I hear it all around me - the moaning, fretting, worrying, suspicion. Many people are afraid of what the future, in the hands of a more government-driven system, holds for them. I, for one, want to remain hopeful and give the new establishment the benefit of the doubt (which is a favor many refused to bestow upon the previous administration). Although I’m not a big fan of some things that will undoubtedly soon become irreversible policy, I’m still not going to give in to the temptation (just yet) to cover myself in sackcloth and ashes and hunker down in the basement waiting for the jack-booted socialist army to beat down my door and haul me off to a Gulag for tearing the tag off my mattress. I just don’t think it’s going to be as bad as some are saying – in fact some things may actually improve.
Nevertheless, there is something historic going on here in our country that I think is sad - and it’s not the predominance of one particular party in Washington DC. It’s something we as a nation have brought upon ourselves. It is the death (or severe mauling) of the Honor System.
You see, capitalism, free enterprise, all the entrepreneurial liberties I love – are, in a grand sense, the Honor System. Just like the snack bar in the Academy Band’s break room. You see, as long as people do as they should (even when no one’s looking), that system is the easiest, least time-consuming, most efficient way to do the business of raising money to pay for flowers and picnics. Of course, when people (yes, I have been guilty of this because chocolate is involved) don’t maintain their integrity or even care that they should, the Honor System crumbles and has to be replaced by the Regulatory System (shudder).
“No Butterfinger for YOU!! Now we have vending machine. Pay first!”
What? I can’t just take the Twix now and put cash in the kitty after I get change back from the chow hall lady?
“NO!! Too many times you forget to pay back and we end up short!”
Please. I promise I’ll change. I’ve learned my lesson.
“NO!! The bandocraticans have spoken. NO Zagnut for YOU!!!”
We hate the cold heartless vending machine and we pine for our dearly departed unfettered free and easy wicker basket of candy and ceramic money jar. We used to be able to tell the band association what kind of candy we wanted, and they could respond quickly to our needs the next time they went to the grocery store. Everything was easy and flexible.
But the money started disappearing, so we had to replace the ceramic jar with a locked box with a thin slot for the money (but how can we make change?). That worked for a while, but then people just started taking the candy and conveniently forgetting to pay back. So now we have the vending machine. It works. You can prove it does. But we had to buy it with candy-payer money. If the one or two people who have the key happen to be on tour or on leave, no one can restock the candy. So many types of candy and snacks won’t fit into the machine, so we’re limited now in what candy we can buy. And let’s not forget how from time to time the edge of the candy wrapper gets caught on something and won’t fall and, even though you’ve paid, you still get NO WATCHAMACALLIT FOR YOOOU!!!
Who can I blame for this new Regulatory System? The band association? Vending machine manufacturers? Not really. I have to blame myself, of course. I forgot the key law of freedom: “Without Honor there can be no Honor System.” I hang my head in disgust tempered by shame. I don’t really like Almond Joy, but HoH’os won’t fit in Big Brother’s vending machine. And it’s all my fault.
Thankfully for me, the band, and America, only part of my story is true. In reality we don’t have a vending machine, just the money lock box. Still a bit encumbering, but not so bad…yet. If we further lose our sense of honor, the vending machine, out of necessity, gets voted in. Or worse – no candy, no picnics or flowers.
And this, Americans, is where we stand. It’s a wake-up call. If we want to be trusted to make more of our own decisions then we have to be more trustworthy. We have to be accountable to something above and beyond the system, because the system isn’t big enough (YET!!) to really hinder us that much. Let’s remember that we are ALL indeed accountable to God Almighty. I hope more and more people turn to Him and follow in His ways. If they do, they will share without having to be forced to, consider others before themselves without having to be made to, leave alone what isn’t theirs without having to be watched, fulfill the mission of government with voluntary “socialism.”
We’ve been witnessing the replacement of the Honor System with the Regulatory System in so many places and stations of our daily activities for many many years. Without integrity it WILL ONLY GET WORSE. And without submission to God, there WILL BE AN EROSION OF INTEGRITY. We are even now paying the price for wrongs done in the past – even by those who professed faith. I don’t want my children to do that. Whether or not they will depends not just on their integrity, but on that of all of us. Let’s pray sincerely for a real revival of the heart of America (not just in church attendance numbers).
Blessings to you and keep reaching though…
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I miss my country.
Well – the election is over and Barack Obama has won. And, of course, I have to write my feelings about it to the dozen or so individuals who read my blog. So here goes.
First let me say that the president-elect has my respect. His election is historic and means so much to so many people who have felt for so long that they have no voice. Although I did not vote for him and do not prefer his view of government's role in society, I say he and the democrats in Washington deserve a fair crack at leadership. I choose not to be an angry little critic of a sore loser - instead I wish Obama the best and I hope he proves wrong my misgivings towards him.
Still...I have rather mixed emotions.
To the results of this election there are two rather distinct responses welling up from within me. One is dark, bitter, gravely disappointed, utterly disgusted, suddenly disenfranchised, woefully disheartened, sinking in the quagmire of the immediate dismal moment and dizzy from disbelief. The other response is optimistic, pragmatic, reasonable, calm and collected, confident and resolute, soaring far above the grim tree line and gazing down, cool-headed and rallied, at a much less foreboding forest, green with the promise of a better tomorrow.
Here’s the dark view. I am crushed and saddened that so many of my fellow Americans no longer seem to appreciate the beauty of self-government, the empowerment of independence, and the richness born of free and unencumbered enterprise. They don’t understand what these liberties are or even how to make use of them. And the price these treasures require – that of patience, diligence, honor, integrity, righteousness, and charity – they are no longer willing to pay. They’ve squandered the prosperity bestowed on them by their forefathers, grappling gluttonously for the short-term high of instant gratification and the fleeting pleasure of material gain – all from the least effort possible and with no regard whatsoever for how their greedy pursuits might affect their fellow man. The result of all this – an unfortunate need for the intervention of government to inefficiently try to pick up their slack at the unfair expense of those who, mostly in prudence, prosper the most.
But here’s the optimism. Our nation will, over the next few years, come to understand what freedom is. Remember the Joni Mitchell song that said “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?” I fully expect the Democrats in Washington to effectively remind us what we ought to value - by taking some of it away from us. Americans who love free enterprise will rally in another four or eight years (I suspect eight) and vote in a candidate who will represent a Republican Party that has learned hard lessons from its many mistakes and reconstructed itself on the foundation of America’s core principles. Our taxes may have risen - and certain new government initiatives may have settled in to stay, but our country will have seen first-hand both the up-side and the down-side of a big overbearing government – and will be less enamored of it.
Our parties shift their power from side to side often. It’s not good, I think, for one party to remain in power for too long. That party will eventually take its power for granted and lose sight of its most honorable aims. Right now the axis of power has shifted a bit to the left, but don’t expect it to stay there. Despite my darker musings, the independent American spirit is alive and well. It has given in to fear for a time, and has run to the sheltering arms of government. But give it time and it will re-emerge, throw aside its security blanket, and assert itself once again.
Nevertheless, no matter what happens, brothers and sisters, let us continue in prayer for our country, its leaders, its future and its soul. Pray that our people will receive Jesus Christ when their faith in government fails. Let’s see the Spirit of God settle in the humbled hearts of our people and watch as the blessings flow once again. We’re in a season of change – and if we keep focused on God and His ways, not politics, that change will be for the better in the long run.
First let me say that the president-elect has my respect. His election is historic and means so much to so many people who have felt for so long that they have no voice. Although I did not vote for him and do not prefer his view of government's role in society, I say he and the democrats in Washington deserve a fair crack at leadership. I choose not to be an angry little critic of a sore loser - instead I wish Obama the best and I hope he proves wrong my misgivings towards him.
Still...I have rather mixed emotions.
