Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Cultural comment...
I just watched a clip of Susan Boyle singing on Britain's Got Talent. She's the new internet sensation... her voice is fantastic, to apparently everybody's surprise. Why is it surprising? Because she's 47 and plain looking. You don't have to be beautiful to be talented? I NEVER KNEW!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Why do they call it "Good"?
"As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. 'Good teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" Mark 10:17-19 The man goes on to claim that he has kept all these laws, a notion Jesus quickly dismantles.
Today is Good Friday, which seems somewhat ironically named. It is the day Christians all over the world especially remember the day our Savior was spit upon, beaten brutally, mocked, abandoned by His friends, made to carry a heavy beam on His open wounds, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. So far, so... good? The sun turned black. The earth shook. Graves opened. Truly this was the Son of God.
Why is it good? Someone asked me that a few years ago and I have to admit my answer was lame. I said it was because of the death and resurrection being the Good News for all people. Which it undoubtedly is, but the epiphany I just had was that that is barely the whole story. Jesus' death wasn't about me. It was about God.
In Bible study last night, one of the questions was about the definition of the word "transgression" and what that means in terms of God's law, and its implications for us. The word as used in the Scripture means to cross a boundary. Take a quick journey with me back to the beginning of the redemptive history found in the Bible... God created Adam and Eve and gave them one rule. One boundary. "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... the day you eat of it you will surely die." We know the drill. Eve ate. Adam ate. God kept His promise. Death entered the world... humankind was not good anymore. But with judgment, there was hope. God provided for their shame by killing an animal, the first death we see in the Bible, which shows both God's deep love for His people but also the gravity of sin. The only thing that can cover sin and its ramifications is death. Adam and Eve couldn't do it themselves; it was done for them by God. In that same part of Genesis, God administers curses but also the promise of great victory in Jesus.
"And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
The rest of the Old Testament shows the vicious cycle humanity has been in ever since: sin, judgment, sacrifice. Rinse and repeat. The hopelessness of humankind without God's provision. God's covenant with Israel, with the promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. God's patience as Israel whored themselves with other gods over and over. We also see God's promise to Abraham, but the way this covenant went down looks a little different. In Genesis 15 God reminds Abraham of His promises to make Abraham a great nation, with descendants too numerous to count. As assurance, God had Abraham cut animals in half, and then God Himself passed through the middle while Abraham watched. In that time, covenants were made in this way but both parties passed between the pieces to signify that if they broke the deal, then let that same fate happen to them. God took this on all by Himself. God is the one who does the work, not Abraham. God proves in His law that we can in no way keep it. We can't earn God's favor. No one is good except God alone.
That brings us to the New Testament.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" Luke 2:9-11
Simple verses we hear all the time at Christmas, but frought with deep theological significance. The response of these shepherds in the field when faced with the glory of God was not "Oh look at the pretty angel!" It was abject terror. Any time God shows His glory to people in the Bible it is the same response. God's holiness compared to our sin shows us what we know deep down. We're toast. But again, with judgment comes hope. The angel tells them not to be afraid but gives them the reason why they don't have to fear God's holiness anymore. Christ the Lord, the Savior, has been born.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, born to live in perfect obedience where we can not. All those laws in the OT? Fulfilled. The law given in the NT, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself? Done. But the perfect obedience of Christ by itself doesn't save. There is still a problem. The wages of sin is death. God is just. His justice demands death to pay for our transgressions, just like in the Garden of Eden. That has not changed. God did not abrogate Himself. He is a God of love, but also of justice and of wrath. Jesus lived a perfect life, then underwent judgment. His crime, as posted above His head on the cross? Being the King of the Jews. The King of Abraham's people, the children of promise. God promised to take the punishment of any covenant breaking on Himself. God didn't break any rules. Yet all the wrath owed to all believers, throughout time and throughout the earth, was poured out by God onto His only Son our Lord. It's easy to flippantly say that Jesus died for my sins. Yeah He did. He died for my sins, but it wasn't just a simple death. It was taking God's anger in my place. And Adam's place. And Eve's place. And Moses' place. And David's place. And Abraham's place. And your place. How many believers have their been in the thousands of years humanity has been stumbling blindly around this earth?
