Happy Birthday, Blog!

In honor of this blog's birthday, here's a beautiful image I found, which is the cover to a book called, Le géant de la grande forêt. 

The book looks awesome!  

My intention for the coming year, maybe after Easter, is to try to do some more writing here.  Maybe focus on some responses to the Lectionary readings each week.  That's ambitious, I know. 

Thanks for reading!

Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on

BBC Bleak House, 2005 theme:

"We have a system of justice in [the US] that treats you much better if you're rich and guilty than if you're poor and innocent. Wealth, not culpability, shapes outcomes.” - Bryan Stevenson

I read that quote above, on BoingBoing and then listened to the whole "TED" talk. It's amazing how the past 24 hours have had so many connections and amazing little pieces that I think I'm going to have to break it all into two blog posts over two days! But, I read the link above today, after I read the Democracy Now piece on Christian Gomez, 27, who died at Corcoran State Prison after apparently participating in a hunger strike intended to highlight the terrible treatment of prisoners in Solitary.

"The use and abuse of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons is one of the most pressing domestic human rights issues in America today—and also one of the most invisible. The routine isolation of prisoners has grown dramatically in the past three decades, outpacing even the growth in the general prison population. Today, at least 25,000 prisoners are being held in long-term solitary in the nation’s “supermax” facilities. According to available data, the total number of prisoners living in solitary confinement in all prisons and jails exceeds 80,000." - Solitary Watch

[I think it's also crazy that a comedian is bringing this to our attention.]

Our prison population has exploded. And if you are an African American or Latino male, you are more likely to be incarcerated than anyone else. Once incarcerated, you may well lose your right to vote (in some states, permanently). And increasingly, you will be given the "choice" of working for a corporation to make things or staff phone banks for pennies an hour, OR go to solitary confinement. I don't think anyone really considers Solitary an option. The inequality of the system, that is so weighted against the poor and those with dark skin is truly terrifying.

Excluding low-scoring students from public schools gets scores up, but it expands the school-to-prison pipeline, which has quadrupled over the past thirty years, along with corrections costs, which now threaten to devour funds that should be spent on education. Most inmates are functionally illiterate and high school dropouts. In a devil’s bargain, the public spends as much as $50,000 a year to incarcerate young men on whom it would not spend $10,000 a year for a decent education. - The Nation

My long-time readers will know that I'll want to bring this discussion back to education, and so here I go. I'm willing to oblige. I recently began re-watching the 2005 BBC version of Bleak House, and if you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it! I see so many parallels between Dickens' time and ours. The rich have rigged the system, and the poor are doing the best they can do make some kind of living out of their lots. All Dickens' characters are flawed but they feel "true to life." The "moral of the story" comes shining through too. We are all just as sick as our secrets - just because we have the power and wealth to make something happen, doesn't mean we should.

Bleak House is one of Charles Dickens' most brilliant novels, arguably the greatest ever depiction of Victorian London -- from its splendid heights to its most wretched depths. Bleak House features some of the most famous plot twists in literary history, including a case of human spontaneous combustion and an infamous inheritance dispute that is tied up for generations in the dysfunctional English courts.

An epic feast of characters and storylines, Bleak House is Dickens' passionate indictment of the convoluted legal system that is as searingly relevant today as it was in the mid-19th century. The court of Chancery becomes the center of a tangle of relationships at all levels of society and a metaphor for the decay and corruption at the heart of Victorian England. - PBS.org

I'm taking heart from the fact that we moved away from the "Dickensian" treatment of people, but then, when I realize we have fallen back in the same traps, I lose hope! I suppose what helps me to keep moving forward is to know that I have read and heard the stories of these people in Solitary, that I can try to help get the word out about these people, and "be a witness" to their plight.

Shine a bright light in the dark places. The truth is stranger than fiction, and maybe Knowledge really is Power. I'm full of the cliches today. But I don't know how else to move forward with any kind of hope. "Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on."

Art on Wheels: "On Wings of Diesel" published

My friend, Jamal Elias, has had his book on religious truck art in Pakistan published! His link has been on my sidebar for some time. But since the book "On Wings of Diesel: Trucks, Identity and Culture in Pakistan" has come out, Penn has a short video interview with him with LOTS of Jamal's stunning photos of the trucks.