To the results of this election there are two rather distinct responses welling up from within me. One is dark, bitter, gravely disappointed, utterly disgusted, suddenly disenfranchised, woefully disheartened, sinking in the quagmire of the immediate dismal moment and dizzy from disbelief. The other response is optimistic, pragmatic, reasonable, calm and collected, confident and resolute, soaring far above the grim tree line and gazing down, cool-headed and rallied, at a much less foreboding forest, green with the promise of a better tomorrow.
Here’s the dark view. I am crushed and saddened that so many of my fellow Americans no longer seem to appreciate the beauty of self-government, the empowerment of independence, and the richness born of free and unencumbered enterprise. They don’t understand what these liberties are or even how to make use of them. And the price these treasures require – that of patience, diligence, honor, integrity, righteousness, and charity – they are no longer willing to pay. They’ve squandered the prosperity bestowed on them by their forefathers, grappling gluttonously for the short-term high of instant gratification and the fleeting pleasure of material gain – all from the least effort possible and with no regard whatsoever for how their greedy pursuits might affect their fellow man. The result of all this – an unfortunate need for the intervention of government to inefficiently try to pick up their slack at the unfair expense of those who, mostly in prudence, prosper the most.
But here’s the optimism. Our nation will, over the next few years, come to understand what freedom is. Remember the Joni Mitchell song that said “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone?” I fully expect the Democrats in Washington to effectively remind us what we ought to value - by taking some of it away from us. Americans who love free enterprise will rally in another four or eight years (I suspect eight) and vote in a candidate who will represent a Republican Party that has learned hard lessons from its many mistakes and reconstructed itself on the foundation of America’s core principles. Our taxes may have risen - and certain new government initiatives may have settled in to stay, but our country will have seen first-hand both the up-side and the down-side of a big overbearing government – and will be less enamored of it.
Our parties shift their power from side to side often. It’s not good, I think, for one party to remain in power for too long. That party will eventually take its power for granted and lose sight of its most honorable aims. Right now the axis of power has shifted a bit to the left, but don’t expect it to stay there. Despite my darker musings, the independent American spirit is alive and well. It has given in to fear for a time, and has run to the sheltering arms of government. But give it time and it will re-emerge, throw aside its security blanket, and assert itself once again.
Nevertheless, no matter what happens, brothers and sisters, let us continue in prayer for our country, its leaders, its future and its soul. Pray that our people will receive Jesus Christ when their faith in government fails. Let’s see the Spirit of God settle in the humbled hearts of our people and watch as the blessings flow once again. We’re in a season of change – and if we keep focused on God and His ways, not politics, that change will be for the better in the long run.
Monday, October 13, 2008
What to make of Obama.
As a Christian and a republican, I have been concerned lately about the democratic presidential candidate. Who is he? People were asking that question, even dems, when he first emerged as a potential nominee last year. So, because of some rather disturbing allegations I've been hearing, I decided to go online and do some research for myself.
Let me just say that getting fair and unbiased information on the net, particularly concerning presidential candidates, is almost impossible. On one side people will say that a candidate is the devil incarnate, and on the other side people will refuse to acknowledge even the possibility of a problem with their guy. It's like trying to get to the bottom of a fight between your children. When people are so deeply emotionally invested in a particular side of a complicated issue, you can't get information from them that you can count on.
So I'm guessing, based on what I think I know about people, that the truth must be somewhere in the middle - between "radical leftist who will destroy us all" and "new messiah who will solve all our problems."
Therefore my assessment of Obama is thus:
He is, I suspect, nothing more heinous than a fairly liberal democrat who will probably tax the snot out of richer Americans to pay for social programs that will work fantastically or fail miserably depending on who you ask. He has probably dabbled in and flirted with some level of radical ideology in his younger days. He has rubbed shoulders with controversial leftist individuals and organizations (here and abroad - ask Uncle Fred about Kenya) - but I don't see how he could have avoided some of that, being a black democratic politician in Chicago. To what extent these entities have influenced his future political objectives is still unclear to me. He ultimately wants to do the right thing, but, as we all know, the right thing to one may not be exactly the right thing to another (maybe not even to the majority of Americans).
I suspect he will, unfortunately for me, bring us closer to a society that is at least a little more dependent on government programs and services. Whether or not dependency is his intention I can't say, but we all know that people will eventually become dependent - and the programs and services will replace a healthy amount of good common sense, prudence, applied wisdom, self-government, self-discipline, and old-fashioned American independence and self-reliance. But as so many Americans have been tossing aside those virtues over the past 60 years or so, we can only expect a little more "socialism" to infiltrate our lives. So I guess I won't blame Obama for it when it comes - I'll blame us (too many Americans in general, but not most of the people reading this blog) for needing what he will probably bring.
What really worries me more than anything else is not Obama himself, actually. It's the vote of confidence that radical leftist groups will feel they've been given if Obama wins. Groups like the Nation of Islam (Ferrakhan seems to love him), Earth Liberation Front, ACORN, and so on, may start coming out of the woodwork and asserting themselves more - simply because they feel their time has come (because they do). But even that isn't what really worries me. You see, when the leftist radicals start assuming more legitimacy - so will the radicals on the opposite side. I have a bad feeling that we're going to see a re-emergence of the Klan, the neo-nazis, white supremists, "christian" groups (with a well-deserved lower case "c") who will preach that blacks are the cursed tribe of Dan or carry signs that say "God hates fags," anti-government militias - and the list goes on. In short, I see a very real possibility of a "radicalization" of America. And I fear it will be difficult to stay out of it.
This is where the church must stand for Jesus, not political extremities. We will have to work harder than ever to close racial divides, and show extra love toward individuals whose sin we nevertheless condemn. And we must become painfully aware of our own sin so that we can repent and live lives that are upright before our Lord and our community.
I think the good news is that people will feel a need for Christ in their lives more than ever. Let's prepare for that, brothers and sisters. It's time we as American Christians really start to look like Jesus - and refuse to participate in the cultural ugliness the world may soon wallow in.
For such a time as this.
Stephen
Let me just say that getting fair and unbiased information on the net, particularly concerning presidential candidates, is almost impossible. On one side people will say that a candidate is the devil incarnate, and on the other side people will refuse to acknowledge even the possibility of a problem with their guy. It's like trying to get to the bottom of a fight between your children. When people are so deeply emotionally invested in a particular side of a complicated issue, you can't get information from them that you can count on.
So I'm guessing, based on what I think I know about people, that the truth must be somewhere in the middle - between "radical leftist who will destroy us all" and "new messiah who will solve all our problems."
Therefore my assessment of Obama is thus:
He is, I suspect, nothing more heinous than a fairly liberal democrat who will probably tax the snot out of richer Americans to pay for social programs that will work fantastically or fail miserably depending on who you ask. He has probably dabbled in and flirted with some level of radical ideology in his younger days. He has rubbed shoulders with controversial leftist individuals and organizations (here and abroad - ask Uncle Fred about Kenya) - but I don't see how he could have avoided some of that, being a black democratic politician in Chicago. To what extent these entities have influenced his future political objectives is still unclear to me. He ultimately wants to do the right thing, but, as we all know, the right thing to one may not be exactly the right thing to another (maybe not even to the majority of Americans).
I suspect he will, unfortunately for me, bring us closer to a society that is at least a little more dependent on government programs and services. Whether or not dependency is his intention I can't say, but we all know that people will eventually become dependent - and the programs and services will replace a healthy amount of good common sense, prudence, applied wisdom, self-government, self-discipline, and old-fashioned American independence and self-reliance. But as so many Americans have been tossing aside those virtues over the past 60 years or so, we can only expect a little more "socialism" to infiltrate our lives. So I guess I won't blame Obama for it when it comes - I'll blame us (too many Americans in general, but not most of the people reading this blog) for needing what he will probably bring.
