I'm going to make this short today. Someone emailed me last night and asked me to slow the pace a bit so they could catch up on my posts from the past week. So granted. I might post a picture later tonight.
If you haven't seen the F/X Network's drama, Nip/Tuck, now in it's third season, you really should. The overall narrative and the individual episodes grapple with some of the most important issues in our culture. I am arguing that this show is the honest successor to John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progess. If Bunyan were alive today, he would be a writer for this show (and I doubt he would still be a Baptist).
Now I know what you're about to say: isn't this the same writer that last week was bemoaning the hyper-sexualization of culture? (See my post, Teenage Pop Sluts) Well, yes, and if you read my follow up post, Teenage Pop Slus, Part 2, you'll see that my intent in making those comments was to identify what was happening in our culture SO THAT Christians cannot only respond to the challenge in positive ways (unlike the ham-handed condemnations by Dobson, et al.), but also prepare the next generation to understand and overcome the challenges that present cultural trends create by becoming culturally savvy and self-aware (epistemological self-conscious for those Van Tilians among us).
But back to Nip/Tuck. The overall narrative presents one of the best critiques of the cult of perfection in our culture. The quest for perfection leads to the paradoxical result of self-loathing. The story centers around the two partners of a plastic surgery practice, longtime friends, set in Miami. I think the most important character of the series is that of Christian Troy. Yes, his name is Christian (get the Bunyan connection?). A notorious womanizer and one of Miami's most sought-after bachelors, he actively struggles with his desires that push him farther away from what he really seeks - relational intimacy with a woman. He constantly finds that his lifestyle directly conflicts with his dreams. And he constantly struggles to do the right thing and sometime succeeds.
His partner, Sean McNamara, is a man constantly struggling with the Sturm und Drang of cultural forces that are tearing his family apart. The moral conscience of the show, he finds that he is unable to keep his family together, and yet he courageously tries in vain to salvage his marriage and his relationship with his children because he realizes that family is the only thing that matters. He rages against the dying of the light.
For Christians, I think one of the most important themes found in the series is the pervasive effects of sin. And this is not karma; it is the biblical view of sin. Virtually every adult character in the show suffers from the direct consequences of their sin, sometimes decades subsequent. I don't know how many times I have found myself watching the show, and saying to myself, "That is me." Rarely do I see an episode where I don't start to cry in sympathy with these characters. The end of the program last night, when Christian brings himself to tears as he sees how he treats others savagely to cover the rage of his own wounded heart, I could feel his pain, because I've been there to. And how they handled the issue of hate last night was masterful.
Now be warned that this is not a family program; certainly not one to let the kids stay up and watch. Sexual themes and adult situations are presented in stark detail. But they're always presented truthfully. The present pleasure of sin invariably leads to the bitterness of despair. This material could easily have been lifted from St. Augustine's Confessions of City of God. Love of God, or love of self.
Nip/Tuck is on F/X on Tuesday evenings at 10 p.m. Eastern time, and replayed immediately afterward at 11 p.m. Episodes are also rebroadcast on F/X throughout the week.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Pale Blue Dot or Privileged Planet?
This photo was taken by Voyager 1 on February 15, 1990. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, in the middle of the picture, in the uppermost yellowish light band, you will see a small bright speck. That's us. That's Earth. It is the most distant picture of Earth ever taken (4 billion miles). The picture, taken as Voyager was leaving the solar system, was the result of the advocacy of Carl Sagan, noted atheist and astronomer. Just before his death in 1996, Sagan delivered a commencement address to Cornell University, where he reflected on the meaning of this "Pale Blue Dot" and the meaninglessness of human existence and effort. At best, man must make his own meaning. How tragic.But is man left without any meaning other than what he can create for himself? If you're interested in an alternative view to Sagan's meaning, or lack of meaning, to human existence, check out the recent documentary film and book, The Privileged Planet, by Iowa State astronomy professor Guillermo Gonzalez and Discovery Institute philosopher, Jay Richards. The authors recently defended the scientific basis for Intelligent Design in an oped in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
I just viewed The Privileged Planet this morning. This is a superb production. Narrated by John Rhys-Davies (of Lord of the Rings fame), it discusses how rare human life is in the universe, and presents a direct challenge to Sagan's beloved Drake's Equation about the possibility of life elsewhere in the galaxy. The whole SETI project is based directly on Drake's unprovable (and therefore, unscientific) thesis.
This film is powerful. To gauge how powerful it is, know that the New York Times and Washington Post screamed headlines earlier this year about a June showing of the film at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. sponsored by the Discovery Institute. Young Earth creationists take over the Smithsonian! Religion hijacks science! A return to the Dark Ages! Bullshit. The movie says nothing about evolution, but discusses cosmology. It certainly doesn't help the Darwinians and naturalists make their case, but hey, they have plenty of help from the materialist academic establishment as it is. Needless to say, after the media hoopla, the Smithsonian publicly denounced the movie. Critics said that the philosophical ruminations at the end of the film made the movie about metaphysics, not science. Uh, anyone ever heard of Carl Sagan's Cosmos, noting it's avowedly atheistic creed stated at the beginning of the first episode? How many decades has the Smithsonian been showing and promoting Cosmos?
You have to see this this video, and make sure all of your friends see it. The movie is an hour long. You can purchase the video; or, if you recklessly ignore copyright laws and have Emule or some other P2P program, you can download the program (289mb) by doing a video search in your P2P program. Of course, I would encourage everyone to purchase the video to help support more productions like this, and I would never recommend violating the law. Just helpful info for the heathen among us.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Teenage Pop Sluts, Part 2
I've received some emails about my recent post, Teenage Pop Sluts, and wanted to respond. The comments seemed to run one of two ways: 1) You're absolutely right about the trend, and the church needs to wake up and respond to how culture is shaping our children; or 2) You are overstating the case and have no idea what you're talking about.
