The Political Animal

Yes, it's a school paper....no, I'm not appolozing.

Man is by nature a political animal

~Aristotle

Humans have been engaging in politics time immemorial. What is politics? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines politics as: "the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government" Now, political systems and issues have come and gone over the years. The advent of the information superhighway (better know as the net) has added new dynamic to the way people connect. Solomon got it right when he observed that "there is nothing new under the sun." The internet is just the latest instrument to join the chorus in the age old symphony of politics. Not a single issue faced by the America at large is truly new, indeed the tune is an old one. Yet because humans are stubborn and quick to forget, the song appears unfamiliar.

Technology and several other issues shape America's political landscape today. There is (paradoxically) an enormous connection over age old issues because of technology and a splintering along ideological lines.

Cable television has provided a shiny new soapbox for political detractors. Men like Glenn Beck (on the conservative side and Keith Olbermann (on the liberal) pull in millions of viewers. Their goal has nothing to do with actually helping anyone. Instead, such men tap into the anger of the respective audiences, blasting the opposition for the problems faced by all. The logic is simple, nobody is going to watch a political show centered around bipartisanship and progress. It is much easier to gain a viewership by appealing to negative emotion and demonizing those who are wrong or don't agree with you. Brutus did the same thing when Caesar was murdered. The only difference is Fox is able to reach a much wider audience with cable TV, and they aren't interested in murdering anyone.

This point about cable news networks leads directly into the second point, namely the 24/7 365 nature of news. To be sure, things have come a long way from the printing presses of Benjamin Franklin. Now, with the click of button, HLN, CNN, FOX, and MSNBC are accessible. News stories are cycled through like pez out of a dispenser. Once the public has munched one for a few seconds, the anchor tilts back the little head and ejects another thirty second highlight. Long gone are the days where weeks passed before states knew who the new president was. Instead of having adequate time to process a story, people are expected to have answers immediately. After all, the story is breaking right now, shouldn't an answer be available simultaneously? After any major news story breaks, the cable news networks are faithful to gather round the proverbial campfire with a few experts favorable to their cultural paradigm and hash out exactly what is going on.

Yet, even the idea of a Television news network is bit Archaic in light of the new media. With the advent of the net, the press went digital. As with any technological leap, the traditional sources of news are fading into the background as younger, more nimble outlets supplant their elders. Trains, once set in their course, are not easily rerouted, and the internet represents a totally new set of tracks. Such a fundamental shift in the way Americans consume news and information, shapes the way they interact with politics. Sites like the Huffington Post, the drudge report and even Arab news network Aljazeera engaging technology, helping to define how people interact with politics. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" would probably be abbreviated into about 5 pages, and even that would be pushing it. After all, it's hard to sit down for an intellectual three course dinner when your mental diet consists of pez and fast food. It would be posted on Paine's blog, googled by revolutionaries, posted on Facebook and retweeted like a bouncy ball. Then, in all likelihood, it would be relegated the digital dustbin in a month's time. 

Now, more than ever before, politics are a global concern. What Columbus believed and WWII solidified, technology has only continued to affirm. It's a small world after all, and America has a very big role in the story. People are able to experience news as it's occurring. Protests in the middle east, earthquakes in Japan, protests in the Capital. Imagine having a modern video camera during the sit-ins or Nazi persecution of the Jews, or Jesus ministry. Voters are able to see and hear first hand, how the actions of their leaders effect the rest of the world. Today Al Jazeera is the most watched news channel on You Tube, receiving 2.5 million views per month. Launched on April 16, 2007, the Al Jazeera English YouTube site has more than 10,000 videos currently live on the English channel. SITE

This historic deluge of information makes for the most informed and ADD voter base in history. It remains to be seen whether the free flow of information which technology permits will generate serious negative consequences by causing voters to lose focus. It must be noted that people have always been selfish and near sited when it comes to picking leaders. Look at Israel's old testament cry for a King; it didn't go over well.

Technological advances have have been tremendously impactful in political campaigns. Suddenly, it doesn't matter very much that you bought every 30 second slot during prime time. Now, it matters how many people follow you on Facebook and twitter. It matters how many hits your youtube channel gets, it matters how much money you can raise from small donors via the net. The under dogs have been given a golden ticket.

In the words of King Solomon, "What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." The internet, even though it may seem new, is really just a fancy tool, helping humans accomplish things they have always desired. Things like better communication, information collection, and a voice in politics are attainable through technology. Just as with any other tool, it may be used for good or evil. Prayerfully the internet will continue to serve as a way for people to engage in the political process, not because they have the most money or a large organization backing them up, but because they deserve to be heard. The Greek city state where very voice had a place is not such a distant memory after all. 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politics?show=0&t=1302536416

http://english.aljazeera.net/aboutus/2010/11/20101110131438787482.html

ESV Bible

Webster's pocket quotation book

Beauty & Truth

Beauty is truth in tangible form. All truth holds beauty and all beauty reminds the soul of the Creator's majesty. 


God is love. Love is the supreme truth, the supreme beauty. 


Beauty is tangible love.When God smiles, when He laughs we hear it in the song of birds and the happiness of 


children, the roar of oceans and the howling wind.


It is seen in sunsets and fire and snow and couples in love. 


If such fractured mirrors reflect his glory, what must his presence be like?


Grasping, trying not to be incinerated. My heart reveling, as all the beauty is revealed at once.


 Pain and time melting away like wax, fading into eternity past.


Father,


Show me what it means to bring beauty, your beauty, into this finite world. 

Thoughts on Art and Writing

I've decided to no longer allow myself to feel guilty for doing something I love with my time. I've had a productive day today. Tomorrow will be productive. There are things which must be attended to, but I refuse to feel guilty about allocating time to things that I want to do-provided they are productive. I can't make excuses for movies or facebook.

Spending time working in areas where I can make improvements in my life is worth the effort and the time.

Last time I went on vacation, I spent the time the way I wanted to: reading, writing, hiking, listening to my iPod and watching more TV than I'd like to admit. Aside from TV, those are all ways I love to spend my time. Obviously it's neither realistic nor healthy to make that my whole world, but none of those things are bad. As Dave Ramsey points out so often, “we’ll be the same people in five years, except for the books we read and the people we meet.”

For the longest time I've had some vague idea that I'm going to do all these fun things in High School, then another semester passes and I just haven't taken the time to" smell the roses" as it where.

With greater age comes greater responsibility. Sometimes I fear the prospect of the responsibility, sometimes I relish it. Part of shouldering that responsibility is being wise with finite resources such as time and money. Better do develop a habit of spending time on things which grow me into a better person.

“Taking time to smell the roses,” may look like a number of different things. Mostly, I think it looks like focusing on God. How I got to thinking that attending to eternal matters would somehow resolve it beats me. Studying scripture can’t be outsourced, you’ve gotta hunker down and read.

