Some Thoughts

I haven't written personally in a while now, because I've been busy. I've been busy and tired. Life is quite the force to reckon with sometimes. Especially when you aren't spending your time enjoyably. That is to say, that you aren't doing something you love. But then again, I think some aspects of maturity involve being able to prioritize things well in order to get to a better situation. Children want all good things to come at the same time, and our culture is very childish on that point. Billy Corgan (lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins) said it best "Our culture is set on orgasm, and nobody is interested in the things that have led to a particular artist's greatest work, we just all want the best all the time." (that's a massive paraphrase incidentally). So before I head off to a job that I don't enjoy very much, and shut myself away from the sunshine and springtime for 7 hours.

Here's to the process!

Not the process from one job, house, or town to another. Not some social upgrade. But the process of Life. The grand winding Road that demands we follow. The Doors of opportunity that open and shut, closing whole realities behind them, and at the same time allowing other realities to blossom in all their' wonder or horror. Whatever happens, our final destination will so greatly over shadow the roads we've taken that it will seem as if it were all nothing. Shadows and dust scattered on the winds of eternity. One day, we will arrive home.

"The Trappist Cemetery-Gethsemani"

Brothers, the curving grasses and their daughers
will never print your praises:
The trees our sisters, in their summer dresses,
guard your fame in these green cradles:
The simple crosses are content to hide your characters.

Oh do not fear
the birds that bicker in the lonely belfry
will ever give away your legends.
Yet when the sun, exulting like a dying martyr,
canonizes, with his splendid fie, the sombre hills,
your graves all smile like little children,
and your wise crosses trust the mothering night
that folds them in the Sanctuary's wings.

You need not hear the momentary rumors of the road
where cities pass and vanish in a single car
filling the cut beside the mill
with roar and radio,
hurling the air into the wayside branches
leaving the leaves alive with panic.
See, the kind universe,
wheeling in love about the abbey steeple
lights up your sleepy nursery with stars.

~

God, in your bodily life,
untied the snares of anger and desire,
hid your flesh from envy by these country alters,
beneath these holy eaves where even sparrows have their houses.
But oh, how like the swallows and the chimney swifts
do your free souls in glory play!
And with cleaner flight,
keener, more graceful circles,
rarer, and finer arcs
then all these innocent attacks that skim our steeple!
How like these children of the summer evening
do your rejoicing spirits
deride the dry earth with their aviation!

But now the treble harps of night begin to play in the deep wood,
to praise your holy sleep,
and all the frogs along the creek
chant in the moony waters to the Queen of Peace.
And we, the mariners, and travelers,
the wide-eyed immigrants,
praying and sweating in our steerage cabins,
lie still and count with love the measured bells
that tell the deep-sea leagues until your harbor.

Already on this working earth you knew what nameless love
adorns the heart with peace by night,
hearing, adoring all the dark arrivals of eternity.
Oh, here on earth you knew what secret thirst
arming the mind with instinct,
answers the challenges of God with garrisons
of unified desire
and facing Him in His new wars
is slain at last in an exchange of lives.

Teach us, Cistercian Fathers, how to wear
silence, our humble armor.
Pray us a torrent of the seven spirits
that are our wine and stamina,
because your' work is not yet done.
But look: the valleys shine with promises,
every burning morning is a prophecy of Christ
coming to raise and vindicate
even our sorry flesh.

Then will your graves, Gethsemani, give up their angels,
return them to their souls to learn
the songs of attitude and glory.
Then will creation rise again like gold,
clean from the furnace of your litanies:
the beasts and trees shall share your resurrection,
and a new world be born from these green tombs.

~Thomas Merton

Simplicity

My wife and I were sitting on our porch Sunday evening, and we somehow got onto the topic of simplicity. Simplicity being something we both strive for it's not really so surprising that we would discuss it, but it was one of those spur of the moment deep conversations, and something we both have a lot to say about. I have to pause here to point out the humorous irony in having a lot to say about simplicity. Anywho, when most people think of simplicity thoughts automatically run to undecorated churches, and white washed pews. People praying throughout the day with monk-like devotion. It's a humorous perspective, but a dangerous one as well. To live simply one does not have to do away with their television, or computer, you don't have to don a monk's habit and spent the rest of your life contemplating the existential meaning of a dandelion. Nor should you attempt to withdraw from society and sit on a mountain top for the rest of your days. In the past few years I have come to realize that simplicity is found in the midst of the daily buzz of human activity.
When God created Adam he set him straight to the wonderful task of exploring Eden, and naming animals. When you think of it, naming all the animals in the world could be rather arduous, and here is where you ought to strip away the Disney-esque picture of God parading pachyderms, hippopotamuses, and giraffes in front of a giddy little boy who bounces up and down with excitement over the spectacle. Maybe Adam had to search these creatures out, and observe them prior to the naming. In any case, my point is that we as people were made to be active. Work is in our very nature. So how do we find simplicity in a world that is teeming with conflict, people, and jobs to be done? Single-mindedness might be the only way it is possible. Be singleminded in all that you do. Doubts and questions always arise to kick up dust in our minds. "Am I doing what God has called me to?' 'Is this benefitting the kingdom?' "Is the Lord pleased with my life?' These questions are always going to be answered yes and no all at the same time. Whether you are living in a tent in Africa translating the Bible to a tribal dialect, or working in an office in New York City. God is pleased with his son's imputed righteousness in your life, the sacrifice of the cross stretches through time and wraps our identity in his, and God is pleased. So don't worry so much about it, if you want to go to Africa...go to Africa. If that is where your' heart is, don't waste anymore time worrying about. Regardless of what you are doing, or where you are. Your' current location and activity is the primary concern of you, and of your sanctification. The main job in our lives as Christians falls into two catagories. Living our lives in the light of Godliness brought forth through the Gospel, and worshipping the Living God in word and deed; spirit, and truth. That is true simplicity.

