The television series Hell on
Wheels continues to intrigue me. The writers and director have done a great
job of creating interesting questions for us to ponder. This scene from Season 4,
Episode 11 is a good example. Cullen Bohannan has just walked into the room
where Sydney Snow is recovering from being shot by Ruth Cole. If Sydney dies,
Ruth, the “Church Lady,” will be guilty of murder; so Cullen has worked hard to
see that Sydney Snow survives. The following dialogue then occurs.
Wheels continues to intrigue me. The writers and director have done a great
job of creating interesting questions for us to ponder. This scene from Season 4,
Episode 11 is a good example. Cullen Bohannan has just walked into the room
where Sydney Snow is recovering from being shot by Ruth Cole. If Sydney dies,
Ruth, the “Church Lady,” will be guilty of murder; so Cullen has worked hard to
see that Sydney Snow survives. The following dialogue then occurs.
Cullen Bohannan: Congratulations, you ain’t dead.
Sydney Snow: All this to see me hang?
Cullen Bohannan: Nope. First you gonna save the church lady.
Sydney Snow: One good act ain’t gonna wash away all the bad I’ve done.
What becomes of men like us, Bohannon? Where do you suppose we end up?
Cullen Bohannan: Nowhere’s good.[1]
Is Bohannan a man of integrity, or an evil, vindictive man like Sydney Snow? Notice
the double meaning of the words in Cullen’s reply to Sidney: “Nowhere’s good.”
Does Cullen mean, “We will not be going to any place that is good.” Or does he
mean that “‘Nowhere’ would be a good place for them to ‘end up’? Cullen
Bohannan has killed many men. Some of the killings were clearly wrongful; others were
a form of execution for persons who deserved the death penalty. Perhaps he is hoping that there is no after-life where he will be held accountable for his deeds. By episode four
of the series, Cullen seems to be seeking to live a good life and repent of his
past. At one point he puts away his guns and seeks to live a pacifistic life;
but the circumstances of the world, and evil men like Sydney Snow, cause him to
regretfully put on the gun belt and punish those who harm women and kill
children. Where does a man like Cullen Bohannan “end up?” He has repeatedly
ignored the offers from Ruth and her preacher father who encouraged him to turn
his life over to Jesus. Bohannan is reluctant to turn to the church and to
Jesus at either the Congregational Church or the Mormon Church because he seems
to believe that he is unworthy of God’s grace. What will become of Cullen
Bohannan? Perhaps Season Five will make things clearer.
the double meaning of the words in Cullen’s reply to Sidney: “Nowhere’s good.”
Does Cullen mean, “We will not be going to any place that is good.” Or does he
mean that “‘Nowhere’ would be a good place for them to ‘end up’? Cullen
Bohannan has killed many men. Some of the killings were clearly wrongful; others were
a form of execution for persons who deserved the death penalty. Perhaps he is hoping that there is no after-life where he will be held accountable for his deeds. By episode four
of the series, Cullen seems to be seeking to live a good life and repent of his
past. At one point he puts away his guns and seeks to live a pacifistic life;
but the circumstances of the world, and evil men like Sydney Snow, cause him to
regretfully put on the gun belt and punish those who harm women and kill
children. Where does a man like Cullen Bohannan “end up?” He has repeatedly
ignored the offers from Ruth and her preacher father who encouraged him to turn
his life over to Jesus. Bohannan is reluctant to turn to the church and to
Jesus at either the Congregational Church or the Mormon Church because he seems
to believe that he is unworthy of God’s grace. What will become of Cullen
Bohannan? Perhaps Season Five will make things clearer.
[1] “Hell
on Wheels: Bleeding Kansas (#4.11)” (2014); http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0259730/quotes
on Wheels: Bleeding Kansas (#4.11)” (2014); http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0259730/quotes
1.
The Heart is Full 2015-02-10
- a poem for a new grand-daughter
2.
Whiplash 2015-04-06 - a movie review
3.
Oblivian 2015-07-13
- another movie review
4.
Running With Horses 2015-08-10
- inspiration from Eugene Peterson
5.
Of Hobbits and Books 2015-08-15
- about the joy of reading classic books
6.
Violet 2015-09-15
- another poem for another new grand-daughter
7.
Loving Our Enemies 2015-09-20
- inspiration from Wendell Berry
8.
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and
Regulus are Alright Tonight 2015-09-30
- all year I have followed these celestial points of light
9.