Focusing on writing is another component I feel compelled to give my attention to. I know I'm not particularly good at composing prose, but some part of it feels to right to me.

As one of my favorite authors Don Miller puts it:

For this reason, a creator distrusts emotion. Certainly a writer can turn a scene in a novel with a tear on his cheek, but the tear also causes him to question whether or not the page will be thrown out the following day for too much sentimentality, because a book is to the writer like the house is to the builder, it’s right fitting boards and plumb windows, not a feeling of love for the boards or the windows.

Don doesn’t discount creativity, nor does he hate his job; he’s simply making the point that writing is work just like anything else.

When it comes to writing, I want to wait for an emotional high or a creative spark, but those moments don’t happen all the time. A boxer trains every day, his canvas is ring and the tools of his trade are sweat, pain and fast fists. What he creates in the boxing ring may look natural, but in reality has been drummed into him until his very bones reverent with his craft.

The art of writing is a struggle, like boxing and all other worthy pursuits. If only for those occasional moments where I feel like I've gotten it right, its worth all the effort expended in the endeavor. In those moments I love writing, Jon Foreman describes it the creative process as an archeological dig. We don’t create the city we’re uncovering; we simply expose it for the rest of the world to admire.

As a male I'm driven to create, to conquer and to compete. As a male I am incredibly insecure about my performance, myself worthy is deeply tied up what I achieve. Every time I experience really good art, there is a sense of both admiration and discouragement. “Wow,” I think, “That's so beautiful and true.” Then everything goes downhill, “I wish could be that good, I bet it took him/her years of hard work before they were talented enough to create that. Do I have the potential to express such genius through my writing?

How on earth will I know when I'm great writer? Aren't most of the best writers dead? Great, so now I'll never know if I was good, regardless of my effort, I won't be famous and I'll probably be poor if I try writing as a career path. Oh, so now it’s about being famous? Really? You're so freakin vain…..

What do I have to offer the world which hasn't already been brought up?”

At this point I'll turn back to whatever I'd been doing before, feeling...off. Like Leonardo DiCaprio and his top; I'm not quite sure what reality is supposed to be.

Honestly, I'm not sure how much I believe in genius or his stepbrother talent. After reading portions of a book titled “Outliers,” I have doubts. Essentially the author's premise is that people are good at those things which they devote the most time to. Bill Gates is where he is today (in part) because he was working with computers years before most people. Mr. Gates extra experience is what gave him the edge when it came to starting Microsoft. So people become proficient at what they love, not the other way round.

The earlier you start, and the more time you commit the better you become. Ten thousand hours represents the threshold separating amateurs from professionals in a discipline, whether physical, or mental.

Ten thousand hours...

Welp, there's no time like the present!

You Did What!

I deleted my Facebook account.

Yeah, how's that for radical my friends?

One week ago today I unplugged my life from the greatest leap in human communication since....well at least the invention of e-mail. I'm quite sure facebook doesn't qualify as "better than sliced bread," because sliced bread is pretty freakin awesome.

Why you may ask? Read on.

I've used this blog to vent my frustration over a lack of direction in my life. Even if I'm unsure of the college I'll attend or the vocation I'll pursue, there are still skills and habits I can embrace NOW, to ensure I'm a more prepared person THEN. Facebook, for all of its advantages was simply getting in the way of that goal.

I wish I had the will power to simply log in two or three times a week and communicate when it's important. But, if there is one thing I've discovered about myself in 17 years, it's that I'm deficient when it comes to willpower.

Facebook became an escape from school work, a distraction which chipped away at my productivity five minutes at a time. After two hours I would look up and realize I was no closer to completing the task than when I sat down.

Facebook was always the first thing I went to upon arriving in from work, classes or the gym. Though I browse other sites, the majority of my traffic went straight to Zuckerburg's brain child.

Facebook became (inadvertently) a way to feed my narcissistic tendencies. I measured my popularity (at least to an extent) by the number of notifications I had upon signing in. Of course this doesn't eliminate the problem of self-absorption, nor was it really Facebook's fault.

Facebook caused me to feel as if I was missing something interesting. In reality all I was missing was the fact that three of my friends had completed a survey which cleared up for them once and for all what Star Wars character they were most like. Was this and earth-shattering revelation? Not really.However it seemed like a justifiable reason to stop writing the paper I was supposed to be working on and check every fifteen minutes.

Facebook was turning me into someone who had to absorb information in status size blurbs. I was (and am) having trouble maintaining long periods of concentration on anything. Again, this is problem I don’t wish to foist upon Facebook. Such ADD absorption of information is a defining characteristic of 21st century communication. Personally though, Facebook made this worse. I want to be a deep thinker, you just can't tweet/post/update some things. Too often the medium is insufficient to carry the message adequately.

I don't think these things are evil, any more than I think guns are evil. Both are tools, it's up to us to decide how to use them. I abused Facebook. I voluntarily gave it up.

While I can recount several memorable moments on Facebook, none of them compare to actually connecting with people face to face. I want to use time I'm given wisely. Often, I'm a very poor steward. But I think by saving a few minutes here and there, I'll more easily be able to focus on people I'm around. By shutting off the computer, I'll be able go and do instead of passively watching other people's lives float by in status updates.

I don't have the emotional capacity to sustain relationships with all of my Facebook friends. This is why the site only shows you updates from the people you talk to most, it knows you don't have that kind of time or energy.

Actually, I don't have the time or energy for the vast majority of people. It's only by the grace of God I'm a civil human being. In much the same why I want to be a deep thinker, I also want to be a deep friend and a true companion. Such things are not obtained by attempting to absorb the day to day lives of some 200 individuals.

Eliminating Facebook helps me focus on writing. More and more I think that writing is a part of who I am.

So, the long and short of it is, I don't hate Facebook, but I need a chance to step back. I don't think it's wrong; in fact Facebook is a wonderful thing when used correctly.

I can't seem to use Facebook correctly; therefore I shan't use it at all.

What about you? What are your feelings on the matter? I'm interested to know what you think. Also if you should ever happen to see an error/flaw in my writing grammatical or otherwise don't hesitate to point it out.

Thanks for reading!

Levi

Defining a Generation

I’d like to thank John Traughber and Raja-Man for following.

Where are you going with your life? It’s the question we’re all preoccupied with as young people. I’m half way through my junior year, where did high school go guys? I don’t know. It’s speeding by and sometimes I feel like I’m missing something and I can’t put my finger on what it is.
Where are you going to College? Isn’t it the question everyone asks? What are you doing with your life? Hahaha, sometimes they’re rude, sometimes their curious and often judgmental. What gives them the right to try and define who I’m supposed to be, where I’m supposed to go?

Do you realize our generation, generation X is unique in the whole of human history? We’re the first digital natives, and where living in a world where social structures which have been installed in Civilization for millennium have been drastically changed. The Western definition of marriage, of womanhood and family are all changing. The family is the most basic structure of civilization, it is the nucleus from which all human interaction is created and sustained. People are defined, for better or worse by those they grow up with. Western culture doesn’t have ‘normal’ definition of family anymore.