This is one of my favorite topics: the material culture of religion. Jamal would point out that these trucks are not just about religious art, but they are that too. Congratulations!

Here's the link to the video:
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/home/SASFrontiers/art-on-wheels.html

Great Book!

La Segunda and I have been (re)reading this book over the past few weeks - we can't put it down! Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom, by Carole Boston Weatherford and Kadir Nelson. The pictures are amazing. But what has captivated me is the book's description of prayer. I think this book captures "how to talk with God" perfectly. In my experience, it's not easy to hear God's voice, but oftentimes, when I look back, I can see where I felt God's guidance. Harriet seeks God's help and we can see how he guided her. This is the best book I've seen for children or adults, that describes prayer so well.

Here's the review from the Powell's Bookstore site:

"In this gorgeous, poetic picture book, Weatherford (The Sound that Jazz Makes) depicts Harriet Tubman's initial escape from slavery and her mission to lead others to freedom as divinely inspired, and achieved by steadfast faith and prayer. The author frames the text as an ongoing dialogue between Tubman and God, inserting narration to move the action along. On the eve of her being sold and torn from her family, Tubman prays in her despair. In response, 'God speaks in a whip-poor-will's song. 'I set the North Star in the heavens and I mean for you to be free.' ' The twinkling star encourages Tubman: 'My mind is made up. Tomorrow, I flee.' The book's elegant design clearly delineates these elements — Harriet's words in italic, God's calming words in all caps drifting across the pages, the narrator's words in roman typeface — and makes this read like a wholly engrossing dramatic play. Nelson's (He's Got the Whole World in His Hands) finely rendered oil and watercolor paintings, many set in the rural inky darkness of night, give his protagonist a vibrant, larger-than-life presence, befitting a woman who became known as the Moses of her people. His rugged backdrops and intense portraits convey all the emotion of Tubman's monumental mission. A foreword introduces the concept of slavery for children and an author's note includes a brief biography of Tubman. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

On my Mind

Last night I watched War Dance, a beautiful documentary about children in Northern Uganda, on a recommendation from a dear friend. I know a little bit about Uganda from a blog I read, "the Journey", but I had no idea how gorgeous the landscape is. Both the movie and the blog start with pretty simple ideas: children from the war zone preparing for a dance competition, a missionary taking in abandoned girls and forming a family through adoption. But the messages of hope, resilience, love and strength that pour out of both are astounding.

I also got my alumnae magazine in the mail over the Thanksgiving holiday. One of the features was on the recent conference that was held there: "Heritage and Hope: Women's Education in a Global Context". Reading the article, the speakers all seemed to have some good things to say. And then I came to the highlights from Nicholas Kristof's Keynote:

Kristof expressed his distress over the political polarization between US Christian evangelicals and secular feminists, particularly in the area of reproductive health that prevents them from joining forces to combat such abuses as human trafficking.
"There are a lot of Christian evangelical groups in Sudan and Congo that have done fabulous work," he said. "At the end of the day, everybody believes passionately that 14-year-old girls should not be kidnapped and locked up in brothels."
Squeamishness over talking about sexuality also concerns him. "One of the impediments to girls' staying in high school that most people have learned about only in the last decade is the difficulty of managing menstruation," he said. "Girls never raised it with school authorities or aid workers before because the subject was taboo. If you can keep a girl in high school by providing her with sanitary pads, that is such a cheap intervention." pg 25, Alumnae Bulletin, November, 2010

That stopped me cold. He is SO RIGHT. I feel that polarization a lot. As a liberal Christian, I can see both sides of each coin. And meanwhile, there is work that all of us could be doing. We can't do everything, perhaps, but we could do something, instead of arguing amongst ourselves. Right? What can I do? What can we do? What do you think?


P.S. There are [of course] a bunch of non-profit organizations that have sprung out of the above-mentioned projects. Half the Sky, out of Nicholas Kristof's work, Shine Global which supported War Dance, and Amazima Ministries which grew out of "the Journey". Go check them out, and see if they appeal to you. Maybe these groups are the way forward for action.

Spirituality news!

