One of my part-time hobbies is reading the translator's preface and introductions of every English translation of the Bible I can get my hands on, so it was no strange occurrence that I found myself reading the "Introductory Note" of the Kleist-Lilly version of the New Testament last week.
Reverend James A. Kleist made it his life's work to to understand ancient Greek and to translate many of the early Christian writings into English. As the culmination of his work, he produced a translation of the gospels that would allow the Catholics of America to better understand what Jesus said than what the Rheims-Douay version offered them. His exact words were that he wanted to provide "an immediate or preliminary understanding of obscure words or passages."
Sounds noble. The problem is that along with Mr. Kleist, about two hundred other eager people wanted to do the same thing. And they none can agree with one another. But that's a discussion for another time.
One quotation I came across while reading the "Introductory Note to the Gospels" was the following seemingly innocent sentence:
"The Gospels are but fragmentary records of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. St. Matthew's account is fullest in details; yet a comparison shows that he omitted much that is told by the other writers. St. Luke states (Acts 1:3) that after the Resurrection, Jesus spoke to the disciples about 'the kingdom of God,' that is, the Church; but he does not satisfy our curiosity regarding the content of these conversations. As to St. Mark, the fragmentary character of his narrative is at once evident, and we happen to know from Papias, the bishop of Hierapolis, that the disciples of St. John were painfully aware of this 'shortcoming' of the Second Gospel."
One of the things I've come to understand more during my stay here in Tasmania is the kingdom of God. What is the kingdom of God? Is it, as James Kleist has told us, the Church? A few months ago I might not have caught the glaring limitation of the definition of the kingdom of God that Kleist gives us. I don't know how many Christians would.
I read the book of Ezekiel last week. God blessed Ezekiel with a vision of some terrifying creatures.
"The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning."
We read also in Revelation about some more creatures that are around the throne of God:
"And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, LORD God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
These lengthy excerpts detail a different sort of creature than us humans. I've no doubt in my mind that these creatures exist. God, in all His wisdom, did not create just us humans. And he didn't create just angels, either. No, God has created all things in this universe, and all for His good pleasure. The kingdom of God is all that falls under His rule. The trees, birds, rocks, squid, planets, and stars are all part of His kingdom. He rules them all.
Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, has, under its thick layers of cloud, a deep planet-wide ocean of liquid hydrogen. Somewhere at the bottom of this ocean is the crust of the planet. There, deep in the recesses of the giant planet, where liquid hydrogen meets rocky crust, the kingdom of God is present, in its full force.
Wherever God reigns, that is where His kingdom is.
Makes us seem tiny, doesn't it?
I remember a scene from a Star Trek movie I saw a long time ago. Some of the characters travelled back it time to the point in history when some aliens were supposed to make first contact with humans. The discussion of the consequences of that meeting has always caused me to think:
---------------------------------------------
RIKER: Doctor, tomorrow morning when they detect the warp signature from your ship and realise that humans have discovered how to travel faster than light, they decide to alter their course and make first contact with Earth, right here.
COCHRANE: Here?
LAFORGE: Sir, it's actually over there.
RIKER: It is one of the pivotal moments in human history, Doctor. You get to make first contact with an alien race, and after you do, everything begins to change.
LAFORGE: Your theories on warp drive allow fleets of starships to be built and mankind to start exploring the Galaxy.
TROI: It unites humanity in a way no one ever thought possible when they realise they're not alone in the universe. Poverty, disease, war. They'll all be gone within the next fifty years.
---------------------------------------------
Knowing that humans are not alone in the universe unites humanity in a way no one ever thought possible. I have often been overwhelmed with the realization that we humans are not alone in the universe. Angels, arch-angels, cheribum, seraphim, strange four-faced creatures, and who knows all what else exist very much in real time worshipping the living God, their creator. The same creator who created us. That thought makes me feel closer to my brothers and sisters, and all the rest of humanity as well. The knowledge that there are other sentient creatures that exist, and God rules them all.
