The Turning

Hot summer days live in relaxation 

And a love for all things bright and fun.

It is hard to imagine them fading away into colder, shorter hours -

But then the turning comes.

A light dusting of rain; rolling, thunderous clouds; a fireplace's perfume.

Summer is usurped in one instant. 

No matter that following weeks regain much of Ceres' glory -

I am ready for crisp apple days and the smell of nutmeg.

The light has changed, the nights are colder. 

Autumn is coming - even here.

Swimming pool and tank tops

Make way for pumpkin patch and baking.

The leaves are still green,

Mostly. But they will turn. They will become

Gold, ruby, amber, topaz. Then nature will wear the crown

Her maker has fashioned.

So new things come, and old pass on.

To cling to an old good - to never rise to meet the new -

Is to age inwardly. To stop. To die.

"To turn, turn, will be our delight..."

This Day in History - The Emancipation Proclamation

By the President of the United States of America:

A Proclamation.

Whereas, on the twentysecond day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, to wit:

"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.

"That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by proclamation, designate the States and parts of States, if any, in which the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the qualified voters of such State shall have participated, shall, in the absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive evidence that such State, and the people thereof, are not then in rebellion against the United States."

Now, therefore I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, by virtue of the power in me vested as Commander-in-Chief, of the Army and Navy of the United States in time of actual armed rebellion against the authority and government of the United States, and as a fit and necessary war measure for suppressing said rebellion, do, on this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and in accordance with my purpose so to do publicly proclaimed for the full period of one hundred days, from the day first above mentioned, order and designate as the States and parts of States wherein the people thereof respectively, are this day in rebellion against the United States, the following, to wit:

Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, (except the Parishes of St. Bernard, Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. Johns, St. Charles, St. James Ascension, Assumption, Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin, and Orleans, including the City of New Orleans) Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South-Carolina, North-Carolina, and Virginia, (except the fortyeight counties designated as West Virginia, and also the counties of Berkley, Accomac, Northampton, Elizabeth-City, York, Princess Ann, and Norfolk, including the cities of Norfolk and Portsmouth[)], and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued.

And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.

And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages.

And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.

And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the eighty-seventh.

By the President: ABRAHAM LINCOLN

WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.

On September 22, 1862, President Lincoln changed the purpose of the Civil War. A battle that had been about preserving the unity of the United States became a crusade to free all of the slaves. . . mostly. The "border states" - slave states still loyal to the union - were exempt from this Proclamation, for fear of losing their vital support.

Lincoln is frequently criticized for not making the War about slavery to begin with, and maybe those critics are right. Some might compare his mid-bellum announcement to the shifting and not-always-clear reasons for America's invasion of Iraq (was it for the Taliban? Oil? WMDs?). When he did issue the Proclamation, why not risk the Border States' loyalty and make them Free states, too? Sure, it may have been tactically foolish, but at least he would have had a clear moral standing.

Lincoln wanted it to be about liberty from the beginning. He desired few things more than to abolish all slavery throughout his country. His purpose had to be delayed, hidden even, in order for it to happen at all. In a perfect world, he would have been able to take a stand on Slavery from the first. Then again, in a perfect world, Slavery would never have been a problem.

So, yes, the Proclamation seems like too little too late - it was halfway through the war, and what power did the Union president have over the Confederacy, anyway?

Nevertheless, that Declaration of Independence for the 3 million souls in slavery was more than symbolic. They knew they had an ally, someone fighting to free them from a bondage that seemed eternal. They had a savior. That in itself was powerful.

What is the Balance?

People who know me will probably attest to the fact that I am fascinated by various cultures. I own a sari, a kimono, a German folk costume, and so on. Mythologies, art, music and dance are beautiful expressions of the peoples of the world, and they capture my imagination.