Christ lived a perfect life and He died. But that is not enough either.
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God." Romans 6:3-10
Two days from now we remember Easter, the day Christ rose victorious over sin and death. We are baptized into His death. It's not fair, but it's just as if we have already received the death we are owed for our sin. We died with Christ, and we live with Christ. We no longer need to shrink in terror from God's holiness. It's the best news we could hear. It's truly good news. But it's not about us. In the first passage, Jesus points out some significant things: The young man is tragically misguided if he thinks he's good enough for God. Jesus is Himself God, and no one is good but God. Good Friday is about God's goodness. Where does that leave us? How do we respond to that? Here are some questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
Q. 85. What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.
May this Easter season bring rest. Rest in Him alone. Let us forget our own goodness. It doesn't exist anyway. But let us all be refreshed in that knowledge, because otherwise we would have received the punishment Christ took. Let us strive after new obedience, today, and always, that we may prove our high calling to the world and as we look forward to heaven together. Amen.
'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" Mark 10:17-19 The man goes on to claim that he has kept all these laws, a notion Jesus quickly dismantles.
Today is Good Friday, which seems somewhat ironically named. It is the day Christians all over the world especially remember the day our Savior was spit upon, beaten brutally, mocked, abandoned by His friends, made to carry a heavy beam on His open wounds, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. So far, so... good? The sun turned black. The earth shook. Graves opened. Truly this was the Son of God.
Why is it good? Someone asked me that a few years ago and I have to admit my answer was lame. I said it was because of the death and resurrection being the Good News for all people. Which it undoubtedly is, but the epiphany I just had was that that is barely the whole story. Jesus' death wasn't about me. It was about God.
In Bible study last night, one of the questions was about the definition of the word "transgression" and what that means in terms of God's law, and its implications for us. The word as used in the Scripture means to cross a boundary. Take a quick journey with me back to the beginning of the redemptive history found in the Bible... God created Adam and Eve and gave them one rule. One boundary. "Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil... the day you eat of it you will surely die." We know the drill. Eve ate. Adam ate. God kept His promise. Death entered the world... humankind was not good anymore. But with judgment, there was hope. God provided for their shame by killing an animal, the first death we see in the Bible, which shows both God's deep love for His people but also the gravity of sin. The only thing that can cover sin and its ramifications is death. Adam and Eve couldn't do it themselves; it was done for them by God. In that same part of Genesis, God administers curses but also the promise of great victory in Jesus.
"And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
The rest of the Old Testament shows the vicious cycle humanity has been in ever since: sin, judgment, sacrifice. Rinse and repeat. The hopelessness of humankind without God's provision. God's covenant with Israel, with the promises of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. God's patience as Israel whored themselves with other gods over and over. We also see God's promise to Abraham, but the way this covenant went down looks a little different. In Genesis 15 God reminds Abraham of His promises to make Abraham a great nation, with descendants too numerous to count. As assurance, God had Abraham cut animals in half, and then God Himself passed through the middle while Abraham watched. In that time, covenants were made in this way but both parties passed between the pieces to signify that if they broke the deal, then let that same fate happen to them. God took this on all by Himself. God is the one who does the work, not Abraham. God proves in His law that we can in no way keep it. We can't earn God's favor. No one is good except God alone.
That brings us to the New Testament.
"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.'" Luke 2:9-11
Simple verses we hear all the time at Christmas, but frought with deep theological significance. The response of these shepherds in the field when faced with the glory of God was not "Oh look at the pretty angel!" It was abject terror. Any time God shows His glory to people in the Bible it is the same response. God's holiness compared to our sin shows us what we know deep down. We're toast. But again, with judgment comes hope. The angel tells them not to be afraid but gives them the reason why they don't have to fear God's holiness anymore. Christ the Lord, the Savior, has been born.
