It's taken me 119 out of the 121.5 hours of the show, but I've finally figured all of Lost out. Surprisingly, I figured it out away from the actual show. You see, over the past five years I have made friends all over North America. I have friends back home in Kingsport, friends from Harding, friends I interned with in Huntsville, friends here in Canada, and friends all over the place. One thing that brings many of us together: Lost. This show has created a community. Not just the annoying internet community of message boards and blogs that meticulously scan evidence like a CSI team, come up with stupid theories, or endlessly complain to the point that you wonder why they even watch the show. But it's a community of people who I love in my life that I enjoy discussing, debating, and theologically analyzing the show with. I love after every episode texting my friend Drew, theorizing with my friend Wes on facebook chat, commenting on my youth minister's blog, and coming up to my friends at church saying, "Yo, did you SEE Lost?"
Above all, that's what I'm going to miss most about Lost when it ends Sunday night. I'm going to miss the characters, and the twists and turns of the plot, and how it always keeps me guessing, and the producers' podcasts, and the emotion, drama, and fun of Lost. But mostly I'm going to miss the conversations (many of them deeply spiritual) and the enjoyment I get out of sharing in this great show with a community around me (many of whom live thousands of miles away).
And in "The End" (pun intended), I think that's what Lost is all about. The show is about a group of characters who are seeking out redemption in a journey of renewal as a community. They do it through several interlocking (both past, present, future, and sideways) relationships that often conflict, encourage, disintegrate and cooperate. Whether the characters are dealing with parental issues, sins they have committed, emotional and spiritual baggage; together many have learned that the past doesn't matter and they can grow as a group into who they were meant to be. The show has taught us that our relationships and the choices we make with them MATTER, both in terms of how they affect those around us, but more importantly in the way ALL of our stories intersect with THE story that is being told through all creation.
In the fifth episode of season one, Jack makes a statement that soon became the mantra of the show that the characters must "Live together or die alone." And this is true on a small level with the groups of fans that enjoy the show together. But mostly on a meta-level that all of us can either choose to wallow alone in isolation or instead to reach our highest capacities of redemption and fulfillment both as individuals and as a people when we truly journey together in community. And isn't that truly what the kingdom of God is all about? A flawed and broken people joining together, bearing each others' burdens, and building each other up into a new creation as we seek to become a part of the story God has been telling.
And maybe that is how we all journey from Lost.......to Found.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bulletin Article-The Drama of Mark
I wrote this last week for our bulletin and I figured I'd go ahead and put in on here as well:
As we reach the climactic scenes in the narrative of Mark, it is interesting that we begin to realize the drama of the story. Have you ever noticed that Biblical narratives provide great drama in a literary sense? These stories, whether they are in Genesis, Exodus, 1 & 2 Samuel, Daniel, the gospels, Acts, and in so many other places throughout the whole Bible, give us stories that are every bit as exciting and dramatic as famous stories, films, and literary works throughout history. Especially when reading the four gospel narratives, I can always feel the tension, the emotion, and the intense drama as the story comes to a climax. As Noel mentioned last week, we can see the severe mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical trauma that Jesus goes through in his last twenty-four hours, beginning with his impassioned plea to his father in Gethsemane. As the night continues, we can see the tension continue to build and build throughout the story.
As we reach the climactic scenes in the narrative of Mark, it is interesting that we begin to realize the drama of the story. Have you ever noticed that Biblical narratives provide great drama in a literary sense? These stories, whether they are in Genesis, Exodus, 1 & 2 Samuel, Daniel, the gospels, Acts, and in so many other places throughout the whole Bible, give us stories that are every bit as exciting and dramatic as famous stories, films, and literary works throughout history. Especially when reading the four gospel narratives, I can always feel the tension, the emotion, and the intense drama as the story comes to a climax. As Noel mentioned last week, we can see the severe mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical trauma that Jesus goes through in his last twenty-four hours, beginning with his impassioned plea to his father in Gethsemane. As the night continues, we can see the tension continue to build and build throughout the story.
However, what differentiates the gospel story and the other great stories in the Bible from famous works of literature is that these events actually happened. The reality of these events makes them all the more powerful. They’re not just tall tales, folklore, or parables. These were real people experiencing real emotions and persevering through real trials. This makes it fascinating to see how these real events mirror the traditional storytelling narratives so well, with the basic designs of introduction, conflict, plot, climax, and resolution. Perhaps the reason why people identify so well with this traditional plot structure is because God has divinely placed the essence of THE story deeply within us. This of course is the story that God has been writing since the beginning of time, the meta-narrative of all history, which is the story of God bringing his people back into relationship with him. This story begins in Eden, climaxes at the cross, and ends with God reigning with his people forever and ever. Since this story is placed so deeply within our souls, we naturally respond to any story, book, movie, or even television show that mirrors the plot narrative of THE story. It’s why we root for Luke to blow up the Death Star, why we hope Frodo can make it to Mount Doom, why we are happy for Wall-E and Eva to get back to each other, and even why we cheer for Hugh Grant to marry whatever woman he’s dating in whatever chick flick he’s in.
So when we reach the climax of the Gospel, it is natural for it to affect us in a deep and poignant way. Because this is the most important moment of the story of all stories. So how do we respond to this beautiful chapter in the story? Do we put the book down and go to bed? Or do we respond by finding OUR place in the story and play the part that God has been writing for us since the beginning of time? Because this story is continuing on today and WE are the supporting characters. May we all seek to quit trying to tell our own stories and instead take up our roles in HIS story.
-Dylan
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
2000-2009: The Decade Without a Name
I named this post above, because unlike the 80's, 90's, etc. this decade has never really had a consistent name. It's been called the "zeros," "2000's," and the "Aughts." I usually call it "this decade", but I don't know what I'm going call it next year. (Speaking of which, can we go ahead and get an early start in conclusively naming this next decade, so we don't have the same problem. Do we call it the "Teens" or the "Tens"? Let's decide on this). But not only that, this decade has lacked an identity in culture and remembrance.
The 50's were remembered for good times, family values, and rock and roll (as well as the beginning of pop culture). The sixties had social change, the hippy movement, and incredible music. The 70's had great movements in rock with Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Springsteen, etc., and disco. The 80's had MTV, Michael Jackson, the Brat Pack movies, ridiculous clothing and hair styles, and Bird/Magic making the NBA huge. The 90's had grunge and the explosion of rap in the early 90's, followed by boy bands and Brittney Spears in the late 90's, phenomenal movies (google the Best Picture nominees/winners from the 90's...it's an incredible list), good tv with Seinfeld, ER, and Friends (remember back when NBC was king?), and Jordan.
Now you don't have to like the things that characterized these decades, but at least you can admit that they defined them. How do you find what defined this decade? Music sales have collapsed since 2004. There's been no defining band or even genre this decade. For the past decades the defining band/artist was easy: Elvis, Beatles, Zeppelin, Jackson, and Nirvana. Would Coldplay win it for this decade? U2? Timberlake? The top 10 selling artists this decade were Eminem, the Beatles (that says all you need to know. The #2 selling band this decade has been broken up for 40 years), Tim McGraw, Toby Keith (No!!!), Brittney Spears, Kenny Chesney, Nelly, Linkin Park, Creed, and Jay-Z. But I wouldn't say any of those artists really defined the decade (Eminem's 30 million sales pales in comparison with the top selling artist in the 90's: Garth Brooks with almost 100 million sales). The way I would define music for this decade is the I-Tunes Generation. What I mean is that most people don't really buy and consume albums or artists any more. Instead they just hear some random song at a coffee house, figure out what the name of it on their phone, and then buy/pirate it and put it on I-tunes. So most people's music looks like a hodgepodge of random acoustic ballads and pop hits.