That's probably a good thing, since we live in an environment that is becoming more and more multicultural. I am currently taking a class called "Cultural Diversity in the Classroom" for my teaching credentialing program, and quite a bit of our reading has to do with the harsh truths about the oppressive attitudes dominant American culture has imposed on minorities. We need to stay aware about both what has been done wrong, and what has been (and can be) done right.

People who know me will probably also attest to the fact that I'm a Christian. Anyone reading this blog has no doubt picked up on that. For the most part, the history of Christian missions has been sadly politicized. Wherever the monk went, there went a conquistador, too. In the name of Christ or the Church, countries were claimed and peoples were killed or enslaved. Even if violence was not prevalent, the work of spreading the Gospel frequently became confused with "civilizing" the natives. Civilizing generally meant excising all non-European customs, clothing, languages, and of course, religions.

Because of this mash-up of saving and sterilizing, almost all minorities (especially in the US of A) resent Christianity. Christianity represents the oppression of their people.

In a multicultural environment, we the people are trying to become more aware and more sensitive of those who may not belong to the "dominant" group. We have become careful not to offend through stereotypes or racist behavior. So far, so good.

Then, I read in an assigned text about how the American Indian peoples are angry because the Christian Church is the primary agency through which Indian children are "spirited away" and placed in American/Christian/non-Indian homes. And I pause. Society would have me decry that as a cruel and unnecessary practice, particularly if the Indian families are capable of providing for those children. Society would have me ask why we think it better that those children grow up away from the culture and religion of their ancestors. Society would have me say, Why must the Christian think himself so high and right, that he can destroy that culture without a second thought?

I have to admit a very awkward truth. Because we do think we're right. I don't think that the entire way of Indian life (or any culture, for that matter) should be destroyed - far from it. But I can't completely buy into the pluralism that says "it's all valid." I have to disagree with this author's premise. Yes, we want to destroy your religion. But only because we want you to live! to be truly free! How can I say that out loud, and not be labelled "racist"? Maybe I can't.

Another New Year...and an Overdue Post

2008 became 2009 three days ago - can you believe it? Where did the year go?

I spent most of this year at Biola, reading (and reading and reading...), writing, and discussing all of those books. What amazing works they are!

John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion definitely caught my attention. I had read sections of it before, and was surprised by how much I actually agreed with his doctrines. A similar experience arose this time around, but his section on predestination really stuck in my craw. What irked me the most, though, was that from one point of view, his arguments made perfect sense! I found myself being afraid that I would have to become Calvinist because of his logical soundness.

I do not want to hold to my Arminism simply out of fear of something else. The idea that man can indeed do some things of his own volition - whether they be the will of God or no - coincides so well with other spiritual teachings I hold to, and a worldview that has proven itself biblically sound. And so, I wrote the following short essay to spell out my thoughts and the areas in which Calvin may have made the wrong assumptions. It has not quelled all my concerns, but it did help me clarify my thoughts and - quite frankly - comfort my terrorized belief system.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John Calvin understands the fact that God’s sovereignty is indisputable and evident throughout history. Paul lays out the logic for how Gentiles are grafted in as Children of Abraham, which serves as the foundation for Calvin’s position regarding God’s predestining of mankind. On the whole, he explains and extrapolates from Paul’s themes, elaborating or clarifying what Paul argues.

With his articles on the difference between “election and foreknowledge of merits,” the fact that those chosen are “elected to be holy, not because [they are] already holy,” and “the case of Jacob and Esau refut[ing] the argument from works,” Calvin solidifies the glory of God’s power and foreknowledge. He makes clear the concept that God is limited by nothing. He chose “the elect,” not because He knew they would do great things, but instead chose the vessels that would carry out His will: “In love He predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Eph 1:5).

In his analysis of the workings of God’s election, however, Calvin seems to overstate one side in contrast to the other. In addressing the primary objections to the doctrine of election, he – in my opinion – creates a rather artificial solution. He recognizes that “free will” is a biblical concept but nearly castrates it in favor of a strong predestination-focused viewpoint. Another interpretation that could reconcile the two concepts would be one that states firmly that God’s will shall indeed come to pass as He preordains it, and that He has a purpose predestined for each human; this human-level plan, however, may be delayed or negated by the individual’s rejecting the opportunity for salvation. Calvin claims a line of argument similar to this is wrong, but I would dare to disagree.