Jesus, fully God and fully man, born to live in perfect obedience where we can not. All those laws in the OT? Fulfilled. The law given in the NT, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself? Done. But the perfect obedience of Christ by itself doesn't save. There is still a problem. The wages of sin is death. God is just. His justice demands death to pay for our transgressions, just like in the Garden of Eden. That has not changed. God did not abrogate Himself. He is a God of love, but also of justice and of wrath. Jesus lived a perfect life, then underwent judgment. His crime, as posted above His head on the cross? Being the King of the Jews. The King of Abraham's people, the children of promise. God promised to take the punishment of any covenant breaking on Himself. God didn't break any rules. Yet all the wrath owed to all believers, throughout time and throughout the earth, was poured out by God onto His only Son our Lord. It's easy to flippantly say that Jesus died for my sins. Yeah He did. He died for my sins, but it wasn't just a simple death. It was taking God's anger in my place. And Adam's place. And Eve's place. And Moses' place. And David's place. And Abraham's place. And your place. How many believers have their been in the thousands of years humanity has been stumbling blindly around this earth?
Christ lived a perfect life and He died. But that is not enough either.
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God." Romans 6:3-10
Two days from now we remember Easter, the day Christ rose victorious over sin and death. We are baptized into His death. It's not fair, but it's just as if we have already received the death we are owed for our sin. We died with Christ, and we live with Christ. We no longer need to shrink in terror from God's holiness. It's the best news we could hear. It's truly good news. But it's not about us. In the first passage, Jesus points out some significant things: The young man is tragically misguided if he thinks he's good enough for God. Jesus is Himself God, and no one is good but God. Good Friday is about God's goodness. Where does that leave us? How do we respond to that? Here are some questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
Q. 84. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
Q. 85. What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.
Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.
May this Easter season bring rest. Rest in Him alone. Let us forget our own goodness. It doesn't exist anyway. But let us all be refreshed in that knowledge, because otherwise we would have received the punishment Christ took. Let us strive after new obedience, today, and always, that we may prove our high calling to the world and as we look forward to heaven together. Amen.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
a hymn for holy week
This is not a traditional Easter hymn by any means, but it has great application for why the incarnation and resurrection matter. It's one of my favorite hymns of all time, based on my favorite Psalm, and was written by Martin Luther. This is a slightly more modern version of his original hymn.
From depths of woe I raise to Thee
The voice of lamentation;
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me
And hear my supplication;
If Thou iniquities dost mark,
Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O who shall stand before Thee?
To wash away the crimson stain,
Grace, grace alone availeth;
Our works, alas! are all in vain;
In much the best life faileth:
No man can glory in Thy sight,
All must alike confess Thy might,
And live alone by mercy.
Therefore my trust is in the Lord,
And not in mine own merit;
On Him my soul shall rest, His Word
Upholds my fainting spirit:
His promised mercy is my fort,
My comfort, and my sweet support;
I wait for it with patience.
What though I wait the livelong night,
And till the dawn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might;
It doubteth not nor feareth:
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
And wait till God appeareth.
Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free.
From all their sin and sorrow
From depths of woe I raise to Thee
The voice of lamentation;
Lord, turn a gracious ear to me
And hear my supplication;
If Thou iniquities dost mark,
Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O who shall stand before Thee?
To wash away the crimson stain,
Grace, grace alone availeth;
Our works, alas! are all in vain;
In much the best life faileth:
No man can glory in Thy sight,
All must alike confess Thy might,
And live alone by mercy.
Therefore my trust is in the Lord,
And not in mine own merit;
On Him my soul shall rest, His Word
Upholds my fainting spirit:
His promised mercy is my fort,
My comfort, and my sweet support;
I wait for it with patience.
What though I wait the livelong night,
And till the dawn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might;
It doubteth not nor feareth:
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed;
And wait till God appeareth.
Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,
Who will at last His Israel free.
From all their sin and sorrow
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A field guide to teachers
Teach"er\, n. 1. One who teaches or instructs; one whose business or occupation is to instruct others; an instructor; a tutor.
Most often found in the traditional construct of a school, teachers can come from any variety of background. Some students fear them in their natural habitat but this is most often unnecessary. In most cases, a productive and peaceful coexistence is desired by both parties and is perfectly achievable when the student follows certain educational, ethical, and proprietary guidelines.
