Aurelius Augustinus

Today, November 13 is St. Augustine's birthday, or so tradition holds. He was born in the year 354 in North Africa--present day Algeria.

Augustine's mother, Monica, was a strong Christian and wanted her son, above all things, to become a Christian. The young Augustine, however, was quite the opposite: he was an accomplished thief, liar, and eventually, an adulterer--as he took up a mistress whom he fathered a son with.

Despite rejecting Christianity at an early age, Augustine nonetheless contained a copy of Paul's epistles. Augustine was a student of rhetoric and philosophy and, thus, he was attracted to Paul's writings for such reasons, and not their spiritual content.

One day a man named Pontitian, a Christan who was an officer of the imperial household, visited Augustine, and Augustine's life, nor the world, would ever be the same.

As the story goes, Pontitian picked up a book off of Augustine's table and, seeing that it contained Paul's epistles, Pontitian related how Christ had changed his life and the lives of his friends. Two of his friends specifically decided to join a monastery and dedicate themselves to virginity. Such talk of sexual purity pierced at the very core of Augustine.

After Pontitian left, Augustine ran outside and threw himself on the ground beneath a fig tree, overcome by conviction. Suddenly, Augustine heard the words of a strange young girl singing simply "Take up and read." Augustine was convinced these were the very words of God. Augustine grabbed the epistles of Paul and his eyes fell upon Romans 13:13-14: "Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Augustine immediately went into his house and told his mother that her prayers had finally been answered. Augustine would later write that "instantly as I reached the end of this sentence, it was as if the light of peace was poured into my heart, and all the shades of doubt faded away."

Augustine went on to become the bishop of Hippo in North Africa and one of the greatest and most influential theologians the world has ever seen.


Soli Deo Gloria.

Columbus Day

Yesterday was Columbus Day, at least here in the United States. I can still recall the image that was painted, and still is, about Christopher Columbus and his epic voyage: he was in search of wealth and fame--via a new trade route to the East Indies--and nothing else.

Although wealth and fame might have been consequences of a newly discovered trade route to the East Indies, such things were not what drove Columbus to persistently petition for financial backing for a westerly voyage. Rather, Columbus considered his voyage to be a spiritual journey, one that the LORD had called him to embark upon: "With a hand that could be felt, the Lord opened my mind to the fact that it would be possible . . . and he opened my will to desire to accomplish that project. . . . The Lord purposed that there should be something miraculous in this matter of the voyage to the Indies.”

And so, Columbus set out on his journey in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and not in bondage to a lust for wealth and nobility as many textbooks would have us believe. My point here is not to say that Columbus was a perfect man--far from it--but to illustrate that Columbus believed that God had ordained his voyages of discovery and that God would do wonderful things for the church through his discoveries. Seeing as this post is being written in the USA, the latter appears to be true, if not the former also.

As Columbus wrote in the logbook of his first voyage "I hope in Our Lord that [my recent voyage] will be the greatest honor to Christianity that, unexpectedly, has ever come about."

For a good summation of why Columbus sailed, read this.


Soli Deo Gloria

Comprehensive Convictions

Hindu and Buddhist priests recently selected the newest incarnation of one of their gods. The selection was none other than a 3-year-old girl. I do not intend to "bash" the Hindus or the Buddhists, but rather use this illustration to bring light to the fact that Christianity is the only religion (including agnosticism and atheism) that explains the world around us in a comprehensive and intellectually honest manner. This principle should make sense to us, after all, as Christianity is the TRUTH about God and His creation.

This panel of priests selected the girl out of several applicants, and based their decision from reading the girl's horoscope, checking for physical imperfections--you must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth, skin, and have no scars. Also, the girl must not be afraid of the dark. To ensure this last criteria, the girl must spend a night alone in a room filled with slaughtered goats and buffaloes. Oh, and during this horrific encounter, the girl must show NO fear, otherwise she is not the true deity incarnated. Over the coming years, this poor child will remain in almost complete isolation. Of course, the deity leaves the child at the onset of menstruation, at which point she is free to go on about her "normal" life. Superstition holds that men who marry former deities die young, so most of these girls remain unmarried, not to mention the adjustment of coming from several years of isolation to the real world.

The fact that man is choosing the incarnation of his deity is troubling enough, but the criteria used in the selection process is even more deplorable. Some might say this is why religion in dangerous. To such a remark I answer that yes, falsereligion is dangerous; but true religion--Christianity--is life saving and central to having a consistent and meaningful life. How are we to judge what is "right" religion versus "wrong" religion? We do so based upon truth, reason, and the moral law written in all of our consciences. To bow away from this command is to sentence future girls like this unfortunate 3-year-old to a life of hardship.