Humans are also defined by the world in which they live. Yet we live in a world where things are drastically different from even our parent’s generation.
When you combine our ability to be anything we want in this world (a pretty new phenomenon due to rigid social strata throughout world history), and the incredible power of the net, ours is a fascinating generation. We are capable of choosing our own direction for our lives to a greater extent than perhaps any generation before. We are, paradoxically, defined by our ability to define ourselves.

A true visionaries is misunderstood by his contemporaries, perhaps even killed, take Socrates for example. Who will be the Socrates of this era? Whoever it is, we probably won’t know it because our glasses are tinted too much by the cultural paradigm already hardwired into us. Perhaps the biggest visionary will be the man who embraces the structures of our ancestors. If he’s actually figured something out he’ll probably be hated for it, people much prefer the shadows on the wall.

I know I’m a very blessed person; I live in the top two percent of the planet in terms of wealth, and have the opportunity to become anything I want with hard work and determination. I’ve been cut more breaks and given more luxuries, than most of the world in this century or any other. Luxury makes me soft and lazy. The problem with having everything is figuring out what to do. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and been stumped by the menu because it’s chock full of choices? Once you finally pick an item there are half a dozen questions about how you’d like the meal prepared. I love options but sometimes they are confusing.
I’m sitting here, with my whole life ahead of me, and all the roads I could ever want choose from open for me to pick. Now what?

Hahaha, it’s an exciting and paralyzing place to be. There’s a voice in the back of my head going, “don’t screw this up dude, you only get one shot and then it’s off to see Jesus!”
I look at my grandparents, and see how they already knew the direction they wanted to go by the time they were my age. Conversely, I’m stumped about which road is for me. I’m on a big interstate, speeding ahead, desperately attempting to pick the right direction. I’ve ruled out where I’ve come from and those things I don’t enjoy, but that still leaves me an intimidating haystack to sort through.

Conjecture aside, I know the first place I need to go is to the foot of the throne. I need to pray. Frankly I’m sometimes reluctant to pray about the future because I have a rebellious heart which would rather chase worldly things. Here is the root of my confusion. Now God isn’t guaranteed to answer my prayer with a College name and a job application but that’s fine. God is God and whatever He gives me is what I need, even if I’m not happy about it at first.

Regardless of where He puts me it will be my job to hold forth my candle into the vast black abyss of this world and cry out. I’m not the answer to the blinding darkness; I just know where the bonfire is.
This is how I want to be defined. History may name me howsoever it chooses (assuming I’m considered significant enough to mention). Clinging to the cross is all that matters.

What about you guys? Do you unsure of the next step? Or perhaps, do you know exactly where you’re headed?

Thanks for reading!
Levi

A letter From Me to Me

Hi,

Recently Kendra mentioned on her blog that she writes letters to herself in the future. I thought that sounded like a cool idea. I wanted to put my own spin on the concept, so I'm going to write as if I've just graduated High School and am addressing this to myself two years in the past Marty McFly style.

***

Greetings Younger Levi!

Allow me to dispense with the small talk and get right down to the important stuff.

Concerning Words:

There is a line between being well spoken and being pretentious, unfortunately you don't even approached that line in the next couple of years, much less cross it. If you so desire, employ the full power of your fairly extensive vocabulary. Make use of it around people who will understand you, even if they amuse themselves by making fun of you (lightheartedly or otherwise). Reveal in what your creator has given you, but do not find yourself there. Understand you are capable of demeaning those around you (intentionally or otherwise) by that which proceeds from your lips. Use the words God has given you sparingly and with the intent of building others up. The pen is mightier than the sword. A tongue is a spark which may set the whole course of a man's life ablaze in much the same manor a forest is consumed.

Concerning Money:

Whatever it is you are considering purchasing, stop and rethink it. In my mind there is only one thing upon which all men can agree (although exceptions may exist), even History's great philosophers would not contest this point. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. Shocking I know. Honestly all of your decisions should be made in light of this news. You cannot take any material possession with you into the grave (although you can certainly fill your coffin). All of it will amount to nothing in the end. Yet, that which you give to others or bequeath to those who come after you, those things might very well have an impact for God's Kingdom.

Buying things for yourself isn't inherently evil, but don't get attached. Make the world a brighter place instead of making your house bigger.

Concerning The Body:

Please exercise more, or I will personally reach through time and space and smack you upside the head! What on earth is your excuse? I'm tired? I'm full? I don't want to? I don't like like the cold/hot? GROW UP! You can sit on the coach and veg when your legs have ceased to function and your diapers are being changed by a person who's name you can't recall. Yes, vanity is a sin, but so is intentionally wasting a perfectly healthy body which God as so generously blessed you with. Also, broaden your definition of exercise-yes Crossfit is exercise-so are working in the yard and throwing the football with your little brother.

Concerning Others:

Again you are going to die, so start living like it. It fascinates me how much time I/you (we are different people I suppose) invest time in the trivial. I don't know where the idea of "spending time" originated but I think it one of the single most preposterous concepts of all time (poor pun intended). We do not "spend time" we float down a river and try to grab things as the pass by. We may catch hold of floxum and jetsom in the current and cling to them for safety. Ultimately, we're all dashed against the rocks. Our souls leave the forceful watercourse but our body's float on, decaying as they go. Cling to people while you yet reside in the current, and treat them well, ever mindful of the fatal rapids ahead. Follow Jesus' second commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.

Concerning Work and Learning:

Work hard, in all you do, I know it has been said a thousand times, but all truth bares repeating. Whether cleaning a toilet or reading Plato, strive through the help of the Savior to do it well and with a good attitude.

Always be learning something, never ever stagnate. Expand what you know by reading those men and women who know the most.

Concerning Worry:

Stop, it never did the human race an ounce of good, so just stop. I can assure you now you'll make a royal fool out of yourself more than once in the next two years. Crow will not be an unfamiliar flavor to your ego driven pallet. When you sit down to write this letter, you will at least, be the wiser for it.

Concerning Girls:

Oh I can imagine how much you'd love to know if I'm currently in a relationship of any sort. HAHA! You cannot honestly expect me to tell you these things, after all I have the butterfly effect to consider. Sending you this letter in the first place is likely to land me in a great deal of trouble, without telling you how your/my life progresses. But enough of my rambling.

Actively and carefully engage in friendships with the fairer sex but DON'T WORRY (See there it is again) about serious relationships. Put girls first, particularly your sisters in Christ. Indeed remember to always treat them as sisters and not meat available for consumption however easy or appealing it may seem. Beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive. You already have some idea of what to look for in a spouse. Obviously you will seek a believer. However, the quality which is perhaps most valuable beyond that is a heart receptive to growth and change. Better to marry a somewhat immature woman with an ear to the heartbeat of Jesus than a religious one with no fruit and not desire to grow in her life.

