kick.against.the.goads

Taxman

2009-05-04T13:49:00.001-07:00

Taxman
Originally uploaded by thomasw_

This is now finally done. I hope we will have enough coming back for our summer plans.

Some more photos of buddies

2009-04-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Some buddies on a bench:>

and another of the Q at Nomeansno:>

And yet more here.

smugmug

2007-08-10T23:54:00.000-07:00

Some of my photography is hosted here. If you are interested in my efforts, feel free to check it out and offer up your impressions in the form of a comment.

imagery for victor

2007-07-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

When friends are not around to help one another bear burdens it is a shame; something seems out of keel. I have decided to post these shots for my friend victor; if she sees these I hope they will put a smile on her face and let her know we are thinking about her fondly.

neighbourhood shots

2007-06-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

I hope this field won't flood during the freshet! I like to check out the cattle in this field. Against the backdrop of Golden Ears and the Salmon R., the cattle in this field have a posh existence.

Luke likes to do chin ups on this apple tree branch. Currently he does 3 sets of 10. Though I love this apple tree for the shade it provides, clearly it does have other functions.

We are so thankful for our patio. It may not look like much to you, but it is a delight for Ramone and I and our friends.

free-sleep movement

2007-05-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

I hope you can see the humour in this; the Q pointed me toward this flick and it made me chuckle. Enjoy...and go for it...have a snooze!

Be Ferocious: a recipe for the Canucks in Game 7

2007-04-23T13:06:00.001-07:00

Below is an inspiring image for the Canucks tonight. Scott Stevens is taking a solid hit against a guy carrying the puck. Vancouver needs to do more of this sort of thing against Dallas tonight.

It is good to see the results of being ferocious against an enemy; this is what we need to see more of in the game tonight: discheveled Dallas defenders. Eric Lindros had his bell rung by Scott Stevens; note the 'get me out of here' look peering out from under the helmut? Well, we want to replicate that look among the Dallas Stars tonight.

And lastly, for still more inspiration and to show the Canucks what must be done tonight, here are Scott Steven's Top 10 hits:>

Visiting face to face...

2007-04-18T18:38:00.000-07:00

Behave or we will come over to clean your windows.

Luongo, the PK and a sad Turco

2007-04-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver Canucks are now one win away from moving on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoff. I think being 3-1 up in a best of seven series with Luongo in net bodes well. The Canucks must maintain their intensity against Dallas, however. I recall the Canucks being up 3-1 in games against the Wild in 2003, and losing game 5 at home and then succumbing in the series. No such loosening of the reins this time: as a fan I want to see some more of this:>

And, to be sure, the fans would like to see more of this; as much as the Canucks can produce:>

Do not have tears for Turco, as he is accustomed to failure in playoff situations. This will be just another walk in the playoffs for this sad, very rich goalie.

The Q and the wildManlyman do Pascha!

2007-04-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

No words needed here, the joy of paschal feasting is clearly evident! I wish a joyous Bright Week to the few and courageous who check out my blog!

As an aside: what is enjoyed most during Bright Week? Is it drink, is it the meat, the cheese, the chocolate? Or is it the festive company? Think about that. There are some interesting implications in how we answer.

Tomorrow I am going to start preparing to spend Thomas Sunday up at Hemlock, feasting and smoking the paschal pipe. I am looking forward to doing a whole lot of nothing in particular.

The trampling of death

2007-04-07T19:46:00.003-07:00

So tonight I will celebrate the desolation of death, the trampling down of death. This is so good that it surpasses words, but being a non-artistic man I have no alternative way to express myself other than through my limited words. The image I have chosen concerns a battle with a demon, in this case Gandalf's enemy from the ancient realm, a balrog. I think Christ going down to hell and vanquishing it would have been even more harsh than Gandalf's battle; just think how cool that will be to learn about in the coming life! Christ's victory over death allows us to smile at our demons and twig their noses. Christ's victory allows me to point out that even death has no sting for those holding to Christ's very great promise.

Yes tonight even I will sing of Christ's glorious resurrection; where He tramples down death by His own death, hoodwinking the demons and mocking the sting of hell. O what else matters?

The processional hymn we sing gives the clue:

Your Resurrection, O Christ our Saviour,
The angels in heaven sing,
Enable us on earth to glorify You
In purity of heart.

Thus the answer to what matters: to give God His due. Note: no mention is made about how agreeable this will be for us; there is merely an indication that we must glorify Him, and that His trampling of death affords us an opportunity to do this with a pure heart. This is useful to know, for the beating those demonic forces received must have been incredible and smashing. So the time now is a sort of clean up battleground where the skirmishes are part of that ungodly fallout. Thus tonight I will go to Church keeping in my mind that I must continue to fight my own balrog.

Ah, balrog, you haven't learned the futility of kicking against the goads of God! For He is Risen indeed!

Things around me

2007-03-22T19:27:00.001-07:00

Often I get email requests to post about things I photograph. So this post will be about the miscellaneous things around me that I shoot.

This first snapshot is of some gerberas that Ramone has a fondness for. I used a 13cm focal length lens to zoom in on the flower heads; I am rather satisfied with the composition. These flowers are currently gracing our kitchen island.

This second snapshot is of my favourite subject, the old apple tree bordering the patio in my backyard. This is a close up of the trunk. I am fascinated endlessly by this tree. From different angles, in different light and weather conditions, etc., this tree has so many faces, as do most trees. There is a good reason the Psalmist claims that even trees sing of God's glory, and this may well be why great minds like Tolkein's have seen trees as having characteristics such as wisdom and serenity. If you look hard enough into the depth of field bokeh in this shot, you can just make out the Ent-like face that this tree possesses. If I were naming this face, I would call him 'Norbert', as he seems rather too stodgy; of course the irony is that I find Norbert fascinating.

This next shot is of a row of well-tended garlic sprouts. The eldery gentleman lives alongside Nathan Creek, a small tributary of the mighty Fraser R., and he takes very diligent care of his little garden. He has 40 year old bamboo trees shading his property from harsh wind and blistering summer sunshine.

What would a post like this be without a snapshot of my husky, Echo? It has been terribly rainy these last three weeks, but two days ago I went out walking in the glorious sunshine on a dyke beside the Fraser R. and took this picture of Echo after he had been in Nathan Creek chasing a blue heron to no avail. Sometime I hope to get a good snapshot of a blue heron.

All of these shots were take on my Leica M3 and 50mm Summicron lens with 400ISO film. I had them developed and scanned to a CD for me at London Drugs.

Orr and the jetsam of my mind

2007-03-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

There has not been a better defenceman in hockey than Bobby Orr. This is an important truth to bear in mind if you are a canuck. Our homeland raised up the closest thing to the platonic form of defenceman; we have every reason to be glad and delight in his prodigious achievements! Orr makes me want to stand up and sing O Canada; Orr makes me want to eat nuts; Orr is a warrior and a humble manly man. Enough about Orr for the time being, suffice it to write that Bobby Orr was a poet with a hockey stick!

300 is not for little kids, but it is for manly men and women. On a number of different levels the film was so very fine. First it deals with spiritual challenges and warfare. My favourite line was spoken by King Leonidas when he explained to his fellow warriors "...there will be no surrender or going back." For we who battle together against the enemies of our souls this is no less true. However much the goal of our walk is peace and joy, the reality now is that we are at war; and this war requires men and women to battle even to the death. 300 teaches us that we ought never to shirk this duty; it goes further indeed: the story implies that it is a honour to fight for what we do, that it brings glory. Now admittedly the glories we tend toward are different than in the story, but the principle is easily transposed to our type of glory and warfare. It is indeed a hard lesson many do shirk all too easily in our age, and thus it is good to have the idea stressed in this story. Toward the powers of this age: no retreat, no giving in. Orthodox mothers should teach this notion to their babies from the beginning; in the next point we will see why.

Secondly the battle mocks death. Mocking death is highly underrated in movies and amongst those who watch them. This has to do with a death-denial attitude quite prevalent in our secular environs; but this is not for us, we should smile and make cracks at death. Of course the Spartans under Leonidas had less reason than we to do so, which of course makes it all the more impressive that, when the 300 warriors are told by 5000 Persians to put down their weapons, we hear Leonidas mockingly reply, "Come and get them!" When death is mocked, such a thing makes the manly man in me delight.

Thirdly it tells of manliness. This was my best friend's favourite line in the show. While a Persian messenger is offended because the Spartan Queen had the nerve to address him, she defends herself by stating that "only Spartan women give birth to men." We can transpose this too. Just as the implication in the script is that other women merely give birth to males or females, not manly humans; we also can and should claim that only Orthodox women give birth to christ-bearing men who will fight against the principalities -- other women give birth to merely engendered humans. This gives us a fresh take on raising spiritual warriors, martyrs and defenders of the faith.

There are numerous other good lessons to take from 300 that could be helpful, especially about the nature of evil in the world, of our passions and the perversity possible in human nature. But these will suffice for now.

Q's wife, Stephan0s

2007-03-17T17:40:00.002-07:00

Tonight we are heading over to dine at the Qs. Stephanie is celebrating her birthday and we are more than happy to engage in the festivities, especially if any of the festivities involve eating non-Lenten chow. This year I have been quite strict in my Lenten observance of the fasting rules; but there is definitely a time to throw them aside. For was it not said, analogously about the Sabbath, that the fast was made for man, not man for the fast?

As happens when the more perfect comes along, we move toward it, putting aside what was less perfect; so this is the case with friendship and giving thanks. Inasmuch as the Lenten fast is a good means, the more perfect end of a celebrating and giving thanks for a friend's life takes precedence. My God taught much the same in regard to His own presence. So tonight I look forward to giving thanks for Stephanie's life! Ah, it is good to give thanks unto the Lord...indeed. Yes it is true that most of what we do involves taking a leap of faith. But one must weigh the evidence and discern what is and what ought to be; this is my hope for the wife of the Q!

God grant you may years, health and all the joy of salvation, StephanOs!

buddies

2007-03-15T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ramone has a solid relationship with our kids. The snapshot I took of her and our son shows two buddies having a chuckle. Luke's a big guy; just look at his 11 year old hands and size 9 feet for proof. He is now the same height as Ramone; I think in the photo Ramone had shoes on and Luke didn't. I am glad Ramone has a good relationship with Hannah and Luke. Sadly my relationship with Hannah and Luke is very much that of an enforcer; sometimes I think they see me as the angry, frustrated Dad. Well, that is partially true. There are a few important things that portrait misses though. But this entry isn't about my relationship with our kids. I intend to give thanks here for the deep, friendly and caring relationship that Ramone has developed with our kids. Ramone is not a flamboyant person, so her appeal to our kids is not based on how cool she is. Rather it is based on her geniune care for -- and interest in -- their daily activities and lives. Almost every evening Ramone goes and talks about the day's events with the kids while they are getting ready for bed; she takes an interest in their TV show; she talks to them about their friends. I am so glad that Ramone can do these things with such love and sincerity; and our kids know they can trust in her to be this way.

Though I have entitled this entry "buddies", I should emphasize that Ramone is not viewed as a 'friend' by our kids; she is still very much an authority figure to them. I wish I could find a way to be more like Ramone is as a parent while still being me.

Some of you might be interested in browsing Luke's new blog.

crocus snapshot

2007-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Today Hannah is sick and I am home taking care of her, although this function requires very little in the way of nursing skills. Outside the weather is lovely; a welcome change from the rainy, chilly wetness we have endured recently. Though I don't look forward to cutting the lawn weekly, I do long for the spring time weather and light. This snapshot I took on Saturday of the first flowers of spring can give us reassurance that the seasonal tide is shifting.

I am so glad to be able to rest at home through Spring Break. I dedicate this snapshot to Ramone because she loves the first signs of Spring.

more battles and the violent archers

2007-03-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

So today I met with my daughter's teachers to establish some hardcore organizational routines she will have imposed on her in the third term. The little Bohannahs is a bright kid but lacks motivation; she defaults to the easy way, as she is a slacker par excellence. This needs to be curbed if she is to fight demons successfully.

In other news, I rode my new blue two wheeled stallion out to battle my legion of demons again; I met with another arse of woe and a lot of direct wind in my face. I found it cold down along the river today. The ride was very slow for me, but I beat down my laziness and wounded the slacker-demon with my laughter and fortitude.

Also I recovered two old cameras this afternoon; I stripped the old damaged leather off of them and put a new leather covering on them: I am very satisfied with the job, even though I stabbed my left index finger while doing the work. Have you heard of the Violent Archers? They have a couple of very good tunes worth checking out if you care to listen to what I like: "Coordinates" and "End of Part I" provide decent listening for those with thirsty ears.

More Lenten Games...

2007-03-12T16:02:00.001-07:00

:::Listening to "Gore Veil" by The Deadly Snakes:::

As one of my students recently brought to my attention, many songs seem to go with certain scenes in our lives. Examples could be multiplied to illustrate this. So be forewarned that to appreciate the fullness of this post, a reader should surf over to radio3.cbc.ca and tune in this wonderful song. You might want to read the previous post for some sense of what I am getting at. Blaise Pascal would like this post...I think.

So today I rode my 23km route along River Road to further my ascetic approach to life. And as I was riding along, I thought to myself, "this ride is killing my arse" and "what a game life is"; also the irony of my lenten struggles gave me time to laugh and cough at the recent struggles my wife and I have been through. So in the suffering of a woeful arse and a sadly depleted lung volume, I had to smile at my lot. I have had two bikes stolen, a car stolen and found, a huge income tax payment all come upon me in the last two weeks. What kind of game is this? And make no mistake it is a game: and I must play. So until I lose my ability to choose, I will play the game. And today I learned about the importance of smiling in the game.

The game has been rolling since my birth, but today I realized that I have been thrust into this game without my choice. This caused me some initial agitation, but the fact remains: I can now. I have no choice but to play the game now; even choosing not to play would be how one would play. Thus today I played the ascetic game and I did battle against some badass demon or demons; and today I know I made some progress for I heard him whince as the blade of my smile went "KUNCH" into his thigh. For you must understand that I learned a small truth today about my enemies: that laughing in the face of woe frustrates the demon a little. For what are we for but to take joy and smile at things? It is important to bear in mind the correlation between smiling and joy. They seem to be linked like people and love; for without other people how could we love? So without joy how could we smile? As we were created for joy, so we are meant to smile at the experience of joy however faint. Accordingly that is the whole point of the game and the badass demons don't want us to do what we are created to do. I found it to be quite simple in that one moment of clarity while my saddle-sore arse was complaining and my lungs wanted more air: I played my trump card. I thought to the demon: do as you may, give it your best, but today I laugh at you, at your attempts to make me give up, for today I will smile back at you and chuckle as I keep peddling, I will die laughing if it comes to that. Yes, I know you have had your way with me before, but not today...not now. I laugh at whatever you bring, even a flat tire: I will carry this brand new bike over my shoulders and I shall run...today I smile back at you, today you have no sting that will bring me down.

Simple as it may seem I did laugh and smile all the way home.

So tomorrow I am going out again to face my demons on my blue two-wheeled stallion. Of course I know they will regroup and attack me differently...but can't I learn to laugh at the misfortune they may test me with on another beach head of my life? I shall see and I may fail indeed; but today I smiled at woe, even at death: there is only one cure for annoyances, things that irritate, depress you --- smile right back at them and refuse not to laugh. Remember the game and fight against those who would keep us from smiling. I will remember what I am made to do.

I will try to keep these things to mind during the rest of this particular part of the game called Lent.

Paschal Games

2007-03-08T18:13:00.000-08:00

Peter Leithart wrote this following article, and it is useful to read such things during Lent, our biggest Orthodox 'game'.

The anonymous alliterative Middle English poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is one of the gems of Western medieval literature. It gives a colorful portrait of court life, of heaped tables fringed with silk, knights and ladies in stately order, “velvet carpets, embroidered rugs, studded with jewels as rich as an emperor’s ransom.” Its attention to detail is remarkable. It is a rare poet who sees poetic possibilities in butchering a deer, but the Gawain poet lingers over the slaughter for thirty fascinating lines. Above all, as several of my students have emphasized to me recently, what marks the poem is its tone of utter and undiluted jollity. Everything in the poem is turned into sport, and friendly sport at that.

The sporting begins when Christmas festivities at Camelot are interrupted by the appearance of a strange knight, green from head to toe, who rides his green horse into Arthur’s hall and challenges the famed knights of the round table to join him in a bit of fun, “a Christmas sport for the season.” As it turns out, the game is a decapitation contest: one of Arthur’s knights is asked to swipe an axe at the Green Knight, and the Green Knight will have his chance to return the blow during the holiday season the following year, at his Green Chapel. Not surprisingly, the offer is greeted with stunned silence, until Arthur agrees to take up the gauntlet. Sir Gawain is unwilling to put his liege in danger, and quickly volunteers in his place. He chops off the Green Knight’s head, which rolls under the table where the knights kick it around like a football. But the greatest marvel is still to come: in a scene of bizarre comedy, the Green Knight picks up his head, mounts his horse, and then the head opens its eyes to say, in essence, “See you next year.”

