Thursday, December 10, 2009
Yes, A Flurry
In response to Craig West's blog: you're welcome. Being the slacker that I am, I know I have contributed plenty of December blogs in an effort to portray my thoughts on a whole semester. Will this experience make me relinquish my procrastinating ways? Probably not. Have I learned anything from blogging? Probably yes. Even though I did not fully embrace the idea of constantly sharing my thoughts with other classmates, I feel as though this is still a great learning tool. Maybe one day I'll actually get the hang of this and make my true thoughts known throughout the interweb! Or, maybe not. No big deal to me either way.
My Paper
Well, here it is. Five pages of something slightly above mediocrity. I really wish that I would start papers sooner, but there's something about an impending deadline that just gets my creative and literary juices flowing.
I once had a discussion with a friend of mine who just so happened to be an atheist. I wasn’t bothered by him not believing in my God, or even any god at all. What angered me about the discussion was his nearsightedness of the whole situation. He’d been asking me questions all afternoon about creation and, “Why did God create dinosaurs before humans,” and, “why does the Bible lie and say people lived to be over 100 years old?” My response to most of these situations is along the lines of, “I don’t know, but God knows. I just leave it at that.” I also use the, “I am that I am,” explanation Moses gets. However, his reasoning for not believing in a god is almost irrefutable. He claims that he could never believe in any god that allowed young women to be raped, loving homes to be robbed, and innocent cities to be bombed. “Why does your ‘almighty God’ let these bad things happen to good people? And why should I have to follow this God when he’s the one who put me on this planet to suffer throughout my life and then just die?” The thing is, as much as I want to answer him, and maybe strike him down myself, I can’t come up with a legitimate reason.
How can I even begin to know the reasons behind the acts of God? Who am I to make a guess as to what an almighty being is thinking and planning? I don’t even care to study the politics of my home state, much less look into the operations of the entire universe. There are many people who feel the same way as I do, and there are many people who are tortured by not knowing. A person would think that a world created and ran by a perfect being would, in turn, be perfect itself. The good would be rewarded, and the wicked would be punished. Everyone knows that this is not always the case, and bad things are constantly happening to good people. I have seen this happen countless times throughout my life, and I’m sure these occurrences won’t slow down over time. To illustrate what I’m trying to say, I’d like to use a fiction novel. Even though the story may be true, the themes and morals can relate to anyone.
When I read Isaac Bashevis Singer’s “The Slave,” I became enthralled with Jacob’s journey. His unwavering faith in God is something that I became jealous of during the course of my reading, and I wished that I could be more like him. However, the more I read into the story, (and re-read), the more I found out how alike we are. Both of us fail to understand exactly why God must make people suffer. “Why had God created the world? Why had He found it necessary to have pain, sin, and evil?... An all-powerful Creator did not need to be sustained by the agony of small children and the sacrifice of His people to bands of assassins,” (54). I share these same thoughts with Jacob, though I don’t necessarily focus on the sufferings of Josefov. These feelings plague Jacob continuously; his soul is being constantly tested and tortured. Not only does Jacob have these views, he also serves and worships the same god that is posing these questions to him. Why would Jacob worship the being that causes all this suffering? To answer quite briefly and completely, Jacob, and I, are slaves.
Now that I’ve come to terms with my indentured servitude to God, (which I’m maybe starting to have a problem with), why does God insist on mistreating his servants? Rather than focus on me, since I realize I’ve definitely done bad things in my life that have warranted punishment, I’d rather explore the sufferings and pitfalls of Jacob’s seemingly God-fearing life. I understand completely when murderers are sent to prison, but what I don’t fail to comprehend is why the church-going, God-fearing, upstanding community member in Kansas gets his home completely destroyed by a tornado. An occurrence like that can’t even be attributed to another wicked person; it is God’s direct doing and handiwork. So, when Jacob’s family is killed in the murdering of Josefov and he’s eventually sold into slavery, I begin to wonder why on God’s green earth would God do something like this.
I used to think it was wrong to question God; that unwittingly following him was the right way to go about life. After a close reading of the book of Job, I begin to feel the opposite. Learning from the attitude of Job in the middle of the story, I can see why Jacob would want a few questions of his own answered. Jacob has led a good life in the eyes of God: he’s studied the holy books, taught boys in the church, married a Jewish woman, had children, and made a good life for himself. When all of this is taken away from him and he finds himself in the service of Jan Bzik, he still maintains as much of a Jewish lifestyle as he can. Does God grant him reprieve and take him up to heaven? No, of course he doesn’t. In fact, it is my belief that God has pulled an anti-pharaoh on the town’s leader, Zagayek. Rather than just kill the Jew, as most of the town asks and pleads Zagayek to do, he refuses. Why doesn’t he kill Jacob? Maybe his heart has been softened by the Lord God rather than stiffened. Since Singer offers no other explanation as to why Zagayek lets Jacob live, I’m going to assume that it is God’s direct influence keeping Jacob among the mortal, evil world.
If you distance yourself from the situation, not dying can’t be perceived as such a bad thing. Generally, the goal of most people on earth is to live and procreate. Looking at Jacob’s story from this point of view, I think I can accept God’s decision to let Jacob live. But, just as I find a way to justify God’s actions, he sends the temptress Wanda up the mountain to see if she can get Jacob to shirk his Jewish duties. This, to me, is one of the most devilish things I’ve ever heard God do to one soul. Being a male myself, it is hard to imagine having to refuse a beautiful woman while enslaved in a mountain village, especially if that woman is your owner’s daughter! Not only that, but the townspeople offer him full citizenship, a tract of land, and Wanda’s hand in marriage if only he’d renounce his Jewish faith. I believe that this would be the point where Jacob and I would cease being similar. Sorry God, but if you’re going to allow Satan to tempt me like this, then I think we should see other people.