What really worries me more than anything else is not Obama himself, actually. It's the vote of confidence that radical leftist groups will feel they've been given if Obama wins. Groups like the Nation of Islam (Ferrakhan seems to love him), Earth Liberation Front, ACORN, and so on, may start coming out of the woodwork and asserting themselves more - simply because they feel their time has come (because they do). But even that isn't what really worries me. You see, when the leftist radicals start assuming more legitimacy - so will the radicals on the opposite side. I have a bad feeling that we're going to see a re-emergence of the Klan, the neo-nazis, white supremists, "christian" groups (with a well-deserved lower case "c") who will preach that blacks are the cursed tribe of Dan or carry signs that say "God hates fags," anti-government militias - and the list goes on. In short, I see a very real possibility of a "radicalization" of America. And I fear it will be difficult to stay out of it.
This is where the church must stand for Jesus, not political extremities. We will have to work harder than ever to close racial divides, and show extra love toward individuals whose sin we nevertheless condemn. And we must become painfully aware of our own sin so that we can repent and live lives that are upright before our Lord and our community.
I think the good news is that people will feel a need for Christ in their lives more than ever. Let's prepare for that, brothers and sisters. It's time we as American Christians really start to look like Jesus - and refuse to participate in the cultural ugliness the world may soon wallow in.
For such a time as this.
Stephen
Monday, July 21, 2008
Muddy in the Royal Gorge
No, no, no. I don't mean she gorged on food like royalty! She went with us today to the Royal Gorge and rode a train along the Arkansas River. She really enjoyed the scenery. And she has been a joy to have around. Last night she beat Rachel and the girls in chinese checkers, and tonight she's going to play scrabble with us. I hope she doesn't cheat.
Tomorrow we will take a trip up into the mountains and have a picnic - then maybe drive up to Woodland Park for the only Blue Bell Ice Cream stop in Colorado. (Does Muddy like ice cream?)
I'll put up pictures as soon as I get them off the camera. Thanks for letting us borrow her for a few days. We'll give her back soon!
Tomorrow we will take a trip up into the mountains and have a picnic - then maybe drive up to Woodland Park for the only Blue Bell Ice Cream stop in Colorado. (Does Muddy like ice cream?)
I'll put up pictures as soon as I get them off the camera. Thanks for letting us borrow her for a few days. We'll give her back soon!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
After 42 years!
I hope someone is there to pick my daddy up off the floor when he reads this - but yesterday, for the first time in all my 42 years, I actually preached a sermon! It lasted only about 10 minutes (I didn't realize 10 was so long), but it went fairly well. My congregation was a group of inmates at the State Penitentiary, and they seemed to receive it well. It was my second trip to the prison, where I have played my guitar in their chapel service. But this time I wanted to prepare something to share from the pulpit. So here's a condensed synopsis of what I shared:
God loves men of action. Men of action are not content to sit idly by and live ordinary lives; they are compelled to act, and so God loves to use these impetuous, passionate, bold, confrontational souls to do awesome works in His Kingdom. But, unfortunately, Satan loves to derail them by leading them toward sinful actions, because, being men of action, they will often appease him quite willingly.
I then shared examples of men in the Bible who were action-oriented, like Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Peter, and Paul. They were not content to sit by and do nothing, when perhaps they should have. Jacob stole his brother's inheritance, Joseph had a big mouth, Moses committed murder, Peter assaulted an officer, and Paul was also a murderer. Yet God saw something in them - a willingness to DO something, right or wrong. When God took hold of them and turned their hearts toward Him, they were all used to do mighty works in His Kingdom that other men would have shied from.
Then I shared Revelation 3:15-16, the verse about being hot or cold, not lukewarm. I hope they caught that this message was all about them. In the spiritual reality, these men are not criminals; they are superheroes, not content to live ordinary lives, but they have been lured away from their calling. They are behind those walls because they acted, where most men would not. But because Satan was guiding their motives, their actions were criminal. I made sure to remind them that if they allow God to lead them and guide their actions - they will do amazing things because they are willing to act where most men are not.
I hope to go there again soon and share more of what God puts on my heart.
Blessings to you all.
God loves men of action. Men of action are not content to sit idly by and live ordinary lives; they are compelled to act, and so God loves to use these impetuous, passionate, bold, confrontational souls to do awesome works in His Kingdom. But, unfortunately, Satan loves to derail them by leading them toward sinful actions, because, being men of action, they will often appease him quite willingly.
I then shared examples of men in the Bible who were action-oriented, like Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Peter, and Paul. They were not content to sit by and do nothing, when perhaps they should have. Jacob stole his brother's inheritance, Joseph had a big mouth, Moses committed murder, Peter assaulted an officer, and Paul was also a murderer. Yet God saw something in them - a willingness to DO something, right or wrong. When God took hold of them and turned their hearts toward Him, they were all used to do mighty works in His Kingdom that other men would have shied from.
Then I shared Revelation 3:15-16, the verse about being hot or cold, not lukewarm. I hope they caught that this message was all about them. In the spiritual reality, these men are not criminals; they are superheroes, not content to live ordinary lives, but they have been lured away from their calling. They are behind those walls because they acted, where most men would not. But because Satan was guiding their motives, their actions were criminal. I made sure to remind them that if they allow God to lead them and guide their actions - they will do amazing things because they are willing to act where most men are not.
I hope to go there again soon and share more of what God puts on my heart.
Blessings to you all.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Where is Barack Obama's heart?
A few months ago there was a bit of controversy over a photograph of Barack Obama not placing his hand over his heart during the playing of the National Anthem at a fundraiser. I heard about this and researched it a bit on the internet, and I found it to be true and accurate. Yes, he really is right up there on the stage with his hands down in front of him while the other democratic candidates have their hands over their hearts. Of course there are also pictures out there of him in other settings with his hand properly placed over his heart and singing along with the anthem. As to his failure to do so in this photograph, one of Obama’s PR people replied “sometimes he does; sometimes he doesn’t,” and asserted that he is in no way trying to make any sort of statement by this non-action.
Here’s my take on this: Any U.S. senator not placing his hand over his heart during the playing of the National Anthem (when everyone else around him is) DOES make a statement! Whether intentional or not – a statement is made.
Maybe to some this issue is not particularly important. Perhaps a number of citizens have well-spoken philosophical reasons for not paying the traditional respects to the symbols of our nation – and they unquestionably have that right and I would never try to force them otherwise. But – they are not running for president. For an American president, such expressions of patriotism are (and should be) expected.
To me, though, this issue is not really about a lack of patriotism, but a frighteningly clueless lack of empathy and understanding for the American people. I do believe that Mr. Obama does indeed love this country very much, and I don’t yet see credible evidence to suggest he doesn’t. However, Mr. Obama is running for the office of the President of the United States of America, and in this particular country, the symbolic gesture of placing one’s hand over their heart during the anthem has been SO VERY important to SO MANY people for SO LONG that it’s truly baffling to me that the Illinois senator wouldn’t automatically do it – ALL of the time. Doesn’t he know how it makes so many Americans feel to see him there like that, the only one with his hands down? Doesn’t he consider the passions of the millions of military veterans who can scarcely hear the anthem without holding back tears? Isn’t he aware that the office for which he is campaigning is that of the Commander-in-Chief of the whole of the U.S. armed forces, who are REQUIRED to pay proper respects to the flag and the anthem at all times? Doesn’t it occur to him that putting his hand over his heart is an expected symbol of service and allegiance not only to the flag or anthem, but to the PEOPLE who hold them so dear? I can only guess that the answer to these questions is “no.” And that DOES worry me.
When I see that picture of Barack Obama with his hands folded in front of him as if he were watching a golf game, I don’t see a dissident, an anti-patriot, or an America-hater at all – I just see a man who is completely and unbelievably aloof.