The kingdom of God is...the Church? Us? Well, the sun, planets, and all the stars do rotate around us everyday. We are the centre of the universe, so, yeah, okay.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Picture This
Okay, so here's a picture of what used to be my house before we sold it and moved to Tasmania:
Nice. Here's a view of the top part of the back of my house before we sold it and moved to Tasmania:
Beautiful. Here's a picture of us driving our van down Sargent Avenue a few months ago:
Isn't that wonderful? What's even more "wonderful" is that I didn't even have to take any of these pictures myself, nor did I even have to arrange to have them taken.
Google did it for me.
"Unnecessary" is the word that comes to mind.
"Google commissioned by..." is a sentence I would like to know the entirety of.
I am sure there are more than seventeen conspiracy theories as to why Google would spend the money taking pictures of the view as you drive down McMicken St in Winnipeg, and I am also sure that many of these involve governments of the world and a dissolution of all that is private.
There are, no doubt, people trying to take over the world, but as to Google's involvement, I cannot be certain.
Even if it were so, there is a God in heaven of whom it is written:
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure."
If we are scared of how much Google can see, then let us be reminded as to how much God can see. He can see all that Google sees, but he also can see into the very depths of our heart. The place where our motives lie. Let us be sober-minded about how we spend our time, what we see and what we hear.
Nice. Here's a view of the top part of the back of my house before we sold it and moved to Tasmania:
Beautiful. Here's a picture of us driving our van down Sargent Avenue a few months ago:
Isn't that wonderful? What's even more "wonderful" is that I didn't even have to take any of these pictures myself, nor did I even have to arrange to have them taken.
Google did it for me.
"Unnecessary" is the word that comes to mind.
"Google commissioned by..." is a sentence I would like to know the entirety of.
I am sure there are more than seventeen conspiracy theories as to why Google would spend the money taking pictures of the view as you drive down McMicken St in Winnipeg, and I am also sure that many of these involve governments of the world and a dissolution of all that is private.
There are, no doubt, people trying to take over the world, but as to Google's involvement, I cannot be certain.
Even if it were so, there is a God in heaven of whom it is written:
"Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure."
If we are scared of how much Google can see, then let us be reminded as to how much God can see. He can see all that Google sees, but he also can see into the very depths of our heart. The place where our motives lie. Let us be sober-minded about how we spend our time, what we see and what we hear.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Comments Should Now Work
Hi, folks! Apparently some of you have had some difficulty commenting on my blogs. That is the second weirdest thing I have ever heard. The first weirdest thing was that some of you want to comment.
Well, I think I fixed the issue, so, you may go ahead now and surprise me.
Well, I think I fixed the issue, so, you may go ahead now and surprise me.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Whaddaya Know? Einsten *Was* Wrong
One of the more interesting theories to be developed in the twentieth century was the theory of relativity. When Einstein first proposed it many thought he was crazy. Over the years it has come to be accepted as fact. I have disproven it. The flawless argument proceeds as follows:
1. According to the theory of relativity, anything that has mass cannot travel the speed of light, nor exceed it.
2. If it can be shown, therefore, that an object with mass could travel faster than the speed of light, the theory of relativity would be shown to be absolutely false.
3. Analog Clocks can be created.
4.
An analog clock is a circle, and the second hand is the length of the radius of the circle. The distance the very tip of the second hand travels is the circumference of the circle, which of course is a function of the length of the second hand itself.
5. The formula for the circumference of the circle is 2&pi r, with r being the length of the second hand.
6. The tip of the second hand travels the circumference of the circle in exactly one minute.
7. Since analog clock can be created, create one with a second hand that is 3 billion meters long. The distance it travels is therefore 2 * 3.1415926535897932 * 3,000,000,000 = 18,849,555,921.5 meters. It does this is one minute. Since there are 60 seconds in one minute, we can get the number of meters per second the tip of the second hand is travelling by dividing by 60.
8. 18,849,555,921.5 / 60 = 314,159,265.359 meters per second.
9. The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second.
10. The second hand on an analog clock has mass.
10. Therefore by the truth of point number 2, the theory of relativity is completely false.
It's too bad the theory has been believed up until this point, when it is so easy to disprove. It's a good thing this blog has enough room to contain it.
1. According to the theory of relativity, anything that has mass cannot travel the speed of light, nor exceed it.
2. If it can be shown, therefore, that an object with mass could travel faster than the speed of light, the theory of relativity would be shown to be absolutely false.