When the next Christmas season draws near, Gawain sets out on his quest. He arrives at a castle, where he is immediately challenged to another game. While the lord hunts, Gawain stays behind at the castle, and they agree that at the end of each day, they will exchange their winnings. The lord returns each day with his kill-a fox pelt, a wild boar, the meat from a deer. Gawain, meanwhile, lolls around in bed and is visited by the lady of the house, who kisses him each day. In the evening, the lord hands over his goods, and Gawain kisses him. On the third day of his stay, the lady gives Gawain a green belt, which she claims will protect him from the Green Knight’s blow, but Gawain doesn’t turn the belt over to his host. This is the moral center of the poem: since Gawain breaks his word out of fear of death, he fails to live up to the code of a knight.

Yet the poem does not end tragically. When the fateful day arrives, Gawain faces the Green Knight (who, as the reader has suspected, is the lord of the castle). The Green Knight takes a few swipes, but takes only a nick from Gawain’s neck (the charming Middle English word is “nirt”), as punishment for keeping the green belt to himself. Though Gawain experiences some mild shame at his failure, the Green Knight dismisses it and lets Gawain return home. When Arthur’s knights hear the tale, they laugh off Gawain’s error, and all the knights agree that they will wear the green belt in turns as a sign of solidarity. Gawain may have acted in unknightly fashion, but it does not affect his standing or reputation at all. All is sport, and any violations of the rules are cheerfully forgiven.

Whether it’s decapitation, seduction, or a knight breaking his oath, the poem is pervaded by an air of light joviality and playfulness. Little is taken seriously, including the reality of sin and the probability of death. Not even the headless horseman is fearsome: as they watched the Green Knight ride away carrying his head, “Arthur and Gawain grinned at the joke, and laughed at the green man,” as if he were some harmless leprechaun. The same point can be made from the other direction: what’s missing from this poem of knights and ladies is precisely what you expect from a poem of knights and ladies-tournaments, jousts, damsels in distress, combat to the death, all that Walter-Scottish stuff and nonsense. The poet tells us briefly that Gawain encountered the standard adventures and adversities on his way to the Green Chapel, but he passes over them in a few lines, so eager is he to get Gawain to the castle and his next game.

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” is hardly typical of medieval romance, which can be as full of illicit sex and edge-of-the-seat adventure as any contemporary film. But the very existence of the poem is testimony to the achievement of Western Christendom. That a civilization should produce such a “hero” and such a “heroic” poem says something profound about the character of that civilization.

Comparison with the heroes of antiquity is especially striking. For Achilles and other Homeric heroes, life affords a few passing moments during which the hero has a chance to achieve immortality. Every hero knows he will die, and soon, and knows too that the world of shades holds no attraction. If he is going to survive, he must live and die so as to achieve an eternal reputation. Man-killing Achilles, as Auden said, “will not live long,” but if he leaves mountains of corpses on the battlefield during his brief life, at least his name will endure. Similarly, the worst fate that Odysseus can imagine is death, alone, without witnesses or glory, floating on a plank of his ship in the open sea. Lives of ancient heroes were infused with a palpable anxiety that life would not provide sufficient opportunity for immortality, and this heroic mentality did not die with the last of the ancient warriors. The “cosmic resignation” (Paul Tillich) of the Stoic was ultimately a Socratic resignation before death, and the apparent joy of the Epicurean “eat, drink, and be merry” was a philosophy of life only because it was followed by “for tomorrow we die.” Ancient warrior culture is a culture built on the fear of death.

In “Gawain,” by contrast, there is no fear of death, and the games, unlike the agonistic sports of the ancient heroes, are just games, without ultimate consequence. Something happened between the Iliad and “Sir Gawain,” something that left a profound mark on the Western soul, something that no amount of political or social change can account for. Somehow, sometime, a shadow lifted, and in the light of day, men and women began to play, and play joyfully, in the face of death. Somehow, somewhere, men (especially men) learned to smile and even, like Hamlet’s gravediggers, sing at the edge of their graves. This is more than a variation on Epicurean hedonism, with its frenetic efforts to cheat death. It is something new, something that allows men to admit the inevitability of death, and to relax.

From this angle, “Sir Gawain” is not only a classic of medieval poetry but has a role to play in a Christian apologetic. The central Christian event is the Resurrection, and the central Christian announcement is that by the events of Easter, death has been defeated, and because it has been, it will continue to be defeated. Noting Earthquakes, September 11th, African famines, AIDS, volcanoes, and floods, however, unbelievers naturally demand evidence that Easter did what Christians claim. And Christians cannot duck the question, or retreat into a noumenal gospel according to which death was defeated in some “spiritual” realm. If Life really did struggle with Death, there must be some traces of the battle in the historical record; if this battle really took place, we should expect to find not only splintered arrows, shattered spear points, and crushed bones littering the field; we should expect to find some relics of the victor.

Athanasius insisted that the Resurrection did leave traces everywhere, especially among those specifically Christian heroes, the martyrs, men, women, and children “who, before they believe in Christ, think death horrible and are afraid of it, [but] once they are converted despise it so completely that they go eagerly to meet it.” Hardened skeptics doubtless were unconvinced even by martyrs, and may not find a literary proof of the Resurrection much more compelling. Yet “Sir Gawain” remains a witness of some weight, a trace of Easter, an objective sign of the defeat of death embedded in Western literature. And it is a trace of peculiar value because it shows that the Easter message that “He is Risen” translates not only into a martyr’s taunt-“Death, I now decry you”-but into a festive invitation-“Let the games begin.”

Johnny Canuck on the Canuck's new uniform

2007-03-05T10:52:00.000-08:00

According to numerous, perhaps false reports, the new Canucks uniform looks absolutely smashing! One can only hope that the Canucks get rid of the Orca and go back toward this retro-look. It is a good blend of the past and the present. Most fans of the Canucks prefer the original jerseys over any subsequent design. I concur with this thinking. The current orca is silly; it seemed to me more of a corporate logo for the company -- Orca Bay -- that owned the Canucks prior to the current local ownership. I love the Johnny Canuck logo that Luongo wears on his retro face mask; the Canucks should put it on the jersey itself as seen in this prototype. The orca has nothing whatsoever to do with the Canucks or hockey. It is high time for a change to what was better. I hope this view prevails; if it does, I would consider buying a jersey. The only remaining question would be which player number to stitch on it. There are a number of current candidates: Linden, Luongo, Naslund. Some of the older Canucks would be possibilities, too.

I am home from work today; my illness is nothing serious, and after another day of rest and recuperation my sore throat, sinus infection and accompanying headache should be tolerable enough to go to work with. I am so fatigued with the end of second term marking and reporting that my body has succumbed to the bugs. But I know the routine. I am very much awaiting the two week Spring Break after this Friday!

In other news I picked up my replacement Prophet. It rides well, though I say that having only gone on one very short ride. I am still wanting the blood of the thieves who stole my original Prophet. But over time I hope to get over it; isn't there a saying which runs something like this: "It is fruitless to become lachrymous over precipitately departed lacteal fluid?" So like Celine I will go on, trying to turn the other cheek, not thinking about the spilled milk.

///listening/// Bright Eyes: LIFTED or the Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

canucks, bikes, and lenten hands

2007-03-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

So the Canucks have a decent team this year; truly even my best friend doubted the grounds for my faith in this hard-working, defensively minded squad. GM Dave Nonis took my advice to heart and got a goalie. Luongo has been very solid for the Canucks; and the Canucks seem built to play close playoff-style games. We shall see as the schedule runs deeper into March...

In other news, I stopped in at Gregory's bike shop today and put a down payment on a replacement prophet. I am looking forward to sealing the deal once the insurance money comes through. The only downside is that I have no choice with regard to the frame colour; accordingly my bike will be blue. This colour difference doesn't really matter, though I do prefer black for a bike.

Still in other more important news, lent is fully upon us. I wish the time would pass more quickly; the lenten time period wears away a huge aspect of my joy in life. Yes, you guessed it: good hearty chow; food, glorious food. And by food I don't mean mere nutritional energy in any form: I mean glorious food, and that means meat, wine and cheese. During lent such joys are replaced by the clapping of lenten hands. Ah, the smack of contrition and the consolation of repentance. For me the tender mercy in this is the end of it. Pascha brings back all that is joyful and full of light; hence to that aim: tendebantque manus ripae ulterioris amore.

Stolen Prophet

2007-02-25T14:13:00.000-08:00

Some unwiped a**holes came by and stole two bicycles from us. I am upset, frustrated and want venegance, even despite knowing to Whom venegance belongs. Thus sadly this sin against me has caused me to fall further into sin. My bike was a cannondale prophet. I will miss it; the other bicycle stolen was my stumpjumper -- a classic mountain bike. So long good prophet and stumpjumper, you guys served me well! If my insurance allows me, I will consider replacing my prophet with a good touring bike. But we shall see. For me the lamest part is that things are financially tight and paying the insurance deductible may not be possible now; and presently the weather is clearing and becoming suitable for after-work rides. Hence another of my frustrations.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Over and over again

2007-02-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

The lead singer in this group has yet to admit that he is David Byrne's son, but the admission seems imminent for those with ears to hear! Enjoy:>

TV On the Radio: Wolf Like Me

2007-02-18T16:30:00.000-08:00

These guys absolutely rock! Here they are performing on Letterman:>

Leica Shots

2007-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

I have decided to post some snapshots I have taken with my Leica M5 and IIIc over the last month. I am pleased with these results; I hope you will enjoy these images, too! They are available light shots, as I refuse to use any form of flash.

This is a copperbeech tree near our house. I shot this while out walking Echo, my husky. Below is a shot of the extremely heavy snowfall we endured and enjoyed in early January. I opened the aperature and slowed the shutterspeed down in order to retain a sense of the snow's falling motion. It was taken at night while the snow was piling up on our backyard patio.

6 word story

2007-02-09T14:11:00.001-08:00

Write a six word story for this snapshot:>

Herzog Exhibition

2007-02-04T15:33:00.001-08:00

On Saturday Ramone and I took our kids to view the Fred Herzog Photography Exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Herzog was born in Germany and emigrated to Canada after WWII. During the 1950s he began to chronicle on film the life of Vancouver. Seeing the snaps brought back so many memories of the "ah, yeah, I remember that!" variety. The old buses, the prices of foods, the shape of cars, and the many coca cola images brought on some of the strongest recollections.

As a huge admirer of street photography, Herzog's work captured my imagination. One of the notable aspects of Fred Herzog's work is that he choose to work in colour Kodachrome.
Though my preference is usually for the subtly and suggestiveness of black and white film work, I found that Herzog's Kodachrome shots were somehow more full of vitality; the snapshots somehow show the time period more effectively. Yet I cannot say why.

The exhibit is on the third floor of the VAG and I highly recommend going. Especially interesting for those who have lived in Vancouver, it will still be full of wonder for those who haven't. My daughter found the old fashions interesting, whereas my son found the way the buildings looked in the photographs compared to now to be very interesting. The differences got him thinking.
That in itself is a good thing; as thoughtfulness is always to be preferred to being thoughtless. Another thing my kids found out about through Herzog's images concerns the concept of inflation. Take a peek at the prices at the Paris Cafe on Main Street. What would one pay now in 2007 for the same meal options?

I had to chuckle at the cheesy Santa items. That poor fake tree; how much more tinsel could it take?

How many of you remember the Pepsi-Santa advertising association? Through all of Herzog's work he does a fine job hazing out those aspects peripheral to the subject of his image. This is called 'bokeh'. And Fred Herzog's images use bokeh to great advantage.

Flies, Rivers and Bright Eyes

2007-02-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

Starting to think about casting my flies. This wonderful shot of the Capilano R. does not indicate where I will head. It does indicate, however, why I will head out. Look more closely if you do not see my reason.

It is there.

In other news, a student of mine gave me a copy of Bright Eyes' album "Fevers & Mirrors"; I have given it a good listen while farting around during this evening. I enjoy the album as a whole but the tracks 'Something Vague' and 'Movement of a Hand' are the catchiest tunes initially. The album shows the perspicacious thoughts of the song writer for the band. 'When The Curious Girl Realizes She Is Under Glass' is a tune that has a haunting series of aural images which captured my attention and got me thinking. The harsh phone-off-the-hook sound initially bothered me, but I think I get the point. It plays into the 'fevers' motif of the album; those things which keep you up at night, calling your conscience, etc.. The Fiddler on the Roof inspired 'Sunrise, Sunset' is steadily growing on me; it has the notion of futility and the circularity of the day wrapped together in a most curious way.

Ramone is home. Time to chat.

kicking at the new blogger

2007-01-27T08:34:00.000-08:00

So am I here at this converted kick.against.the.goads for now. I dig this new version of blogger and how it is tied to gmail; for gmail roxxers the boxxers!

Here is another beautiful photo of the camera and lens Hannah and Luke gave me for Christmas; take note of the sexy beast operating the all mechanical, precision instrument.

Well for now I will post this rather lame entry to be sure that this account works. My thoughts and prayers of late have been focussed on the numerous young families with babies and those expecting a newborn at my parish.

Leitz Elmar 5cm 3:5 lens

2007-01-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

My son graciously gave me this pictured Elmar lens as well as a Leica Summitar lens for Christmas; and I love using both on the Leitz IIIc body Hannah gave me (which is pictured in my previous post below). Thanks heaps and heaps, Luke and Hannah!!! I am sure Ramone does not appreciate their generosity, but she will in time learn to forgive their lack of thrift and move on to other joys and worries.... :)

In other news I have slowly started to enjoy Sufjan Stevens' music; more specifically his song "Transfiguration" off of his album Seven Swans is such a beautiful tune. I maintain the oboe is what makes the song have a magical feel. But the story Sufjan has to work with is no slouch.

Today our house was entirely un-Christmased; all of our decorations are now wrapped, boxed and waiting to celebrate the glory of Christ's Nativity next December 25th. I will miss the lights of Christmas.

To make matters one bit harsher I just noticed that the Lenten pattern starts earlier than I am used to this year; Zaccheus Sunday is coming two weeks from now on Jan.21st! I know that is not the real beginning to Lent, but it serves as a huge kick in my spiritual arse; the upside being that Pascha comes so much sooner, too:)

New Years is Coming...

2006-12-30T12:39:00.000-08:00

....And that means it will be soon time for the bash at the Jordan's dwelling! I am still trying to determine which tunes to bring. No one will want my Bach or Mozart, so I will be bringing my favourite pop tunes that were formative in developing me. My old piano instructor would be laughing if he read that; but appreciating music is something quite apart from performing it. Songs by Cash, Jane's Addiction, the Minutemen and the Meat Puppets are all candidates to make my list....there are so many songs and so little time before the big bash. I have my ale and scotch ready to transport out to the boondocks.

Last night we went over to the Folster's for dinner with some regular friends in addition to some new folks, Rian and Naomi. It was a fun and lively time; Dave and Andrea put on such a fine spread, anyone who knows them, knows that that is regular for them. My thanks go out to Andrea and Dave for inviting Ramone and I over.

Let me take this moment to send out greetings and good cheer to all of my very few readers; no doubt you, the happy few that you are, will be able to spread my good cheer all about through your numerous friends and acquaintances!

Pictured is my new 1946 Leitz IIIc camera; the body is solid brass and functionally the camera has a jewel-like precision. When Ramone allows me to get a film scanner, I will post some of my successful snapshots.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-21T22:10:00.000-08:00

Christ is born! Glorify Him, the author of light, with joyful lights; lights that rejoice in His coming! Take delight over Christmastime, for Christ is the very fruit of God Who came to fulfill our hunger!

An excerpt from St. Ephraim third Hymn on the Nativity:>

Blessed be the Child who today delights Bethlehem.
Blessed be the Newborn who today made humanity young again.
Blessed be the Fruit who bowed himself down for our hunger.
Blessed be the Gracious One who suddenly enriched
all of our poverty and filled our need.
Blessed be He whose mercy inclined Him to heal our sickness…
His hands bound and fettered, His feet nailed and fastened,
by His own will He clothed Himself with a body for those who seized Him.
Blessed is He whom freedom crucified, when He permitted it.
Blessed is He whom also the wood bore, when He allowed it.
Blessed is He whom even the grave enclosed, when He set limits to Himself.
Blessed is He whose will brought Him
to the womb and to birth and to the bosom and to growth.
Blessed is He whose changes revived our humanity.
Blessed is He who engraved our soul and adorned and betrothed her to Himself.
Blessed is He who made our body a tabernacle for His hiddenness.

Eva

2006-11-25T08:05:00.000-08:00

Eva Green, the French actress who plays the Bond-girl in the latest James Bond movie is intelligent, stylist, funny and self-sacrificing. Needless to add, she is remarkably gorgeous.

Luke's Film "OisseuxZilla"; phase 1

2006-11-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

What will he do next?