I remember a conversation I had with a good friend a few years ago. We were talking about his teenage son, who was attending a "classical Christian" school in the area, and I made the comment that his son's primary cultural influences were no longer his parents or his family. My friend loudly protested, even pulling out Bible verses (such as "train up a child in the way he should go...") to make his case that his son was on the straight and narrow and that nothing would pull him off. He and his wife had done all the right things! Home school, Christian school, monitoring their TV viewing, limiting their use of the Internet, etc. To his credit, a few days later my friend came back to me and admitted that I was right: his son was profoundly influenced by his peers. And just because he went to a "classical Christian" school didn't mean that the influences were all positive. Quite the contrary. The discussions, the music, the movies, etc. that his son was privy to - outside the hearing and direction of his parents - were quite corrosive.
So why have I even raised this issue? An excellent question. My concern is not really about the culture at large, other than to observe what's happening. My concern is with the church and the hordes of parents therein that have no idea what their children are exposed to, let alone teaching their children how to deal with it and identifying the dangers. But no one should mistake me for saying that we all need to become Amish. As an aside, in the state of Ohio, where I'm at, the Amish have the highest rate of illegitimacy of any demographic group in the state; the culture of isolation doesn't work. I think that Christians should be raising culturally savvy children, children who are actively engaging and critiquing the culture, who understand what's going on. The problem isn't with the children. The problem is with the parents.
I remember showing the Merchants of Cool video I referenced in my earlier post to a group of parents in our church. After the viewing the video, it was immediately clear that most of the parents didn't think that it really applied to their children. And when I think of the families that were of that mind, and where their children have headed in the years since, I have to shake my head in disbelief. I think the fundamental problem today is that parents forget that their children are being raised in a vastly different culture than they were raised in. The cultural starting point our children are born to was radically different than our own. The slippery cultural slope means that changes occur much more rapidly today than when we were growing up. As the Merchants of Cool video demonstrates, most of the cultural shift is directed at teens today. And that culture shifts rapidly. We see throw-away trends, when as soon as something is popular, it is no longer cool. The cool kids are then chasing some other trend. This is the downward death spiral of culture that increases speed the further you fall.
When will the church finally get it? The simple answer is, when our church leaders finally get it and begin to do something about it. Honestly, I'm not holding my breath. In many cases, it is our church leaders who are the most insulated and clueless among us. I remember many years ago having a youth pastor tell me that the youth ministry would be doing much better if it weren't for the pastor's kids. How many of us can relate?
I also think one of the other major problems is that many parents in the church have been taught that parents are autonomous and are free from any outside criticism. The homeschool cult has helped engender this kind of thinking. But in fact, when a child is baptized, the congregation is asked to make a covenantal vow to help the parents raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. My experience has been, however, that when any mention is made to a parent in the church about the bad behavior of the children, the response is consistently, "mind your own damn business." Any honest observer would have to agree with me. I can't remember ever hearing of a case of a church officer being removed for the conduct of his family, which is of course one of the qualifications for deacon or elder. Preach that from your pulpit sometime and see what kind of response you get.
In closing, for those who are still skeptical about my outlook on culture, take a look at this AP report from this morning's wires: Teen Abducted Children for Demonic Ritual. Maybe you think that these incidents are extremely rare. Could be, but the police detectives that track this stuff are seeing an exponential rise in these kind of cases. But I think what is important in the report, at least for the purposes of this post, is the reaction of the indicted teen's grandfather:
His grandfather, Julian Rodriguez, called the accusations "ridiculous." He said his grandson was a "good kid."
This is a classic example of the "head-in-the-hole" parenting I'm talking about, but it also a great example of the relativism in our culture. Now this teen was intending to cut a pentagram into the chest of this young girl. And yet he is still a "good kid". Do you think your children are "good kids" and wouldn't do anything like this? We should all be more mindful of the implications of the doctrine of radical depravity. Every parent whose child has committed acts of unspeakable brutality probably thought their children couldn't do it either. Think Littleton. Think Jonesboro. To think otherwise is foolish and potentially deadly. Parents must begin to understand cultural trends and how their children are driven by them. The future success of the Gospel in the next generation depends on such.
I remember a conversation I had with a good friend a few years ago. We were talking about his teenage son, who was attending a "classical Christian" school in the area, and I made the comment that his son's primary cultural influences were no longer his parents or his family. My friend loudly protested, even pulling out Bible verses (such as "train up a child in the way he should go...") to make his case that his son was on the straight and narrow and that nothing would pull him off. He and his wife had done all the right things! Home school, Christian school, monitoring their TV viewing, limiting their use of the Internet, etc. To his credit, a few days later my friend came back to me and admitted that I was right: his son was profoundly influenced by his peers. And just because he went to a "classical Christian" school didn't mean that the influences were all positive. Quite the contrary. The discussions, the music, the movies, etc. that his son was privy to - outside the hearing and direction of his parents - were quite corrosive.
So why have I even raised this issue? An excellent question. My concern is not really about the culture at large, other than to observe what's happening. My concern is with the church and the hordes of parents therein that have no idea what their children are exposed to, let alone teaching their children how to deal with it and identifying the dangers. But no one should mistake me for saying that we all need to become Amish. As an aside, in the state of Ohio, where I'm at, the Amish have the highest rate of illegitimacy of any demographic group in the state; the culture of isolation doesn't work. I think that Christians should be raising culturally savvy children, children who are actively engaging and critiquing the culture, who understand what's going on. The problem isn't with the children. The problem is with the parents.