3. Analog Clocks can be created.
4.
An analog clock is a circle, and the second hand is the length of the radius of the circle. The distance the very tip of the second hand travels is the circumference of the circle, which of course is a function of the length of the second hand itself.5. The formula for the circumference of the circle is 2&pi r, with r being the length of the second hand.
6. The tip of the second hand travels the circumference of the circle in exactly one minute.
7. Since analog clock can be created, create one with a second hand that is 3 billion meters long. The distance it travels is therefore 2 * 3.1415926535897932 * 3,000,000,000 = 18,849,555,921.5 meters. It does this is one minute. Since there are 60 seconds in one minute, we can get the number of meters per second the tip of the second hand is travelling by dividing by 60.
8. 18,849,555,921.5 / 60 = 314,159,265.359 meters per second.
9. The speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second.
10. The second hand on an analog clock has mass.
10. Therefore by the truth of point number 2, the theory of relativity is completely false.
It's too bad the theory has been believed up until this point, when it is so easy to disprove. It's a good thing this blog has enough room to contain it.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Purest, Most Noble of Emotions
I have a lot of time to think while I pull weeds out of garden beds these days, and today my thoughts turned towards the subject of greed. What is the first thought that goes through somebody's head when they see a person acting greedy? Here at Rocky Cape we have two pigs that get fed old bread and table scraps, and when we arrive with the bucket of slop, the pigs go nuts because they know they will soon be eating. They seemingly cannot wait the few seconds it will take me to carry the bucket over to their feeding pan. They want their food NOW! When the slop gets poured into the bucket, the larger of the two pigs eats first as much as she can, then the smaller pig gets to eat the leftovers. If there is anything more disgusting than pig slop it's pig slop leftovers. The interesting thing is, though, nobody judges the large pig's behaviour. It is the way of pigs.
Darwinists would have us believe that over the process of about two million years, a ground-dwelling ape-like creature turned into humans by a process known as natural selection, the idea that only those individuals who are the most fit will survive to produce offspring, and those individuals who are least fit will die off, leaving no mark of their ever having been born except for those lucky enough to have their skeletons fossilized. This is what is observed in groups of animals, so the natural thought for the humanist is to assume that's what has happened with humans in the past.
But wait! If that is really how we arrived on this planet, then why are each of us imbued with a complete set of morals?
An example will suffice:
There was an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 that featured a creature known as a ferengi whose name was Quark, and his brother, Rom. The ferengi are a race of sentient beings that apparently spend their lives trying to acquire as many riches as they can before they die. The Star Trek writers would usually focus on the ferengi when a slightly more humourous episode was needed, or as comic-relief as a sub-plot to a very serious episode. There was one episode in which the leader of the ferengi had his behaviour altered by a higher race of aliens, which made him quite charitable instead of greedy. In one scene, Rom and Quark had the following conversation:
Rom: "...it's time for the Ferengi to move beyond greed."
Quark: "Beyond Greed? There's nothing 'beyond greed!' Greed is the purest, most noble of emotions!"
To which everyone watching laughs.
Why do we laugh? Because we are seeing some beings that are the complete opposite of ourselves. We laugh because in reality this is the opposite of what everybody in the world knows to be the truth. What is the opposite of greed? Selflessness. Everybody inherently knows that there is nothing beyond selflessness. Selflessness is the purest most noble of emotions.
Selflessness is to not seek one's own needs, but rather the needs of others. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Love seeks not her own. True selflessness comes from love. And the world over knows it. Everybody you meet will understand that it's better to love than to hate. Sometimes it's very deep, but everybody knows it to some extent.
And when I think about selflessness, the person who comes to mind first is the man from Galilee, sent by God the Father, to take away the sins of the world, by becoming sin for us, and allowing himself to be humbled by death, even death on a cross.
The creator of all things gave himself for us. We are asked to do the same. Act in love towards all people. That is the purest, most noble of emotions. But love is much more than just an emotion. It is a way of life.
Do we love the folks around us? Are we mirroring that love that Jesus displayed when he took on himself our sins and was punished for it, Him who did no wrong at all?