It’s around this point in the story that I found what could be an answer to my original question of why does God do what he does. In this particular moment that I’m looking at, Jacob is answering some of Wanda’s questions about God and the world. Jacob opens the section with a short monologue about the creation of the world and the purpose of all that God does. “So that the world might appear, it had been necessary for Him to dim is effulgence. Had He not done this, whatever He created would have been consumed and blinded by His brilliance. Darkness and the void had been required, and these were synonymous with pain and evil,” (82). In this section, Jacob also mentions that God had to create his children in order to show them pity, redeem them, and father them. However, in order for there to be redemption, there must also be damnation, and maybe that’s why God continues to make his children suffer. He goes on to say that the purpose of creation was to form free will, and allow man to choose between good and evil for himself. What I get from this is that God created the world from the void to give us the gift of free will; yet, in order for creation to exist, there had to be some of the void left over. There had to be a darkness to absorb some of God’s light or we’d all perish in His brilliance. This seems like a fair enough reason to cause the world suffering, but why can’t God just make the evil people of the world suffer and leave his faithful slaves in peace? I seems I have still not come to an answer for my question. I guess I’ll have to turn back to Jacob to see if I can come up with a solution.
As much as I hate to read about Jacob suffering, this is, by far, my most favorite part of the book. In the face of all these temptations and offerings of the devil, Jacob refuses to lose his faith. Yes, he does eventually lie with Wanda, but how long did God expect him to resist? He had been stuck on a mountain gathering grass for cattle for four years! The part of this story that fills me with hope is after he lies with Wanda, he continues his Jewish traditions, even though he believes he has forfeited the world to come. He maintains his faith, and justifies his rituals by proclaiming: “Well, but I am still a Jew,” (70). His faith remains rock-solid. Even after all the losses he’s experienced, the slavery, and the temptation, Jacob still has faith in his God and remains a faithful servant. I can’t even begin to comprehend the fortitude of this man.
At this point in The Slave, I’m reminded of a story in the New Testament of the Bible. I know Jacob can’t relate to it himself, but I can do it for him. This particular parable can be found in the book of Luke 10: 38-42. There are two sisters in the setting, Mary and Martha. While Mary listens intently to everything Jesus has to say, Martha is bustling around the house, distracted by her, “many tasks.” When Martha confronts Jesus about the idleness of her sister, Jesus responds: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” What Jesus is speaking of, (at least what I believe he’s speaking of), is Mary’s faith in the Lord God.
Even though Jews don’t believe in Jesus, I’m sure they could both agree on this solid piece of advice. That is why Jacob’s faith is so strong: it is his one thing. That’s all he needs and that’s all he cares about. What God does to him doesn’t matter as long as Jacob has his faith. His religion encompasses his entire lifestyle, and if he believes in it enough and focuses all his energies on it, then whatever else happens to him is inconsequential. Perhaps it is God who has made Jacob’s faith strong enough to cope with these misfortunes and tribulations. Perhaps He really does have a plan. If Jacob can believe this after all he’s been through, then so can I.
My atheist friend may not accept this explanation, but I no longer care what he thinks or what he’s trying to make me think. As a proud Lutheran, my faith is powerful, and has guided me through many hard times in my life. Though it may not be my “one thing” as of yet, I hope for it to be someday. I feel that it is right to sometimes question God. I believe questioning Him comes with the free will part of the creation deal. However, the answer my friend and I seek will never be visible to us in this world. Right now, all I can do is wait it out and have faith in my God as Jacob does.
There you have it. Hope it wasn't too bad!
I once had a discussion with a friend of mine who just so happened to be an atheist. I wasn’t bothered by him not believing in my God, or even any god at all. What angered me about the discussion was his nearsightedness of the whole situation. He’d been asking me questions all afternoon about creation and, “Why did God create dinosaurs before humans,” and, “why does the Bible lie and say people lived to be over 100 years old?” My response to most of these situations is along the lines of, “I don’t know, but God knows. I just leave it at that.” I also use the, “I am that I am,” explanation Moses gets. However, his reasoning for not believing in a god is almost irrefutable. He claims that he could never believe in any god that allowed young women to be raped, loving homes to be robbed, and innocent cities to be bombed. “Why does your ‘almighty God’ let these bad things happen to good people? And why should I have to follow this God when he’s the one who put me on this planet to suffer throughout my life and then just die?” The thing is, as much as I want to answer him, and maybe strike him down myself, I can’t come up with a legitimate reason.
How can I even begin to know the reasons behind the acts of God? Who am I to make a guess as to what an almighty being is thinking and planning? I don’t even care to study the politics of my home state, much less look into the operations of the entire universe. There are many people who feel the same way as I do, and there are many people who are tortured by not knowing. A person would think that a world created and ran by a perfect being would, in turn, be perfect itself. The good would be rewarded, and the wicked would be punished. Everyone knows that this is not always the case, and bad things are constantly happening to good people. I have seen this happen countless times throughout my life, and I’m sure these occurrences won’t slow down over time. To illustrate what I’m trying to say, I’d like to use a fiction novel. Even though the story may be true, the themes and morals can relate to anyone.
