You’ve got the world wrapped around your
finger
finger
And yes, you can change the world
I see you changing my world now
As your hand round my finger curls
You can already steal my heart
You will always inspire my thoughts
From your tiny birth, you start
Beginning to tie the knots
And, you will change the world little one
You will be a revolution
Go ahead and change this world
We wait for your contribution
This world is in need of much change
Too much poverty, war, mistrust
People looking for those who can
Be the change, lead the rest of us
Can one really change the planet?
Those words are hope and a trust
Little one, if anyone can
It’s your generation that must
You will change the world little one
You can be a revolution
Go ahead and change this world
We wait for your contribution
Think about it, make a case
Work it out, and use some laughter
Make this world a better place
For those who follow after
You will change the world little one
You can be the revolution
Go ahead and change this world
Even if you must change me!
“There is such a place
as fairyland – but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know
that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One
bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have
lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut
behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the
common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever
find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and
only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned
and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and
poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never
forgotten the way to fairyland.”
― L.M.
Montgomery, The
Story Girl
as fairyland – but only children can find the way to it. And they do not know
that it is fairyland until they have grown so old that they forget the way. One
bitter day, when they seek it and cannot find it, they realize what they have
lost; and that is the tragedy of life. On that day the gates of Eden are shut
behind them and the age of gold is over. Henceforth they must dwell in the
common light of common day. Only a few, who remain children at heart, can ever
find that fair, lost path again; and blessed are they above mortals. They, and
only they, can bring us tidings from that dear country where we once sojourned
and from which we must evermore be exiles. The world calls them its singers and
poets and artists and story-tellers; but they are just people who have never
forgotten the way to fairyland.”
― L.M.
Montgomery, The
Story Girl
As I walked to the repair shop to pick up
my car, I noticed a roadside sign for the local community theatre group. They
were performing Hansel and Gretel. I thought about this story and silently
wondered why a group would choose this play to perform in Calgary at this time
of year. As a kid, and then later as a parent, I had never liked this story. It
is the story of two children lost in the woods who look foolish
because they did not create a reliable system that would allow them to find
their way home. We might ask why the parents were not held accountable for
allowing them to wander off. Then there is the encounter with the witch, a
woman whose goal is to pop the two waifs into the oven and cook them up for a
meal for herself. It is so horrifying that I can’t believe it is part of a
story meant to be read to children. Why would anyone want to tell this story?
my car, I noticed a roadside sign for the local community theatre group. They
were performing Hansel and Gretel. I thought about this story and silently
wondered why a group would choose this play to perform in Calgary at this time
of year. As a kid, and then later as a parent, I had never liked this story. It
is the story of two children lost in the woods who look foolish
because they did not create a reliable system that would allow them to find
their way home. We might ask why the parents were not held accountable for
allowing them to wander off. Then there is the encounter with the witch, a
woman whose goal is to pop the two waifs into the oven and cook them up for a
meal for herself. It is so horrifying that I can’t believe it is part of a
story meant to be read to children. Why would anyone want to tell this story?
The answer, of course, lies in why we tell
any stories to children. Certainly, some are predominantly a source of
entertainment, but even entertaining stories can contain an ethical moral; most
fairy tales do have an explicit or implicit moral. What is it that the story of
Hansel and Gretel is teaching? The major message of the story seems to be that
the world is a cold, cruel place filled with things that have the potential to
“eat us up.” It tells us to be vigilant and ready to outwit the cruelty of this
world. Unquestionably, if that is true, it is a message that must be told in
whatever fashion adults and children will be able to hear. If the world is full
of evil witches, dangerous stalkers, and corporate thieves, if we can outsmart
the witches of this world, then we need to tell this story over and over.
any stories to children. Certainly, some are predominantly a source of
entertainment, but even entertaining stories can contain an ethical moral; most
fairy tales do have an explicit or implicit moral. What is it that the story of
Hansel and Gretel is teaching? The major message of the story seems to be that
the world is a cold, cruel place filled with things that have the potential to
“eat us up.” It tells us to be vigilant and ready to outwit the cruelty of this
world. Unquestionably, if that is true, it is a message that must be told in
whatever fashion adults and children will be able to hear. If the world is full
of evil witches, dangerous stalkers, and corporate thieves, if we can outsmart
the witches of this world, then we need to tell this story over and over.