So the friend of my friend, Rainn Wilson, has come out with a new book, SoulPancake. The website of the same name is where I got the idea to do my Lenten Spiritual Exercise. Boy was that life-changing! I found an interview with Rainn here. Great stuff!

Happy Halloween, Happy Samhain, Good Day of the Dead to you all!

St John's Bible - I saw it!

So, Everybody, I got to see the St John's Bible at Old St George's Church in Philly today. It was AWESOME. This Bible version contains the 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Lukle & John) plus Acts (the Acts of the Apostles, which people believe was written by the same writer as the author of Luke). All of the calligraphy was done by hand - by 5 writers. The artwork was done by 18 artists.

It's funny - it's a big red book, much like what I imagine Carl Jung's, Liber Novus, would look like. The images are so beautiful. There are several botanical or Audubon-esque figures of birds and insects. But some of my favorites were icons. Other favorites were very modern images - amalgams of symbols from the gospel stories in gold leaf and strong colors. I urge you to try to see the book if you can - it was free here in Philadelphia.

You can also see reproductions of the art, and buy note cards, etc. of some of the more striking artwork within. Some of my favorites from today were some of the Hymns from Luke, and the icons. The volunteer who was turning pages for me and La Prima as we looked at the book, agreed with me that one of the characters represented in one of the most striking icons (I think it was of the Last Supper*) was Rumi. I love that thought. Beautiful work.

* UPDATE: Upon further reflection, I think the image was of "The Great Commission" of Pentecost. An even more beautiful thought!

Love Conquers All?

Fair warning: this post is LONG!

So, All, I have finished reading the Twilight Saga. I will say that it would have happened sooner if I'd bought the last book when I first saw it at the Last Word used book shop, here in Philly. Instead I waited 'til I was ready to read it and then had to wait 2-3 weeks or so until another copy arrived. I have to say, though, that the Last Word is definitely the place to get used books. They remember you, and what you want, and are great about continually getting new stuff in.

With that endorsement out of the way, here's what I thought: The Twilight books are not the best-written books ever. If I read the words "perfect," "sculpted," "stone" or "cool" in reference to a vampire again, I think I'll gag.

What I liked best about Twilight was the description of Bella's crush on Edward. It reminded me so much of the crushes I've had, and the way I felt when the object of my affection was near me, or touched me. That electric, inept feeling was so clear. What's NOT so clear is why Bella is in love with Edward, "in LUST" yes, that's obvious. But it was also very easy to understand why the story was so chaste, given the fact that Edward is a vampire. It was refreshing to see feminine desire described, and played out, even if there was a fair amount of repression that had to happen so that nobody died. Edward seems like the logical extension of Anne Rice's character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, from "Interview with a Vampire," as a vampire who feeds only on animals, not humans, to survive. I also think the choice of Rob Pattinson was inspired, even if it means that poor (human) Rob will be hounded to the ends of the earth forever because of it.

Out of the whole series I liked New Moon best, because I loved the character of Jacob. I admire steadfastness as a trait, and Jacob is nothing if not loyal. I think he gets pretty shafted throughout the story, but he's my favorite character.

I thought Eclipse was really just a bridge to the last book. It was nice to see the characters of Edward and Jacob have a rapprochement, but really, it read like a comic book, without pictures of gorgeous vampires and werewolves.

And then there's Breaking Dawn. It's interesting, because here I am, in my late 30's, with children in my life, and if I were writing about vampires, is this also where I would end the story?

SPOILER:
Bella becomes pregnant with Edward's child. It's a very difficult pregnancy - how could it not be, really - and several people consider ending the pregnancy. Bella, however, joins forces with her former nemesis, Rosalie, in order to keep the fetus alive. The delivery is gruesome, and in order to save Bella, Edward must turn her into a vampire with his venom. Bella becomes the vampire she always wanted to be, is married to Edward, and has a half human-half vampire daughter. I thought it was a pretty convenient plot device, but in a "Hollywood ending" way, Jacob "imprints" on Reneesme immediately, and so will always be protective of and present in Reneesme's life, in whatever form that needs to take - caretaker, friend, lover, husband, etc.