When I read Isaac Bashevis Singer’s “The Slave,” I became enthralled with Jacob’s journey. His unwavering faith in God is something that I became jealous of during the course of my reading, and I wished that I could be more like him. However, the more I read into the story, (and re-read), the more I found out how alike we are. Both of us fail to understand exactly why God must make people suffer. “Why had God created the world? Why had He found it necessary to have pain, sin, and evil?... An all-powerful Creator did not need to be sustained by the agony of small children and the sacrifice of His people to bands of assassins,” (54). I share these same thoughts with Jacob, though I don’t necessarily focus on the sufferings of Josefov. These feelings plague Jacob continuously; his soul is being constantly tested and tortured. Not only does Jacob have these views, he also serves and worships the same god that is posing these questions to him. Why would Jacob worship the being that causes all this suffering? To answer quite briefly and completely, Jacob, and I, are slaves.
Now that I’ve come to terms with my indentured servitude to God, (which I’m maybe starting to have a problem with), why does God insist on mistreating his servants? Rather than focus on me, since I realize I’ve definitely done bad things in my life that have warranted punishment, I’d rather explore the sufferings and pitfalls of Jacob’s seemingly God-fearing life. I understand completely when murderers are sent to prison, but what I don’t fail to comprehend is why the church-going, God-fearing, upstanding community member in Kansas gets his home completely destroyed by a tornado. An occurrence like that can’t even be attributed to another wicked person; it is God’s direct doing and handiwork. So, when Jacob’s family is killed in the murdering of Josefov and he’s eventually sold into slavery, I begin to wonder why on God’s green earth would God do something like this.
I used to think it was wrong to question God; that unwittingly following him was the right way to go about life. After a close reading of the book of Job, I begin to feel the opposite. Learning from the attitude of Job in the middle of the story, I can see why Jacob would want a few questions of his own answered. Jacob has led a good life in the eyes of God: he’s studied the holy books, taught boys in the church, married a Jewish woman, had children, and made a good life for himself. When all of this is taken away from him and he finds himself in the service of Jan Bzik, he still maintains as much of a Jewish lifestyle as he can. Does God grant him reprieve and take him up to heaven? No, of course he doesn’t. In fact, it is my belief that God has pulled an anti-pharaoh on the town’s leader, Zagayek. Rather than just kill the Jew, as most of the town asks and pleads Zagayek to do, he refuses. Why doesn’t he kill Jacob? Maybe his heart has been softened by the Lord God rather than stiffened. Since Singer offers no other explanation as to why Zagayek lets Jacob live, I’m going to assume that it is God’s direct influence keeping Jacob among the mortal, evil world.
If you distance yourself from the situation, not dying can’t be perceived as such a bad thing. Generally, the goal of most people on earth is to live and procreate. Looking at Jacob’s story from this point of view, I think I can accept God’s decision to let Jacob live. But, just as I find a way to justify God’s actions, he sends the temptress Wanda up the mountain to see if she can get Jacob to shirk his Jewish duties. This, to me, is one of the most devilish things I’ve ever heard God do to one soul. Being a male myself, it is hard to imagine having to refuse a beautiful woman while enslaved in a mountain village, especially if that woman is your owner’s daughter! Not only that, but the townspeople offer him full citizenship, a tract of land, and Wanda’s hand in marriage if only he’d renounce his Jewish faith. I believe that this would be the point where Jacob and I would cease being similar. Sorry God, but if you’re going to allow Satan to tempt me like this, then I think we should see other people.
It’s around this point in the story that I found what could be an answer to my original question of why does God do what he does. In this particular moment that I’m looking at, Jacob is answering some of Wanda’s questions about God and the world. Jacob opens the section with a short monologue about the creation of the world and the purpose of all that God does. “So that the world might appear, it had been necessary for Him to dim is effulgence. Had He not done this, whatever He created would have been consumed and blinded by His brilliance. Darkness and the void had been required, and these were synonymous with pain and evil,” (82). In this section, Jacob also mentions that God had to create his children in order to show them pity, redeem them, and father them. However, in order for there to be redemption, there must also be damnation, and maybe that’s why God continues to make his children suffer. He goes on to say that the purpose of creation was to form free will, and allow man to choose between good and evil for himself. What I get from this is that God created the world from the void to give us the gift of free will; yet, in order for creation to exist, there had to be some of the void left over. There had to be a darkness to absorb some of God’s light or we’d all perish in His brilliance. This seems like a fair enough reason to cause the world suffering, but why can’t God just make the evil people of the world suffer and leave his faithful slaves in peace? I seems I have still not come to an answer for my question. I guess I’ll have to turn back to Jacob to see if I can come up with a solution.
As much as I hate to read about Jacob suffering, this is, by far, my most favorite part of the book. In the face of all these temptations and offerings of the devil, Jacob refuses to lose his faith. Yes, he does eventually lie with Wanda, but how long did God expect him to resist? He had been stuck on a mountain gathering grass for cattle for four years! The part of this story that fills me with hope is after he lies with Wanda, he continues his Jewish traditions, even though he believes he has forfeited the world to come. He maintains his faith, and justifies his rituals by proclaiming: “Well, but I am still a Jew,” (70). His faith remains rock-solid. Even after all the losses he’s experienced, the slavery, and the temptation, Jacob still has faith in his God and remains a faithful servant. I can’t even begin to comprehend the fortitude of this man.
