Marvel's SPIDER-GWEN #1
Out of the SPIDER-VERSE crossover series a very popular character emerged, a version of Spider-Woman from an alternate universe where Peter Parker's first love, Gwen Stacy, rather than Peter himself, was the one bitten by the radioactive spider. This character wound up having personality traits of the original Gwen AND the Spider-Man we all know and sometimes love. That made for a very interesting character, and people responded. By popular demand, Marvel has put out this first issue of Spider-Gwen and I for one liked it. This reimagined world gives writers yet another chance to explore old characters in new ways. It is similar to the way Elseworlds books function for DC. The writing is good, though the art is just okay. Overall I'm very happy with this first issue.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Marvel's AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #15
This was a SPIDER-VERSE epilogue, with the army of Spider-Men parting ways and returning to their own times and places, with a side story starting the Superior Spider-Man and an last ditch effort to change his own fate. That side story felt a little forced, and what I liked more about this book was the way we got to survey some of the Spider-Men who stood out in the whole SPIDER-VERSE series...was Spider-Ham anyon else's favorite character? God I liked how he was handled. Anyways, all in all this was a successful 'good bye' to the crossover that tried to be more than that and failed.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
DC's BATMAN '66 #20
I was disappointed in the last issue of this book, but here they've totally brought it back. What I love about this book is it gives the writers a chance to do some things with classic Batman villains that no one could get away with in other Batman books. Here Joker becomes the toast of Gotham when he becomes an even more successful superhero than batman. There was humor, and there was a spectacle you were totally drawn into, and the art was everyhting it should be: egrossing but campy. All in all this was a great issue.
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4.5 Stars
Pacing: 4 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Friday, February 27, 2015
Evil & World Events
The media and people in general seem confused by the brutality of some groups. And so they engage endlessly on conjecture regarding why people would destroy ancient antiquities in Iraq, or why this everyday young man ends up as a beheading suspect in Syria. The public puts this face of confusion on in the face of great evil. But the truth is that we know from years of research that there is no great mystery here. There are many experiments that show that people, once given great power over another human being, will almost naturally tend towards brutality and domination.
G K Chesterton once said that sin nature was the only empirically provable Christian doctrine. I think there is something to that. Sin is intractable. There is a thrill and a joy in hurting others that everyone on some level knows about, but seeks to deny as a part of the effort to fight against it. They must put on a face of shock and confusion, because they cannot face the presence of such evil in their own hearts. But the evil is there, either way. Sin lies in wait for justification and opportunity. It wants an excuse or an allowance that gives it permission to come in full blown.
That is why morality is at its lowest among the very rich and very poor. The very rich have the ability to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions. The poor have less to lose by those consquences. And religious justification for violence, that is the ultimate opportunity for sin. It set itself up as god and the whole time convince the person that they are worshipping the true God. The truth is that evil is no mystery. But we have to pretend it is, lest we face its presence in our own hearts. But perhaps that is what gives sin its power when opportunity arises.
G K Chesterton once said that sin nature was the only empirically provable Christian doctrine. I think there is something to that. Sin is intractable. There is a thrill and a joy in hurting others that everyone on some level knows about, but seeks to deny as a part of the effort to fight against it. They must put on a face of shock and confusion, because they cannot face the presence of such evil in their own hearts. But the evil is there, either way. Sin lies in wait for justification and opportunity. It wants an excuse or an allowance that gives it permission to come in full blown.
That is why morality is at its lowest among the very rich and very poor. The very rich have the ability to insulate themselves from the consequences of their actions. The poor have less to lose by those consquences. And religious justification for violence, that is the ultimate opportunity for sin. It set itself up as god and the whole time convince the person that they are worshipping the true God. The truth is that evil is no mystery. But we have to pretend it is, lest we face its presence in our own hearts. But perhaps that is what gives sin its power when opportunity arises.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
40,000 Page Views Passed
We passed the 40,000 page view mark this morning. A big thanks to everyone who frequents my blog and has made this a worthy endeavor. My life has gotten so insane at work I don't get a chance to blog as deeply or as often as I'd like, but I am still doing it, and I think doing it well.
A Hermeneutic Of Mystery
I can dig any interpretation of the Bible that maintains mystery at its center. It seems clear to me that whatever God, God is mysterious, and even God revealed remains shrouded in mystery. Even when we see God, we do not fully know what we see. The Bible is full of mystery. To deny this is, to me, to deny what is most plain about the text. I don't think I would be so into the Bible if it were not so mysterious. Can you accept that you will never fully understand that to which you relate? "You cannot plumb the
depths of the human heart or grasp the workings of the human mind; how
then can you fathom God, who has made all these things, or discern his
mind, or understand his plan?"- Judith 8:14
Judith sounds about right to me. Everyone keeps using the Bible as if it is God's mind laid out in simple words for any person to understand. It isn't. That is not what it means to say the Bible is the Word of God. It is the Word of God spoken TO ME, right here and right now. It is a direct encounter with God. Plenary Inerrancy is a false doctrine because it puts God is a box. It is a form of idolatry, a subtle and dangerous form. Even when we talk about God in Jesus Christ, we are talking about an encounter with God, the same mysterious and unimaginable God that impinges into our experiences in the most subtle, wonderful, and numinous of ways. Jesus Christ is an encounter with God, as the Bible is. And it is a revelatory encounter. It tells us SOMETHING about God, but it does not tell us EVERYTHING about God.