My first thought when I finished reading Breaking Dawn was that the idea I was meant to take away from this saga was that "love conquers all." Bella becomes a vampire after many struggles and transforms from a truly awkward human to a truly amazing, powerful vampire - she was klutzy, even for a human, as a human, and has an extreme super power for a vampire, as a vampire. Even though I think Bella was taken in by Edward's (and the rest of the vamps') camouflage (attractive looks, smell, strength, sound, etc.), she never seemed to really analyze what she was doing until Rosalie confronted her. She was mesmerized by Edward, and I thought in a shallow way just wanted to become a vampire so she could be with him forever. She never really seemed to consider the real consequences until it began to affect her physical relationship with him.

Edward "made a deal" with her that he required her to marry him. Once married, she understood the awesomeness of sex, and most especially, sex with Edward. So, she started making deals of her own - more years as a human, more sex, before ending her life (e.g. becoming a vampire). And he agreed, because he never wanted her to become a vampire in the first place. It's interesting to me how her awakenings happen through physical means. And that her human sexuality is what makes her powerful (even though she is completely in the thrall of Edward and his family, and is entirely defenseless if another vamp is nearby). It's when she becomes pregnant that the paradigm shifts again. Everyone is concerned about the "monster" she is carrying. And she starts acting, in my opinion, like many pregnant women - forms an attachment with the fetus, takes care of it as best she can, even if she starts doing weird stuff. [The whole thing about her pregnancy diet is gross, so I won't go there.] Interestingly, that section of the book is told from Jacob's point of view, so, it's not as intimate, but of course, he's upset during her pregnancy because she's in so much pain. There IS an inordinate amount of time in the whole saga when Bella is suffering physically, and it gets a little tiring to read through.

But whether it's a plot device, or it's really the "message" of Twilight, Bella becomes powerful through her child. She would have died because of the baby, but now she's immortal. She can hold her own with Edward now in bed (no limits once she's a vamp). She discovers that she's got a vampire super-power, which she hones quickly in order to save her family. Is this the new "coming of age" story for young women?

I sort of jest. But, seriously, I think it's interesting that the woman who wrote these books has kids and is in her 30's. As you may know, I am struggling with my upcoming (big) birthday. And I'm trying to make sense of my "self" so far. I realize that my youth is gone. And while I am happy with my life, and my family, I sometimes struggle with day-to-day responsibilities and commitments, and I wonder what the future will have in store for me. What I can relate to in Bella's story, is the desire to have "a perfect forever." I wish and hope that my family will be safe and happy and whole forever, and Bella is able to achieve that. She is a strong lover and mother. She becomes MORE sexy with motherhood, and powerful in ways that are hard for even vampires to fathom. It's a nice fantasy for a character who started out so average and normal. What do you all think?? Leave me a comment or two.

There are other critiques to be made, and I have copied some of them below, all from Wikipedia's Breaking Dawn site:

Breaking Dawn has received generally negative reviews. Publishers Weekly stated that the main problem was that "Essentially, everyone gets everything they want, even if their desires necessitate an about-face in characterization or the messy introduction of some back story. Nobody has to renounce anything or suffer more than temporarily--in other words, grandeur is out."[10] In an article by The Associated Press journalist Sara Rose posted on NewsOK.com wrote that fans of the series would love "engaging characters, great humor, a distracting obsession with beauty, focus on the minutiae of emotions", however "casual readers may be disappointed with a lot of build-up and little action."[11] The Independent called the book, "shockingly, tackily, sick-makingly sexist" and said that "Bella Swan lives to serve men and suffer." [12] Entertainment Weekly graded Breaking Dawn with a D, criticizing the birth scene and Bella's "unwavering passion for Edward" and having no other goals.[13] The Washington Post also responded with a negative review, making comments such as, "...Meyer has put a stake through the heart of her own beloved creation," and, "Breaking Dawn has a childbirth sequence that may promote lifelong abstinence in sensitive types."[14] However, an article in The Daily News Tribune, a small town newspaper, Margaret Smith says of Breaking Dawn "You too might fall in love with its suspense and moving sensitivity -- and with the unlikely couple struggling to find light within their world’s heart of darkness."[15]

My horoscope this Week

uh oh:*



PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): (My horoscope for the week of June 24th)

A delicious forbidden fruit will be more available than usual in the coming weeks. You can choose to ignore it, of course. You can pretend it's not even there and instead concentrate on the less forbidden fruits that are tasty enough. Or, on the other hand, you can sidle up closer to the forbidden fruit and engage in some discreet explorations, testing subtly to see whether it's any healthier for your sanity than it used to be. I'm not sure what the best decision is, Pisces, but I do suggest this: Don't just rip off all your defenses, forget all your commitments, and start heedlessly taking big bites out of the forbidden fruit.