I remember showing the Merchants of Cool video I referenced in my earlier post to a group of parents in our church. After the viewing the video, it was immediately clear that most of the parents didn't think that it really applied to their children. And when I think of the families that were of that mind, and where their children have headed in the years since, I have to shake my head in disbelief. I think the fundamental problem today is that parents forget that their children are being raised in a vastly different culture than they were raised in. The cultural starting point our children are born to was radically different than our own. The slippery cultural slope means that changes occur much more rapidly today than when we were growing up. As the Merchants of Cool video demonstrates, most of the cultural shift is directed at teens today. And that culture shifts rapidly. We see throw-away trends, when as soon as something is popular, it is no longer cool. The cool kids are then chasing some other trend. This is the downward death spiral of culture that increases speed the further you fall.
When will the church finally get it? The simple answer is, when our church leaders finally get it and begin to do something about it. Honestly, I'm not holding my breath. In many cases, it is our church leaders who are the most insulated and clueless among us. I remember many years ago having a youth pastor tell me that the youth ministry would be doing much better if it weren't for the pastor's kids. How many of us can relate?
I also think one of the other major problems is that many parents in the church have been taught that parents are autonomous and are free from any outside criticism. The homeschool cult has helped engender this kind of thinking. But in fact, when a child is baptized, the congregation is asked to make a covenantal vow to help the parents raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. My experience has been, however, that when any mention is made to a parent in the church about the bad behavior of the children, the response is consistently, "mind your own damn business." Any honest observer would have to agree with me. I can't remember ever hearing of a case of a church officer being removed for the conduct of his family, which is of course one of the qualifications for deacon or elder. Preach that from your pulpit sometime and see what kind of response you get.
In closing, for those who are still skeptical about my outlook on culture, take a look at this AP report from this morning's wires: Teen Abducted Children for Demonic Ritual. Maybe you think that these incidents are extremely rare. Could be, but the police detectives that track this stuff are seeing an exponential rise in these kind of cases. But I think what is important in the report, at least for the purposes of this post, is the reaction of the indicted teen's grandfather:
His grandfather, Julian Rodriguez, called the accusations "ridiculous." He said his grandson was a "good kid."
This is a classic example of the "head-in-the-hole" parenting I'm talking about, but it also a great example of the relativism in our culture. Now this teen was intending to cut a pentagram into the chest of this young girl. And yet he is still a "good kid". Do you think your children are "good kids" and wouldn't do anything like this? We should all be more mindful of the implications of the doctrine of radical depravity. Every parent whose child has committed acts of unspeakable brutality probably thought their children couldn't do it either. Think Littleton. Think Jonesboro. To think otherwise is foolish and potentially deadly. Parents must begin to understand cultural trends and how their children are driven by them. The future success of the Gospel in the next generation depends on such.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Teenage Pop Sluts
Catchy title, isn't it? I'm stating the blatantly obvious when I say that our culture is rapidly becoming hyper-sexualized. But the manner in which it is becoming so, or the manifestation of it, is troubling all the more. What prompted this thought: I was watching TV the other night, and a commercial for the cable channel (AMC) came on with this snappy tune by The Veronicas as the soundtrack. The song was 4Ever. I finally heard the song in its entirety the following day, and the lyrics were startling. Maybe I'm just getting too old, but the song is about a girl asking a boy to have sex. I would say sleep with her, but the song just didn't even try to hide its message behind the slightest veneer. Gone are the days of voulez-vous couchez avec moi, ce soi.
This same thought occured to me a few months ago when I saw the video for Ashlee Simpson's song, La La. The video was her hanging out with her friends, playing video games, being a brat and causing general teenage mayhem. But that's not what the song is about. Here's the chorus:
You make me want to la la,
In the kitchen, on the floor,
I'll be your French maid
When I greet you at the door,
I'm like an alley cat,
Drink the milk up, I want more
You make me wanna, you make me wanna, scream.
The rest of the song is packed with sexual innuendos. But even that isn't accurate. They're not even innuendos. The song is little more than, "hey baby, want to f**k?".
Now, those who know me know that I'm no prude or Victorian. Quite the contrary. I'm a fairly modern man when it comes to these things, and having traveled around the world, I've seen some strange things in my time. E.g. this past Saturday, when I went to go hear my friend Clay "The Dog" Biggs play a gig downtown, I didn't bat an eye at the 7' tall transvestite I passed on the way into the club (which was next door to the lesbian sports bar the transvestite was going to). With the culture the way it is, it really is hard to be too judgmental. That's just the way things are. Take a look at the Kaiser Family Foundation report released earlier this month that found that sexual images on TV have doubled since 1998. That's seven years. They found that 70% of all shows have sexual content, with an average of 5 sexual scenes per hour. And we really shouldn't pretend that the church is somehow immune from all of this.
Let's get to the point. If you want a good, but dated, cultural analysis of teen culture, watch the 2001 PBS Frontline program, Merchants of Cool. You can see the whole program by following that link. Understand that Frontline is hardly some right-wing, fundamentalist program funded by Paul Crouch of TBN. But even secularists are growing alarmed at what they see happening in culture.
What concerns me about the state of youth culture is how gender roles are developing, and Merchants of Cool identifies the trend. For young girls, the image that they are fed is the prematurely sexual tigress. Now, if you're a young teenage boy, you certainly don't have any problem with that. But if you're a father, you should. The message that's underlying this image is that female empowerment is primarily sexual. (Isn't this what feminism was trying to defeat?) That's an identity problem in and of itself.