41

2006-10-04T17:36:00.001-07:00

So I will turn 41 on Friday if I make it to Friday. Why do I have this photo of my old roommate posted? Well I thought some of my younger readers might be interested in what I was up to 20 years ago when I was half my age. Well, 20 years ago EXPO 86 was going on and I was living in the Westend of Vancouver; and Vancouver was an entertainment Mecca. The local Vancouver music scene was full of cool young bands: Slow, No Means No, DOA, 54-40, and the Grapes of Wrath were among the finest up and coming bands anywhere. In January of 1986 I started rooming with a member of the Grapes of Wrath named Tom Hooper. Living with a guy in a successful rock band had its upside.

Can you say girls? Free concerts and girls, sunshine and suds, music and dancing girls; truly I tried to find meaning through pleasure! I worked hard at it; very hard. Tom Hooper and I lived together until September in 1986. Then Tom and I parted ways, and I have not had contact with him since; I went back to University to pursue truth, beauty and goodness, while he continued the high life. From that time on, I looked for more purposefulness in life than in only an unding series of unsatisfying, monotonous pleasures without any aim other than the pleasures themselves.

autumn busy-ness

2006-09-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

So I have been rather busy with school work lately. My classes this year look to be made up of decent secular heathen kids. Intellectually my classes seem more capable than in my previous years; this is primarily because my junior level grade 8 blocks are filled with kids from only French Immersion. French Immersion kids are generally more capable than regular stream kids in my school. As well, they tend to be more dedicated to achieving good grades. But on the whole my 5 blocks of senior English are absolutely fabulous and fun to teach; the downside is that, despite the recent CBA which stipulated class sizes of 30 and maximum special needs students of 2 per block, I do still have a few classes over 30 and one English 11 class with 4 autistic students jammed into it. I am enjoying going through All Quiet on the Western Front with my 12's this month. We will move on to The Taming of the Shrew around the third week of October; we will all be 'full-gorged' with the Bard by Christmas.

This last week we had beautiful, clear and sunny afternoons and evenings. On Thursday our Gr.12s had a boat cruise dinner and dance around Vancouver's False Creek, English Bay, Stanley Park and Coal Harbour. It was joyful for me to see them take such delight in the dancing, the breath-taking views and in one another's company outside of the school. For myself it was tiring to start work at 7 am and work to 4:30 pm, and then boogie on the boat until 10 pm. I arrived home to my welcoming bed at 11:30ish; accordingly work yesterday was unusually yawny. It was cool to be in charge of the digital SLR; I went truly wild taking over 2 gigabytes of photos during the cruise.

In other news, Ramone's llama notebook bit the dust after only 9 months! Never buy a computer from Costco, as they only warranty computers for 6 months. Accordingly, so that Ramone can do her accounting work for the Church, I have graciously permitted her to purchase another notebook; this time it will be a MacBook as in the above image. Those of you that know how teeny and tiny my heart is, will perhaps note the great and far-reaching self-sacrifice of this gesture.

In still other news, I am thinking of buying a digital camera in the next few years. The model I am thinking of saving for is the Leica M8, a digital range finder camera. Here is a review of it. I am still continuing with my cycling 3 or 4 times per week; some have even noticed my reduced girth, so the girth-control measures seem to be making both an aesthetic and a healthy difference!

Beauty's objective demands

2006-09-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

Von Balthasar, a fine Roman theologian, wrote somewhere that beauty makes demands, and suggested that this is a natural analogy to the attitude of faith, which is like an aesthetic response to the form of Christ.

Beauty makes demands. If I hear the central movement of Beethoven's Appassionata or Bach's Cello Suite in G Major or any of a dozen other pieces of music, I can't do anything else. I've got to listen. Try not breathing deeply when you catch a whiff of hyacinth or lavender. Try not looking at a beautiful landscape, a beautiful building, a beautiful woman. It's possible not to look, rather it takes an act of resistance, a rebellion of sorts.

We can appeal to this to establish the objectivity of beauty. If beauty were purely subjective, could it command attention, could it fascinate, could it surprise?

What is the beverage of manly men?

2006-09-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

Scotch, wine, ale or water? Something else like tea or coffee? Is it situational? Identify the manly beverage in your life accordingly.

Water is life-giving. I drink volumes of my Wa2! filtered water daily. Wine is a delight to consume with friends or when I sit and relax with my wife. Coffee is a morning experience, whereas tea is a soothing evening beverage.

In other news, the Scrivener pointed out this very interesting article, composed by Fr. Thomas Hopko. The intent is to outline certain changes that would be needful for a reunion to happen between the Roman Apostolic See and the Orthodox.

I recommend a glass of merlot while you read it.

In yet other news, I rode my cycle to work today. Truly it was a minor, though important, achievement for me. I am thankful to Christ for the strength I have been given. I have had to do a lot of cooperating with Him to gain any slight edge. With fortitude I hope to get the synergy raging full-on! Perhaps someday I will climb up to the summit of Mnt. Baker to see further glory:)

The latest priestly tool?

2006-08-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

James from St. Peter the Aleut Parish in Calgary introduced me to the latest marvel in evoking a repentant heart during Lent. The self-described 'Talk-to-me' hammer would be especially helpful in softening up tougher, grinchy hearts during a confession. One can almost chuckle at some of the potential conversations under the stoll! "Make a complete confession of that, boy, or else you will be talking to the 'Talk-to-me'..." Indeed such confessional dialogue is not for the faint of heart, but do consider that if a sinner doesn't make a good repentance now, the 'I-don't-know-you' hammer in the afterworld is way, way worse to consider! Let us consider the cost of not having one of these priestly confessional tools.

Fr. Lawrence, my priest, would make good use of this implement. Perhaps a gold and jewel encrusted whacker would be just the ticket for getting those lukewarm repenters to come around to serious metanoia?! Oh be merciful; let us just pray that our parish council finds the funds for one of these 'Talk-to-me' hammers.

Theotokos and Dylan

2006-08-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

St. Ignatius wrote to the Church of Jerusalem: "...I intend to come to you in order to see the faithful gathered in Jerusalem, and especially the Mother of Jesus: they say of her that she is honorable, affable, and arouses wonder in all, and all wish to see her. But who would not wish to see the Virgin and to converse with her who bore the true God? ...With us she is glorified as the Mother of God and the Virgin full of grace and virtue. They say of her that she is joyful in troubles and persecutions, does not grieve in poverty and want, and not only does not get angry with those who offend her but does good to them still more... All who see her are delighted."

To reiterate, 'all who see her are delighted;' and why? Because 'she is glorified'. She is glorified 'as the Mother of God and the Virgin full of grace.' Since it is logical that we should glorify what God honours, Mary has been glorified as being holy -- that is, separated for God -- from the infancy of the Church. Also this sense of her holiness helps us to understand why Joseph left Mary as a virgin. What manner of man would touch that which God has separated for Himself? One who wishes to face His wrath. To the ancient Hebrew mind, the answer was self-evident, especially given certain precedents. Though most see in this a sense of Mary's purity, I see in this situation a manifestation of Joseph's manly personality. As manliness is mostly made manifest through self-control, we can see in Joseph a supremely manly example of a man abstaining out of a desire to honour 'what had been separated' or 'made holy by God's Presence'. One would be not far from the truth to see in Joseph a certain type of monastic. Without a doubt Joseph's role as a protector of Mary and Jesus is the one we generally think of. In my heart I believe that Our Lord was joyful to meet with His human father when He ascended, so 'well pleased' was He with him and his manliness.

In a complete change of topic, I will discuss my favourite Bob Dylan albums. I will limit my list to only five albums. Any serious Dylan fan will likely be able to accurately guess 3 of the 5 on my list; for in the period 1964-1966 Dylan produced three works which could be viewed as being among the greatest artistic achievements of the 20th Century. Highway 61 Revisited, Bringing It All Back Home and Blonde On Blonde are 'must listen to albums' if you are interested in Bob Dylan. There are single hits on these albums, but I think they play best as cohesive units and should be best enjoyed as albums. Bob married in late 1965 and had a child in 1966; this combined with a motorcycle crash caused Dylan to slow his creative production a bit. The John Wesley Harding album from 1967 is a fine album, but even with "All Around the Watchtower" on it, the album does not make my top five Dylan albums. But his Nashville Skyline album from 1969 does; with his duet on "North Country Girl" with Johnny Cash, onto "Country Pie" and "Lay Lady Lay" the album is a truly magnificent unit. The depth and power of Dylan's lyrics on Nashville Skyline lies in their simplicity, as most of the songs narrate ordinary life experiences. Boring, perhaps to some, but timeless to those who know life's joys and woes. After Bob Dylan's accident, his lyrics became more and more concerned with religious themes. This is the case with his work through the 70s and 80s. Of this body of work, two albums stand out. Oh Mercy from 1989 and Infidels from 1983 are both fine albums. But for my fifth album I will go with Oh Mercy. The chiming, apocalyptic-sounding guitar work on the dobro by Daniel Lanois is evident throughout the album, but nowhere as effectively as on the track "Man in the Long Black Coat". Dylan and Lanois create a windy, end-of-time atsmosphere with a melody that haunts a listener well after the track has played.

So my top 5 Bob Dylan Albums would be these, with due honour to Bob's first album "Bob Dylan" being noted:

1. Highway 61 Revisisted
2. Bringing It All Back Home
3. Blonde on Blonde
4. Nashville Skyline
5. Oh Mercy

compounding of charity and hatred

2006-08-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving. ---Mother Teresa---

When I first read C.S. Lewis' argument about the practice of charity, the notion of loving my neighbour became clearer for me. His basic view was that one need not worry whether one feels love for another person, rather it matters only that one acts as if he loved the other person. This acting, if consistent, will become habitual and gradually become the real deal. Said another way, by practising the virtue of charity, you will gradually become more charitable quite in spite of how you feel. This was a keen insight for me, as I used to think I had to feel charitable to be charitable; that feelings and reality were intermingled and almost identifiable. But the truth is that the worldly man treats others kindly because he feels 'like' for them; whereas the Christian, trying to treat all men kindly out of practising charity, finds himself liking more and more people -- including people he could never have imagined liking. This is the spiritual dynamic of charity; that more you act out of charity, the more you will derive; as you love a person, the more your love will grow.

Sadly this same spiritual dynamic works similarly in the opposite direction. Evil acts rot more and more the evil doer. Take the practice of hatred, the opposite of charity. As the hater of Jews acts on his hatred by acting cruelly, as did the Nazis, the Jews end up being hated even more by the haters because they had acted cruelly. Thus the more cruel one is, the more one will hate; and the more one hates, the more cruel one will become. A horrific cycle.

Hence both virtue and vice will accrue at compound interest. Accordingly it is true that all the little things we do be done out of charity; as St. Teresa of Calcutta advises in the quotation, it is the why we do what we do that matters.

Like minds

2006-08-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

I saw this flick yesterday, and thought it was clever; the plot was well thought out. The representation of the history of the Cathars and the statement attributed to the Bishop of Rome are a little inaccurate; the Pope did not say it, it was another Bishop who did; and the Cathars are not portrayed as the matter-hating Gnostic heretics that they were. But these two things are minor quibbles, not affecting the plot. Toni Collette delivered a strong performance as did others in the cast.

I am usually quite successful in figuring out how the characters will develop in a mystery and what will happen with the denouement, but this plot fooled me a little. Not a great flick but worth seeing if you enjoy untwisting murder mysteries.

In other news, I am getting mentally prepared to return to work. My friend Danike and I are going to go on a hike (and flyfish at high altitude) this coming Monday; after that trip my summer will be over.

Soon the daily grind will be my reality. However, this year I will cycle part way to work roughly three days per week; not only will this keep me slim and übersecki, but also I hope it will be a fine way to commune with God and pray. "O God keep the cars off me."

pasivirta.baby: wherefore art thou?

2006-08-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Has the Pasivirta.baby paled? Has he withered away back to the dust from which he was made? Is he blowing in the wind? How many roads must the pasivirta.baby cycle down before you call him a manly man? How many trout on the fly must he catch before he is counted among the manly? Is the answer blowing in the digital breeze of his blog? Is he trapped inside a series of Bob Dylan allusions? O say it isn't so!

I was searching for the singing Finnish youth leader online to answer these very questions, but to no avail. It appears he has dropped from the blog world. Was he chased away for fear of giving another offense? Was he bored or tired of it?

This is something I know all too well. Nevertheless my questions remain.

Perhaps the pasivirta.baby is riding the rides at playland, doing some youth group research? Then, again, he may be riding the waves off the coast of Seaside, Oregon?

O pasivirta.baby wherefore art thou?

note regarding humour

2006-08-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

This point needs to be added to my last post; I can't believe I forgot to state it originally. For humour is essential to my spiritual walk.

As God laughs at the foolishness of men (Ps. 2:4); so, too, I think it is healthy for us to laugh at ourselves. Consider that Satan fell in part because of his “gravity” (i.e. he took himself too seriously). We need to be able to recognize our shortcomings, bad habits and our sins by calling them by name. We need to laugh at them in order to be able to move past them. A good sense of self-depreciating humour can help to develop humility. As Our Lord stated, "be of good cheer," through all things. Note the allusion to St. John Chrysostom.

life basics for my children

2006-08-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Over the course of my first forty years the Lord has taught me these following things:>

1. Love is what makes life worth struggling through.

2. Unless you are a mystic, God's love will be shown to you mostly through nature, the Church, in friendships and family.

3. He who breaks a thing to find out what it is, has departed from wisdom.

4. When faced with a big decision in life, and all the options are morally equivalent or traditionally inoffensive, choose the most challenging for yourself.

5. Fighting against your demons will last until you leave; and you must consistently "rage against the darkness until it bleeds light."

6. Be loyal to the Truth above all; then to your friends and family.

7. If one can't be sure of an answer to an important question, then tradition is the best basis for the practical life.

8. Always hold your arms outstretched in love toward the further shore.

9. Rather be killed than break your word.

10. Honour those around you; even treat your enemy as if someday he will be your friend.

The One Book: Vic's Questionnaire

2006-07-27T18:48:00.000-07:00

The One Book

1. One book that changed your life:
Bible; Brothers Karamazov; C.S. Lewis' work

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
Brothers Karamazov; LOTR Trilogy

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
Bible

4. One book that made you laugh:
Bible; The Hobbit; C.S. Lewis on Music and the Psalms

5. One book that made you cry:
Bible and Victor Hugo's Les Miserable

6. One book that you wish had been written:
How to Say 'No!': A Handbook for lovey-dovey leaders and other perplexed minds

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
Koran

8. One book you’re currently reading:
Bible; Fr. Alexander Schmemann's Journals; The Bible and the Liturgy by J. Danielou

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Leithart's survey of the Old Testament

Against pussy footers

2006-07-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

*I am reposting this entry from my web site because of a request*

It is not good for you to be kicking against the goads (cf. Act 26:14).

Don't be a pussy footer, O man of God; manly men don't like them. God doesn't like pussy footers either. Pussy footers are men only in disguise, living as if they had something to die for. Only other pussy footers like other pussy footers. Worse, pussy footers are pales, llamas and whiners. Pussy footers step aside from battling the demons; this is the most deadly criticism of pussy footers. Christ claims we are either with or against Him; there is no pussy footing half-way to Our Lord. Yet, since God commands that we love our enemies, we are duty-bound to pray for the pussy footers; the good news is that there is no requirement you must like the pussy footers you come across. Accordingly pray that the pussy footer in your life toughens up and faces his demons like a manly man. Be sure to do your part to help toughen up any pussy footer! Get him to read some Patristics, all of Dostoevsky and Shakespeare; better yet, have him try to learn some calculus or basic Latin and Greek; take him mountain biking, hiking, fly fishing or rock climbing. But I advise each manly man out there to seek out a specific pussy footer to tutor in the ways of the manly; this personal connection will mean a lot to the pussy footer and may help to rectify his llama and pale-ways more swiftly.

π and 1 Kings 7:23

2006-07-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Gavin brought to my attention what looks like an error in 1 Kings 7:23. It concerns a circumference calculation. For the calculation the number 3 seems to be used for the usual 3.14 of pi( π ). So what gives?

Bear in mind any number can be rounded to any level of precision desired; one can round π to the nearest ten and get zero. Rounding it to the nearest unit, giving 3, makes perfectly good sense if that is what you want to do.

The real question is, what is lost if one rounds π down to 3? We are reducing its value by .14/3.14 = 4.5%, and so any calculations we make will have that much error; but for many purposes that would be perfectly acceptable.

Whenever we work with π we are rounding it to some number of digits, so all such calculations are inaccurate. The only issue is how much accuracy we need for a particular application.

The Bible at 1 Kings 7:23 does not state that π = 3.0. It states that a particular object (the circular basin in front of the Jerusalem Temple) had a diameter of 10 cubits and a circumference of 30 cubits. So the correct question is not, "Is it proper to round pi to 3.0?" but "Is it proper to round the circumference of this circle to 30 cubits?" Or better, "Are a diameter of 10 cubits and a circumference of 30 cubits consistent within reasonable measurement error?"

We do not know the precision of the measuring instruments used to measure the diameter and circumference of this circle. But here is what would naturally be understood if one saw this figure in a scientific journal: in the absence of an explicit indication of precision, the absence of a tenths digit implies that the figure is accurate to the nearest 1 cubit - that is, plus or minus 0.5 cubit.