EDUCATIONAL ADVICE
1. When a teacher has spent hours total in class explaining an assignment, giving examples, taking questions, and given the student weeks to do said assignment, the student is advised against saying to the teacher on the day before it is due, or the day it is due, any statement similar to the following: “I didn’t understand what we were supposed to do.”
2. When a teacher has given lesson plans well in advance, a separate sheet with due date reminders for a particular assignment, and reminded students in advance, the student is advised against saying to the teacher any statement similar to the following: “I didn’t know it was due today.”
3. Other phrases to avoid: “I didn’t know it was supposed to be typed.” “I don’t have it, is that ok?” “Can I turn it in tomorrow?” “My printer broke last night so I couldn’t do it” “I was busy this weekend and couldn’t do my assignment.”
Failure to follow these guidelines can lead to the following adverse affects on the teacher: irritation/annoyance, anger, an odd color change in the face area, shortness of breath, and/or apoplexy. In turn, the teacher may turn momentarily hostile to the student. If this situation should happen to you, apologize sincerely and back away slowly.
ETHICAL ADVICE
1. When a teacher has warned against any particular sources or methods in garnering research, they usually have good reason. A student can ask why, but don’t argue about it.
2. If this situation occurs, the student may think he/she is being clever by trying it anyway. When a teacher is crossed in this manner in their natural habitat, this often leads to dire consequences for the student, including, but not limited to, a suffering grade, the lack of respect from the teacher, and a trip to the appropriate authority’s lair/office.
3. If the student should happen to decide that they are going to plagiarize or cheat in some other way, he/she should not act surprised when the teacher catches it. Teachers are highly attuned creatures when it comes to authenticity of work. If you should find yourself in this situation, the worst possible reaction you could have is denial. Follow these steps: confess, apologize, and volunteer yourself for a trip to the appropriate authority’s lair/office. (The teacher will send the student there anyway; it’s better for the student’s well-being if they don’t make the teacher say it.)
4. The student should remember that in this case “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” The teacher is much, much savvier than the student. The student will get caught.
PROPRIETARY ADVICE
1. When approaching a teacher in his or her natural habitat, do not disrupt them in any of the following circumstances: they are striding purposefully down the hall, they have their head bent over papers or computer before school hours, or they are talking to another student/teacher/parent already.
2. If it is an appropriate time to approach a teacher, meaning they are not clearly occupied with other tasks or people, the student is advised to make sure he/she is not about to ask the teacher the following: any questions pertaining to topics already discussed, a question that another student just asked, or a question that has been answered on a hand-out of directions that the student has had in their possession for several days.
3. When the student sees a teacher at any time, the student is advised to make eye contact and offer an appropriate greeting. These can include, but are not limited to, a smile, the words “Good morning”, “How are you doing,” “Can I carry that” and/or “Let me get the door for you.”
4. When the student is leaving a classroom, the student is advised to say the following: “Thank you.”
Failure to follow these simple guidelines may lead the teacher to garner the irreparable impression that the student is a tool. Also, in using the guidelines, the student must be sincere. Teachers are well-adapted to smelling bull. “Bull” includes, but is not limited to, the following: Greetings in an unnaturally high voice, insincere compliments, smiles that drop as soon as the student thinks the teacher isn’t looking anymore and/or eye-rolling when the student thinks the teacher isn’t looking anymore.
CLOSING ADVICE
Students are also advised that in this technological day and age, they need to remember that if they are facebook friends with their teachers, then the teachers can see everything they are saying about school. Teachers are more adaptable to cultural changes than most students give them credit for. If the student wishes to successfully navigate through the teachers’ natural habitat, he/she must remember to work hard, be polite, and not ask dim questions. If the student fails to follow these guidelines and find himself in trouble, he shouldn’t panic. Just remember that sincerity goes a long way, as does chocolate, compliments, and the simple words “I’m sorry.”
Most often found in the traditional construct of a school, teachers can come from any variety of background. Some students fear them in their natural habitat but this is most often unnecessary. In most cases, a productive and peaceful coexistence is desired by both parties and is perfectly achievable when the student follows certain educational, ethical, and proprietary guidelines.
