"Greece Lightning"

No, the title of this post is not original - in fact, I borrowed it from the referring article. But check out this photo, copyrighted by the Associated Press. It got a link on Drudge today. Click to see a full size version at the Daily Mail.

The President's Right Decisions

While I have tried to be measured in what I post to this blog when talking about the current administration, I admit it is rare to find me in agreement with the direction and decisions made by the President during the past year and a half. However, I will most certainly give credit when it is due, and in the case of the war effort in Afghanistan, the President did the right thing yesterday, two times over. In brief, Gen. Stanley McChrystal took responsibility for what appears to be disparaging and possibly contemptuous comments made by his staff about various figures within the civilian leadership and administration, all published in Rolling Stone. (Disclosure: I have not read the article in its entirety). Gen. McChrystal offered his resignation to the President, who rightly accepted it. Then the President asked Gen. David Petraeus to accept what would rightly be viewed as a demotion from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) to return to the field in service to his country.

Whatever one thinks of the current Afghan strategy (and note that I am skeptical that a country that has never known true organized institutions of government can possibly establish them in a mere decade), and whatever feelings one may have about unwieldy rules of engagement (over which I also have heartburn), the bottom line is this: there is absolutely no place for a general officer in a theater of operation to publicly denigrate his civilian leadership, or to allow such opinions to be expressed in the presence of junior officers, enlisted or civilians. To allegedly allow such an atmosphere of disdain to promulgate through his staff is unbecoming. Don't get me wrong - everything I've read about Gen. McChrystal seems to suggest that he is the type of general we need to help fight our wars. I do not disparage his knowledge, or his service. But this situation with the Rolling Stone article is untenable.

At the very least, Gen. McChrystal took the honorable course and offered his resignation. Without doubt, he was, and is free to hold whatever private views he has. The failure of judgment, intentional or not, reflected badly on the both the President and the military command. It nearly created a terrible mess that implicated all - with a very direct impact on those warfighters putting their lives on the line for us. They deserve better.

The President had a choice as well. He could have chosen not to accept the resignation, instead issuing a reprimand and then sending the general back to theater. I submit to do so would have been a sign of weakness that would have had a terrible effect on morale and discipline. Anything less than relieving the general of his command would have ultimately undermined confidence in the authority of the Commander-in-Chief among the ranks of our fighting men and women. Old-fashioned as it may be, honor still matters. Failure to punish such alleged contempt will do nothing but erode morale - already pushed to the limits due to what appears to be an indecisive, ineffective strategy with unworkable rules of engagement. But accepting the resignation, which the President did, could have easily left the entire operational strategy in shambles. Enter Gen. David Petraeus, who oversaw the successful Iraq surge strategy and operation in 2007-2008. Gen. Petraeus, who is neither superman nor savior, may very well be the only general with sufficient bona fides to stabilize, rescue and rework the Afghan strategy, at least in the eyes of the fighting men and women. That is both my speculation, and my hope. It is absolutely critical that the warfighter believe in himself, his friends and his leadership.

There may be a disadvantage, however. The move is militarily a demotion and a sacrifice of sorts for Gen. Petraeus, but one he appears to have willingly accepted. He will move from the command of U.S. CENTCOM (based in Tampa), responsible for overseeing military activities across the Middle East and Asia. Stepping down to lead the war effort in Afghanistan means he won't be directly in on the strategic challenges posed by an ever belligerent Iran.

But as the President said, "War is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general or a president." We face an uncertain future - we always have. But time and again, men and women of valor have risen to the occasion. Sometimes there is defeat, but at least in our history, often there is victory.

May that victory come soonest, that there may be peace.

Taking Chance

Last night, I sat down to watch Taking Chance, the 2009 HBO film starring Kevin Bacon as Lt. Colonel Mike Strobl, a Marine officer who volunteered to escort fallen Marine Lance Corporal Chance Russell Phelps to his family and final resting place. The movie trailer gives you but a taste:


Watching this movie is an intensely personal experience, and one that I would highly recommend. I'd even go so far as to suggest watching it privately, to allow yourself to experience the emotion without inhibition. Several of the scenes struck very close to home, too close, as if they were ripped right out of my memory.

The experience was a reminder for me, about why I do what I do. For as remote and indirect as my work may be, what I do is for the ultimate benefit and safety of those who serve on the front lines of freedom. The warfighter deserves my best effort, no matter how minor my role may be. May God bless and protect them all.

In the solitude of my viewing experience, I knew I would not be strong enough to hold back the tears. Yet as I reflect further, though, I realize I was mistaken.

For I am strong enough - strong enough not to hold back the tears. Strong enough to not even try.

Clue #1

Something tells me that I may need to clean out my gutters ...


When you leave things unattended for too long, things grow where clearly they should not.