So let's suppose that the diameter was measured, or specified in the design, to be 10 cubits plus or minus 0.5 cubit. Then the actual circumference would be 29.8 to 32.98 cubits --- based on a diameter in the range from 9.5 to 10.5 cubits. If we make the same assumption about the precision of the circumference measurement, we get a range of 29.5 to 30.5 cubits. Notice that the two ranges have considerable overlap.

There is therefore no inconsistency between the diameter and the circumference as reported in the Bible at 1 Kings 7:23 .

So, it would appear God permits a reasonable range in such calculations:)

Use google to make web pages

2006-07-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

If you have a gmail account, you can create web pages easily through firefox or safari. I made this one as a lark. You can upload files and do all the other useful things a web site normally does. It is free of cost as long as you have a gmail account. Another feature I find useful is to keep my daily calendar online; google provides this free of cost as well. You can choose to make any or none of these features public. Anyone who has a gmail account usually has one or two or more invites that they would be willing to send you.

Yes, I am an enthusiastic fan of Google's initiatives.

Hannah and Luke to Oliver; Manasseh and Liturgical Memories

2006-07-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

My priest once taught me that the name "Manasseh" is derived from a causative form of the verb "to forget". Hence, 'to cause to forget.' Manasseh causes Judah to forget by liturgical change - rebuilding high places, erecting altars and Asherahs, and so on. Memory is nourished by the repetition and familiarity of a liturgy; forgetfulness by liturgical perversion and frequent alteration.

This merits further thought. But another time.

In other news, my son and daughter have gone to sunny Oliver for the next 10 days. I will miss them. Sadly the truth is that they seemed quite pleased to be leaving! I guess I will never be a 'buddy' to my kids or someone they look forward to seeing. Nevertheless, I hope they have a fun and joyful time around the pool! Ramone and I will drive to Oliver in 10 days and spend 4 days visiting; it is my hope to do some wine tours and ride our bicycles while there in the hot arid climate.

A Thought on Creation, Hunger and Food

2006-07-13T18:03:00.000-07:00

It is always wise to bear in mind what Christ says brings blessedness. I was struck by the thought that when you read the story of Adam's creation you learn that God brought him forth and had him eat. As one who enjoys the intellectual life, this seems counter to my instincts. But the Lord didn't bring man forth to wonder at universal grammar, string theory, propositional calculus, theories of forms or of general relativity; he offered man food. Now this pre-fallen hunger is something I yearn to experience, for daily I fight a fallen aspect of hunger. But hunger as a good desire is foremost on Jesus' list of the Beatitudes; so it must bring blessedness if the hungry desire is pure. There are intimations of the Eucharist in this creation 'hunger' that would merit deeper analysis.

Creation Symbolism in James

2006-07-13T11:50:00.002-07:00

The epistle of James has long presented dificulties for protestant New Testament scholars. Its seemingly moralistic tone, its apparent inattention to theological concerns, its defense of "justification by works" all have made it difficult for Protestant interpreters to discern its compatibility with other New Testament books. Luther's dismissal of James as an "epistle of straw" was only a characteristically blunt expression of an attitude shared by many. Of course this is not a problem for us; only for those looking to establish non-New Testament based views.

Recognizing the parallels between James and the Gospel of Matthew points us toward a more correct assessment of the epistle's character. There are many of the themes common to the two books. I will cite only a few: rejoicing in trials (Mt. 5:12; Jas. 1:2); perfection (Mt. 5:48; Jas. 1:4); meekness (Mt. 5:3, 5, 9; Jas. 3:13, 17-18); anger (Mt. 5:22; Jas. 1:20); the poor (Mt. 5:3, 25:35; Jas. 2:5, 16).

Several passages, moreover, show that the epistle of James has a more theological orientation than many protestant commentators acknowledge. In particular, there are several passages in which James alludes to the early chapters of Genesis in ways that display a penetrating grasp of biblical theology. Let us discuss two such passages.

1. James 1:12-18. The epistle of James begins with a discussion of two types of temptation. In 1:2-4, James encourages his readers to rejoice even in the midst of trials and afflictions. Such "temptations" bring endurance and perfection. In the background of these verses is James's confidence that the Lord is working even in these trials and affliction for the good of His body, the called.

In verses 12-18, James turns to a discussion of temptation in the moral sense. In this sense, James insists, we cannot say, "We are being tempted by God." God governs the circumstances that aflict and try us, but He cannot be accused of encouraging sin. For James, this is axiomatic, a simple implication of the holy and just character of God; the reason we cannot say, "God is tempting me," is simply that "God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone" (v. 13).

In 1:14-15, James argues that we are enticed to sin not by our external circumstances but by our own evil desires or lusts. James uses conception and birth as an analogy for the process by which temptation leads to sin. Having given into temptation, lust conceives (the word describes the female role in conception) and then bears sin. Sin, in turns, fulfills itself in death. Already, we can see a faint reference to the temptation of Eve in Eden: She first desired the fruit, and then, having conceived, her desire gave birth to sin and her sin led to death.

That Genesis forms the background to these verses is confirmed when we examine verses 17-18, where James continues and develops the conception-birth imagery. Men give birth to sin; God, by contrast, is not the Father of sin, but the Father of lights. This is clearly a reference to Genesis 1's account of God's creation of the lamps of the firmament on the fourth day. Only good things come down from the One who created light; no darkness comes from Him; all His works are very good.

The phrase, "Father of lights," however, is dificult. If James has only the creation account in mind, it is an odd way to speak of God's relationship with the luminaries of heaven. "Creator," "Lord," or "Prince" of lights would be more expected. The use of "Father" thus points not only to the Creator but to the Redeemer, and suggests that the "lights" in view are the Lord's sons and daughters. The thought becomes clearer when we recall that the heavenly lights are often symbols of God's redeemed people (Gen. 26:4; Dan. 12:3). Specifically, the heavenly lamps signify God's people as a royal race. James's thought, then, is this: God does not tempt because He is not a God who gives birth to sin and death; instead, He is Father to a righteous, royal race that shines like the lights of heaven. His children are not death and sin, but lights.

The remainder of verse 17 emphasizes that since the Lord is the Father of lights, He does not change as the heavenly bodies do. Using several technical astronomical terms, James indicates that the Creator is not subject to the variation or darkening that the world is subject to. The light of the sun disappears each night; in the creation, God separated darkness and night. But the Creator is pure, eternal Light.

The birth imagery is carried on into verse 18. By the same word that brought about the first creation, God brings forth His people as the firstfruits of a new creation. Adamic man gives birth only to sin and death; the Father of lights brings forth a new creation. "Lights" and "firstfruits" are therefore two ways to describe the Lord's re-created people.

This passage, then, shows that James had a theological foundation to his moral exhortations. Here James comes very close to Pauline theology, especially in the use both make of the creation of light in drawing an analogy between creation and redemption (e.g., 2 Cor 4:6; 5:17).

2. James 3:7-8. One of the dominant themes of the epistle is the proper use of the tongue. Much of the third chapter is devoted to exhortations to control the tongue.

Verses 7-8 provide another example of James's creative use of biblical theology, and of the early chapters of Genesis in particular. Verse 7 is an obvious allusion to the mandate of Genesis 1:26-28, though James's list of animals is different from that of Genesis (interestingly, it includes reptiles). Both passages are concerned with human mastery over the lower creatures.

But James gives a remarkable twist to this allusion. Instead of considering the "dominion mandate" as a continuing project, he says that it is completed. Every animal of the heavens, earth, and sea have been brought under the yoke of man. Even the serpent-like "reptiles" have been mastered. Yet, though the creation mandate is completed, man has not yet tamed his own poisonous tongue (v. 8).

James would surely admit that some animals have not been tamed. The point, however, is to bring attention to the true character of the Christian's dominion. The unrighteous frequently rule the lower creation, but are incapable of reining in their own sin. Having died and risen with Christ, the Christian is freed from the mastery of sin and given resurrection power to live in holiness and righteousness.

The most important dominion is not dominion over the lower creation, but dominion over the flesh. Controlling the tongue, James implies, is one of the chief manifestations of this Spiritual dominion.

Man's initial act of dominion involved the tongue: naming the animals. His fall also involved the tongue. Adam stood by and failed to interrupt the serpent's attempt to seduce Eve, and then Adam lied to God. Thus, James is reflecting on the place of the tongue, the human image of the word of God, in directing human life. The "Father of lights" spoke the world into existence; man corrupted it with his words.

All of this shows an intense theological reflection upon Genesis 1-3.

A Thought on Creation

2006-07-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Assuming Gen. 1:1 describes an act of creation and is not a title: It's striking that the Genesis account begins with the creation of two realms rather than a single entity or realm.

Hesiod says that there was one reality, chaos; Anaximander says "together were all things"; Thales claimed that water was the beginning.

But not Genesis: Duality and difference does not arise from a prior unity. Difference is primordial in creation, as in God.

Gospel vs Over-helpful therapy vs Self-reliance: the battle rages in "One Nation Under Therapy"!

2006-07-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

We need less opportunities to absolve ourselves of responsibilities. According to Sommers and Hoff, as a society in North America, we need to stress more self-reliance, not more of the psychological 'helpfulness' that tends toward removing challenges and responsibility.

PE classes are dangerous places. Dodge ball might leave nasty bruises, and, worse, the frustrations of competition and failure permanently destroy a kid’s psyche. Non-competitive activities like juggling or learning to use a wheel-chair are possible alternatives, but anyone who's tried juggling knows how psychologically destructive that can be. One expert helpfully suggests juggling silk scarves, which "are soft, nonthreatening, and float down slowly."

As Shakespeare would say, "Pity the satirist."

According to Christina Hoff Sommers and Sally Satel, both resident scholars at the American Enterprise Institute, much contemporary child-rearing is founded on the assumption that kids are fragile and need to be kept inside a protective bubble. This is no insult to children, though, since "therapism" treats all of us as hand-wringing Hamlets and flower-throwing Ophelias, teetering on the edge of breakdown. Moral accountability is painful, so we avoid it. Addicts do not lack self-control; they are victims of "brain hijacking." The helping industry pathologizes normal human reactions to death, disaster, and loss, and in the process of pathologizing, professionalizes.

One Nation Under Therapy not only argues that the helping professions don't; the authors insist that therapism often, as in the case of Post-Vietnam Syndrome, makes a bad situation worse.

Hoff Sommers and Satel's polemic is well-researched, convincing, and frequently entertaining, but I had reservations. I wonder if the helping professionals are as dominant as the authors suggest. Virtually every high school in North America, after all, still has a basketball team, and millions of North Americans have the good sense to scorn the self-absorption of psychology.

At the same time, I'm also unconvinced by the authors' prescription that we just need to "cowboy up" in defense of the good ol' American "creed of stoicism and the ideology of achievement." If, as the authors say, psychology has displaced religion and ethics, a creed of self-reliance will not be a sufficient response.

And again, I wonder if the creed of stoicism really does justice to the complexities of the human soul. St. Augustine would be no supporter of the therapeutic culture, but he was deeply in awe of the intricacies of human passion and behavior. Far superior were the Fathers to stoicism because of their embracing the received wisdom. Of course this has largely been rejected in North America.

One Nation Under Therapy is loaded with information, but Philip Rieff’s Triumph of the Therapeutic, because it zeroes in on the religious dimension of therapism, is a far superior book, more relevant now than when it was published in 1966.

Serpent-wise?

2006-07-01T23:44:00.000-07:00

Jesus said that we should be wise as serpents, but how are serpents wise?

Genesis 3:1 says that the serpent was more "crafty" (ARUM) than any of the beasts of the field, and the same word is used a number of times in Proverbs, often translated as "prudent." A crafty man conceals what he knows (12:23). The crafty man acts knowingly, not impulsively (13:16). The crafty man is not gullible but considers his steps (14:15). Crafty men see evil coming and step aside to avoid it (22:3; 27:12). A related word is used in 15:5, where the prudent accept correction. These are some ways to imitate the "craftiness" of serpents as we minister as sheep in a world of wolves (Matthew 10:16).

Dominion Day at Kurt and Vic's

2006-07-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

It was a blast. Thanks for the great time, Kurt and Vic.

Odes of Solomon

2006-06-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

From the 35th Ode of Solomon, it being my favourite:

The gentle showers of the Lord rinsed me with silence, and they caused a cloud of peace to rise over my head;
That it might guard me at all times. And it became salvation to me.
Everyone was disturbed and afraid, and there came from them smoke and judgment.
But I was tranquil in the Lord's legion; more than shade was He to me, and more than foundation.
And I was carried like a child by its mother; and He gave me milk, the dew of the Lord.
And I was enriched by His favor, and rested in His perfection.
And I spread out my hands in the ascent of myself, and I directed myself towards the Most High, and I was redeemed towards Him.

Most scholars date the Odes sometime around the middle of the 2d century, yet if they are heavily influenced by Jewish apocalyptic thought and especially the ideas in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a date long after 100 is unlikely. Henry Chadwick and many other scholars, remain convinced that they must not be labeled "gnostic," and therefore should not be dated to the late 2d century. The Odes remain one of my all-time favourite almost-canonical reads. Read them for yourself and decide whether some of the early Orthodox were not wise in thinking these sublime pieces of writing to be worthy of canonical inclusion.

Certainty and doubt

2006-06-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to know and doubt simultaneously?

The vast number of men are caught somewhere between a consistent sceptical doubt and that which is certain. A few fortunate holy ones seem to attain to that level of 'comforting', undoubtable knowing. Most do not completely despair, but get caught somewhere above epistemological despondency; many of these learn to accept the knowledge of ethics, logic and aesthetics as ambiguious, as 'relative'. This notion comforts some men as it makes no one better or worse than another.

On the other side of the question are those who are comforted by thinking they know with certainty. Asked for a proof and they will reply with an appeal. But no appeal leads one to certainty. To be sure one requires a logical proof or a direct experience. Since all appeals are usually a pointer to one of these, the appeal is held by trust or belief; neither of which are undoubtable.

Again, regarding matters of tradition and faith, is it possible to know and doubt simultaneously?

Take the notion of friendship. My priest taught me that Christ's teaching on what it is to be a friend is a hard truth. At John 15:13, the full implications of friendship are made clear; a willingness to lay down one's life for another is the standard of friendship. Now I accept this as true. That is I know it to be so because I trust it is stated by Truth itself. Yet all of us who accept this idea of friendship can also entertain the idea that our trusted belief is capable of being doubted, even though we know it is the true doctrine of friendship.

Hence, I would suggest it is possible to know and doubt simultaneously. According to Hegel, that is what knowing in the fullest possible sense really is. How comforting is that? hehe.

Gregory and The Prophet; dancing

2006-06-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

My priest's son in law is getting me set up with a good bike; I think I will upgrade to sram XO immediately. The Cannondale model I will buy is called 'The Prophet'. This summer I am going to train by riding around The Fort and Glen Valley; also I will do a few dry runs to work with Ramone once we obtain a bike rack for her Subaru Forester. As well as the bike and rack, I will need to acquire the cycling wear for riding during the fall and winter months; but this can wait, for I need only some biking shorts, a helmut and a jersey to get through the summer.

In other news, my daughter had her dance recital tonight. She danced well with a big smile on her face; yet I sure do miss the days when Hannah studied Irish! All this hip hop and rap doesn't bring me delight; it is one of those grin and bear the sound sort of things. Fortunately it was held at the Chief Seapass Theatre inside the Fort Langley Fine Arts School just a block from my home; accordingly after Hannah was done, I walked home and had a cold ale. A fine day it was weather-wise, as we had some unexpected and most welcome sunshine.

rainy

2006-06-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

It has been rainy and very humid lately. More than I can recall ever at this time of year. I am reminded of Dante's descent into Hell and of the sign that reads, "Abandon hope all ye who enter." Well perhaps that is an exaggeration, but when it is rainy and muggy, the air is overbearing and too sweltering for a manly man; and one can even have trouble getting a good deep breath. Truly the rain itself is cool and renewing, but the humidity removes hope and drags a man.

Next September I am planning to ride my bicycle to work from the SFU campus at Surrey Central where Ramone, my money-lending wife, parks for her job. At the close of my day I will cycle back to rejoin Ramona. This will give me some consistent aerobic exercise; it will be a challenge for me to maintain 3x/week. I am going to start 'preparations' for this discipline after school gets out in two more weeks.

The petrol savings will be an added bonus, as will a slight loss in my stoutness:)

Hold the calls; see a documented light-sabre battle!

2006-05-28T15:01:00.000-07:00

Don't miss it; Go see it!

course load revisited...

2006-05-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another more senior colleague at my high school grieved the fact that the head of my department had assigned me History 12. As the formula the union uses to resolve such disputes involves looking at years of teaching beyond equivalent credentials, it was clear to me that my colleague would get what she wanted -- I am almost 41 and she is in her late 50s. My only solace was in the fact that my department head thought I was the best teacher to take the course. Accordingly I had to accept a different course load, albeit a slightly easier load for which to prepare materials. This will be my load in the coming 2006-2007 school year:>

2 blocks En.12
3 blocks En.11
2 blocks En. 8

In other news, I gave up the computer coordinator block. So my duties will be strictly in English this next year.