Movies were solid this decade. There were great franchises (LOTR, Star Wars, Matrix, Pirates, etc.), some great comedies from the various comedy mafias (Apatow, Ferrel, Wilson brothers, Sandler, Stiller), and the "Oscar" movies were great, but again, not as good as the 90's. Luckily there have been several defining movies this decade (The Dark Knight, LOTR, Anchorman) so we're ok there. Perhaps the only pop culture category in which this decade excelled was television. You could argue that the best movies this decade were on tv. This decade had the two most critically acclaimed shows ever in the Sopranos and the Wire (I've never seen them, but I know the critics love them), currently acclaimed shows in "Mad Men" and "30 Rock," the show I would argue is the greatest show of all time in LOST, plus other great shows with The Office, How I Met Your Mother, West Wing, Battlestar, Arrested Development, and some cult favorite one season wonders with Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Firefly. Shows like The Daily Show and the Colbert Report became a mix between comedy and social/media awareness. Reality shows exploded this decade with American Idol and Survivor leading the way. The decade saw as an over-fascination with celebrities to the point where people became "celebrities" without even really doing anything (Paris Hilton, Kardashians, etc..).
The news stories that defined this decade all basically revolved around the singular event that most defined the decade in 9/11. The event has changed the nation, the world, cultural dialogue, politics, and spawned two wars and changed the way wars are fought. Many, if not most, of the other major events of the decade are either directly or indirectly tied to 9/11. The aforementioned Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the 2004 and 2008 elections, and the events of the Bush Administration. Other major events included the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the China earthquakes, a growing dependence on technology and social networking via blogs, Myspace, facebook, and twitter, a growing focus on energy, climate, and conservation, and the current financial meltdown.
So where does this leave a generation who spent their formative years in a tumultuous decade that lacked definition and identity? Will this lack of normalcy, consistency, and identity lead to a continued rise in a postmodern fickle worldview? Or perhaps could it raise up a generation who does not define themselves based on pop-culture, and can learn to adapt to ever-changing circumstances and ideas?
My age ranged from 12-22 in this decade. I suppose that this decade was "my decade" as much as other people claim to be "children" of whatever decade they grew up in. I don't really lament this decade's lack of identity, and I am learning to thrive in a turbulent age. Many in my peer group have graduated college only to find an economy in shatters and no jobs available for them. But I think that this crazy decade has left us better prepared for difficult circumstances than previous generations might have been. We know that this next century is likely going to continue to be chaotic with changing economies, diminished American power, climate change, and different cultural values. But I think we're able to roll with it and just handle whatever comes next. Many people have labeled the Millennial Generation (those born between 1983 and 2001) as the "Second Great Generation" because of the exponential rise of work in volunteering and social causes among Millennials. I think that my generation has really become empowered to not just talk, but act in behalf of social justice issues and has a unique perspective on global commonality. Also, Millenials are not constrained by traditional structures in politics, economics, religion, and nationalities. We're more free to think, act, love, and serve outside of the boxes originally provided for us.
It is imperative for the church to empower, equip, and allow this generation to live out the kingdom of God in new and exciting ways in the next decade. I've heard before that the church could thrive in Postmodern culture because it provides structure in a chaotic time. That may be true, but I would argue that the church could instead thrive by getting chaotic itself. The kingdom of God was never meant to be rigid, streamlined, and predictable. The kingdom of God is an ADVENTURE and a REVOLUTION where we never know where it's headed. Because God works in ways that we could never imagine and acts like a consuming fire and was never meant to be put in a box.
Throughout its history, the church has tended to thrive in turbulent times. Right now seems perfect.
The 50's were remembered for good times, family values, and rock and roll (as well as the beginning of pop culture). The sixties had social change, the hippy movement, and incredible music. The 70's had great movements in rock with Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Springsteen, etc., and disco. The 80's had MTV, Michael Jackson, the Brat Pack movies, ridiculous clothing and hair styles, and Bird/Magic making the NBA huge. The 90's had grunge and the explosion of rap in the early 90's, followed by boy bands and Brittney Spears in the late 90's, phenomenal movies (google the Best Picture nominees/winners from the 90's...it's an incredible list), good tv with Seinfeld, ER, and Friends (remember back when NBC was king?), and Jordan.
Now you don't have to like the things that characterized these decades, but at least you can admit that they defined them. How do you find what defined this decade? Music sales have collapsed since 2004. There's been no defining band or even genre this decade. For the past decades the defining band/artist was easy: Elvis, Beatles, Zeppelin, Jackson, and Nirvana. Would Coldplay win it for this decade? U2? Timberlake? The top 10 selling artists this decade were Eminem, the Beatles (that says all you need to know. The #2 selling band this decade has been broken up for 40 years), Tim McGraw, Toby Keith (No!!!), Brittney Spears, Kenny Chesney, Nelly, Linkin Park, Creed, and Jay-Z. But I wouldn't say any of those artists really defined the decade (Eminem's 30 million sales pales in comparison with the top selling artist in the 90's: Garth Brooks with almost 100 million sales). The way I would define music for this decade is the I-Tunes Generation. What I mean is that most people don't really buy and consume albums or artists any more. Instead they just hear some random song at a coffee house, figure out what the name of it on their phone, and then buy/pirate it and put it on I-tunes. So most people's music looks like a hodgepodge of random acoustic ballads and pop hits.
Movies were solid this decade. There were great franchises (LOTR, Star Wars, Matrix, Pirates, etc.), some great comedies from the various comedy mafias (Apatow, Ferrel, Wilson brothers, Sandler, Stiller), and the "Oscar" movies were great, but again, not as good as the 90's. Luckily there have been several defining movies this decade (The Dark Knight, LOTR, Anchorman) so we're ok there. Perhaps the only pop culture category in which this decade excelled was television. You could argue that the best movies this decade were on tv. This decade had the two most critically acclaimed shows ever in the Sopranos and the Wire (I've never seen them, but I know the critics love them), currently acclaimed shows in "Mad Men" and "30 Rock," the show I would argue is the greatest show of all time in LOST, plus other great shows with The Office, How I Met Your Mother, West Wing, Battlestar, Arrested Development, and some cult favorite one season wonders with Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and Firefly. Shows like The Daily Show and the Colbert Report became a mix between comedy and social/media awareness. Reality shows exploded this decade with American Idol and Survivor leading the way. The decade saw as an over-fascination with celebrities to the point where people became "celebrities" without even really doing anything (Paris Hilton, Kardashians, etc..).
The news stories that defined this decade all basically revolved around the singular event that most defined the decade in 9/11. The event has changed the nation, the world, cultural dialogue, politics, and spawned two wars and changed the way wars are fought. Many, if not most, of the other major events of the decade are either directly or indirectly tied to 9/11. The aforementioned Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the 2004 and 2008 elections, and the events of the Bush Administration. Other major events included the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the China earthquakes, a growing dependence on technology and social networking via blogs, Myspace, facebook, and twitter, a growing focus on energy, climate, and conservation, and the current financial meltdown.
So where does this leave a generation who spent their formative years in a tumultuous decade that lacked definition and identity? Will this lack of normalcy, consistency, and identity lead to a continued rise in a postmodern fickle worldview? Or perhaps could it raise up a generation who does not define themselves based on pop-culture, and can learn to adapt to ever-changing circumstances and ideas?