We see this in the mysterious doctrines we must use to talk about our encounter with Christ. The Trinity, the Incarnation, these are hard to understand necessarily, because they are statements about God Himself, God as He is with us. Jesus is God. What does this mean? Many things. You can talk and talk about it but never finish expressing the idea. The revelation is to us, it is there for all of us to see. But seeing and understanding are two separate things.
And this is what it meant for people like Augustine and Luther when they talk about Jesus being the Word of God. It is not about some simplistic understanding of the Old Testament and then imposing that understanding on God, no. It is about the mysterious and wonderful encounter with Jesus Christ and understanding scripture to be that same kind of encounter.
Without mystery at its center, any hermeneutic is dead.
Judith sounds about right to me. Everyone keeps using the Bible as if it is God's mind laid out in simple words for any person to understand. It isn't. That is not what it means to say the Bible is the Word of God. It is the Word of God spoken TO ME, right here and right now. It is a direct encounter with God. Plenary Inerrancy is a false doctrine because it puts God is a box. It is a form of idolatry, a subtle and dangerous form. Even when we talk about God in Jesus Christ, we are talking about an encounter with God, the same mysterious and unimaginable God that impinges into our experiences in the most subtle, wonderful, and numinous of ways. Jesus Christ is an encounter with God, as the Bible is. And it is a revelatory encounter. It tells us SOMETHING about God, but it does not tell us EVERYTHING about God.
We see this in the mysterious doctrines we must use to talk about our encounter with Christ. The Trinity, the Incarnation, these are hard to understand necessarily, because they are statements about God Himself, God as He is with us. Jesus is God. What does this mean? Many things. You can talk and talk about it but never finish expressing the idea. The revelation is to us, it is there for all of us to see. But seeing and understanding are two separate things.
And this is what it meant for people like Augustine and Luther when they talk about Jesus being the Word of God. It is not about some simplistic understanding of the Old Testament and then imposing that understanding on God, no. It is about the mysterious and wonderful encounter with Jesus Christ and understanding scripture to be that same kind of encounter.
Without mystery at its center, any hermeneutic is dead.
More On Elephant Man
I recently posted on a story about the Elephant Man:
http://ljtsg.blogspot.com/2015/02/not-really-off-topic-elephant-man.html
I was thinking that the moral of that story is that a smile and a handshake can change a life.
http://ljtsg.blogspot.com/2015/02/not-really-off-topic-elephant-man.html
I was thinking that the moral of that story is that a smile and a handshake can change a life.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Kierkegaard Quotes
Soren Kierkegaard remains one of my all time favorite writers and Christian thinkers. The problem is that he's a hard read. Kierkegaard's writings are dense and written in a way that is hard to grasp. There is an art to reading Kierkegaard, a skill one has to develop over time. It is much like surfing. Once you learn how to ride the wave of Kierkegaard's heart and mind you realize the immensity of what he is driving at and the real beauty at the heart of his philosophy.
Kierkegaard, like Dostoevsky and Miguel De Unamuno, has the potential to devastate a soul in the best way. He almost forces you to fall down in repentance before God and to reach out in such a state that you know God is truly your only hope. I probably would not be a Christian today if it were not for Kierkegaard's THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH. It remains one of the best reflections of all time on the nature of sin and the need of the soul for God.
Another of his books that I've been thinking a lot about is THE PURITY OF THE HEART IS TO WILL ONE THING. That is an extended meditation on the sin of double-mindedness and on the power of will to connect one to God. I used to use quotes from it in meditation and I think I'm going to cycle that practice back through. Below are a few choice quotes from some of his books that have served me well:
'So let us, then, speak about this sentence: “Purity of heart is to will one thing” as we base our meditation on the Apostle James' words in his Epistle, Chapter 4, verse 8:
'It is only by a painful route that this way leads to the Good, namely, when the wanderer turns around and goes back. For as the Good is only a single thing, so all ways lead to the Good, even the false ones: when the repentant one follows the same way back. O you the unfathomable trust-worthiness of the Good! Wherever a man may be in the world, whichever road he travels, when he wills one thing, he is on a road that leads him to you! Here such a far-flung enumeration would only work harm. Instead of wasting many moments on naming the vast multitude of goals or squandering life's costly years in personal experiments upon them, can the talk do as life ought to do - with a commendable brevity stick to the point? '
“The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. - is sure to be noticed.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
“That God lets himself be born and becomes a human being, is no idle whim, something that occurs to him so as to have something to do, perhaps to put a stop to the boredom that has brashly been said to be bound up with being God-it is not to have an adventure. No, the fact that God does this is the seriousness of existence. And the seriousness in this seriousness is, in turn, that each shall have an opinion about it.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
“I am convinced that God is love, this thought has for me a primitive lyrical validity. When it is present to me, I am unspeakably blissful, when it is absent, I long for it more vehemently than does the lover for his object.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling
Kierkegaard, like Dostoevsky and Miguel De Unamuno, has the potential to devastate a soul in the best way. He almost forces you to fall down in repentance before God and to reach out in such a state that you know God is truly your only hope. I probably would not be a Christian today if it were not for Kierkegaard's THE SICKNESS UNTO DEATH. It remains one of the best reflections of all time on the nature of sin and the need of the soul for God.