Here’s my take on this: Any U.S. senator not placing his hand over his heart during the playing of the National Anthem (when everyone else around him is) DOES make a statement! Whether intentional or not – a statement is made.
Maybe to some this issue is not particularly important. Perhaps a number of citizens have well-spoken philosophical reasons for not paying the traditional respects to the symbols of our nation – and they unquestionably have that right and I would never try to force them otherwise. But – they are not running for president. For an American president, such expressions of patriotism are (and should be) expected.
To me, though, this issue is not really about a lack of patriotism, but a frighteningly clueless lack of empathy and understanding for the American people. I do believe that Mr. Obama does indeed love this country very much, and I don’t yet see credible evidence to suggest he doesn’t. However, Mr. Obama is running for the office of the President of the United States of America, and in this particular country, the symbolic gesture of placing one’s hand over their heart during the anthem has been SO VERY important to SO MANY people for SO LONG that it’s truly baffling to me that the Illinois senator wouldn’t automatically do it – ALL of the time. Doesn’t he know how it makes so many Americans feel to see him there like that, the only one with his hands down? Doesn’t he consider the passions of the millions of military veterans who can scarcely hear the anthem without holding back tears? Isn’t he aware that the office for which he is campaigning is that of the Commander-in-Chief of the whole of the U.S. armed forces, who are REQUIRED to pay proper respects to the flag and the anthem at all times? Doesn’t it occur to him that putting his hand over his heart is an expected symbol of service and allegiance not only to the flag or anthem, but to the PEOPLE who hold them so dear? I can only guess that the answer to these questions is “no.” And that DOES worry me.
When I see that picture of Barack Obama with his hands folded in front of him as if he were watching a golf game, I don’t see a dissident, an anti-patriot, or an America-hater at all – I just see a man who is completely and unbelievably aloof.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Who is smart?
Most of us know a little more about some particular thing than most other people do. Maybe for you it’s mechanics, theology, street sense, agriculture, music, business, literature, people, raising children, problem-solving, or some other subject or discipline in life. But – ALL of us know so very, very, very little compared to how much is known altogether. Therefore, none of us has as much to teach as to learn. The ignorant, I believe, are those who spend more time enlightening others than they spend learning from others.
And so I offer this postulation:
The smarter of any two people will be the one who learns the most from the other.
I hope I will live by it.
And so I offer this postulation:
The smarter of any two people will be the one who learns the most from the other.
I hope I will live by it.
My trip to TN
I just wanted to say to all my TN family and friends how much I enjoyed my visit there last month. It was so wonderful to be around family again. Everyone seems to be doing well and it's good to see that. Special thanks to Aunt Bonita for the best fudge ever made by a mortal. I can't wait to see all of you again.
I'm also very excited to be receiving none other than Bonnie Bell Brannen into my home from July 19th to the 26th. She has never been to Colorado before - so Rachel and I look forward to showing her a good time. Maybe Aunt Bonita could stick a few pieces of fudge into Muddy's purse? Or a tuna sandwhich?
I love my family!
I'm also very excited to be receiving none other than Bonnie Bell Brannen into my home from July 19th to the 26th. She has never been to Colorado before - so Rachel and I look forward to showing her a good time. Maybe Aunt Bonita could stick a few pieces of fudge into Muddy's purse? Or a tuna sandwhich?
I love my family!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
A short essay
I submitted the following to our local newspaper, the Gazette, for consideration in its "That's Life" column. I don't know if they'll publish it - but maybe someone will read it here on my blog and like it.
Where Oh Where Has My Armoire Been?
by Stephen Brannen (in exactly 500 words)
I have always enjoyed history, its lessons, its stories, its subtle and undeniable effect on daily life. The past is wonderfully intriguing to me, and so, therefore, are things of antiquity.
Whenever I walk into a nice old building, for instance, I wax romantic, wishing I could live in such a wonderfully experienced place with all its secrets, silent memories, and forgotten knowledge. But my house is only about forty years old, and although I love my home, its history is not remarkably deep. So I have taken to romanticizing my furniture.
My wife and I love antique pieces. We have a few of them in our living room, and although for years I ignored their history, largely because I know of no way to research it, a few weeks ago I began thinking about what my furniture’s past might have been.
First I looked at the old armoire we’ve been using as a sort of entertainment center. All I know about it is that it was built by hand some hundred years ago by a craftsman who must have passed away long before I was born. But I wonder what was his story. What events were transpiring in his life while he was working on this piece? He poured his time, attention, skill, heart and personality into its construction a century ago, and now here it stands – right here in my living room in 2008.
I wonder who else has owned this armoire. Did someone hang his uniforms in here after returning from the Great War? Did children, long grown and passed on, play hide and seek in here? Who and where are the great-grandchildren of the young bride who carefully hung her wedding dress from the old wooden dowel?
It may not have sat in the White House or the Waldorf Astoria, but I’m sure my entertainment center has a rich and intricate history. It probably overheard the news of the Wright brothers’ first flight, the Titanic sinking, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the war that followed, the stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, Korea, the Kennedys, Vietnam, and certainly yesterday’s headlines.
The hardy poplar panels have been touched by the hands of people who lived in older, simpler times. Their essence has seeped into the grain along with the dark brown finish, mingling with the oil and dirt from my own hands. In this anonymous way, my family and I are connected to the residents of history.
Who knows where this elegant old closet will eventually go. Maybe it will live on after I’m gone – in the living room of some other hopeless romantic. Maybe he will wonder if an old-fashioned CD player ever sat inside it, piping old-fashioned ambient techno music through its speakers.
It’s humbling, because it makes me realize that I am, after all, just one small link in the long chain of history. But I like my place in the chain, the stories I’m making in it, and the armoire I share it with.
Where Oh Where Has My Armoire Been?
by Stephen Brannen (in exactly 500 words)
I have always enjoyed history, its lessons, its stories, its subtle and undeniable effect on daily life. The past is wonderfully intriguing to me, and so, therefore, are things of antiquity.
Whenever I walk into a nice old building, for instance, I wax romantic, wishing I could live in such a wonderfully experienced place with all its secrets, silent memories, and forgotten knowledge. But my house is only about forty years old, and although I love my home, its history is not remarkably deep. So I have taken to romanticizing my furniture.
My wife and I love antique pieces. We have a few of them in our living room, and although for years I ignored their history, largely because I know of no way to research it, a few weeks ago I began thinking about what my furniture’s past might have been.
First I looked at the old armoire we’ve been using as a sort of entertainment center. All I know about it is that it was built by hand some hundred years ago by a craftsman who must have passed away long before I was born. But I wonder what was his story. What events were transpiring in his life while he was working on this piece? He poured his time, attention, skill, heart and personality into its construction a century ago, and now here it stands – right here in my living room in 2008.
I wonder who else has owned this armoire. Did someone hang his uniforms in here after returning from the Great War? Did children, long grown and passed on, play hide and seek in here? Who and where are the great-grandchildren of the young bride who carefully hung her wedding dress from the old wooden dowel?
It may not have sat in the White House or the Waldorf Astoria, but I’m sure my entertainment center has a rich and intricate history. It probably overheard the news of the Wright brothers’ first flight, the Titanic sinking, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, the war that followed, the stock market crash, Pearl Harbor, Korea, the Kennedys, Vietnam, and certainly yesterday’s headlines.
The hardy poplar panels have been touched by the hands of people who lived in older, simpler times. Their essence has seeped into the grain along with the dark brown finish, mingling with the oil and dirt from my own hands. In this anonymous way, my family and I are connected to the residents of history.
Who knows where this elegant old closet will eventually go. Maybe it will live on after I’m gone – in the living room of some other hopeless romantic. Maybe he will wonder if an old-fashioned CD player ever sat inside it, piping old-fashioned ambient techno music through its speakers.
