Bipolar noise

Some days are just filled with noise. Some of the noise is good, some bad. I have heard over the last two days much that was good. People were wearing smiles and laughing. People were getting welcome relief. I have also heard over the last two days much ill. People were pensive and doubtful. People were giving in instead of plodding forward. Over the last two days, I too, have been smiling and laughing, but mainly out of courtesy. My mind dictated much anger because of malicioius behavior aimed at those I care about.

Charles Dickens knew well this dual feeling that faces us every day. His book A Tale of Two Cities begins with this opening paragraph:

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.

So, I leave the noise in my mind for the time being. I will sort out the noise that gets left behind because the noise that didn't disappear has a root somewhere that I must deal with.

Iron on iron

Jack struggled all the way through the book with the living habits he had developed. His early philosophy of "Blow it off" worked for him until he had to show up for a paternity test and later when he fell in love with Jan. Then he had to grow up some. But he never grasped what Damon kept telling him—that there was a "big picture" to life. Some people think the big picture is a particular plan of the Creator for his creation or least for those who believe in him. Even at the end, in Jack's posthumous letter, Jack never bought into the Creator plan for his life. Instead, he wanted the big picture to be that a Creator existed and that his life had meant something instead of nothing.

Damon, too, seemed to be confused at times about the role of the Creator. He wrote several letters discussing either the idea of prayer or the idea that a Creator would care for Jack if he would come around to accepting the idea of a Creator. But, even then, Damon did not have well defined ideas.

But, in this arena of Life in which late adolescents are defining their values and trying to place individual values into an overall value system, most people would not fault Jack or Damon. Some people get worried that young people wait too late in life to select certain moral values and they become evangelistic in their behavior, wanting others to accept the values they themselves have selected. But, I think the real beauty of the two young men is that they really learned from each other over time during the days of their topsy-turvy world of late adolescence. Damon needed to loosen up and enjoy life. Jack needed to tighten up and take on basic morality.

When iron sharpens iron, the result is a sharp blade, one that is useful for removing what needs to be removed when cutting. Iron that is not struck against another piece of iron results in a dull blade, one that tries to remove what needs to be removed but it can't or it takes longer or it butchers the job.

Therefore, the book had a happy ending. Jack dies to be sure. But, through the process of sharpening himself against a friend's opposite belief system, he worked out a satisfactory morality before dying. And Damon learned that friends who live life more fully actually enjoy the events life has to offer. So, the old Hebrew proverb still has a universal truth at its heart. As iron sharpens iron, so one friend affects another. So-o-o true!

The development of ethics

The book is really about the development of ethical awareness. At the beginning, Jack and Damon date every skirt that walks. They switch dates, they make up their own rules as to how to treat dates, they banter with each other in a denigrating way, yet still remain friends. When they put themselves in a different setting from high school, they act the same way because there was no reason to change. But, in college there was no protection. They did not go home to their parent's house at night. They lived outside their familiar bubbles and found that others had rules that had to be observed. Sherry learns these ethical rules and has a reaction against Jack and fiercely takes him to task for his previous behavior.

When Jack contracted AIDS, he went into denial, but came out of it once he understood about violating some ethical rules that lead to "cleaner" living. He still did not learn his lesson, though, as was evidenced by his attitude toward Joni. And leading Jan on even after learning of his disease was unconscionable. Damon reasoned with him and finally experienced breakthrough because Jack opened up to Jan.

Damon seemed to have a better sense about ethics. How did he get his? Why did he stick to his ethics in a high school environment that was not conducive to maintaining the ethics Damon had developed? How did Jack develop a conscience after all? Can someone influence another to have different ethics, or is experience the only teacher?

Stuck in that everliving present

Teenagers can't seem to help themselves. They have blinders when it comes to seeing the future of themselves. Life is simple in some regards. If a person puts in nothing into Life, (s)he gets nothing in return. There is more than a single moment in the present along Life's time continuum. What a person sows, a person reaps.

As one breaks into adulthood, this realization becomes stronger. But, it's usually an ex post facto realization for most teens. That means that living in the moment carries with it some of the consequences of actions taken into a future moment. Jack had a severe case of living blind. Damon seems to have been a little better, but it was based on his faith rather than his experience or good teaching in public schools. Shaughnessy's and blondes become such a great symbol for teens who cannot think past the old motto, "If it feels good, do it." There's a lesson learned from the rocks of nature. Even though time is enduring, what happens today affects the rock's future. A rock is a mountain today, but with erosion over time, a rock becomes merely a shrunken chunk on a plain that any human can raise and look at.

Does it really take a top 10 academic geek to understand one of Life's simplest principles? Getting stuck in the moment should be the behavior of a child, not a late adolescent. Damon, try as he might, could never lead Jack into a realization that a different existence from Shaughnessy's and blondes could be experienced. I guess teens are really so egocentric that they cannot get past their immature selves. So be it. Amor omnia vincit leads down a path of one night stands, literally and figuratively. So be it.

Typical teenage life

The book As Iron Sharpens Iron is a book about the development of ethical behavior. It pits two opposite characters in terms of morality against each other in some instances and for each other in other instances. Typically, later adolescence is characterized by the start of the extremely egocentric phase in a person's life. The college years are the center of the phase. But, in high school the youth in his or her late teens begins seeing that life is not merely lived by all human beings the way that mom and dad has said that life should be lived.

Jack and Damon are polar opposites in their views about sexuality. They are also competitive. They also believe in partaking of what life has to offer a teenager. Prom, basketball, dating, writing notes in class, making comments about teachers and coaches are all a part of the typical landscape surrounding the high school experience.

Another part of the experience of high school is the way Jack and Damon try to maintain their relationship. It's a back and forth style, an up and down experience, a hot and cold way of reacting to the other. Late adolescence is also characterized by that type of relationship maintenance. Due to lack of experience in social interaction, later-year teens experiment with selfishness and caring, giving and withholding, controling and succumbing. It's a roller-coaster approach even though teenagers are too close to their experimentation to see that they are experimenting with relationships.

In the book, switching dates and trying to relate to great number of young ladies are activities that represent this very typical stage in life. Fortunately, youth mature past this stage. As obnoxious a stage as this might be to adults, missing it seems to retard a young adult when relating to people in the workplace in the mid-twenties.

A clue to people's intentions

Some languages use tone to distinguish meanings of words while others use tone to add to the semantic domain of a word. I used to have to deal with someone who would drink to get drunk. Always, the tone of voice would get louder and the denials that any loudness was happening accompanied any commentary that this was the truth. Loud tones are obnoxious to the sensibilities, but they do show where someone is placing the bulk of their intentions with a statement.



It works somewhat like people who would like to project an image of themselves through added accoutrements to their clothing. In the picture above, the wings and the halo make all the difference. Without them, the picture would convey a whole other idea.

It's no different with words and tone. Placement of tone arranges one's idea of what has just been said. For example, I don't need any of your advice can have several meanings. Watch the change in italicized words for a shift in the meaning.

I don't need any of your advice.
I don't need any of your advice.
I don't need any of your advice.
I don't need any of your advice.

All of the above tonal changes show where the emphasis is. So whenever, two people speak, it is always important to note the tonal nature of a statement. The person speaking will probably deny whatever tonal qualities one may point out to him or her. But, the listener will always know where speaker stands.

Tone placement is only a part of the prosody of a language. But, it is an important part of a language because tone carries meaning in addition to the meanings of the words used. It hints at intentions, which people will and can lie about frequently. A person has to stay on his toes sometimes to remember to listen to the prosody of the language being used. But it's worth the extra alertness. He will always be aware of others' intentions and act accordingly.