But what about another “fairy tale” – a
true one. Once upon a time there was a man and woman placed in a garden by an
all-knowing Gardener. The Gardener loved them and wanted them to have a
wonderful life in the garden he had created especially for them. He gave them
much liberty and very few rules, but even the few rules he gave them proved to be
too much for the two people. They broke the rules so completely that the
Gardener had to send them away from the garden. Yet, even as he sent them away
into a world inhabited by thorns, thieves, and witches he created a way back to
the garden. If the couple, or any of their children, ever wanted to return to
the beautiful garden, all they had to do was follow his son. The Gardener’s son
was a great gardener who could tend even the wildest of soils filled with
rocks, thorns, drought, and plant pests. Even in the most difficult of
conditions, he could create works of art. He could have stayed in his father’s
Grand Garden, but instead he chose to go out into the place where the man and
woman had been sent, redeeming lives and patches of soil. There the son worked
in obscurity creating small patches of beauty in a world filled with darkness
and painful circumstances. The Gardener’s son waited patiently for the children
of the garden couple to join him in the redemption process and win back a
broken world.
true one. Once upon a time there was a man and woman placed in a garden by an
all-knowing Gardener. The Gardener loved them and wanted them to have a
wonderful life in the garden he had created especially for them. He gave them
much liberty and very few rules, but even the few rules he gave them proved to be
too much for the two people. They broke the rules so completely that the
Gardener had to send them away from the garden. Yet, even as he sent them away
into a world inhabited by thorns, thieves, and witches he created a way back to
the garden. If the couple, or any of their children, ever wanted to return to
the beautiful garden, all they had to do was follow his son. The Gardener’s son
was a great gardener who could tend even the wildest of soils filled with
rocks, thorns, drought, and plant pests. Even in the most difficult of
conditions, he could create works of art. He could have stayed in his father’s
Grand Garden, but instead he chose to go out into the place where the man and
woman had been sent, redeeming lives and patches of soil. There the son worked
in obscurity creating small patches of beauty in a world filled with darkness
and painful circumstances. The Gardener’s son waited patiently for the children
of the garden couple to join him in the redemption process and win back a
broken world.
For many of us that is more than just a
fairy tale. It is the nature of how we see life. Yes, the world is full of evil
witches and those who would take advantage of us at every turn; but there is an
answer at hand. The answer is not simply using our wits to outsmart a hungry
witch. We all know that the tricksters, false leaders, and pushers who promise
candy but give death, can never be completely outwitted or avoided. On our own,
there will always be a huckster who will catch us off guard long enough to do
great damage in our lives. We need more than ourselves. We need a community all
on the same path, following the “way back.” We need the Gardener’s son.
fairy tale. It is the nature of how we see life. Yes, the world is full of evil
witches and those who would take advantage of us at every turn; but there is an
answer at hand. The answer is not simply using our wits to outsmart a hungry
witch. We all know that the tricksters, false leaders, and pushers who promise
candy but give death, can never be completely outwitted or avoided. On our own,
there will always be a huckster who will catch us off guard long enough to do
great damage in our lives. We need more than ourselves. We need a community all
on the same path, following the “way back.” We need the Gardener’s son.
CRISPR is a relatively new term that
describes new discoveries and new technology in the world of genetics. CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and refers to short repetitions of base
pair sequences in bacterial genomes which naturally occur as part of bacterial genetic
defence mechanisms against invading viruses. These CRISPR sequences are used by
bacteria to store genetic memories of past viral invasions that might otherwise
lead to the destruction of the bacterial cell. Next to a CRISPR sequence is a
segment of DNA that represents part of a viral genome from a previous encounter
with that virus. It is like the bacteria store a photo of all of the viruses that
previously tried to kill them and then recognize that virus when it shows up
again. Cas9 enzymes search through the cell for these potentially dangerous pieces
of DNA and then make RNA copies that will guide the Cas9 enzyme to the
dangerous viral DNA and cut it in two so that the virus is defeated. If a new
virus shows up, Cas9 first makes a copy of the new viral genome and inserts it
in between the CRISPR sequences so that it is ready for the next time this
virus tries to invade.
describes new discoveries and new technology in the world of genetics. CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and refers to short repetitions of base
pair sequences in bacterial genomes which naturally occur as part of bacterial genetic
defence mechanisms against invading viruses. These CRISPR sequences are used by
bacteria to store genetic memories of past viral invasions that might otherwise
lead to the destruction of the bacterial cell. Next to a CRISPR sequence is a
segment of DNA that represents part of a viral genome from a previous encounter
with that virus. It is like the bacteria store a photo of all of the viruses that
previously tried to kill them and then recognize that virus when it shows up
again. Cas9 enzymes search through the cell for these potentially dangerous pieces
of DNA and then make RNA copies that will guide the Cas9 enzyme to the
dangerous viral DNA and cut it in two so that the virus is defeated. If a new
virus shows up, Cas9 first makes a copy of the new viral genome and inserts it
in between the CRISPR sequences so that it is ready for the next time this
virus tries to invade.
