Lessons Sprung from Mundanities

"Speak but a whisper, I'll hear a sermon."- Copeland lyric

There were three small incidents today that taught me much about myself. I spend almost all my waking hours actively pursuing knowledge and insight, but God manages to speak louder in whispers than in the thunderclap of lectures, studying, or classrooms.

I. Expectations
In a normal joking conversation about the merits of teaching/learning languages in the early developmental stages of childhood, I mentioned amid the usual tongues that, "He's gonna learn how to speak Latin [or maybe Koine Greek like his old man]." Aside from it being an arguably dead language and the comment being solely motivated by this week's episode of Lost, I was struck by my presumption that my scholar-to-be would be a boy. I'm unsure whether that (Freudian?-) slip came from me forming "him" in my own image, so to speak, or whether something more sinister is brewing here. While it may be unreasonable in the first place to replace Baby Einstein with Baby Luther and Play-dough with Plato, my expectations of a manchild-from-my-loins presents an even more impossible obstacle for a possible She-Breslin to overcome. How do I combat this 50% failure rate that I am setting myself up for? I try to intentionally and purposely edit my writing these days to be gender inclusive and neutral if at all possible, but has my mind been transformed? Am I shaping idols and expectations unknowingly?

Father, crush my idols and shape my imagination. You are beyond my preconceptions and your plans are higher than man's.

II. Winning is Everything
A little kid and his dad came to the counter to order, the little guy wearing a YMCA basketball jersey and receiving an aparent post-game meal (what ever happened to Capri Suns and Star Crunches?). My first question was the standard, "Did you win?" Not, "How'd you do?" or "Did you have fun?" or "Did Tommy's momm bring the orange slices?" His response was classic: "What do you mean?" Then in a rush of embarrassment, I remembered the little known (and may I add, potentially Communist) policy of not keeping score in elementary and middle school athletics. I must repent for being someone who wavers on my moral ability to like soccer because of its potential for a draw. I need to relinquish my need to win, keep track, strive, and if need be, go to overtime or extra innings to settle this once and for all.

Lord, you don't keep record of our wrongs. You love unconditionally and Love is the fabric of your Being. Teach me to love this way: unresolved, trusting, and unaffected by outcome. Take away my need for control, my pride of victory, and my bitterness of loss.

III. From the Mouths of Babes
Lastly, there was a brief incident involving Girl Scout cookies and the troop's ability to set up shop in front of our coffee shop. To tell a long story shortly, I felt my leadership was question, my authority usurped, and my pride wounded. A barista of whom I am in charge questioned my judgment, and I wished violence on her (Not in a slap in the face kind of way. Rather in a "I could embarrass you in front of everybody, because I'm righter, older, smarter, and better than you" kind of way. You know the real root of violence. Afterward a Brownie (Scout) and her mom glumly came to the counter because they were in violation, not with the authorities, but with an older rival troop that apparently went through the correct channels to reserve the breezeway. Right before getting up to the counter the little girl (bummed as anyone who is forced to pack up shop and head over to K-Mart to set up again would be), found a five dollar bill on the ground. My first instinct in her shoes, would be either to pocket it or to help my cause and buy a couple sleeves of thin mints. Her's was instead, in an excited and purely self-motivated act, to plop a 5-spot into my tip jar. So let's sum this up: I get wronged (or at least perceive being wronged) and respond with restrained rage and inert violence. This little merit-badge clad girl gets booted off the older girl's turf and exiled to K-Mart and responds with generosity and selflessness.

Spirit, equip me for ministry, cloth me with gentleness, and make me a channel of Your peace.

Amen.

processing: Stanley Hauerwas & Jean Vanier- Living Gently in a Violent World

I read this book and really liked it, and think it is really important. The idea and message has really gotten legs around my school. Instead of me neglecting my schoolwork to write a review, I'll link to an NPR interview that aired today:

http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/sot0127bc09.mp3/view

That's What I Call A LUTHER-LASHING

In reading a source letter from Martin Luther, responding to a peasant uprising, I find a particular warning very helpful. The peasants were scripturally backing and defending their demands as Christian. Luther, after attending to the rulers, then deals with the peasants:

“I say all this, dear friends, as a faithful warning. In this case you should rid yourselves of the name of Christians and cease to boast of Christian law. For no matter how right you are, it is not for a Christian to appeal to law, or to fight, but rather to suffer wrong and endure evil; and there is no other way (1 Cor 6). You yourselves confess in your Preface, that all who believe in Christ become kindly, peaceful, patient, and united; but in your deeds you are displaying nothing but impatience, turbulence, strife and violence; thus you contradict your own words. You want to be known as patient people, who will endure neither wrong nor evil, but will endure what is right and good. That is fine patience! Any knave can practice that! It does not take a Christian to do that! Therefore I say again, however good and right your cause may be, nevertheless, because you would defend yourselves, and suffer neither violence nor wrong, you may do anything that God does not prevent, but leave the name of Christian out of it; leave out, your impatient, disorderly, un-Christian undertaking. I shall not let you have that name, but so long as there is a heartbeat in my body, I shall do all I can to take that name from you. You will not succeed, or will succeed only in ruining your bodies and souls.”
Then later:
“For Christians fight for themselves not with a sword and gun, but with the cross and with suffering, just as Christ, our leader, does not bear a sword, but hangs on a cross…”

I think that Luther shows great wisdom and pastoral discernment in diffusing this difficult situation. That we may have ears to hear such hard words now. Amen.

