stumbled across this documentary today, called Selling of Innocents by Ruchira Gupta. I really like the way film was done, the watcher gets both interviews with the slaves and footage of what the streets of India and the inside of the brothels look like. It's definitely worth watching in my opinion. For your convenience, here is the entire thing:

all things are wonderful until they become popular.

there appears to be an internal struggle as one watches the things he/she likes become endorsed by the public eye. they become popular, more and more people read/watch/listen to them and then shout their endorsement from the rooftops...or their Facebook/twitter. for example, when the Montreal-based operatic folk rock wonder Arcade Fire emerged (no pun intended) David Bowie apparently bought a stack of Funeral and gifted his close friends with them. now, its almost too cool to be into their musical style and Win Butler's neo-gothness.

i remember reading Joshua Harris' I Kissed Dating Goodbye and thinking it was quite wonderful. now, a few years later...i still think it is a good book but i am frankly rather annoyed with how people have elevated the ideas presented in it to the level of sacred scripture. yes, someone out there probably thinks Joshua Harris is the sage of our times or something like that. i think its quite apparent that Harris never meant the book to become the completion of every good little american christian's library--which is why i get annoyed.

and then there is the Don Miller; perhaps the latest celebrity on the Christian non-fiction stage. after Blue Like Jazz everyone decided that this man who hangs out at Reed College was the most amazing creature on the earth. (don't get the impression i dislike Miller--i think Blue Like Jazz is ingenious, i just want to remind people that he's a human that's probably going to die of lung cancer).

and then there is Coldplay--the band that has redefined hype. many people will hear me ranting on about how i dislike Coldplay, well that's frankly not quite true--Coldplay is fine. i just pretend i dislike them because they are so popular and i'm tired of hearing about Chris Martin becoming the next Bono (yes i have my own fan cult that believes in the immortality of Paul Hewson...i can't decide if "jk" is appropriate here or not)

so why do i have this disdain of the mainstream? probably something to do with adolescent rebellious behavior no doubt. the hippie idea of going against the flow. the ideology of not letting the consumerist machine define what one spends one's hard earned money on. what is the worth of paying the money for the pleasure of status conferral?...it is nonexistent.

someday i will learn not to attempt to write late at night. until then, you have me always.

slaves to our intellect

In the 21st Century it has become required for almost any type of job to possess more than a high school diploma. Added to that is the fact that college is pressured on every person in the Western society. As a college student working on my Associate of Arts I am required to be "advised" each quarter to help me along my chosen career path. Every session with the adviser involves being asked "what do you plan to do after getting the AA". My response for the longest time was "I don't know"...and sometimes even "I might stop college after I'm done". The latter response is considered the most foolish choice one could ever make. I am then ushered to look upon the chart depicting the statistics of the incomes earned by various degree-wielding persons. The message is clear. The more money you spend probably getting brainwashed in a "higher institution" the more money you will make afterward.

Its all worth it isn't it? America's middle name is money - not freedom. Somehow, someone decided that the occupants of the world will not reach their full potential without an education. Whatever education means.

Not that I dislike college necessarily. I just cannot bring myself to believe that my ultimate fulfillment as a person will be found by going to college and getting a degree. Many life lessons are not taught by people titled professors and many things cannot be experienced in a crowded dorm. Have we forgotten all these other aspects to life? Or have we all become so intoxicated with accumulating more and more knowledge to the point where we are slaves to our intellect and no longer have the time or energy to enjoy something as simple and undefinable as a starry sky? Are we too busy building a modern tower of Babel?

"I will try to fix you"

It's been a while since I've written a blog post...so here is a smattering of stuff. You can call it what you want to.

I finished a sorta biography [Come Be My Light] about Mother Teresa today. When I picked out the book I was not expecting a book full of letters from her to her confessor & bishop about a variety of things--but that being said it was an alright book. Reading this book really motivates me to pick up my copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church again. Not that I enjoy reading the CCC--its the doctrines that intrigue me (such as the guiding capabilities of the virgin Mary and the infallibility of some man titled 'the pope'--no disrespect intended)

I also picked up to books from the library today, Lord of the Flies and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I developed interest in the first mentioned through Stephen Christian (if you aren't familiar with him--fix that) and the second was recommended to me by a dear friend (you know who you are).