Concerning Your Relationship With God:

Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things shall be added unto you. Focus on your relationship with the Creator, He loves you and wants the best for you and all his children. Embrace Jesus as your brother/advocate, his Spirit as your guide/translator and God as your father/Creator. Jesus is the way, the truth, and life. Did you catch that? Jesus is truth!

Making reading the Bible and prayer your bread and water. Heck, here's a crazy concept my friend, fast. From food certainly but also from those things which distract you from the Cross. Remember salvation is a gift. You can never repay your own debt, nor does God require you to. Live out of gratitude to your savior, and share the love he has freely given. There is lyric from a song you enjoy. Free is not your right to choose/it's answering what's asked of you/to give the love you've found until it's gone.

If God is preeminent in your life story, then everything else will fall into place.

Peace to you,

May you make it to this place in the river a bit wiser than I.

***

I'd love any feedback you guys have, positive or negative.

Thanks for Reading!

Levi.

Crossfit

If you are not not familiar with Crossfit, it's pretty much the crem-de la creme of exercise. These guys (and gals) don’t spend six or eight hours in the gym beefing up and becoming totally closed off from the rest of us. No they're totally wacky for a different reason. Crossfit doesn't have a magazine or lots of press surrounding them. It's got followers, loyal followers.

The Crossfit mission isn't to give you a beach body. There poster boy is not "The Situation" from Jersey Shore. They believe in functional fitness to help you live well.

They also have a trainer named pukie who you will meet should you attempt to brave one of their workouts. Yeah, it's that intense. However they do scale their workouts down (or WOD's as they call them Workout of the Day) for the average man. I'm grateful for their kindness.

There is also a diet, but they don't make any money if you eat the way they suggest. That is a big reason why I trust them. The only thing you pay for is the advice, which comes in the form of an e-journal, although you can find it other ways. My point though, is that this program isn't snake oil and it's not a get fit fast fad. Crossfit is a lifestyle. A lifestyle I want to embrace.

I am however, rather lazy. I attend to everything before exercise, or at least that's how it's been for the past few months. Before that I'd worked out pretty faithfully for several years.

I got my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and didn't feel like going in further in the sport, so I gave it up.

Often I would supplement my TKD with things outside the gym.

My favorite form of exercise? Running. I don't know why exactly, but I love it. Most people hate running, they think of it as dull and difficult. I'm guilty of making it that way. An expression of the human soul, this is what running should be.

I can still remember running when I was 12 in the subdivision I used to live in. My technique was terrible, my distance was nothing and I'd run after dinner in the summer time. It sucked. Yet, yet some part of me enjoyed those runs. Setting goals and making them. Another mailbox, another streetlight, always making progress.

Though never got very talented then, I know I am capable great things today. I am, however to apathetic to try. I have the tools and the money I need, all I lack is the motivation. So what should motivate a person to run in circles?

I used to want to be Buff Guy from Every Movie (you've seen it right), he always saved the day in an oh so cool fashion and always gets the girl(s). It took me a long time to figure out I had a vanity problem (guys have them to, shocking I know). Don't get me wrong, there were other reasons I worked out, but that was a primary one. It's amazing how early you'll get up to meet your own ridiculous expectations of yourself.

Now, I'm going to run because I enjoy it, because it keeps me healthy and enriches my life. Crossfit has just what I need to be the athlete I wish to become.

So here is my goal: Run a Marathon.

Conventional wisdom says I'd need to train a year to do this. With Crossfit and some real dedication I expect to be running an ultra-marathon by the end of a year. Can you imagine running 50 miles? : ) I can. My heart rate jumps every time I think about the finish line.

So, I'm going to use this blog to track my progress. I'm setting a goal, the wildest goal I've ever set in my life. With this blog I plan to track my progress, it will be my accountability partner since I have none at the moment.

You, my small but devoted readership are welcome to join me. Hope you enjoy the ride!

Thanks for reading!

Levi

P.S. My goal for this first week is to get three workouts in. Also here is a link to Crossfit endurance. Heads up it’s a bit confusing at first. There is a legend on the right hand side. http://www.crossfitendurance.com/

"The Road" A Book Review

Thank you Ashley for following! It's always great to know someone else is reading!

Introduction:

This Blog post is a book review for The Road, by Cormack McCarthy, which was adapted into a film with Viggo Mortensen in November of '09. You may recognize the name No Country for Old Men, which is also a book by McCarthy; it to was adapted for film. Note: This review describes some rather graphic material, so if you don't do well with concentration camp stories or things of that nature, you might just wanna skip this one.

I remembered being very intrigued when the commercials for The Road started airing last fall. I really liked Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in Lord of The Rings and I have a fascination with post-apocalyptic stories, so it seems like the perfect fit for me. However, I was 15 and with the 'R' rating I wasn't gonna be seeing it anytime soon ( Yah for conservative Homeschoolers).

Anyhow, I was in the library a few weeks ago and passed by the 'for sale' shelf. There, right smack dab in the center of the display was The Road, with a $2 price sticker. I picked it up and sauntered over to the register.

Here is a review for that book:

Plot:

The story is simple; a major catastrophe has decimated the earth (what that catastrophe is we are never told). The book follows a father and son as they struggle desperately for survival, trying to reach the coast. We are never told their names, they are simply the man and the boy; the child refers to his father as papa. We are never given a location for the story, nor are we told in which direction the coast lies.
The earth has been reduced to an ash strewn wasteland, there is no vegetation or wild-life, and massive clouds blot out the sun. The two must survive the elements and the marauding bands of cannibals. It is incredibly grim.


Thoughts:

Good v. Evil: Through all of the desperate situations and the apparent hopelessness, the two just won't give up. The father tells his son that he must, “carry the fire.” He wants the boy to have hope in the midst of the darkness. The world is grown, both physically and spiritually dark, the father and son are a candle in the endless gloom. The boy has stronger morals than anyone else in the book, and always wants to help the people the encounter. He is also the only character who seems to have retained any belief in God. Everyone else believes humanity is forsaken.


Objectionable content: The book is realistic in the way it depicts human nature. It doesn't blink from showing us the worst of evils. The great shortage of food leads to extensive cannibalism and the rape of both woman and children comes up on several occasions. There are some pretty grotesque descriptions, including a dead baby being roasted and a cellar full of people waiting to be eaten. They huddle, naked, emaciated and terrified. The scene is reminiscent of a Nazi gas chamber. Suicide and sexual slavery also come up. The man has something terribly wrong with his lungs and coughs up blood on numerous occasions. The book also contains a good deal of profanity, much of which is the abuse of God's name. There is nothing over the top or theatrical about the content, but it is very, very graphic.