Cullen Bohannan 2015-10-16 - good questions from a well-done television series
10. Imagine True Religion 2015-11-17
- thinking about Paris.
For
as long as I can remember, I have wondered about the nature of the star studied
by the Magi of the east; you know, the one they used to find their way to Jesus.
There are many theories. Could the “star” be a comet, a planetary conjunction,
a supernova, or some other celestial event of miraculous or natural origin? It
had never occurred to me that the biblical narrative in the Gospel of Matthew might
describe the miraculous appearance of an angel that guided these men of wisdom.
This is exactly how the Eastern Orthodox Church understands this event. Perhaps
the Wise Men first noticed a light far off in the sky that they assumed was a new star.
Later, they might have found this star growing in intensity as it began to
reveal itself as an angel on its way to visit them. The angel may have even
spoken to them and given them further guidance or simply moved ahead of them
like the ancient pillar of fire that Moses and the people of Israel followed.
This treatment of “the star” leaves more room for the miraculous nature of the
events surrounding the birth of Jesus. It is an important perspective to keep
in the forefront. We all need to leave room for miracles in our lives.
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem:
No ear may hear His coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive Him still
The dear Christ enters in
The Troparion of
the Nativity:
the Nativity:
Your
birth, O Christ our God,
dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth.
For by Your birth those who
adored stars
were taught by a star
to worship You, the Sun of Justice,
and to know You, Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You.
birth, O Christ our God,
dawned the light of knowledge upon the earth.
For by Your birth those who
adored stars
were taught by a star
to worship You, the Sun of Justice,
and to know You, Orient from on High.
O Lord, glory to You.
Works Cited:
“Feast
of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ;” Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America; accessed 2015-12-14; http://www.goarch.org/special/listen_learn_share/nativity
of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ;” Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America; accessed 2015-12-14; http://www.goarch.org/special/listen_learn_share/nativity
“Star
of Bethlehem;” Wikipedia; accessed
2015-12-14; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem#cite_note-71
of Bethlehem;” Wikipedia; accessed
2015-12-14; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_Bethlehem#cite_note-71
Have
you ever had one of those days where you missed your freeway exit and had to
take an alternative route? The process can be quite time consuming and often
adds several minutes to the anticipated travel time. It is hard not to get frustrated.
Of course, such emotions only complicate things and make the trip even less
efficient. Recently, a team of Japanese aerospace engineers learned first hand
that, in space exploration, one little missed exit can lead to many years of
extra work. In 2010, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency was excitedly watching
as their Akatsuki probe was moving rapidly toward Venus. All was well until the
main engine failed to come online and make the appropriate course correction.
The result of this, missed exit on the cosmic freeway, was five years of
unplanned wandering in the wilderness. Not only did it mean that Akatsuki would
be late for her rendezvous with the “planet of love,” it also meant that, like
Icarus, Akatsuki flew too near the sun and singed her wings.
What
I like about this story is that the team did not give up on the mission. They
knew that this “miss” meant the probability of success was small; but they
did not lose focus and they kept seeking solutions to the problem. They still could
not rely upon the main engine but knew that every five years Akatsuki would be
close to Venus. This would be their window of opportunity. They would use the
attitude control thrusters to position the craft for Venus gravity capture. On December 7 at 8:51 am (Japan Standard Time) the gamble paid off and Akatsuki is now in orbit around our “sister planet.”
The scientific mission can resume. The probe has been scorched by the sun but
remains functional and will soon begin to take continuous pictures of the
atmosphere and surface of Venus.
I like about this story is that the team did not give up on the mission. They
knew that this “miss” meant the probability of success was small; but they
did not lose focus and they kept seeking solutions to the problem. They still could
not rely upon the main engine but knew that every five years Akatsuki would be
close to Venus. This would be their window of opportunity. They would use the
attitude control thrusters to position the craft for Venus gravity capture. On December 7 at 8:51 am (Japan Standard Time) the gamble paid off and Akatsuki is now in orbit around our “sister planet.”
The scientific mission can resume. The probe has been scorched by the sun but
remains functional and will soon begin to take continuous pictures of the
atmosphere and surface of Venus.