He's waiting on us

As people look at their lives, they supposedly have the capacity to reflect on their accomplishments and on their failures. The longer they live, perhaps it gets harder. The failures are many times bigger than they like. They seem to outweigh, or at least offset, the accomplishments. What was an accomplishment at age 30 is mere child's play at age 50. I guess it gets down to the point of whether people can look at themselves in the mirror or not.

That's where rationalization steps in. People can also put out of their minds this reflective capacity. They go on with their lives in a "rum dumb" manner. Nothing changes. I think that's why in Revelation, when the Christians were looking to God for a preemptive military-style strike to wipe out the Romans who were persecuting them so severely, God instead answered,

Whoever is evil must go on doing evil, and whoever is filthy must go on being filthy; whoever is good must go on doing good, and whoever is holy must go on being holy (22.11).

Wake-up calls happen to people who want to reflect. The rest of the people just can live their "rum dumb, hum-drum" lives. That's the way I feel about it, too. I guess the wish to God this evening is for more people to desire the will to reflect—look in the mirror and realize the consequences of their actions no matter how dire they may be. God can do something once that happens.

Rays for shadows

Watching the darkness of the night fade into the hints of light at dawn is something special to behold. I guess if one lives long enough, it's like that with spirituality. One slowly grows over the course of the years.

The darkness of ignorance gradually dissipates as the light of wisdom grows ever stronger.

And what is revealed by the light is beautiful compared to what is masked by shadows and blackness. Night is the symbol of what hides evil and wrong. Day is the symbol of what is good and right. So, I cheer those who live with the goal of shedding darkness and allowing rays of delightful sunlight to engulf their spiritual journeys.

A walk in the park

Much of reaching any goal is to take one step at a time. Putting one foot in front of the other is not hard, it's just slower than what people want to do when they need to climb out of a hole. Patience is required. I should know this because every morning I walk. I get through with my 1.2 mile walk by putting one foot in front of the other—everyday. So, the image of a walk through life is probably the best one. From the last valley to the next mountain top is simply made by taking one step, then another, even if one has to rest along the way. The next mountain top is still reached. The last valley was a lot farther from the mountain top than this one, so this one should be a breeze. The next step starts tomorrow at 6:30 AM. I'll be there.

Whatever

Times get rough once in a while. Times seem good once in a while. Then, there's the mixed bag—the good with the bad. Maybe life follows the thermodynamic rule: for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. Whatever.

It's hard to wax philosophical when chips are down. But, I guess the Maker can reverse chips when it is due time. I wish I could determine the due time. That's not the case, however. In the meantime, life goes on. Maybe not in the same fashion as before, but in some fashion nonetheless. Whatever.

Inside every dark cloud is a silver lining. A crock, of course, but it encourages people just the same. Then there's the story of the Chinese farmer whose son fell off of a horse. People said that's bad. But, as a result the son did not have to go to war because of his broken leg. People said that's good. But, the son's leg was not set right, so it became malformed. Now that was bad, except that he contracted a disease in the leg that doctors had to heal and refracture and reset the leg as a result. That was good. But not so... ad infinitum. That story is more like the roller coaster of life, but fictitious and a crock nonetheless. Whatever.

I hate the twisting turns of life. A country-western song a few years back had the title, Life is like a river. I hate not being able to see around the bends ahead. It wears a person out and otherwise keeps one from enjoying life. Whatever.

Stepping over lines all around

I was in a professional development session today. Out of about 50 people attending, I was one of 3 males. The presenter was female. She was supposed to have been presenting ideas on how to be an academic coach when helping with teachers in need of assistance. I was taken back at what was said at a professional development. It just goes to show what happens when people are not truly educated as to what information they are holding in their hands.

The female presenter first stereotyped males as wanting to give advice when asked a question. I have heard this said before by people outside the counseling profession, but scholars in the communication field know that relying on context rules out stereotyping. So, if a professional counselor or communication scholar were to make the same statement, it would not be generalized information, but specific information to a client or scholarly audience. But, I kept listening instead of tuning out immediately on the stereotyping comment.

Then, the presenter wanted to go into embedding phrases in statements that change how people perceive what is being said. It was pure manipulation doctrine. While it is true that how something is said can make a difference, rerouting a person's thinking to a reduced list of phrases to say a different way misses the point. Then, unbelievably, she crossed the line. She started saying how embedding certain phrasing was getting her husband to act a certain way and that sometimes her husband didn't respond to her pet embedded phrases. She crossed two lines, actually. She brought something personal into a professional setting. That alone is so-o-o unethical.

But then, she crossed into an area she apparently had very little knowledge of (a little knowledge is a dangerous thing [Alexander Pope]). She went from giving tips for communication in a quasi-counseling session to applying those tips to private and casual, even intimate, conversation. That is over the line, over the top, out of bounds, taboo, and otherwise academically sloppy. What is good for counseling sessions should never be applied to natural, casual conversation. The analyses of natural conversation is the subject of a whole body of scholarly work. She probably doesn't know that. But, too late. I was gone.

I left the session and did not return. At my age I don't have to attend a professional development session presented by someone who doesn't even know the tip of the iceberg about ethics or her subject matter. I guess I could chalk this up to a gender difference. But, that is a whole other matter with a body of literature all its own.

Looking for what fits best

There is no better book than Ecclesiastes to show how conservatism works in the interpretation of ancient philosophical books. The following is the text for chapter 4.1-3 of Ecclesiastes.

Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them, because their oppressors had power on their side. I envy those who are dead and gone; they are better off than those who are still alive. But better off than either are those who have never been born, who have never seen the injustice that goes on in this world.

Conservatism requires one to take the surface meaning if at all possible. On the surface of the above passage, one is bound to see the pessimism or futility of living. "A person can't fight city hall" is the underlying message of the passage. In the second part of the passage, the dead and unborn are in better states than the living are. Have humans really stooped to such depths of depression as a group. The book is purported to have been written by a renowned philosopher. The first several verses of chapter 1 point this out. Does that mean that the prevailing philosophy of the time was one of bleakness, darkness, and futility? Even if the people didn't feel the way that the philosopher felt, the book that people of the generation wanted to pass on to posterity was filled with pessimism. That does say something about the people.

But there is another way of looking at the book and passages like the one cited so that it makes more sense that people would be proud to pass down such a book for the next generation. But, to do so, one has to throw the surface value out the window. One has to drop conservatism and take a more liberated approach. One needs to assume that literature was not being born as this philosopher was writing. The Iliad and the Odyssey were being written in a different part of the world about this time. The Indus Valley in India was experiencing some of its enlightenment and keeping records during this period. The Sumerians had recorded all kinds of stories a millenium and a half before Ecclesaistes came to the mind of the philosopher. So, people were fully aware of literary devices used in writing. Figurative language had been extant in languages of all kinds of people. Likely, the people of Israel were no different from their neighbors in understanding the elements of writing.

In every known society, injustices have existed. By bringing up the subject, the philosopher is not saying it is new or even overlooked. He makes a "life goes on statement" at the very least or he makes a broad generalization to denote a problem by stereotyping. Authors still do this in the modern era. It's a way get people to identify with a general set of characteristics so that they will stay interested in the book. He simply wanted people to say, "I have felt like this before" so that they would read what came next.