Musically speaking, I'm listening to Coldplay right now. Because, to be completely honest I do have a soft spot in my heart for their song "Fix You". Other than that....I'll stick to U2. Speaking of U2, I just bought quite a few songs by them from Amazon.com the other day. I'm still ticked that the only way to get my hands on "Window in the Skies" is to buy an entire hits album or other artists karaoke versions of U2 songs. Seriously, that's so dumb.

If this was an incredibly boring blog post....I'm sorry....I will try to fix you. (heh heh)

oh, how i would loathe to be a leader

Americans are truly a fickle group of people. We elect a man to be our president, some of us insisting that said man is a "savior" and then everyone decides to hate him when he doesn't do everything he promised during his campaign within the first month of being in office.

But then, there were the people who hated him before he was even elected. Yeah, the Republicans. (And just so you all know, the above illustration is a screencap of a Facebook app that I found while on one of my friend's profiles.) I've also heard rumors of a private method of brightening up your day. Try creating a folder on your computer, label it "Barack Obama" and then proceed to place said folder in the trash can. Oh, and most importantly, for long term results, do this everyday--it'll make you feel so much better! I feel giddy already [sarcasm].

I remember the night before the 2008 election, my family received a forwarded email from some influential pastor (I could be wrong on the exact occupation of the emailer) who disclosed that he had spent ___ number of hours on his knees praying that somehow Obama would not win the election. He felt that God had given him his request so he proceeded to email everyone on his contact list telling them the great news of how righteousness shall prevail, in the end McCain shall win. Obviously, McCain lost, Obama won. Ironic eh? I really wonder what happened to the man who felt so sure that God had answered his prayer? What was his reaction the next day when he was told/heard/read that Barack Obama was now the President of the United States....and McCain was defeated?

I shall be forever amazed at vehement words and degradation President Obama has received from fundamental Christians. It's as if the bearer's of the name of a peaceful yet shocking man who lived a very long time ago have completely forgotten everything He ever said about treating one's enemies. No, I won't quote the exact chapter and verse for you because I want you to think about going and finding said passages. Please, dust off the book you tell the world you follow and acquire a practice of forgiveness.

Mess of Me

What can I say, I love the shredding.

you enjoy violence?

A good deal of the people I know are enraptured with movies. Movies of all kinds--chick flicks, comedy, horror, musicals, etc. In the circles of fundamental Christians that I used to frequently associate with I encountered the attitude of disdain for movies which exhibited strong sexual overtones (basically, many sex scenes and the like) but at the same time there was much talk of gory details of violence. Sex was not to be discussed--it was looked down upon as immoral, not to mention an awkward conversation topic--but violence was fair game. So much so, that it has even been proclaimed: "Whether you should see R rated movies depends on why they are rated R. If they are rated R because of sex--don't see them. If they are rated R for violence or crude language--no big deal."

The reason sex in movies is seen as "wrong" by many a group of Christians in completely understandable! In fact I would for the most part readily agree. To watch two actors engage in sexual relations on camera awakens desires, and most of the time (if not all the time) portrays an unrealistic outlook on sex and love in general.

But how is violence any different? With all the special effects (such as cars flying through the air, actors performing stunts, etc) put in to pump adrenaline and other emotional responses does it not portray an unrealistic outlook on violence? Car chases, duels, near death escapes, torture, execution--yes these are real life subjects, but I highly doubt they exist as they are portrayed in films!

And for those who profess the Christian faith, do we truly think we are doing ourselves a favor by watching such behavior? Do you really think you are building an attitude of love as you cheer your favorite protagonist on as he/she shoots down the "bad guys"? Is it not probable that what you take into yourself from the media you are exposed to will influence the thoughts you think and the way you live your life? Paul tells the Philippians: "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things" (4:8). Can we rightly call such glamorous violence virtuous or praiseworthy?