Soli Deo Gloria

Bella

I heard much about this movie when it was released in 2007, but unfortunately I did not make it to see the film while it was still in theaters. Now that it is out on DVD, a friend recently loaned me his copy. As is not surprising from all of the acclaim this film has received, it is well worth viewing.

Here is the synopsis, from the Bella website:

"An international soccer star is on his way to sign a multi-million dollar contract when a series of events unfold that bring his career to an abrupt end. A beautiful waitress, struggling to make it in New York City, discovers something about herself that she's unprepared for. In one irreversible moment, their lives are turned upside down . . . until a simple gesture of kindness brings them both together, turning an ordinary day into an unforgettable experience."

This film presents a strong pro-life message, and shows the unique blessing that results from choosing not to abort.

Besides the pro-life theme that should resonate in all of our hearts, there were three other particular parts of the film that I appreciated.

First, in the opening sequence, the narrator's voice gives the following maxim: "My mother used to say that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."

Second, there is a scene where the two main characters are walking down a busy NY street, and they come across a homeless man. The man offers the couple a piece of origami art, to which one of the two main characters responds by explaining that she forgot her wallet. The blind man asks her to take the origami anyways, and in lieu of a monetary gift, asks her to describe what the sky looked like on that particular day.

Third, I appreciated that the authors of the script did not transform the two main characters' relationship from a budding friendship into a romantic relationship.

I recommend that you either go rent or buy this film. It has received much fanfare, and for good reason.


Soli Deo Gloria

Until Death Do Us Part

A recent article in the Washington Post, written by William Saletan, does a good job of exposing a current trend in the medical community: determining when "death" occurs for the purpose of harvesting organs.

According to Saletan, there is some fuzziness concerning whether a person is dead and, hence, the transplant surgeons can move in and take the organs of the declared deceased. When is a person dead? When the heart stops beating on its own? When the brain stops functioning? When one is in a persistent vegetative state? When one relies on a machine for life supporting functions?

Where do we draw the line, we often ask? The posture of this question, however, is the root of our predicament. On such foundational issues as life and death, humans ought not be drawing lines. Rather, we should endeavor to discover and understand the lines that God has already drawn. Our two primary aids in this endeavor are revelation and reason: neither working independent of the other.

The alternative--drawing our own lines--leads to the current predicament. Such a predicament, as Saletan reveals, is a increasing trend towards declaring a person dead sooner and sooner in the ballgame. The danger in this practice is obvious. But just as troubling is the lack of respect for human life that is being displayed by this practice.

The rationale given in support of a sooner-in-time death declaration is that the longer we wait to determine whether a person is actually dead or not reduces the efficacy of the organs that are harvested out of said person. I would be harder pressed to find a clearer expression of utilitarianism than what is contained in this rationale.

I am not surprised when I find veins of utilitarianism in our society, but finding it in the medical community, in those we depend upon in life-threatening situations, is especially troubling.

In matters of life and death, our premise must be the image of God, and not whether one can contribute to society.


Soli Deo Gloria

The Law as a Teacher

If it’s legal, it’s okay. This mentality pervades much of our society—whether it is abortion, sexual relations outside of matrimony, wearing a t-shirt with an expletive on it, or a host of activities that are not prohibited by law.

Through the law given to Moses and the natural law, we have an innate tendency to associate law with morality. Indeed, many of our laws are premised on moral principles—murder (do not kill), theft (do not steal), etc. But, what about laws that are not premised on morality? Or, worse yet, what about laws that are premised on immoral principles?

It is in such situations that the mentality of “if it’s legal, it’s okay” becomes problematic. At a minimum this reminds us of the significant role that lawmakers fulfill. But I am more concerned with our youth. Growing up with a particular set of laws creates a tendency to be lackadaisical in analyzing such laws. This is why it is important that we teach ourselves and our children to think independently and critically.

The law does not create what is right. What is right exists independently of the laws of any nation.

Soli Deo Gloria.

A Child or a Parasite?

Pregnancy. It is a time of jubilation for some and yet a time of vexation for others. Pro-life for some and yet pro-abortion for others. The abortion debate has been raging for many decades in America and it does not appear to be relenting any time soon. Is "it" a child, a human being, an image bearer of God? Or is "it" a mere fetus, an obstacle to obtaining greater economic and social "freedom"? There is much boisterous disagreement on this point.

But how do our laws view unborn children? Surely if there is consistency anywhere in society, it is in the law. Yet, even the laws that govern our everyday lives seemed to be confused on this foundational question.