My age ranged from 12-22 in this decade. I suppose that this decade was "my decade" as much as other people claim to be "children" of whatever decade they grew up in. I don't really lament this decade's lack of identity, and I am learning to thrive in a turbulent age. Many in my peer group have graduated college only to find an economy in shatters and no jobs available for them. But I think that this crazy decade has left us better prepared for difficult circumstances than previous generations might have been. We know that this next century is likely going to continue to be chaotic with changing economies, diminished American power, climate change, and different cultural values. But I think we're able to roll with it and just handle whatever comes next. Many people have labeled the Millennial Generation (those born between 1983 and 2001) as the "Second Great Generation" because of the exponential rise of work in volunteering and social causes among Millennials. I think that my generation has really become empowered to not just talk, but act in behalf of social justice issues and has a unique perspective on global commonality. Also, Millenials are not constrained by traditional structures in politics, economics, religion, and nationalities. We're more free to think, act, love, and serve outside of the boxes originally provided for us.
It is imperative for the church to empower, equip, and allow this generation to live out the kingdom of God in new and exciting ways in the next decade. I've heard before that the church could thrive in Postmodern culture because it provides structure in a chaotic time. That may be true, but I would argue that the church could instead thrive by getting chaotic itself. The kingdom of God was never meant to be rigid, streamlined, and predictable. The kingdom of God is an ADVENTURE and a REVOLUTION where we never know where it's headed. Because God works in ways that we could never imagine and acts like a consuming fire and was never meant to be put in a box.
Throughout its history, the church has tended to thrive in turbulent times. Right now seems perfect.
Monday, February 9, 2009
'Roid Rage
Today in an interview with Peter Gammons, Alex Rodriguez confirmed that he had taken steroids from 2001-2003.
I used to get angry when these stories came out. I hated Bonds, Giambi, and Sosa for cheating the game of basbeall and the sanctity of a game that takes numbers very seriously. But after years and years of exponential steroid stories, I'm drained, jaded and just sad. I barely even blame A-Rod. It's tough to blame players for just trying to keep up with the status quo of pitchers and hitters juicing up to improve their game. I mostly just blame Bud Selig, the players union, and the game of baseball for turning a blind eye to this in the 90's and early part of this decade and not cleaning this up sooner. Stories like today are the price that baseball must pay as more and more stars and more numbers become tainted.
Baseball is probably the most important for stats and numbers. It was the first sport to become popular in fantasy games (although you can argue that fantasy football has passed it in terms of popularity). We used to hold these records as something truly special. Maris' 61 home runs, Aaron's 755, Dimaggio's 56 game hit streak. Now every single stat from 1987-until A-Rod retires (because he'll likely break a lot of major records) will be completely tainted.
It makes me sad for the sport I love. I remember getting caught up in the '98 home run race with McGwire and Sosa. Now, that memory means very little. Now even some of my favorite players, like Jeff Bagwell, and David Ortiz, certainly fall under the suspicion of steroids at the very least. Roger Clemens was one of my favorite pitchers when he rocked out the '04-'06 seasons with the Astros, and now I know it could have all been a lie. Those memories are tainted. This is just another case of professional sports spitting on its fans. As ticket prices soar while the economy plummets, we can really see that pro sports care little about fans. MLB turned a blind eye and implicity encouraged steroid use in the 90's because of the simple reason that HOME RUNS MADE MONEY.It's the fans that suffer for this.
Maybe one day Major League Baseball will have some credibility again and we can take records and numbers seriously again. I hope that day comes.......someday. Until then we're just going to have more days like this as more big names come out.
40 days until Opening day........and it can't come soon enough.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Best Super Bowl ever?
I wasn't too excited about this year's Super Bowl, but it turned out to be an instant classic and at least one of the greatest Super Bowls ever. It had everything you could want. Lots of lead changes. Good classic football players. Big hits. An underdog going for an upset. A huge touchdown returned for an interception by Harrison. A long bomb to Fitzgerald. And a classic drive by Rothlesberger with 2:34 culminating in the TD pass to Holmes in the corner of the end zone, which will become one of the most famous plays in NFL History.
But was it the greatest Super Bowl ever?
Well, lets run down the list of greatest super bowls in chronological order. Unfortunately, there aren't many close ones, since they usually just turn into a blowout.
Super Bowl X: Pittsburgh 21, Dallas 17
Close match-up between two awesome defenses.
Super Bowl XIII: Pittsuburgh 35, Dallas 31
Great shootout that went back and forth.
Super Bowl XXIII San Francisco 20, Cincinnati 16
Montana leads game winning TD drive
Super Bowl XXV N.Y. Giants 20, Buffalo 19
Scott Norwood! Wide Right!
Super Bowl XXXII Denver 31, Green Bay 24
Close game as John Elway and the Broncos upsets the favored Packers.
Super Bowl XXXIV St. Louis 23, Tennessee 16
Kevin Dyson is one yard short! NOOOOOO!!!!!
XXXVI New England 20, St. Louis 17
Brady drives down the Pats to set up Vinateri's field goal for a HUGE upset.
Super Bowl XXXVIII New England 32, Carolina 29
Great game, although it's not remembered all that well. Another last second Vinateri field goal.
XXXIX New England 24, Philadelphia 21
Philly made it close but had TERRIBLE clock management down the stretch and ran out of time.
XLII N.Y. Giants 17, New England 14
HUGE upset as the Giants end the Pats perfect record. Classic game winning drive by Eli including the amazing catch by David Tyree.
XLIII Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23
Holmes catch for the win
Most analysts would probably say last year's Giants win was the greatest ever due to the historical significance of ending the Pats perfect season. But that was a really boring game until the 4th quarter. My personal pick would be the Rams/Titans Super bowl. That 2nd half was incredible. The Titans made a huge comeback, followed by a huge deep pass to Isaac Bruce, followed by McNair's incredible last minute drive (that never gets enough credit), followed by the infamous one-yard-short play. That was just a great game. I would probably rank tonight's game 2nd. It really was a well-played back and forth game by two teams and two quarterbacks that both wanted it bad. Plus, I enjoyed this one a lot hanging out with my friends in my apartment. So, my top 5 will be
1. Rams/Titans
2. Steelers/Cards
3. Giants/Pats
4. Pats/Rams
5. 49'ers/Bengels
Although my FAVORITE Super Bowls ever were XXVIII and XXX when the Cowboys won (I don't remember when the won XXVII. I think I had to go to bed.) But those weren't close games, cause they destroyed the Bills and Steelers.
What do you think is the best super bowl ever?
Monday, January 12, 2009
Lost Showdown
This is an awesome thing ABC is doing. It's a bracket of all the best moments in Lost history. You can go and vote here:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=showdown
The first round matchups are:
Season 1 division:
The Crash vs. "Don't Tell me what I can't do"
Opening the Hatch vs. Walt's abduction
Season 2 division:
"See ya in another Life brother" vs. Swan Station Map
Michael frees Ben vs. Desmond turns key
Season 3 division:
"We have to go back" vs. Kate and Sawyer hook up
Locke's falls from building vs. Charlie's sacrifice
Season 4 Division:
Desmond and Penny phone call vs. The Oceanic Six
Ben Moves the Island vs. Sawyer's goodbye
I picked "Don't Tell me what I can't do," Opening the hatch, "See ya in another life," Desmond turns key, "We have to go back," Charlie's Sacrifice, Desmond phone call, and Sawyer's goodbye.