The writing is unlike any I've ever experienced. It is sparse, poetic and bleak. If McCarthy wrote a happy story I'd read it in a heart beat. I think The Road is the book Earnest Hemingway, George Orwell, and Edger Allen Poe would have written if they ever collaborated on a novel in the 21st century. The sparse approach carries over into the dialogue as well. The sentences are choppy. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to determine who's speaking. Every word communicates emotion; fear, anger, resignation etc. There is an odd cadence to the writing. Let me give you and example:

“He'd had this feeling before, beyond the numbness and the dull despair. The world shrinking down about a raw core or parsible entities. The names of things slowly following those things into oblivion. Colors. The names of birds. Things to eat. Finally the names of things one believed to be true.” (Page 88-89)

I couldn't find a definition for the world “Parsible,” if anyone knows feel free to share. Now for a glimpse of the dialogue:

He'd put a handful of dried raisins in a cloth in his pocket and at noon they sat in the dead grass by the side of the road and ate them. The boy looked at him. That's all there is, isnt it? He said.
Yes.
Are we going to die now?
No.
What are we going to do?
We're going to drink some water. Then we're going to keep going down the road.
Okay.” (Page 87-88)

There are no quotations and words like isn't don't even get an apostrophe. This guy's been writing for over forty years, so I don't think this can be chalked up to laziness or shoddy editing.

I appreciated the fact that the story contained moral dilemmas and not moral relativism. Here is what I mean. Cannibalism and rape are always presented as evil acts which only “the bad guys” commit. But this doesn't mean the two travelers aren't given moral quandaries. For example; The man considers killing the boy rather than allow him to be captured and eaten. What is the right choice here? We are left to ponder it along with the father.

Conclusion: This has got to be one of the strangest things I've read, it's certainly in the top three darkest, (as far as fiction goes) maybe the darkest. I won't say I enjoyed it, but It's not really meant to be entertainment. This is art.

Here we are shown the worst conceivable evils along with an unquenchable light. It is a wavering, sputtering flame with a wick reduced to little more than ash, yet it burns on. We see a biblical love played out, with the father being willing to sacrifice his life at every turn, that his child might live. The boy, has an even bigger heart, exuding compassion for every wretch they encounter.

Ultimately, I believe the novel does convey a biblical truth; love conquerors all. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I will go so far as to call it 'hopeful.'

Thanks for reading!

Levi

To Gain the Whole World and Yet....

First off, thanks to archar for following! It's always high to log on and see that someone else is interested in what I've got to say.

The following is something I wrote on vacation; here is a revised and updated version which still encapsulates what what I was trying covey.

***

I think the prosperity doctrine, which permeates much of the American church, has effected the way I view God and the world around me.
The rose colored glasses in this case, happen to be ray-bans (the latest model of course). Because for Americans, materialism is one of our strongest demons. Satan has pointed us toward the end of the rainbow, and sent us packing. We spend our entire lives turning over rocks, and looking for that elusive pot of gold at the end. Somewhere along the way, most people realize we can no more find the pot of gold than we can climb the rainbow.

For as long as I can remember (at least as long as I've been a teenager), I've felt this deep need to get “there.” Where is there you ask? Why, just this side of perfection of course.
“There,” is vague point in the future when I've got enough wisdom, muscle, charm and intellect to make Chuck Norris jealous. Oh, and of course, I'll have a great relationship with Christ. And because I thought it was a good idea set perfection as my standard and slowly trudged toward it.

I thought I would naturally become that person as I grew older. While, the ideal me has changed a bit over the past couple years, the basic selfish idea remains the same. I believed my future happiness depended upon how closely I resembled that ideal. When I saw others who were better me in some way, I envied them.

Over recent months my own ignorance has been slowly revealed to me. I've come to see how my death grip on perfection, has only caused it to slip through my fingers like sand. It has prevented me from living life to the fullest because I constantly wish the situation were improved in some way. If I'm on a trip then I don't have all the friends I want, if I'm eating the food isn't good enough, if I'm play football I'm not athletic enough. “If only, if only,” I lament idiotically. All the while life passes me by.
Slowly, I'm learning to find contentment where God has placed me.

Yet, something still troubled me. I found myself in a place where I squirmed at the prospect of reading my Bible for no conceivable reason. Clean conscience or no, good mood or bad, I didn't enjoy the prospect of getting in the word. It was frustrating and confusing.

Over vacation, I was pondering the matter when a revelation hit me. In my perfect future, I would have a perfect relationship with Jesus, but in my fantasies, the relationship wasn't about Jesus; it was about my own righteousness. The whole fantasy was based upon my my selfish, egotist (and insecure) bid for the admiration of others.

There is an interesting passage in the book of Job, chapter 29 to be exact. In my Bible, I have highlighted all the personal pronouns in one color and every direct reference to God in another. It was an exercise a Bible teacher gave me to point out Job's pride. He is complaining to God, telling him that he was nearly perfect, that he doesn't deserve all the calamity God allowed to occur. Job uses God's name 5 times, while referencing himself 42 times (NIV)!

Perspective problems perhaps (notice my triple alliteration)? Heck yes! I've got same problem Job does, pride. My perfectionism only exacerbates the dilemma.

Now, I'm slowly learning to apply what I've been taught, evaluating goals and decisions based what pleases God. I'm even learning to base decisions on what I want, without attempting to show off for anyone. It's difficult, but liberating, and I've got the best coach in the universe to keep me on track.

Thanks for reading!

Levi

Vacation

This summer, marked the first time my family has taken a vacation together in several years. Because my father is self-employed, taking time off isn't built into the schedule. His heavy workload, translates into fewer summer vacations as a family.
In fact, the original trip we had planned this summer fell through for financial reasons.

When they discovered that we were going to forgo a family vacation again, my paternal grandparents generously offered us week away via their time share. This permitted us to pick from several different locations. My parents decided upon Pigeon Forge Tennessee. It was a good choice.
With an abundance of shops, activities, tourist traps and the Smoky mountains just a few minutes south, it makes for a very enjoyable vacation spot (I should write travel brochures).

I love the mountains more than any other place on earth. The beach is nice I suppose, but too sandy. Nothing compares with the splendor of a mountain range. So my favorite parts of the trip all involved interacting with nature.

The tourist district of Pigeon Forge reminds me of the beaches I've been to. Virtually every tourist trap is concentrated into one sweltering, lively stretch of road; teeming with middle class white people who are taking their one vacation of the year. All the restaurants, rides, shops and shows you could ever hope to loose money in are there for the pleasure of the masses.

Of course being the sort of person that I am, the only place I was interested in going to was the Discount 'Book Warehouse" I saw when we took a run for groceries.

The idea of losing money to a bunch of overpriced thrill rides and consuming food with copious amounts of sugar and fat doesn't appeal to me very much (Yes, I'm aware that I'm a boring prude).
In any event I bought a couple of books. One by Don Miller called: 'Through Painted Deserts,' about a road trip from Texas to Oregon. Along with another book titled: 'Not For Sale,' which talks about modern slavery.
I'd read the Don Miller book by the end of the week.