Many states have the following law (or some version thereof), which can cause the defendant's sentence to be increased: "During the course of the commission of the offense, the death of an unborn child at any stage of its development occurred." So, for example, if you rob a woman who happens to be 1 month pregnant, and you cause her to lose her child as a result of the robbery, then it is possible that your sentence would be increased as a result--and rightfully so.

BUT, this very same woman may walk down the street and obtain a legally sanctioned abortion. The end result for the unborn child is the same: death. Yet we punish the one act and celebrate and voraciously defend the other.

Where's the consistency? I'm afraid the inconsistency is not with the law, but those whom are subject to the law--the people. You and I. I will post this blog entry and go on about my life. You will read it and your mind will soon wander to the busyness of life. We shutter at the atrocious practice, yet we live our lives as though it doesn't exist. Until we are actually moved to action, I'm afraid our words and ideas become like mere water droplets of morning dew, whisked away by the first rays of the dawning sun.


Soli Deo Gloria.

Strawberries

Strawberries.

Just a few days ago I was slicing some fresh strawberries when I was reminded of God.

It was not some random thought. And it was not because of their vibrant color; nor their savory sweetness; and not because of their eyeful elegance.

Rather, it was the scent of the strawberries that reminded me of our Creator. Their scent was simply marvelous.

Why the scent you say? This is precisely the question I asked.

How could a simple piece of fruit awaken in me such a sensuous feeling? After all, if I were but a mere biological creature, why would the scent of a single strawberry produce a feeling of joy? The answer, I realized, is that it could not -- at least if I were a mere homo sapien. For, I am much more than a mere grouping of cells, H2O, and electrical currents. I am created in the image of God. And, as a result, man has the ability to find joy in areas that he otherwise could not.

Like strawberries.

Soli Deo Gloria.

On The Waterfront

On The Waterfront is a 1954 black & white film starring Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Rod Steiger. It was directed by Elia Kazan and produced by Sam Spiegel. The film won 8 Academy Awards, including best picture, best actor (Brando), best actress in a supporting role (Saint), and best director (Kazan).

This film truly lives up to the hype. It has one of the most famous scenes in all of film history, the clip of which is included below.

The film has some great themes, including: gathering the courage to stand up against evil, standing up for others, integrity triumphing easy money, adhering to one's conscience to turn from evil and choose good.

Below is a passionate speech given by the character Father Barry. He gives the speech after arriving at the scene of a murdered man named Kayo Nolan, who was killed by the mob. The killing took place at the waterfront; i.e., at the docks where the workers labor, which is the workforce the mob has a stranglehold on. The speech may be a bit lengthy for a blog, but it is well worth the read:

Father Barry: "I came down here to keep a promise. I gave Kayo my word that if he stood up to the mob I'd stand up with him all the way. Now Kayo Nolan is dead. He was one of those fellows who had the gift of getting up. But this time they fixed him good— unless it was an accident like Big Mac says.

"Some people think the Crucifixion only took place on Calvary. They better wise up. Taking Joey Doyle's life to stop him from testifying is a crucifixion— Dropping a sling on Kayo Nolan because he was ready to spill his guts tomorrow— that's a crucifixion. Every time the mob puts the crusher on a good man— tries to stop him from doing his duty as a citizen— it's a crucifixion.

"And anybody who sits around and lets it happen, keeps silent about something he knows has happened—shares the guilt of it just as much as the Roman soldier who pierced the flesh of Our Lord to see if He was dead."

A voice cries out to Father Barry: "Go back to your church, Father."

Father Barry responds: "Boys, this is my church. If you don't think Christ is here on the waterfront, you got another guess coming. And who do you think He lines up with?

"Every morning when the hiring boss blows his whistle, Jesus stands alongside you in the shape-up. He sees why some of you get picked and some of you get passed over. He sees the family men worrying about getting their rent and getting food in the house for the wife and kids. He sees them selling their souls to the mob for a day's pay.

"What does Christ think of the easy-money boys who do none of the work and take all of the gravy? What does He think of these fellows wearing hundred-and-fifty-dollar suits and diamond rings—on your union dues and your kickback money? How does He feel about bloodsuckers picking up a longshoreman's work tab and grabbing twenty percent interest at the end of a week?

"How does He, who spoke up without fear against evil, feel about your silence?

"You want to know what's wrong with our waterfront? It's love of a lousy buck. It's making love of a buck— the cushy job— more important than the love of man. It's forgetting that every fellow down here is your brother in Christ."