What are your picks?
http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/index?pn=showdown
The first round matchups are:
Season 1 division:
The Crash vs. "Don't Tell me what I can't do"
Opening the Hatch vs. Walt's abduction
Season 2 division:
"See ya in another Life brother" vs. Swan Station Map
Michael frees Ben vs. Desmond turns key
Season 3 division:
"We have to go back" vs. Kate and Sawyer hook up
Locke's falls from building vs. Charlie's sacrifice
Season 4 Division:
Desmond and Penny phone call vs. The Oceanic Six
Ben Moves the Island vs. Sawyer's goodbye
I picked "Don't Tell me what I can't do," Opening the hatch, "See ya in another life," Desmond turns key, "We have to go back," Charlie's Sacrifice, Desmond phone call, and Sawyer's goodbye.
What are your picks?
Friday, December 5, 2008
Headed to LP Field!
Tomorrow I will head out for Nashville for our annual Titans game! I am so pumped that I get to see in person this historic 11-1 (hopefully 12-1 after the game) season!I can't wait to see Chris Johnson run all over the Browns defense, watch Albert Haynesworth pound the depleted Cleveland O-line, and the Irish laddie Cortland Finnegan hopefully pick off Ken Dorsey. It should be a fun game and a great weekend!Hopefully, I'll have pictures when I get back.
Our seats are in section 310, so look for up for us if you're watching the game on tv.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Thanksgiving Game to be Thankful For-Pt 2
Update-6:02 P.M.
What a great day! After the Titans shelacked the Lions 47-10, the Cowboys have rolled easily in the first half to a 24-6 lead. Tony Romo has been almost perfect, for 210 yd and 2 TD. Our O-line has been awesome, giving Romo all day, and our Defense has 5 sacks and a fumble recovery in just one half.
So, both my teams are looking dominant so far. And don't look now, but UT basketball starts tonight. So, it's been a great Thanksgiving so far. I'm pumped to see how my teams play in December and how they finish up the regular season. But for right now, I'm just enjoying some Thanksgiving dominance.
A Thanksgiving Game to be Thankful For
Live Update-2:01:
Well, this certainly makes up for our first loss of the season. We are at this moment up 35-3 in the first half! Chris Johnson is already over 120 yards with 2 TD, Lendale White has 2 TD, and we have a defensive TD. I know the Lions are pretty bad, but this has been one of the most dominant halfs on both sides of the ball that I've seen this year. It makes me very excited to see the rest of this season. My favorite stat from the first half: Titans TD: 5; Lions First downs: 3.
I'll try to be back with more updates from the 2nd half and from the Cowboys game later in the day. Also, my mom's fried chicken and cornbread dressing are coming up soon. I love Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Relationships and Bonhoeffer
This semester in my mentoring group with Dr. Neller, we have been reading The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It has been really good, and it is nice to read the book that has been quoted by so many other books that I have read. It's tough on the church and really blasts those who offer "cheap grace," so it offers a very strong view of what discipleship really looks like.Today I was reading this and I came across something really cool. Bonhoeffer was talking about relationships and how we have to be able to leave any relationships that claims immediacy over Christ. This sounds tough, but he explains that it is only through Christ that we can have true relationships, and any relationship without him is in the end quite superficial. He says:
"We are separated from one another by an unbridgeable gulf of otherness and strangeness which resists all our attempt to overcome it by means of natural association or emotional or spiritual union. There is no way from one person to another. However loving and sympathetic we try to be, however frank and open our behavior, we cannot penetrate the incognito of the other man, for there are no direct relationships, not even between soul and soul. Christ stands between us, and we can only get into touch with our neighbors through him [...]
But the same Mediator who makes us individuals is also the founder of a new fellowship. He stands in the center between my neighbor and myself. He divides, but he also unites. Thus although the direct way to our neighbor is barred, we now find the new and only real way to him-the way which passes through the Mediator.
This really struck me. I can really see how relationships with my friends are affected by this. Those with whom I have a spiritual connection are always deeper and more real. I hope that as I leave college next May and move to the next chapter in my life, that I can always seek to build my relationships on Christ.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tennyson on Happiness
"The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions. "
-Alfred Lord Tennyson
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Bottom-Up Bailout?
Today on Meet the Press, the political commentator Tavis Smiley had a very interesting perspective on the economic crisis. I found the transcript, so here is the quote verbatim:
"I think that government has to always be challenged to be responsible to its citizens who are disadvantaged and disenfranchised. And the truth of the matter is that this entire economic crisis has been a top-down conversation and not a bottom-up conversation. Detroit, the city, is the poorest city in the country. In some, in, in some economic areas and categories, the unemployment rate in Detroit is three times, triple the national average. And so everyday people, the working poor and the very poor, cannot be left out of this conversation. And so I don't think that poor people--although we had three presidential debates, let's be honest about it, where the word poverty never came up, where the working poor and the very poor were never discussed in three presidential debates. I don't think, Tom, that the working poor and the very poor in this country begrudge people who are better off. They understand, I think, that there are three million jobs tied into this auto industry. At the same time, where is the conversation about corporate mendacity? Where is the conversation about everyday people and how this government is responsible to those persons who are disadvantaged, disenfranchised? I've not seen enough of that conversation yet. We've been talking about bailing out industry, talking about bailing out Wall Street. Every now and then, some conversation about Main Street. But no conversation about the side street, and that's where too many Americans live these days."
This really got my attention. There's been so much focus in this political season on stimulating the economy, bailing out Wall Street, and helping the middle class, that we often forget the people who are affected the most by these difficult economic times are those below the poverty line. God only knows how bad this thing is going to get in the next several weeks, months, and years. But as a church, we have to be sure we don't just focus on the stock market, but also on the poor, homeless, and unemployed.
A few friends and I were talking this weekend about whether the government should bail out the auto industry to keep the big three companies from going bankrupt. We gave the pros and cons that we had heard and talked about how it would affect the overall economy, and it seemed like there was no perfect answer to the problem. But none of us had thought about the disaster this could wreak on the city of Detroit, which is already in an economic tailspin. I have some friends from Detroit, and they've talked about how the city of Detroit has built the highways so that they go completely over the slums, so that you can go completely from the suburbs to downtown Detroit without seeing the immense poverty that is affecting the lower class of the city. It's time we start looking at the neglected. It's time that we don't just give $700 billion to those on Wall Street, but also to the millions in hunger around the world. It's time we judge success based on the least of these, instead of the global corporations.
I know stimulating the overall economy is important. I know helping the middle class is important. But let's not forget those trapped in the slums, because they need a bail-out too.
A few friends and I were talking this weekend about whether the government should bail out the auto industry to keep the big three companies from going bankrupt. We gave the pros and cons that we had heard and talked about how it would affect the overall economy, and it seemed like there was no perfect answer to the problem. But none of us had thought about the disaster this could wreak on the city of Detroit, which is already in an economic tailspin. I have some friends from Detroit, and they've talked about how the city of Detroit has built the highways so that they go completely over the slums, so that you can go completely from the suburbs to downtown Detroit without seeing the immense poverty that is affecting the lower class of the city. It's time we start looking at the neglected. It's time that we don't just give $700 billion to those on Wall Street, but also to the millions in hunger around the world. It's time we judge success based on the least of these, instead of the global corporations.I know stimulating the overall economy is important. I know helping the middle class is important. But let's not forget those trapped in the slums, because they need a bail-out too.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Top 5 LOST Episodes
So, there's lots of things to be excited about right now. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Senior year, friends coming back from Greece, graduation, and of course the Titans are 9-0! And now that ABC has announced the premier date for Season 5 of LOST for January 21, I'm officially getting excited. Just 68 days to go! Honestly, season 4 was so good that I was content with having no LOST for a while. It was like a great thanksgiving meal that keeps you full for 8 months. But now I'm definitely getting pumped, and I have no idea what to expect. So, I figured I would commemorate my pump-itude (my word I made up for a pumped attitude) by rolling out my top 5 Lost episodes from the first 4 seasons. So, without further ado:
#5-The Constant-(Season 4/Episode 5)
When I first saw this episode, my mind felt like mush when it ended, and I was frustrated that it didn't really extend the overall narrative of the show. But on further review, this is really the best episode of last season (which was a fantastic season). This was a Desmond episode, which are always weird. Throughout the episode, Desmond keeps flashing back between the current time and 1996, when he was in the army. As he keeps flashing back, he finally discovers that he must find a constant in both time periods and tries to contact Penelope. This lead to one of the greatest Lost scenes of all time when Desmond finally talks to Penelope on the phone and they discuss how they will find each other again.