EDUCATIONAL ADVICE
1. When a teacher has spent hours total in class explaining an assignment, giving examples, taking questions, and given the student weeks to do said assignment, the student is advised against saying to the teacher on the day before it is due, or the day it is due, any statement similar to the following: “I didn’t understand what we were supposed to do.”
2. When a teacher has given lesson plans well in advance, a separate sheet with due date reminders for a particular assignment, and reminded students in advance, the student is advised against saying to the teacher any statement similar to the following: “I didn’t know it was due today.”
3. Other phrases to avoid: “I didn’t know it was supposed to be typed.” “I don’t have it, is that ok?” “Can I turn it in tomorrow?” “My printer broke last night so I couldn’t do it” “I was busy this weekend and couldn’t do my assignment.”
Failure to follow these guidelines can lead to the following adverse affects on the teacher: irritation/annoyance, anger, an odd color change in the face area, shortness of breath, and/or apoplexy. In turn, the teacher may turn momentarily hostile to the student. If this situation should happen to you, apologize sincerely and back away slowly.
ETHICAL ADVICE
1. When a teacher has warned against any particular sources or methods in garnering research, they usually have good reason. A student can ask why, but don’t argue about it.
2. If this situation occurs, the student may think he/she is being clever by trying it anyway. When a teacher is crossed in this manner in their natural habitat, this often leads to dire consequences for the student, including, but not limited to, a suffering grade, the lack of respect from the teacher, and a trip to the appropriate authority’s lair/office.
3. If the student should happen to decide that they are going to plagiarize or cheat in some other way, he/she should not act surprised when the teacher catches it. Teachers are highly attuned creatures when it comes to authenticity of work. If you should find yourself in this situation, the worst possible reaction you could have is denial. Follow these steps: confess, apologize, and volunteer yourself for a trip to the appropriate authority’s lair/office. (The teacher will send the student there anyway; it’s better for the student’s well-being if they don’t make the teacher say it.)
4. The student should remember that in this case “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” The teacher is much, much savvier than the student. The student will get caught.
PROPRIETARY ADVICE
1. When approaching a teacher in his or her natural habitat, do not disrupt them in any of the following circumstances: they are striding purposefully down the hall, they have their head bent over papers or computer before school hours, or they are talking to another student/teacher/parent already.
2. If it is an appropriate time to approach a teacher, meaning they are not clearly occupied with other tasks or people, the student is advised to make sure he/she is not about to ask the teacher the following: any questions pertaining to topics already discussed, a question that another student just asked, or a question that has been answered on a hand-out of directions that the student has had in their possession for several days.
3. When the student sees a teacher at any time, the student is advised to make eye contact and offer an appropriate greeting. These can include, but are not limited to, a smile, the words “Good morning”, “How are you doing,” “Can I carry that” and/or “Let me get the door for you.”
4. When the student is leaving a classroom, the student is advised to say the following: “Thank you.”
Failure to follow these simple guidelines may lead the teacher to garner the irreparable impression that the student is a tool. Also, in using the guidelines, the student must be sincere. Teachers are well-adapted to smelling bull. “Bull” includes, but is not limited to, the following: Greetings in an unnaturally high voice, insincere compliments, smiles that drop as soon as the student thinks the teacher isn’t looking anymore and/or eye-rolling when the student thinks the teacher isn’t looking anymore.
CLOSING ADVICE
Students are also advised that in this technological day and age, they need to remember that if they are facebook friends with their teachers, then the teachers can see everything they are saying about school. Teachers are more adaptable to cultural changes than most students give them credit for. If the student wishes to successfully navigate through the teachers’ natural habitat, he/she must remember to work hard, be polite, and not ask dim questions. If the student fails to follow these guidelines and find himself in trouble, he shouldn’t panic. Just remember that sincerity goes a long way, as does chocolate, compliments, and the simple words “I’m sorry.”