As Father Barry's voice rises to a climax: "But remember, fellows, Christ is always with you—Christ is in the shape-up, He's in the hatch—He's in the union hall— He's kneeling here beside Nolan and He's saying with all of you: 'If you do it to the least of mine, you do it to me!' What they did to Joey, what they did to Nolan, they're doing to you. And you. And YOU. And only you, with God's help, have the power to knock 'em off for good! Amen."


Here is the famous scene between Terry (Brando's character) and Terry's brother, particularly the last two minutes of the clip:









Soli Deo Gloria

Victory

A cliche' is a common thought or idea that has lost its originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse. The fact that an idea or saying is cliche', however, does nothing to effect its truth value.

"There is victory in Jesus." This saying may constitutes a cliche'--it can be heard in hundreds of pulpits and from the lips of a thousand children of God--but over the last couple of weeks this concept has been present in my thoughts; and, it is especially appropriate on the day that we celebrate the risen Messiah.

There truly is power in Christ's saving grace. Through Christ, we finally have power over sin. Yet, we live in a society where the prevailing worldview is that mankind has the capability of bootstrapping itself into utopia. Thus, the concept that we have actual victory in Jesus--as real as any victory in war, as real as any victory in a sporting event, as real as life itself--is foreign to most, despite the fact that this saying has perhaps become a cliche'.

To be free from sin and to have the ability to pursue righteousness through Christ is of infinite worth. I have experienced real victory through Christ, not just the victory over death that I will experience after this life has expired, but real victory in this present moment.

For the lyrics to the old hymn, click here. Turn up your sound if you care to hear an accompanying organ rendition.


Soli Deo Gloria

Reward = Merit?

It has occurred to me that it is impossible to deduce merit from reward. Simply because a person is the recipient of a reward does not mean he or she earned it. The world is full of people who have received a reward and yet are undeserving of such a reward: beneficiaries of family estates come readily to mind, as do winning lottery ticket holders and game show contestants.

This is not to say that such people should be looked down upon for their having received a reward they did not merit. Rather, it is an observation of the world we live in; but, more fundamentally, it is a spiritual truth based in reality: through Christ's redeeming act of crucifixion and resurrection, we are now privy to a reward that we have not, and indeed cannot, merit. In fact, this principle underlies the concept of salvation by grace as opposed to that of works.


Soli Deo Gloria

Which Deserves the Uppercase "T": truth or tolerance?

Truth and tolerance can occupy the same universe. Yet, if forced to choose, which would you take as your guiding principle? The choice seems obvious, yet there are many who have chosen tolerance as the trump card.

By tolerance let us assume the following definition from the American Heritage Dictionary: The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.

Now, ought we to be tolerant and strive for tolerance? Certainly. But at the sake of truth? Certainly not. This ordering of principles (tolerance trumping truth) seems absurd, but it is one that has been caught in the web of many American minds/worldviews.

Perhaps the best spiritual example of this worldview is Unitarian Universalism, or Unitarianism. The cornerstone of Unitarianism is not truth, but tolerance. One might say THE truth of Unitarianism is tolerance. Unitarian Universalism does not require its members to adhere to a specific set of beliefs. Rather, Unitarian "churches" are facilitators for the spiritual quests of its members. Thus, one can be an atheist, agnostic, buddhist, christian, wiccan, or any other religion and call Unitarian Universalism home. Of course, what this really amounts to is the absence of truth claims and the promotion of tolerance.

I prefer the harsh reality of truth, even if it means I am living contrary to it, than the warm embrace of tolerance. The two are not mutually exclusive, but we should take a closer look in order to examine in which camp we most often cast our lot. Tolerance is important because of the freedom it brings through the free flow of ideas. But what good is freedom if we must ignore the truth? Perhaps this is not freedom at all.


Soli Deo Gloria

Liberal Arts Degree

In my previous post, I stated that the purpose of education is to train students to be better servants of Christ. It is to this end, I belief, that a true liberal arts education should propound us, especially at the university level. A liberal arts education offers a broad base of knowledge--spanning such topics as history, philosophy, mathematics, theology, the sciences, the classics, and even music and art. Essentially, the liberal arts education introduces its students to the world, both past and present. It is not, however, designed to make the student an expert in all areas of knowledge. Rather, it enables the student to acquire the advanced skills needed in order to think critically and independently, as well as to dig deeper into the work of previous generations.

Contrary to current thought, the purpose of pursuing and obtaining a liberal arts education is not to obtain a better, higher paying job. Rather, a liberal arts education equips you with a broad base of knowledge, a diversity of knowledge if you will, which enables you to tackle a set of diverse and complex situations; i.e., it enables you to tackle life.The prevailing spirit amongst most university students is that one ought to attend university "for the experience." This mentality coupled with the belief that the purpose of education is to help one get ahead in life, has led to our current predicament where education is nothing more than a mere commodity.