The first big adventure my family and I embarked on was to a place called Cades Cove, a small valley tucked away in the heat of the Appalachian mountain range. It was gorgeous. The road takes an eleven mile loop around the outside of the valley, passing through historical sites. Because my parents are great people they dropped me off at the front gate and let me take a trail by myself. So I took of my shirt, shoved it in my belt and started jogging through the woods on my own little exploration.

There is no sensation quite like running through the woods without a care in the world. I feel my lungs expanding and contracting, my heart sending blood pounding through my head and the ground passing underneath me, as my feet glide over the earth. I inhale and smile as I push myself to the limit ascending a hill then suck in the clean mountain air as I recover on the descent.
There is no charge for this thrill ride. As the great missionary Eric Liddell put it: "When I run, I feel God's joy."

My exploration came to an abrupt halt when I encountered a black bear. What I didn't realize at the time, was that the black bears in the area are quite accustomed to tourists. My first thought was, 'Well, this could be bad.' I stood there wondering what the preferred method for dealing with a irritated black bear was and thinking about what a great story it would make if I survived.
Completely disinterested in my desire to become a hero, the bear lumbered off. And because I'm an intelligent human being, I wasted no time in moving quickly in the opposite direction (although I didn't turn my back on the creature until I was a ways down the path).

This seems like a reasonable place to leave off writing, so I'll conclude there for now.
I don't have any pictures from Cades Cove, we forgot the camera, sorry. I'v posted a few others however. Captions are along the bottom.


Inside our rather humble Condo.



A shot from outside the condo.


My vibram Five Fingers. Absolute best shoes on the planet.


My family (Minus mom, who is taking the shot). From left to Right. Me, Ian, Dad and Noah. For some reason Noah insists on scowling in every photo he's asked to take unless the idea was his. I think it has something to do with the fact that he's a fourteen year old boy who wants to do everything his own way.


Can you tell this picture was Noah's idea = )?

Thanks for reading!

Levi

And We're Off!

Normally, I tend to shy away from stories about myself but I thought I'd give it a shot now. Why? You may inquire. Well, I had a number of very enjoyable experiences this summer, I think this blog provides the perfect outlet to write down my thoughts and feelings, while still relatively fresh in my mind. It also gives me a place to come back in future and indulge in a little nostalgia. So, over the next 4-5 posts I'll work my way backward over the summer.

These will be the first posts to incorporate photos, although probably limited in number, because of the mind boggling slowness with which my computer uploads photos. The upshot is that if a picture really is worth a thousand words I won't need to write very much writing at all.

The posts will focus on trips I've taken. One trip to Virgina, two trips to Tennessee and one to Pinnacle N.C. (I've spend a pretty fair portion of the summer in the mountains).

Hopefully you'll find my accounts to be quite enjoyable.




Thanks for reading!

Levi

Artistic Freedom Pt. 2

There is one more major issue for me when picking music. It has to do with how a band labels themselves as opposed to who their music reveals them to be.

let me explain:

Switchfoot, (a favorite of mine for quite some time) very rarely uses the name of God. They prefer not to be labeled as a Christian band but as a band made up of Christians. This a decision I don't have a problem with.
On the one hand they certainly reflect Christian values: Treating their fans well, being involved with numerous charities and writing clean, creative and thoughtful music.

Despite all of this, they very rarely use the name of God.
In fact it wasn't until this week that I heard a new song which contains the name of Jesus. This is the first time I've heard them use the name of Christ in their music.

This has really been a matter of contention for me. If a band loves God, (As I believe this band does) then what's wrong with using His name in a song? On what pretext to the refrain from doing so?

This has presented a dilemma for me, as to whether or not I should be enjoying music which claims the Christina faith as it's own, but apparently refuses to use God's name in their lyrics. Now, I understand that not every song is going to be worship based and their isn't a need for spiritual references in every track. Yet, a little more acknowledgment of the Creator seems appropriate.

Switchfoot qualifies as an Alternative Rock band. This problem of 'quiet Christianity' seems to plague this segment particularly.
I understand not ever band who fits into this genre has Christian affiliations, just look at Fall Out Boy.

I'm talking about Bands like:
Flyleaf
12 Stones
House of Heroes
Seabird
Anberlin

This isn't a perfect list by any stretch of the imagination but it gives you some idea of what I'm talking about.

Then you have a large number of mainstream artists who claim to be Christianity, yet their music doesn't reflect that. Miley Cyrus and Beyonce come to mind.

I don't have a hard time writing off such musicians.

What about all those 'Quiet Christian' bands? For now, I'm gonna keep listening.
Yes, there could be more credit given to God in their music but that doesn't necessarily make them sinful.

I'm going to function under the assumption that this disparity I see is purely unintentional.

Any thoughts guys?

Thanks for reading!

Levi

Artistic Freedom Pt. 1

As an avid music listener-and a follower of Christ-I have a recurring struggle over what I should and should not listen to.
The criteria by which I judge the merit of music has evolved as I've grown older and has therefore effected the nature of my sonic diet.
Does the music contain:
Sexual content
Profanity
Drug references
Originality
quality
potential for growth
relevance (the best songs have appeal long after their release, aka Elvis).

Generally speaking, this is the mental checklist I use when evaluating music. Of course I don't actually whip out a pin and pad every time I listen to the radio or browse through youtube.com but these give a good idea of what I'm milling over in my mind.

I tend to weed out songs with strong language, sexual innuendo or illicit drug references. As a follower of Christ, I don't think these songs are what I feel God would have me listen to.
If a song has this kind of content, I don't tend to bother with the other qualifications. Often times music like this sucks anyway, so it's no loss to me. Yet on occasion I'll find a great sounding song with 'inappropriate content.'

For example: "The Pursuit of Happiness' by Kidd Cudi. The song starts off with him describing getting high and driving around drunk. The 'F word' shows up once. Yet I feel like the song is showing an non Christian searching for the answer to true fulfillment in this life. I would call it a good piece of artwork but does the negative content negate the positive?

Philippians 4:8 Says:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

Well if the production quality is excellent the lyrics are commendable for their spiritual depth but there are sexy background dancers, is it something we should dwell on? Personally, I use two methods to judge things from here.

How does the art paint (pun intended) immorality? Does it flippantly embrace sin or does it give us a picture of reality? Ke$ha is without a doubt in the first category. Not only is her music irritating, it also promotes all kinds of negative things. A superb example of presenting reality can be found in K'NAAN (who's an artist at the world cup this year BTW).

K'NAAN is an African Reggae singer who grew up experiencing the sorts of things we Westerners tend to think of when we picture Africa: Disease, war and hunger. He will use profanity (and occasionally other content). However, K'NAAN using a few curse words and Eminem dropping the 'F bomb' in every other lyric are not the same thing.