This
reclamation of the mission is a testament to tenacity and problem solving. Lesser
engineers might have given up on the Akatsuki probe and begun work on a
replacement vehicle. These individuals continued to work as a team and redeemed
what might otherwise have been seen as a failure. There is something very
impressive about this work. May they now enjoy the fruit of their labour as they
gather data and explore further questions related to this closest neighbouring
planet.
reclamation of the mission is a testament to tenacity and problem solving. Lesser
engineers might have given up on the Akatsuki probe and begun work on a
replacement vehicle. These individuals continued to work as a team and redeemed
what might otherwise have been seen as a failure. There is something very
impressive about this work. May they now enjoy the fruit of their labour as they
gather data and explore further questions related to this closest neighbouring
planet.
Other Works Cited:
“Japanese spacecraft reaches Venus — five years late”;
Science News, December 8, 2015; https://www.sciencenews.org/article/japanese-spacecraft-reaches-venus-—-five-years-late.
Science News, December 8, 2015; https://www.sciencenews.org/article/japanese-spacecraft-reaches-venus-—-five-years-late.
“That
Road Not Taken,” Joe Diffie, from the album, Third Rock From the Sun; Listen to it online here. Songwriters: Kelly Casey and Deborah
Beasley, Published by The Bicycle Music Company. http://www.metrolyrics.com/that-road-not-taken-lyrics-joe-diffie.html
Road Not Taken,” Joe Diffie, from the album, Third Rock From the Sun; Listen to it online here. Songwriters: Kelly Casey and Deborah
Beasley, Published by The Bicycle Music Company. http://www.metrolyrics.com/that-road-not-taken-lyrics-joe-diffie.html
It only took a few days for the results of
a new Tardigrade study to be called into question. No one questions the
hardiness of Tardigrades, aka Water Bears; but are they the great scavengers of
DNA that the Cambridge Researchers suggested? (See the paper by Eyres, et al.)
A paper published by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the
University of Oxford concludes that the genomic research from Cambridge may have been contaminated by other genomes.
(See also Science News here.) Of course the Cambridge team acknowledged this and worked hard to prevent such
contamination; but the fact is, with incredibly sensitive PCR reactions and
hardy sequencing of small amounts of DNA, contamination is always a
possibility.
The Cambridge team will likely be working
through the Christmas break to see if they can redeem the results of their
previous study. But, with the suggested level of contamination, they might do
well to move to another lab where they can start with a fresh supply of Tardigrades
that will not be prone to the same sources of contamination. Perhaps the only
thing hardier than a Tardigrade is cellular DNA. This lends a further
significance to the concept of selfish genes.
I have always found Woody Allen to be an honest atheist. He
does not sugar-coat his atheism in either his movies or his interviews. He does
not try to convince people that atheism will make them a better person, that
they will be happier if they choose atheism, or that the world will be a better
place. His movies show the stark reality of seeking to live by an atheistic
philosophy. Stardust Memories (1980)[1]
is an example of Woody Allen struggling to – and failing to – understand life. The
closest he gets to solving the problem is near the end of the movie where he is
seen resorting to existential moments of bliss to get himself through life. But
the moments are short-lived and the final scene shows him back on the same
train as he was on at the beginning of the movie, with the emotional and
philosophic angst of the opening scene still present. The movie is one of my
favourites, not for what it teaches, but for the questions it asks. They are
questions that all of us must ask and they are questions that just might cause us
to reach out to God. It may be a little difficult to find this older movie, but when
you do find it I recommend watching it with a discerning eye. The following scenes
are some of the key moments in the philosophical arc.
Many have interviewed Allen as they seek to understand
his funny, yet dark, persona. Here are a few of his responses to questions about the
meaning of life.
his funny, yet dark, persona. Here are a few of his responses to questions about the
meaning of life.