Funny: that seems to be the theme underlying the Twilight Saga books. I am almost done with the last one of the series, and while I don't feel ready to comment on the whole "message" yet, there is definitely a subtext about controlling one's physical desires. But it's the quotation from Genesis at the beginning of Twilight that is obviously connecting with my horoscope (above) from Rob Brezsny:

Genesis 2:17
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.


I've been having a recurring nightmare for the past several years where I wake up an hour or two after I fall asleep and can't determine whether I'm still alive, or dead.

I look around my room, and it seems different. I take stock. I look at everything and it feels out of place, and I feel like there is a voice, or a message, telling me that "this isn't real, it's not your real life, you're on the other side now." And it takes me a good 5 minutes or so to figure out that I'm actually alive.

This nightmare went away for a while, but has been back in full effect recently. I wonder if my Twilight obsession is feeding in to this - the idea of eternal life mixed up with eternal death. It's very unsettling. I've been thinking that this is happening because of my big birthday coming up.... but maybe not. Do you all have any ideas?


* I don't generally put a whole lot of stock in horoscopes. I don't think they predict the future. But I do think that one should take a close look at "coincidences" and see if there is a message from the Divine that I should be listening to. The stained glass is from Chartres Cathedral, in France.

Translating Mary

My dear friend, Mama K has a new blog: Filling the Chalice. It's awesome! [Way to go Mama K!]

Anyways, I can relate to her recent post on "language barrier" in chruch - the spiritual/religious sphere. She and I talk about this a fair amount. But, being raised in the Episcopal church, the liturgical year, and Bible stories are my foundation. So, when people talk using those terms, I "get it". Even though my most "spiritual" (spiritually moving - that brought me back to religion) was during a Wiccan ceremony. That was when I realized that there was a cosmic force that was powerful out there.

But for me to understand and participate in religion, I need to have a community and a structure, I can't create it from scratch (which is how all the Wiccan groups have been that I've been involved in, and it's too hard for me). But, what I love about the Church's liturgical calendar, is that it pretty much follows the Solar calendar* (which is the foundation of Wiccan practice - along with the Lunar calendar, of course).

Anyways, I had an epiphany when I read the Mists of Avalon, and thought about Mary as the continuation of the Goddess in mainstream Chrisitian practice. That she's never gone away. And that is a thought that gives me a lot of comfort.

* I'll write more about this later, but I'm planning a St John the Baptist's Day celebration for our church on June 24th. Stay tuned for more details.

Half Way Through....

So, all, I'm half way through the Twilight Saga, and I gotta say, I'm hooked.

I started out a firm supporter of "Team Edward", but at this point, am fully behind "Team Jacob," I don't see how that feeling will "wane", but you never know.....

Dude. It's intense. :)

UPDATE:

Check it out: Adult Swim encapsulates the series for us... funny.

Veterans' Day

It's Veterans' Day here in the States. Armistice day elsewhere, or as I've come to think of it, "Poppy Day".

War is horrifying. I think we can all agree on that. Here's a great slide show of WWI. Which reminds me of the source of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy all over again.

I just finished A Thread of Grace, by Mary Doria Russell, about the horrors of another war - WWII and how regular people made a way through, and in some cases, did the right thing. It's about the Italian resistance and the Jews who fled to Italy from all over Europe looking for a safe place. I read it with my book club and we all loved it.

Blog Round-Up

Lots and lots going on this week. Not the least of which is the death of my grandmother. It hasn't really sunk in for me yet, so my original thought of postponing blogging for a while, has been replaced by the effort to "keep busy." So, here I go, plunging right in!

[re: the image? I don't know where to start!]