But the "cash value" problem I see is that teenage girls are told that they are more sexually mature than what they really are, they get into very mature situations that they are simply unable to handle. Think I'm kidding? Watch the news any week. Ever hear of Natalee Holloway? Irrespective of what actually happened to her, it is clear that she got in a situation way over her head. Did you see the 14-year old PA girl last week that ran away with her adult boyfriend that had just murdered her parents? Did you know that most teenage pregnancies involve a man 18 and over? And the culture feeds this image through virtually ever cultural medium out there. Music, TV, advertisements, et al.
On the flipside of this trend, teenage boys become permanently adolescent. We now have a nation of 40-year old teenage boys. Check out this Joseph Epstein article to see what I mean. Teenage boys today are never taught how to be men. Think I'm exagerating? Ever see "The Man Show"? Here the two conflicting images are presented side by side: the aggressively sexual female, and the permanently adolescent male. Both images are profoundly degrading, and you don't even need to buy into the cultural image to be impacted by it.
Here's something to think about: There is little difference between The Veronicas and the Taliban. Both share the exact same view of women: women are primarily sexual objects and both believe that female empowerment is sexual. One view exploits the image, the other surpresses it, but despite their different responses, their view of women is exactly the same. The view of men is exactly the same as well. More on that later.
What's the solution? It certainly isn't more of the same. And I don't think that the problem is primarily a female one. The problem is men. Strong, confident women should have nothing to fear from strong, masculine men. Strong, confident men shouldn't have anything to fear from female sexuality, either. Male and female sexuality in their proper boundaries should be something promoted and embraced. However, all men and women should fear the adolescent male. If there's a culturally destructive force in America today, that's it. Not the ACLU. Not gay marriage. Think on that.
This same thought occured to me a few months ago when I saw the video for Ashlee Simpson's song, La La. The video was her hanging out with her friends, playing video games, being a brat and causing general teenage mayhem. But that's not what the song is about. Here's the chorus:
You make me want to la la,
In the kitchen, on the floor,
I'll be your French maid
When I greet you at the door,
I'm like an alley cat,
Drink the milk up, I want more
You make me wanna, you make me wanna, scream.
The rest of the song is packed with sexual innuendos. But even that isn't accurate. They're not even innuendos. The song is little more than, "hey baby, want to f**k?".
Now, those who know me know that I'm no prude or Victorian. Quite the contrary. I'm a fairly modern man when it comes to these things, and having traveled around the world, I've seen some strange things in my time. E.g. this past Saturday, when I went to go hear my friend Clay "The Dog" Biggs play a gig downtown, I didn't bat an eye at the 7' tall transvestite I passed on the way into the club (which was next door to the lesbian sports bar the transvestite was going to). With the culture the way it is, it really is hard to be too judgmental. That's just the way things are. Take a look at the Kaiser Family Foundation report released earlier this month that found that sexual images on TV have doubled since 1998. That's seven years. They found that 70% of all shows have sexual content, with an average of 5 sexual scenes per hour. And we really shouldn't pretend that the church is somehow immune from all of this.
Let's get to the point. If you want a good, but dated, cultural analysis of teen culture, watch the 2001 PBS Frontline program, Merchants of Cool. You can see the whole program by following that link. Understand that Frontline is hardly some right-wing, fundamentalist program funded by Paul Crouch of TBN. But even secularists are growing alarmed at what they see happening in culture.
What concerns me about the state of youth culture is how gender roles are developing, and Merchants of Cool identifies the trend. For young girls, the image that they are fed is the prematurely sexual tigress. Now, if you're a young teenage boy, you certainly don't have any problem with that. But if you're a father, you should. The message that's underlying this image is that female empowerment is primarily sexual. (Isn't this what feminism was trying to defeat?) That's an identity problem in and of itself.
But the "cash value" problem I see is that teenage girls are told that they are more sexually mature than what they really are, they get into very mature situations that they are simply unable to handle. Think I'm kidding? Watch the news any week. Ever hear of Natalee Holloway? Irrespective of what actually happened to her, it is clear that she got in a situation way over her head. Did you see the 14-year old PA girl last week that ran away with her adult boyfriend that had just murdered her parents? Did you know that most teenage pregnancies involve a man 18 and over? And the culture feeds this image through virtually ever cultural medium out there. Music, TV, advertisements, et al.
On the flipside of this trend, teenage boys become permanently adolescent. We now have a nation of 40-year old teenage boys. Check out this Joseph Epstein article to see what I mean. Teenage boys today are never taught how to be men. Think I'm exagerating? Ever see "The Man Show"? Here the two conflicting images are presented side by side: the aggressively sexual female, and the permanently adolescent male. Both images are profoundly degrading, and you don't even need to buy into the cultural image to be impacted by it.
Here's something to think about: There is little difference between The Veronicas and the Taliban. Both share the exact same view of women: women are primarily sexual objects and both believe that female empowerment is sexual. One view exploits the image, the other surpresses it, but despite their different responses, their view of women is exactly the same. The view of men is exactly the same as well. More on that later.
What's the solution? It certainly isn't more of the same. And I don't think that the problem is primarily a female one. The problem is men. Strong, confident women should have nothing to fear from strong, masculine men. Strong, confident men shouldn't have anything to fear from female sexuality, either. Male and female sexuality in their proper boundaries should be something promoted and embraced. However, all men and women should fear the adolescent male. If there's a culturally destructive force in America today, that's it. Not the ACLU. Not gay marriage. Think on that.
Monday, November 21, 2005
English Country Churchyard
Taunton, Somerset, England. April 2002. Thanks to the fan who asked for more pictures. Nice to know someone's watching. 