Another of his books that I've been thinking a lot about is THE PURITY OF THE HEART IS TO WILL ONE THING. That is an extended meditation on the sin of double-mindedness and on the power of will to connect one to God. I used to use quotes from it in meditation and I think I'm going to cycle that practice back through. Below are a few choice quotes from some of his books that have served me well:
'So let us, then, speak about this sentence: “Purity of heart is to will one thing” as we base our meditation on the Apostle James' words in his Epistle, Chapter 4, verse 8:
“Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded.”For only the pure in heart can see God, and therefore, draw near to him; and only by God's drawing near to them can they maintain this purity. And he who in truth wills only one thing can will only the Good, and he who only wills one thing when he wills the Good can only will the Good in truth.'
'It is only by a painful route that this way leads to the Good, namely, when the wanderer turns around and goes back. For as the Good is only a single thing, so all ways lead to the Good, even the false ones: when the repentant one follows the same way back. O you the unfathomable trust-worthiness of the Good! Wherever a man may be in the world, whichever road he travels, when he wills one thing, he is on a road that leads him to you! Here such a far-flung enumeration would only work harm. Instead of wasting many moments on naming the vast multitude of goals or squandering life's costly years in personal experiments upon them, can the talk do as life ought to do - with a commendable brevity stick to the point? '
“The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. - is sure to be noticed.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
“That God lets himself be born and becomes a human being, is no idle whim, something that occurs to him so as to have something to do, perhaps to put a stop to the boredom that has brashly been said to be bound up with being God-it is not to have an adventure. No, the fact that God does this is the seriousness of existence. And the seriousness in this seriousness is, in turn, that each shall have an opinion about it.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
“I am convinced that God is love, this thought has for me a primitive lyrical validity. When it is present to me, I am unspeakably blissful, when it is absent, I long for it more vehemently than does the lover for his object.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Off-Topic: Levels of Lucidity
I often lucid dream. Lucid dreaming is when you know you are dreaming and you are able to control your dreams. I have identified seven levels of lucidity that I can enter into. The goal is to get to a six or seven.
Level 1- At a level one lucid dream, I simply find myself have vast power. I can be like Superman or actually be able to change the world with my thoughts, but this never occurs to me to be strange. I'm excited and moved by the power, but I never reflect on what it means.
Level 2- At this level of lucid dreaming, I have a firm awareness of a difference between me and the rest of the world. I have a strong sense that I am different from the world around me. But I don't spend much time in the dream trying to discern what this difference is about.
Level 3- At this level I can control the world around me, and I realize that this is strange and I want to know what is going on, but I never do figure it out. I know the world isn't quite right and I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is wrong or why I have the power I do, but I never actually figure it out.
Level 4- This level is exactly like level three, except towards the end of the dream I figure out I'm dreaming, and immediately wake up. These dreams can last a long time, with much of the dream being about me trying desperately to figure out what is 'wrong' with the world or with me. Then all of a sudden it hits me, I will consciously realize I'm dreaming and simply wake up. It can be a real bummer.
Level 5- At some point in the dream I figure out I'm dreaming, and I gain control over the dream. But for some reason, I forget I'm dreaming and lose my lucidity and my control. I have dreams where I go in and out of lucidity, sometimes being in full control and sometimes forgetting that everything that happens is not real.
Level 6- In a level six lucid dream I completely realize I'm dreaming, but my control is strangely limited. I can do things but I can't fully control the world around me. I don't know why I have these blocks of control, but they also tend to make the dream less sharp and crisp. They feel less real.
Level 7- This is lucid dreaming at its best. For most of the dream I know I'm dreaming and I have almost total control. I can do anything and the dream feels as real as real life.
Hyper-reality- Some people talk about dreams that feel more real than real. I've had these dreams, though I call them properly visions. They usually happen when I pray or meditate in my dreams and I enter a space I'd call heaven.
Level 1- At a level one lucid dream, I simply find myself have vast power. I can be like Superman or actually be able to change the world with my thoughts, but this never occurs to me to be strange. I'm excited and moved by the power, but I never reflect on what it means.
Level 2- At this level of lucid dreaming, I have a firm awareness of a difference between me and the rest of the world. I have a strong sense that I am different from the world around me. But I don't spend much time in the dream trying to discern what this difference is about.
Level 3- At this level I can control the world around me, and I realize that this is strange and I want to know what is going on, but I never do figure it out. I know the world isn't quite right and I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what is wrong or why I have the power I do, but I never actually figure it out.
Level 4- This level is exactly like level three, except towards the end of the dream I figure out I'm dreaming, and immediately wake up. These dreams can last a long time, with much of the dream being about me trying desperately to figure out what is 'wrong' with the world or with me. Then all of a sudden it hits me, I will consciously realize I'm dreaming and simply wake up. It can be a real bummer.
Level 5- At some point in the dream I figure out I'm dreaming, and I gain control over the dream. But for some reason, I forget I'm dreaming and lose my lucidity and my control. I have dreams where I go in and out of lucidity, sometimes being in full control and sometimes forgetting that everything that happens is not real.
Level 6- In a level six lucid dream I completely realize I'm dreaming, but my control is strangely limited. I can do things but I can't fully control the world around me. I don't know why I have these blocks of control, but they also tend to make the dream less sharp and crisp. They feel less real.
Level 7- This is lucid dreaming at its best. For most of the dream I know I'm dreaming and I have almost total control. I can do anything and the dream feels as real as real life.