Another way to look at the passage is to capsulize it as an ancient document that reflected the philosophy of an era. Ideas from the book are bound by a context. Only if the ideas represent the universals of history should they be delivered to a future or applied to a past civilization. So, even if it was true that the philosopher was commenting about the harshness of life for most people, to say that he envied unborn or dead people presupposes that there is no afterlife. After the time of Jesus, the largest religion in the world values the afterlife. Thus, the reading is not to be taken univerally.

Yet a third way to look at the passage is to say that the philosopher is using the literary technique of hyperbole—exaggeration for an effect. He overstates the case so that people will see that the point of the passage is actually the opposite of what is being said. People should not feel so hopeless although circumstances could dictate that they do so. But who really wants to envy the dead or the unborn?

Even at the very end of chapter (vs. 16), the philosopher wants to make a point about leaving an imprint on the world.

There may be no limit to the number of people a king rules; when he is gone, no one will be grateful for what he has done. It is useless. It is like chasing the wind.

At face value, the passage is still very negative. Who can hope to be more than a mere speck in the sands of time? Give it up. No one is anybody. Percy Shelley said about the same thing in the beautifully written poem of the early 1800s, Ozymandias. If the great people cannot hope to be remembered, why would the ordinary person think he or she could? The second way takes the above cited verse and says that it has limited effect. The Jews in a little later time period came to understand that their way to be remembered was through their children. Their way to leave an imprint on the world was to perpetuate it through their lifestyle which lived on through their children, their children's children, etc. So, the passage is not universal but reflects only beliefs of a certain time period. The third way to understand the passage allows for one to say the philosopher is making an overstatement. He wants everyone to leave an imprint, but he knows that they will have to work hard to do so.

So, conservatism doesn't always work in interpreting ancient books. Sometimes the message of a book is like looking out at a certain terrain and finding features that don't fit the rest of the landscape. A person knows that there is an explanation for the anomaly of pointed rocks in a desert plain, but one has to go to the trouble of finding the explanation. Tolerance is the watchword I am trying to point to. Interpretation matters because it drives one's belief system. But, allowing for various supported conclusions takes maturity, education, or both.

The after-life place

At the heart of Christianity is the life after this one that is offered by the Teacher who said that he was from this after-life place. There is a monolog of Hamlet from the Shakespearean play by that name that expresses well what thoughts cross the minds of Christians about this after-life place. Hamlet refers to this place as "the undiscovered country," and hints that we would be worse people if this place did not keep us in check.

"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourne
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?"
(Act 3, scene 2)

Hamlet is also thinking that life is so harsh that he would take his own life if he knew that he would not end up in a worse place in "the undiscovered country."

I think both of the aspects reflected in the thinking of Hamlet are true, but there's more to it when thinking of this after-life place. The Great Teacher told one of his twelve followers that he had clearly taught his followers in knowing how to get to this place. But, still people view this part of their belief as if they were a traveler looking at the ostensible parts of Christianity without knowing what is behind the viewable facade. It's as if a traveler were to look at a colorful shelter built in a paradise setting, wondering what the inside looks like. The outside is so inviting that surely the inside is at least as attractive. But no one knows for sure, so it makes the traveler a bit tentative.

It certainly gives us an occasion to reflect when someone close to us goes through the door of the beautiful house where we cannot follow. Our imaginations run wild. Our longings to be with them drive our pensive thoughts. What's on the inside? But, really, the journey is ultimately a solitary one. We have many cheerleaders in our lives, but we still choose for ourselves what to believe in life and how to act on that belief.

So, we arrive at the paradise island house alone with our deeds on our back. In the few moments before opening the door to the inviting house, my mind is going to be spinning, but I hope that I will be saying, "Think of a brilliant, white room. Think of a golden crown..."

Measured Words

Today gave pause to a really rare commodity—honesty. Many conversations don't have that quality or they scratch only the surface of a topic so that honesty comes easily. But, the conversation today was hard in some ways. So much of the time, I have to measure what is said because people anticipate what is going to be said. They think you said something you didn't. Or, people will take what you said and decide they don't like it. Then, they think you shouldn't have said what you did even if it was honest.

So, I look at nature and take a lesson in honesty from nature. Most of the time, what you see is what you get. I guess jungles might be an exception. Of course, if you understand the jungle, it doesn't really hide anything. If nature is rugged, it has a beauty. If nature is soft, hilly, or liquid, it is also beautiful because you can trust what you see. The beauty is a straighforward beauty.

So, I toast those rare moments of complete honesty—words that don't have to be measured.

At the intersection of learning

I had a chance to talk about what makes children learn today. It's really not good teaching although a good teacher can enhance learning. It's not really presenting information in a way that makes someone want to learn the information. It's what has been true since day one. People just like to put masks on learning. And learners are not to blame for being lazy. If someone is exposed to an idea, then it's a matter of how 5 factors combine. Those factors? Opportunity to proceed, personality of learner and teacher, interest in subject, intrinsic motivation to continue, extrinsic motivation to continue. If the combination of factors is negative, learning is minimal. If the combination is positive, learning is maximal. It's that simple no matter how many programs are sold or how many veterans learn their craft well.

Break it down for yourself. Why are you in the profession you are in? Did extrinsic motivation put you where you are? What factors combined for you to learn what you have learned? Interest in the subject? If you could learn in a field that you felt you were good in but that you felt you were cheated out of, then what factors would have to combine? Intrinsic motivation and opportunity to proceed?

So, it's true, no matter what the current wisdom of the professional educators is.

Looking back with no regrets?

I don't know about regrets. The word was coined because people have a tendency to look back on events and say that they wished that things had happened differently or that they wished that they could have said something more, or less, or not at all. Oedipus Rex has a scene at the very end of it where the chorus wants to give a moralistic lesson to the play. The last lines are to the effect that a person should conisder himself or herself fortunate if he or she can look back at the end of his or her life and find no regrets.

We've all had those moments in which we wish we could take something back. But, we all make choices as we go through life. We, most of the time, know what we are saying or doing at the time. But, to have regrets? I know a woman who has made it her goal to live life without regret. Her idea is that you make your decision at the time in the best manner you know how. If a mistake is made, you just ask forgiveness and go on. No regrets.

Maybe it's that simple. But, some tiny, little voice in my head tells me different. Life is challenging at best. In the case of Oedipus, destiny caused his demise. I sure don't believe that. But, is there a middle ground between destiny and always asking forgiveness and going on? I guess that middle line would be remembering what happened wrong and evaluating it so that it doesn't happen again or so that damage can be minimized or both. Self-evaluation is a human trait. Even though evaluation cannot stop something from happening again, it can help in minimizing the chances of something happening to the magnitude it did, again.

So once again, I am in the middle on this one. Maybe that's good, but it is a pattern - stiking the middle ground. Well, it limits regrets.

Believe it

"I can't believe what I just saw."

Such were the words of a colleague of mine today. Of course, it grabbed my attention. I had to ask what it was she saw. After she related the story, I couldn't believe my ears either.
"It's unbelievable." That was a favorite song of mine a few years back. I'm beginning to see a pattern form here. And then, there's the refrain in my mind I am reminded of whenever I decide to write something. A professor once wrote on my paper, "Incomprehensible." I really couldn't believe that comment since I was taking her for graduate credit. Amazing how I had made it that far in school and made other writing of mine comprehensible for other professors.

But most everything we experience goes in one of two categories—believable/unbelievable. The trouble is that the game is a guessing game, a game of perception, a game of illusion. Do I believe an experience because I want to or because something truly happened. Sometimes I look at my own, very real history and shake my head and comment inaudibly, "I can't believe that happened." So, to all who happen onto this blog, once you leave, tell yourself you had an unbelievable experience.