This show was a big risk from the producers. They had to interrupt the overall storyline to present one of the weirdest time travel experiences ever on television. But it ultimately paid off, and gave us one of the best stand alone episodes in Lost. While I enjoy most Lost episodes for how they fit into the overall storyline, this was just a fantastic single hour of television.
#4-Pilot (Parts 1 and 2)
Lost burst onto the scene with this episode and nothing was ever the same. This entire episode was brilliantly planned by the writers, beginning with the initial close up of Jack's eye, followed by the 20 minute action sequence of the plane crash, the introduction of the monster and the polar bear, the shocking death of the pilot, the creepy French lady over the recording, and finally Charlie's statement that defined the show, "Guys, where are we?"
However, the best part about this episode was how it carefully set up these incredible characters and presented Lost as a character-driven show with fantasy elements, instead of the other way around. By the end of the pilot, we already felt like we knew these characters, and we were excited to learn more. This provided the framework that the whole show was built.
#3-Exodus Part 2 (Season 1/Episode 24)
Following the premier of the first season comes the finale of the first season (still my favorite season, by the way). I know this was originally a 2-part episode spread over 2 weeks, but I'm going to focus on the 2nd part. This was a fantastic episode beginning with Arzt blowing up and Hurley's classic line, "Dude, you have some Arzt on you." While most episodes focus on one character, this one showed flashbacks from every character in the cast, proving that this is an ensemble show. It also neatly summed up the entire first season, giving the season a fulfilling, distinct plotline that no other season has been able to re-create. The scene at the end with everyone getting on flight 815 with Michael Giacchino's piano in the background was beautiful. This episode also set up the Man of science/Man of faith debate between Jack and Locke which has really driven the show since. It also provided a perfect cliff hanger for the summer with Walt getting kidnapped by the Others and Jack and Locke peering down into the hatch. But that was back when we only had to wait 4 months in between seasons, instead of the 8 that we have to wait for now.
#2-Through the Looking Glass-(Season 3/Episode 22)
This was another 2-part season finale. I remember watching this one in Jason's living room, and it was one of the most exciting moments on tv ever. The episode was action packed, with fights with the others on the beach and below in the Looking glass station, plus the scene where Jack beat the snot out of Ben. It had the classic showdown between Jack and Locke. It had tons of tension over trying to get into contact with the freighter. Plus it had a fantastic heroic end for Charlie as he died letting Desmond know the boat was not Penny's.
However, the episode's best moments happened in Jack's flashforward. Of course, at the time, we thought it was just a flashback, but we didn't know where it was in Jack's storyline. This was Matthew Fox's best acting, and he was superb as the drug addicted, depressed, future Jack. When I finally realized it was a flash forward, it floored me for weeks. The final cries of Jack, "We have to go back! We have to go back!" were probably the best way to ever cap off a season. This was the biggest game-changer Lost has ever had and perfectly set up the flashforward/get off the island plotline of season 4.
#1-All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues-(Season 1/Episode 11)
This was another great Jack-isode, and still lives up as my favorite Lost episode ever. This was a tense episode as Jack, Kate, Locke, and Boone went after Ethan after he kidnapped Charlie and Claire. After an awesome fight scene with Ethan, Jack and Kate eventually found Charlie hung up in a tree. After minutes of Jack giving cpr and the sad piano music, I really thought Charlie was dead, but then Jack went at it again and Charlie somehow gasped for air. The flashback really made the episode though. After his dad ended up killing a patient, Jack eventually goes along with the lie that the patient died of natural causes, until he eventually stands up at a board meeting and said it was Christian's fault. This wasn't the biggest episode in terms of the overall plot, but it's still the most entertaining and most re-watchable for me.
So, there's my top 5 so far. I'm hoping season 5 will add some more to that list, and I'm sure it will. What are your top 5?
#5-The Constant-(Season 4/Episode 5)
When I first saw this episode, my mind felt like mush when it ended, and I was frustrated that it didn't really extend the overall narrative of the show. But on further review, this is really the best episode of last season (which was a fantastic season). This was a Desmond episode, which are always weird. Throughout the episode, Desmond keeps flashing back between the current time and 1996, when he was in the army. As he keeps flashing back, he finally discovers that he must find a constant in both time periods and tries to contact Penelope. This lead to one of the greatest Lost scenes of all time when Desmond finally talks to Penelope on the phone and they discuss how they will find each other again.This show was a big risk from the producers. They had to interrupt the overall storyline to present one of the weirdest time travel experiences ever on television. But it ultimately paid off, and gave us one of the best stand alone episodes in Lost. While I enjoy most Lost episodes for how they fit into the overall storyline, this was just a fantastic single hour of television.
#4-Pilot (Parts 1 and 2)
Lost burst onto the scene with this episode and nothing was ever the same. This entire episode was brilliantly planned by the writers, beginning with the initial close up of Jack's eye, followed by the 20 minute action sequence of the plane crash, the introduction of the monster and the polar bear, the shocking death of the pilot, the creepy French lady over the recording, and finally Charlie's statement that defined the show, "Guys, where are we?"However, the best part about this episode was how it carefully set up these incredible characters and presented Lost as a character-driven show with fantasy elements, instead of the other way around. By the end of the pilot, we already felt like we knew these characters, and we were excited to learn more. This provided the framework that the whole show was built.
#3-Exodus Part 2 (Season 1/Episode 24)
Following the premier of the first season comes the finale of the first season (still my favorite season, by the way). I know this was originally a 2-part episode spread over 2 weeks, but I'm going to focus on the 2nd part. This was a fantastic episode beginning with Arzt blowing up and Hurley's classic line, "Dude, you have some Arzt on you." While most episodes focus on one character, this one showed flashbacks from every character in the cast, proving that this is an ensemble show. It also neatly summed up the entire first season, giving the season a fulfilling, distinct plotline that no other season has been able to re-create. The scene at the end with everyone getting on flight 815 with Michael Giacchino's piano in the background was beautiful. This episode also set up the Man of science/Man of faith debate between Jack and Locke which has really driven the show since. It also provided a perfect cliff hanger for the summer with Walt getting kidnapped by the Others and Jack and Locke peering down into the hatch. But that was back when we only had to wait 4 months in between seasons, instead of the 8 that we have to wait for now.#2-Through the Looking Glass-(Season 3/Episode 22)
This was another 2-part season finale. I remember watching this one in Jason's living room, and it was one of the most exciting moments on tv ever. The episode was action packed, with fights with the others on the beach and below in the Looking glass station, plus the scene where Jack beat the snot out of Ben. It had the classic showdown between Jack and Locke. It had tons of tension over trying to get into contact with the freighter. Plus it had a fantastic heroic end for Charlie as he died letting Desmond know the boat was not Penny's.However, the episode's best moments happened in Jack's flashforward. Of course, at the time, we thought it was just a flashback, but we didn't know where it was in Jack's storyline. This was Matthew Fox's best acting, and he was superb as the drug addicted, depressed, future Jack. When I finally realized it was a flash forward, it floored me for weeks. The final cries of Jack, "We have to go back! We have to go back!" were probably the best way to ever cap off a season. This was the biggest game-changer Lost has ever had and perfectly set up the flashforward/get off the island plotline of season 4.