At this point in The Slave, I’m reminded of a story in the New Testament of the Bible. I know Jacob can’t relate to it himself, but I can do it for him. This particular parable can be found in the book of Luke 10: 38-42. There are two sisters in the setting, Mary and Martha. While Mary listens intently to everything Jesus has to say, Martha is bustling around the house, distracted by her, “many tasks.” When Martha confronts Jesus about the idleness of her sister, Jesus responds: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” What Jesus is speaking of, (at least what I believe he’s speaking of), is Mary’s faith in the Lord God.
Even though Jews don’t believe in Jesus, I’m sure they could both agree on this solid piece of advice. That is why Jacob’s faith is so strong: it is his one thing. That’s all he needs and that’s all he cares about. What God does to him doesn’t matter as long as Jacob has his faith. His religion encompasses his entire lifestyle, and if he believes in it enough and focuses all his energies on it, then whatever else happens to him is inconsequential. Perhaps it is God who has made Jacob’s faith strong enough to cope with these misfortunes and tribulations. Perhaps He really does have a plan. If Jacob can believe this after all he’s been through, then so can I.
My atheist friend may not accept this explanation, but I no longer care what he thinks or what he’s trying to make me think. As a proud Lutheran, my faith is powerful, and has guided me through many hard times in my life. Though it may not be my “one thing” as of yet, I hope for it to be someday. I feel that it is right to sometimes question God. I believe questioning Him comes with the free will part of the creation deal. However, the answer my friend and I seek will never be visible to us in this world. Right now, all I can do is wait it out and have faith in my God as Jacob does.
There you have it. Hope it wasn't too bad!
Bad Day - Good Day
Throughout the the course of this semester, I've had some pretty bad days. I've also had some pretty decent days. However, I don't feel as if I've met either of these extremes after reading some of the other blogs. Erin's bad day just chills me to the core, and I'm sure there are many others out there that I have missed that are just as bad. In light of this, I'd like to show my thanks in that I have not yet experienced one of these horrible days. In fact, I believe I can look back on this semester and give it a fairly good grade in the "goodness" category. Along these lines, I have a video to share that, for some reason, has kept me in good spirits throughout these past few months. Whenever I'm feeling a little bit down, I just watch it and feel soooooo much better about my own life that the little things that get me down just melt away.
Sorry Kanye.... play him off, keyboard cat.
Oh, and some of the related videos are just as good if anyone needs a good pick-me-up!
Wait, I have a few disclaimers: the humor in this situation, to me, is only the ignorance of Kanye and the reactions of Mike Meyers. In no way is the situation of the scene funny to me. Also, the keyboard cat just completes the whole thing masterfully.
Sorry Kanye.... play him off, keyboard cat.
Oh, and some of the related videos are just as good if anyone needs a good pick-me-up!
Wait, I have a few disclaimers: the humor in this situation, to me, is only the ignorance of Kanye and the reactions of Mike Meyers. In no way is the situation of the scene funny to me. Also, the keyboard cat just completes the whole thing masterfully.
Tired of the Tribulations
I've been writing my paper all night up until now, and I'm just tired enough to let it down for a while. Jacob's suffering has given me plenty to think about tonight, and I need a quick nap before I can finish and post my final paper. Also, there are a few more blogs to come in the morning before class, so get ready!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Modern Poetry
Well, the point of this class is partly to discover the literary influence the Bible has over all works of literature. It's easy to pick out all of the writers of The Great Awakening, which I have already discussed. However, in line with another paper I need to write, I'd like to look at my favorite poet, Edgar Allan Poe.
I love, "The Raven." How could you not? But, rather than divulge into my many loves of this work, I'll tell you about the biblical influences in it.
First, there's the, "Balm of Gilead." Referencing the book of Jeremiah, in this context it is a resin used for medical purposes. Also, I'm a big fan of the name, "Gilead." It just sounds poetic to me! On top of that reference, he also uses the image of a Seraphim, a type of angel. Angels are great too; thanks Bible.
My favorite reference, though, can be deemed as a stretch. In the story of Noah's Arc, the raven (who is white at the time) is sent to check on the flood waters. When the little birdie slacks off and lingers out and about, he is punished by being turned black and cursed to eat carrion the rest of his life. Kinda lame to be cursed, but no biggie.
Anyway, I'd like to think a poet as awesome as Poe was well-versed in the Bible. Since he was, I can make the stretch that he knew the story of the raven as well as I do now. What better fitting image to use in his melancholy poetry than the original accursed messenger?
The "Sacrifice" of Isaac
This is yet another story from the Bible that I'm well acquainted with, which is to say, I could tell someone that: God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac; Abraham was gonna do it, but an angel stopped him at the last minute; Abraham instead sacrificed a ram that was caught in the bushes nearby; everyone lives happily ever after.
In Sunday School, way back in the day (first grade stuff), I remember the little old lady that taught the class handed out coloring sheets and a box of crayons. What we were to color in was a sketch of the near sacrifice of Isaac. It was fairly accurate with the story in the Bible, but without the knife mentioned in scripture. I didn't care; I was eight, I just wanted to color.
Anyway, the little old lady began to tell us the story of the meaning behind the coloring. She told us that Abraham was a great man and loved God, and God loved him. Abraham wanted a son, so God gave him Isaac. Then, some time down the road, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac back to him. The way my Sunday School teacher explained this "sacrifice" part was that Abraham was going to take Isaac to an alter up the hill and God was going to take Isaac to heaven.