Hyper-reality- Some people talk about dreams that feel more real than real. I've had these dreams, though I call them properly visions. They usually happen when I pray or meditate in my dreams and I enter a space I'd call heaven.
Monday, February 23, 2015
The Final Battlestar Galactica Bible Study
Season 4.5- Episode:
“Daybreak Part 3”
Acts 1:1-12
1 In the
first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until
the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to
the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive
to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty
days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While meeting
with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the
promise of the Father[c] about
which you have heard me speak; 5 for John baptized with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with the holy Spirit.”
6 When they had gathered
together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the
kingdom to Israel?” 7 He answered them, “It is not for you to
know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon
you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they
were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. 10 While
they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed
in white garments stood beside them. 11 They said, “Men of
Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been
taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him
going into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the
mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.
Acts Chapter 7
What ‘key’ are the
people in the episode arguing over and how is this a ‘key’ to all of them?
What ‘key’ has
Stephen found, and what is it a ‘key’ to?
What miracles guided
everyone to that one point on the bridge of Galactica?
Compare and contrast
Stephen’s speech and Gaius’.
Reflect on this
quote: I see angels, angels in this very room. Now, I may be mad,
but that doesn't mean that I'm not right.
Because there's another force at work
here. There always has been. It's undeniable. We've all experienced it.
Everyone in this room has witnessed events that they can't fathom, let alone
explain by rational means. Puzzles deciphered in prophecy. Dreams given to a
chosen few. Our loved ones, dead, risen. Wheather we want to call that
"God" or "gods" or some sublime inspiration or a divine
force we can't know or understand, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. It's
here. It exists, and our two destinies are entwined in its force.
Reflect on this quote: “How do you know God is on
your side?”
Reflect on Gaius’ response.
How is God ‘beyond good and evil’?
What created the divisions between the Christians
and the Jews?
What do you think of
what Tori did to the Chief’s wife?
What do you think of
the Chief’s response?
Reflect on Cavil’s
end.
What does it say
that Cara was able to use the music she hears to jump the ship?
How was Cara’s
experience like Gaius’ and how was it different?
Reflect on this
quote: “one might even say there is a divine hand at work.”
Where do we see the
theme of finding home throughout the history Israel, as recounted in Acts?
How do we see the
cycle of sin and redemption constantly repeating itself?
What do you think of
the decision to give up technology? What is the purpose behind this?
What does Lee say
about technology and our souls? What do you think of this?
Reflect on the last
moment between Sam and Cara, and the flashback associated with it.
Reflect on the final
fate of the Chief.
Reflect on Laura and
Admiral Adama’s last moments together, and the flashback associated with it.
Reflect on the last
meeting between Lee and Cara.
What was Cara, in
the end? What was her role, theologically speaking?
Compare and contrast
her first death with her ‘ascension’.
What do you think it
was like to be there when Jesus ascended after His death and resurrection?
Reflect on this
quote: “He’s not coming back this time…and neither am I…I am done here, I’ve
completed my journey,
and it feels good.”
Why do you think
they flashed back to the moment they did in this last meeting?
Reflect on Laura’s
death and the flashback associated with it.
Reflect on Sharon
and Helo and Hera’s fate.
Reflect on Gaius and
Six’s fate.
Reflect on this
quote: “God’s plan is never complete…but I think it’s safe to say that from now
on, your lives will be
less…eventful.”
Contrast this to the
lives of the Apostles after the plan regarding Jesus was fulfilled.
What do we learn
about the planet the refugees came to, at the end?
Reflect on this
quote: “You know He doesn’t like that name.”
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Sadness
I am often full of sadness. Depression is a shadow that sometimes follows me around. But even beyond the depression I am still happy. I am content even in my sadness. This will pass, and objectively my life is pretty good. Time to focus on Jesus Christ, to remember that He suffered too, and so there is nothing in my pain that isn't known by God. I am not being punished nor is God indifferent to my pain. I am not alone in my sadness. Whatever struggles I face, I face with God and so my struggles matter. Get up, do the work God has set before you. Take an Ecclesiastes' attitude about life, a Gospel attitude about God, and a Revelation attitude about the devil. Flip satan the bird and give God a hand by getting up and getting it done. Who's with me?
Migule De Unamuno Quotes
"Isolation is the worst possible counselor."
"It appears to me to be indisputable that he who I am to-day derives, by a continuous series of states of consciousness, from him who was in my body twenty years ago. Memory is the basis of individual personality, just as tradition is the basis of the collective personality of a people. We live in memory, and our spiritual life is at bottom simply the effort of our memory to persist, to transform itself into hope, the effort of our past to transform itself into our future." (Compare this to Alfred N Whitehead's ideas about objective immortality and God)
"It has often been said that every man who has suffered misfortunes prefers to be himself, even with his misfortunes, rather than to be someone else without them. For unfortunate men, when they preserve their normality in their misfortune — that is to say, when they endeavor to persist in their own being — prefer misfortune to non-existence. For myself I can say that when a as a youth, and even as a child, I remained unmoved when shown the most moving pictures of hell, for even then nothing appeared to me quite so horrible as nothingness itself. It was a furious hunger of being that possessed me, an appetite for divinity, as one of our ascetics [San Juan de los Angeles] has put it."