#1-All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues-(Season 1/Episode 11)
This was another great Jack-isode, and still lives up as my favorite Lost episode ever. This was a tense episode as Jack, Kate, Locke, and Boone went after Ethan after he kidnapped Charlie and Claire. After an awesome fight scene with Ethan, Jack and Kate eventually found Charlie hung up in a tree. After minutes of Jack giving cpr and the sad piano music, I really thought Charlie was dead, but then Jack went at it again and Charlie somehow gasped for air. The flashback really made the episode though. After his dad ended up killing a patient, Jack eventually goes along with the lie that the patient died of natural causes, until he eventually stands up at a board meeting and said it was Christian's fault. This wasn't the biggest episode in terms of the overall plot, but it's still the most entertaining and most re-watchable for me.
Honorable mention goes to last season's finale, "There's No place like home" parts 1, 2, and 3. This episode was meant to be seen as a 3 part arch, so it really is like Lost: The Movie. It was probably the most packed episode storyline-wise in the history of the show. I'm still sorting it all out. It really culminated the entire arch of season 4. The storyline on island and in the flashforwards were awesome. I still need to watch it a few more times, before I can make a good judgment on it, but for now, it doesn't quite crack the top 5.
So, there's my top 5 so far. I'm hoping season 5 will add some more to that list, and I'm sure it will. What are your top 5?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
What's Next?
The guiding phrase for the show the West Wing was, "What's Next?" Today after the longest and most arduous election comes to an end, we all must come together and say, "What's next?"
Tonight was a fun night for me and many of my friends. We had Obama cookies, cheered, hugged, and had some sparkling grape juice (non-alcoholic of course) when the election was called. But I know that most of my friends are Republicans, and tonight was not as exciting for them. And they are good, amazing Christians who honestly want what's best for the country and the kingdom of God. I want to say that John McCain is a good man, and he likely would have been a good President. He didn't run a perfect campaign, but for the most part, he kept a respectful dialog. He gave a very gracious concession speech tonight and I think helped to start move the country back together again. And let me point out that while all his aids were telling him to bring up Jeremy Wright, McCain was too honorable to go that deep in the dirt (even Hillary Clinton attacked on that......and she's in the same party!) To all my Republican friends, I hope that we can all come together and work to let's God's light shine out in this country and the whole world. Cause in the end, it matters little who is in charge at the top of government. What matters is what is going on down here as we work to spread the kingdom of God among the poor, broken, and hopeless.
So, thank God, this election is over. We must now ask "What's next?" What's next for President-Elect Obama? ( wow, that's fun to say) What's next for this country? What's next for the world? What's next for the people of God? What's next as we all reach out and try to achieve our highest hopes and strongest ideals? Tomorrow is a new day. What's next?
Monday, November 3, 2008
Phil Fulmer bleeds orange
Today is a tough day for UT fans. Most of us know that it's been time for Phil Fulmer to step down, but it's still tough to see him go. Phil has been the only UT coach I've ever known, and it was so great to have his familiar face on the sideline through the good and bad times in Knoxville. I think it's in everyone's best interests for Phil to step down, but it was still tough to watch this press conference. Every UT fan should be thankful for what Fulmer has done for our team. 3 SEC titles, a national championship, and a 75% winning percentage. Thanks Phil, we'll always have a spot on Rocky Top open for you.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Melchizedek and Stoic Philosophy
What do these two things have in common? I know everything about both now!
For the past month, the date of November 3rd has been looming like an execution date. Tomorrow, both my major term papers for Advanced Into to New Testament, and Old Testament Seminar are due (on the same day!!!! Can you believe that?). Over the past couple of weeks, I have written over 40 pages of notes on 35 sources, condensed into 22 pages for the actual papers.
I wrote my NT paper on "Paul's Theology in Relation to Stoic Philosophy" and my OT paper on Melchizedek. I've learned a lot from my research and I can tell you all you would ever want to know about these topics, and then some. What I've basically come away with though is that Bible scholars have way too much time on their hands and like to make up crazy ideas to get books and papers published (ex: Paul formed his beliefs on women from Stoics! Melchizedek is superior to Jesus!) A great deal of time in my papers is spent refuting crazy ideas from these crazy folks.
Anyways, I'm just celebrating tonight and I'm so happy that I can get back to my regular life away from the library and my computer screen. God bless!
For the past month, the date of November 3rd has been looming like an execution date. Tomorrow, both my major term papers for Advanced Into to New Testament, and Old Testament Seminar are due (on the same day!!!! Can you believe that?). Over the past couple of weeks, I have written over 40 pages of notes on 35 sources, condensed into 22 pages for the actual papers.
I wrote my NT paper on "Paul's Theology in Relation to Stoic Philosophy" and my OT paper on Melchizedek. I've learned a lot from my research and I can tell you all you would ever want to know about these topics, and then some. What I've basically come away with though is that Bible scholars have way too much time on their hands and like to make up crazy ideas to get books and papers published (ex: Paul formed his beliefs on women from Stoics! Melchizedek is superior to Jesus!) A great deal of time in my papers is spent refuting crazy ideas from these crazy folks.
Anyways, I'm just celebrating tonight and I'm so happy that I can get back to my regular life away from the library and my computer screen. God bless!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Congrats Philadelphia
I want congratulate the Phillies for winning their first world series title in 28 years. I also want to congratulate Brad Lidge, who was formerly my boy with the Astros until Albert Pujols destroyed his soul in game 5 of the 05' NLCS (I think that home run ball is still traveling in outer space somewhere). But Lidge found his slider again this year and was perfect for saves as a closer. Plus he's a genuinely great guy and I'm very happy to see him win a title. The fans of Philadelphia definitely needed a championship. They haven't won one since Dr. J's 76's won in 1983. I've never been thrilled with Philadelphia fans (they booed Michael Irvin when he was unconscious with the spine injury that ended his career), but they definitely stick with their teams. Enjoy this Philly, and use some of those good feelings to help me out and make sure Obama wins Pennsylvania next week.
Meanwhile, just 156 days until opening day for my teams. Enjoy the off-season and let's get ready for '09!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Kerry Collins is my boy?
This football season has been very weird for me. My Cowboys were supposed to be the best team in the NFL and they've been on a wild ride so far and I have no idea how they are going to finish.
Meanwhile, my Titans lost Vince Young to injury and craziness, but somehow managed to burst off to a 6-0 start. I was thrilled but a little conflicted. For two reasons:
1. White County Cable is stupid and I hadn't gotten to see a Titans game all year! My excitement has been limited to scoring updates and highlights after the game, so it all feels a little separate and apart for me (I miss living in TN and getting to watch every Titans game, even when we're terrible).
2. Vince Young was my boy! When Steve McNair left the Titans in '06 and Vince ignited a 1-4 team to make it within 1 game of the playoffs, I was fully on board the VY train. I was thrilled with every big play he made and loved his leadership and ability to "just win games." When he had a mediocre-at-best season last year, I defended him tooth and nail, blaming everyone from our terrible receivers to Norm Chow (I still blame all of them too). Vince was my favorite NFL player and I was planning on him keeping that status for the next 10-15 years. I know that teams are more important than individual players, but as a fan you tend to gain an attachment to these guys.