“This is my perspective and has always been my
perspective on life: I have a very grim, pessimistic view of it. I always have,
since I was a little boy. It hasn’t gotten worse with age or anything. I do
feel that it’s a grim, painful, nightmarish, meaningless experience, and that
the only way that you can be happy is if you tell yourself some lies and deceive
yourself.”[2]
perspective on life: I have a very grim, pessimistic view of it. I always have,
since I was a little boy. It hasn’t gotten worse with age or anything. I do
feel that it’s a grim, painful, nightmarish, meaningless experience, and that
the only way that you can be happy is if you tell yourself some lies and deceive
yourself.”[2]
“You start to think, when you’re younger, how
important everything is and how things have to go right—your job, your career,
your life, your choices, and all of that. Then, after a while, you start to
realise that – I’m talking the big picture here – eventually you die, and
eventually the sun burns out and the earth is gone, and eventually all the
stars and all the planets in the entire universe go, disappear, and nothing is
left at all. Nothing – Shakespeare and Beethoven and Michelangelo gone. And you
think to yourself that there’s a lot of noise and sound and fury – and where’s
it going? It’s not going any place… Now, you can’t actually live your life like
that, because if you do you just sit there and – why do anything? Why get up in
the morning and do anything? So I think it’s the job of the artist to try and
figure out why, given this terrible fact, you want to go on living.”[3]
important everything is and how things have to go right—your job, your career,
your life, your choices, and all of that. Then, after a while, you start to
realise that – I’m talking the big picture here – eventually you die, and
eventually the sun burns out and the earth is gone, and eventually all the
stars and all the planets in the entire universe go, disappear, and nothing is
left at all. Nothing – Shakespeare and Beethoven and Michelangelo gone. And you
think to yourself that there’s a lot of noise and sound and fury – and where’s
it going? It’s not going any place… Now, you can’t actually live your life like
that, because if you do you just sit there and – why do anything? Why get up in
the morning and do anything? So I think it’s the job of the artist to try and
figure out why, given this terrible fact, you want to go on living.”[3]
Allen is a comedian who asks questions about the meaning of
life and why we would want to go on living. This is the Woody Allen many have heard
and not completely understood. This is the writer, philosopher, actor, and
comedian who makes such interesting films. This is the same Woody Allen who
also has said, “I don’t believe in an
afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear.”[4]
life and why we would want to go on living. This is the Woody Allen many have heard
and not completely understood. This is the writer, philosopher, actor, and
comedian who makes such interesting films. This is the same Woody Allen who
also has said, “I don’t believe in an
afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear.”[4]
[1] IMDB, Stardust Memories; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081554/
[4] “Conversations with Helmholtz,” Getting
Even,
Woody Allen, Vintage Books, 1978.
Even,
Woody Allen, Vintage Books, 1978.
With
Batman and Superman preparing to do battle in our movie theatres[1],
perhaps you have wondered, “What is the most invulnerable creature on our
planet?” The armadillo? The Blue Whale? Lions? Elephants? No, there is one
creature that is much more durable than all of these. It can survive being
boiled and frozen; in fact it can live in temperature ranges of −272 °C to
149 °C. It can tolerate the vacuum of space while being exposed to more
ionizing radiation than any other creature. It can also survive without food or
water for decades (some have been rehydrated after 120 years of desiccation).[2]
No, it is not that fictional life form from the Alien[3]
movies. Truth is sometimes stranger than our fictional screenplays.
Batman and Superman preparing to do battle in our movie theatres[1],
perhaps you have wondered, “What is the most invulnerable creature on our
planet?” The armadillo? The Blue Whale? Lions? Elephants? No, there is one
creature that is much more durable than all of these. It can survive being
boiled and frozen; in fact it can live in temperature ranges of −272 °C to
149 °C. It can tolerate the vacuum of space while being exposed to more
ionizing radiation than any other creature. It can also survive without food or
water for decades (some have been rehydrated after 120 years of desiccation).[2]
No, it is not that fictional life form from the Alien[3]
movies. Truth is sometimes stranger than our fictional screenplays.
The
Tardigrade, or Water Bear, pictured here, wins the gold medal for invincibility. However,
you would need a very small ribbon to hang the award around its neck; Water
Bears are only visible with a microscope and measure approximately 1.5 mm
across their longest dimension. They are certainly weird looking animals and
would likely scare the wits out of any of us if they were more like half a
meter in length. Fortunately, unless you go looking for them, you will never see one. They like to live on mossy surfaces where they thrive on microscopic drops of secreted
liquid. They can also live in our water supply, the gutters of our city streets,
and our cupboards.
Tardigrade, or Water Bear, pictured here, wins the gold medal for invincibility. However,
you would need a very small ribbon to hang the award around its neck; Water
Bears are only visible with a microscope and measure approximately 1.5 mm
across their longest dimension. They are certainly weird looking animals and
would likely scare the wits out of any of us if they were more like half a
meter in length. Fortunately, unless you go looking for them, you will never see one. They like to live on mossy surfaces where they thrive on microscopic drops of secreted
liquid. They can also live in our water supply, the gutters of our city streets,
and our cupboards.