Well, that's not so bad. I'd been taught that heaven was a pretty neat place, so what would be so bad about that? Well, Abraham was sad, but did what he was told. He took Isaac to the altar, and was about to give him back to God, when an angel swooped down and told Abraham he didn't have to! Abraham was very happy with this, and there was a ram in the bushes for Abraham to sacrifice instead. Abraham kept his son, and God got a sheep.
Alright, as long as everyone is happy, I guess that's considered a happy ending. "Why did God lie to Abraham," I asked my teacher. *Shock and awe* "Well, he didn't! God doesn't lie!! He knew what was going to happen, so he wasn't lying to Abraham at all!" Well, I accepted her answer, cause I was pretty sure if I asked another question I was gonna get a nice smack by the ruler and my parents would hear about my disruption. Now we don't want that, do we?
The fact remains: Why did God test Abraham? Well, if you just view it from the flat page, it was to test Abraham and his faithfulness. Pass. But, I think I'm going to chalk the reason up to the bipolar disorder of The Old Testament God. After dealing with the whole Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel crap, I'd be a little testy too. Well, like I said during my presentation on Tuesday, I'm just a human, God is God, and who am I to even comprehend how the almighty thinks and operates. I'm actually glad he's running the show, Lord knows I couldn't!
Jonathan Edwards
This is one angry dude. As a guy who can possibly be given the most credit for the "Great Awakening," he sure seems to push aside the teachings of Jesus such as, "love one another," and, "turn the other cheek." No, this guy focuses on big papa, the overlord of the Old Testament, The Father himself.
I was prompted to blog about this guy after re-reading his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" again in another literature class. Edwards, basically, uses some of the most vivid and nasty scenes in order to scare people back into the churches. No known for being the most vivacious speaker, Edwards still managed to scare the Holy Spirit back into people. How did he do it? With language like this:
"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."
And another one of my favorites:
"O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder..."
I was prompted to blog about this guy after re-reading his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" again in another literature class. Edwards, basically, uses some of the most vivid and nasty scenes in order to scare people back into the churches. No known for being the most vivacious speaker, Edwards still managed to scare the Holy Spirit back into people. How did he do it? With language like this:
"There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God."
And another one of my favorites:
"O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder..."
All of this is great stuff, reminding me of the God of Moses and Abraham and those other Old Testament patriarchs. The God who turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt for looking back upon the burning cities. And the God who stiffened Pharaoh's heart in order to inflict more plagues on the Egyptians and make himself more known. Yeah, this is the God that Edwards needed to start the Great Awakening and scare people back into the pews on Sundays.
Well, I can't even question his tactics. They worked, but I like to think God wants me in his church not because I'm afraid of lightning or being turned into salt, but because he loves me and I love him back.
Who Does God Help?
.jpg)
A couple of weeks ago (I actually think it was over a month ago), Dr. Sexson proposed a question something along the lines of: "Where in the Bible does it say, 'God helps those who help themselves,'?"
Well, the first thought that came to my mind was the story of Jesus fasting for 40 days and nights while the devil tempted him for the whole ordeal. I remembered the devil telling Jesus to turn rocks into bread, since he was the Son of God. Jesus, of course, refused. Satan offered him all the lands of the earth if Jesus would just worship him. Jesus, once again, told him to beat it. The one that I have obviously misunderstood is the scene in which Satan tells Jesus to jump off the top of a church. Satan assures Jesus that angels will swoop down to save him, even quoting scripture in the process (Psalm 91: 11-12).
What I mis-remembered was that Satan didn't include the part of the scripture that states God only helps those that, "make the Most High (their) dwelling." Certainly you're not the most devoted to God if you feel jumping off of a church is a cool thing to do.
Another little tidbit of information I found while researching this, is that God actually helps the helpless, rather than those that help themselves. Romans 5:8 states that, "Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us."
So... once again, Dr. Sexson proves himself correct. Not that I doubted him, I just don't like doubting myself. Anyway, prepare yourselves for multiple blogs to come. I think I might be getting the hang of this and I have plenty of "Blog Boxes" highlighted in my notes that I have for some reason neglected to explore until now.
Also, the picture is of Satan tempting Jesus during his 40 days of fasting. Thank you Wikipedia for your ever-flowing wisdom and links to other cool things.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
verum esse ipsum factum
I'm really loving the trip back through my notebook from this class. There's so much good stuff in it, and now that I'm maybe getting the hang of this blogging thing (although waaaaay too late in the semester) it feels much easier to explore some of the things I've jotted down this Fall.
My most recent find is a little quote in Latin from a pretty thoughtful dude named Vico. "Verum esse ipsum factum," meaning: "truth itself is fact," or,"truth itself is made." I really enjoyed finding this in my notes and realizing that it came up as a point of discussion in a "Biblical Studies" class. In my early days, I always thought of the Bible as a truth, that everything within it was truthful. After high school, a few years of college, and this class especially, I cannot bring myself to believe that completely. I'm still extremely faithful, maybe even more so than before, but I would rather view the truths in this world from Vico's standpoint rather than "the redactor's" standpoint.
I agree with Thomas' point he made during his term paper presentation, that the stories have important morals within them. I believe these morals to be truths made and tested throughout time, and therefore something to believe in.