Into perpetuity

Easter is all about breaking the chains of death and seeing how God can tamper with the laws of nature He has set in motion. Easter is a perpetual reminder that the Son of Man visited but has gone ahead of us to prepare a place. Easter takes the symbol of the Great Teacher and lets it stand on coffins letting the world know not to seek the living with the dead.

I want my voice to join the millions of people worldwide both in this era and the great number of past eras in announcing our faith in the words of the apostle Thomas upon realizing that Jesus actually did go through crucifixion and resurrection, "My Lord and my God!" I want my eyes to look beyond this limited life to the world that remains an enigma and peer into Jesus' eyes like Thomas', when he said he didn't know how to get to where Jesus was going, and see Jesus say, "You have been with me; you know the way."

Yes, today is Easter and has been for 2000 years. It's the day that tells the world that the forces of evil will not win in the end. Someone is more powerful than the Controlling One from the Dark Side. The original apostles stared at Jesus' ascension with sheer amazement and wonder as he left the earth. They were silent with the inspirational awe that drives a life through its course come what may. Into perpetuity I will remember the last supper in which Jesus said, "In a little while the world will see me no more, but you will see me; and because I live, you also will live."

Hallelujah!

(The words of Jesus and Thomas have been taken from John 14 and 20).

Touchstone

The word "touchstone" derives from the year 1481 in written records. It was coined to show why silver and gold were so precious. If silver and gold touch a stone (a black silliceous stone such as quartz) the color of the streak left on the black stone would determine the piece's quality. The figurative use of the word was not far behind its coining. In 1533, the idea that something is a standard for everything else to be compared by surfaced. So the meaning still is today.

When it comes to the teachings of the Great Teacher, I think there is one characteristic that pervades his teachings. It is best exemplified in the story from Luke that starts, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead." The whole story is in Luke 10.25-37. In the story, a despicable human being helps another human being who badly needed his help. The humans who had status in society saw the same situation, but did not step in to help.

The idea of helping someone whose path has intersected with our own is the touchstone of Christian teaching. The color of the streaks of other characteristics do not have the same quality as acting for those who are in our path and need help. Christianity is but a religion if it exists without the streak that shows the high quality of rendering help. The saying is true, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." That's not in the Master's teachings, but it is a modern paraphrase of the story found in Luke. I hope my next 30 years reflect the touchstone of the Teacher's words.

Living in the third world

I go to work everyday in a very different environment from the man pictured. This is his shop in a Micronesian island. A few trappings of the modern world are there—car, plastic basket, roof of aluminum, swim trunks, glasses. He is a wood carver. He is holding a boat that he has made for the occasional tourist that drops by. He does other carpentry work because carpentry is his main trade.

Even though this man lives in a third world country, he has a little smattering of a civilization from beyond him. I tend to look on him with a certain amount of pity because of his third world status. But, he seems satisfied enough.

This gets me thinking about being trapped in this dimension of my life's time continuum. I'm relatively satisfied. I know there is another world beyond me, but it's beyond me. I know that others have preceded me there. But, I still practice my daily rituals in the world in which I live even though I see some of the trappings of the next world around me now. I don't have a great longing to leave any more than the man above is longing to leave. I just understand that one day, I will be forced to leave my third world and go to a grander civilization.

Ocean inspiration

There is something about staring at the ocean. It just goes on forever with a land break every now and then. It represents the timeless continuum humans are caught up in. Human species go back 3 million years. Our own species seem to have been around at least half of that time.

That being true, one has to consider that language also has to have been around that long. Communication had to have happened in order for the species to stay alive. So, when archaeologists find cave paintings dating back 35,000 years, those paintings are believable and instructive. When archaeologists find cuneiform tablets with writing dating to 3000-3500 BCE, then we also know that those tablets represent years and years and years for the writing to have developmentally reached that point. Humans have been around a really long time, as has human writing.

Staring at an ocean can enhance one's comprehension of the distant past because it too stretches on forever, inspiring one to think of what has happened on its watery surface for eons. The ocean makes one curious.

And from this curiosity, I allow myself to think of the world's origins and human origins. It makes me know that the first 11 chapters of Genesis is something recent. Although traces from human origins are in the text, the whole story is not—most of the story is not. It seems to have been condensed. Thousands and thousands and thousands of years of human activity have been made into story form. I choose to think the story is in allegorical form rather than literal form because too many years passed before the story was perpetuated in writing.

A little view of the ocean inspires such thoughts and much, much more. I keep my ocean pictures around for just such moments.

Jungle beauty

Our minds are like jungles in many ways. They consist of a bunch of thoughts that sometimes get out of our mouths as words, sometimes as gestures, sometimes as tone of voice, and sometimes by violent action depending on personality type. So when someone speaks, what is taking place in the jungle of his or her mind is glimpsed?

Today someone close to me got to see what was in the jungle of my mind. I was upset over a series of events. Someone I work with just happened to come to talk to me about an unrelated matter to my state of mind. Yet, I still decided to allow this person to capture what was in my jungle. My tone was louder than usual, my gestures more animated than usual. My words were well chosen to show a little vim, vigor, and venom.

All I could say was "Sorry you walked in at this moment," to the person. I don't know that others seeing what is in the jungle of our minds is wrong. It's simply what is there. Jungles are fierce places sometimes, scary places. But, they carry their own beauty.

Isn't it great that there is a way to see the beauty of the jungle on occasion.

Words as masks

Over the last 2 weeks I have seen a person in a position of power who likes to think that he exercises power, at least judging by his words. But his actions are far from powerful. People's words are what they have to exercise power because others judge that words have ensuing actions. When words are not succeeded by actions, the words are cheapened. They are mere bluffs.

In the case of the Creator, when he said, "Let there be light," light came into existence. No bluff. In the case of humans, when someone says something but fails to follow up with action, nothing comes into existence except contempt for the inaction of the person uttering the words. All bluff. In this case, because of inaction on the person with the power position, another person used harmful, challenging words against a friend, knowing there would be no consequences and followed up with some harmful, challenging actions, knowing there would be no consequences.

Surely, the teacher was right when he said that what comes out of a person rather than what goes into a person is what condemns or justifies that person. I am hurting for someone tonight. Words were cheap; people were hurt. Someone stands condemned tonight.

When ordinary words are not ordinary

Words are playtoys for people who like language. I've been watching comedians this afternoon. They take the usual and the mundane and turn them into highlighted material. It's a lot like looking out over a lagoon at sunset. Both lagoons and islands are mundane. But, when taken together, they are very noticeably beuatiful. Everyday events or observations and humor are like this.

Inside insight

I am going to write one last meandering about the characteristics of the followers of Jesus that I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 9.

Characteristic 9: (S)He seeks to understand God from lessons of nature or from interactions that people have with nature. This understanding serves as inner enlightenment for living.

Representative text from Mark: (Mark 4.10-12)

When Jesus was alone, some of those who had heard him came to him with the 12 disciples and asked him to explain the parables. "You have been given the secret of the Kingdom of God," Jesus answered. "But the others who are on the outside hear all things by means of parables so that

'They may look and look
And yet not see.
They may listen and listen
And yet not understand
For if they did, they would turn to God
And he would forgive them.'"