* Europe expands maternity leave! Those lucky families!
* Some "good" videos which explain various and sundry parts of our US election process. I love the tag-line - "Love it or Fix It!"
* I'm new to this responsibility project. I haven't explored it too far yet, but it seems like it's right up my alley.
* Yikes! Homer tries to vote for Obama. JoeMyGod shares my concern about the likelihood of this happening. OY.
* A Lithuanian Haiku, thanks to Skepchick for the link. I probably feel differently about it than they do, but thanks all the same.
* Mrs. O. wears H&M. Thanks to the Budget Fashionista for the photo, by way of BlogHer.
* Speaking of pregnancy and maternity leave, apparently Angelina Jolie, is getting help for PPD, which is great news. This is a great help to us mere mortals who struggle(d). If you are feeling blue after a baby, my friend Moxie has some great tips. But the most important thing is - GET HELP. YOU and your baby and your family are worth it!
* Another Angie, my sister, may be going to Paris this winter. This planning guide might help, courtesy of Jean Paul Gaultier, via the NYT.
* A former neighbor, Nancy Masters', art show is up.
* Barack and Spock - who knew?!
* If only I could knit! - Octopus knitting projects.
* In this season of birthdays, who doesn't love a muppet cake!?
* I couldn't manage watching this debate. (gawker article on Gwen Ifill)
* Hello!
* Salon book review on false autism/vaccine link - found on Bad Astronomy Blog.
* Uh oh, that's not good.
* September Madness in the bank mergers arena.
* Some nice religious art.
* In honor of Halloween coming up, a DIY "Planet of the Apes tunic"! Also, see the "splackolantern", below!
* This is "Banned Books Week." Don't tell Sarah Palin!
* My "Green Porno Role" is the Praying Mantis (the Giver). Who are you??
* You can donate to the "Hole in the Wall Camps" in memory of Paul Newman.
* Has McCain seen the light? I truly doubt it. (opinion piece from the NYT)
* Obama promises to cut emissions! That's my guy! Found on Bellona.
* I never knew there was a creation museum, nor that people actually believe that dinosaurs and humans cohabitated.
* The Great Schlep - what a great idea. I can proudly say that MY grandma knew all about Obama and was a huge supporter without my help. But I say more power to ya, and wouldn't it be great if we could swing Florida our way?!?
* "Riding Out the Credit Crisis" by Douglas Rushkoff - good stuff.
* Snip from a blog post by Rolling Stone contributor Matt Taibbi on the media phenomenon surrounding Republical vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin:

Sarah Palin is a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern United States. As a representative of our political system, she's a new low in reptilian villainy, the ultimate cynical masterwork of puppeteers like Karl Rove. But more than that, she is a horrifying symbol of how little we ask for in return for the total surrender of our political power.

Not only is Sarah Palin a fraud, she's the tawdriest, most half-assed fraud imaginable, 20 floors below the lowest common denominator, a character too dumb even for daytime TV -and this country is going to eat her up, cheering her every step of the way. All because most Americans no longer have the energy to do anything but lie back and allow ourselves to be jacked off by the calculating thieves who run this grasping consumer paradise we call a nation.

(...) The great insight of the Palin VP choice is that huge chunks of American voters no longer even demand that their candidates actually have policy positions; they simply consume them as media entertainment, rooting for or against them according to the reflexive prejudices of their demographic, as they would for reality-show contestants or sitcom characters.

* This just in: Larry Flynt of Huslter has a spoof adult video of Palin. Here's the deets on the Veep!

Thanks to JoeMYGod for the splackolantern!

Blog Round-Up

Some News, and other stuff, that caught my eye this week. Enjoy!

• The call for an "Energy Manhattan Project"
• See all 52 (including DC & Pr) State Obama bumper stickers.
• National guard deployment to Iraq & Afghanistan
• omg! Tigh-Roslin campaign site as seen on Boing Boing
• Pretty moss-inspired jewelry
• I helped get the reporters in our of jail in Minneapolis/St Paul!
  
• Mabon is this weekend. Time to make my green man!
• WE has a new ad out against the dirty coal and oil lobbies. Check it out!
  
• TODAY is International "Talk Like a Pirate Day"!
  
• Federal Court Bans Mad Cow Testing
• Tea is more beneficial than water! I knew it.
• Bob at his best - St John the Baptist Triptych - I plan to comment on this piece more later, but in the meantime - WOW!
• How coastal building development since the 1970's has lead to crazier hurricane damage, on Pruned.
  