In his book The Sacred Art of Questioning Everything, David Dark points out that when we are more offended at the "perversion" of Hollywood because of nude scenes and movies about gay people than we are about "people being blown up, starved to death, deprived of life-saving medicine, or tortured" we do not fully understand perversion. You like violence? I suggest moving to Darfur and living in a refugee camp. There, and many other places in the world, you will experience true violence that has been stripped of any Hollywood glamor.

I Using a Minotaur To Gore Detainees a Form of Torture?

Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

this is possibly the funniest thing I've seen in a really long time.

Never Take Friendship Personal

No friendship is permanent. Perhaps, friendship is in some ways futile. Friends never last forever. Remember the small child who insisted that another child was his/her's BEST FRIEND and that they would be BEST FRIENDS forever? You probably also remember...how that didn't happen. The friends of your youth grow up and leave. You loose contact. Your feelings get stomped on and you leave sometimes. You are rejected for the "cooler" people. You betray a friendship and are too ashamed to try to mend it. Tragedy happens. You move on.

No man (or woman) was meant to be alone, purposely alienating yourself is selfish--but no human relationship can fully satisfy you. There is always the clashing sparks of difference and the repetitiousness of personal annoyance; making it crucial to possess both the characteristic of being willing and open to investing a huge amount of time into all relationships and yet be able to realize that everything will come to an end. Solomon's seasons. It is but a vapor. "Forever friends" is a cruel ideology, impossible, and a joke so ironic its fame is completely unreasonable.

To be personable, friendly, compassionate, interested and yet be willing to say goodbye to every possible kindred spirit--for indeed, the Lord gives and takes away.

The Art of Being Offended

"The feeling of offendedness is invigorating. It might even be an effective way to bend a population toward a tyrant's will. But we must never settle for it. We must not confuse an accelerated pulse rate for the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We must interrogate our offendedness, hold it open for question. Complaining about Harry Potter or getting worked up over The Golden Compass (Philip Pullman's literary response to the damage done to people's imaginations in the name of religion) or pitting ticket sales of the Narnia films against Brokeback Mountain is a much less complicated call than that whole business about loving neighbors, to say nothing about loving enemies. If we're more opposed, for instance, to what we take to be "bad language" and nude scenes and films about gay people than we are to people being blown up, starved to death, deprived of life-saving medicine, or tortured, our offendedness is out of whack. We have yet to understand the nature of real perversion. We aren't as deeply acquainted with our religion we might think.

To keep it all simple and safe, we often become selective fundamentalists. We know where to go to have our prejudices explained as just and sensible, our convictions strengthened, our group or political party reaffirmed. We process whatever already fits the grid that is hardwired (or re-hardwired) in our heads. It's difficult for anything else to get through. We're easily offended. Maybe we're looking to feel offended, which can make us feel better about ourselves. Feeling offended summons a sense of being in the right, a certain strength, a kind of power, an espresso shot of righteous indignation. And if the image of God hardwired into our nervous system is easily offended and put off by certain people and their offensive behavior, there's a feeling of being that much closer to the winning side, that much more likely to be numbered among the elect, the saved, the documented." - David Dark

The Bible does indeed tell us to "be in the world but not of it", it would be petty foolishness to act as if it is the sole duty of Christians to speak against the secular works. What gain is putting Harry Potter or anything else on the black list and branding those who do not agree with your judgments? Is it not the heart from which the choices come from? One cannot change the heart by making rules of what is and isn't allowed. The "rules" come from a changed heart.

What glory is there in being offended by perverted media? You being offended will not make it disappear. If anything you will gain your religious beliefs the title of a snob--and to what benefit is that? It can't be wrong to be offended for the sake of God--but can't He take care of His own offendedness? Does He not say that vengeance is His?

"Jesus' gospel is never at our command, under our copyright, or contained within an -ism, an ideology, or any well-intentioned human construct. The question is always whether Jesus' rare ethos has gotten hold of us in any discernible way. To answer the question we must stop defining ourselves by all the things we're against. We might also ask what, other than getting saved in the shallowest sense, we actually stand for." - David Dark (The Sacred Art of Questioning Everything)