O come! O come! Emmanuel! And ransom captive Israel; That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. Advent is a time of mournful waiting. Participants in this season undergo a theatrical embodiment of the struggles of the people of God. In this drama, the Church relives, in a sense, a time in history in which the Messiah had not yet visited his people. We participate in such a drama in order...
There is a peculiar myth that is cherished by Americans. Dating back prior to the founding of the country, this myth has engrained itself into the very ethos of society. It has been the driving force of the American economy, its judicial system, and as of lately, it can readily be observed in its political system. This myth – and I call it a myth because it is untrue and phantasmal – is so contagious...
SPOILERS AHEAD! RUN FOR THE HILLS! Darren Aronofsky’s new film, mother!, is absolutely stunning. I was mesmerized and blown away. Let me say at the outset that one’s enjoyment of this movie is almost entirely based upon two factors: (a) knowing as little about the film as possible before seeing it, and (b) actually figuring out what you’re watching to some extent. If you know what it’s about beforehand, you may find it predictable. If you...
Where to begin… Charlottesville The world knows of the American embarrassment that is the recent happenings in Charlottesville, Virginia. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists incited violence surrounding the profanely displayed statue of Confederate General and beater of freed slaves, Robert E. Lee. Gen. Lee’s brutality should be condemned along with the then-institution of chattel slavery. However, certain southerners (and unfortunately, many southern Christians) have insisted on the statue remaining and continue to venerate Gen. Lee as a...
I got married the day after Trump’s inauguration, and ironically, boarded a cruise ship to Mexico for an awesome honeymoon. I got back and was shocked to hear about everything that had happened in a week. What was even more shocking (sort of) was how much discord there was between Christians. Facebook itself looked like a war zone with many Right and Left leaning blog posts being lobbed at the other side. What was interesting,...
Democracy is not looking up here in America. It has been a tough election season, and in an unique turn of events, we have two candidates that are, well, tough to vote for. Even after two insane presidential debates, there are most likely a few people who are unsure who they are going to vote for. While most evangelicals have denounced Hillary for being for abortion, a majority of them have also championed the “pro-life”...
Symbols and their usage can be a powerful thing. Within literature, music, and film, symbolism is used to communicate a particular abstract truth by using concrete images. These mediums employ natural objects in order to discuss and explain ideas and truths that resonate deeply with us. Sometimes a symbol can be a building or a geographical location that holds historical significance. At other times, a symbol can even be a song lyric or a quotation....
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” In our world and in our current political climate, it seems that there are more things that divide us than unite us. Our world is supremely broken up and...
In an impossibly unnerving Presidential election year, where no sensible choice seems possible for Christians, there emerges a tendency among Christians (and other morally like-minded people) to “choose life” and vote for Trump in the mode of the reluctant, single-issue voter. A recent example of this can be seen in Wayne Grudem’s recent controversial endorsement of Trump as the “morally good choice” for President. [1] Reviewing his essay again, it is clear to me that...
My Favorite Proverb There is one particular biblical verse with which I have been infatuated for some time and which I have made a constant conscious commitment to follow. That verse goes a little something like this: “Ten cubits shall be the length of each board and one and a half cubits the width of each board…” No… no… wait. Hold on, that’s Exodus. That’s not it… let me see here… ah, yes. Okay –...
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