It’s humbling, because it makes me realize that I am, after all, just one small link in the long chain of history. But I like my place in the chain, the stories I’m making in it, and the armoire I share it with.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Creator, not magician
When I was a child – I had a childish view of God. I saw Him as a gray-bearded superman in a long white robe up in the clouds, waving His arms about while summoning lightning, wind, thunder and rain. With a blink of His eye he would cause oceans to part, dead men to rise, mountains to emerge from the sea with white-hot volcanic fury, the earth to open up and swallow the enemies of His children in a single gulp, and so on. This was, to me, how God always did things. While there were events that occurred here on earth in very unexciting, natural, explainable ways, things we see every day and understand somewhat – God's ways were always awesome in splendor, unexplainable, instantaneous, scoffing at the laws of physics and nature as if He were their enemy.
As I have grown, I have begun to see God a little differently. Although I believe He can do everything I just mentioned, if He so chooses, I now think that, perhaps, He generally prefers to do His will in ways that seem less dramatic to us. Now – I think we all know this, but I’m not sure the world understands that we do. I think the world sees our God (or our perception of Him) as the great magician in the sky. Anything miraculous, explanation-defying, bewildering...well, that’s God’s doing. Of course, when people study the nature of things they often discover that, lo and behold, there’s a natural and logical cause for what we once chalked up to supernatural handiwork. Then they say, “See – it wasn’t God after all,” leaving us, they presume, to grapple with doubt.
Sadly, we sometimes do just that, or we stand tall in our faith (as we should) and move on. I don’t believe, though, that the doubt-casters are necessarily wrong in their understanding of the natural manifestations of what we know is God’s work – but, rather, they simply don’t see God in it. This is because they believe (and so do many Christians) that God only does magic. The more “magic” man’s wisdom can explain, the more God seems to disappear.
WRONG! God is not a magician. He created not just this earth, but the very laws and natural forces that affect it and every bit of matter (or anti-matter) in the universe. Why? Because He’s a Creator, not a magician. Magicians wave their arms and, poof, rabbits just appear (or seem to). They can’t actually conceive of rabbits, decide how they should be formed, deploy and manage the processes by which they form, then oversee these processes to their full completion in the form of a little white bunny. That...only God can do. And without Him – it will not happen. Ever.
God also installed in us, His creation, this very creative nature of His, so that we might relate to Him a little. Let’s examine, for a moment, this human impulse to create. Imagine an artist is given a magic wand. All he has to do is think of a picture, wave the wand, and the image will appear on the canvas exactly as the artist imagined it. No more mixing colors, no more tedious and laborious work, no more patience. Do you think an artist would be interested in having this wand? As an artist myself, I can tell you that the answer is “no.” Oh, maybe for that fluffy commercial stuff artists have to throw together to put food on the table – but never would an artist, a creative expresser, lazily bypass the process of creation of a masterpiece. Where’s the love in that? Every stroke has to be loving and painstaking – bearing his mark, his personality, himself. And so I wonder if God is like this, too.
Consider this familiar type of scenario. A woman in the church has a dire need for a $2000 medical procedure. She brings the need to the church and the church prays for her. A man in the church offers to prepare her taxes for her and discovers that she is completely unaware of the many tax benefits available to her. So he does her taxes and her refund check is a whopping $1500. That combined with the collection of a love offering pays for the operation. So...did God do this? Did He answer the prayers of His people? Well, not the god the world thinks we believe in. But we know that God did answer those prayers. There was no magic, no mystery that defies explanation, no instant gratification, but God did His work. Could He have made the money instantly and mysteriously appear in her bank account? Yes. So then why didn’t He? Because, I think, He’s a Creator, not a magician. He created processes so he could use them. He created us so He could use us. That’s His nature.
When I was a child I would have asked, “Why would God go through all that when He could just make things appear?” Now, as an artist, I ask, “Why would God just make things appear when He can actually Create them?”
Brothers and Sisters, God can do all things, but we will never understand, in this life, why and how and when. Remain faithful and someday, as Dottie Rambo wrote, we shall behold him. Keep reaching through.
As I have grown, I have begun to see God a little differently. Although I believe He can do everything I just mentioned, if He so chooses, I now think that, perhaps, He generally prefers to do His will in ways that seem less dramatic to us. Now – I think we all know this, but I’m not sure the world understands that we do. I think the world sees our God (or our perception of Him) as the great magician in the sky. Anything miraculous, explanation-defying, bewildering...well, that’s God’s doing. Of course, when people study the nature of things they often discover that, lo and behold, there’s a natural and logical cause for what we once chalked up to supernatural handiwork. Then they say, “See – it wasn’t God after all,” leaving us, they presume, to grapple with doubt.
Sadly, we sometimes do just that, or we stand tall in our faith (as we should) and move on. I don’t believe, though, that the doubt-casters are necessarily wrong in their understanding of the natural manifestations of what we know is God’s work – but, rather, they simply don’t see God in it. This is because they believe (and so do many Christians) that God only does magic. The more “magic” man’s wisdom can explain, the more God seems to disappear.
WRONG! God is not a magician. He created not just this earth, but the very laws and natural forces that affect it and every bit of matter (or anti-matter) in the universe. Why? Because He’s a Creator, not a magician. Magicians wave their arms and, poof, rabbits just appear (or seem to). They can’t actually conceive of rabbits, decide how they should be formed, deploy and manage the processes by which they form, then oversee these processes to their full completion in the form of a little white bunny. That...only God can do. And without Him – it will not happen. Ever.
God also installed in us, His creation, this very creative nature of His, so that we might relate to Him a little. Let’s examine, for a moment, this human impulse to create. Imagine an artist is given a magic wand. All he has to do is think of a picture, wave the wand, and the image will appear on the canvas exactly as the artist imagined it. No more mixing colors, no more tedious and laborious work, no more patience. Do you think an artist would be interested in having this wand? As an artist myself, I can tell you that the answer is “no.” Oh, maybe for that fluffy commercial stuff artists have to throw together to put food on the table – but never would an artist, a creative expresser, lazily bypass the process of creation of a masterpiece. Where’s the love in that? Every stroke has to be loving and painstaking – bearing his mark, his personality, himself. And so I wonder if God is like this, too.
Consider this familiar type of scenario. A woman in the church has a dire need for a $2000 medical procedure. She brings the need to the church and the church prays for her. A man in the church offers to prepare her taxes for her and discovers that she is completely unaware of the many tax benefits available to her. So he does her taxes and her refund check is a whopping $1500. That combined with the collection of a love offering pays for the operation. So...did God do this? Did He answer the prayers of His people? Well, not the god the world thinks we believe in. But we know that God did answer those prayers. There was no magic, no mystery that defies explanation, no instant gratification, but God did His work. Could He have made the money instantly and mysteriously appear in her bank account? Yes. So then why didn’t He? Because, I think, He’s a Creator, not a magician. He created processes so he could use them. He created us so He could use us. That’s His nature.
When I was a child I would have asked, “Why would God go through all that when He could just make things appear?” Now, as an artist, I ask, “Why would God just make things appear when He can actually Create them?”
Brothers and Sisters, God can do all things, but we will never understand, in this life, why and how and when. Remain faithful and someday, as Dottie Rambo wrote, we shall behold him. Keep reaching through.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Tell the ancient story
This weekend we had our lawn aerated by a fellow who is a Vietnam vet. He was a very interesting guy, so instead of letting him do his job in peace I had to follow him around and chat with him. Somehow he brought up the subject of the ancient Sumerian texts and the Anunnaki, their gods who are said to have been aliens who cultivated human life on Earth. I later went on-line to research this business a bit, as it challenges what we believe. What I found inspired me to write this blog.