I fear I get greedy sometimes. First it's me, then it's my neighbour. We have to change that to be: First it's my neighbour, then it's my other neighbour.
I have a long way to go.
Darwinists would have us believe that over the process of about two million years, a ground-dwelling ape-like creature turned into humans by a process known as natural selection, the idea that only those individuals who are the most fit will survive to produce offspring, and those individuals who are least fit will die off, leaving no mark of their ever having been born except for those lucky enough to have their skeletons fossilized. This is what is observed in groups of animals, so the natural thought for the humanist is to assume that's what has happened with humans in the past.
But wait! If that is really how we arrived on this planet, then why are each of us imbued with a complete set of morals?
An example will suffice:
There was an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space 9 that featured a creature known as a ferengi whose name was Quark, and his brother, Rom. The ferengi are a race of sentient beings that apparently spend their lives trying to acquire as many riches as they can before they die. The Star Trek writers would usually focus on the ferengi when a slightly more humourous episode was needed, or as comic-relief as a sub-plot to a very serious episode. There was one episode in which the leader of the ferengi had his behaviour altered by a higher race of aliens, which made him quite charitable instead of greedy. In one scene, Rom and Quark had the following conversation:
Rom: "...it's time for the Ferengi to move beyond greed."
Quark: "Beyond Greed? There's nothing 'beyond greed!' Greed is the purest, most noble of emotions!"
To which everyone watching laughs.
Why do we laugh? Because we are seeing some beings that are the complete opposite of ourselves. We laugh because in reality this is the opposite of what everybody in the world knows to be the truth. What is the opposite of greed? Selflessness. Everybody inherently knows that there is nothing beyond selflessness. Selflessness is the purest most noble of emotions.
Selflessness is to not seek one's own needs, but rather the needs of others. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Love seeks not her own. True selflessness comes from love. And the world over knows it. Everybody you meet will understand that it's better to love than to hate. Sometimes it's very deep, but everybody knows it to some extent.
And when I think about selflessness, the person who comes to mind first is the man from Galilee, sent by God the Father, to take away the sins of the world, by becoming sin for us, and allowing himself to be humbled by death, even death on a cross.
The creator of all things gave himself for us. We are asked to do the same. Act in love towards all people. That is the purest, most noble of emotions. But love is much more than just an emotion. It is a way of life.
Do we love the folks around us? Are we mirroring that love that Jesus displayed when he took on himself our sins and was punished for it, Him who did no wrong at all?
I fear I get greedy sometimes. First it's me, then it's my neighbour. We have to change that to be: First it's my neighbour, then it's my other neighbour.
I have a long way to go.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Do You Want to Die?
I have been reading the ante-nicene fathers lately, and while reading I came upon a fellow who has some pretty intense words for the Ephesians to read:
"For it is not my desire to act towards you as a man-pleaser, but as pleasing God, even as also ye please Him. For neither shall I ever have such [another] opportunity of attaining to God; nor will ye, if ye shall now be silent, ever be entitled to the honour of a better work. For if ye are silent concerning me, I shall become God’s; but if you show your love to my flesh, I shall again have to run my race. Pray, then, do not seek to confer any greater favour upon me than that I be sacrificed to God while the altar is still prepared; that, being gathered together in love, ye may sing praise to the Father, through Christ Jesus, that God has deemed me, the bishop of Syria, worthy to be sent for from the east unto the west. It is good to set from the world unto God, that I may rise again to Him."
"May I enjoy the wild beasts that are prepared for me; and I pray they may be found eager to rush upon me, which also I will entice to devour me speedily, and not deal with me as with some, whom, out of fear, they have not touched. But if they be unwilling to assail me, I will compel them to do so. Pardon me [in this]: I know what is for my benefit. Now I begin to be a disciple. And let no one, of things visible or invisible, envy me that I should attain to Jesus Christ. Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ."
"All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing. It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth. “For what shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?” Him I seek, who died for us: Him I desire, who rose again for our sake. This is the gain which is laid up for me. Pardon me, brethren: do not hinder me from living, do not wish to keep me in a state of death; and while I desire to belong to God, do not ye give me over to the world. Suffer me to obtain pure light: when I have gone thither, I shall indeed be a man of God. Permit me to be an imitator of the passion of my God. If any one has Him within himself, let him consider what I desire, and let him have sympathy with me, as knowing how I am straitened."