The second criteria: Do you feel a conviction listening to it? As a Christian do I feel comfortable listening to this in light of my relationship with my heavenly Father?

Judging music in this fashion I tend to get a pretty varied and healthy musical diet. There will always be a morally gray area, an artist who doesn't quite fall easily into one camp. My struggle to find harmony in the vast array of music available is an ongoing quest. It's a journey and a thoroughly pleasing (and sometimes frustrating) one at that.

What motivates you to listen to the music you like? Or, in a broader sense how do you evaluate the media input you digest every single day?

Thanks for reading!

Levi

A Review of "The A-Team”

Intro:
before I go anywhere, there is something I need to confess; I have never seen the original A-Team. In fact, it wasn't until they began the promos for this film adaption that I actually became aware of it's existence. Mr. T and the rest of you who HAVE seen the original show are invited to pity this fool.

Be that as it may, I think I can still judge the film fairly well.

If I where asked to sum of this movie in one word, it would be Why? Hollywood, why on earth did you feel the need to produce this trash? This movie was like cotton candy it tastes OK at first but too much will give you a stomach ache. There is no way on earth you're going to derive any nutritional value from cotton candy.

Perhaps I should have gone into this one with lower expectations.

Plot: Long Version
The plot is very easily summarized. The A-Team is double crossed and send to prison for a murder they didn't commit. They escape (surprised?) and go after the bad guys. Evidently the guy who was supposed to have been murdered was in on the whole thing (for a cut of the profits of course). However he is quickly disposed of in an airstrike and the A-Team sets out to settle their vendetta with the rest of the movie baddies.

Plot: Short Version
The A-Team shoot, blow-up, hit and pummel every bad guy they can find for two hours.

(Note)
To it's credit, their were some laughable portions. This came more from absurdity than anything else.

Content:
As for objectionable content (outside of the fact it was terrible) there was a good deal of profanity, at least for a PG-13. I did appreciate that the sexual content was almost non-existent. “Face” the most debinere of the A-Team members has a couple of one night stands but the audience isn't shown anything.

Acting:
The acting was just like the plot and special effects. Over done and not very good. Although, the crazy guy was funny. Rampage Jackson, the noteworthy UFC fighter took on Mr. T's role as B.A. Baracus. Visually, it was a great match. There where two gaping holes in this chose though. Jackson may be an impressive fighter but he's no actor and He's not Mr. T.
Jackson lost his most recent UFC fight. It has been speculated that filming for this movie caused him to lose focus on training. Perhaps he'll learn from this mistake and stick with beating up appoints in the octagon instead of the silver screen.

An interesting note, the writers for this movie made a halfhearted attempt at character development with 'B.A.' Apparently, his time in prison caused him to rethink his; 'shoot and then pity the fool,' style of business. Alas, by the end of the film B.A. Decides he's OK with snapping the arc baddies' neck by slamming him head first into the ground.
So much for all those months spent reading Gandhi.

I was upset that Liam Neeson would lower himself to this sort of action flick. To me he will always be Qui-Gon Jinn from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

Conclusion:
Aside from a few cheep laughs and a some crazy action sequences, this film has nothing to offer. Don't waste your time.

The Karate Kid (A Review)

Recently I had the opportunity to see both the Karate Kid and the A-Team.

I'll start by reviewing the better of the two, The Karate Kid. I'll post my review for the A-Team in a couple of days.


Because this is such a popular movie franchise I'm going to assume you already know the plot (or can easily look it up). I'm going to get right into what I thought of it.

Jaden Smith (Will Smith's son), did a pretty good with his role. It was a believable and humorous character. I appreciated the fact that he didn't have that annoying 'Disney channel vibe' about him.

Jackie Chan played a more subtle role than he traditionally does. He quiet and introspective, showing a side we don't often see. Unlike the roster of films where Chan is constantly fighting baddies, he only has one fight scene in this movie.

The other actors did a reasonably good job, although there is one blond haired kid I found irritating.

If you know anything about remakes, then you're aware that they always feel a need to be bigger and better than their predictors. Although it often just amounts to more sugar and less substance. Personally, I felt this movie did a standup job of avoiding this fatal flaw. The action was more stylized and fast paced, however it made the movie more fun to watch.
Also on a positive note, this adaption did have less objectionable content than the original. There are several minor profanities in this version as a opposed to the classic, which contains a number of strong words.

My two biggest problems with the movie where: length and lack of heart. I believe the two are somewhat related.

At 2 hours 6 minutes, this movie was simply too long. There were also a number of scenes which dragged on and really caused me to lose interest in the movie. In fact, I actually left the theater to make a call during a rather pivotal scene and didn't feel upset that I'd missed anything. As director, Will Smith could have really done some fat trimming on this one.

When it comes to heart, this film certainly had a god portion, I found myself cheering quietly for Jaden as the final showdown takes place. Alas, this will never really be the true Karate Kid no matter how good it is. The is no way it can match the charm of the original, even if it is a good movie.

If you plan on seeing this one, I'd advise you to wait until the DVD is released.

Thanks for reading!

Levi

The Fame Monster

Miley Cyrus. Just her name elicits a strong reaction.

If I were to say, “Hey, did you hear what Miley Cyrus did?”
You would probably assume I was going to say something negative. And why shouldn’t you?
After all, it seems like every time she pops up in the news, Miley is in hot water for something. Or, as much hot water as ET can cook up.

I’ve noticed something though, poor Miley isn’t alone. It seems as if young celebrities are continually making the news for all the wrong reasons.
Many of my friends would tell you they can’t stand Justine Bieber, Miley, Selena Gomez or the Jones Brothers.

Yet when I see one of these stars. I can’t help but feel a sense of pity. Because if history proves true, most of them are in for a tough adulthood.

Two tragic examples of this are Michael Jackson and Garry Coleman.

Michael Jackson’s life is really a very sad story. As a child he was physically abused by his father and all the fame in the world couldn’t heal him. As an adult, his mental health was never fully assured. After spending years in a questionable mental state, Jackson finally died because of a drug overdose.

Gary Coleman couldn’t even begin to compete with Jackson, however the two men were not so very different. Coleman became famous in the late 70’s as a TV star. After which, he faded out of the limelight. Over the years Coleman suffered from drug addiction and depression. It is known that he attempted suicide at least once.
Just this past month in Coleman died of a brain hemorrhage.

There is a great Christian artist named Bebo Norman who wrote a song which deals with this topic. Here is an excerpt from an interview he gave about the song:


I was up late, couldn’t sleep, watching some news channel, when yet another story about Britney Spears came on. My first instinct was to scoff and write it off, but then there was this freeze-frame shot of a look on her face of utter and absolute despair and confusion and brokenness—a look that I recognized. And I remember thinking “This girl is a child of God.”