So I was extremely happy about the Titans rocking it out, but felt like something was missing. I wasn't quite attached to this team and its players like I had been before. It's like there was a party going on and I wasn't invited.
That all changed tonight. I finally got to watch a Titans game this season and that game happened to be a HUGE win over the COLTS on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL to put us at 7-0 for the season. I got to see for myself our crushing defense, our awesome running backs, and........and........
I finally joined the Kerry Collins train! I know I've said some harsh thing about Kerry before, but that was mostly because of my excitement for VY. Okay, I've talked a lot of smack about Kerry, but I've left that behind now. You have to respect this journeyman, wily veteran, game manager, or whatever "insert cliche here" you want to call him. He doesn't put up huge stats, but he makes huge plays. He made several 3rd and long passes tonight for 1st downs, gave us an option to throw on first down, and made several big passes to help us comeback and win this game. Plus he's a great teammate, a classy guy, has great toughness, and has a great redemption story after his problems in Carolina. I'm really excited about where he can help take us this season. Hopefully, VY will one day be the quarterback of our future, but right now Kerry Collins is the quarterback of a very exciting present.
I'm so pumped about this team and it was great to finally beat the Colts in a big game. Our defense is one of the best defenses I've ever seen. We've got awesome corners in Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper, great safeties, fast linebackers, and a dominating D-line. I love Chris Johnson and I get excited he might take off for a 50 yard run every time he touches the ball. Our team is coming together and we may just be able to pound our way to the top. And yes, Kerry Collins is my boy.
Meanwhile, my Titans lost Vince Young to injury and craziness, but somehow managed to burst off to a 6-0 start. I was thrilled but a little conflicted. For two reasons:
1. White County Cable is stupid and I hadn't gotten to see a Titans game all year! My excitement has been limited to scoring updates and highlights after the game, so it all feels a little separate and apart for me (I miss living in TN and getting to watch every Titans game, even when we're terrible).
2. Vince Young was my boy! When Steve McNair left the Titans in '06 and Vince ignited a 1-4 team to make it within 1 game of the playoffs, I was fully on board the VY train. I was thrilled with every big play he made and loved his leadership and ability to "just win games." When he had a mediocre-at-best season last year, I defended him tooth and nail, blaming everyone from our terrible receivers to Norm Chow (I still blame all of them too). Vince was my favorite NFL player and I was planning on him keeping that status for the next 10-15 years. I know that teams are more important than individual players, but as a fan you tend to gain an attachment to these guys.
So I was extremely happy about the Titans rocking it out, but felt like something was missing. I wasn't quite attached to this team and its players like I had been before. It's like there was a party going on and I wasn't invited.
That all changed tonight. I finally got to watch a Titans game this season and that game happened to be a HUGE win over the COLTS on MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL to put us at 7-0 for the season. I got to see for myself our crushing defense, our awesome running backs, and........and........
I finally joined the Kerry Collins train! I know I've said some harsh thing about Kerry before, but that was mostly because of my excitement for VY. Okay, I've talked a lot of smack about Kerry, but I've left that behind now. You have to respect this journeyman, wily veteran, game manager, or whatever "insert cliche here" you want to call him. He doesn't put up huge stats, but he makes huge plays. He made several 3rd and long passes tonight for 1st downs, gave us an option to throw on first down, and made several big passes to help us comeback and win this game. Plus he's a great teammate, a classy guy, has great toughness, and has a great redemption story after his problems in Carolina. I'm really excited about where he can help take us this season. Hopefully, VY will one day be the quarterback of our future, but right now Kerry Collins is the quarterback of a very exciting present.I'm so pumped about this team and it was great to finally beat the Colts in a big game. Our defense is one of the best defenses I've ever seen. We've got awesome corners in Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper, great safeties, fast linebackers, and a dominating D-line. I love Chris Johnson and I get excited he might take off for a 50 yard run every time he touches the ball. Our team is coming together and we may just be able to pound our way to the top. And yes, Kerry Collins is my boy.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Yearbook Yourself.......I totally stole this from Lucy
I saw this on Lucy's blog and decided to play around with it and it was just way too much fun. I did this on www.yearbookyourself.com where you get to upload your picture and then put it into different yearbook pictures from the past 60 years. These are my favorites of me.
1952
1968
1970
1976
1978
1980
1982
1986
1990
1952
1968
1970
1976
1978
1980
1982
1986
1990Thursday, October 9, 2008
The election through the eyes of a Christian college student
Four years ago I was a high school senior watching the '04 election and was very disappointed. Neither candidate had a hint of inspiration, they weren't very different in terms of policies, and neither really seemed to care about the things I cared about. I remember trying to get a little fired up about John Kerry, but was not all that disappointed when he lost.
At that time my sister Laura and I were already looking ahead to potential candidates for '08. We both liked Bill Richardson, the former Secretary of Labor and Governor of New Mexico. I cringed at the thought of another Clinton polarizing America, but she seemed like the most likely winner. That year I also took notice of a senate race in Illinois where this guy Barack Obama was winning 80% of the vote and also had an amazing speech on unity at the DNC. I took notice and Laura and I talked about how fun it would be if he ran someday in 2016.
A year later, I was watching the last season of one of my favorite shows, The West Wing. In the last episodes, the writers gave us a fictional look at an intellectual, clean, and inspiring campaign from both fictional candidates played by Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda. I wondered if there was a anyone in real life who could actually have a campaign like this. I naturally thought of my favorite Republican, John McCain, who always seemed intelligent, moderate, bipartisan, honest, and candid in his politics. I also thought of Richardson and Obama and wondered if any of these people could make it in a real campaign. Nah......couldn't happen.
Last year I began reading and discussing with my friends writers like Lee Camp, Shaine Claiborne, and Tony Campolo. I became very interested in the impoverished and oppressed, and also very dis-enchanted with the government. I realized that our American political system was a worldly kingdom, quite apart and separate from the Kingdom of God. I considered becoming a follower of the writings of David Lipscomb, who thought Christians shouldn't vote or be involved in the military, and never get involved in (and perhaps even oppose) the government.
However, at the same time, the campaigns had already begun and I listened to the candidates. I was excited about the idea of Obama, but as I began to listen to his actual campaign he struck me as a type of politician that I had never heard before in my lifetime. I always hear from history about how John and Robert Kennedy were able to inspire a generation and also helped bring real change to fight segregation in our country (I know LBJ actually signed the Civil Rights Act in '64, but it was due to the legacy and fight from Kennedy). I heard about how FDR was able to use the government to legitimately help the poor and downtrodden. I heard about how Lincoln sought to move us to our best ideals and ended slavery and helped keep the nation together. I saw a glimmer of that in the rhetoric of Obama as he spoke about unity and hope for our nation. But he also spoke about issues I really cared about. He wanted health care available to the poor who couldn't afford it and were thus unable to get the help they needed, helping low-income schools, affordable housing for the poor, expand job opportunities for the lower class, raising the minimum wage, being a better steward of our environment, helping the AIDS crisis in Africa, increasing foreign aid, and making a better commitment to peace and diplomacy around the world. I saw hope not just in him, but perhaps a shift in government across the board (federal, state, local, and diplomatic) that his election could provide. He also seemed a legitimate Christian who took kingdom values seriously. I know many call me gullible, naive, and unrealistic to buy all the hype "hook, line, and sinker," but I believed this could be real and I wanted to gamble that perhaps our hopes could be realized in a new type of government.