"Do not speak of Jesus Christ, and yet set your desires on the world. Let not envy find a dwelling-place among you; nor even should I, when present with you, exhort you to it, be ye persuaded to listen to me, but rather give credit to those things which I now write to you. For though I am alive while I write to you, yet I am eager to die. My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me desiring to be fed; but there is within me a water that liveth and speaketh, saying to me inwardly, Come to the Father. I have no delight in corruptible food, nor in the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards of the seed of David and Abraham; and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life."
---------------------------------------
Who was this man? His name was Ignatius and he lived from about A.D. 30 - 107, and there is a (possibly untrue) tradition that states that he was the young child that Jesus picked out of the crowd and placed before His apostles in Matthew 18:2. He was the bishop of Smyrna and he wrote several letters, and this excerpt from his letter to the Ephesians details quite nicely where his thoughts lie most of the time.
How can a man so long for death that he would compel wild beasts to devour him? He was so in love with the Father that he it was his only goal in life to become a martyr. Why? How can someone think that way?
Maybe he realized what this life is all about. That it is but a short stepping stone to eternity. He was utterly convinced in what he believed, and it drove him to near insanity: at least that's what most people today would call it. Imagine longing for death? Wanting to get eaten by wild beasts for the masses to enjoy?
Doesn't he know that God wants us to be happy and safe, and free from all forms of suffering? We're His children and he wants us to "have our best life now".
Boy, too bad Ignatius lived way back then and only had the apostles of Christ to learn from. Good thing we have "proper" theologians today who teach us what a Christian really ought to do and to think.
Poor Ignatius.
(Note: the preceding blog entry used an immense amount of verbal irony)
"For it is not my desire to act towards you as a man-pleaser, but as pleasing God, even as also ye please Him. For neither shall I ever have such [another] opportunity of attaining to God; nor will ye, if ye shall now be silent, ever be entitled to the honour of a better work. For if ye are silent concerning me, I shall become God’s; but if you show your love to my flesh, I shall again have to run my race. Pray, then, do not seek to confer any greater favour upon me than that I be sacrificed to God while the altar is still prepared; that, being gathered together in love, ye may sing praise to the Father, through Christ Jesus, that God has deemed me, the bishop of Syria, worthy to be sent for from the east unto the west. It is good to set from the world unto God, that I may rise again to Him."
"May I enjoy the wild beasts that are prepared for me; and I pray they may be found eager to rush upon me, which also I will entice to devour me speedily, and not deal with me as with some, whom, out of fear, they have not touched. But if they be unwilling to assail me, I will compel them to do so. Pardon me [in this]: I know what is for my benefit. Now I begin to be a disciple. And let no one, of things visible or invisible, envy me that I should attain to Jesus Christ. Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ."
"All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing. It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth. “For what shall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?” Him I seek, who died for us: Him I desire, who rose again for our sake. This is the gain which is laid up for me. Pardon me, brethren: do not hinder me from living, do not wish to keep me in a state of death; and while I desire to belong to God, do not ye give me over to the world. Suffer me to obtain pure light: when I have gone thither, I shall indeed be a man of God. Permit me to be an imitator of the passion of my God. If any one has Him within himself, let him consider what I desire, and let him have sympathy with me, as knowing how I am straitened."
"Do not speak of Jesus Christ, and yet set your desires on the world. Let not envy find a dwelling-place among you; nor even should I, when present with you, exhort you to it, be ye persuaded to listen to me, but rather give credit to those things which I now write to you. For though I am alive while I write to you, yet I am eager to die. My love has been crucified, and there is no fire in me desiring to be fed; but there is within me a water that liveth and speaketh, saying to me inwardly, Come to the Father. I have no delight in corruptible food, nor in the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, the heavenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became afterwards of the seed of David and Abraham; and I desire the drink of God, namely His blood, which is incorruptible love and eternal life."