This biological system within the cells of bacteria has been exploited and
used by genetic scientists to create a tool that can be used to edit the genome
of humans and other research subjects. So, you may also hear people refer to
CRISPR technology as it is used for gene editing in medicine and research. Cas9
and other CRISPR enzymes recognize strings of DNA about 20 base-pairs in length
and can therefore be engineered to be very specific and targeted. This has
allowed researchers to load Cas9 with a specific sequence that can then target
where they would like to cut out a piece of DNA, say to knock out a gene and
determine what that gene does, knock out a rogue gene that is malfunctioning,
or to cut out a defective gene and replace it with a properly functioning gene.
Recently, scientists in China used this technology to engineer cells to
potentially treat lung cancer.
In this case, CRISPR technology was used on immune cells taken from the patients
and a gene was disabled. The protein, PD-1, normally slows down or ends an
immune response (something that is normally needed but exploited by cancer
cells) and so researchers inactivated it so that the body might continue to
mount an immune response against the cancer cells in the lungs. This represents
the first time CRISPR technology has been used in such a way in human trials.
As one can readily see, this technology has vast implications and has the
potential to solve many medical problems. CRISPR could repair the mutation that
causes Cystic-Fibrosis in a family’s genetic makeup, or repair the gene that
causes genetic forms of colon cancer such as Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC). It
also brings with it the possibility of ethical challenges. It could be used to
substitute the gene for blue eyes in place of the gene for brown eyes (or the opposite
exchange); or it could be used to substitute a gene that codes for average
height for a gene that codes for exceptional height (really handy if you are
trying to build an Olympic basketball team). Taken to logical conclusions,
CRISPR technology could be used to build a super-race of humans and even create
genetic enhancements that cannot yet be imagined (think real life X-Men mutants).
Scientists in China have already published data showing that they had successfully modified the DNA on nonviable human embryos. They could have just as easily been working on viable embryos.
In a future where diseases can be eradicated and enhancements can be made, what
becomes of the average person with defects or no enhancements? Should we
concern ourselves with this? A few years ago, the movie Gattaca attempted to
engage audiences in questions related to such issues. Now, nearly 20 years
later, genetic technology has advanced to nearly the point predicted in that
movie. What will another 10 years of medical and technological advance look
like in our world? How might we prepare now for the ethical questions yet to
come?
For further explanation and discussion, read this article on the modification of DNA in nonviable human embryos.
Recently I wrote a sad lament for the Schiaparelli Lander, even as I praised those who had successfully inserted the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) into a near-perfect orbit around Mars. This orbiting communications relay and atmospheric laboratory will serve NASA scientists for the next several years and will eventually support a European Space Agency (ESA) rover on the planetary surface. TGO and the Schiaparelli lander had traveled to the Red Planet together but the lander’s fate was sealed when its landing rockets fired improperly.
On the other hand, NASA’s Cassini–Huygens spacecraft was launched in 1997 and arrived in orbit around Saturn in 2004 where both portions of the craft performed flawlessy. As planned, the Huygens lander made a successful touchdown on one of Saturn’s moons (Titan) and transmitted data throughout the landing and approximately 90 minutes of its initial time on the surface. This made Huygens the first Earth vehicle to land on the surface of any planet or moon beyond the asteroid belt of our solar system. Cassini went on to explore Titan and other moons before settling into an orbit around Saturn.
Since leaving Earth in 1997, Cassini has been an amazing spacecraft. Launched in a time when 1-mega-pixel cameras were state-of-the-art, that was the best high-resolution camera with which it could be equipped. Now, most cell-phones carry an 8 to 12 mega-pixel camera. Such are the changes that come with a 20-year mission. Cassini was the first spacecraft to orbit Saturn, and it has been able to map Saturn’s magnetosphere, has found new Saturnine moons, and studied Saturn’s atmosphere and rings with greater precision than ever before. But, the space-vehicle is getting old. In terms of how much space debris, radiation, and other hazards it has seen, relatively speaking, it is older than the last incarnation of Spock. Automobiles that are 20 years old and older are often considered antique and show up in enthusiast’s collections; this 20-year-old vehicle is still out there serving well.