Monday, March 30, 2009
DC days 3 and 4 part 2
Then we went to the Portrait Gallery. It wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be all portraits of famous people throughout history and that it was going to be all paintings. I don’t have a reason for thinking that; it’s just what I got into my head. It wasn’t like that at all for the first few exhibits. Some were random photos of ordinary people, many of which I did not “get”. There were also big black and whites of celebrities, but they were all previously published or taken originally for magazines. I wasn’t sure what the appeal was there either. “Oh look, a giant photo of a famous person’s face!” Then we got to the historical portraits. There were paintings of influential theologians, politicians, philosophers, inventors, movers and shakers. These, I liked. But I hit my wall shortly after the discovery of the interesting part of the museum and I couldn’t do anything else.
We started off Sunday by going to the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. It’s right by where the plane crashed into the building. The memorial is a sea of what look kind of like angled benches that are reminiscent of airplane wings. I’m curious to find out now who designed it and what the significance is of the shape they chose. Even though there is no color in the memorial, it reminded me of a garden. The ground is gravel, the cement wings are coming out of the ground, and there are trees but they were all budless and bloomless and gray-brown. Each bench is in a line with others, radiating from a plaque with a year on it. Some benches point toward the Pentagon building, and some point away from the building. A guard explained the significance of all of it to us. The year is when the person whose name is on the bench was born. If the name was on the end of the bench facing the Pentagon, they were on the plane. If the name was facing out, they were in the Pentagon. Under each bench is a little pool. If the person had family on the plane, the other family member’s names were on a plaque on the bottom of the little pool. Each member has their own memorial bench in line with the year they were born. I walked around the plaques, looking for the year I was born. The years jump from 1990 to 1979. An entire generation was spared death in that particular attack.
Someone had put a flower on one of the benches. It was a striking dark orange color; the only color in the place. I took pictures but they don’t capture how beautiful it made the whole memorial… just the one flower. Looking at the Pentagon, you can see where the plane hit because the new section of the wall is clean. It’s distinctly lighter than the sections on either side. Even that is a memorial, to me. It was symbolic of the will to go on, the determination of America to carry on as normal, as well as the loss of that day, and the refusal of the people in the Pentagon to be cowed.
We saw the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials after that. It was a ton of walking. It’s a long way between the two, so we got glimpses of other memorials in between. Even with the giganticness of the statues, I think Lincoln’s is much more human than Jefferson’s. The way Abe is sitting communicates that yes he accomplished major things, and here he is enthroned for our memory and admiration, but then you look closely. He has one hand clenched in a fist, one hand open. One foot is firmly planted, and the other is sticking out, like he was thinking about slouching down for a minute. He’s just a man, after all, but with the right skills at the right time to change the country.
Sunday night I just hung out at the hotel while William went on a night tour with most of our group. The few of us left had a good time getting caught up on who did what during the day. I wish we could stay longer in DC. There’s so much to see… and I’ll see it next year.
We started off Sunday by going to the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon. It’s right by where the plane crashed into the building. The memorial is a sea of what look kind of like angled benches that are reminiscent of airplane wings. I’m curious to find out now who designed it and what the significance is of the shape they chose. Even though there is no color in the memorial, it reminded me of a garden. The ground is gravel, the cement wings are coming out of the ground, and there are trees but they were all budless and bloomless and gray-brown. Each bench is in a line with others, radiating from a plaque with a year on it. Some benches point toward the Pentagon building, and some point away from the building. A guard explained the significance of all of it to us. The year is when the person whose name is on the bench was born. If the name was on the end of the bench facing the Pentagon, they were on the plane. If the name was facing out, they were in the Pentagon. Under each bench is a little pool. If the person had family on the plane, the other family member’s names were on a plaque on the bottom of the little pool. Each member has their own memorial bench in line with the year they were born. I walked around the plaques, looking for the year I was born. The years jump from 1990 to 1979. An entire generation was spared death in that particular attack.
Someone had put a flower on one of the benches. It was a striking dark orange color; the only color in the place. I took pictures but they don’t capture how beautiful it made the whole memorial… just the one flower. Looking at the Pentagon, you can see where the plane hit because the new section of the wall is clean. It’s distinctly lighter than the sections on either side. Even that is a memorial, to me. It was symbolic of the will to go on, the determination of America to carry on as normal, as well as the loss of that day, and the refusal of the people in the Pentagon to be cowed.