---------------------------------------
Who was this man? His name was Ignatius and he lived from about A.D. 30 - 107, and there is a (possibly untrue) tradition that states that he was the young child that Jesus picked out of the crowd and placed before His apostles in Matthew 18:2. He was the bishop of Smyrna and he wrote several letters, and this excerpt from his letter to the Ephesians details quite nicely where his thoughts lie most of the time.
How can a man so long for death that he would compel wild beasts to devour him? He was so in love with the Father that he it was his only goal in life to become a martyr. Why? How can someone think that way?
Maybe he realized what this life is all about. That it is but a short stepping stone to eternity. He was utterly convinced in what he believed, and it drove him to near insanity: at least that's what most people today would call it. Imagine longing for death? Wanting to get eaten by wild beasts for the masses to enjoy?
Doesn't he know that God wants us to be happy and safe, and free from all forms of suffering? We're His children and he wants us to "have our best life now".
Boy, too bad Ignatius lived way back then and only had the apostles of Christ to learn from. Good thing we have "proper" theologians today who teach us what a Christian really ought to do and to think.
Poor Ignatius.
(Note: the preceding blog entry used an immense amount of verbal irony)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Look What I Did
At 29,029 feet above sea level, Mt Everest towers over every other thing in existence on this planet. According to Wikipedia, 2700 people have been successful at reaching the summit, while 210 have never returned. There are some areas on Everest where the conditions are so terrible that the bodies of those who have sacrificed themselves to the thrill of climbing the world's tallest mountain have been left where they are, for all to see: the risk is too great to try and remove them.
What compels people to climb Everest? I suppose it is the same reason people go skydiving, or do somersaults in the air with a motorcycle. It is the thrill, the adventure, the sense of accomplishment. To be able to say to the world, "Look What I Did!" Everybody is very impressed by those who risk their lives to do such fantastic feats of strength, endurance, and concentration.
I wonder, however, what God thinks of all these things.
The diameter of the Earth is 6357km from pole to pole, and Everest is 8.9 km high. This means that our planet is a sphere, the largest deviation being only 0.14% of it's diameter.
A billiard ball is allowed deviations of 0.2%.
The Earth, therefore, is smoother than a billiard ball. Everest doesn't look so big anymore, does it?
Can you imagine how God views us. I don't think He cares about the ability of humans to scale a measly twenty-nine thousand feet into the air. I don't think He's very impressed.
What does impress Him?
"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow"
"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God."
"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy hear, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou slat love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
We can know what pleases God because he has told us.
Funny, but I can't find "Everest" anywhere in scripture.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Blow Up the Universe with a Dollar
Forgive me for the silliness of this post. There is nothing spiritual about it at all. Maybe tomorrow I'll have something of more depth.
Here's how to make the universe explode with one dollar:
First, some lemmas (things we need to agree upon in order to blow up the universe):
-> Lemma 1 : The universe will explode if a paradoxical event happens within its boundaries.
-> Lemma 2 : An event with a probability of 1 in 1267650600228229401496703205376 is extremely unlikely to happen
-> Lemma 3 : If someone is able to make an event of such little probability as stated above happen on demand, then this can only be described as a paradox.
-> Lemma 4 : The paradox that occurs in Lemma 3 is enough to blow up the universe as per Lemma 1.
We are now equipped to blow up the universe with one dollar:
Step 1: Take your dollar to the bank and exchange it for one hundred pennies.
Step 2: Mark each penny with a fine tip marker so that you are able to identify each one.
Step 3: Toss one penny into the air. How ever the penny lands, there was a 1 in 2 chance of the penny landing in such a manner.
Step 4: Toss two pennies into the air. How ever the pennies land, there was a 1 in 4 chance of the pennies landing in such a manner.
Step 5: Toss three pennies into the air. How ever the pennies land, there was a 1 in 8 chance of the pennies landing in such a manner.
Step 6: Take a deep breath, say good-bye to your loved ones, and toss all one hundred pennies into the air. How ever they land, there was a 1 in 1267650600228229401496703205376 chance of them landing in such a manner.
I don't think I need to say I've had one of those days. Tomorrow hopefully I'll have something important to share.