Numerous remote repairs, software updates, and “farmer-fixes” have had to be performed on this machine to keep it on track; and, by the marvels of contemporary engineering, the technicians at NASA have indeed kept it on its mission. Cassini has two main engines and is still using its primary engine, but those who work on this machine had to switch it over to the back-up attitude-control-thrusters when the first set began to fail several months ago.
There is still an end of the road for even a highly successful mission like Cassini-Huygens. At the end of this month, Cassini’s thrusters will maneuver it into a position that will allow for 22 orbits close to the rings, through gaps between rings, and finally between the Saturnine atmosphere and the inner-most ring. As a Grand Finale (a term actually being used for the final days of this spacecraft), Cassini will plunge into the atmosphere in September of 2017 where it will be vaporized by the heat of friction and crushed by the pressure of the atmosphere. It will indeed be a magnificent curtain-call for one of the most successful space missions of all time.
Links used in researching this article:
https://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/2947/care-and-feeding-of-an-aging-spacecraft/
An interesting hexagonal polar vortex at the north pole of Saturn:
"Caritas" The
Seven Acts of Mercy, pen and ink drawing by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1559.[1]
If every one of
us, every day, does a work of mercy, there will be a revolution in the world!
Pope Francis on
Twitter 2016-11-15
The traditional seven
acts of mercy include: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty,
freeing the imprisoned, burying the dead, sheltering the stranger, comforting
the sick, and clothing the naked.
What might these look
like in our world today? What is my "work of mercy" for today?
[1] By Pieter Brueghel the
Elder (1526/1530–1569) - YgFO-521RPoPdw at Google Cultural Institute maximum
zoom level, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21961843
The following is a short excerpt from a sermon preached at Bow Valley Christian Church on October 30, 2016. The entire sermon can be heard here.
In a world of fear and pessimism, Jesus provides hope. Can we proclaim
that to the world? When we hear people lamenting about this weird presidential
election in the US, can we say Jesus is our hope? When we hear people talking
about real estate bubbles and the downturn in Calgary’s economy, can we say
that Jesus is our hope? When we hear of people moving into the American Redoubt
to live “off the grid” and away from trouble, can we say that Jesus is our
hope? When we hear of wars in far off places causing a flood of refugees into Europe
and the rest of the world, can we say that Jesus, the Messiah, is our hope?
Links to the news of our world:
Jesus set the book of
nature before me and I saw that all the flowers he has created are lovely. The
splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet
of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. I realized that if every tiny
flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness and there would be
no wildflowers to make the meadows gay.It is just the same in
the world of souls ‑ which is the garden of Jesus. He has created the great
saints who are like the lilies and the roses, but he has also created much
lesser saints and they must be content to be the daisies or the violets which
rejoice his eyes whenever he glances down. Perfection consists in doing his
will, in being that which he wants us to be.Jesus, help me to
simplify my life by learning what you want me to be ‑ and becoming that person.Saint Therese of
Lisieux, from Story of a Soul
I like this quote from
Therese of Lisieux and it causes me to think about my life. Of course the
difficulty of what she is saying is in knowing whether Jesus wants me to be a
rose, a wildflower, or a daisy. I never want to settle for being a daisy if Jesus
has called me to be a rose; nor do I want to strive to be a rose, if I am
called to be a wildflower. It seems that such decisions require a good deal of
discernment and listening to Jesus. As Therese says, “Perfection consists in
doing his will, in being that which he wants us to be.” Indeed, if that is the
case, then I must listen carefully to the voice of Jesus to know his will for
my life and to know that which he wants me to be. That likely takes more time
than I usually allot to such endeavours. It may take the guidance of coaches,
mentors, spiritual directors, and other people in my life. Even as I consider
how much time and energy such a process might take, I am convinced that the
rewards of discovering who it is that Jesus wants me to be will far outweigh
the difficulty in the journey. May each of us become the person we are called
to be.