This last characteristic puts one on dangerous ground. Inner enlightenment can come for single individuals. It can come for a few or for a larger group. It can be reflected in one’s life or in written documents. It can come from flashes of mental thought or in interpretation of events. It’s dangerous ground.

Few people know that the early church had followers of Jesus in its midst that tried following inner enlightenment.But, between 70 AD and 200 AD, the orthodox church relentlessly ostracized it as a bad movement, a plague to rid itself of. It succeeded because few people know about the “Gnostic movement” that happened at that time.

Today, organized religion still does not recognize the value or place of inner enlightenment. It’s a threat mainly because one can worship and understand God and His son outside the scope of organized religion. That hits at the pocketbook of an organization that claims to be the legitimate successor and guardian to all of Jesus’ teachings.

However, if one were to read only the gospels, and not allow for Paul’s application or the Jewish interpretation of the Jesus movement in the early days after Jesus’ ascension, would he arrive at the same conclusion as the churches in the landscape of society today? The opposing side would readily point out that Jesus’ teachings were made in a context many times implied (understanding by those in the original context without having to have written it down). Churches can supply that context.

I get a different story. And I have had a dose of inner enlightenment to light the way. Even in Mark, Jesus asks his follower to be faithful to him and acknowledge his divine status. So, when the time in my life came in which there was a very definite, real and present danger of abandoning the family arrangement and all it stood for, I went on a trip with a friend. At the end of the trip, I climbed to the peak of a mountain. I could see God’s creation for miles. And He spoke to my mind by leaving an impression. He reminded me that Abraham had climbed a mountain many years ago, and he had had to trust God for supplying a sacrifice. Abraham’s job was to remain faithful. A ram in the thicket was provided for a sacrifce. My lesson also was to remain faithful for God would provide. Since that time life has not been kind. But, with each trying circumstance, God has provided a way through the storm—sometimes by sending the right people, sometimes by sending the right circumstance, and sometimes by providing just the right job opportunity.

In days since that mountain-top moment of enlightenment, it has not been what has happened with organized religion that has provided food for my soul. It has been songs written by Christian songwriters that have kept me faithful. It has been associations made with other Christians. It has been a circumstance in which I was truly needed to help show God’s steadfastness. It has been walking in the park where I converse with the Creator of the universe. It has been seeing the evil empire in all its power and knowing that I would do well just to hold my own. It has been having an experience in which I had to look death squarely in the eyes and tell God what I was going to do as I peered into the dark abyss. It has been acknowledging that I live in a fully dysfunctional world and family, and that I would still remain faithful. So when I read from Mark about Jesus’ life and teachings I get a whole other story than the one presented on Sunday mornings in auditoriums around the USA. Jesus came to leave his imprint with us—inside of us.

Mark 7.20-23
And he went on to say, “From the inside, from your heart come the evil ideas that lead you to do immoral things, to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly—all these evil things come from inside you and make you unclean.”

It’s inner enlightenment. It’s the reign of God in my actions with my daughter, my colleagues. It’s the reign of God seen in my actions on the business trips I take or the personal ones. It’s the acknowledgment of Jesus as the son of God in my actions speaking so loudly that others with their dysfunctional lives can know that they too can be healed. Enlightenment outside any earthly system is something Jesus left for us.

Man was not made for the Sabbath

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for one last week to meanderings about the characteristics of the followers of Jesus that I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 8.

Characteristic 8: (S)He treats the strict adherents to religious traditions as those who need to be guided further, redirected, or challenged to give up their traditions.

Jesus did not mince words. He did not politely treat those who wanted to use the law as if it were a straight jacket. He would tell them hard sayings to follow such as it is harder for a camel to thread the needle's eye than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. He showed them his authority over nature, with his divine attributes of forgiving sins. He would drive out Jews from the temple area where they sold merchandise because they had turned the house of prayer into a den of theives. He would command waves on a sea to convince his followers that he was in charge of nature and could do what he wanted if he so chose. He would tell those who listened that he was Lord of the Sabbath and that they also were not made for the Sabbath, but vice versa.

If we take that to heart, then it seems that we have much in our religious world that we need not heed. We simply need to follow Jesus' teachings. We are not bound to follow people's traditions. And just what falls in the category of tradition? All kinds of practices. The church has made attendance a high priority. But, maybe just being with other Christians at work, at play, in leisure, on trips, etc. is a more effective arrangement for being with other Christians. The church has made worship "acts" a definition of worship. Paul's application was the living sacrifice. Our daily habits might be a better definition of our recognition of God than our "acts." Religious people don't let religion get in the way of their business. Followers of Jesus operate business through their integrity, honesty, decency. Who is worshiping at what place has a higher importance than exhibiting kindness and compassion to the people around us. At the very least the arrangement should be vice versa. Perhaps the second part of the statment is the only action that counts. Religious people place a priority on which church, and by extension, which doctrine is correct. What should be more important, perhaps, is the knowledge of the tenets of Jesus' teachings, that is, he fed hungry people, he relieved the pain of the afflicted, he cast out limiting demons of the flesh, he assured the insecure, he forgave sins. Our religion should not be rules but forgiving responses, healing touches, encouraging words.

It's refreshing to be around people who don't act religiously. Jesus encountered the religious people, and we do too. Our response should be the same as the teacher's response. We follow the Lord of the Sabbath.

The DNA of the message

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next week to meanderings about the characteristics of the followers of Jesus that I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 7.

Characteristic 7: (S)He trusts that Jesus delivered the message of God that spawns a life that never ends.

Representative sample from Mark: After this, Jesus himself sent out through his disciples from the east to the west the sacred and everliving message of eternal salvation.
(Mark 16.9-10) The shortest ending

It would stand to reason that if the other 6 characteristics of Jesus' followers are true, then Jesus would send out his message through his disciples from the east to the west. Jesus would have wanted his message to have been perpetuated. I don't think that perpetuation is in the form that most churches say that it is to be accomplished. But, Jesus had in mind that his message would last through the ages.

Many churches want to have everybody "doing evangelism." Thus, a number of phases have been passed through. In the 1950s there was the "Go ye means me" movement. Door-to-door evangelism was tried. In the 1960s people set up film strip studies and home Bible studies. In the 1970s buses rolled out of a great number of church buildings to pick up the kids of the slackards who weren't coming so that they could be reached through their kids. Vacation Bible Schools existed for the same purpose. In the 1980s "reaching the unchurched" became a popular phrase for the aim of evangelism. So, churches tried different social events to invite the community to. In the 1990s "friendship evangelism" was the watchword of the day. Christians were to be a light to and talk openly with everyone in their sphere of influence. 2/3 of the way through the first decade of the 2000s, the emphasis so far has been on reaching out through a combination of 1980s and 1990s methods and a few attempts at using internet methods, although those are still in their infancy, and attempts at joining forces with other denominations, such as church planting.

But, Jesus may have meant that he wanted his message to simply be the trademark of a person. So, the plumber acknowledges the reign of God in his life through his words and actions, as does the school teacher, the electrician, the entrepreneur, the attorney, the medical doctor, the supremely educated, the carpet layer, the roofer, the accountant, the oil investor, the landmen, geologists, and geophysicists, etc. When each person on the earth claims Jesus as the Son of God, (s)he is saying that the message is other-worldly (the meaning of "holy" or "sacred") and that it has embedded in its teachings the claim a follower's life never ends.

And so, a mother teaches that to her children, people marry and teach it to their children; those children marry and pass on the good word—ad infinitum.

One might call this the DNA characteristic. A follower will every day of his or her life transmit the message in some form to someone else. The reign of God is forever.