My most recent find is a little quote in Latin from a pretty thoughtful dude named Vico. "Verum esse ipsum factum," meaning: "truth itself is fact," or,"truth itself is made." I really enjoyed finding this in my notes and realizing that it came up as a point of discussion in a "Biblical Studies" class. In my early days, I always thought of the Bible as a truth, that everything within it was truthful. After high school, a few years of college, and this class especially, I cannot bring myself to believe that completely. I'm still extremely faithful, maybe even more so than before, but I would rather view the truths in this world from Vico's standpoint rather than "the redactor's" standpoint.
I agree with Thomas' point he made during his term paper presentation, that the stories have important morals within them. I believe these morals to be truths made and tested throughout time, and therefore something to believe in.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
I jotted down some quick notes while I was listening to the term paper presentations on Thursday. Here's what I have, but they're pretty basic with only the major points recorded. If you presented the first day and think somethings inaccurate just let me know and I'll fix it.
Karen
-circumcision is a "brand" of Judaism
-Jacob carving laws into rock is slave labor for God
-he can't escape God, he'll always be a Jew
-he realizes he's a lsave because he can't love God, yet he is a slave to God
Ashley
-Video: The Bible is Broken: TV show "Firefly"
-the Bible is about believing in something
-the Bible is a social influence
Thomas: Literature in the Bible
-looked at the stories in the Bible
-finds it ridiculous that some people follow the laws in a book as contradicrory and convoluted as the Bible
-however, he'd be a hypocrite since he follows the morals in the stories
-Cain and Abel, East of Eden, Ecclesiastes, Job (4:8), are all great stories. The story of Lazarus especially; he's raised from the dead and then disappears.
-also, it seems like resurrections are tacked on
Jenna: conquering the fear of the Bible
-no one has seen God, and it's surprising how angry he is
-more than one creation story
-babtism: symbolizes the resurrection
-Armageddon: the final battle between Good and Evil
-lots of odd rules were found in the Bible
-the point is to not be afraid, it's just a book
Chris: The Slave and the Bible
-Singer kept the story more modern
-Jacob realizes his namesake in the Bible
-He tries to justify his actions with Wanda
-Sarah ruins Wanda's original character
-conclusion: the archetypes will always continue
Craig West
-really appreciated the "Wisdom" books
-vanity is vanity, all is vanity: all is pointless
-Emerson: people become what they do
-apply the pointlessness of life to your own life
-if you can reach a goal, there's always something beyond it
Alex: What I know now
-Initially intimidated by the Bible, but learned to appreciate it as a foundation of Western Literature and thought
-appreciate it for what it is
-see things through Occam's razor
-notice the continuous rise and fall of their faithfulness with the false idols and weak priests
-exclusively reinforces who we are
Shelby: Hebel
-my life is a story... now what?
- 1. Some people don't want to answer the question
2. Try to seek an answer
3. Devotion: praising the question
-Metanoia: there's something to obtain
-read it distantly, and you reach a mental apocalypse
-Anamnesis: why doesn't Jacob (The Slave) find this comforting?
*because he knows it's alright, so what?
Melissa: Women in the Bible and The Slave
-the Bible set up the first archetypes of women
-women keep the Bible moving
-Wanda is Eve the Seducer and Mary the Mother
Craig Stephenson: Why did I write my paper?
-Patton Oswalt: "I died in the Apocalypse"
-the apocalypse, Revelation, is a wonderful illustration of how awesome our story was
Ben Miller: What do I know now?
-Ben believes 90% of literature is influenced by the Bible
-Anagogy: levels or modes of literature --> myths, metaphor, mystical --> the highest level of reading
-enjoys the literary criticism of Frye
KT: The impact of mythos
-people remember the stories, not the rules
-ex. if after 8 days a boy isn't circumcised, Lilith takes them to hell: now you'll remember the circumcision law
Kathryn: Went from The Slave to Justifying God's Wrath
-started in The Garden of Eden: of course he's angry, we inherently disobey him
-all the bad things that happened (Sodom and Gommorah, the Ten Plagues, The Flood) gives us second chances
-salvation is God's ultimate gift to us and cannot be earned
-you have to have faith that God know's what he's doing
If anyone has anything they'd like me to add or correct, please let me know!
Karen
-circumcision is a "brand" of Judaism
-Jacob carving laws into rock is slave labor for God
-he can't escape God, he'll always be a Jew
-he realizes he's a lsave because he can't love God, yet he is a slave to God
Ashley
-Video: The Bible is Broken: TV show "Firefly"
-the Bible is about believing in something
-the Bible is a social influence
Thomas: Literature in the Bible
-looked at the stories in the Bible
-finds it ridiculous that some people follow the laws in a book as contradicrory and convoluted as the Bible
-however, he'd be a hypocrite since he follows the morals in the stories
-Cain and Abel, East of Eden, Ecclesiastes, Job (4:8), are all great stories. The story of Lazarus especially; he's raised from the dead and then disappears.