• This Quiz feeds the hungry. Again, thanks, Bob!

• Old School printing operation. I'm not sure my grandfather's press was as high-tech as this, but wow!

Printing a Book, Old School from Armin Vit on Vimeo.

What I Read on my Summer Vacation

I spent a lovely week by a lake up in the 1,000 Islands region of Ontario, Canada this summer. It was a rainy summer there, but lucky for me, not to wet while we were there.

I spent one sunny afternoon snoozing and reading on the dock. I had been wanting to read Reading Judas: The Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of Christianity, by Elaine Pagels, for some time, and this was my chance. I won't give a long review here, but I will say this: I wish I had seen that the primary text (the Gospel of Judas) was at the back of the book - before I got there! I kept wanting to check the text whenever the author quoted it, and though I usually spot these things, I just didn't see it until too late. And I didn't feel like going back and re-reading all the commentary again. So it all felt backwards.

But, I enjoyed the book. And it more firmly convinced me of two ideas I've had about my religious belief:
1) that the early Christian Church (or "Christian Movement" as many scholars call it) was not a monolith, but a fractured, fractious group of people trying to muddle through a very scary, emotional time, and doing the best they could.
2) that Judas was a pawn, God's agent of change. Yes he betrayed Jesus, but I think God had that as part of the plan all along (I mean, really, what happens in this life WITHOUT God's knowledge?!?) and Jesus knew it too. Why else would he be so upset in Gesthemane, right before Judas showed up. HE KNEW what was about to happen.

There's also a whole section of Judas' Gospel where he dances - which reminds me of the "whirling Dervishes." It's fascinating.

So, I recommend it. There's a v. good interview with Elaine Pagels on Salon.

Thanks to Menachem for the beautiful Caravaggio image - I hope the painting turns up!!!

Happy Mid Summer!

Happy Midsummer, All!

As you might have guessed by now, I am trying to revive celebration of St John the Baptist's Day in our household. I've hung the Finnish Flag. I'm planning to have friends over for (vaguely) Scandinavian meal of fish, cucumber salad (and probably some other cold salads), with home made strawberry ice cream for dessert. I'll let you know how it turns out.

In other news, there's a great review of Jesus for President at Emerging Pensees. I think I'll add it to my wish list.

There are some amazing "issue" posters done by people all over the world here. Go check them out. Powerful stuff. These are about global warming, but there other themes include water scarcity, human rights, child mortality, STD's and more.

And another "green" item I have to share is: I just watched Hulk last night, by Ang Lee. And I was blown away. I had no idea I would like it. Granted there were commercials, and so it went on forever (which I've read was a criticism of the movie when it came out in the theaters too), and the whole Nick Nolte thing was annoying. BUT, the underlying message about the green monster in all of us was right on. Specifically, what I imagine it must be like for men to feel rage (I'm not a man.) Bruce Banner's description of how he felt as the Hulk was amazing. I don't know that much about testosterone, but it seemed like the movie described how it feels to be a guy, both enraged, and calm - gave me some insight. I thought Eric Bana did a fantastic job (though I pretty much dig Eric Bana in whatever he does!)

P.S. Hungry For Change Bake Sale for Obama at the Clark Park Farmers' Market tomorrow.

Hope When All is Gone

The New Testament reading yesterday was from Paul's letter to the Romans, (Romans 5). It reminded me immediately of the Lord of the Rings (LotR), by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4.

I don't know about you, but LotR to me is all about hope and WWI. As I read it, or see the movies, all I can think about are the men in the Trenches. I envision what the men in Tolkien's unit must have been like to be the inspirations for the LotR characters. Like, Boromir who is abrasive, and secretive, and weak, and proud (in the bad sense) and in the end, honorable, asking for forgiveness.

Seeing the books translated to film brought the characters even more to life for me. In fact, I had no interest in the books as a kid (so few women characters) until I saw the movies and realized that these were stories I could really get into. Then I read them in a continuous loop for two years picking up new things with each reading.