Blabbing the superficialities of God's generosity

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next week to meanderings about the characteristics of the followers of Jesus that I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 6.

Characteristic 6: (S)He can see the wisdom of internalizing what God has done for him or her so that every person experiences God in his or her own way.

Representative sample from Mark: “What about you?” he asked them. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Then Jesus ordered them, “Do not tell anyone about me.” (Mark 8.29-30)

Other textual support for characteristic:1.34, 3.12, 7.36, 8.26, 8.30,
Fact from Mark: In 58% of the healing episodes, Jesus tells the ones healed not to say anything.

In my teens, as I became familiar with the gospel of Mark, I often wondered why Jesus told those he healed or cast demons from not to tell anyone else. It seemed that the people would be excited enough to tell others what Jesus had done for them and that Jesus should have appreciated the spread of his gospel. Later, in college, I thought that Jesus knew the state of people's minds well enough to create the reverse phsychological effect. Later, I just thought there would be a day that I would understand the dynamic, but the day never came for 20 years.

Then the day came. I was asked to analyze Mark for the outstanding characteristics of the followers of Jesus. Again, it stood out that Jesus told those he healed not to tell others. It bothered me since Jesus told those he healed to keep quiet in 58% of the recorded stories of his healing. I started with my childhood idea. But, that idea was wrong because Jesus' stated mission was to preach his message (characteristic #1). And I strongly believe the idea from my college years is wrong because it seems that reverse psychology for manipulative purposes of individuals is a game, and Jesus did not come to play mind games with people. So, I had to look elsewhere.

It dawned on me that anything meaningful in life really has to be discovered before it can be fully internalized. Even if someone else "discovers" some miracle of God, some realization for me, that is, a miracle or realization happened to me because of someone else's goodwill toward me (not my discovery), the meaning would still have to be internalized. If I am busy telling everyone about the miracle or realization, it encourages all manner of remarks from others on whether it was from God or not. I need to let the miracle wash over me. I need to internalize the generosity of God. I need to know to the deepest fiber that Jesus is the Son of God. I need to know I have no control nor have I created any good reason (such as a good life) for the miracle or realization to have happened. I need time with the Maker of Heaven and Earth to give thanks and to be overwhelmed that he considered me, a tiny speck in the universe of his. Then, I can go in power because God can use me.

Placing faith in Jesus calls for us to look at Jesus' other-worldy nature. It calls for us to trust that he represents the Maker of all. It takes a little time to award that trust to someone. It takes time to internalize what God has done for us. If we go in power later, it takes internalization now, not blabbing the superficialities of God's generosity to everyone and their dogs. Otherwise, our story is shallow both for us and for the one to whom we are talking. Instead, I need to spend the time being overwhelmed because God has shortened the discovery process for me. As the evangelist Landon Saunders used to say, "First tell his story. Then tell your story." The other order is out of order. It lacks power. It focuses on the wrong person. This is the Maker's world.

An old name, a new meaning

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next week to meanderings about the characteristics of the followers of Jesus that I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 5.


Characteristic 5: (S)He knows the imagery of Jesus’ references to himself as the Son of Man.


Representative sample from Mark: And Jesus concluded, “The Sabbath was made for the good of human beings; they were not made for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2. 27-28)


Other textual support for characteristic:2.10, 2.28, 10.33, 10.44, 13.26, 14.21, 14.62
Fact from Mark: Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man 7 times, split evenly over his ministry

Jesus called himself the Son of Man so much that it is noteworthy. Nobody seemed to question the meaning of the phrase. Also of note is the fact that the apostles did not leave any written record of their calling Jesus by the name Son of Man. So, should modern followers think that since the apostles left no written record of calling Jesus by a name he called himself that we too should not call him by that name? Was the name treated like Yahweh was treated by the Jews of old, that is, the name was much too sacred to pronounce even?

The link given (either by clicking the title of this blog or the other link) is to a spot on Studylight.org. A series of 7 short articles have been written (December 15th-January 26) in order to help illuminate the origins of the phrase and explore how Jesus may have used this appellation. Interesting reading. Click on the title to this article (the cursor will change to a hand as you place it on the title) and you will be taken straight to the archives where you may click on the Son of Man article of your choice.

Say no to attitudes from platitudes

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next week to meanderings about the characteristics I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 9 characteristics. Today's discussion is on characteristic # 4.

Characteristic 4: (S)He understands that there are intrinsic barriers to the reign of God in one’s life that must be overcome.

Jesus looked straight at him with love and said, “You need only one thing. Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me.” (Mark 10.21)

Other textual support for characteristic:10.17-31, 12.28-34, 3.20-30, 6.1-6, 3.31-35, 16.14
Fact from Mark: barriers in trust come from one’s own family, town, or belief community

Beyond the restorative touch needed to return their lives to normalcy, beyond the beginning point of acknowledging that Jesus is God's son in order to rid themselves from the slavery of their addictions, followers of Jesus know that they have to beware always of those traditions and values that they grew up with. Values and traditions pose as foundations for good living, but so often they are masks for a corrupt and rotten system of status quo. Even people brought up in church traditions have to beware that the church traditions themselves are not a barrier to the authentic teachings of Jesus.

In Mark 12.28-34, a man versed in the Jewish law came to Jesus and asked him what the greatest commandment was. Jesus told him. The man agreed with Jesus. Then Jesus told the man that he was not far from the kingdom of God. Jesus didn't compliment the man for being in the kingdom since they had agreed. Jesus didn't invite the man to join the kingdom. Instead, Jesus told the man that he was near the kingdom of God.

Assumedly, a modern person could find himself or herself in the same condition, that is, near the kingdom of God. If so, then perhaps understanding what the kingdom of God is would keep one from only being near it, but allow one to fully participate in it. If one were to be able to fully participate in the kingdom, then one would also know what could be a barrier to that full participation.

The word kingdom is an archaic term, not in the sense that the word has passed from our language, but in the sense that the term is only used of a time period that is not our own, but in the past. Americans hate irrelevance, so another idea that is relevant should be understood. A kingdom is a geographic location for most Americans; perhaps Americans extend the idea to castles, serfs, knights, or other symbols (by metonomy) for what a king has sovereignty over.
Americans are, however, familiar with the idea of a rule of someone over another. If one still needs to feel that some vestige of Jesus' teachings needs to represent the age of the original teachings or the manuscripts that bring those teachings to the modern person, then the idea of reign could be substituted for rule. Thus, to the man who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment, Jesus replied that God's reign in his life was not too distant. Although the man agreed with Jesus, he still had a barrier that kept him from fully participating in the reign of God for him. Mark does not elaborate on the man's barrier like he did for the rich young ruler cited above in the representative sample from Mark. Somehow, though, the man was not vested in the rule or reign of God.

What might keep a modern person from having God's reign in his or her life? Mainly, attitudes. A follower of Jesus accepts and knows the teachings of Jesus. So, the follower should be living decently toward others. But, actions are generated by one's thoughts behind those actions. And, the thought behind the actions comes from attitudes which are derived from traditions and values. So, how does one respond to an insult from someone else? What acknowledgment is allowed if an addiction has taken over a person? When is the best time to go to someone with whom a problem exists? Where is it that one should want find himself or herself on Friday nights? Who is the master one truly serves?