Who am I, verily? Surprise, honey I am...

2006-05-25T22:09:00.000-07:00

You scored as Galadriel.What Tolkeinite are you like?
created with QuizFarm.com

course load

2006-05-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Next school year I will have a rather heavy marking load. A full time instructor has 7 teaching blocks and 1 preparation block. My schedule for 2006-2007 looks so:>

En.12 - 2 blocks (English 12=loads of essays to mark)

Hi.12 - 2 blocks (History 12=content volume; essays)

En.11 - 1 block (English 11=loads of essays to mark)

En.8 - 1 block (English 8=easy load to mark; just manage the teeny-boppers by scaring them with my trademark wildeman.manly.looks)

The astute among you are wondering where I get my seventh block, aren't you? Well, I won't keep you in suspense. That other block comes from my computer coordinator block. Yes, knowing how to use OpenBSD and other Unix-like systems has its advantages. However I may drop the computer coordinator block and pick up another En.8 if I think I will have to help a load of llama newbie computer lusers with their problems reading documented directions.

Accordingly this summer I will be beefing up my En.12 lecture notes and assignments. Similarly I will do the same for Hi.12, which covers the years 1919 to 1991. Yes, the years are wacky; I didn't set them: the ministry did. And we all know what great decisions the ministries of education have made over these last fifty years Canada-wide. I will never forgive the dropping of classical Latin and Greek from the curriculum. That, for me, was much like saying forget what in great part has formed your world. But being culturally disinherited is not the worst thing that could happen; being spiritually disinherited is the worst. Hold the phone...that hasn't happened, or no?

For Vic

2006-05-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition.
Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone.
Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient.
A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people.

You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends
A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others.
Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone.
But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away.

Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

For what it is worth...I do think it is fairly accurate. The Soul Titles are so flaky!

Like butter: moooove over...

2006-05-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

thomas --

[adjective]:

Similar to butter in texture and appearance

'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

parenting

2006-05-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Being the father of twins, I found these five points about parenting as an Orthodox Christian to ring true. I found these 'principles' in an article years ago. As turnabout is said to be fair play, I recently found them again being exposed by Leithart in the same original text! Here below is my rendition of these common sense points on parenting.

1. Children are sinners, not innocent and naturally good (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:9-18). As Jesus said, infants and children are models of dependent faith. Yet, our children are also descended from Adam and therefore are corrupted by original sin. This condition characterises infants and children as well as adult sinners.

This innate corruption manifests itself in many ways. Crying is an infant’s only mode of communication, and it is not necessarily sinful; despite what Luther wrote in "Away in a Manger," Jesus in the manger did cry and yet was sinless. Yet, our infants do more than communicate with their cries. When only a few days old, infants cry to express their anger or impatience when their desires are not immediately fulfilled. Worse, descended from fallen Adam, our children resist anyone who tries to control or exercise authority over them. They invariably test the limits. When I said "No" to my 2 year-old son as he stretched out his hand to touch the computer keyboard, I could see on his face that he was debating whether or not to go ahead with his plans. Some children are less overtly rebellious than others, but all are rebels.

Most Christians believe in original sin, but often it plays little role in our parenting. We are reluctant to regard our children’s sin as sin. Instead, we make excuses for them. Very young infants, of course, have not learned the meaning of "No." Once they have learned that, however, we should not say of a disobedient child, "He doesn’t understand." When a child is uncooperative, we should not say, "Oh, he’s just tired." When children fight and treat one another cruelly, we should not say, "Boys will be boys." At other times, we refuse to believe that our children are capable of being as depraved as the Bible says they are: "Oh my child would never lie, steal, cheat, etc." But he would, and he does. We should recognise sin as sin and treat it as such. Circumstances might make children more prone to fuss and fight but circumstances are not an excuse for sinful behaviour. If your child has done something wrong, admit that it is a sin and give him the opportunity to confess it. Otherwise, you are training him to avoid responsibility. Thus, a corollary of this first notion is, don’t make excuses.

Also it poses a challenge to us as parents. Infants cannot raise infants. If you want your children to grow into mature adults, you have to act like an adult. Parents who make excuses for their own behaviour, who resist and rebel against those in authority over them, who follow whatever impulses pass through their heads, can hardly expect their children to behave differently.

2. You are the parents and they are the children. By this, I mean several things. As parent, you know better than your children what is good for them. They prefer sweets and ice cream to green vegetables, but you know that they need vegetables. You know that brushing their teeth is good for them, even if they do not understand that. You know they need a certain amount of sleep, so you set times for naps and bed.

Being the parent also means that you set the rules. Of course, we need to make sure that the rules are fair and biblical. If parents make up rules as they go, children can never know when they have broken the rules, and they will become frustrated. Children should see that parents too are under rules, that we cannot make up whatever rules we like. The fundamental rule to teach very young children is the fifth commandment: "Honour your father and mother." Every instruction or command from a parent becomes a rule because it comes from the parent.

Being a parent also means that you enforce the rules of the house and make sure the children live within the structures you set up. This is perhaps the most frequent failing for parents, especially new parents. We tell our son he needs to finish his vegetables before he has ice cream, but he complains and we eventually give in. We tell our daughter to go to bed, and in five minutes she is back in the lounge asking for a teddy bear. We tell a child to come, but he runs in the other direction.

This pattern produces enormous stress on parents and children. Parents get more and more frustrated and angry because their children do not listen, and children bear the brunt of the parents’ frustration. But parents often bring frustration upon themselves. In the short run, it takes some extra energy to make sure that children follow our instructions. In the long run, it is much easier on both parents and children if parents to follow through with their instructions and enforce the rules from an early age. Laziness is the main reason we do not follow through. And laziness is sin. If we have told our son to finish his vegetables, we need to make sure he does, even if this means spooning them into his mouth or leaving them for next morning’s breakfast. If we insist that he finish his vegetables before he eats anything else, he will eventually be hungry enough to eat broccoli, asparagus, and mushroom soup. If we send our daughter to bed, she should be required to stay there. If you tell your child to come to you and he does not, do not say it again, do not beg, coax, bribe, threaten, or count to three. Go get him and make him come. If you tell your children to help with the dishes and they do not, do not walk away. Make them do it.

In enforcing rules, parents have to recognise and resist their children’s efforts to manipulate. Do not let a child manipulate you by threats (I’m gonna run away) or emotional appeals (you don’t love me). If your child says such things, it may be a signal of deeper problems. More often than not, it is mainly a way to control you and to keep you from controlling him. Do not fall for it.

Being the parent means, finally, that your children owe you respect. Respect does not come naturally any more than obedience does. You need to train children to respect you. One way of teaching respect is by requiring them to submit to your control and your rules. If you tell them to do something but let them get away with ignoring you, they will lose respect. Children should also be disciplined specifically for disrespect, whether it manifests itself in words, actions, a tone of voice, or a gesture. Children should be disciplined not only for their disobedience but also for bad attitudes. If a mother tells her children to do something and gets a cheeky response, that is a sin and needs to be corrected.

Given points 1 and 2, it follows that conflict and confrontation are an unavoidable part of parenting. If your child is a sinner who wants to go his own way, and if you, as parent, take seriously your responsibility to train your children, then conflicts will occur. Of course, we should not create conflict, but when it happens we should not ignore or side-step it. Do not let a desire for peace and quiet dominate your parenting. What passes for peace is sometimes nothing more than a thin layer covering intense hostility. Conflict is not a sign of failure but of serious effort and even success. It shows that you are doing your job, not letting your children go off into foolishness but confronting and stopping it. If peace and quiet are supreme priorities, if you want to avoid conflict, do not have children.

3. Corporal discipline is a good and proper method for child training (Proverbs 19:18; 29:15). The Bible, tradition and the Fathers are clear not only that corporal discipline is a key tool for parenting, but also promises that faithful discipline will have spiritual effects. Stripes reach to the inner parts and cleanse away evil (Proverbs 20:30), the rod drives away foolishness (Proverbs 22:15), and disciplining a child will save him from Sheol (Proverbs 23:13-14). Christian parents sometimes come up with excuses for not spanking their children: It will turn our children against us, make them hateful and violent, get us in trouble with authorities. None of these holds weight. Using corporal discipline is a simple matter of obedience to God’s Word. We must use this tool wisely, but there is no valid reason for completely refusing to use it.

Corporal discipline must occur in a context of love and understanding. If done outside a loving and close relationship, smacking will seem harsh and arbitrary and it will be difficult for your child to believe that you are disciplining out of love. Your child will get the impression that they have to get into trouble to get any attention at all. Besides, children are different and respond to different kinds of training and discipline. At a young age, there is no substitute for swatting. No matter how persuasive you are, you cannot argue a determined one- or two-year-old out of running into the street. He needs to be restrained. As children get older, other forms of discipline may be more effective for particular children in particular circumstances, and you need to know your children well enough to discover what means are most effective with each.

Developing a close relationship requires some time. Parents should schedule individual time with each child to listen to them and seek to understand them. For several years, I have taken one of my children on a "date" every week. I spend an hour or so at the park, a coffee shop, or shopping mall. This gives me an opportunity to talk with each of them without interruption, and is a chance to discuss things that need to be addressed, such as school, future plans, friends, and so on.

When should a parent use corporal discipline? In part, this depends on the child and the parent. You will learn when your child will be corrected with a verbal rebuke and when they need a smacking. And it depends on the seriousness of the wrongdoing. Yet, as a rule, swatting is legitimate whenever your child breaks the rules. Breaking the rules is rebellion, and you must nip rebellion in the bud. If a parent calls a child, and the child refuses to come, the parent should go get the child, swat him on the bottom and make him come. If a daughter who has been put to bed keeps getting up, she should be spanked and sent back to bed. If a boy keeps climbing out of his high chair, he should be swatted and put back into the chair until the parent is ready to let him down. If they follow this procedure, mothers especially will feel that on some days they do nothing but swat the children. That can be emotionally draining, but my wife and I have found that early practice of corporal discipline does bear fruit, as the Lord has promised.

If corporal discipline is, as the Bible says, an act of love, it should look like an act of love. Parents should explain that they are disciplining out of love for the child. Afterwards, the parent should hug the child, kiss him, pray with him, and tell him again that he uses the rod out of love and out of obedience to the Lord. Loving discipline, however, does not mean mushy or vague discipline. Just as the Lord is specific in His demands upon us and specific in His rebukes, so loving discipline should be firm and specific. Parents should make sure that the child understands the rules, and make sure that he knows what rule has been broken. We should encourage children to take responsibility for the specific sin they have committed. Saying "I’m sorry" is usually not sufficient; the child should be required to say, "I’m sorry for hitting Julie" or "I’m sorry for taking your truck without asking" or "I’m sorry for lying." In this way, we train our children to take responsibility for their own specific actions.

I do not believe it is always wrong for a parent to swat a child when he or she is angry. The Lord disciples His people in wrath, and anger at disobedience can give the child a proper sense of the seriousness of his sin. It is wrong, however, for a parent to swat a child because he or she is angry. That would turn discipline into an opportunity for the parent to vent his frustrations, and would encourage the child to express himself violently. Corporal discipline should always be motivated by the loving desire to prevent the child from doing something wrong or harmful, to purge foolishness from his heart, to keep him on the way of righteousness. As the Bible shows us, God’s love for His children and His anger at their foolishness are closely linked.

4. Children grow up. At this point the goals of parenting come into play. What are we trying to accomplish during the 15--20 years we raise our children? Should protection be our main goal? Do we want to produce children that are carbon copies of ourselves, imitating our tastes, plans, and dreams? Or do we want to encourage them to chart their own course without regard to our opinions? As Christians, our goal in parenting is to raise mature adult believers who trust in and follow Jesus and serve His Church and Kingdom. With respect to our faith, we hope our children will imitate us, insofar as we are faithful. The Church, however, is made up of many members with many different gifts, and we should not expect our children to have the same gifts we have. Parents who are ears in the body of Christ may end up with children who are hands, brains, and toes. Our goal is to train our children to be the best hands, brains, and toes they can possibly be, rejoicing in their specific abilities.

In parenting, then, there has to be a balance of control and freedom. Maintaining this balance is difficult, but the Lord’s training of Israel gives us an example to follow. In Galatians 3:23-24 and 4:1-2, Paul says that Israel under the Old Covenant was like a minor child under the control of tutors and child-minders. Though a child is the heir of the whole house, he is treated like a slave during his childhood. But now, Paul says, those who are in Christ are no longer under the "elementary principles" of the law, but are mature and fully active sons and heirs. Paul’s point is clearer when we consider the character of the Old Covenant system. The Lord told Israel what to eat (Leviticus 11) and what kinds of clothes to wear (Leviticus 19:19; Numbers 15:37-41). Normal bodily functions caused uncleanness, so Israelites had to bathe before entering the Lord’s house (Leviticus 12-15). Their lives were tightly controlled and regulated. All of these commands to Israel are instructive for the Church today (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17) and God is still concerned about the details of His Word and of our obedience to it. Yet, we no longer have to perform these "elementary" regulations because, in Christ, we have grown up.

Similarly, in raising our children, we move through four general stages. These are not absolutely distinct and it would be a mistake to make this some kind of absolute framework, but they give a rough outline of how the parents’ role changes as the child grows.

First, when children are very young, parents control them. Young children should be trained to obey their parents immediately without discussion or question. Parents supervise the most minute details of their lives: what to wear, when to go to bed, how to hold the fork and spoon, how to chew food. In this phase, parents must do many things for the child. This is the predominant mode of parenting for the first seven or eight years, though the time period will vary somewhat.

Second, the parental role changes to coaching, from about eight to young teens. Coaching involves detailed and ongoing guidance of the child. A coach teaches and corrects, but the child is responsible to follow the coach’s direction. Thus, the older child has more responsibility and independence. Parents can test whether their children are ready for this transition by giving them small projects or tasks and evaluating their performance. A child of eight or nine should be able, for example, to go to the post office to buy stamps or to a newsagent to buy a paper. Daddy might first accompany his son, show him what to do, and then send him on his own the next time. By giving responsibility at this micro-level and gradually increasing it, parents avoid overwhelming their children, increase their confidence to act on their own, and give them room to fail and learn.

If a coach is doing his job, his players will eventually learn to think independently, calling some of their own plays. They will sometimes want to ask the coach for his advice in a particular situation, but they will increasingly learn to make decisions for themselves. This is the stage the Whites call counselling. During this period, parents advise children when asked, but leave them considerable room to experiment with their own ways of doing things. Even at this stage, parents exercise some degree of control. Parents should never give their children freedom to sin. As long as my children are in my house, for example, I will expect and require them to attend worship, participate in family worship, walk in God’s commandments. But the parents’ role is changing as the child grows into an independent adult believer.

Finally, with adult children, you reach the stage of caring. Grown children may ask parents for advice and sometimes even detailed coaching. There may be occasions when a parent must, in obedience to Christ, take the initiative to rebuke or correct a child. Here, however, their relationship has become more like that of two unrelated adult believers. Generally, parents should avoid giving their grown children unsolicited advice, freeing them to make their own decisions and their own mistakes.

To help make this scheme more concrete, let me offer one specific example: money. At the control stage, a child is physically unable to handle money. If given an allowance, he is likely to lose it. So, parents should exercise a great deal of control. If a child receives a monetary gift, the parent should decide how it is spent, perhaps even without consulting the child. If the child makes some change by working around the house, the parents should keep it for him.

Once the child can keep track of money without losing it and can add and subtract, the parent shifts to coaching. At this point, the child may be given an allowance, but the parent will still exercise a significant degree of authority over how it is used. The parent might require, for example, that the child give 10% to the church, keep 40% for savings and gifts, and have 50% for spending. If the child wishes to make a foolish purchase, the parent may forbid it. Alternatively, it may be prudent for a parent occasionally to allow a foolish purchase, which can be turned into an opportunity for the child to learn from a mistake. At least, the child who makes a rash financial decision will learn the painful but absolute economic truth that money spent on one item cannot be spent on another.

At the counselling stage, parents give advice concerning how money is spent and may occasionally intervene to forbid a purchase. In the main, however, the parents’ role is one of advising. If a child wishes to buy a computer, for example, the parents might help him find information, instruct him how to decide on a good purchase, point out the costs of using and maintaining a computer, warn against the temptations that might present themselves on the Internet or in some computer games. If the child finds that he has made a poor decision, he should be left to correct the problem himself.

When children have grown to adulthood and left home, parents should generally leave financial decisions completely to them. If parents have been careful to train their children in financial prudence, they are less likely to get into serious financial problems as adults. If they do fall into difficulties, parents should resist the temptation to intervene immediately to protect them from ruin.

In this process, two main errors must be avoided. Parents err if they fail to exercise control at the early stages of life or give too much responsibility too early. On the other hand, parents err if they try to maintain tight control when their children have outgrown that stage of their lives. Knowing when to loosen and when to tighten the reins requires a great deal of wisdom and prayer. This brings me to the fifth and last point…

5. God is sovereign; the Trinity rules all things for His own purposes, including our children. We must make every effort to train them in His ways, but their future is ultimately in His hands. That is a good thing, for I would certainly make a muddle of things! For parents, the truth that God is sovereign means: Relax and Trust the risen Lord.