The Lord of the Rings is all about hope. And I think it can be capitalized: Hope, as in Christian Hope. Hope is what gets everybody through the trials and tribulations of the Lord of the Rings books. When things look grim, someone admonishes the Hobbits, or the Humans or the Dwarves, "Do not to give in to despair." It's something to keep in mind in Mordor, as well as Verdun, as well as in Philadelphia. "...As a light to use in dark places - when all other hope is gone".

I think in order to get through trench warfare, and the general horror of World War I, Tolkien and his friends must have had to figure out some way to cope. Would this passage from Romans have been a comfort?

The LotR books drove home for me the plight, both emotional and physical of veterans. The Hobbits' return to the Shire play out the saying "there's no going home." Nothing is the same for them after their adventures, and their return home. I think of our veterans - from the Great War through to our current Iraq and Afghan wars - and how they fare. Do they have hope? Did they have it before going to war? What will their return be like for them?

This is where Rev. Jim's exhortation, from yesterday's sermon, to be welcoming - to greet strangers with openness and warmth comes in. The stranger you meet could be God at your doorstep. We need to be ready, and welcoming. So that after the suffering, hope might emerge. With God's help.


The text from Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 5:

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

WOW! a combination of two things I fantasize about frequently: a house boats (well, sort of a barge) and gardens! When I was a kid I dreamed about having a houseboat and sailing (slowly) around the world (in calm waters, to be sure). And I always pictured the houseboat with it's own garden. Full of flowers, and even vegetables - so we could eat while we traveled, of course!

As an adult, with my own family, I have been fantasizing about renting a houseboat in France and doing a tour of the canals. Truly, how awesome would that be??? I've canoed along the canal in Agen. And it fueled my desire. Seeing the movie, My Mother's Castle (the film version of Marcel Pagnol's book), gives a sense of the canal, and what vacationing near/on them might be like. That's a fantastic movie. The ending always leaves me wracked with sobs, though.

Go to TreeHugger for the full article with more excellent photos.

Great Proustian (?) Green Idea

I'm basically going to cut & paste a whole bunch of Blogfish's post on the genesis of one's environmentalism and Proust. But really, you should go over there yourself and check it out. Great ideas abound!

Conservation, sensuality, and Proust

What was your first taste of conservation? Love of nature? My guess is that your senses were involved before your brain.

Maybe you saw something fantastic, or had a blissful time soaking up nature in a beautiful place.

Then what happened? You saw a threat and got worried or even angry about harm to nature?

If you're like me, you fell in love with nature first, and only later had your brain awakened to threats and the need for conservation action. You started with a loving connection to nature, and only later got all thinky and brain-centered about saving things.

This is well-said by Justin Van Kleeck over at sustainablog, where he writes

environmentalism is mostly about the amazing power and glory of nature. Indeed, environmentalism means luxuriating in the abundance of beauty lying just beyond your door. It is like a life lived within a Proust novel: every thing, every moment, is just dripping with sensuality.


I think there's a better solution, and it's found in Justin's "living community" that's "green with a heart." Rather than telling people to "grow up," we should invite them to feel connected and live their lives with a consciousness and a celebration of the connections between people and nature. That's the way to explode the myth that environmentalism is costly, gloomy, and smug.

Good Church Design posted these covers of "individually packaged" books from the Bible. I must say, the cover images got me to buy each of the four Gospels individually back when they came out. Stark, but not depressing. They really do fit in your pocket(book?) and feel more manageable than lugging the whole Bible around just to read Mark, let's say. Not, of course, that I've made it all the way through Mark yet. Matthew, check! The rest, not yet. But I'm really impressed, both by the designs of the covers, and by GCD blog. It's a really beautiful blog - go check it out!

In other news, even while the diplomats are in a tiff (link), the sailors are doing the right thing - having a sandwich competition. I wish there were more photos as part of the article, but from what I can tell, these are fantastic. In honor of Victory Day.

And in a further move to shrink the world, and encourage us to all get along, tomorrow is Pangea Day. I saw Control Room and LOVED it. The part about the "spontaneous mob that pulled down Saddam's statue" was amazing and chilling. War is hell. It's true. But the propaganda machines are diabolical. Seeing inside what happens in newsrooms (around the world) is frightening. And empowering. If we know that's the lay of the land, maybe we can do something about it. Right?