We saw the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials after that. It was a ton of walking. It’s a long way between the two, so we got glimpses of other memorials in between. Even with the giganticness of the statues, I think Lincoln’s is much more human than Jefferson’s. The way Abe is sitting communicates that yes he accomplished major things, and here he is enthroned for our memory and admiration, but then you look closely. He has one hand clenched in a fist, one hand open. One foot is firmly planted, and the other is sticking out, like he was thinking about slouching down for a minute. He’s just a man, after all, but with the right skills at the right time to change the country.
Sunday night I just hung out at the hotel while William went on a night tour with most of our group. The few of us left had a good time getting caught up on who did what during the day. I wish we could stay longer in DC. There’s so much to see… and I’ll see it next year.
DC days 3 and 4 part 1
Saturday we started the day off by going to the American History museum. They had so many exhibits, just like all the museums here, that my little group barely scratched the surface before we’d had enough of the crowds and moved on. What we did get to see was pretty cool. We went through a technology exhibit, mostly dedicated to Thomas Edison. (Who was a thug, but no one ever mentions that part.) It was interesting to see the development of electricity and see the change in efficiency and size over time. There were all kinds of light bulbs, circuits, an electric marshmallow toaster, an early model vacuum cleaner, electric socks, and vintage signs touting the value of whatever new products were out. One of the things that stood out the most to me was how the ads were drawn along traditional/stereotypical gender lines. An ad for a softer-light casting light bulb was all about how the woman of the house doesn’t want harsh light, but harsh doesn’t mean dim, and how homier and softer this light bulb would make the home.
We also saw Julia Child’s kitchen. It was a really small exhibit and very crowded. Her cooking videos were playing, tidbits about her life and contributions were posted around the room, and you could look into the kitchen area but not go in. We also saw a war exhibit. It was so packed we decided to go in the exit and work our way backwards so we didn’t have to wait to get in. It was actually a neat way to do it, working back from what I in my short life have experienced in the news and from people I knew who served in the war, to wars that I know only what I have read in history books. The exhibit started with information on the current war against terror, with information on the 9/11 attacks and pieces of steel bars from the towers. The section on Vietnam was a curious commentary on how much television began to play a part in foreign affairs. There wasn’t a mention of media bias or anything like that, of course. There were plenty of pictures of the anti-war movement and anti-war propaganda posters. The contrast between this and the WWII section was stark. The pro-war, pro-America propaganda was so overblown some of it was inadvertently funny. However, both exhibits were such reminders that people in general are much more influenced by propaganda materials than they even know, or would ever care to admit. Repetition of message is a powerful tool in getting people to follow what you want them to. Hitler knew it. Roosevelt knew it. Hope and change!
We also watched a little movie about the wars. It showed clips from the more recent ones, and artistic renderings of the older ones, with voice-overs from actual survivors, including John McCain, veterans’ family members, or readings of letters and famous quotes from the wars, starting with the American Revolution. William referred to this the rest of the day as the “crying movie” since Carrie, Joy, and I were all bawling by the time it was over. To be reminded of the reality of the storming of Normandy, to see the crosses marking our soldiers in cemeteries all over the world, and to think of all the families who never saw their father/husband/brother/son/friend again, was overwhelming.
Once we left the museum, we hopped on the Metro to Chinatown for lunch. The food was great; the service was terrible. Not much else to say about that :)
We also saw Julia Child’s kitchen. It was a really small exhibit and very crowded. Her cooking videos were playing, tidbits about her life and contributions were posted around the room, and you could look into the kitchen area but not go in. We also saw a war exhibit. It was so packed we decided to go in the exit and work our way backwards so we didn’t have to wait to get in. It was actually a neat way to do it, working back from what I in my short life have experienced in the news and from people I knew who served in the war, to wars that I know only what I have read in history books. The exhibit started with information on the current war against terror, with information on the 9/11 attacks and pieces of steel bars from the towers. The section on Vietnam was a curious commentary on how much television began to play a part in foreign affairs. There wasn’t a mention of media bias or anything like that, of course. There were plenty of pictures of the anti-war movement and anti-war propaganda posters. The contrast between this and the WWII section was stark. The pro-war, pro-America propaganda was so overblown some of it was inadvertently funny. However, both exhibits were such reminders that people in general are much more influenced by propaganda materials than they even know, or would ever care to admit. Repetition of message is a powerful tool in getting people to follow what you want them to. Hitler knew it. Roosevelt knew it. Hope and change!