A Sabbath Poem by Wendell Berry

To sit and look at light-filled leaves
May let us see, or seem to see,
Far backward as through clearer eyes
To what unsighted hope believes:
The blessed conviviality
That sang Creation's seventh sunrise,

Time when the Maker's radiant sight
Made radiant every thing He saw,
And every thing He saw was filled
With perfect joy and life and light.
His perfect pleasure was sole law;
No pleasure had become self-willed.

For all His creatures were His pleasures
And their whole pleasure was to be
What He made them; they sought no gain
Or growth beyond their proper measures,
Nor longed for change or novelty.
The only new thing could be pain.

bcp collect for our new president:

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of this State (or Commonwealth), and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

mlk nobel prize acceptance speech

I just heard this snippet of Dr. King's acceptance on the radio.

Beautiful. Hope-full.

"I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him.

I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

I believe that even amid today's motor bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men.

I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive goodwill will proclaim the rule of the land.

"And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid."

I still believe that we shall overcome."

obey & patty on mlk day.

In this time of despair and pain, hope, peace and reconciliation could not be more relevant. Let us remember Dr. King. Let us not sentimentalize Dr. King. But let us particularly engage with the obedience, patience, non-violence, boldness, and integrity he displayed. Let us not raise him up too high, for he would most likely defer to the shoulders he stood on, as we may stand on his shoulders today. Mostly, let us understand the root of his metaphors and imagery and the source of his hope in the God who saves (Yeshua!) and the One who is near (Emmanuel!).

Amos 5:24 (Peterson's The Message)
"Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want."

"Up To The Mountain (MLK Song)"
by Patty Griffin

I went up to the mountain
Because you asked me to
Up over the clouds
To where the sky was blue
I could see all around me
Everywhere
I could see all around me
Everywhere

Sometimes I feel like
I've never been nothing but tired
And I'll be walking
Till the day I expire
Sometimes I lay down
No more can I do
But then I go on again
Because you ask me to

Some days I look down
Afraid I will fall
And though the sun shines
I see nothing at all
Then I hear your sweet voice, oh
Oh, come and then go, come and then go
Telling me softly
You love me so

The peaceful valley
Just over the mountain
The peaceful valley
Few come to know
I may never get there
Ever in this lifetime
But sooner or later
It's there I will go
Sooner or later
It's there I will go

Elijah, Kings, & Rembrandt

Here is a link and some pictures from a great website Dr. Davis posted for us during our treatment of Kings and specifically Elijah. Rembrandt's sketches always portray brilliant depth and nuance even in their seemingly hurried and un-detailed form. I am learning to look to and that I owe much to artists and non-traditional commentators for my interpretation, illumination and edification by the Holy Spirit.
LINK

Elijah the Prophet by the Brook of Cherith

God's Judgment on Mount Carmel

Elijah On Mount Horeb

BrezBowl III Backlash

There's always gonna be naysayers. Like the poor, the sore-losers will always be with us...(To the party involved: expect a letter from the Commissioner on your desk come Monday.)

processing: Rob Bell- Jesus Wants To Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile

(this post is indicative of Bell's writing style, take a look next time you're in Borders)

Bell, regardless of whether or not you agree with him on every detail or viewpoint, is a great provocateur in his sphere.

The general message and the interpretive tools he used are not all that cutting edge for academia and Christendom in general.

But they are

for us:

in the West,

in the 21st century,

as part of a potential empire (who doesn't in every circumstance consider itself an empire except for when it is beneficial or convenient).

And as conservative (yes, he is still rather conservative as far as academia goes) and a Zondervan author;

I applaud him. For his guts, soundness, creativity.
I also applaud Zondervan for publishing titles like his, Shane Claiborne's, and a few others that push the envelope for their target audience.

Professor Ben Witherington III says about Bell, "Rob has a considerable gift of being able to speak clearly and directly even about complex theological and ethical concepts, and he understands the need to tease the mind into active thought."

I recommend this book. It makes you think. It points out some things you may have never considered in Scripture, in our culture and abroad. Read discerningly and respond accordingly.

Breslin Bowl III Champion

Last night, by virtue of tie-break, I took home the championship. I look forward to Ole Nan 'jump-passing' the new trophy to me via mail. Congrats to all who participated, but even more congrats to me! I couldn't have done this without the Gator nation and my Lord and Savior. No one ever worked as hard as me to push myself and my pool-sheet to this level after a difficult and unforeseen loss in the GMAC bowl a couple of nights ago.
Amen.

jamming: Various...