"Knowledge is employed in the service of the necessity of life and primarily in the service of the instinct of personal preservation. The necessity and this instinct have created in man the organs of knowledge and given them such capacity as they possess. Man sees, hears, touches, tastes and smells that which it is necessary for him to see, hear, touch, taste and smell in order to preserve his life. The decay or loss of any of these senses increases the risks with which his life is environed, and if it increases them less in the state of society in which we are actually living, the reason is that some see, hear, touch, taste and smell for others. A blind man, by himself and without a guide, could not live long. Society is an additional sense; it is the true common sense. "
"It appears to me to be indisputable that he who I am to-day derives, by a continuous series of states of consciousness, from him who was in my body twenty years ago. Memory is the basis of individual personality, just as tradition is the basis of the collective personality of a people. We live in memory, and our spiritual life is at bottom simply the effort of our memory to persist, to transform itself into hope, the effort of our past to transform itself into our future." (Compare this to Alfred N Whitehead's ideas about objective immortality and God)
"It has often been said that every man who has suffered misfortunes prefers to be himself, even with his misfortunes, rather than to be someone else without them. For unfortunate men, when they preserve their normality in their misfortune — that is to say, when they endeavor to persist in their own being — prefer misfortune to non-existence. For myself I can say that when a as a youth, and even as a child, I remained unmoved when shown the most moving pictures of hell, for even then nothing appeared to me quite so horrible as nothingness itself. It was a furious hunger of being that possessed me, an appetite for divinity, as one of our ascetics [San Juan de los Angeles] has put it."
"Knowledge is employed in the service of the necessity of life and primarily in the service of the instinct of personal preservation. The necessity and this instinct have created in man the organs of knowledge and given them such capacity as they possess. Man sees, hears, touches, tastes and smells that which it is necessary for him to see, hear, touch, taste and smell in order to preserve his life. The decay or loss of any of these senses increases the risks with which his life is environed, and if it increases them less in the state of society in which we are actually living, the reason is that some see, hear, touch, taste and smell for others. A blind man, by himself and without a guide, could not live long. Society is an additional sense; it is the true common sense. "
Meet Miguel De Unamuno
If you have never read Miguel De Unamuno's THE TRAGIC SENSE OF LIFE, you absolutely must. His book THE AGONY OF CHRISTIANITY is also good. For me, existentialism reached its height in Unamuno. He is twice the writer of Kierkegaard, with all of the truth retained. His book is about the struggle between faith and reason, and how that struggle can be itself an expression of the Cross. If you want a reason to believe in God, he can give you one. If you want a reason to disbelieve, that, too, he can provide. Almost every day I quote a Bible passage from Mark that he reflects upon in TRAGIC SENSE.."I do believe, help my unbelief."
Unamuno found the cosmic in the book DON QUIXOTE, and in this too he finds the cross. I simply love this writer and commend him to you.
Unamuno found the cosmic in the book DON QUIXOTE, and in this too he finds the cross. I simply love this writer and commend him to you.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Off-Topic: Comic Book Reviews For 2-18-2015
DC's MASTER MEN #1/MULTIVERSITY #6
The most recent offering of the Multiversity storyline is one of the best. This is an alternate-universe Superman storyline, in the same vein as RED SON. But rather than having Supes land in communist Russia, he lands in Nazi-controlled Germany, and helps the German army conquer the world. A small band of American superhero freedom fighters gains some unlikely, indeed disturbing help, in fighting against the supernazi regime. What, a, book. For so long DC has had some of its best storylines within elseworlds alternative universes. Grant Morrison has given us a chance to see that aspect of the DC model in action over and over again, and here it is at its best. The art was devastating, the storyline was not complete original but took enough of an original turn to feel like it was, and the dialogue was riveting. The only negative, and it is a small one, is that the pacing is a bit off, the whole book feels a little rushed. But that is to be expected. It detracts so little, and the rest of the book is so fantastic, that it is hardly worth mentioning.
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
DC's TEEN TITANS #7
The Titans face down a new threat at STAR labs, under the direction of Manchester Black. And while the storyline isn't exactly original, the overall execution of this book is, and has been, tops. I am so glad they rebooted this series. We are dealing with tight, controlled storytelling that involves real character development. I especially liked the team work between Beast and Raven. All in all, a good book.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Marvel's SPIDER-WOMAN #4
Spider-Woman helps her loomworld counterpart clean up the world that the Inheritors ruled for so long. This is really a SPIDER-VERSE aftermath book. I liked some more exploration of the main character, but the pacing of the whole book was really off. The art is solid and the dialogue good, but the storyline was weird and the pacing really through it off a bit for me. I won't be collecting Spider-Woman from here on in. I will be looking at Spider-Gwen when it comes out.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars
DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE #39
The final confrontation with the Amazo virus involves bravery, strenght and skill. The final solution to the problem was a bit simplistic, but the overall effect of this book is dynamite. I loved, loved, loved the team ups of Superman and Lex, and especially of Captain Cold and Wonder Woman. Cold steals the show here. The art in this book is, as it has been, simply amazing. The pacing of the book was a bit off, but everything else more or less makes up for it. A great book.
Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 4.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4.5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Marvel's ROCKET RACOON #8
I must have missed the last issue of this book, and that made reading this issue a little strange. But there was some great backstory about Rocket's first meeting with Groot and the relationship between the two characters. The storyline was good but not graet, the art is not my favorite, the pacing is pretty good, but the dialogue kicks ass. The overall effect is a book that is also good, but not great.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
The most recent offering of the Multiversity storyline is one of the best. This is an alternate-universe Superman storyline, in the same vein as RED SON. But rather than having Supes land in communist Russia, he lands in Nazi-controlled Germany, and helps the German army conquer the world. A small band of American superhero freedom fighters gains some unlikely, indeed disturbing help, in fighting against the supernazi regime. What, a, book. For so long DC has had some of its best storylines within elseworlds alternative universes. Grant Morrison has given us a chance to see that aspect of the DC model in action over and over again, and here it is at its best. The art was devastating, the storyline was not complete original but took enough of an original turn to feel like it was, and the dialogue was riveting. The only negative, and it is a small one, is that the pacing is a bit off, the whole book feels a little rushed. But that is to be expected. It detracts so little, and the rest of the book is so fantastic, that it is hardly worth mentioning.
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 5 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars
DC's TEEN TITANS #7
The Titans face down a new threat at STAR labs, under the direction of Manchester Black. And while the storyline isn't exactly original, the overall execution of this book is, and has been, tops. I am so glad they rebooted this series. We are dealing with tight, controlled storytelling that involves real character development. I especially liked the team work between Beast and Raven. All in all, a good book.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Marvel's SPIDER-WOMAN #4
Spider-Woman helps her loomworld counterpart clean up the world that the Inheritors ruled for so long. This is really a SPIDER-VERSE aftermath book. I liked some more exploration of the main character, but the pacing of the whole book was really off. The art is solid and the dialogue good, but the storyline was weird and the pacing really through it off a bit for me. I won't be collecting Spider-Woman from here on in. I will be looking at Spider-Gwen when it comes out.
Storyline: 3 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars
DC's JUSTICE LEAGUE #39
The final confrontation with the Amazo virus involves bravery, strenght and skill. The final solution to the problem was a bit simplistic, but the overall effect of this book is dynamite. I loved, loved, loved the team ups of Superman and Lex, and especially of Captain Cold and Wonder Woman. Cold steals the show here. The art in this book is, as it has been, simply amazing. The pacing of the book was a bit off, but everything else more or less makes up for it. A great book.
Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 4.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4.5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Marvel's ROCKET RACOON #8
I must have missed the last issue of this book, and that made reading this issue a little strange. But there was some great backstory about Rocket's first meeting with Groot and the relationship between the two characters. The storyline was good but not graet, the art is not my favorite, the pacing is pretty good, but the dialogue kicks ass. The overall effect is a book that is also good, but not great.
Storyline: 3.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Thursday, February 19, 2015
How Awesome Is St. Augustine?
There is so much about his life and doctrine that is off-putting, but there is far more that is just amazing. This guy was incredible. Faithful, brilliant, and attuned to God. Here is a collection of quotes I came upon recently that I had to share:
"Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.”
― Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine
“The wisdom of what a person says is in direct proportion to his progress in learning the holy scriptures--and I am not speaking of intensive reading or memorization, but real understanding and careful investigation of their meaning. Some people read them but neglect them; by their reading they profit in knowledge, by their neglect they forfeit understanding.”
― Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine
"Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion." [1 Timothy 1.7]- Saint Augustine (A.D. 354-430) in his work The Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim)
"Whoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.”
― Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine
“The wisdom of what a person says is in direct proportion to his progress in learning the holy scriptures--and I am not speaking of intensive reading or memorization, but real understanding and careful investigation of their meaning. Some people read them but neglect them; by their reading they profit in knowledge, by their neglect they forfeit understanding.”
― Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine
"Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men. If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion." [1 Timothy 1.7]- Saint Augustine (A.D. 354-430) in his work The Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim)
Guest Post by Jamie Nguyen- On Lent For Others
My 15 yo, Taylor, began
physical therapy for her injured shoulder this week. Her physical
therapist began small talk with her, which lead to a conversation about
Lent. They each exchanged changes they would be making to their daily
routines, in hopes of making more time for reflection in their spiritual
lives. The receptionist in the office overheard their conversation and
let each of them know she would not be making any changes to her daily
routine. She told Taylor that last year "she got nothing out of
participating". Taylor responded by saying, "Isn't that the point?"
I probably would have just nodded to the woman's response, but Taylor's question took my breath away, honestly. Taylor elaborated her thought to me by explaining, "We feel we constatnly need to be getting something out of everything we do." I have been thinking about our conversation ever since.
Are we praying to receive? Yes. I have prayed in order to receive. Worse yet, I've prayed with the idea I deserved to receive.
So this Lenten season, I have decided to pray differently. I am going to pray as if it is a prayer being said by another mother, sister, wife, daughter, friend. I am going to pray with the idea that someone else knows my sadness, my short comings, my loves. I am going to pray alongside my brothers and sisters not for results, but for relationships. Because God cannot be anymore tangible to each us than He is when we are building relationships with others. Relationships that come from different backgrounds, different religions, different cultures, different traditions, different futures. Differences make us individuals, but relationships make us whole. That wholeness, with all it's brokenness and frailty, is the embodiment of God.
I probably would have just nodded to the woman's response, but Taylor's question took my breath away, honestly. Taylor elaborated her thought to me by explaining, "We feel we constatnly need to be getting something out of everything we do." I have been thinking about our conversation ever since.
Are we praying to receive? Yes. I have prayed in order to receive. Worse yet, I've prayed with the idea I deserved to receive.