Therese of Lisieux and it causes me to think about my life. Of course the
difficulty of what she is saying is in knowing whether Jesus wants me to be a
rose, a wildflower, or a daisy. I never want to settle for being a daisy if Jesus
has called me to be a rose; nor do I want to strive to be a rose, if I am
called to be a wildflower. It seems that such decisions require a good deal of
discernment and listening to Jesus. As Therese says, “Perfection consists in
doing his will, in being that which he wants us to be.” Indeed, if that is the
case, then I must listen carefully to the voice of Jesus to know his will for
my life and to know that which he wants me to be. That likely takes more time
than I usually allot to such endeavours. It may take the guidance of coaches,
mentors, spiritual directors, and other people in my life. Even as I consider
how much time and energy such a process might take, I am convinced that the
rewards of discovering who it is that Jesus wants me to be will far outweigh
the difficulty in the journey. May each of us become the person we are called
to be.
Many who read this blog regularly will know of my interest in
human genetics and the evolutionary process by which God guided the creation of
humans and imprinted the imago dei upon us. I have frequently written about
various creation and evolutionary theories and I recognize that this is a
controversial topic in some Christian circles and in discussions with
humanistic evolutionary theorists. Some of the greatest evidence that God used
evolution to create all life can be found in contemporary DNA studies. We now
have the capability to analyze our entire human genome at detailed levels and
compare it to ancient humanoid DNA and the genome of other animal species. This
has led to remarkable findings as shown in the following quote.
Less than a decade ago, scientists
discovered that human ancestors mixed with Neandertals. People outside of
Africa still carry a small amount of Neandertal DNA, some of which may cause
health problems (SN: 3/5/16, p. 18). Bohlender and
colleagues calculate that Europeans and Chinese people carry a similar amount
of Neandertal ancestry: about 2.8 percent. Europeans have no hint of Denisovan
ancestry, and people in China have a tiny amount — 0.1 percent, according to
Bohlender’s calculations. But 2.74 percent of the DNA in people in Papua New
Guinea comes from Neandertals. And Bohlender estimates the amount of
Denisovan DNA in Melanesians is about 1.11 percent, not the 3 to 6 percent
estimated by other researchers.
While investigating the Denisovan
discrepancy, Bohlender and colleagues came to the conclusion that a third group
of hominids may have bred with the ancestors of Melanesians. “Human history is
a lot more complicated than we thought it was,” Bohlender said. (from Science News October 21, 2016)
My own theological paper
regarding Denisovan DNA carried by some humans was written in
2010 and 2011 (as partial fulfillment of an MA in Theological Studies at Regent
College) just a few months after ancient Denisovan DNA had been analyzed. The
paper allowed me to wrestle with theological questions about the nature of the
image of God and what makes us human. Such discussion, questioning, and
research leads me to understand that my faith in the scientific process and my
faith in Jesus, the Son of God, are both well-founded. Both the Bible and the
biological world are ways in which God reveals himself to humans. Our
theological understandings of both the natural world and the Bible are what
must adapt so that we might have a greater perception of God's message for his
people.
I encourage us to read widely and in a scholarly fashion. We
need not fear what science discovers for it is God who gives us our minds and
allows us to discover the insights of our universe. Let us read with the Bible
in one hand and scientific writings in the other.
Links:
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neandertal-dna-may-raise-risk-some-modern-human-diseaseshttp://www.sciencenews.org/article/dna-data-offer-evidence-unknown-extinct-human-relative
http://spasique.com/genes-of-
There is evidence to suggest that we are living in a world that is craving
more, fearing much, and feeling greater and greater helplessness. The news
blogs and publications; the political polls and debates; and our entertainment
and social commentaries would indicate anxious tendencies. Blaise Pascal was a
mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of the 17th century. Even in his era, the seeds of dissatisfaction had already
been sown.
more, fearing much, and feeling greater and greater helplessness. The news
blogs and publications; the political polls and debates; and our entertainment
and social commentaries would indicate anxious tendencies. Blaise Pascal was a
mathematician, physicist, and philosopher of the 17th century. Even in his era, the seeds of dissatisfaction had already
been sown.
“What else does this craving, and this helplessness,
proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now
remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with
everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot
find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be
filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God
himself.”
– Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII(425)
proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now
remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with
everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot
find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be
filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God
himself.”
– Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII(425)
Where does one find true happiness?
How do we return to sanity and health? Is the answer found in abandoning God or
in including God in the solution? Each reader must seek an answer but they need
not do it alone. We are all fellow-travelers who need one another. Our mental
health and well-being depend upon this.
How do we return to sanity and health? Is the answer found in abandoning God or
in including God in the solution? Each reader must seek an answer but they need
not do it alone. We are all fellow-travelers who need one another. Our mental
health and well-being depend upon this.