I think that night I saw her through the eyes of Jesus for the first time. I imagined what Jesus would say to me in my darkest hour and realized that those are the words we should speak to this world, to this culture, and even to Britney Spears in their darkest hour. “I’m sorry. Hope is here.” –Bebo Norman


Britney I’m sorry for the lies we told

We took you into our arms then left you cold

Britney, I’m sorry for this cruel, cruel world

We sell the beauty but destroy the girl

www.ccmmagazine.com/just_for_you/story_behind_the_song/11581817&r=cat&cat=2,3,4,6,7,


Sometimes when I see a child star make headlines, it irritates me. More often than not, I look at the sad lives of young celebrities in the past and shake my head. All that wealth and fame will soon be gravel in their mouths.
I love what Lady Gaga named her recent album: “The Fame Monster.” How appropriate.

Thanks for reading

Levi

Unbounded Now

Hey guys! I know its been some time since I posted. I've got several excuses as to why, but I won't go into those since I know none of you lost any sleep over my brief sabbatical : ). I see that during the break I've gained another follower. Score! Thank you Bethany, I hope you enjoy what you find here.

This has been one heck of a summer so far. Perhaps I'll write about it sometime. I find myself struggling to find topics which I want to write about on this blog. If anyone has suggestions or preferences I'd be more than happy to listen.

Now on to another marathon post:

In school this past year we read a book called, The Screwtape Letters, by the ever popular C.S. Lewis. Yes I enjoyed it and yes I would probably read this sort of material anyway.

For anyone isn't aware of the plot I'll lay out the basics. The story is a collection of letters written from one demon to another. Screwtape, is the 'uncle' writing to his young nephew Wormwood. The junior demon has been given his first job trying to corrupt a young man's soul. Entirely from Screwtape's perceptive, the book details demonic strategies to tempt humans into sin. Lewis' genius here, is his ability to help people view things from a radically different angle.

Though I agreed with most of what he said, I wanted to bring up one issue. Predestination. What a controversial subject! I'm neither qualified nor willing to address this issue properly, but I want to bring something which struck me while I was reading.

This entire subject (or at least the one I'm addressing) is based around Protestant Christian theology. If you are unfamiliar with this subject then this post might be hard to follow, if not, you're probably smarter than I am.

First off, let me give a very basic definition of predestination:

Predestination: that God has divided humanity into two groups. One group is "the elected." It includes all those whom God has chosen to make knowledgeable about himself. The rest will remain ignorant of God, and the Gospel. They are damned and will spend eternity in Hell without any hope of mercy or cessation of the extreme tortures. God made this selection before the universe was created, and thus before any humans existed.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/calvinism.htm

Different sources might word it differently or debate semantics but that covers the concept in a nutshell.

I also want to include a list of scriptures which are used to back up this belief. I'll write out one or two here, but if you're interested in finding out more you can look up the rest. Keep in mind these are by no means the only verses on the subject.

References:
Ephesians 2:8-10
Romans 8:29-30
Acts 4:27-28


(Eph 1:3-5 [ESV])
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.

It may sound a bit harsh, but the thought behind it is this. Man cannot accept God of his own free will. Ever since sin was induced in Genesis, human nature has been irrevocably altered. Of our own 'free will' we are only capable of sin because that has become our nature. It is only through God, and his son Christ Jesus that we can experience freedom from sin.
Therefore God in his infinite wisdom chose a given number of people.

Of course a central objection to is this philosophy is the issue of free will. If God has determined the future before hand then where (if anywhere) does free will factor in?

C.S. Lewis addresses things in this manner. Because we humans are limited by time and space we cannot fully comprehend how God could exist outside of their grasp. We have a difficult time conceiving of a place where time does not exist.
But since God does 'live' outside of time then he's not limited by the past present or future as we understand them. C.S. Lewis says that God sees all of history as one big eternal now. God doesn't look ahead to the future, everything is spread out in front of him.

Here is a excerpt from the book about it:

If you tried to explain to[the human] that men's prayers today are one of innumerable co-ordinates with which [God] harmonises the weather of tomorrow, he would reply that then [God] always knew men were going to make those prayers and, if so, they did not pray freely but were predestined to do so.....For [God] does not foresee the humans making their free contributions in a future, but sees them doing so in His unbounded Now. And obviously to watch a man do something is not the same as making him do it.”

So then, the question must be raised; what about salvation? If God operates without a time-line then does He still choose whom He will save, or do we as humans make that decision?

I tend to believe that God still makes the final call. Lewis' belief in an 'unbounded now' is perfectly logical to me when applied to anything but the question of salvation. I think my belief in predestination is backed up by scripture.

But, as a 16 year old I've still got time to live and learn. This is one concept I don't think I'll have nailed down anytime soon.

Thanks for reading!

Levi

Give Me That Old Timey Villain

Have you noticed a trend with the villains in movies lately? How about children's films? Maybe you've noticed it to, a moral relativism has crept into our theaters and into the characters we love.

It shows up in different ways, according to the genre, target audience and themes, however the gravitation toward a murky moral middle (sorry I couldn't pass up the cheesy alliteration) ground is present in all cases.

It's started to pop up in kid's flicks lately. When is the last time we had a baddie like the 'evil step mother' or the 'Wicked Witch of The West?'

Bolt? No bad guy (or girl) to speak of. This trend can be seen in others to. Meet The Robinson's, How to Train Your Dragon, Finding Nemo. Yes there was a bad guy in meet the Robinson's but he just turned out to be misunderstood, not really a true villain.

Then you have the PG-13 and R segment. This is where morally gray characters are popping up with greater frequency.
Perhaps your modern movie heroes seem pretty nice, but have you gone back and watched an old western recently. Not all, but most, feature gun wielding vigilantes who bring justice and peace. Each generation of Americans has it's cinema heroes, and the old west seems to sport some of cleanest heroes in American movie history.

They were gentlemen: Non-drinkers, clean speakers, respectful of women and they only fought when necessary (which turned out to be pretty often).

Now compare that with, say, Tony Stark (aka Ironman). Drinks, sleeps around, curses, and shows off at every possible juncture.

It's not fair to put every recent 'hero' in this box. Some, The LOTR characters come to mind, still hold to old ideals.

I think what I'm really gripping about here, are the blurred lines. Things used to be very straightforward. Bad guys and good guys were nothing like each other.

On the other hand reality and morality do not get along terribly well. I'm not saying I don't believe in absolute morality. Yet, movie heroes often find themselves in between a moral compromise and a bad decision.
Batman choosing not to kill the Joker, Spider-man having to decide between saving Mary-Jane or the train car full of kids.

I'm sorry all of my examples come from superhero movies (or fantasy), it's all I can think of.

I think over all, viewers like a gritty hero. Because life is gritty, and while it may be nice to have a spotless hero, a screwed up person is a lot easier to identity with.

Every superman has his krypton, our current superheroes just happen to have a dump truck full of the stuff.

Thanks for reading!

Levi