So this Lenten season, I have decided to pray differently. I am going to pray as if it is a prayer being said by another mother, sister, wife, daughter, friend. I am going to pray with the idea that someone else knows my sadness, my short comings, my loves. I am going to pray alongside my brothers and sisters not for results, but for relationships. Because God cannot be anymore tangible to each us than He is when we are building relationships with others. Relationships that come from different backgrounds, different religions, different cultures, different traditions, different futures. Differences make us individuals, but relationships make us whole. That wholeness, with all it's brokenness and frailty, is the embodiment of God.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
More On Martyrs: Origen
Origen is the father of Christian Universalism. He was denied sainthood by the catholic church and his most famous doctrine is looked down upon by most modern Christians. Yet he suffered terrible torture in the name of Christ. He never wavered in his faith. He died not long after his release from prison, due to the injuries caused by the torture. Could any deny he was a true martyr? If so, why? What is the difference between his eclectic Christianity and those of the Coptic Christians so many evangelical Christians are seeking to 'claim' right now? See also: my last post.
Coptic Christian Martyrs & Evangelical Politics
So evangelicals and fundamentalists are among those who are calling the Coptic Christians killed by ISIS 'martyrs'. I want to say, I agree. If dying because you believe in Jesus Christ doesn't make you a martyr, I don't know what does. I am in awe of people who continue to have faith in Christ when that faith puts you in as much danger as it does for Christians in the Middle East today.
However, I find it interesting that evangelicals and especially fundamentalists join me in that identification. Because Coptic Christians have some pretty strange beliefs, by most Christians standards and certainly by most evangelical standards. They are NOT fundamentalists. They practice infant baptism. They do not believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. They have beliefs about Jesus' Christ nature that is markedly different from mainline Christianity.
I, for one, do not think any of this disqualifies them from being Christians and have full membership in the people of God. Nor do I think it should detract from their status as martyrs. Yet I think that if many stood up and publicly pronounced their beliefs in America, they would be rejected as genuine Christians by a large number of fundamentalists.
Fundamentalists do not usually judge people or movements by a simple devotion to Jesus Christ. They rather tend to judge by the content of the particular beliefs. Just on the issue of infant baptism, many evangelicals would have a big problem. I know there are a good number of baptist churches who would deny that the baptism of those Coptic Christian martyrs was even valid, because it was done to them at infancy. An even greater number may deny their status as true Christians because they, like me, are not plenary interrantists. A great many would even consign these people to Hell for what they believed. Not all, maybe not even most, but a large number would.
So why are particular beliefs not important now? Probably because their are political points to be scored, and they matter more for many evangelicals than they should. What this should cause them to do is re-examine how they judge the validity of the faith of other Christ-believers. "By their fruits ye shall know them." If this martyrdom, this brave standing up for Christ in the face of the risk of death, is not proof of the genuineness of their faith, I don't know what is. But if proof of their genuineness, than also proof that being a true Christian does not mean standing within the narrow field of doctrine within which many evangelicals and all fundamentalists stand.
However, I find it interesting that evangelicals and especially fundamentalists join me in that identification. Because Coptic Christians have some pretty strange beliefs, by most Christians standards and certainly by most evangelical standards. They are NOT fundamentalists. They practice infant baptism. They do not believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. They have beliefs about Jesus' Christ nature that is markedly different from mainline Christianity.
I, for one, do not think any of this disqualifies them from being Christians and have full membership in the people of God. Nor do I think it should detract from their status as martyrs. Yet I think that if many stood up and publicly pronounced their beliefs in America, they would be rejected as genuine Christians by a large number of fundamentalists.
Fundamentalists do not usually judge people or movements by a simple devotion to Jesus Christ. They rather tend to judge by the content of the particular beliefs. Just on the issue of infant baptism, many evangelicals would have a big problem. I know there are a good number of baptist churches who would deny that the baptism of those Coptic Christian martyrs was even valid, because it was done to them at infancy. An even greater number may deny their status as true Christians because they, like me, are not plenary interrantists. A great many would even consign these people to Hell for what they believed. Not all, maybe not even most, but a large number would.
So why are particular beliefs not important now? Probably because their are political points to be scored, and they matter more for many evangelicals than they should. What this should cause them to do is re-examine how they judge the validity of the faith of other Christ-believers. "By their fruits ye shall know them." If this martyrdom, this brave standing up for Christ in the face of the risk of death, is not proof of the genuineness of their faith, I don't know what is. But if proof of their genuineness, than also proof that being a true Christian does not mean standing within the narrow field of doctrine within which many evangelicals and all fundamentalists stand.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Not Really Off-Topic: The Elephant Man & Dancing
I like dancing. Dancing is fun with most partners. But with some partners it can be a drag. There is a magic that happens when you dance, through connection and shared vulnerability that leads to something that transcends simply moving together, it becomes art. And it becomes art because one person knows how to lead and another knows how to follow. When someone back leads me it is like something is violated. The magic is gone. When someone follows it can be a heck of a lot of fun and sometimes, just sometimes (with me, as I'm at best an okay dancer), something beautiful can happen.
Then there are some people, some women, that are always magic to dance with. And beauty results more often. They are people who just respond so gracefully to what I'm doing. It is almost like telepathy. And it is one of the best feelings in the world. I'd put my wife in that category. It may not be true with all men, but her and I just work well together. My dance instructor Karina is in that category as is one of the owners of the studio, Olga.