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Cathedral (1): Ulm Minster, Germany
(Note to readers: From time to time I'll be posting excerpts from an unfinished devotional book (aren't they all?) I've started using cathedrals as allegories of the Christian life. This is the first in that series.)
Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! (Job 22:12)
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! (Psalm 113:4)
The first time you enter into a Gothic cathedral is a powerful and defining experience. Entering the nave from the narthex, your natural inclination is to crane your head back to fully take in the stretching heights soaring above you. At that moment, your perspective is cast by moving over the religious threshold that you have just crossed. It is quite an experience, but even the word “experience” is too egocentric to accurately describe what is transpiring: a proper word would be “encounter”. Because of the permanence, perspective and purpose of this place, you quickly understand that this encounter is about more than just you. The enormity of the structure dwarfs you, and the stones themselves seem to cry, “Look higher!”
Though I have visited and studied several dozens cathedrals in the past 15 years, my knees still shake when I come into these sacred spaces. What overwhelms me is how the building surrounds me and towers over me. All of my haughty pretensions that allow me to overstate my perspective and problems in the world are immediately confronted by something much larger, much older, and higher than I. As we get caught up in the vagaries of life and measuring our experiences by our own yardsticks, approaching something so extraordinary, so immense, that we are simultaneously diminished, yet defined, can provide us with a viewpoint that truly speaks to our human condition. The only encounter I have been able to compare it to has been standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and feeling the miles of space yawning around and engulfing me. It is something that defines your place in the world.
It is this characteristic of God – His transcendence – that the cathedral builders wanted the worshipper to understand; but not just by knowing, but by feeling and sensing with our whole being. Cathedrals had an intentional design and purpose – to get us to look outside and beyond ourselves and to turn our thoughts to God. As our eyes fix on the lofty elevation of the cathedral walls and vaults above, we are reminded that while we have a place in the world, our significance can only rightly be found in relation to our infinite Creator and His people, the Church.
In the Medieval world, Christians had as much of a problem as us moderns in wanting to bring God down to our level. Whether it is through vain rituals or self-indulgent prayers, we want to conform God to our plans and our purposes based solely on a range of sight that ends at the tip of our nose. Those that built the Gothic cathedrals across Europe had a remedy for that.
A spectacular example of the vertical dimensions incorporated into the Gothic style can be found at Ulm Minster in Germany. Begun in 1377, construction was not complete until 1890. From earlier on, the cathedral planners in Ulm intended to raise its lone spire higher than any other church in Europe, a plan that was followed meticulously from the 14th Century manuscripts by those who finished the cathedral at the end of the 19th Century.
To stand in the shadow of Ulm Minster, the tallest cathedral in the world rising to 528 feet, is an impressive sight even in our time. But to the traveler in the Middle Ages traversing the Rhine River through Ulm, the unfinished spire must have been staggering in its proportions. In fact, we have a written account of one visitor, Brother Felix Fabri, who visited Ulm in 1488, and wrote:
“It did rise, the structure, under the work of their hands and in 111 years, namely from its foundation in 1377 until now 1488, there appeared a church which will inspire all peoples and times to amazement and wonder. Nay, even more than the wondrously huge structure itself, the observer will wonder at the nobility and audacity of them who conceived it. For in this small town they have dared – without seeking support from outside, without help or the need to beg – to erect a building whose incredibly tall bell tower riseth this very day to the honor and glory of the majesty of God, as though it seeketh to reach heaven.”
Brother Felix was struck in awe of the immensity of such an undertaking and his relation to it. Being firmly rooted in the medieval worldview, he knew that the building of Ulm Minster was not intended as a statement to the glory of those who began the project, for in fact, they were all dead and buried within the unfinished church; but rather, the towering tribute was a testament to the soaring majesty of God. That is what struck him.
These structures were intended to mark the medieval mind as indelibly as they marked the city landscape. They were intended to dominate the city skyline, as wood engravings and drawings of cities of the time clearly show. To the pilgrim coming in from the countryside, they were invariably the first thing that could be seen, letting them know that their sojourn was soon at an end. Not only were the cathedrals the tallest buildings in the medieval city, they were usually built at the tallest point in town. Even today in our nation’s capital, the tallest point in the city is not the Washington Monument or the U.S. Capitol, but the Washington National Cathedral, which oversees a whole city dedicated to American political power and the achievements of man.
It is probably the most striking feature of the Gothic cathedral that it was not built to the limited proportions of man, but to that of God. Only such a structure could capture for us the essence of God’s transcendence, as the Psalmist testifies:
He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. (Psalm 78:69)
These sculptured mountains of sacred stone proclaim the infinite and unrivalled majesty of God. It is fitting that they are constructed to such an extent, though only in human terms, that fits the dimensions of His holy habitation.
Gazing upward beyond ourselves to the vaults and spires appropriately directs our attention to the true scope and scale of our lives. The vertical spaces of the cathedral, both internally and externally, were designed to let us know that the space above us was important; not just warranting our attention, but orienting us directly to the perspective of heavenly reality. Our temporary problems are dwarfed by God’s purpose and plans for us. It is especially difficult to understand how deliberately He has chosen our proscribed path in life. It is from His vantage point surveying and providentially directing the course of history that He guides the flow and ebb of our existence. It is this truth that should encourage us as Christians.
This was demonstrated to me when I visited Salisbury Cathedral in Southwestern England. The cathedral was the first thing I recognized as I walked out from the train station. Fixing my gaze on the spire, which stands at 404 feet (the fifth tallest cathedral in the world), I could wind my way through the narrow streets to my destination. After a lot of twists and turns through the ancient alleys of Salisbury, I passed through the gates and onto the grounds of the cathedral close. The green grass and leafy trees of the English Spring contrasted against the deep blue sky to create an incredible frame for the magnificent edifice of the cathedral. The building loomed so large in this scene that it was difficult for me to fit it all in the viewfinder of my camera.