For many, platitudes provide the thought behind their actions. "A penny saved is a penny earned." So, they save, maybe even in miserly way. "Those who make the gold make the rules." So, they work their way up the ladder to make more money. "The early bird gets the worm." So, people are so very busy breaking others backs to get the worm. "Plan you work. Work your plan." So, meetings at all hours abound for planning, and working at all hours and at all costs carry out those plans.

So, when does the follower of Jesus have the time and stamina to know Jesus' teachings? When does the decent living happen in front of families? When does one have time to see the healing taking place in his or her own life? What kind of restoration takes place when so little time is given for recognizing the need for restoration? When does the follower of Jesus have time to reflect on his or her attitudes to know if adjustments are necessary? What keeps one a short distance from participating in God's rule, His reign for one's life? Simple agreement with Jesus' message keeps one at arm's length from the rule. So, it must be more than simple agreement.

If attitudes from platitudes disappear, then the distance to the reign of God in our lives disappears. Jesus' teachings can then be authentic. Then we can go and follow him.

Restoring what has deteriorated

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next 2 weeks to meanderings about the characteristics I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 7 characteristics that I listed and two more that I didn't list because I didn't think it was the right forum for the other 2. They were more personal in nature. Today's discussion is on characteristic #3.


Characteristic 3: (S)He understands that the message of God is accompanied by a ministry of “healing” for oneself and others.

Representative sample from Mark:
Is it easier to say to this paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk?” I will prove to you, then, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, ”I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
(Mark 2.11-12)

Other textual support for characteristic:1.30-32, 1.40-41, 2.11-12, 3.5, 3.10, 5.29, 5.4, 6.13, 7.36
Fact from Mark: 16% of all textual episodes in Mark comment on Jesus’ healing.

Jesus did his share of healing others while he was on the earth. He restored sight to blind men. He restored skin to lepers. He restored normalcy to lunatics. He restored natural functions for diseased members of the body. He restored life to bodies of death. Restoration was Jesus' business. Oh, yes he taught his message. But, he restored people so that they could comprehend what his message was about. He had a message of forgiveness, among other characteristics. So that at least one crowd could understand forgiveness in its full form, Jesus healed a person. Once restoration happened, realization took place.

In today's world much of what people get sick with is treated with medicine. So, what the ancient people needed to have healed by someone supernaturally, today is routinely healed by scientific advances. That doesn't mean that God has been displaced from the healing business. We still cannot heal the mind or control circumstances. When loved ones die unexpectedly, medicine cannot touch the mind's hurt. But God's healing touch of perspective for the cause of death is still available. When job loss, people's horrendous treatment of each other, or injury that can't be repaired to a body occur, only a miracle man can step forward to relieve the grief or the pain.

So, one of the characteristics evident in a follower of Jesus is that one trusts Jesus to perform a work of healing in areas of life that humans cannot touch. An oldest son who has to have intervention from the rest of his family to recognize that he has a drug problem trusts that the addiction can be healed if he follows Jesus. A man who loses a daughter in a car accident and a wife to cancer six months later trusts that God's perspective is better than his for why he was dealt a harsh hand, so he prays for God's touch on his perspective. A woman who lives constantly with the mistrust of her husband trusts that if she remains faithful, God will touch the heart of her spouse or make it evident to her that her life will count for something with somebody. Everywhere people need God's restorative touch in order to live out their lives full of his message.

Followers of Jesus know the master's touch on their bodies or in their minds. They follow him whole-heartedly because of it.

Basic assumption

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next 2 weeks to meanderings about the characteristics I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 7 characteristics that I listed and two more that I didn't list because I didn't think it was the right forum for the other 2. They were more personal in nature. Today's discussion is on characteristic #2.

Characteristic 2: (S)He understands that the result of “casting out demons” is an acknowledgment of Jesus as the son of the most high God.

Representative sample from Mark:
And whenever the people who had evil spirits in them saw him, they would fall down before him and scream, “You are the Son of God!”
(Mark 3.11)

Other textual support support for characteristic: 1.27, 1.34, 1.39, 3.11, 5.1-16, 6.12
Fact from Mark: 40% of all textual episodes in Mark mentioning healing also mention casting out demons. 4 textual episodes in Mark mention casting out demons without mention of healing.

I know that there is some debate on what exactly Jesus was casting out when Mark refers to casting out demons. But, I would like to ignore the debate for the purposes of this blog. Instead, I want to take a purely modern approach to casting out demons by allowing the phrase to be symbolic in nature. Casting out demons becomes the symbol for anything in a person's life that serves as a detractor from the person himself (herself) or those around her or him to allow a belief in the deity of Jesus. It could be alcohol or drugs. It could be perverted lyric preference. It could be a party spirit, or tobacco addiction, or obesity. It is whatever distracts one from looking at Jesus and seeing liberty from oppression.

When Jesus cast out demons, a number of times it is clear that the demons acknowledged that Jesus was the son of God. Applying the phrase as a symbol, people today can be rid of their distractions. Trust in Jesus begins with the expression of one's soul, "Jesus is God's son." From that point on, placing one's trust in the messenger and the message from God allows the freedom from the slavery of the demon, that is, from the oppression of whatever detracted one from Jesus. The addict realizes that a higher power delivers him or her from the lower power of addictive beverage or substance. The person stuck on death lyrics breathes in life lyrics for a change. The partying young man or woman learns a new kind of celebration. The obese person learns that God uses people in the condition in which they find truth or restores ability to find a stopping point with food.

The follower of Jesus takes a journey with him throughout life. But, the first step of the journey begins with the utterance, "Jesus is the son of God." The rough part of the journey depends on the absolute, raw truth that self-reliance does not kick in, that reliance on the supernatural is first nature. Call it psychology of religion 101 or the cardinal principle of Jesus' teaching or the basic assumption of every follower. One has to be rid of distractions so that one realization becomes crystal clear. Jesus is the son of God most high.

It's the first step out of the boat onto the waves of a large lake across which Jesus is walking. Trust in Jesus replaces distracting oppression. The power of the detraction succumbs to the power of one name—Jesus. It's not hocus pocus. It's every follower's basic assumption.

Knowing and modeling

Recently I was involved in a study of the fabulous story of Jesus as presented by Mark. The men who were asked to study the various accounts of this story were asked to come up with the characteristics of a follower of Jesus based on the account they were studying. Today those men all met again to bring forth the characteristics they had found. It was interesting to see how the accounts mirrored the walks of life each one had taken. But beyond that, they brought out what they had studied over a month's period of time.

I am going to dedicate the blogspot for at least the next 2 weeks to my meanderings about the characteristics I found to be outstanding in the account from Mark. I found 7 characteristics that I listed and two more that I didn't list because I didn't think it was the right forum for the other 2. They were more personal in nature. So, I start with characteristic #1

Characteristic 1: (S)He knows the tenets of the message of God’s reign and knows (s)he must exude it.

Representative sample from Mark:
We must go on to the other villages around here. I have to preach in them also, because that is why I came.
(Mark 1.38)


Other textual support for characteristic: 1.38, 2.2, 3.34, 4.1, 4.33, 6.6b-7, 6.34, 8.31
Fact from Mark: 37% of all textual episodes in Mark contain the teaching of Jesus.

If I were asked what Jesus' reason for coming was, I would have answered that he came to seek and save the lost. But, after reading Mark's account, I see the statement above. And teach is what Jesus did. He went all over the countryside around his hometown teaching. He crossed lakes and walked miles to villages near and far. He sent his selected 12 out in pairs to a number of villages to get his message out. Mark's account is rife with teachings about human behaviors from people divorcing to people trying to show that they deserve the kingdom of God.