I was committed to Obama by September '07, but there was no chance he was actually going to win. Clinton and Giuliani were going to sweep the board and I was ready for another nasty campaign and my final separation from politics. But I hoped that Obama could make it close in the primaries and get his message out for future elections. Then during Christmas break, Obama had a huge upset win in Iowa and suddenly there was a chance he could win this thing. For the next several months, I followed the highs and lows of the campaign like watching one of my favorite sports teams. I was crushed by the loss in New Hampshire and pumped up at an official Obama Campaign party in Little Rock when we watched the South Carolina returns. We had an exciting party on Super Tuesday and cheered for every state that went Obama's way. Then we watched Obama win 11 straight primaries in February and we finally really thought we were going to win. However, Clinton hung along for an looooooooooong time until we finally wrapped up the nomination in June.
During this time, McCain managed to pull an upset and win the Republican nomination and suddenly I was facing the reality of my dream campaign. Two genuine, positive candidates were facing each other and both promised an honorable campaign. This fall has been fascinating to watch the ebbs and flows of the election cycle. It has been far from a perfect campaign and there have definitely been some nasty moments, but I think it really hasn't been as nasty as people make it out to be (at least compared to the last 2 election cycles). Of course, it's been getting a lot nastier lately and probably will continue to be until the election (although don't blame both sides if just one side is being excessively negative). Honestly, my biggest disappointment has been the incredible focus the candidates have had toward the middle class during the general election, with very little emphasis on the lower class (But, it's the middle class who decides who wins the election. I just hope the benefits given to the middle class can trickle down to the lower classes as well). No matter who wins, I think we're going to end up with a decent President and hopefully the nation can come together and actually try to help people who really need help. I know the economy isn't looking good for the next few years, and the prospects for changes in health care, education, and environmental stewardship are looking very bleak with all our money tied up in the financial markets, but I'm still holding out some hope.
I know I'm an idealistic, optimistic, and yes, naive college student. But perhaps we can start to look for the best in ourselves and hope that our government can aid us in our pursuit to bring justice and help to the poor and oppressed. I meant to write this last week to encourage everyone to register to vote before the deadline, but my procrastination won out in the end. Instead I encourage everyone who is registered to vote to actually vote if they feel morally inclined. However, if you believe you should be separate and apart from government, then I totally understand and I may be there with you one day. I do ask everyone to pray. Not just for our nation, but for every nation that has God's children crying out for justice and relief. May God bless us all to be agents of hope in a dark world.
At that time my sister Laura and I were already looking ahead to potential candidates for '08. We both liked Bill Richardson, the former Secretary of Labor and Governor of New Mexico. I cringed at the thought of another Clinton polarizing America, but she seemed like the most likely winner. That year I also took notice of a senate race in Illinois where this guy Barack Obama was winning 80% of the vote and also had an amazing speech on unity at the DNC. I took notice and Laura and I talked about how fun it would be if he ran someday in 2016.
A year later, I was watching the last season of one of my favorite shows, The West Wing. In the last episodes, the writers gave us a fictional look at an intellectual, clean, and inspiring campaign from both fictional candidates played by Jimmy Smits and Alan Alda. I wondered if there was a anyone in real life who could actually have a campaign like this. I naturally thought of my favorite Republican, John McCain, who always seemed intelligent, moderate, bipartisan, honest, and candid in his politics. I also thought of Richardson and Obama and wondered if any of these people could make it in a real campaign. Nah......couldn't happen.
Last year I began reading and discussing with my friends writers like Lee Camp, Shaine Claiborne, and Tony Campolo. I became very interested in the impoverished and oppressed, and also very dis-enchanted with the government. I realized that our American political system was a worldly kingdom, quite apart and separate from the Kingdom of God. I considered becoming a follower of the writings of David Lipscomb, who thought Christians shouldn't vote or be involved in the military, and never get involved in (and perhaps even oppose) the government.
However, at the same time, the campaigns had already begun and I listened to the candidates. I was excited about the idea of Obama, but as I began to listen to his actual campaign he struck me as a type of politician that I had never heard before in my lifetime. I always hear from history about how John and Robert Kennedy were able to inspire a generation and also helped bring real change to fight segregation in our country (I know LBJ actually signed the Civil Rights Act in '64, but it was due to the legacy and fight from Kennedy). I heard about how FDR was able to use the government to legitimately help the poor and downtrodden. I heard about how Lincoln sought to move us to our best ideals and ended slavery and helped keep the nation together. I saw a glimmer of that in the rhetoric of Obama as he spoke about unity and hope for our nation. But he also spoke about issues I really cared about. He wanted health care available to the poor who couldn't afford it and were thus unable to get the help they needed, helping low-income schools, affordable housing for the poor, expand job opportunities for the lower class, raising the minimum wage, being a better steward of our environment, helping the AIDS crisis in Africa, increasing foreign aid, and making a better commitment to peace and diplomacy around the world. I saw hope not just in him, but perhaps a shift in government across the board (federal, state, local, and diplomatic) that his election could provide. He also seemed a legitimate Christian who took kingdom values seriously. I know many call me gullible, naive, and unrealistic to buy all the hype "hook, line, and sinker," but I believed this could be real and I wanted to gamble that perhaps our hopes could be realized in a new type of government.
I was committed to Obama by September '07, but there was no chance he was actually going to win. Clinton and Giuliani were going to sweep the board and I was ready for another nasty campaign and my final separation from politics. But I hoped that Obama could make it close in the primaries and get his message out for future elections. Then during Christmas break, Obama had a huge upset win in Iowa and suddenly there was a chance he could win this thing. For the next several months, I followed the highs and lows of the campaign like watching one of my favorite sports teams. I was crushed by the loss in New Hampshire and pumped up at an official Obama Campaign party in Little Rock when we watched the South Carolina returns. We had an exciting party on Super Tuesday and cheered for every state that went Obama's way. Then we watched Obama win 11 straight primaries in February and we finally really thought we were going to win. However, Clinton hung along for an looooooooooong time until we finally wrapped up the nomination in June.
During this time, McCain managed to pull an upset and win the Republican nomination and suddenly I was facing the reality of my dream campaign. Two genuine, positive candidates were facing each other and both promised an honorable campaign. This fall has been fascinating to watch the ebbs and flows of the election cycle. It has been far from a perfect campaign and there have definitely been some nasty moments, but I think it really hasn't been as nasty as people make it out to be (at least compared to the last 2 election cycles). Of course, it's been getting a lot nastier lately and probably will continue to be until the election (although don't blame both sides if just one side is being excessively negative). Honestly, my biggest disappointment has been the incredible focus the candidates have had toward the middle class during the general election, with very little emphasis on the lower class (But, it's the middle class who decides who wins the election. I just hope the benefits given to the middle class can trickle down to the lower classes as well). No matter who wins, I think we're going to end up with a decent President and hopefully the nation can come together and actually try to help people who really need help. I know the economy isn't looking good for the next few years, and the prospects for changes in health care, education, and environmental stewardship are looking very bleak with all our money tied up in the financial markets, but I'm still holding out some hope.
I know I'm an idealistic, optimistic, and yes, naive college student. But perhaps we can start to look for the best in ourselves and hope that our government can aid us in our pursuit to bring justice and help to the poor and oppressed. I meant to write this last week to encourage everyone to register to vote before the deadline, but my procrastination won out in the end. Instead I encourage everyone who is registered to vote to actually vote if they feel morally inclined. However, if you believe you should be separate and apart from government, then I totally understand and I may be there with you one day. I do ask everyone to pray. Not just for our nation, but for every nation that has God's children crying out for justice and relief. May God bless us all to be agents of hope in a dark world.
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