Well, my hard drive died, it became 2009, the Colts lost to the Bolts, my computer has been resurrected, school starts today, and Breslin Bowl III comes to a resolution tomorrow. Amid all this, I've had the chance to buy, be gifted and listen to much new music over the break. Here is some of it, all highly recommended:
The Welcome Wagon- Welcome the Welcome Wagon
Sufjan-produced and label-backed (Asthmatic Kitty) husband/wife- PCUSA pastor/church planters play gospel songs, originals, and covers. Sounds like a sequal to Seven Swans. GREAT! Stand-outs: Sold! To the Nice Rich Man, Jesus, Up on a Mountain, Half a Person, But For You Who Fear My Name.

Annuals- Such Fun
Raleigh/Chapel Hill band. Kind of a gumbo of Copeland, Bright Eyes & Death Cab for Cutie, if that makes sense. Stand-out tracks are Hardwood Floors, Down the Mountain, Always Do, & Confessor.

Chuck Ragan- Feast or Famine
Lead singer of now defunct Hot Water Music (Gainesville, FL). Acoustic/Folk. Polemical in a protesty, Seeger-sessions-Springsteen kind of way. Good driving music, solid fiddle and accordian. Stand-out tracks are Geraldine, Do You Pray?, It's What You Will.

Daniel Martin Moore- Stray Age
Kentucky-folk guy, on tour now with Ben Sollee. This one is super mellow and carries many well-crafted lyrics. Similar to Stand-out tracks include: Stray Age, It's You, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, The Old Measure, Every Color and Kind. "You read to me and I steep leaves for you. The like a cure for the like. The ear for the words, the sky for the birds..."

William Fitzsimmons- The Sparrow and the Crow
Sufjan Stevens-without-the-horns. Uses banjo and swoons heartbreak in nearly every song. No doubt this beardo will end up on some primetime tv drama soundtracks. Pensive Lyrics+Pretty Music+Unobtrusive Voice+Love/Love Lost=Greys Anatomy. But that's still okay. Stand-outs: After Afterall, I Don't Feel It Anymore, Even Now.

Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
Austin, TX indie rockers. Solid indie music in the vein of Arcade Fire, Spoon, and pretty much any other Merge band or band that Pitchfork likes. Not really sure how needle-point album covers became so hip. Stand-outs are Lost Coastlines (can't get enough of this one), Singer Songwriter, & Bruce Wayne Campbell Interviewed.

Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Sub-pop group that brings brit-pop sensabilities to the Indie scene, mixed with Neil Young. Good workout music. Just when you think they belong in an iPod commercial they hit you with some solid, straight folk tunes. Stand-outs are: Furr, Black River Killer, Not Your Lover, Saturday Night.

screening: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button/Slumdog Millionaire

We went and saw Benjamin Button on Christmas Day in Indy and Slumdog Millionaire on New Year's Day back in Chapel Hill.

Both of these movies were striking in their own distinct ways. First, Benjamin Button...

While this nearly 3 hour movie dragged for some (really everyone but me; I will not apologize for being a sucker for a nice character-driven film), the premise was fresh and the characters were interesting. I'll admit it smacked a little of Forrest Gump-meets-Simon Birch-with-a-tinge-of Titanic. Aside from those obvious associations, I enjoyed the way it commented on the selfless love Brad Pitt's character was required to give due to his oddity. Button's "birth defect" made him look beyond age and exterior and not only allowed a seeming octogenarian to fall in love with a pre-teen (seen in a poignant but somewhat creepy flashlight fort meeting while the rest of the house slept), but to maintain that unassuming and sacrificial love even when the tables were turned. The fact that the main story took place in an old folks home in New Orleans had several resonances. The contrast (and sometimes irrelevance) of age along with the hurting, destructed, and grotesquely beautiful cityscape during its modern flooding set the tone for the whole film. On a side note, Brad Pitt firmly places himself in a James Dean/Paul Newman type, iconic role for our generation with this one. I can't really think of anyone else that is that guy who is charming and attractive enough for the women to crush, while being tough, cool, and witty enough for guys (like myself) to admire or at least archetype him as the American man.

Now Slumdog Millionaire...

In indie (& Indian) movie featuring unknown (to us) Bollywood actors about love and loss and 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' doesn't exactly seem like a great way to spend an afternoon or 7 bucks. On the contrary, Danny Boyle masterfully weaves a story, with great technique (cinematography was brilliant), deep characters that you actually care about, and a tight, interesting storyline.

One striking element to this movie was how it was able to show the dichotomy of modern India without being overly polemic or forceful. There was an over-arching theme of old vs. new- poverty vs. wealth- virtuous brother vs. ambitious brother. In a time in which the sub-continent with some of the most dense population tries to vie for global influence- we see this zeitgeist not in newsprint or soundbite but in the unfailing love of a slumdog 'chai wallah' and the wisdom and experience gained from his seemingly 'mis-fortunate' past. The destiny of Jamal is certainly a microcosm for the fate of India. Perhaps, "It is written."