In reading Ephesians and Romans, could he not possibly allow that since Paul is writing to Christians – the elect – he is speaking to the people who responded to the Spirit’s prompting? Granted, God quite plainly states that He loved Jacob and “hated” Esau. That case, as with Abraham, provides proof of His undeniable authority in human matters. He chose Jacob, but – to be ornery for a moment – could Jacob have perhaps had the opportunity or choice to say “no”? Could the fact that not all of God’s Chosen People were in fact “chosen,” be attributed to their individual choice to reject Him, and not His rejection of them? Calvin argues against ideas like that using sophisticated logic, but is it possible that a simple explanation – based on the evidence resting on how often mankind’s will is appealed to – and common sense could indeed be valid?

I would propose that Calvin makes too much of an assumption regarding God’s predestining the elect. He chose us before the beginning of the world, but that fact does not negate the fact that He may have chosen those whom He knew would choose Him. Additionally, Scripture indicates – both subtly and clearly – that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Pet. 3:9). This same God would not, while intentionally consigning specific image-bearers to the torments of Hell.

A book for the kingdom needs to be written...

...I'm not sure if this will be it, but I can hope. I've been toying with an idea, and am trying to work through the set-up. Critiques/comments are welcome!

(I don't have a title yet.)

Prologue

Bone-weary, the solitary traveler struggled against the wind. I will reach that door, he told himself. Snow drove ahead of the blasts, tearing his face like bits of shattered glass. At last he collapsed on the threshold, pounding the door, imploring the heavens for some respite from his trials. The heavens heard; at least, the inhabitant heard, and cracked the door to view his disheveled guest.
“I take it you want to come in for a while.” His face was ancient, but not worn. And the warmth in his eyes gave comfort to the supplicant.
“If you would be so kind as to extend your hospitality, I would be eternally gratef–”
“Yes, yes, I know what you would say: you would be eternally grateful, and would ask Heaven to bless me for the rest of my days. You are not the first pilgrim to beg shelter at my door.”
With these words, he grasped his visitor’s arm and led him to the fireside’s glow.
“You are not particular when it comes to eatables, I trust?” queried the host. “My fare is filling, but simple.”
“Anything, thank you,” came the exhausted reply. They ate in relative silence: the old man too intent on his supper to ask questions, his visitor too tired to answer any.
Sleep, was all he could think of. Rest, peace, escape from my sorrows – if only for a few hours.
“There is an extra bed here.” As if reading his mind, his host nodded toward a welcoming heap of blankets and lambskins.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who are you, honored sir?” Sleep had sharpened his mind as well as his stomach.
“Names are of little use, here, lad. I am no one of consequence now, though I once was held in great regard in some circles.”
“What were you, then? I must know something of my host, if I am to beg Heaven’s blessings for you.”
“I wonder how well you understand what you say.”
“Sir?”
“Answer me this: how well do you think Heaven has treated you?”
The young man hesitated. “I used to think Heaven smiled on me. Lately, my life has become a shambles of what it once was. My family is dying, everything I attempt fails, and everywhere I turn, I seem to find a new enemy. That is how Heaven is treating me now.”
“Are you sure that is Heaven’s fault?”
“What?”
“How soon do you need to get on your way? If you have some time to spare, I would like to enlighten you on a few matters.”
“If you believe you can help me, sir, I will not turn away the offer!”
A smile livened the old man’s eyes as he settled back, lighting his beloved pipe. It was the smile of someone who was preparing to tell a favorite story: a smile of pleasure, a smile of memory.
“All men are born with a spark of magic within their souls. How you choose to use the spark – that determines what kind of person you become…”

Here the story really begins. What it will be is yet to be seen.