Here's how to make the universe explode with one dollar:
First, some lemmas (things we need to agree upon in order to blow up the universe):
-> Lemma 1 : The universe will explode if a paradoxical event happens within its boundaries.
-> Lemma 2 : An event with a probability of 1 in 1267650600228229401496703205376 is extremely unlikely to happen
-> Lemma 3 : If someone is able to make an event of such little probability as stated above happen on demand, then this can only be described as a paradox.
-> Lemma 4 : The paradox that occurs in Lemma 3 is enough to blow up the universe as per Lemma 1.
We are now equipped to blow up the universe with one dollar:
Step 1: Take your dollar to the bank and exchange it for one hundred pennies.
Step 2: Mark each penny with a fine tip marker so that you are able to identify each one.
Step 3: Toss one penny into the air. How ever the penny lands, there was a 1 in 2 chance of the penny landing in such a manner.
Step 4: Toss two pennies into the air. How ever the pennies land, there was a 1 in 4 chance of the pennies landing in such a manner.
Step 5: Toss three pennies into the air. How ever the pennies land, there was a 1 in 8 chance of the pennies landing in such a manner.
Step 6: Take a deep breath, say good-bye to your loved ones, and toss all one hundred pennies into the air. How ever they land, there was a 1 in 1267650600228229401496703205376 chance of them landing in such a manner.
I don't think I need to say I've had one of those days. Tomorrow hopefully I'll have something important to share.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Stranger in a Strange Land
I have been living in Tasmania for thirteen days now, and I have noticed that I am indeed in a strange land. The first thing would strike anyone coming from Canada would be the way Australians never seem to care to discover how I am doing, but, rather, would like to know very much how I am going. Of course, the oddity dissolves away when one sits down and thinks on both phrases.
"Hi there, how ya goin'?"
"Hi there, how ya doin'?"
For all intents and purposes it seems as though the strange phrase belongs to us here in North America. The question we would all like to be answered is how the person in question's day is going for them. It would make sense if we asked "What are you doing", "How are you doing it?", but "How are you doing?" is nothing short of nonsensical.
Other bizarre phrases include: tape line (measuring tape), rotary hoe (tiller), and twitch (quack grass), toilet (restroom), lift (elevator), no worries.
I had the strangest experience in a long time last week. One of the brothers here asked me if I would like to drive into town. After several deep breaths, I hopped into the driver's seat and closed the door with my right hand, shifted into drive with my left and begin to drive on the left side of the road. For the most part of the trip, driving went very smooth once I got used to the fact that left-hand turns are more desirable than right-hand ones. Since I was able to concentrate on what I was doing for most of the time, there were no worries. A thought did strike me, however, when the brother in the back seat said "Sorry, Joey, you'll want to turn left here up ahead, quick!". Since I was in the middle lane and had only a fraction of a second to move over into the left lane, I had to act fast and quickly signal and move over.
As the wipers when on as I moved left, I realized I had shown my red and white colours to all who were witness to the event. For those of you who might not be aware of it yet, in Australia, signalling is accomplished with right hand, and the windshield wipers are activated with the left.
Analyzing afterwards, I realized that while all was calm and I was able to concentrate on what I was doing, I succeeded in acting the way everybody does in this country, but when an event occured that required an instinctive response, I responded in the way that was most natural to me. This relates very nicely to a discourse Jesus once gave.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall e in danger of hell fire."
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"
"I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall mary her that is divorced committeth adulery."
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on they right cheek, turn to thim the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that which despitefully use you and persecute you."
I need not continue, nor comment heavily save this one thought to ponder: citizens of the Kingdom of God respond to situations in a way that coincides with what Jesus is talking about. It is rather simple to follow these rules when everybody is watching, but what about those times when an instinctive response is required. As humans we are able to "fabricate" our responses with fair warning, but when a situation comes upon us that comes out of nowhere, we are only able to respond with Kingdom mindedness if we are actual citizens.