But it wasn’t until I climbed the stairs to the observation point in the spire that I could trace the circuitous route I had taken to get here. With the town spread out like a mosaic before me, I realized that had the cathedral not been constantly in my view as I walked through town, I have no doubt the time of my trip would have doubled and required me to ask for detailed directions. I was walking through unknown territory. But ultimately, it really didn’t matter what street I was on, because I could see where I was going. The same is true of the Christian. We know our heavenly destination, and we can be confident that by fixing our gaze on Christ, the Captain of our salvation will surely lead us on the right path home.
Of course, there are few times when the Lord makes things are so clear to us as this. The reason for many of our trials and travails will remain hidden from us this side of heaven. And God’s purpose may be just as unclear. The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, makes this very point:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
I am reminded of King David and his cry, “[F]rom the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2) Feeling overwhelmed can be frightening, but knowing that God stands high above our daily circumstances is precisely what we need to recall when the storms of life blow our way.
Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are! (Job 22:12)
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! (Psalm 113:4)
The first time you enter into a Gothic cathedral is a powerful and defining experience. Entering the nave from the narthex, your natural inclination is to crane your head back to fully take in the stretching heights soaring above you. At that moment, your perspective is cast by moving over the religious threshold that you have just crossed. It is quite an experience, but even the word “experience” is too egocentric to accurately describe what is transpiring: a proper word would be “encounter”. Because of the permanence, perspective and purpose of this place, you quickly understand that this encounter is about more than just you. The enormity of the structure dwarfs you, and the stones themselves seem to cry, “Look higher!”
Though I have visited and studied several dozens cathedrals in the past 15 years, my knees still shake when I come into these sacred spaces. What overwhelms me is how the building surrounds me and towers over me. All of my haughty pretensions that allow me to overstate my perspective and problems in the world are immediately confronted by something much larger, much older, and higher than I. As we get caught up in the vagaries of life and measuring our experiences by our own yardsticks, approaching something so extraordinary, so immense, that we are simultaneously diminished, yet defined, can provide us with a viewpoint that truly speaks to our human condition. The only encounter I have been able to compare it to has been standing on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and feeling the miles of space yawning around and engulfing me. It is something that defines your place in the world.
It is this characteristic of God – His transcendence – that the cathedral builders wanted the worshipper to understand; but not just by knowing, but by feeling and sensing with our whole being. Cathedrals had an intentional design and purpose – to get us to look outside and beyond ourselves and to turn our thoughts to God. As our eyes fix on the lofty elevation of the cathedral walls and vaults above, we are reminded that while we have a place in the world, our significance can only rightly be found in relation to our infinite Creator and His people, the Church.
In the Medieval world, Christians had as much of a problem as us moderns in wanting to bring God down to our level. Whether it is through vain rituals or self-indulgent prayers, we want to conform God to our plans and our purposes based solely on a range of sight that ends at the tip of our nose. Those that built the Gothic cathedrals across Europe had a remedy for that.
A spectacular example of the vertical dimensions incorporated into the Gothic style can be found at Ulm Minster in Germany. Begun in 1377, construction was not complete until 1890. From earlier on, the cathedral planners in Ulm intended to raise its lone spire higher than any other church in Europe, a plan that was followed meticulously from the 14th Century manuscripts by those who finished the cathedral at the end of the 19th Century.
To stand in the shadow of Ulm Minster, the tallest cathedral in the world rising to 528 feet, is an impressive sight even in our time. But to the traveler in the Middle Ages traversing the Rhine River through Ulm, the unfinished spire must have been staggering in its proportions. In fact, we have a written account of one visitor, Brother Felix Fabri, who visited Ulm in 1488, and wrote:
“It did rise, the structure, under the work of their hands and in 111 years, namely from its foundation in 1377 until now 1488, there appeared a church which will inspire all peoples and times to amazement and wonder. Nay, even more than the wondrously huge structure itself, the observer will wonder at the nobility and audacity of them who conceived it. For in this small town they have dared – without seeking support from outside, without help or the need to beg – to erect a building whose incredibly tall bell tower riseth this very day to the honor and glory of the majesty of God, as though it seeketh to reach heaven.”
Brother Felix was struck in awe of the immensity of such an undertaking and his relation to it. Being firmly rooted in the medieval worldview, he knew that the building of Ulm Minster was not intended as a statement to the glory of those who began the project, for in fact, they were all dead and buried within the unfinished church; but rather, the towering tribute was a testament to the soaring majesty of God. That is what struck him.
These structures were intended to mark the medieval mind as indelibly as they marked the city landscape. They were intended to dominate the city skyline, as wood engravings and drawings of cities of the time clearly show. To the pilgrim coming in from the countryside, they were invariably the first thing that could be seen, letting them know that their sojourn was soon at an end. Not only were the cathedrals the tallest buildings in the medieval city, they were usually built at the tallest point in town. Even today in our nation’s capital, the tallest point in the city is not the Washington Monument or the U.S. Capitol, but the Washington National Cathedral, which oversees a whole city dedicated to American political power and the achievements of man.
It is probably the most striking feature of the Gothic cathedral that it was not built to the limited proportions of man, but to that of God. Only such a structure could capture for us the essence of God’s transcendence, as the Psalmist testifies:
He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever. (Psalm 78:69)
These sculptured mountains of sacred stone proclaim the infinite and unrivalled majesty of God. It is fitting that they are constructed to such an extent, though only in human terms, that fits the dimensions of His holy habitation.