-also, it seems like resurrections are tacked on
Jenna: conquering the fear of the Bible
-no one has seen God, and it's surprising how angry he is
-more than one creation story
-babtism: symbolizes the resurrection
-Armageddon: the final battle between Good and Evil
-lots of odd rules were found in the Bible
-the point is to not be afraid, it's just a book
Chris: The Slave and the Bible
-Singer kept the story more modern
-Jacob realizes his namesake in the Bible
-He tries to justify his actions with Wanda
-Sarah ruins Wanda's original character
-conclusion: the archetypes will always continue
Craig West
-really appreciated the "Wisdom" books
-vanity is vanity, all is vanity: all is pointless
-Emerson: people become what they do
-apply the pointlessness of life to your own life
-if you can reach a goal, there's always something beyond it
Alex: What I know now
-Initially intimidated by the Bible, but learned to appreciate it as a foundation of Western Literature and thought
-appreciate it for what it is
-see things through Occam's razor
-notice the continuous rise and fall of their faithfulness with the false idols and weak priests
-exclusively reinforces who we are
Shelby: Hebel
-my life is a story... now what?
- 1. Some people don't want to answer the question
2. Try to seek an answer
3. Devotion: praising the question
-Metanoia: there's something to obtain
-read it distantly, and you reach a mental apocalypse
-Anamnesis: why doesn't Jacob (The Slave) find this comforting?
*because he knows it's alright, so what?
Melissa: Women in the Bible and The Slave
-the Bible set up the first archetypes of women
-women keep the Bible moving
-Wanda is Eve the Seducer and Mary the Mother
Craig Stephenson: Why did I write my paper?
-Patton Oswalt: "I died in the Apocalypse"
-the apocalypse, Revelation, is a wonderful illustration of how awesome our story was
Ben Miller: What do I know now?
-Ben believes 90% of literature is influenced by the Bible
-Anagogy: levels or modes of literature --> myths, metaphor, mystical --> the highest level of reading
-enjoys the literary criticism of Frye
KT: The impact of mythos
-people remember the stories, not the rules
-ex. if after 8 days a boy isn't circumcised, Lilith takes them to hell: now you'll remember the circumcision law
Kathryn: Went from The Slave to Justifying God's Wrath
-started in The Garden of Eden: of course he's angry, we inherently disobey him
-all the bad things that happened (Sodom and Gommorah, the Ten Plagues, The Flood) gives us second chances
-salvation is God's ultimate gift to us and cannot be earned
-you have to have faith that God know's what he's doing
If anyone has anything they'd like me to add or correct, please let me know!
Psalm 51
So, I realize we went over this quite some time ago, but I have a highlighted box in my notes that says something along the lines of: "Rememer to blog about 'Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God' since it is from Psalm 51." So, in light of finding this, I have remembered to blog about it. I'm sure I'll find more of the blog nuggets later, but here's the first one.
In our church, we sing this hymn every service. It's called "Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God" and is based off of Psalms 51:10-12 or around there. Here's a decent audio clip of it, although we sing it a bit differently in our church since there's no choir and few of us can actually sing.
Here's the lyrics as I remember them:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from your presence
And take not Your Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation
And uphold me with your free spirit
Amen"
They're not quite the same as in the video, but apparently few people sing the hymn the traditional way that my church does and it's hard to find a good clip. The related videos are really interesting, and I hadn't realized just how popularized the hymn was until I looked on youtube.
This is a fairly traditional instrumental from the actual website of my hymnal. Even this one is different from the way we sing it in our church, and I once again believe it is because of the lack of a choir or singing talent that we have had to change our version to suit us.
http://www.lutheranmusic.com/library/CW/pages/hymns/cw272-video.html
So, there it is. Enjoy! And there will surely be more random blogs to follow once I read through the rest of my notes. Excited? You should be.
In our church, we sing this hymn every service. It's called "Create in Me a Clean Heart, O God" and is based off of Psalms 51:10-12 or around there. Here's a decent audio clip of it, although we sing it a bit differently in our church since there's no choir and few of us can actually sing.
Here's the lyrics as I remember them:
"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me
Cast me not away from your presence
And take not Your Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation
And uphold me with your free spirit
Amen"
They're not quite the same as in the video, but apparently few people sing the hymn the traditional way that my church does and it's hard to find a good clip. The related videos are really interesting, and I hadn't realized just how popularized the hymn was until I looked on youtube.
This is a fairly traditional instrumental from the actual website of my hymnal. Even this one is different from the way we sing it in our church, and I once again believe it is because of the lack of a choir or singing talent that we have had to change our version to suit us.
http://www.lutheranmusic.com/library/CW/pages/hymns/cw272-video.html
So, there it is. Enjoy! And there will surely be more random blogs to follow once I read through the rest of my notes. Excited? You should be.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Congratulations!
I was very impressed with everyone's presentations! I wasn't sure what to expect, since this is sort of a biblical studies class, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results. It was a lot of fun to participate in and beneficial to work with others towards a common goal. I hope everyone was as happy with the performances as I was!
Good luck on the upcoming term papers! I'm excited to re-read The Slave again for mine, and I'm also excited for the presentations. I hope everyone doing theirs on Thursday has enough time to finish them and do well!
Good luck on the upcoming term papers! I'm excited to re-read The Slave again for mine, and I'm also excited for the presentations. I hope everyone doing theirs on Thursday has enough time to finish them and do well!
Song of Solomon Handout
Ok, here's the handout for class. It's not in the same form it was on the papers in class, but all the stuff is there for review and such!
Song of Solomon
A Rich and Sensual Love Song
Authorship-
Some people translate the first clause of the title as "which is of Solomon," meaning that the book is authored by Solomon. In the Jewish tradition, King Solomon is the writer of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon. The order of composition is disputed, but the Talmud states the order of the canon, listing Proverbs first, then Ecclesiastes, and then The Song of Songs.