We also watched a little movie about the wars. It showed clips from the more recent ones, and artistic renderings of the older ones, with voice-overs from actual survivors, including John McCain, veterans’ family members, or readings of letters and famous quotes from the wars, starting with the American Revolution. William referred to this the rest of the day as the “crying movie” since Carrie, Joy, and I were all bawling by the time it was over. To be reminded of the reality of the storming of Normandy, to see the crosses marking our soldiers in cemeteries all over the world, and to think of all the families who never saw their father/husband/brother/son/friend again, was overwhelming.
Once we left the museum, we hopped on the Metro to Chinatown for lunch. The food was great; the service was terrible. Not much else to say about that :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Washington, DC 2009 Day 1 and 2 continued
After that most of us went into the House chamber. It wasn’t in session but it was still awesome to go in there. Looking down where the “action” is was impressive by itself, but then a police guard came in to answer questions and tell us all about the symbolism and rituals of the place. Surrounding the upper walls are a series of reliefs of the faces of lawmakers that influenced the founding of US law. Only 2 of them are Americans: James Mason and Thomas Jefferson. All the faces are looking to the side, leading toward where the Speaker of the House stands, except for one. Moses is facing straight forward, looking directly at the Speaker’s podium. It made me wonder if any of the reps ever look up at his face and ponder the significance of being duty bound to protect the people in terms of God’s law. I’m gonna guess no. Our police guard, Carmen, explained that the Speaker stands at the top, and that if ever the President comes in to talk, he stands on the second tier, and he can’t come into the Chamber unless he is specifically invited. She also told us that, from our perspective looking down, the Democrats sit on the left and the Republicans on the right, and it is because the Democrats’ political party is older. If the President enters, he has to walk up the center aisle to approach the podium. He can’t show favoritism symbolically by entering from his party’s side of the room. Besides the symbolism, the guard told us quite a few other intriguing bits. As she quizzed the students on who was our current Speaker of the House, and one of the boys answered correctly that it was Nancy Pelosi, one of the moms asked if there was an exciting vibe in the room when Pelosi first took the podium as speaker. The guide’s answer was “I don’t like her. But she got a standing ovation.” Our group assured her that we don’t like her either, and Carmen went on to explain why she doesn’t like her. Carmen told us that she likes to say good morning and greet all the Representatives she sees, and when she greets Nancy Pelosi, Nancy keeps her head down and ignores her like she’s not there, and Carmen has zero respect for that. I thought that was very telling, and also, I’m pretty sure that I’d do everything I could to make sure that the people who are in charge of my protection and taking a bullet for me if necessary didn’t think I was a jerk. She told us about Cynthia McKinney, the rep. who attacked a police officer, and how stupid she thought it was that McKinney tried to make it about race, when it was about the officer doing his job. Each rep. has an id card; all they have to do is pull it out and show it. The officers can’t just take your word for it, especially if they don’t recognize you. Carmen also told us of the procedural issues. When there are debates, each side gets 30 minutes. There are rules of conduct: you can’t go overtime, you can’t cuss, you can’t yell, and if you do you’ll get brought up on ethics charges. She also hilariously told us that when the representatives refer to “my friend across the aisle” was they really mean is “you ***hole.”. She was so genial, as were several of the guards, but they are always on duty, as shown when a member of our group yelled rather loudly. Her hand immediately went to her gun, and every empty entry way was instantly filled with a guard, hand on gun. Their reaction time and control over the situation was incredible. After the Capitol, the group got to do whatever they wanted the rest of the day. Several of us meandered to a café by the Sculpture Garden for a snack and sitting break. Everyone except William and me went on to do other things. We walked around looking at the statues, most of which were just weird and pointless, before heading back to the hotel.
To be seen today: US History Museum, China Town, Portrait Gallery.
To be seen today: US History Museum, China Town, Portrait Gallery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)