One more quick story on this point:
One summer day, as Andrea and I were making one final trip to our apartment with the intention to clean up for the next tenants, I went outside to throw out some garbage, when I met this shirtless, drunk native fellow who asked me for some money. I didn't have any, and when I told him this, he asked me for my shirt. I thought this was a rather odd request, and upon seeing my confusion and hesitation, he began to tell me all the reasons why I should give him my shirt. This went on for not less than five minutes, and then appeared a sober white man who was wearing a shirt, who appeared to be this first man's friend. I thought this was going to be the end of this very strange meeting, because I assumed this second man would make the first man see reason. As it turned out, this second man laughed when he heard the story and told me, "He won't stop. You better give him your shirt." I finally consented and gave the man my shirt, and I walked home topless.
Some people would think I performed an incredibly selfless act, but in reality, I was in total opposition to what Jesus had taught. If I were being a mindful citizen of the Kingdom, I would not have hesitated to give him my shirt. But I did hesitate. I had no time to prepare, and needed to respond instinctively. And I thought what an obviously bizarre request. I need not give him my shirt, I said as I signalled with my left hand.
"Hi there, how ya goin'?"
"Hi there, how ya doin'?"
For all intents and purposes it seems as though the strange phrase belongs to us here in North America. The question we would all like to be answered is how the person in question's day is going for them. It would make sense if we asked "What are you doing", "How are you doing it?", but "How are you doing?" is nothing short of nonsensical.
Other bizarre phrases include: tape line (measuring tape), rotary hoe (tiller), and twitch (quack grass), toilet (restroom), lift (elevator), no worries.
I had the strangest experience in a long time last week. One of the brothers here asked me if I would like to drive into town. After several deep breaths, I hopped into the driver's seat and closed the door with my right hand, shifted into drive with my left and begin to drive on the left side of the road. For the most part of the trip, driving went very smooth once I got used to the fact that left-hand turns are more desirable than right-hand ones. Since I was able to concentrate on what I was doing for most of the time, there were no worries. A thought did strike me, however, when the brother in the back seat said "Sorry, Joey, you'll want to turn left here up ahead, quick!". Since I was in the middle lane and had only a fraction of a second to move over into the left lane, I had to act fast and quickly signal and move over.
As the wipers when on as I moved left, I realized I had shown my red and white colours to all who were witness to the event. For those of you who might not be aware of it yet, in Australia, signalling is accomplished with right hand, and the windshield wipers are activated with the left.
Analyzing afterwards, I realized that while all was calm and I was able to concentrate on what I was doing, I succeeded in acting the way everybody does in this country, but when an event occured that required an instinctive response, I responded in the way that was most natural to me. This relates very nicely to a discourse Jesus once gave.
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall e in danger of hell fire."
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"
"I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall mary her that is divorced committeth adulery."
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on they right cheek, turn to thim the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away."
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that which despitefully use you and persecute you."
I need not continue, nor comment heavily save this one thought to ponder: citizens of the Kingdom of God respond to situations in a way that coincides with what Jesus is talking about. It is rather simple to follow these rules when everybody is watching, but what about those times when an instinctive response is required. As humans we are able to "fabricate" our responses with fair warning, but when a situation comes upon us that comes out of nowhere, we are only able to respond with Kingdom mindedness if we are actual citizens.
One more quick story on this point:
One summer day, as Andrea and I were making one final trip to our apartment with the intention to clean up for the next tenants, I went outside to throw out some garbage, when I met this shirtless, drunk native fellow who asked me for some money. I didn't have any, and when I told him this, he asked me for my shirt. I thought this was a rather odd request, and upon seeing my confusion and hesitation, he began to tell me all the reasons why I should give him my shirt. This went on for not less than five minutes, and then appeared a sober white man who was wearing a shirt, who appeared to be this first man's friend. I thought this was going to be the end of this very strange meeting, because I assumed this second man would make the first man see reason. As it turned out, this second man laughed when he heard the story and told me, "He won't stop. You better give him your shirt." I finally consented and gave the man my shirt, and I walked home topless.
Some people would think I performed an incredibly selfless act, but in reality, I was in total opposition to what Jesus had taught. If I were being a mindful citizen of the Kingdom, I would not have hesitated to give him my shirt. But I did hesitate. I had no time to prepare, and needed to respond instinctively. And I thought what an obviously bizarre request. I need not give him my shirt, I said as I signalled with my left hand.
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