The statistic that 80% of college graduates will not enter the profession in which they majored should not signal defeat for us as educators. Rather, this statistic should not be surprising, given the real purpose behind a liberal arts education. I majored in mathematics, yet I am no mathematician. My undergraduate institution did not fail by my not having secured a vocation as a mathematician. Rather, my training in mathematics, as well as the training I received by taking classes in a host of other disciplines, has fueled my ability to excel in other, more important areas of life, regardless of whether I can still prove the fundamental theorem of calculus (or for the more visual, click here). This ability is what made my undergraduate training a success. This ability, by His grace, affords me the opportunity to become a better servant of Christ. This should be the aim of every learning institution.


Soli Deo Gloria

Education

What is the purpose of education? This question has been heavy in my mind for some time. In our culture, it seems, that those who attend college and obtain a degree are viewed as being of higher value or have more self worth than those who choose not to attend college. In fact, most would say that the purpose of education is to train you for your career; and, a related purpose: to help you obtain a job that pays more cold, hard cash.

While I was in undergrad I can recall being told that close to 80% of college graduates "do not even use their degree." In other words, they enter a field that is unrelated to the field they majored. It never occurred to me at the time, but this stat is of little consequence to the true purpose of education, at least at the college level and below (graduate and professional programs have a different aim than undergraduate institutions).

America places a high value on education, and rightfully so. Yet, we do so for often the wrong reasons. As parents, we encourage our children to attend college because we believe they will, essentially, become better people (this, of course, couldn't be further from the truth at many schools, where the dominant worldview destroys rather than enriches a young mind, supplanting hope with skepticism). We believe that by sending our children to college they will get better jobs, higher paying jobs, and, hence, they will be happier. If these are our beliefs, then we have failed as parents.

The ultimate purpose of education is to prepare students to become better servants of Christ. This should be the foremost guiding principle both as parents and educators. I shall develop this point more in my next post.


Soli Deo Gloria

Blaise Pascal

I have recently been reading some of the writings of Blaise Pascal. His On the Conversion of the Sinner beautifully captures the contradiction that is in the heart of the sinner, and the deep dissatisfaction that is present in the soul that are a part of the "first stirrings" that God causes:

"The soul can no longer serenely enjoy the things that captivated it. Constant scruples attack the soul in its pleasure, and because of this introspection it no longer finds the usual sweetness in the things to which it once abandoned itself blithely with an overflowing heart.

"But the soul finds more bitterness in the disciplines of holiness than in the futilities of the world. On the one hand, the presence of visible things seems more powerful than the hope of the things unseen; on the other hand, the permanence of things unseen moves it more than does the frivolity of visible things. And thus, the presence of the one and the constancy of the other fight for the soul's affection; the emptiness of the one and the absence of the other awaken its disgust.

"The soul considers mortal things as already dying and even as already dead. It is terrified by this realization, this certainty of the annihilation of all that it loves as the ticking by of each moment snatches away the pleasure at hand; it is terrified when all that is dearest slips away into nothingness at every moment, and by the certainty that there will come a day when all the sweet things of this earth will be gone, and the soul will be destitute of the things it placed its trust in."

Great Shorter Works of Pascal 118 (Cailliet, Emile & Blankenagel, John C., trans., Greenwood Press 1948).


Soli Deo Gloria

Mere Fishermen

I was recently reading through Phillip Schaff's Volume I: History of the Christian church (or get the full text for free here). He puts forth an interesting thought, which I will summarize:

One of the most foretelling indicators that the message of the gospel is of a supernatural origin is by comparing the depth of the message with the capabilities of the messengers. The latter were mere fisherman, uneducated and never having been outside of Palestine. How could they possibly construct the message of the gospel, with its deep and timeless truths, and effectively communicate it?

The only plausible explanation is a supernatural inspiration.


Soli Deo Gloria

My-way vs. Yah-weh

I have come to realize that spiritual desires and needs are spurned in us by God and they are only capable of being fulfilled by God.

For example, we all recognize that there is a need for prayer in our walk with the LORD. If my prayer life is lacking, I often feel a need to pray more. Yet, this desire to pray more can only be fulfilled by God.

In other words, instead of saying to myself "I need to pray more", I ought to say "God, give me the desire to pray more". Then, when we obtain our desire to pray more, it is a result of God's grace and blessing--which is long lasting as opposed to attempting to achieve it on one's own, which is short lived at best.







Soli Deo Gloria