Thoughts Regarding Studying the Bible

Over the last summer I decided that I wanted to be more theologically literate, so I asked three or four trusted friends/pastors and they all told me I should go through a Bible Dictionary to start with. I dove right in, and went through the Pentateuch, and kind of stalled out after that. There was a lot of stuff going on in my life (changing jobs and schedules and so forth) so it kind of fell to the background.
Well last week, I started to think about how much I had learned from those five short little articles, copying down the teaching outlines and reflecting on what I remember from the texts themselves. Compared to a seminarian or a Pastor my knowledge is pretty insignificant, but on a personal note there were many things regarding the Cross and the deity of Jesus that became crystal clear. I've picked my studies back up, and just finished Joshua yesterday. It was great to see the Israelites enter the Promised Land, and to know that even though they were finally delivered into Canaan, that there was still much to do. They still had to live out there lives as God's Chosen people, if anything, it was more difficult for them as a nation after they entered the land than it was before.

Anyway, I just wanted to take a minute to encourage all my friends (Christian and non-Christian alike) to really read and think about the Bible. I know sometimes it's hard to pick it up and just read it, we all have things to do during our day. But what better occupation is there than to dwell on the Grace and sovereignty of God? Sometimes study seems like striving, like some sort of inorganic chore or task, and for most of us we struggle against things that don't feel "natural". But I think God would remind us all that what is natural to us is sin. That is to say that we are used to living our lives as if He weren't there. We might all do better with a little striving now and then. After all, the pursuit of God is active.

Musing

Over the past few weeks I've begun to grasp what it is to be a creation. That is to say that I have come to understand my finite-ness in a very different way. Rather than being frustrated by my lack of output (strictly in an artistic sense), I've been learning to appreciate the fact that, regardless of what I create, I am part of a greater story. It's as if I'm one strand being woven through a greater work, and what I might be tempted to call a loose end will one day wind it's way to a fitting destination. And, because of that wondrous notion (that I am a mere character questioning my author) I can look back on the recently past years of my life and find some sort of peace with them.

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
stand in the desert...Near them, on the sand,
half shrunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
and wrinkled lip, a sneer of cold command,
tell that it's sculptor well those passions read
which yet survived, stamped on these lifeless things,
the hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
the lone level sands stretch far away.
Ozymandias ~P.B Shelley