What is that experience like? Well, to explain it, I have to tell you the story of John Merrick, the Elephant Man. He had a terribly disfiguring disease, and was treated like an animal much of his life. Yet he had a gentle and thoughtful soul. A doctor eventually started to take care of him. One day he had a woman come and interview Merrick. They spoke for maybe 30 minutes. At the end he just broke down balling crying. The doctor asked if she had hurt his feelings somehow. Merrick said, "No, I'm crying because I'm happy...she smiled at me and shook my hand...that was the first time in my life a woman ever smiled at me or touched my hand."
Merrick's entire demeanor changed after that point. He had a spring in his step, and a positive attitude about life. He loved her from that point on. Not sexualized or romantic love exactly, but a grateful love. She had given him hope with a smile and a touch. I doubt most women realize how much power they actually have. I doubt people realize how often a smile or a touch can change a life, can open a person up to the breadth and height of the universe, can reveal the power of love. His entire existence was changed with a single touch.
And that is what it is like to dance with a person that is completely responsive to you. That is what it is like for me to dance with my wife, with Karina or with Olga, or one of those few women who are in that category.
Then there are some people, some women, that are always magic to dance with. And beauty results more often. They are people who just respond so gracefully to what I'm doing. It is almost like telepathy. And it is one of the best feelings in the world. I'd put my wife in that category. It may not be true with all men, but her and I just work well together. My dance instructor Karina is in that category as is one of the owners of the studio, Olga.
What is that experience like? Well, to explain it, I have to tell you the story of John Merrick, the Elephant Man. He had a terribly disfiguring disease, and was treated like an animal much of his life. Yet he had a gentle and thoughtful soul. A doctor eventually started to take care of him. One day he had a woman come and interview Merrick. They spoke for maybe 30 minutes. At the end he just broke down balling crying. The doctor asked if she had hurt his feelings somehow. Merrick said, "No, I'm crying because I'm happy...she smiled at me and shook my hand...that was the first time in my life a woman ever smiled at me or touched my hand."
Merrick's entire demeanor changed after that point. He had a spring in his step, and a positive attitude about life. He loved her from that point on. Not sexualized or romantic love exactly, but a grateful love. She had given him hope with a smile and a touch. I doubt most women realize how much power they actually have. I doubt people realize how often a smile or a touch can change a life, can open a person up to the breadth and height of the universe, can reveal the power of love. His entire existence was changed with a single touch.
And that is what it is like to dance with a person that is completely responsive to you. That is what it is like for me to dance with my wife, with Karina or with Olga, or one of those few women who are in that category.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Battlestar Galactica Bible Study Week 15
Season 4.5- Episode:
“Daybreak Part 2”
00:00:01-00:45:23
Book of Jonah
Reflect on the Bible
passages in light of the episode.
What ‘flashbacks’
from the past on Caprica do we see at the beginning of the episode? What do
they all have in common?
Do you agree that at
his heart Lee is a cynic? Why or why not?
How was Jonah
two-faced? How was he cynical?
What does Lee’s
brother say about their father?
What do you have in
your life that functions like this?
Reflect on this
quote: “There’s no need to torture yourself, Gaius. Just…trust in God’s plan
for you.”
How was Jonah at
trusting God?
What does Gaius’
angel say about what God’s plan is for him?
What would it be
like to know how much time you have left, as Laura says?
What does it say
that Gaius is staying on Galactica?
What has become of
him?
Reflect on Gaius’
transformation in light of Jonah’s.
Reflect on the image
of Six and Gaius getting ready for battle together.
By showing love to a
non-Jewish nation, using a Jew, what has God accomplished in Jonah? What is the
real significance of Jonah 4?
Sirach 38:1-23
Matthew 21:41-43
They
answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his
vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” 42 Jesus
said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures:
‘The
stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes’?
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes’?
43 Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will
produce its fruit.
Reflect on the Bible
passages in light of the episode.
What does Laura say
to the Doctor?
How does the Doctor
respond to this praise? What do you think of this?
What do you think of
Sirach’s commentary on physicians?
Why do you think
this attitude is only found in the Apocrypha?
What does it say
that the Raptor pilots are all willing to go on this dangerous mission to save
Helo and Sharon’s child?
Why do you think
Galactica is even undertaking this mission?
What was the
original attitude about Sharon’s child?
How has this
changed?
What caused this
change?
Reflect on all of
this in light of the Matthew passage.
Reflect on the fact
that Ellen was the fifth remaining Cylon.
Reflect on Sam
becoming a Hybrid.
Why do you think
Sharon Boomer took Hera back to Sharon Athena?
Reflect on her
change in light of the actions of the people of Nineveh.
Reflect on this
quote: “I am proud of you…for doing all this…I always wanted to be proud of
you…I guess that was the
only thing missing.”
What is it like when
Gaius and Six realize they share a vision?
Whose fate did Jonah
‘hold in his hands’?
How did he feel
about that and why did he feel this way?
Reflect on the fact
that Gaius and Six ‘hold the fate of cylons and humans in their hands’ in light
of all of this.
What is it like when
the vision from the Opera House and reality begin got coalesce?
What did this all
end up being about?
What do you think
about all those visions, all that work, everything simply being about this?
What did Jonah WANT
his message to Nineveh to be about? What was it about?
What did Gaius think
all those messages, all that contact by God was about?
What did it end up
being about?