I can’t say much about the Sumerians other than they lived near the Tigris-Euphrates region (Eden’s vicinity) and were reportedly the first civilization on Earth – the precursors to the Assyrians and Babylonians. Their writings date back to 3000-2000 B.C. Their written language is one of if not the oldest. Although their concepts of God are different in many ways from those of the ancient Hebrews, their historical accounts are very similar.
The reason I bring this up at all is that while I did my tiny amount of research, I repeatedly came across a common challenge to the accuracy and reliability of the Bible. It goes like this: There were accounts of the flood, tower of Babel, creation, giants (the Sumerian texts refer to them) and many other unverified events and people long before Genisis was alleged to have been written by Moses – so, clearly, Moses borrowed these stories from other sources and adapted them to his own writings (if he could even write at all, the argument asserts). His inspiration, supposedly, would have come not from God but from other earlier religious writings. Therefore, no God. Therefore, leave me alone and let me wallow in my sin. (Okay, that’s my own little embellishment)
This notion rears its head often, doesn’t it? "Other people wrote it first, so your ‘God’ is just a copy of earlier myths." People who proclaim this rely heavily upon the arrogant belief that what we know now about history is so much more reliable than what people who lived it have told us. But here is a fact they seem to ignore: stories do not necessarily begin when they are written down. Genesis is not a "novel" such that it was conceived entirely by a man with a pen and paper. Genesis was a story, or collection of stories, that had been passed down (very probably in a meticulous manner) for generations. Other ancient stories (including famous Greek epics) were passed down this way as well. In ancient times, before writing existed, oral memory was seriously superior – far more reliable than the "whisper" experiment often performed in college classrooms. Eventually these stories were codified in writing, but that codification was by no means their beginnings. So what were the beginnings of the Sumerian stories? I doubt they were never told before they were written – in fact I’m certain (despite absence of scientific proof) that all the ancient "myths" and stories were circulating orally for centuries before the first religious texts materialized. From whence did they begin?
Here’s my answer to that question – "They all came from a common source." If this were so, wouldn’t most of the major religions of the world have some commonalities? Wouldn’t some stories overlap? The fact that the similarities exist, despite man having been sequestered into isolated "non-overlapping" regions and cultures for centuries, is a strong support for the belief that man, wherever and whatever his roots, once had a common story, religion, mythology, whatever you want to call it. Is it possible that, of all the branches, threads, evolutions and changes in religions across geography and time, that one thread might have survived which contained the original untainted story? Of course some would say "no," but I believe "yes." I believe it was the ancient descendants of Shem, then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), who kept the accuracy intact. Can I prove it? No, but there is historical evidence to support it that is seemingly just as strong as the evidence against it.
So we’re again left with a measure of faith. Naturalists, scientists (some), humanists don’t embrace faith. But, brothers and sisters, there are holes, big ones, in our understanding and knowledge of this world and the universe in which it resides. Without faith we are severely limited to a belief system that is clearly too small for the spirit of man to settle for. I believe we weren’t created to settle for the little our minds can wrap themselves around. We were, in fact, created by God to love and fellowship with Him, regardless of our limitations by intellect and doubts by ignorance. Believe, never waver. Someday we will see Him and there will be an enormous "Oh yeah – now I get it." Until then, let us continue to tell the ancient story of His love and reconciliation to us, now through Christ.
Peace and Blessings.
I can’t say much about the Sumerians other than they lived near the Tigris-Euphrates region (Eden’s vicinity) and were reportedly the first civilization on Earth – the precursors to the Assyrians and Babylonians. Their writings date back to 3000-2000 B.C. Their written language is one of if not the oldest. Although their concepts of God are different in many ways from those of the ancient Hebrews, their historical accounts are very similar.
The reason I bring this up at all is that while I did my tiny amount of research, I repeatedly came across a common challenge to the accuracy and reliability of the Bible. It goes like this: There were accounts of the flood, tower of Babel, creation, giants (the Sumerian texts refer to them) and many other unverified events and people long before Genisis was alleged to have been written by Moses – so, clearly, Moses borrowed these stories from other sources and adapted them to his own writings (if he could even write at all, the argument asserts). His inspiration, supposedly, would have come not from God but from other earlier religious writings. Therefore, no God. Therefore, leave me alone and let me wallow in my sin. (Okay, that’s my own little embellishment)
This notion rears its head often, doesn’t it? "Other people wrote it first, so your ‘God’ is just a copy of earlier myths." People who proclaim this rely heavily upon the arrogant belief that what we know now about history is so much more reliable than what people who lived it have told us. But here is a fact they seem to ignore: stories do not necessarily begin when they are written down. Genesis is not a "novel" such that it was conceived entirely by a man with a pen and paper. Genesis was a story, or collection of stories, that had been passed down (very probably in a meticulous manner) for generations. Other ancient stories (including famous Greek epics) were passed down this way as well. In ancient times, before writing existed, oral memory was seriously superior – far more reliable than the "whisper" experiment often performed in college classrooms. Eventually these stories were codified in writing, but that codification was by no means their beginnings. So what were the beginnings of the Sumerian stories? I doubt they were never told before they were written – in fact I’m certain (despite absence of scientific proof) that all the ancient "myths" and stories were circulating orally for centuries before the first religious texts materialized. From whence did they begin?
Here’s my answer to that question – "They all came from a common source." If this were so, wouldn’t most of the major religions of the world have some commonalities? Wouldn’t some stories overlap? The fact that the similarities exist, despite man having been sequestered into isolated "non-overlapping" regions and cultures for centuries, is a strong support for the belief that man, wherever and whatever his roots, once had a common story, religion, mythology, whatever you want to call it. Is it possible that, of all the branches, threads, evolutions and changes in religions across geography and time, that one thread might have survived which contained the original untainted story? Of course some would say "no," but I believe "yes." I believe it was the ancient descendants of Shem, then Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), who kept the accuracy intact. Can I prove it? No, but there is historical evidence to support it that is seemingly just as strong as the evidence against it.
So we’re again left with a measure of faith. Naturalists, scientists (some), humanists don’t embrace faith. But, brothers and sisters, there are holes, big ones, in our understanding and knowledge of this world and the universe in which it resides. Without faith we are severely limited to a belief system that is clearly too small for the spirit of man to settle for. I believe we weren’t created to settle for the little our minds can wrap themselves around. We were, in fact, created by God to love and fellowship with Him, regardless of our limitations by intellect and doubts by ignorance. Believe, never waver. Someday we will see Him and there will be an enormous "Oh yeah – now I get it." Until then, let us continue to tell the ancient story of His love and reconciliation to us, now through Christ.
Peace and Blessings.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Why are musicians so musically closed-minded?
Musicians. Sometimes I don't get them - even though I AM one.
Read Spin, Rolling Stone, or an interview with a musician in any publication and you will see that people in my profession have a very "morally relative" bent. "Anything is acceptable so long as you're not hurting anyone," they will say. "Don't impose your arbitrary moralities on others," they will demand. "It's all relative - what's truth for you may not be truth for me," they will enlighten. Without a doubt musicians are mostly post-modern in their ideologies. In other words - "Who is to say what is right or wrong?"
Okay. That comes with the territory, right? The open-mindedness, the relativism, the lassez-faire attitude toward values, the moral flip-flopping and vacillating from one belief to another depending on the mood of the day - that's just the way musicians are.
But not so when the subject is music itself. Listen to how so many liberal folk musicians become self-righteouss and indignant when someone plays the "wrong" sort of guitar - like Bob Dylan did in the sixties and was booed off the stage. Listen to hard-edged metal guys totally decimate anything that sounds pretty. Hear jazz musicians opine on how jazz music should and should not be played. To hear one of my biggest heroes, Pat Metheny, explain it - Kenny G is musically immoral and evil for playing along with Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Really? Who is to say what is right or wrong? Don't impose your arbitrary morality upon me. It's all relative - what may be musically right for you may not be so for me.