Gazing upward beyond ourselves to the vaults and spires appropriately directs our attention to the true scope and scale of our lives. The vertical spaces of the cathedral, both internally and externally, were designed to let us know that the space above us was important; not just warranting our attention, but orienting us directly to the perspective of heavenly reality. Our temporary problems are dwarfed by God’s purpose and plans for us. It is especially difficult to understand how deliberately He has chosen our proscribed path in life. It is from His vantage point surveying and providentially directing the course of history that He guides the flow and ebb of our existence. It is this truth that should encourage us as Christians.
This was demonstrated to me when I visited Salisbury Cathedral in Southwestern England. The cathedral was the first thing I recognized as I walked out from the train station. Fixing my gaze on the spire, which stands at 404 feet (the fifth tallest cathedral in the world), I could wind my way through the narrow streets to my destination. After a lot of twists and turns through the ancient alleys of Salisbury, I passed through the gates and onto the grounds of the cathedral close. The green grass and leafy trees of the English Spring contrasted against the deep blue sky to create an incredible frame for the magnificent edifice of the cathedral. The building loomed so large in this scene that it was difficult for me to fit it all in the viewfinder of my camera.
But it wasn’t until I climbed the stairs to the observation point in the spire that I could trace the circuitous route I had taken to get here. With the town spread out like a mosaic before me, I realized that had the cathedral not been constantly in my view as I walked through town, I have no doubt the time of my trip would have doubled and required me to ask for detailed directions. I was walking through unknown territory. But ultimately, it really didn’t matter what street I was on, because I could see where I was going. The same is true of the Christian. We know our heavenly destination, and we can be confident that by fixing our gaze on Christ, the Captain of our salvation will surely lead us on the right path home.
Of course, there are few times when the Lord makes things are so clear to us as this. The reason for many of our trials and travails will remain hidden from us this side of heaven. And God’s purpose may be just as unclear. The Lord, speaking through Isaiah, makes this very point:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
I am reminded of King David and his cry, “[F]rom the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2) Feeling overwhelmed can be frightening, but knowing that God stands high above our daily circumstances is precisely what we need to recall when the storms of life blow our way.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Sayyid Qutb and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood
Sorry that it has been a few days since I last posted. The flu hit me over the weekend, and I'm just starting to get my feet under me.
In recent news, the Muslim Brotherhood has won at least 20 percent of the seats in the Egyptian parliamentary elections that took place on Tuesday. Though still an illegal group, they are tolerated and appear to be the strongest rival party to the ruling regime.
But why is the Muslim Brotherhood important? You might remember several posts last month where I discussed Sayyid Qutb and his ideological descendents, including Osama bin Laden (who was mentored in college by Qutb's brother, Mohammed) and the founders of the Palestinian terror group, Islamic Jihad. Qutb was the chief propagandist for the Muslim Brotherhood until his execution by Nasser in 1966, and one of the leading contributors to contemporary Islamist ideology.
Rooting his ideology in the monist monotheism of Islam, the singularity of God (tawhid) demands the singularity of the universe. In the examination of the ancient question of the one and the many, Qutb's answer is clear: one. There is no room for the individual in the Islamic universe. The primacy of the one (embodied in a universal Islamic state) outweighs any competing claims of legitimacy. Qutb is also responsible for several ideas that lay at the bedrock of Islamist terrorism:
1) In his book Milestones, he applies the Islamic idea of jahiliyya (pagan barbarism) to non-Islamic societies AND Islamic nations not governed by sharia. This gives justification for the Al-Qaeda franchise in Iraq to launch murderous suicide attacks in Jordan just last week. Since Jordan is not governed by sharia, it is just as guilty as the U.S., and subject to terrorist activity.
2) Drawing from Enlightenment revolutionary thought, the catalyst for social action to reinstitute God's sovereignty on earth is a revolutionary vanguard: "How must the Islamic resurrection begin? A vanguard must resolve to set it in motion in the midst of jahiliyya that now reigns over the earth. That vanguard must be able to decide when to withdraw from and when to seek contact with the jahiliyya that surrounds it." But who appoints this revolutionary vanguard? The vanguard itself. This is why Osama bin Laden can issue fatwas, religious legal opinions, to authorize terrorism against al Qaeda's enemies, even though OBL has no status as a religious authority and is no part of the ulema. As head of the vanguard, he is his own authority. An Islamic Robespierre.
3) As I noted in a previous post, Qutb draws on his idea of jahiliyya explictly from French Social Darwinist, Alexis Carrel, who he quotes more than any other author.
Even though the Muslim Brotherhood has not been as violent since when it was under Qutb's ideological leadership, it is becoming clear that it is the lightning rod for radicalism in Egypt. Expect it to get more radical as it gains power and is able to exercise its ideology more consistently. If you want more info on Qutb, read Paul Berman's lengthy New York Times Magazine article, The Philosopher of Islamic Terror.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Wolters' Creation Regained
I can hardly recommend any higher Al Wolters' Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview, which will be available next month in a new reprinting. This short book rocked my world several years ago. The impact on my thinking wasn't so much presenting new material or concepts, but helping me fit it all together. The worst thing about the book I found is that the margins are too small to fit all of my notes in, and I broke my binding. If you are serious about Christian worldview and consider yourself cut from the Kuyperian mold, this is required reading.With just five chapters (though densely packed), he begins with "What is a Worldview?" Briefly examining what a worldview is, the important element I found about the chapter is its plea to recognize the comprehensive nature of the Christian faith. Our Christian worldview must be distinctly Christian and permeate all aspects of our thought and life (theory and praxis).