But, just because Jesus taught, does it mean that his followers should follow suit? Well, let's call it "teaching." Under finer analysis, it is probably closer to knowing for ourselves the tenets of what Jesus taught so that our behavior is consistent with those tenets. What we know from Jesus' lessons and how we act ought to be consistent. Some of Jesus' most castigating words were reserved for the educated elite who said one thing, but did another. So, knowing the message so that we can model it is paramount.

And the message is not merely a series of good lessons. Its provenance is from the kingdom of God, so the path on earth his lessons put us on end in our entering the kingdom of God. I think there is a bit of a problem with that idea for Americans. We are not "kingdom" people. The word is in our language and we understand it. But it is so archaic that we don't make a true association with it. An alternate word is "reign." It is an old term as well, but Americans have more of an association with its idea than "kingdom." We all are held accountable to somebody or we report to some "boss." So a word like "reign" carries with it the idea that we are held to a set of expectations by someone or some company.

So, the idea is complete. Jesus taught the message of God's reign in a person's life. We accept God's reign and show it by modeling the behavior asked of us by the various tenets of the message. Our behavior, in turn leads us to our home where God reigns. In that manner, then, we teach as Jesus taught. We know the tenets of the message of God's reign and exude it for others to desire to emulate it.

Block peace

The block I live on is everyone's block. Mine is not special in any way. That's what makes one generation the same as the last or the next. That's what makes one culture the same as the next. People are people. They basically have the same nature—the human nature. But for all the despair I may see on my block, I also see the striving on my block for there to be peace in people's lives. They are decent people seeking to live in harmony with their neighbors. Viva block peace!

The affairs of the block I live on

The neighbors surrounding my house are a motley crew. The people on one side of me live day to day with a menial job in today's society's view. As far as I can tell they have no church affiliation. The lady across the street from them is an old maid. She was moved in by her daughter from out of state. She rarely comes out of her house. One never knows whether she is home or not because she always keeps her car in her garage. She apparently has no religious affiliation. The couple directly across from me are Mormons, very active ones. They are the kindest people you will meet and are hard workers in their yard and in their church. They have tried sharing their faith over the years several times. The people next to them are raising two children. The father is a hard worker and an alcoholic. The son inherited his father's party spirit. The mother is so nice and tries to be sociable with her neighbors. The man next to me is on hospice. His sight left him several years back. I haven't seen him in about 2 years, but I visit with his children when they come to see him. He's Methodist, but has not gone to a church building in the 12 years of my living on this block.

It's quite a state of affairs on this block I live on. People are doing what it takes to stay alive and put food on the table. But, I don't know any of these people very well although we are all nice to each other if the occasional yard visit is the measuring stick. I know the Great Teacher moved around a lot when he taught. He would go through the cities of a region teaching. I don't know how he would have gotten his message out if he had lived in my neighborhood. I do know however, that one of his teachings works in any neighborhood. "Whatever you would like people to do for you is what you should do for them." It has worked in neighborhoods for a couple of thousand years. I don't see it failing now or failing me when I enact it. It's a phenomenal, supernatural teaching.

A decade in the life of ...

"What a difference a year makes" is a common expression. One can imagine what a difference a decade makes. I have lived at my current residence for 12 years. My neighbor to my left housed a couple who were in their 70s. The man there died after 3 years after we moved in. His wife died last spring. Now a whole new family lives there. The man and his wife across the street from them and diagonal to me took care of his wife for 5 years after we moved in. I saw her only once before she died. The man lived in his house for 3 years after that, moved to his daughter's house in another state and died about 2 years after that. Another person lives in that house now, but it stood vacant for at least a year. The people directly across the street had two children at home in high school when we first moved here. They're now long gone and married. The neighbor and his wife on the other side of me have had their share of difficulties. He grew blind within 7 years of our moving here. His mind also has been deteriorating over the last three years. His wife has been making monumental efforts at watching after him. But, she died last week, and he was put in the care of hospice.

Oh! My household? We are not untouched. Both of my kids were in grade school when we moved here. Now both are out of school. My son graduated only to break out with cancer and die at age 19. My daughter has been seeing a phsychiatrist and/or a psychologist ever since. My wife was a practicing alcohlic for all but the last 3 years in this house, but has since lived each day that comes her way as a sober alcoholic. My father died 3 years ago 8 days before my son did after a cognitive illness of 11 months.

And that's just me and the block I live on. Multiply this times about 6 billion people on the earth. What does it take to be the Creator of heaven and earth? I have no idea. But, somehow he shows that he cares about me. He sends encouragements amidst hardships. He inspires determination and commitment. I am thankful that somehow he cares about me and the block I live on. Not in his spare time. And not with just me and my block people. I truly have great respect for the way he handles everybody's business in the whole world. It's supernatural.

On embracing sin

Alexander Pope said that first we abhor sin, then we tolerate it, finally we embrace it. He is talking about how people are influenced by the tainted world around them. I find this to be true for my own walk in life, but it doesn't bother me. I think Pope had the wrong angle on the situation. As a young man, I tended to see the world in black and white. Something was either according to the moral law I had grown up knowing from teenage years or it wasn't. But, I matured and watched carefully how older people in the world behaved. Matters weren't just black or white. Next, I figured that the world was a big place, so I could walk to the beat of my own moral law and not have to hold anyone else responsible for it—just me. Then, I matured and noticed how situations were never according to any moral law. Good situations were nearly always tainted by evil and evil situations nearly always had some noble element about them.

That being true, I realized that striving for some fictitious moral code that no one ever observed was ludicrous. I might as well let life play out. Where I could be the good part of an evil situation, I would be. Where I could act on behalf of good even though a situation was mostly bad, I did. I know to someone looking in it might seem that once upon a time in my youth I abhorred evil and that as I matured I began to tolerate evil, only to finally embrace it. I would rather think as an insider that I finally understood the human condition and the other-worldly principle that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A divine moment captured on earth

I am seeing something tonight that warms the soul. My friend knows someone in trouble. He and his wife's extended families are gathering around this person to show that they still believe in this person, that no one has been discarded. That resonates with every fiber in my core. It's what the Teacher taught. No one has to stand alone and be condemned even if society thinks differently. I cannot think of stronger measures to show the Teacher's message. It's not a parable or words on a page. It's a reality, not a reality show with a script. It's true, unadulterated reality. The Creator of the universe has to be weeping tears of happiness—tears for the trouble the person is in, happiness for the number of people standing behind this person with unfiltered care. I am truly touched.

What I see happening on the human scene tonight and tomorrow morning reflects what will happen in a future, more heavenly scene captured in a statement written at the end of the book Discerning the 7 Sealed Scenes.

"The broken seals reveal God's urgent and emphatic message—broken people proudly exhibiting His mark of ownership and approval. Notably, the broken seals reveal that broken people are not discarded. God's broken people are never discarded! Never! God dresses them in brilliant white robes. That is assured!" (page 70).

Empty sounds

From time to time people tell me that those whose actions have been an impediment to progress have changed and have said that they want to work with the one they have been causing grief to. My first reaction is that their words are deceptive. Words have to have accompanying actions. Otherwise, they are empty sounds in the wind. While it is true that words can be a precursor to good actions, it is usually true that words are mere vapors that dissipate before actions can be put in place. That's why we have the expression in English, "Words are cheap." So when an enemy has a change of heart based on his words, I just laugh. I'll believe it when I see it. Hit me up in a month and tell me the same thing. I'll check the book of actions and see if the words are true.