It amazes me how musicians will assume a posture of self-righteoussness over other art forms they deem "lesser." Seriously - if there's anything that should be left open and free of judgement - it's music (lyrics aside). There really and truly IS NO basis for any concept of right and wrong when all you're doing is creating sound purely for creative expression! Of course, lyrics are a different story - they can be judged by a moral standard - but music itself? Sounds, pitches, rhythms, harmonies, melodies, timbres, textures? Those things can be deemed good or evil, right or wrong? ***By people who believe there are no real moral truths except those we invent?***
My Christian brothers and sisters and I believe there can be a spirit attached to music, which can be transferred upon the listener. Maybe secular musicians have a sense of this, too. But I doubt it. I think, for them, their music is actually an extension of themselves, an anthem of their own culture, a statement of affirmation of who they are as opposed to everyone else. When they demonize certain music, they're actually demonizing the people that music represents to them. When they say "that music is bad music," they're really saying "those people are bad people," which is a sideways way of saying "I am good." To me - that makes them the opposite of what they claim to be. It makes them closed-minded, musically speaking.
The truth is this: If you truly believe in anything at all - you instantly become sort-of closed-minded to whatever contradicts that belief. If you believe anything at all to NOT be true, you have by definition closed your mind to the possibility of it being true - and for all you logically know, it MAY BE true.
So I don't mind being accused of closed-mindedness, it just means I believe something to be true or untrue. I just wonder if my musical colleagues are self-aware enough to admit this for themselves.
That's enough ranting for today.
Blessings in Jesus Christ.
Read Spin, Rolling Stone, or an interview with a musician in any publication and you will see that people in my profession have a very "morally relative" bent. "Anything is acceptable so long as you're not hurting anyone," they will say. "Don't impose your arbitrary moralities on others," they will demand. "It's all relative - what's truth for you may not be truth for me," they will enlighten. Without a doubt musicians are mostly post-modern in their ideologies. In other words - "Who is to say what is right or wrong?"
Okay. That comes with the territory, right? The open-mindedness, the relativism, the lassez-faire attitude toward values, the moral flip-flopping and vacillating from one belief to another depending on the mood of the day - that's just the way musicians are.
But not so when the subject is music itself. Listen to how so many liberal folk musicians become self-righteouss and indignant when someone plays the "wrong" sort of guitar - like Bob Dylan did in the sixties and was booed off the stage. Listen to hard-edged metal guys totally decimate anything that sounds pretty. Hear jazz musicians opine on how jazz music should and should not be played. To hear one of my biggest heroes, Pat Metheny, explain it - Kenny G is musically immoral and evil for playing along with Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Really? Who is to say what is right or wrong? Don't impose your arbitrary morality upon me. It's all relative - what may be musically right for you may not be so for me.
It amazes me how musicians will assume a posture of self-righteoussness over other art forms they deem "lesser." Seriously - if there's anything that should be left open and free of judgement - it's music (lyrics aside). There really and truly IS NO basis for any concept of right and wrong when all you're doing is creating sound purely for creative expression! Of course, lyrics are a different story - they can be judged by a moral standard - but music itself? Sounds, pitches, rhythms, harmonies, melodies, timbres, textures? Those things can be deemed good or evil, right or wrong? ***By people who believe there are no real moral truths except those we invent?***
My Christian brothers and sisters and I believe there can be a spirit attached to music, which can be transferred upon the listener. Maybe secular musicians have a sense of this, too. But I doubt it. I think, for them, their music is actually an extension of themselves, an anthem of their own culture, a statement of affirmation of who they are as opposed to everyone else. When they demonize certain music, they're actually demonizing the people that music represents to them. When they say "that music is bad music," they're really saying "those people are bad people," which is a sideways way of saying "I am good." To me - that makes them the opposite of what they claim to be. It makes them closed-minded, musically speaking.
The truth is this: If you truly believe in anything at all - you instantly become sort-of closed-minded to whatever contradicts that belief. If you believe anything at all to NOT be true, you have by definition closed your mind to the possibility of it being true - and for all you logically know, it MAY BE true.
So I don't mind being accused of closed-mindedness, it just means I believe something to be true or untrue. I just wonder if my musical colleagues are self-aware enough to admit this for themselves.
That's enough ranting for today.
Blessings in Jesus Christ.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Defending Religion in General
I am a Christian. Let me make that clear. I believe the Bible is the very word of the very God of the universe – given to us so the we might have a guide, a reference throughout the ages to keep us in the proper know of who He is. Sometimes, though, I find myself defending religion in general to people who believe it is some sort of scourge on the earth – a roadblock to the intellectual progress of mankind from the blindness of the past to the enlightenment of the future.
My Christian brothers and sisters and I know that Jesus, not religion, is the way to truth. We all know that Christians have done horrible things in the name of Christ. We point to a spirit of religion that shifts our allegiance from the God of our faith to its institutions. This shift allows us to commit selfish and ungodly acts while laboring under the delusion that we are serving God. And so, Christians have perpetrated misery, pain, war, persecution and other manifestations of man’s sinful nature – all in the name of God.
But was it our faith? Did our “religion” (as the world sees it) actually inspire us to do evil? Is “religion” to blame? Many Christians would say yes to the latter. After all, the spirit of religion is not of God, so why shouldn’t it lead to sin. I maintain that a belief in a higher power, even one we Christians would label as “false,” is a direct result of our being created in the image of a higher power (God the Father) that we, mankind, are ever struggling to connect with. Unfortunately man has set off in the wrong direction, even Christians, and evil ensues. It is this selfish, self-reliant, self-serving, self-esteeming, self-defending tendency, not our faith in something better, that pushes us toward sin.
Consider these questions. Did the “bad” crusaders really act on a Word from God? Or did they act out of vengeance, love of war-making, greed, then justify their desires with religious reasoning. Prior to 1948 (the establishment of Israel as a state), did Muslim terrorists blow themselves up for Allah? Or was it only after outsiders moved in and ignited the very human flames of outrage, eye-for-an-eye justice and racial intolerance? Did early Americans really go to the Word in earnest meditation and hear God direct them that they should extend America’s borders all the way to the Pacific? Or did they simply covet the land and its resources for themselves until they found a religious way, Manifest Destiny, to accommodate their greed?
Now consider this question. If there had been no religion at all, just pure humanism and naturalism without any concept of a spiritual reality, would people still want to take what belongs to others? Would they flock together with their own kind and exclude others who are different? Would they lash out in fear or anger against their neighbors? Now here’s the big question: Without religion would the human race still find some sort of justification for every evil and selfish deed they desired to commit?
ABSOLUTELY!
In fact, without a belief in a higher power (outside of man himself), misery and oppression would be far greater than we have ever seen. Terror doesn’t come because of religion – it comes IN SPITE of religion, greed IN SPITE of religion, racial hatred IN SPITE of religion. Religion teaches us no turn the other cheek, deprive ourselves of things so that others may be blessed, love all mankind, treat others at least as well as we want to be treated – and so on and so on and so on. How can people blame a faith in these principals, and a God who established them, for behavior that is exactly the opposite of their aim? Well, we know how, of course, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Knowing what I now know and seeing what I now see – I think that if I were to totally lose my faith in God and become an atheist or agnostic, I would nevertheless be glad that most of the rest of humanity believes there is a real reason to resist evil and do good.
Let us not forget all the evil that has been done in the name of self. In the name of revenge. In the name of security. In the name of greed. In the name of fear. Let us not forget that environmental zeal has produced the violent and destructive Earth Liberation Front, that Darwinism fueled the Nazis and their concept of a master race, that the anti-war movement of the sixties produced the Weathermen (read about them from a reliable internet source), that the human-rights-violating murderous regimes within communism were atheistic and sought to foster an irreligious society.