Researchers (and yes there are those who study these tiny animals in the wild) have recently
made a remarkable discovery about Tardigrades. They have the ability to
scavenge and incorporate DNA from other living creatures. (Note well, the paper related to this research has been subsequently questioned and researchers are working to confirm or deny the results of this research.) In one recent study,
it was found that “the Hypsibius dujardini
tardigrade incorporated into their own DNA genes from more than 1,300 bacterial
species, 40 archaea, 91 species of fungus, 45 plant species and six viruses.”[4]
When severely dehydrated, Water Bears, and other organisms around them, spill
out DNA from broken cells. The unique thing about the Tardigrade is that when
water returns to the environment, they can quickly sew their DNA back together
and sometimes incorporate other free-floating DNA. It is likely this feature
that has made them so invulnerable to extreme conditions. Move over Superman, there is a new god-like creature in town.
Perhaps someone needs to turn this match-up into a movie.
made a remarkable discovery about Tardigrades. They have the ability to
scavenge and incorporate DNA from other living creatures. (Note well, the paper related to this research has been subsequently questioned and researchers are working to confirm or deny the results of this research.) In one recent study,
it was found that “the Hypsibius dujardini
tardigrade incorporated into their own DNA genes from more than 1,300 bacterial
species, 40 archaea, 91 species of fungus, 45 plant species and six viruses.”[4]
When severely dehydrated, Water Bears, and other organisms around them, spill
out DNA from broken cells. The unique thing about the Tardigrade is that when
water returns to the environment, they can quickly sew their DNA back together
and sometimes incorporate other free-floating DNA. It is likely this feature
that has made them so invulnerable to extreme conditions. Move over Superman, there is a new god-like creature in town.
Perhaps someone needs to turn this match-up into a movie.
[3] Alien (1979); IMDB; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/?ref_=nv_sr_2
[4] Science
News; November 25, 2015, “Water Bears Are Genetic Mash-Ups; https://www.sciencenews.org/article/water-bears-are-genetic-mash-ups
The validity of this study has since been called into question. See the follow-up blog at http://bit.ly/1maOaCB.
News; November 25, 2015, “Water Bears Are Genetic Mash-Ups; https://www.sciencenews.org/article/water-bears-are-genetic-mash-ups
The validity of this study has since been called into question. See the follow-up blog at http://bit.ly/1maOaCB.
I write a blog, first and foremost, as a
place to work out my own faith. There are times when the best way to sort out
what is going on is to spill out emotions and words. The first draft makes
little sense. The edits make it a learning process. On a really good day those
thoughts also help someone else. Meditation on the words of others can be a great
way to stir up this practise and there are many times when I turn to Jars of Clay. “Body and Wine” is one of
those songs that has not yet revealed to me its full meaning. I meditate upon
the words and sometimes something comes clearer. There are real questions here.
There are real questions that need an answer: “What if this was all that we
were made of; . . . all that we could make of love? If there wasn’t more, I
wouldn’t be here.” What if humanistic science tried to tell us that we were only a collection of
carbon, water, and trace elements? What if that was all that we were made of? If there wasn’t more, what would keep
me here? What would make this earth worth staying for? If it’s been a while
since I was king, is there someone else who should be on the throne? Hero or
crime? Hero and crime? Body and wine.
place to work out my own faith. There are times when the best way to sort out
what is going on is to spill out emotions and words. The first draft makes
little sense. The edits make it a learning process. On a really good day those
thoughts also help someone else. Meditation on the words of others can be a great
way to stir up this practise and there are many times when I turn to Jars of Clay. “Body and Wine” is one of
those songs that has not yet revealed to me its full meaning. I meditate upon
the words and sometimes something comes clearer. There are real questions here.
There are real questions that need an answer: “What if this was all that we
were made of; . . . all that we could make of love? If there wasn’t more, I
wouldn’t be here.” What if humanistic science tried to tell us that we were only a collection of
carbon, water, and trace elements? What if that was all that we were made of? If there wasn’t more, what would keep
me here? What would make this earth worth staying for? If it’s been a while
since I was king, is there someone else who should be on the throne? Hero or
crime? Hero and crime? Body and wine.
Body
and Wine
and Wine
Rusty ground and dusty roads
It’s been a while since you were king
Undermined and overthrown
You tried to run it on your own
Forget the birds with broken wings
Under piles of things on things
No one stops and no one stares
Seen it all and no one cares
What if this was all that we were made of?