Emily is for manly men

2006-05-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

Because I could not stop for Death

BECAUSE I could not stop for Death--
He kindly stopped for me--
The Carriage held but just Ourselves--
And Immortality.

We slowly drove--He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labour and my leisure too,
For His Civility--

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess--in the Ring--
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain--
We passed the Setting Sun--

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground--
The Roof was scarcely visible--
The Cornice--in the Ground--

Since then--'tis Centuries--and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses Heads
Were toward Eternity--

Emily Dickinson

I've considered Emily Dickinson to be a poet of the highest order for many years. If pressed, I would say this gem is one of my favourites.

I enjoy how the poem can aid one in contemplating a restful drive outside of our time-space continuum. Be sure to make note of the number of passengers.

homily by Leithart

2006-04-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

Paul determined to know nothing but Jesus and the cross. Was that enough? To answer that question, we need to answer another: What is the cross?

The cross is the work of the Father, who gave His Son in love for the world; the cross is the work of the Son, who did not cling to equality with God but gave Himself to shameful death; the cross is the work of the Spirit, through whom the Son offers Himself to the Father and who is poured out by the glorified Son. The cross displays the height and the depth and the breadth of eternal Triune love.

The cross is the light of the world; on the cross Jesus is the firmament, mediating between heaven and earth; the cross is the first of the fruit-bearing trees, and on the cross Jesus shines as the bright morning star; on the cross Jesus is sweet incense arising to heaven, and He dies on the cross as True Man to bring the Sabbath rest of God.

Adam fell at a tree, and by a tree he was saved. At a tree Eve was seduced, and through a tree the bride was restored to her husband. At a tree, Satan defeated Adam; on a tree Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. At a tree man died, but by Jesus' death we live. At a tree God cursed, and through a tree that curse gave way to blessing. God exiled Adam from the tree of life; on a tree the Last Adam endured exile so that we might inherit the earth.

The cross is the tree of knowledge, the tree of judgment, the site of the judgment of this world. The cross is the tree of life, whose cuttings planted along the river of the new Jerusalem produce monthly fruit and leaves for the healing of the nations.

The cross is the tree in the middle of history. It reverses what occurred in the beginning at the tree of Eden, and because of the cross, we are confident the tree of life will flourish through unending ages after the end of the age.

The cross is the wooden ark of Noah, the refuge for all the creatures of the earth, the guarantee of a new covenant of peace and the restoration of Adam. The cross is the ark that carries Jesus, the greater Noah, with all His house, through the deluge and baptism of death to the safety of a new creation.

The cross is the olive tree of Israel on which the true Israel died for the sake of Israel. For generations, Israel worshiped idols under every green tree. Israel cut trees, burned wood for fuel, and shaped the rest into an idol to worship. Now in the last days, idolatrous Israel cut trees, burned wood for fuel, and shaped the rest into a cross. The cross is the climax of the history of Israel, as the leaders of Israel gather to jeer, as their fathers had done, at their long-suffering King.

The cross is the imperial tree, where Jesus is executed as a rebel against empire. It is the tree of Babylon and of Rome and of all principalities and powers that will have no king but Caesar. It is the tree of power that has spawned countless crosses for executing innumerable martyrs. But the cross is also the imperial tree of the Fifth Monarchy, the kingdom of God, which grows to become the chief of all the trees of the forest, a haven for birds of the air and beasts of the field.

The cross is the staff of Moses, which divides the sea and leads Israel dry through it. The cross is the wood thrown into the waters of Marah to turn the bitter waters sweet. The cross is the pole on which Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, as Jesus is lifted up to draw all men to Himself.

The cross is the tree of cursing, for cursed is every man who hangs on a tree. On the tree of cursing hung the chief baker of Egypt; but now bread of life. On the tree of cursing hung the king of Ai and the five kings of the South; but now the king of glory, David's greater Son. On the tree of cursing hung Haman the enemy who sought to destroy Israel; but now the savior of Israel, One greater than Mordecai. Jesus bears the curse and burden of the covenant to bear the curse away.

The cross is the wooden ark of the new covenant, the throne of the exalted savior, the sealed treasure chest now opened wide to display the gifts of God – Jesus the manna from heaven, Jesus the Eternal Word, Jesus the budding staff. The cross is the ark in exile among Philistines, riding in triumph even in the land of enemies.

Jesus had spoken against the temple, with its panels and pillars made from cedars of Lebanon. He predicted the temple would be chopped and burned, until there was not one stone left on another. The Jews had made the temple into another wood-and-stone idol, and Israel must have her temple, even at the cost of destroying the Lord of the temple. Yet, the cross becomes the new temple, and at Calvary the temple is destroyed to be rebuilt in three days. The cross is the temple of the prophet Ezekiel, from which living water flows out to renew the wilderness and to turn the salt sea fresh.

The cross is the wood on the altar of the world on which is laid the sacrifice to end all sacrifice. The cross is the wood on which Jesus burns in His love for His Father and for His people, the fuel of His ascent in smoke as a sweet-smelling savor. The cross is the wood on the back of Isaac, climbing Moriah with his father Abraham, who believes that the Lord will provide. The cross is the cedar wood burned with scarlet string and hyssop for the water of purification that cleanses from the defilement of death.

The cross is planted on a mountain, and Golgotha is the new Eden, the new Ararat, the new Moriah; it is greater than Sinai, where Yahweh displays His glory and speaks His final word, a better word than the word of Moses; it is greater than Zion, the mountain of the Great King; it is the climactic mount of transfiguration where the Father glorifies His Son. Calvary is the new Carmel, where the fire of God falls from heaven to consume a living twelve-stone altar to deliver twelve tribes, and turn them into living stones. Planted at the top of the world, the cross is a ladder to heaven, angels ascending and descending on the Son of man.

The cross tears Jesus and the veil so that through His separation He might break down the dividing wall that separated Yahweh from his people and Jew from Gentile. The cross stretches embrace the world, reaching to the four corners, the four winds of heaven, the points of the compass, from the sea to the River and from Hamath to the brook of Egypt. It is the cross of reality, the symbol of man, stretching out, as man does, between heaven and earth, distended between past and future, between inside and outside.

The cross is the crux, the crossroads, the twisted knot at the center of reality, to which all previous history led and from which all subsequent history flows. By it we know all reality is cruciform – the love of God, the shape of creation, the labyrinth of human history. Paul determined to know nothing but Christ crucified, but that was enough. The cross was all he knew on earth; but knowing the cross he, and we, know all we need to know.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. John Chrysostom's Paschal Homily

2006-04-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

Is this not the finest homily to teach everything one needs to know about Orthodoxy and to express the inexpressible joy of Pascha at the same time? I was told by Fr. Lawrence it was composed sometime in the late 4th or early 5th century; this homily is a delight to hear year after year, one of the finest treasures of our Orthodox inheritance.

The Paschal Homily of St. John Chrysostom

If anyone is devout and a lover of God, let him enjoy this beautiful and radiant festival.

If anyone is a wise servant, let him, rejoicing, enter into the joy of his Lord.

If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.

If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay. For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention.

Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today! The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry!

Let all partake of the feast of faith. Let all receive the riches of goodness.

Let no one lament his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed.

Let no one mourn his transgressions, for pardon has dawned from the grave.

Let no one fear death, for the Saviour's death has set us free.

He that was taken by death has annihilated it! He descended into hades and took hades captive! He embittered it when it tasted his flesh! And anticipating this Isaiah exclaimed, "Hades was embittered when it encountered thee in the lower regions." It was embittered, for it was abolished! It was embittered, for it was mocked! It was embittered, for it was purged! It was embittered, for it was despoiled! It was embittered, for it was bound in chains!

It took a body and, face to face, met God! It took earth and encountered heaven! It took what it saw but crumbled before what it had not seen!

"O death, where is thy sting? O hades, where is thy victory?"

Christ is risen, and you are overthrown!

Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!

Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!

Christ is risen, and life reigns!

Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in a tomb!

For Christ, being raised from the dead, has become the First-fruits of them that slept.

To him be glory and might unto ages of ages. Amen.

manliness

2006-04-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

So it appears that Maddox has published a book on manliness. I am certain the book will be hilarious and profoundly manly at one and the same time. Mathematically, as Maddox expresses it, the book's manliness limit is limitless:>

lim
Manliness → ∞

I still think that Maddox has yet to read Judges 19 to understand what untamed manliness is like. Whoever thought the Bible records only the rosy and lovey-dovey tales is mistaken. Of course the type of manliness described in Judges 19 is manliness-falsely-so-called. But Maddox's book should be a howl.

QW: the best first person shooter!

2006-04-11T18:56:00.000-07:00

The finest game I have ever played, quake, has an online version called quakeworld. I have played this game since 1997-1998. I started my gaming life by playing a great shooter called DooM. That was in 1993-4. I remember Dave Folster got me set up with the game. I played the game without a mouse, using only the keyboard to move and look around. I enjoyed DooM a lot and still like to deathmatch against another person or a bot. Occasionally I still load up the game and play it through in single player. I have to admit I've seen everything DooM can offer, yet the game can at times freak me out because of the in-game atmosphere. The single player game of Quake teaches you to engage in battle with demons; which I must say is a very good activity for the manly spirit in all of us. In QW, it is much the same. The main difference being that QW is about playing deathmatch against other humans, most often in 4 versus 4 matches. There is little doubt that QW involves the most demanding skill-set of any first person shooter; the speed of the game, the hard-to-learn movement skills and the team communication skills and tactics are challenging to master. QW is like chess with a boomstick.

Fr. Chris, Thomas Aquinas, Temporality, and the end of deeds

2006-04-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier in Lent, I was discussing the relationship between time and the end of actions with Fr. Chris of Vancouver. The insight of that conversation led me to think about what Thomas Aquinas had written on the topic.

Why should there be a final judgment when God judges in time?

Thomas Aquinas answers: "Judgment on something changeable cannot be rendered fully before its consummation. Thus judgment cannot be rendered fully regarding the quality of any action before its completion, both in itself and its results, because many actions appear to be advantageous, which by their effects are shown to be harmful. Even a human life continues after the human life is ended: it must be observed that although a person's earthly life in itself ends with death, it nevertheless remains to some degree dependent on what comes after it in the future. In one way, one's life continues on in people's memories, in which, sometimes contrary to the truth, good or evil reputations linger on. In another way, one lives on in one's children, who are, as it were, something of their parent. In a third way, one lives on to a degree in the result of one's actions, as in the case of how, from the deceit of Arius and other false leaders, unbelief continues to flourish down to the end of the world, just as faith will continue to derive its progress until then from the preaching of the apostles. In a fourth way, one lives on as regards the body, which is sometimes buried with honour and sometimes left unburied, and finally turns completely to dust. In a fifth way, one lives on in the things on which one's heart is set, such as worldly concerns, some of which are ended quickly, while others endure longer."

Given this, God must render judgment not only actions and persons in the middle of their history but also at the end: "a definitive and public judgment cannot be made of all these things during the course of this present time."

In a way this doesn't do much to answer the original question, since Aquinas believes that the final verdict will be the same as the verdict passed at the time of a person's death (a person will be in heaven or hell before their actions are "ended"). He suggests that one reason for the final public judgment is to overturn and correct "the imperfect judgment that human beings have made" in the course of history. Plus, although the judgment rendered at death is not reversible, there can be a kind of intensification of judgment: "Arius, at his death, could be judged for his erroneous beliefs about the Trinity; at the final judgment he could also be held accountable for the evil effects of his teaching on later generations."

Apart from the context of final judgment, Thomas' comments here are very intriguing. First, it suggests that endings are as problematic and elusive as beginnings. Second, it suggests some grounds for thinking that the meaning/significance of things appears to change over time. The reason Aquinas gives is that actions are not complete until all the consequences of the action have been taken into account. Precisely, Thomas does not believe that the significance of an action changes over time, but rather that the action is not complete without its effects, and that the meaning of the action cannot be known until it is complete. Thus, for instance, the final meaning of my speech-act today is deferred until all the effects of my speech-act are realized. This puts Thomas intriguingly into conversation with Derrida, with the absolutely critical difference that Thomas believes there is an end, a final summing up, a final judgment. (Thomas also believes that there are judgments within history as well as at the end; this also seems to be an important qualification to his recognition of dissemination.)

Finally, this passage discloses something about Thomas, whose theology is often characterized as static and rigid. To that we can say: not at all. As Fr. Chris said to me, "Thomas stop thinking linearly." In some ways I am like the great Schoolman, yet I fail to possess any of his non-linear mystical fire. "O for a Muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention," as the Poet wrote. O that I would ascend!

Apple Allows Windows on Its Machines

2006-04-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

April 5, 2006

Turning a decades-long rivalry on its head, Apple Computer introduced software today that it says will easily allow users to install Microsoft's Windows XP operating system on Apple's newest computers.

The software, Boot Camp, is available as a free download on Apple's Web site and will be part of the next version of Apple's operating system, Leopard. It works on Apple's three lines of computer that run on Intel chips Â the Mac mini, the iMac and the MacBook Pro.

Apple's move is a recognition of the growing interest among some users in running Windows on Macintosh computers now that they are using Intel processors, which power the majority of Windows-based personal computers. Many technology enthusiasts have already been sharing software and tricks on the Internet to allow Mac users to add Windows to their new machines, though those approaches involve a far more complicated installation than Apple's new software does.

In a statement today, Apple said it does not intend to support Windows for customers who install Boot Camp and run Windows XP on their machines. Still, the company said it is providing the software because it recognizes a sizeable demand Â and opportunity.

"We think Boot Camp makes the Mac even more appealing to Windows users considering making the switch," Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said in the statement.

Investors seemed to think the strategy would help Apple expand its share of the personal computer market beyond the 3 percent to 5 percent level where it has stood at for many years. Shares of Apple jumped $4.23, or 7 percent, to $65.40 in morning trading. Shares of Microsoft were up 6 cents, to $27.70.

After years of stagnant or declining computer sales, Apple has seen a steady and significant rise in its desktops and laptops in recent years as more consumers have purchased its iPod music player and bought songs through its online iTunes music store.

Though Apple's shift to Intel from chips made by International Business Machines and a former division of Motorola has been considered risky from a technical and business standpoint, the move could help the company capitalize further on the so-far modest gains it has made in the computer business.

Many personal computer users have been reluctant to switch to Apple, because they cannot use software that is written to run exclusively on the Windows operating system, said Charles Wolf, a veteran technology industry analyst at Needham & Company. By making it easy for users to run Windows software on its machine, Apple has taken away "one of the most significant barriers to switching," he said.

The key test will be whether computer buyers will be willing to spend more money to buy an Apple computer to run the same software they can run on a far cheaper Windows-based machine from manufacturers like Dell and Hewlett-Packard.

Mr. Wolf calculates that Apple's biggest market share gains will be among residential users, who are more likely to be swayed by Apple's design and media savvy than corporate and government customers who will likely to stick with cheaper hardware and software configurations.

The shift could mean a significant increase in sales for Apple over time, especially after Leopard becomes the standard Mac operating system late this year or early in 2007. But the company's gains do not have to mean big losses for other hardware makers, Mr. Wolf said, because they will only lose a small fraction of their market share.

"You are starting out with a market share of 2 or 3 percent and maybe going to a market share of 6 or 7," he said. "Apple is not going to take over the world."

Users who download and install Boot Camp must buy a copy of Windows XP software, which starts at $141.98 for the home edition. The Boot Camp software serves as an intermediary that creates an installation disk (users will need to provide a blank compact disk for this step) that lets the Windows software operate the Apple hardware, including its networking, audio and graphics devices and controls. Certain other features like a remote control for Apple's media software will not work with Windows software.

Once the installation is complete, users can select which operating system, Apple or Windows, they want to use each time they start the computer. Sounds sweet?!

Schmemann's Journals and Thomas Hopko on Prayer

2006-04-03T19:01:00.002-07:00

The journals of Alexander Schmemann were published in 2000 by St Vladimir's Seminary Press, and they are simply mesmerizing. The same rich voice — the same rich soul — that is evident in Schmemann's classic published works shines through in these journals. His semi-"outsider" status as an Orthodox Christian in a Protestant nation gives him a unique perspective on American life. His long experience as a theology teacher with pastoral responsibilities gives him rare insight into the church and human personality. And he is altogether human. A moment of solitary silence at a train stop fills him with overwhelming joy, but in the next entry he is despairing of the direction of his life (he began the journal when he was 52). As a man of 40, I can relate to this type of spiritual self-questioning: should I have not stepped back from becoming a deacon, should I have had coffee with that person or enjoyed that mountain view, should I have not wasted time fly fishing or reading about tying knots or how to code in C? And so it runs on.