Why I Refuse To Vote

Just a few years ago Americans would have to wait another two weeks to rush to their polls and cast their vote for the Presidential candidate of their choosing. Voting is one of the major patriotic means of expression for Americans, or should I say it used to be. With the election coming up and the storm of media pushed campaigning it's hard to say who we're actually voting for. That is to say, that it's hard to see where each candidate actually stands on the issues facing the American people. After considerate (although not extensive) review I have decided not to vote in this upcoming election. I am not meaning to be lazy about the future of our country nor am I uninterested in the election. I am frustrated in most areas surrounding this years campaign, and in a few I am just plain angry. In this short article I intend to cover the areas that support why I am protesting the upcoming election, and I hope to show the integrity of my position as well.
First of all, lets talk about the candidates. Barak Obama and John McCain have been on the trail for quite some time now and their are reasons that I cannot align myself with either of their political views. Obama stands boldly in the women's right to choose, and fails (even as a Senator) to uphold the Constitutional Rights of the unborn populace of America. In the preamble the Bill of Rights plainly states that it is the Government's job to insure Live, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness to it's citizens. Seems like abortion in that case is a breach of the Constitution in a very major area. Is it not the government's responsibility to preserve life, even unborn life, for it's citizens? The answer should be yes. Do I have a religious standing on this position as well? Absolutely, but for the sake of brevity I wont go into them. Although I don't thinkI need another reason for my lack of support for Obama's presidency I do have some more. He's only been a Senator for two years, one of those years being spent on his campaign. As a candidate for President in a time that calls for a strong, experienced leader Obama simply doesn't really fit the bill. Not to mention the increase of federal power that the Democratic party feels is necessary or a President to rule the nation. Make no doubt about, increased Presidential power will eventually lead to tyranny over the American people. This is seen most evidentally in the appointment of Supreme Court judges over the past few decades. Aside from that, Obama believes that it is the Government's right to redistribute the wealth of the American population from those who have to those who don't. Although Obama plans to redistribute wealth, he also plans to tax more independant business owners, who although they may have extenuating circumstances, will have to pay more if they net more than a certain amount of money per year. Seeing as how the income tax is a historically new circumstance for Americans, and a disagreeable on at that. I cannot, in good conscience, support his Presidency. Because he does not uphold the Constitution, plans to meddle in small American industry, and displays a lack of experience in the world of domestic politics as well as global politics he is simply not qualified for the role of Commander and Chief.
Now on to McCain, McCain seems to contradict Obama's lack of experience and failure to honor the Constitution at almost every turn. And yet I still can't preserve my integrity as an American citizen and vote for him at the same time. My reasons for this are a bit more subtle, and more personal in this matter so please bear with me. First and foremost, for the past few weeks I have heard little discussion of policy and more mud smearing and name calling from McCain's campaign. Rather than clearly presenting their campaign stances on economic, and foreign policy issues the McCain/Palin campaign has focused on making Obama look bad. Now in addition to political experience being a prerequisite for the Presidential office, I consider a display of strong character to be paramount. Sure he stands against Roe vs. Wade, and is vocal on the rights for the infant population of America, but he does so in a way that is unproffessional and downright childish. In my mind a Presidential candidate should voice his policy boldly, and let the chips fall where they may. There should be no participation in media driven name calling and sound byte manipulation. There is almost no way of telling what any of these candidates have actually said in context because of the politically driven media coverage of the election. I say in context, because context is a very important thing. A statement made by a person is a very powerful thing, and we deserve to hear the full story. Each candidate should be represented in fullness by media coverage, and I would go as far to say that any sort of "creative editing" of political campaign material ought to be a federal offense. In addition to all of these things McCain has failed to address the recent economic issues facing America in the way that I think a strong leader should. Simply but, big businesses who take ought outrageous loans and fail to pay them ought to be shouldered with the consequences of that failure. Because we're the ones who really pay for it. Please consider the Republican means of dealing with big business....tax breaks, tax breaks for everything. What these businesses do in turn is take their sweet tax breaks and start pactices overseas, which robs the American people of money, and removes credit and capitol from the country. How do you think the recession started in the first place? America doesn't need a jump start anymore, we need to revive American domestic industry and start exporting goods rather than importing them. American companies need to operate in America, and I don't see that happening under a Republican candidate who is funded by companies that are taking money from American banks and investing them in foreign markets.

Now for my religious reasons:

Being a Christian in America means a lot of things to a lot of people. Sadly a lot of those things have little or nothing to do with Jesus Christ, or my life lived out as his disciple. To put it plainly we have allowed ourselves to become caricatures of what could be a very real and vital expression of faith in our country. Sidelined by issues of abortion and same sex union the church by and large has become distracted from the core issues of the Gospel and our lives as Christians. These things seem to come into focus dramatically whenever a political discussion lands on the table. As Christians it seems that we are almost expected to vote Republican every time the opportunity presents itself simply because we are stuck in the mud of a cultural war. This cultural war began some twenty to thirty years ago with the Moral Majority movement and still limps on today in most modern evangelical churches. We, as Christians, are by and large called to vote Republican on the issue of moral legislation, and in focusing on that we have failed to disciple the American population. Mere legislation does not support, encourage, or cause the cultural transformation that America so desparately needs. It simply puts a band aid on it and marginalizes those who do not agree. Marginalization is not a part of the Gospel, nor is political involvement. Voting is not evangelism, and therefore is not enough to preserve the society in which we live. For that transformation to take place the church in America needs to repent, and return to a Biblical worldview. In short, Christianity needs to get out of the voting boothes, turn off the O'Reilly Factor and get outside it's churches and bookstores, and into the world that needs it's influence.
Now here is where I get angry. Most savvy political candidates are keen on the evangelicals loud cry for more morally responsible legislation, and rather than treating us as we are we have been pigeonholed and turned into a demographic. I'm sure you all remember the faith issue of Bush vs. Kerry in the last election. Both candidates were eager to look spiritual for the American people, not in order to show their true colors, but more to appeal to a cultural demographic of Christianity. Jesus needs not to be patronized by a Presidential candidate, nor does Christianity need to be in the White House for it to be successful in fulfilling the Great Commision. Quite on the contrary, we are a body of people who have spread the Gospel most effectively through persecution and bold testimony. We as a national body of believers need to understand that the Gospel needs no President to support it, nor do we need a body of laws to make America seem more Holy. It either is or it isn't, Christianity and Democracy are two completely separate entities, and as followers of Jesus we should cry foul when the Lord is used as a means of advertisement. And that, more than any other reason is why I will not be an active participant in this upcoming election. I will not be patronized, and I will not tolerate the Gospel to become a matter of law that denies civic rights to those who disagree with us. We are not an Imperial faith, we are a vital faith, and as such, should accept no imitations of our holy faith. As a Christian I will humbly submit to whomever wins the Presidency, and will follow every law as long as it does not contradict that of the Bible.

All that being said, I demand that everybody thinks for themselves, and if you disagree with me, feel free to voice that here , or simply to disagree. Whatever you do, do it that God may be more glorified in the world. Thank you for your attention, and I hope that this may be of benefit to you.

~Matt

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time now and forever. Amen" Jude 24-25