Perhaps some would criticize the references I have just given and indicate that I am misguided, have incorrect information, and making flawed assumption and drawing weak parallels. As a Christian – I KNOW EXACTLY HOW THEY FEEL!
So to those who believe religion (and in America their favorite target is of course Christianity) is somehow the cause of all wars and oppression, and must become obsolete in order for man to move forward – I challenge you to reconsider. And I challenge you to remember the old Chinese proverb: Choose your enemy well, for he is who you will become. Be tolerant and accepting of people of faith, otherwise you will be intolerant and divisive like religious people have been. Be open-minded to the notion of a God, otherwise you will be narrow-minded and afraid of what the truth might really be - like religious people have been. Don’t speak of how “certain people” and their beliefs are dangerous, or you could become reactionary and eventually perhaps genocidal as religious people have been. Separate ideas from the people who espouse them, or you could become ignorant and judgmental as religious people have been.
My Christian brothers and sisters, Let’s not permit our sinful nature to rule our hearts. Let’s not try to mold God into our own selfish image. Let’s not try to get Him on OUR side. Let us cast off all our me-focused desires, worries, fears, anger, self-righteousness, pride, and lay them down at the cross. Let us endeavor in Christ to show the world that He who saved us from sin is loving, patient, righteous, caring, unafraid, wise, free from anger – by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in His ways and exemplifying the behavior He modeled for us on this Earth.
Grace and Peace to you all,
Stephen
My Christian brothers and sisters and I know that Jesus, not religion, is the way to truth. We all know that Christians have done horrible things in the name of Christ. We point to a spirit of religion that shifts our allegiance from the God of our faith to its institutions. This shift allows us to commit selfish and ungodly acts while laboring under the delusion that we are serving God. And so, Christians have perpetrated misery, pain, war, persecution and other manifestations of man’s sinful nature – all in the name of God.
But was it our faith? Did our “religion” (as the world sees it) actually inspire us to do evil? Is “religion” to blame? Many Christians would say yes to the latter. After all, the spirit of religion is not of God, so why shouldn’t it lead to sin. I maintain that a belief in a higher power, even one we Christians would label as “false,” is a direct result of our being created in the image of a higher power (God the Father) that we, mankind, are ever struggling to connect with. Unfortunately man has set off in the wrong direction, even Christians, and evil ensues. It is this selfish, self-reliant, self-serving, self-esteeming, self-defending tendency, not our faith in something better, that pushes us toward sin.
Consider these questions. Did the “bad” crusaders really act on a Word from God? Or did they act out of vengeance, love of war-making, greed, then justify their desires with religious reasoning. Prior to 1948 (the establishment of Israel as a state), did Muslim terrorists blow themselves up for Allah? Or was it only after outsiders moved in and ignited the very human flames of outrage, eye-for-an-eye justice and racial intolerance? Did early Americans really go to the Word in earnest meditation and hear God direct them that they should extend America’s borders all the way to the Pacific? Or did they simply covet the land and its resources for themselves until they found a religious way, Manifest Destiny, to accommodate their greed?
Now consider this question. If there had been no religion at all, just pure humanism and naturalism without any concept of a spiritual reality, would people still want to take what belongs to others? Would they flock together with their own kind and exclude others who are different? Would they lash out in fear or anger against their neighbors? Now here’s the big question: Without religion would the human race still find some sort of justification for every evil and selfish deed they desired to commit?
ABSOLUTELY!
In fact, without a belief in a higher power (outside of man himself), misery and oppression would be far greater than we have ever seen. Terror doesn’t come because of religion – it comes IN SPITE of religion, greed IN SPITE of religion, racial hatred IN SPITE of religion. Religion teaches us no turn the other cheek, deprive ourselves of things so that others may be blessed, love all mankind, treat others at least as well as we want to be treated – and so on and so on and so on. How can people blame a faith in these principals, and a God who established them, for behavior that is exactly the opposite of their aim? Well, we know how, of course, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Knowing what I now know and seeing what I now see – I think that if I were to totally lose my faith in God and become an atheist or agnostic, I would nevertheless be glad that most of the rest of humanity believes there is a real reason to resist evil and do good.
Let us not forget all the evil that has been done in the name of self. In the name of revenge. In the name of security. In the name of greed. In the name of fear. Let us not forget that environmental zeal has produced the violent and destructive Earth Liberation Front, that Darwinism fueled the Nazis and their concept of a master race, that the anti-war movement of the sixties produced the Weathermen (read about them from a reliable internet source), that the human-rights-violating murderous regimes within communism were atheistic and sought to foster an irreligious society.
Perhaps some would criticize the references I have just given and indicate that I am misguided, have incorrect information, and making flawed assumption and drawing weak parallels. As a Christian – I KNOW EXACTLY HOW THEY FEEL!
So to those who believe religion (and in America their favorite target is of course Christianity) is somehow the cause of all wars and oppression, and must become obsolete in order for man to move forward – I challenge you to reconsider. And I challenge you to remember the old Chinese proverb: Choose your enemy well, for he is who you will become. Be tolerant and accepting of people of faith, otherwise you will be intolerant and divisive like religious people have been. Be open-minded to the notion of a God, otherwise you will be narrow-minded and afraid of what the truth might really be - like religious people have been. Don’t speak of how “certain people” and their beliefs are dangerous, or you could become reactionary and eventually perhaps genocidal as religious people have been. Separate ideas from the people who espouse them, or you could become ignorant and judgmental as religious people have been.
My Christian brothers and sisters, Let’s not permit our sinful nature to rule our hearts. Let’s not try to mold God into our own selfish image. Let’s not try to get Him on OUR side. Let us cast off all our me-focused desires, worries, fears, anger, self-righteousness, pride, and lay them down at the cross. Let us endeavor in Christ to show the world that He who saved us from sin is loving, patient, righteous, caring, unafraid, wise, free from anger – by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in His ways and exemplifying the behavior He modeled for us on this Earth.
Grace and Peace to you all,
Stephen
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Introduction
Hello out there, fellow bloggers.
My name is Stephen Brannen. I'm a musician living in Colorado Springs with my beautiful wife and two adoreable daughters, plus a couple of furry feline beasts. By day (and sometimes night) I am a guitarist with The United States Air Force Academy Band. Music has always been my passion and occupation, but the Creator who gave me the gift is a pearl of much greater price. Nevertheless, I want you to hear my music and be blessed by it. That's part of the reason I started this blog.
The other reason I'm here is to bring to fruition my hidden life-long desire to communicate through words, in this case - to write. It's my father's fault - he's a preacher. Now he's blogging. Since I didn't follow in his footsteps to the pulpit, I'll try to make up fot it by following him onto blogspot. If you're reading this daddy - I love you!
I will try to keep everyone posted on my musical endeavors, while bringing what I hope to be enlightening prose to this corner of the web. Thank you for joining with me.
My name is Stephen Brannen. I'm a musician living in Colorado Springs with my beautiful wife and two adoreable daughters, plus a couple of furry feline beasts. By day (and sometimes night) I am a guitarist with The United States Air Force Academy Band. Music has always been my passion and occupation, but the Creator who gave me the gift is a pearl of much greater price. Nevertheless, I want you to hear my music and be blessed by it. That's part of the reason I started this blog.
The other reason I'm here is to bring to fruition my hidden life-long desire to communicate through words, in this case - to write. It's my father's fault - he's a preacher. Now he's blogging. Since I didn't follow in his footsteps to the pulpit, I'll try to make up fot it by following him onto blogspot. If you're reading this daddy - I love you!
I will try to keep everyone posted on my musical endeavors, while bringing what I hope to be enlightening prose to this corner of the web. Thank you for joining with me.
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