Schmemann's descriptions of his several intense encounters with Solzhenitsyn are worth the whole book; Solzhenitsyn, by Schmemann's account, is absolutely committed and obsessed with his own calling and vocation, uninterested in anything outside of that, ascetically single-minded. The description rings true, and indicates one of the key reasons for the later strain between the two men, given that Schmemann describes himself as a man who instantly sees both sides of a question.

The whole volume is wonderful, but I confine myself to just one sample:>

Why am I drawn from America to Europe and from Europe back to America? I feel that the usual answer is, Europe is culture, roots, traditions. America is freedom and also lack of culture and rootlessness. This answer is incomplete, one-sided, simplified and incorrect. Tentatively, I would say that in America, one finds everything that Europe has, while in Europe there is hardly anything of what America is. One is drawn, not so much TO Europe as OUT of America because in Europe one is spiritually more comfortable. There is always something to lean on, almost physically, whereas America is spiritually difficult. For years, people have rushed to America for an easier life, not realizing that deep down, life is much more difficult there. First of all, America is a country of great loneliness. Each one is alone with his own fate, under a huge sky, in the middle of a colossal country. Any culture, tradition, roots seem small there, but people strongly cling to them, knowing full well their illusory character. Secondly, this solitude in America demands from everyone an existential answer to the question, to be or not to be, and that requires effort. Hence so many personal crashes. In Europe anyone who falls, falls on some ground; in America he flies into an abyss. So much fear, such angst.

What draws a person to America is the possibility of having one's own individual fate. Once you have tasted it, it becomes impossible to be just a Finn or a Frenchman; in other words, to be determined once and for all. One is liberated from it. And although liberated, one is often drawn again to the illusory stability of Europe, to dreams and fantasy . . . While walking from Notre Dame to the Seine, to Place des Vosges, I realize that all that I like so much is illusory, not needed, that it has no relation with the France of Mitterand and others. The real France wants to become America. America does not want to become Europe, therefore it is genuine, while Europe is steadily losing its genuine character.

It is good for a man with a very small spiritual stature to read the thoughts of a great man who knows how to give thanks. And according to Fr. Thomas Hopko, the prayers of a thankful man lighten the heart of despair and put a man into a right relation with God the Maker. The brilliant fly fishing priest notes the classification of prayer into four types: asking (for oneself and others), thanking, praising, and questioning or complaining to God. "To learn to come to God in every situation," explains Fr. Hopko, "and with each of the four categories operating all the time, is a very important achievement: the achievement of a prayerful life."

What may we ask for in prayer? "For everything good; and nothing good is too small. For what should we thank Him? For everything. For what should we praise? For everything. About what may we question? About all things not understood. About what may we lament and complain? About all that is frustrating, confusing, and tragic in our lives. But in all things: thanksgiving and praise, for this is the essence of faith." And in all things, Fr. Hopko stresses: "Thy will be done."

Prayer must be private, personal, and secret. It cannot be limited just to the liturgy 'the common work' of the Church. Strictly speaking, the liturgy of the Church is not merely a form of personal prayer, a form done corporately and openly, together with others. Liturgy is more than a prayer. It is gathering, being together, singing, celebrating, processing, announcing, teaching, listening, interceding, remembering, offering, receiving, having communion with God and each other, being sent into the world with an experience of something to be witnessed to… Its efficacy depends upon our personal prayer done alone in secret. The liturgy cannot be our only prayer. If it is, we should seriously question its meaning and power for us.

How can we begin to pray? Just by beginning. But how to begin, with what sort of methods? Everyone's way will be different, but the saints give two absolute rules: be brief, and be regular. These are the pillars of prayer. Brevity to ensure humility, to discourage despair, and to enable us to do what can reasonably be done. And regularity to build the rhythm of prayer into the rhythm of life as an unchanging element of our existence. It is a million times more effective and pleasing to God to have a short rule of prayer rigidly kept at regular times than to "do a lot" just any old time, whenever we happen to do it.

This bolded bit is particularly pleasing for me to know. I will end this post with a thought by my favourite novelist:

Young man, do not forget to say your prayers. If your prayer is sincere, there will be every time you pray a new feeling containing an idea in it, an idea that you did not know before, which will give you courage. Then you will understand that prayer is an education...

Auden and Worship

2006-04-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

W. H. Auden said, "In my opinion sermons should be [a] fewer [b] longer [c] more theologically instructive and less exhortatory. I must confess that in my life I have very seldom heard a sermon from which I derived any real spiritual benefit. Most of them told me that I should love God and my neighbour more than I do, but that I knew already."

His first experience of worship was of "exciting mysterious rituals" rather than sermons, and this "implanted in me what I believe to be the correct notion of worship, namely, that it is first and foremost a community in action, a thing done together, and only secondarily a matter of individual feeling or thinking."

I don't agree with Auden regarding points [a] or [b]. Against point [a], I do think a weekly homily is a needed aspect of life in our age in our North American environs. Because we are living in such a violently materialistic time, the spiritual weapons of Christ's Gospel need to be forged in us on a weekly basis; perhaps even more so during Lent. Again, with regard to point [b], I think longer homilies are counter-productive; too much listening leads to most people turning slightly dull of hearing. A short and focussed sermon makes a few points that will have a better chance to stick. But oddly in the light of his thoughts on homilies, I confess that I concur with his experience of worship. Surely as any Orthodox would? He seems to be touching upon the sacramental aspect of worship; and aren't these the types of heavenly realities for us in the Church? Does he not also touch upon the fundamental authentic Christian truth that worship is corporate and not individualistic?

Batman's chucks!

2006-03-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

These cruisers own; they are so manly. For Pascha I am going to try to get a pair of these babies for my tender toosties. Batman shoes, good red wine, some aromatic pipe smoke and some meat and cheese: I will be giving up thanks to the Big Guy! Bring on Pascha, yes indeed! I look forward to digging out my hobbit pipe and playing a tune or two on her. How much longer until Pascha is it, again? Ah, time to dig deeply and live out life by grasping with my lenten hands :)

Jack Johnson and Curious George

2006-03-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Somethings go together, like rapsberry jam and butter on sourdough toast. Other things don't fit so well, at least on the surface. I came across this latest offering from Jack Johnson while searching for some Ben Harper music. But it would be better to say, "I stumbled upon it;" because I did stumble spiritually by starting to think ill thoughts of Jack for working on this project in the first place. I mean seeing this soundtrack by Jack Johnson for this movie was much along the lines of running into Queen Elizabeth while at a strip joint or at the neighbourhood drug dealer's home: "...... excuse me, what are you doing here....moreover, why am I here?" Consider that even my children wouldn't want to see the movie for this soundtrack. And that shows good taste. Does anyone know whether this music is worth checking out? I like Jack Johnson's music, but I hesitate with this Curious George soundtrack. Let me know what you know in the comments.

Woe unto them that call evil good

2006-03-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

Is. 5:20 reads like a sword of war against equivocation:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

In my En.11 classes we are studying Macbeth wherein this concept of equivocating is very important to understanding how Shakespeare uses the speech of the witches to characterize them as being evil. Hence, anyone who speak such-and-such a way, is that way as a person. Accordingly when we first meet Macbeth, he equivocates, saying, "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." As the story continues the equivocation takes on more serious consequences than merely suggesting there is no distinction between good and foul weather.
This reversal of values and equivocation continues in our time: . 'Woe unto them that call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual focus and reversed our sense of what is virtuous:
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honoured virtues of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Reading Isaiah is a good way to put a stop to the spiritual wickedness which is equivocation.
Washing clean the concepts we think with and the words we use to express our concepts with is necessary.
This is when it is wise to recall Christ's saying about "Yea and Nay".

OpenBSD 3.9 on May 1st.

2006-03-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

Pre-orders are up for 3.9, so you can all whip out your plastic and support the project. The artwork theme this time is a supremely cool "attack of the binary blob" with a nifty "Stop BLOB!" shirt, aimed against the increasing proliferation of vendor supplied unmaintainable inscrutable binary blob drivers. Wear yours with pride and stick your favourite assinine vendor logo on the back in the blob (now where is my nvidia swag?).

To School on a Fire Engine

2006-03-21T09:07:00.000-08:00

luke and i and two of his friends took a ride to school today on this fire engine. it was cool; we were able to sound the siren, wear fire fighter helmuts, sit in the driver's seat and hang out with two of fort langley's finest fire fighters. when they dropped luke and his buddies off at school, the boys had had a good 30 minute tour. i enjoyed watching luke's face as they arrived at school, being the envy of most other young dudes. he and his friends were 'it' for a brief moment. but that's what happens when you get a lift to school on a fire engine!

and me in all this? i was just a schmuck who had to walk home after being dropped off at my son's school :P

St. Ephraim

2006-03-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

When it came time to name my son I suggested to my wife that one of his middle names be Ephraim, after a great Syrian saint. The name means 'fruitful' or 'prosperous' in its Hebrew etymology and I thought that was a very strong reason for giving my son this as one of his middle names. I am glad Ramone agreed, though her reasons were founded more on the great spiritual insight found in the Lenten prayer composed by St. Ephraim:

O God, cleanse me, a sinner.

O Lord and Master of my life,
take from me the spirit of laziness,
despair, lust for power and idle talk.

But rather the spirit of chastity, humility,
patience and love to your servant.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own sins
and not to judge my brother:
for you are blessed
unto the ages of ages.

O God, cleanse me, a sinner.
Amen.

My favourite line of Saint Ephraim's is from his second of nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, wherein he writes: "Blessed be the Fruit, Who lowered Himself to fulfill our hunger!" What literary critic would not be drop-jawed at that figure of speech?!

One of St. Ephraim's re-occurring figures of speech is that of Christ as painting a self-image. Speaking of the Jewish law, the Gospels, and nature, he wrote:

You have mixed them together as paints for
your portrait; you have looked at yourself,
and painted your own portrait.
Here is the painter, who in himself has painted
his Father's portrait,
two portrayed, the one in the other...
you in your coming brought it to completion.

Here are a couple photos of the church to which St. Ephraim devoted so much of his energy and a snippet from Wikipedia on St. Ephraim:

Ephraim was born around the year 306, in the city of Nisibis (the modern Turkish town of Nusaybin, on the border with Syria). Internal evidence from Ephraim's hymnody suggests that both his parents were part of the growing Christian community in the city, although later hagiographers wrote that his father was a pagan priest. Numerous languages were spoken in the Nisibis of Ephraim's day, mostly dialects of Aramaic. The Christian community used the Syriac dialect. Various pagan religions, Judaism and early Christian sects vied with one another for the hearts and minds of the populace. It was a time of great religious and political tension. The Roman Emperor, Diocletian had signed a treaty with his Persian counterpart, Nerses in 298 that transferred Nisibis into Roman hands. The savage persecution and martyrdom of Christians under Diocletian were an important part of Nisibene church heritage as Ephrem grew up.

Jacob, the first bishop of Nisibis was appointed in 308, and Ephraim grew up under his leadership of the community. Jacob of Nisibis is recorded as a signatory at the First Council of Nicea in 325. Ephraim was baptized as a youth, and almost certainly became a son of the covenant, an unusual form of Syrian proto-monasticism. Jacob appointed Ephraim as a teacher (Syriac malp̄ānâ, a title that still carries great respect for Syriac Christians). He was ordained as a deacon either at his baptism or later. He began to compose hymns and write biblical commentaries as part of his educational office. In his hymns, he sometimes refers to himself as a 'herdsman' (`allānâ), to his bishop as the 'shepherd' (rā`yâ) and his community as a 'fold' (dayrâ). Ephraim is popularly credited as the founder of the School of Nisibis, which in later centuries was the centre of learning of the Church of the East.

In 337, Emperor Constantine I, who had legalised and promoted the practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire, died. Seizing on this opportunity, Shapur II of Persia began a series of attacks into Roman North Mesopotamia. Nisibis was besieged in 338, 346 and 350. During the first siege, Ephraim credits Bishop Jacob as defending the city with his prayers. Ephraim's beloved bishop died soon after the event, and Babu led the church through the turbulent times of border skirmishes. In the third siege, of 350, Shapur rerouted the River Mygdonius to undermine the walls of Nisibis. The Nisibenes quickly repaired the walls while the Persian elephant cavalry became bogged down in the wet ground. Ephraim celebrated what he saw as the miraculous salvation of the city in a hymn which portrayed Nisibis as being like Noah's Ark, floating to safety on the flood.

One important physical link to Ephraim's lifetime is the baptistery of Nisibis. The inscription tells that it was constructed under Bishop Vologeses in 359. That was the year that Shapur began to harry the region once again. The cities around Nisibis were destroyed one by one, and their citizens killed or deported. The Roman Empire was preoccupied in the west, and Constantius and Julian, struggled for overall control. Eventually, with Constantius dead, Julian the Apostate began his march into Mesopotamia. He brought with him his increasingly stringent persecutions of Christians. Julian began a foolhardy march against the Persian capital, Ctesiphon, where, overstretched and outnumbered, he was forced into an immediate retreat back along the same road. Julian was killed defending his retreat, and the army elected Jovian as the new emperor. Unlike his predecessor, Jovian was a Nicene Christian. He was forced by circumstances to ask for terms from Shapur, and conceded Nisibis to Persia, with the provision that the city's Christian community would leave. Bishop Abraham, the successor to Vologeses, led his people into exile.

Ephraim found himself among a large group of refugees that fled west, first to Amida (Diyarbakır), and eventually settling in Edessa (modern Şanlıurfa) in 363. Ephraim, in his late fifties, applied himself to ministry in his new church, and seems to have continued his work as a teacher, perhaps in the School of Edessa. Edessa had always been at the heart of the Syriac-speaking world and the city was full of rival philosophies and religions. Ephraim comments that Orthodox Nicene Christians were simply called 'Palutians' in Edessa, after a former bishop. Arians, Marcionites, Manichees, Bardaisanites and various Gnostic sects proclaimed themselves as the true church. In this confusion, Ephraim wrote a great number of hymns defending Nicene Orthodoxy. A later Syriac writer, Jacob of Serugh, wrote that Ephraim rehearsed all-female choirs to sing his hymns set to Syriac folk tunes in the forum of Edessa. After a ten-year residency in Edessa, in his sixties, Ephraim succumbed to the plague as he ministered to its victims. The most reliable date for his death is 9 June 373.

OpenBSD info & link

2006-03-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

If you were ever curious about the operating system I have sometimes posted
about or alluded to by mentioning 'Puffy', then just check out this short interview. It is in .avi format.

In memory of Simone Weil

2006-03-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

While reading this poem Simone Weil had the experience of the presence of Christ. I hope that in reading "Love" by George Herbert, you might get at least a sense of what Simone Weil experienced.

Love

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.

Beginning....a puzzle.

2006-03-09T22:40:00.000-08:00

A man went searching for the beginning of the road he was traveling. He traced his footsteps back the way he had come, until he came to where he started. But the beginning of the road was not a beginning. Something lay on the far side of the road's beginning, a beginning before the beginning. And the road had no sooner begun than the beginning was over, and the road itself appeared.

There was a man who sought a spring. He wanted to locate a spring that was nothing but a spring, not a spring that had a stream of water flowing from it from it. No matter where he searched, he found only springs with streams. He could not find a pure spring, a spring uncorrupted by a supplemental flow of water.

He went home in despair, and on his way met the man looking for the beginning of the road. They found a roadside tavern, and went in for a pint.

...do battle against him...

2006-03-09T20:07:00.001-08:00

The self-evidencing power of truth.

The word of truth is free, and carries its own authority, disdaining to fall under any skilful argument, or to endure the logical scrutiny of its hearers. But it would be believed for its own nobility, and for the confidence due to Him who sends it. Now the word of truth is sent from God; wherefore the freedom claimed by the truth is not arrogant. For being sent with authority, it were not fit that it should be required to produce proof of what is said; since neither is there any proof beyond itself, which is God. For every proof is more powerful and trustworthy than that which it proves; since what is disbelieved, until proof is produced, gets credit when such proof is produced, and is recognised as being what it was stated to be. But nothing is either more powerful or more trustworthy than the truth; so that he who requires proof of this is like one who wishes it demonstrated why the things that appear to the senses do appear. For the test of those things which are received through the reason, is sense; but of sense itself there is no test beyond itself. As then we bring those things which reason hunts after, to sense, and by it judge what kind of things they are, whether the things spoken be true or false, and then sit in judgment no longer, giving full credit to its decision; so also we refer all that is said regarding men and the world to the truth, and by it judge whether it be worthless or no. But the utterances of truth we judge by no separate test, giving full credit to itself. And God, the Father of the universe, who is the perfect intelligence, is the truth. And the Word, being His Son, came to us, having put on flesh, revealing both Himself and the Father, giving to us in Himself resurrection from the dead, and eternal life afterwards. And this is Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. He, therefore, is Himself both the faith and the proof of Himself and of all things. Wherefore those who follow Him, and know Him, having faith in Him as their proof, shall rest in Him. But since the adversary does not cease to resist many, and uses many and divers arts to ensnare them, that he may seduce the faithful from their faith, and that he may prevent the faithless from believing, it seems to me necessary that we also, being armed with the invulnerable doctrines of the faith, do battle against him in behalf of the weak.