Others translate the first clause as "which is for Solomon," meaning that the book is dedicated to Solomon. It was common practice in ancient times for an anonymous writer seeking recognition for his work to write using the name of someone more famous. Some read the book as contrasting the nobility of monogamous love with the debased nature of promiscuous love, and suggest that the book is actually a veiled criticism of Solomon, who, according to 1 Kings 11:3, had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.
Interpretation-
The Song of Solomon has been interpreted in many different ways. Traditionally, people thought that the tale told of God’s love for the Israelites; however, in a more modern light, people think that the tale tells of Christ’s love for the church. Other theories include settings of a marriage between two gods and funerary repasts staging love against death. Probably the most obvious interpretation is a dialogue between two lovers. Some view it as a bride and groom celebrating their nuptials; others believe it to be the story of erotic love between an unmarried man and woman.
Setting-
The dating of the Song of Solomon is uncertain since there is nothing to tie it to a specific historical setting, but it is generally tied to dates ranging close to the time of Solomon (mid tenth century). The type of language used in the book relates to love poetry known in the ancient Near East, Mesopotamian love rituals, and Egyptian love songs; the closest match is to the Egyptian works.
The portrayal of lovers shows a relationship filled with erotic energy and lust. Throughout the story, the land is awakening into spring, symbolizing the maturity of the female lover into womanhood. Even though sexuality is treated with restraint, the love portrayed is extremely mutual and the constraints of a patriarchal society do not determine the behavior of the lovers. However, the girl is under the charge of her brothers, and her movement is restricted because of it. While she believes she is ready to be an adult woman, she must make an effort to convince her brothers. This hindrance does not slow the affection between the lovers, and they consistently dwell on each other’s bodies comparing them to an assortment of pleasing objects and scenes.
A rich and compelling love story of the erotic feelings between two fourth-graders
Starring
Timmy – A hormone-driven adolescent lusting after the beautiful…
Lucy – A young girl caught up in the passion of Timmy’s doting
With
Principal Solomon
Sex-Ed Teacher
Guy Friends
Girl Friends
Prepare to be shocked and amazed at the provocative lives of elementary students!
Inspired by these tasteful verses from The Song of Solomon:
3:6-11 4:16 5:10-16 6:13 7:1-4 7:7-9 8:1-2 8:6-7 8:14
Producers:
Craig
Eric
Fletcher
Jessi
Kathryn
Melissa
I hope everyone enjoyed the show, and if you haven't read Song of Solomon yet, go right ahead. It's pretty awesome!
Song of Solomon
A Rich and Sensual Love Song
Authorship-
Some people translate the first clause of the title as "which is of Solomon," meaning that the book is authored by Solomon. In the Jewish tradition, King Solomon is the writer of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon. The order of composition is disputed, but the Talmud states the order of the canon, listing Proverbs first, then Ecclesiastes, and then The Song of Songs.
Others translate the first clause as "which is for Solomon," meaning that the book is dedicated to Solomon. It was common practice in ancient times for an anonymous writer seeking recognition for his work to write using the name of someone more famous. Some read the book as contrasting the nobility of monogamous love with the debased nature of promiscuous love, and suggest that the book is actually a veiled criticism of Solomon, who, according to 1 Kings 11:3, had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines.
Interpretation-
The Song of Solomon has been interpreted in many different ways. Traditionally, people thought that the tale told of God’s love for the Israelites; however, in a more modern light, people think that the tale tells of Christ’s love for the church. Other theories include settings of a marriage between two gods and funerary repasts staging love against death. Probably the most obvious interpretation is a dialogue between two lovers. Some view it as a bride and groom celebrating their nuptials; others believe it to be the story of erotic love between an unmarried man and woman.
Setting-
The dating of the Song of Solomon is uncertain since there is nothing to tie it to a specific historical setting, but it is generally tied to dates ranging close to the time of Solomon (mid tenth century). The type of language used in the book relates to love poetry known in the ancient Near East, Mesopotamian love rituals, and Egyptian love songs; the closest match is to the Egyptian works.
The portrayal of lovers shows a relationship filled with erotic energy and lust. Throughout the story, the land is awakening into spring, symbolizing the maturity of the female lover into womanhood. Even though sexuality is treated with restraint, the love portrayed is extremely mutual and the constraints of a patriarchal society do not determine the behavior of the lovers. However, the girl is under the charge of her brothers, and her movement is restricted because of it. While she believes she is ready to be an adult woman, she must make an effort to convince her brothers. This hindrance does not slow the affection between the lovers, and they consistently dwell on each other’s bodies comparing them to an assortment of pleasing objects and scenes.
A rich and compelling love story of the erotic feelings between two fourth-graders
Starring
Timmy – A hormone-driven adolescent lusting after the beautiful…
Lucy – A young girl caught up in the passion of Timmy’s doting
With
Principal Solomon
Sex-Ed Teacher
Guy Friends
Girl Friends
Prepare to be shocked and amazed at the provocative lives of elementary students!
Inspired by these tasteful verses from The Song of Solomon:
3:6-11 4:16 5:10-16 6:13 7:1-4 7:7-9 8:1-2 8:6-7 8:14
Producers:
Craig
Eric
Fletcher
Jessi
Kathryn
Melissa
I hope everyone enjoyed the show, and if you haven't read Song of Solomon yet, go right ahead. It's pretty awesome!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