The second chapter, "Creation", begins by identifying the biblical theme of the Creator/creature distinction, and stresses the importance of this doctrine, and the doctrine of creation in general, for Christian thought and for advancing the Christian's cultural mission (the Cultural Mandate).
The third Chapter, "Fall", explores the critical Kuyperian theme of the Antithesis. The opposition to the Christian's cultural mission is not fundamentally natural, but spiritual.
The fourth chapter, "Redemption", closes with this zinger:
"The horizon of creation is at the same time the horizon of sin and of salvation. To conceive of either the fall or Christ's deliverance as encompassing less that (sic) the whole of creation is to compromise the biblical teaching of the radical nature of the fall and the cosmic scope of redemption." (p. 71)
The work of Christ on the Cross must extend not just to personal salvation, but to the whole of the cosmos. The vast expanse of creation is now the open frontier for pressing the comprehensive claims of Christ. This is the view of the ancient church, who emphasized Christus Victor (see Gustav Aulen's book of the same name, or Robert Webber's Ancient-Future Faith).
Finally, the fifth chapter, "Discerning Structure and Direction", was of tremendous importance to me. In light of the Antithesis, how do we as Christians utilize those aspects of creation that are used by pagan humanity in contravention of the gospel and the created ends of things. The doctrine of common grace always baffled me until I read this chapter. He also covers the Kuyperian doctrine of sphere sovereignty here, which opposes the pagan inevitability of totalitarianism (in whatever: politics, money, sex, etc.). Pagan revolution is opposed by Christian reformation. He applies his approach to various issues, including sexuality and dance.
One closing quote to give you an idea of where he's heading:
"In a certain sense the plea being made here for a biblical worldview is simply an appeal to the believer to take the Bible and its teaching seriously for the totality of our civilization right now and not to relegate it to some optional area called 'religion'." (pp. 7-8)
THIS IS SIMPLY A MUST-READ!!
Also be sure to check out this recent lecture (Oct. 2005) by Dr. Wolters entitled: "What is to be done...toward a neocalvinist agenda." He states quite honestly that the Kuyperian heirs are few in number in Christian circles, but the clarity of vision and the call to advance the comprehensive claims of Christ in all areas of life are elements that the entire Church needs to hear to be effective in the world today. He closes the article with a few paragraphs from his 1980 essay, "The Centre and the Circumference", which ought to be read in its entirety.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
More crankin' music
Many of you know Randy Thomas from Butterfly Kisses, Allies and the Sweet Comfort Band. He now has a new CD of worship music available for purchase, Grace Songs. I heard these songs as they were being developed at Grace Fellowship (PCA). Do yourself a favor and buy a copy. Ask for it at your local Jesus junk shop, or you can buy it online at Christiandiscs.com. The bass on Most Holy absolutely cranks. The only drawback to the album is that it doesn't have Randy's arrangement of the classic Samuel Davies hymn, Great God of Wonders. Maybe the next album, Randy?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
MSM Coverage of the French Intifada
Edward Morrissey has a concise article at the Weekly Standard on the MSM coverage of the French intifada. Two things that he notes:
1) The major US papers (NYT, WP, LAT) refuse to make the connection between the French rioting and the fact that the rioters are Muslim.
2) The Post's own coverage at least a week before the present riots started indicates that Islamic terror groups had identified France as the next target. Specifically, the Algerian terrorist group GSPC issued a communique that described France as "enemy number one."
The second point is stunning. If it is true that the Islamic terror internationale is behind the rioting, France is dealing with a much larger problem than they seem to understand or admit.
In other news regarding the "Religion of Peace", two Indonesian teenage Christian schoolgirls were shot in the head yesterday in the same town where three Christian schoolgirls were beheaded last week. Yes, this is manhood in Islam: attacking women, girls at that. Attack the weak to show you're strong. It is sad to see that Islamic terrorists are using strategy devised on a primary school playground. Isn't it about time that the adults step in and end the bullying?
An open question that I admit I don't have an answer to (but I do have an opinion): is there a time coming in which Christians internationally are going to have to form some sort of roving militia to protect other Christians undergoing persecution? Are there any biblical prohibitions from taking up the sword? Are the Crusades going to be re-fought? What do you think?
1) The major US papers (NYT, WP, LAT) refuse to make the connection between the French rioting and the fact that the rioters are Muslim.
2) The Post's own coverage at least a week before the present riots started indicates that Islamic terror groups had identified France as the next target. Specifically, the Algerian terrorist group GSPC issued a communique that described France as "enemy number one."
The second point is stunning. If it is true that the Islamic terror internationale is behind the rioting, France is dealing with a much larger problem than they seem to understand or admit.
In other news regarding the "Religion of Peace", two Indonesian teenage Christian schoolgirls were shot in the head yesterday in the same town where three Christian schoolgirls were beheaded last week. Yes, this is manhood in Islam: attacking women, girls at that. Attack the weak to show you're strong. It is sad to see that Islamic terrorists are using strategy devised on a primary school playground. Isn't it about time that the adults step in and end the bullying?
An open question that I admit I don't have an answer to (but I do have an opinion): is there a time coming in which Christians internationally are going to have to form some sort of roving militia to protect other Christians undergoing persecution? Are there any biblical prohibitions from taking up the sword? Are the Crusades going to be re-fought? What do you think?
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Listen to the future...
If you want to check out some excellent tunes by one of the hottest up-and-comers in the music scene (yes, I know I'm an old fogey, but this ROCKS!!!), check out Travis Jerome's site. I stayed at their house Monday night, where he played me a couple new tracks which are posted at MySpace. They absolutely rock! Be sure to catch Travis at The End in Nashville on Nov. 22nd.
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