This was all that we could make of love
If there wasn’t more, I wouldn’t be here
Hero and crime, body and wine
Drove my heart toward the sea
Passed the graves up over hills
Saw the spires hit the ground
Voices raised without a sound
What if this was all that we were made of?
This was all that we could make of love
If there wasn’t more, I wouldn’t be here
Hero and crime, body and wine
Hero and crime, body and wine
What if this was all that we were made of?
This was all that we could make of love
If there wasn’t more, I wouldn’t be here
Hero and crime, body and wine
What if this was all that we were made of?
This was all that we could make of love
If there wasn’t more, I wouldn’t be here
Hero and crime, body and wine
Hero and crime, body and wine
Body and wine
Words & music by: Dan Haseltine,
Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason, Matt Odmark
Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason, Matt Odmark
Produced by: Jars of Clay
Commenting on the song “Loneliness and Alcohol,”
Steve Mason (one of the members of Jars of Clay) said, “Everything matters . . . there is always something artful to
be said.”
Steve Mason (one of the members of Jars of Clay) said, “Everything matters . . . there is always something artful to
be said.”
How
will we respond when the world is in turmoil; when Syrian refugees are flooding
European countries and seeking shelter in North America; when oil is $42 a
barrel and people are losing their jobs; when Paris and Belgium are locked
down; when travelers in the United States are warned not to fly? Do we live as
functional atheists or do we “take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ”[1]?
I am now speaking to those of us who claim to be followers of the first century
Rabbi, and Son of God, Jesus. If we truly believe in him, and follow what he
taught, then we will recognize that “in him all things hold
together.”[2] We
will not get caught up in the fear of the day. We will not be tossed about by
every human argument about the way to solve these crises. We will have our
pattern in Jesus. He will be our example and our teacher for dealing with daily
life. Jesus tells us to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he
will give you everything you need.”[3]
Those of us who live as Christians in the world need to take seriously these
words of the “author of our faith.”[4]
God still “reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.”[5]
“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”[6]
will we respond when the world is in turmoil; when Syrian refugees are flooding
European countries and seeking shelter in North America; when oil is $42 a
barrel and people are losing their jobs; when Paris and Belgium are locked
down; when travelers in the United States are warned not to fly? Do we live as
functional atheists or do we “take captive every thought to make it
obedient to Christ”[1]?
I am now speaking to those of us who claim to be followers of the first century
Rabbi, and Son of God, Jesus. If we truly believe in him, and follow what he
taught, then we will recognize that “in him all things hold
together.”[2] We
will not get caught up in the fear of the day. We will not be tossed about by
every human argument about the way to solve these crises. We will have our
pattern in Jesus. He will be our example and our teacher for dealing with daily
life. Jesus tells us to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he
will give you everything you need.”[3]
Those of us who live as Christians in the world need to take seriously these
words of the “author of our faith.”[4]
God still “reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.”[5]
“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”[6]
[1] For
though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons
we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have
divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)
though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons
we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have
divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive
every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)
[2] The Son is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him
and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
(Col. 1:15-17 NIV)
invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him
and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
(Col. 1:15-17 NIV)
[3] “Look
at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet
Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God
cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire
tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet
Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God
cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire
tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to
drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of
unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek
the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of
unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek
the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your
Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
“Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This
will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get
old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no
moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart
will also be. (Luke 12:27-34 NLT)
will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get
old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no
moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart
will also be. (Luke 12:27-34 NLT)
[4]
Hebrews 12:2 (NASB)
Hebrews 12:2 (NASB)
[5] For
God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm. God reigns above
the nations, sitting on his holy throne. The rulers of the world have gathered
together with the people of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth
belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere. (Psalm 47:7-9 NLT)
God is the King over all the earth. Praise him with a psalm. God reigns above
the nations, sitting on his holy throne. The rulers of the world have gathered
together with the people of the God of Abraham. For all the kings of the earth
belong to God. He is highly honored everywhere. (Psalm 47:7-9 NLT)
[6] Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so
easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before
us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and
perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the
cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside
God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1,2 NIV)
since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so
easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before
us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and
perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the
cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside
God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1,2 NIV)
I have been sensing a tendency toward fear and
depression both in my own soul and in the words of those around me. I am
considering these words by Wendell Berry and what they might mean to all of us
at this point in history.
“When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”
― Wendell Berry, Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community: Eight Essays