Opus 2016-172: Headlines: A Silver Lining

One of today’s headlines should be a little bit encouraging to you if you live in the West.  I refer to the terrorist attack in the Turkish airport.  How in the world can that be encouraging?  I know you ask that because you are paying attention. 

The encouraging aspect of the mayhem is that it in intramural instead of intermural.  The sects of Islam are very tribal.  Killing Muslims of another sect is just as righteous as killing Christians and Jews.  Okay, maybe not as righteous, but close.  Also keep in mind that the Muslims of Turkey are not Arabs, they are Turks.  To us they look the same but they consider themselves totally different people.

Americans do not understand the hatred of the medieval Middle Easterner.  That is probably a good thing but we need to find some way to factor it into our view of the world and how we relate to people of other cultures. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-171: Mystery Music

How do you cross the culture divide between the musical tastes of the old and the young?  Churches across the nation are struggling with this.  In the past two weeks I have seen two approaches.  One works better for me.

Last week we had a hymn sung in which the musicians had taken the words to a well known piece and put it to new music.  Musicians have a need to express themselves and sometimes their ego gets in the way.  The original song was written as a march.  The words lend themselves to the idea of the church triumphant.  It had a strong, singable melody that worked well.  They felt a need to redo it in their image and took the march and turned it into a ballad.  It is hard to march to a ballad.  Ballads make you want to sit back and feel.  Marches make you want to get up and do.  It was not an improvement.

I also find it hard to pick up the music.  Much of the new stuff is rather boring, to be honest.  I am sure that in time I could learn it.  I might even get used to it.  There is a rare chance that I might like it but I don’t think it is going to happen because I don’t think it will stand the test of time.  Of course some of the old stuff was boring too.

This week we had the opposite approach.  The words on the screen were unfamiliar.  When it is a song I don’t know I usually listen through the first verse to try to get a feel for the music.  As they began singing I realized I knew the melody.  They had taken a known melody and written new words.  I was able to join in the singing right away.  Sometimes this does not work because the person writing the new music only thinks they understand rhythm.  Often the words are awkward and just don’t fit.  This one was very well done.  The words were strong and meaningful and fit beautifully into the music. 

Setting aside the music critic in me, I think it is easier to learn new words to old music than it is to learn new music to old words.  Maybe it is just me.  Then again, maybe it’s not.

I hope you were aided in your worship this week by the choices of the people leading the music.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-170: Headlines: The Wave

I am not alone.  A few posts ago I mentioned that Brexit might be the beginning of a movement of separation that could involve California and Texas.  It seems that many others have had that idea according to the Washington Times.

According to “experts” quoted in the article it is possible for a state to secede but only with permission of the other 49.  The problem would be that the states that would gladly wave goodby to California would refuse to let Texas go and those who would encourage Texas to exit think California is the best thing since sliced bread.

If we started splitting up then we would see a lot more wars and conflict.  How many years before California went to war to get the water of Arizona and Washington?  How long before a non-fracking state went to war to stop the process in the next?  Would the  rest of the country be willing to build a wall around New York City?

The article mentions old movements such as Scotland and Quebec and talks about Northern Mexico wanting to split off.  That is not really new either.  Mexico has wanted to go different ways since the days of Poncho Villa and Emiliano Zapata.  They also missed the movement in the Hawaiian Islands.   
       
Interesting times.  I hope it holds together until I move to Texas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-169: Read It Before It Is Banned

It is getting close to time to dig out your copy of the Declaration of Independence and read it.  The general population of sheep has rejected it because all they are worried about is security, that and five bars on their phone.

It doesn’t hurt for the rest of us to revisit what we think we know and refresh our foundations.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-168: Headlines: First Great Britain, Next California

We are not the only place in the world where change is taking place.  The British have just finished an historical vote and declared they would exit the European Union (EU).  One place you can read about it is in the Washington Times.

Knowing how politics works and not knowing all the details of the treaty that took them into the EU, I would imagine there will now be a lot of court opinions and arm twisting.  In spite of all the hype, it probably won’t be over just because the people spoke. 

The article says they joined in 1973.  That makes their withdrawal 43 years later.  When South Carolina withdrew from the United States it was 73 years, almost twice as long.  That led to the American Civil War.  I don’t see that kind of reaction in Europe but if the vote is honored there will be a lot of adjustments.

If you remember, Scotland just finished voting about withdrawing from Great Britain.  If this goes through we may see that coming up again.  We may see other countries trying to withdraw from the EU.  We may see Texas voting for independence.  California may vote to go their own way. 

I hope they both wait until I get moved to Texas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-167: Coffee Adventure

One of the hard things for me to accept is that advice is just that, advice.  It is not the final word.  It is someone else offering the benefits of their experience to help you reap the rewards of yours.  It is not the final word.  It is not a guarantee.  It is for consideration.

The results may vary not only because the results may vary but because we vary.  What might be excruciating pain to one person might be a mild irritation to another.  What might make you want to vomit could be an elixir of flavor to your friend.  Consider the vision of liver and onions.

So we need to experiment in life.

This came to me when I was buying some coffee on vacation.  I am staying with my son and this trip I put away the drip system and decided to go with just the French press and a hand grinder.  I don’t need to get to work so I have time to enjoy the process.  I was making conversation with the clerk and asked her how long she steeped the coffee.  To my surprise she said five minutes.  I had heard three.  I had read four.  I had never heard five.  Her suggestion was in line with what I was planning on doing:  Experiment.

So today I have made three brews.  Each had a different time.  Actually the five minute came out the best.  Now I am wondering if this coffee needed longer because it is a light roast.  I am coming to the opinion that every coffee has different needs.  Three minutes might work for one but another needs five.  When I am at home I have a standard established.  The road offers a chance of adventure, even if it is only in making coffee.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-166: Eternal Prospects in Temporal Clothes

Christians have a different world view because we think in terms of eternity.  This life is just the opening act of a production that will go on forever.  What happens here and now is important but no tragedy is final and every joy can multiply.  It doesn’t matter if the multiplication is mathematical or geometric, over eternity both will pay big dividends.  It is like the difference between someone who plants pansies and someone who plants oak trees.  One is looking for beauty next week.  The other is doing something for his grandchildren.  The Christian plants both and a few apple trees for ten years from now.

If that is true I am developing my eternal personality.  What I am now I will carry beyond the grave.  It may be cleaned up but it will be eternal.  I will no longer have the limitations of a physical, temporal body so there will be potentials that I can’t dream of now.

I was thinking in terms of eternal life in God’s presence, heaven  Then I thought that I would take the same personality to hell if that were my choice.  What is the difference?  Would there be a difference.  I think so.  In hell I will be isolated by myself with no hope of improvement.  When I got tired of myself I would face the despair of knowing I would only get more frustrated. 

In heaven I will be part of the body of Christ in eternal fellowship with the living God.  Growth will continue.  I will have an ever changing, ever improving personality. 

Something to think about.

homo unius libri