There is nothing like St. Irenæus to get me more firmly behind the Lenten discipline; I hope his manly logic lifted your spirits a bit.

Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

2006-03-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

This epistle admirably illustrates the temper taught by St. Paul (2 Tim. ii. 24), and not less the peculiar social relations of converts to the Gospel. Mathetes was possibly a catechumen of St. Paul or of one of the apostles. Many scholars think that his correspondent, Diognetus, was the tutor of M. Aurelius. The author names himself as Mathetes, but no one can say more of his identity. What interests me is the description he gives of early Church communities. Do you think Mathetes is describing the communities in an ideal or realistic manner? I am inclined to think 'both' for my answer. Read this excerpt and decide for yourself:

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a lifewhich is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines.But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

So we read about surpassing the legal expectations of the secular laws; not destroying our babies; not condoning adultery. These three stand out as extremely early representations of Orthodox ethical notions. Also, the whole attitude of turning the other cheek and being rich through having little bleeds throughout the epistle and it astounds and inspires me. This epistle is a lot like the Didache in that it is more revelant and fresh than even the morning news! Why is it that Irenaeus, Ignatius and Clement are still such manly and pertinent figures?

Bad Hair and other Hard Truths

2006-02-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

Let's be straight about this image: these people have spent way too much time grooming way too much hair with way too much hair spray. I mean the hard truth is that the hair style evident here is so 'jungle frew-frew' it is just begging to be hacked back. You'd need a weed whacker to take off enough to make a visible difference. I have no idea who decided that this style of hair was groovy, but we'd all agree that this way of setting hair is just embarrassing. But it is a hard truth -- albeit a funny hard truth -- to admit that many normal, hard-working middle-class folks in the 1970s actually thought this style rocked: anyone recall the Bay City Rollers? And do look more closely at the photo: doesn't that young family seem delighted with their 'jungle frew-frew' hairdos? You better believe it! "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!" or "Let the good times roll...let them brush your rock 'n' roll hair, let them leave you up in the air..." Oh the frew-frew jungle blues!

Some truths are hard to grasp while others are hard to take in because they demand of us a difficult course of action or choice. Most hard truths follow the latter description, involving so much more than dealing with evidence that clearly shows you had an extremely poor sense of aesthetic judgment. Indeed, the hardest truths I can think of are these:

1. there is no eternal security; we must trust only in Christ's mercy
2. the two ultimate choices: we saying "yes" to God's will or God saying "yes" to our will.
3. not everyone will find blessedness
4. heaven may involve even longer and more frequent liturgies :p
5. you must hold your hands out in love to those you dislike

What are the hardest truths for you?

Unrelated remarks

2006-02-25T08:31:00.000-08:00

A while ago we went to see the Picasso exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It amazes me that Picasso was so successful in his own lifetime; he was wealthy and lived a life of luxury and ease. This painting of the bombing of the Basque village, Guernica, has always held my imagination in horror. When someone asks me whether the beautiful is to be equated with that which gives pleasure, I always use this painting in my answer. For this work is beautiful but it gives me no pleasure at all; in contemplating the images, you will notice only horror, loss and brutuality. Hardly giving a normal manly man pleasure. Therefore the beautiful is not another way of saying 'that which gives pleasure'. What do you think the Latin lettering is for?

Winter Frost

2006-02-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Winter Olympics are running and Canada has owned the rink. It is rather lame that we haven't excelled that well in snowboarding. One bronze medal is lame for a snowboarding capital of the world! In hockey we are starting to get business accomplished; our women's hockey team has won the gold! Truly they seemed unbeatable. Our men are having a tough time getting to be a 'team'. Perhaps a few set-backs will do them good service: it may pull them closer together. The men's team needed a slap upside the head and both the Swiss and the Finns delivered a couple of smashing wake-you-up uppercuts. I think the Canuckleheads will pull together as a manly national team should; and I hope we get to see our manly squad play in the final, crushing the Finns. Oh, baby, that would be better than butter on a fresh cinnamon bun!

This frosty watercolor painting is lovely. It reminds me of the winters during my youth when we used to get more snowfall.

OliveBSD

2006-02-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

Go get it here. Burn that onto a cd and then you can boot up OpenBSD 3.8 with a nice graphical user interface. It is an easy and free way to use the most secure operating system currently available. As an aside, olive trees are remarkable in that they bloom prior to growing their leaves. It was this trait that made it the species to represent the White Tree of Gondor in The Return of the King. I sometimes enjoy imagining what those White Trees of Valinor would have looked like in all their radiance.

Quilts

2006-02-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

This post is about quilts and why I love them. I want to say at the outset that it is very manly to enjoy quilts. The craftsmanship in making them is not for me to put down or joke at; I highly respect those who design and craft these comforting treasures. However, I am not advocating that manly men start doing this craft; but if you are faced with a choice between taking up quilting or taking up figure skating, I'd say the manly man would choose the former if faced with such a dilemma. Now let's view some of my favourite types.

I have always loved homemade quilts. These days the blankets that are commonly sold are lame in comparison. The industrial revolution ruined things for many an artisan, the textile craftsman not least. That said one can still find good, heavy quilts around. My father's mother was an avid quilt maker until her death. She made me 3 quilts throughout my childhood. The last one she crafted has served me for the last 26 years. And that quilt has seen 26 yrs. of steady use; it went with me to university, it lived through my life as a bachelor; it has been a joy to Ramone and I during our slumbertimes. I love -- absolutely love -- heavy, weighty and manly quilts made with a wool core. Oh baby, can you say Thomas go have a restful and content snooooooze? These old friendship quilts are superbly crafted.The crazy brokendishes design is by some old mennonites; I will forgive them for their theological errors because they made such splendid blankets. It is interesting to note in passing that my grandmother wouldn't have wrapped her or her children in a such a blanket because those perceived theological errors.

So close was a person to the work that its very presence was thought to be blessed or cursed by the form that the maker's mind crafted it with; and if in that mind there were theological or moral ideas that could contaminate other forms or ideas? Well, so much for resting contentedly in a mennonite blanket that could've been contaminated with bad religion. At least they took art extremely seriously!

I love this brokendish design which I am told was a favourite of mennonites; I can just picture my grandmother somehow enjoying the verbal irony of the quilt type and linking it to the followers of Menno Friesen.

This last quilt is a very heavy one, being made of wool. It is just the sort of blanket I would love to wrap myself up in.

The weight, the density of the material is not only warm and soothing, but also it helps to hold you still, suspended, care-free and gives you some respice at the close of a hard day's work.

Oh yea, bring it on! I can just see myself enjoying a good slumber under this one. I hope you enjoyed a peak at some of my favourite quilts.

Canadian Olympic Hockey: can we cheer?!

2006-02-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Our men's and women's teams are posed to defend the Gold; in the coming two weeks we expect to see a couple of scenes like this one:

Let's forget about the figure skating, it is so lame and way too subjective. Remember 2002 when figure skating vomited all over itself on the international stage? I don't know why anyone likes to watch it anyway. It seems to attract mostly effeminate men to the sport. Think about it, what type of guy would rather go practise his ice dancing routine over going to a hockey practice or over going snowboarding??! Enough said; that was a rhetorical question, we know it is a Brokeback-Mountain sort of guy. Furthermore, who gives a rip about figure skating when compared to hockey or snowboarding or skiing? It bothers me that there are people who do not recognize just how lame and unmanly figure skating is; yet this fact only really bothers me because of the effect it has on the broadcasting of the olympic events. The CBC broadcasts hours of the artistic malarkey and they do so because lots of people want to see it. To me watching figure skating is on par with reading and valuing astrology or harnessing the creative energies of crystals. I mean let's get real, no manly man believes people can cast spells or that stars and planets have anything to do with how financial investiments will fare on a given day. "Oh, excuse me while I consult my $50.00 crystal to determine whether the 'creative energy' is right for investing with you...or to find out if I should cheer for the Russians or Chinese in ice dancing???!" It is all unmanly and terribly superstitious and full of horse hockey pucks! Give ice skating a rest, instead cheer for the hockey, snowboarding and skiing. Curling is much more manly than figure skating; they bang their rocks together to make a very manly sound: arggggh!
Or something like that :p

Go Team Canada!

beauty

2006-02-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

I came across this painting and thought others might like it, too. I am not sure why I like this picture. If you don't just click away from my post. If it catches your fancy or delights you, then try to explain what it is about the image that evokes your response. Enjoy.

the four parts to a question: for Vic

2006-02-06T18:49:00.000-08:00

4 jobs:

1. Teacher: I've taught for 15 years.

2. Gill Net Fisherman: I gill net fished for salmon for a couple of summers.

3. Seine Net Fisherman: I worked on board the Westview III for a couple of summers; I was a tie-up man or beachman. It was in the days when I was a fast runner: in gr.12 I ran a 100m sprint in 11.46s! And a good beachman had to haul his chops up and down slippery rocks, all the while looking for something to tie up on.

4. Burnaby Parks and Recreation: during the summer of Expo 86 I worked as a mobile playwriter. My partner and I would get a week to compose a skit, practise it, find costumes and props; then we would do two shows per day in two different parks per day (one am show, one pm show) over the next two weeks. Then we'd repeat the three week cycle again. We did a nine week stint to great reviews for all three skits! Hehe, it was my summer as Professor Percy Bumble, a bumbling inventor who had various adventures:) And I got to use a Burnaby Parks and Recreation Van to get around; at night I would hang out doing all sorts of silly things with my roomie, Tom Hooper, a bassist for the Grapes of Wrath.

4 movies I could watch over and over...

1. A Man for All Seasons (Paul Scofield)
2. The Godfather I/II (they are connected)
3. Ikiru/The Matrix
4. A River Runs Through It

4 places i've lived:

1. Vancouver: I went to Lord Kitchener Elementary K-3
2. Victoria: We lived on Thompson Bay Rd by Oak Bay Park Pre-school years
3. Toronto: Only there for gr. 3-4. I hated Toronto. I still do. It is a pussy-footed,
liberal-minded part of a wannabe-cultured city that has no culture that isn't superficial.
When we moved to Calgary for my gr.5-6, I could start to think and breath and do things in
the mountain heights!
4. Fort Langley: I live here and I love it; it is so groovy. Just ask Vic, she'll tell you how
cool it is.

4 albums:

1. Led Zeppelin I/II/III/IV
2. Neil Young: Harvest
3. John R. Cash: Live at Folsom Prison
4. So many others...Feist, Sarah Harmer, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Nirvana: Bleach, The White
Stripes, Bach, Mozart, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Armstrong,
Pink Floyd, etc..

4 fiction writers:

1. C.S.Lewis
2. Tolkein
3. Joyce
4. Dostoevsky

4 poets:

1. Herbert
2. Homer/Pindar
3. Rumi
4. Donne

4 Playwriters:

1. Shakespeare
2. Robert Bolt
3. Sophocles
4. Anton Chekov

4 non-fiction writers:

1. Jean Danielou
2. Vladmir Lossky
3. CS Lewis
4. George Grant

4 Philosophers:

1. Plato
2. Aristotle
3. Thomas Aquinas
4. Simone Weil

4 heroes:

1. Christ
2. St. Paul
3. Mary, the mother of my Lord
4. any truly manly man

4 vacations:

1. Chaunigan Lake
---I have not been on a vacation as an adult other than to Chaunigan Lake.

4 foods:

1. Jim's Pizza: In Fort Langley. The Rustic Italian and House Special (with slight manly substitutions) Id Est, add feta to both; remove pineapple, add roasted garlic to the house special; remove tomato, add roasted garlic to the rustic italian. though the rustic is good with the tomato, but i just prefer the garlic because it is manlier. -edited so as to clarify matters for Victoria

2. Prime Rib

3. Greek Food

4. Chinese Food

4 places i'd rather be:

1. Fly Fishing
2. Not working
3. reading what I want
4. hanging out with friends

4 sites:

1. www.openbsd.org
2. www.undeadly.org
3. blogs I visit
4. google.ca and imdb.com

4 bloggers to whom i'm passing this burden:

1. luke
2. hannah
3. ramone
4. davido

Boom, drizzle, crack! and some baby talk...

2006-02-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

I love the wind and the rain; and I love chocolate and cinnamon buns. But too much of a good thing is too much, excessive, over-done, a lot of plenty, etc., etc.. I heard that twins have been born to Deanna and Peter; moreover I am given to understand that the boy is named Thomas. I'd like to congratulate the parents on having the good sense to use such a manly name. The baby girl's name is Elizabeth; and I do have a fondness for that name, too, even though I do not utilize the name. Thomas the baby: what an outstanding name to grow up with and to grow into. Arrrgggh!

Gabe and Amy had a boy with a fine name, too: Owen. What is especially cool about the Little O-man's name is the pronounciation of the initials of his three given or Christian names: O + P + E or 'Oppie'; as, for instance, in the little kid played by Ron Howard on the old Andy Griffith Show. Owen is one of my favourite names. In fact, if Ramone and I were to have a divinely sent accident in the form of another male baby, we'd probably name him Henry Owen Thomas; and yes he'd be one HOT! baby I am sure!

Congratulations to Amy, Gabe, Peter and Deanna on the recent arrivals. May you be given the strength, honour and wisdom to raise them well!

I sure do hope to see some sunshine soon.

word cloud

2006-02-02T21:07:00.000-08:00

Here you go Vic and KimRB, I did this post for you two. I don't know if it reveals anything other than that I end up with cinnamon buns smack dab in the middle of these words...a sublime message perhaps???

Bell X1

2006-02-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

In this post I will tell you about a model jet Luke and I will build in the coming weeks. I bought a model of this Bell X1 jet for my son Luke. The Bell X1 was the first jet to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947; Chuck Yeager was the pilot. This weekend we will buy the cement and orange paint for it. Luke is quite excited about putting it together. I like working on modelling projects with Luke; he has loads of patience for a guy his age and takes instructions well. Being teachable is such a virtue and is a sure sign of intellectual humility. Moreover, he has steady hands and an eye for detail. As he grows older I am sure he will learn to anticipate what is needed in a working situation better than he does currently. He's not bad at anticipating, but he needs to refine his observation skills and 'read' situations more accurately. I am well-pleased with my son and his manly progress into becoming a young man!

This weekend Ramone goes in for a MRI on her back at St. Paul's Hospital. Lord, I hope all is well! I don't want to go down that bad-back road again. Please do offer a pray up on behalf of my wife's back; she's already had numerous back surgeries and we don't need any further hospital time.

While we are in town Hannah and I will pick up some Chuck Taylor's; argggh! manly cruisers indeed! Hannah wants to get navy or brown low cuts so they match anything she wears, while I will go for a cream colored set of high tops. Yes, I am so harsh and stylish.

Well I think that's enough manliness for this entry. Here's a cool blog to check out. She wrote an interesting article on Islam and Free Speech and constantly updates her blog with details of an ongoing series of apartment renovations and informative shots of Leith, Edinburgh. Enjoy...

not sure what to write anymore...

2006-01-31T19:56:00.000-08:00

this circle of confusion is a figure for my current mind set on blogging. i wrote two other posts about a popular gay cowboy movie currently enjoying rave reviews, but ramone had me delete them because she felt my views were too politically incorrect and dangerous to my employment situation. i thought they were both thoughtful, carefully considered and rather funny. but i trust my wife's insight.

this incident has made me post shy; and this bothers me, leaving me somewhat confused. furthermore, it makes me feel as though what i am thinking through is unimportant and on a lower level of spiritual priority than what ramone or other more spiritual folks are working through in their writing. i don't deny this, but it bothers me nevertheless. in addition, i read a post over on stacy's site and was going to leave a comment about my experience with special ed students but thought, "no, write nothing, it might offend." accordingly i am not sure whether i should write anything about what i truly think about controversial matters. it would seem the wisest move is to remain taciturn. i will just have to find another outlet. so that is what i am going to do; as such i will just write about OpenBSD and other stuff that won't easily offend anyone unless they are silly enough to use microsoft windows :p

a 30h fast: hunger bites, bite back!

2006-01-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

Today my school was awarded the highest honour a school can get. No, it wasn't for scholastic merit or for athletics; both of those are very important but are not of the highest honour. Honour must be conferred on that which is the most difficult, challenging action. Also the action must be an action especially pleasing to God if it is to be worthy of the highest honour; for who else can determine what is ultimately honorable? All else is relative and given to folly. To be recognized as compassionate is the highest honour for it is based on the love of one's neighbour, the greatest love according to my Lord; all schools could've accomplished what we did, but they lacked the will to do it. World Vision awarded my school's collective will power today. Last year we raised more money for famine relief in Africa than in any other school in Delta or BC or Canada! That includes very rich private schools like St. George's or Upper Canada College! If they had willed to they could have easily put our humble efforts to shame -- and this is where the full manliness of the honour we earned for our little high school kicks in -- but they didn't will it to be done, whereas we did. I am thankful to work at a school where we are honored for our compassion.

This year we will do the 30h famine again for Rwanda. I pray that this will help some Rwandans and that it helps to cleanse and make more loving hearts in the students who participate. O, Lord have mercy!