Father's Day

As I sat in my chair this morning, enjoying my coffee with homemade expressions of love from my family by my side, I read a wonderful post on the topics of honor and fatherhood. If you are a dad, I recommend it to you as required reading. Some excerpts:

A good father reveals the nature of honor to his sons and daughters through his conduct. He is loyal to his wife and children, despite the easy temptations offered by the modern world. He works to build a better future for them, rather than waiting for it to be dropped in his lap, or demanding others provide it for him. He rejoices in this task, and his joy is so obvious that his family forgives his occasional moments of weariness or frustration. Through marriage, he has chosen duty over indulgence. He sees the intricate beauty of permanence, when the flickering neon light of passing fancy is more obvious. Honor is one of the many frequencies of love. ...

The honor we inherit from our fathers makes us adventurers, explorers, architects, and paladins. Without it, too many people become predatory, or sessile. Either way, those people are clay to be molded by the will of others. When we act in the name of our fathers, we bear the strength of history. Deprived of this strength, many are trapped forever in the present moment, with past and future beyond their reach. A good father teaches us that the past and future come as a set.

Read the whole thing. I can only hope that despite my imperfection and all too frequent failures in parenting, that my sons inherit some portion of this idea of honor - indeed one of the many frequencies of love.

Happy Father's Day to all.

Ranking Pixar

Toy Story 3 is opening this weekend in movie theaters. While going to see the latest Pixar feature is certainly on the to-do list, I believe I can wait until the second or third wave of movie-goers pass by. In the meantime however, ew.com decided to celebrate this 11th film from the studio that saved Disney animated family fare by ranking the first ten. Their list, in reverse order:

10. A Bug's Life
9. Monsters, Inc.
8. Ratatouille
7. Toy Story 2
6. Cars
5. Up
4. Finding Nemo
3. WALL-E
2. The Incredibles
1. Toy Story

Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, so allow me to share mine. Granted, the number one Disney animated feature of all time is The Jungle Book, which of course will never be surpassed. Nevertheless, Pixar rejuvenated the Disney movie brand, and so here is my ranking, top to bottom:

1. The Incredibles
First of all, this movie features a fantastic soundtrack by Michael Giacchino. Besides the homage to the comic book & superhero genre, The Incredibles suggests that gifts and talents should not be suppressed for the sake of fitting in to whatever is normal. Rather, the uniqueness of gifting and talent should be cultivated for the good of others. Did I mention I love the soundtrack? Moderately quotable too. "We'll get there when we get there!" "What are you waiting for? ... Something amazing I guess." "That was totally wicked!"

2. Up
This one had to grow on me; at first I wasn't really sure how I felt about it. Over time however, I have come to deeply appreciate this story. I love the story of a love that doesn't end even when one passes away, but even more, I appreciate the insistence that as long as we live and breathe, we can continue to be an influence and make a difference in the lives of others - and in that journey, rediscover a joy and purpose in living no matter what our age. I can only hope and pray that I never stop living purposefully and productively. "Squirrel!"

3. Finding Nemo
I love this movie both for its story and the animation. I remember just being stunned at the ocean-life imagery on the big screen. Great combination of drama and comedy just makes this a fully enjoyable experience. I often go around quoting Crush, the great sea turtle, to the immense annoyance of my children. "Mr. Turtle is my fa-ther!" "Pschaw!" "To-tally!" "You made me ink!"

4. Toy Story
Classic movie, always enjoyable, and always quotable. The best part of the Toy Story movies is the all-star casting of voices. "You are a child's .. Plaything!" "Too infinity … " (you can finish the rest).

5. WALL-E
When I first saw this movie in the theater, I remember being fully enamored by the visual spacescapes. I confess though, I was somewhat put off by the environmentalist themes, although I get the fact that it was more of a prop than a preaching. The bigger statement, however, was illustrated in a society so beholden to online community that they nearly lost all sense of their humanity, until a sequence of events led to a simple human touch that in turn led to an awakening of sorts. A warning perhaps? Only quote that matters: "Waaa-llll-eeeeee."

At this point, I'll make note that while the order is different, my top 5 and that of ew.com contains the same movies. Hmm.

6. Monsters, Inc.
I love this movie for the gag comedy. It's just a great laugh, thanks to the efforts of Billy Crystal. "Put that thing back where it came from, or so help me, (BOM-bom-Bom-bom) …" "Mike Wazowski!" "I'm watching … always watching …"

7. Toy Story 2
I'm not a big fan of sequels in the Disney-verse. I thought Toy Story should have stood on its own. I did enjoy Toy Story 2, complete with the Star Wars spoofing. And again, great voice casting - especially Kelsey Grammer, Wayne Knight, and Wallace Shawn. "Buzz, Buzz! My backend's going to Baton Rouge!" "I'm Buzz Lightyear. No, I'm Buzz Lightyear!"

8. Ratatouille
In time, this one will move up the list. I do find myself enjoying it more each time I watch it. "Don't just hork it down!" is a favorite quote around our dinner table.

9. Cars
It may seem odd that I put this one down at number 9, but the reality is that numbers 6-9 are all pretty close. I enjoy them all. I did pass through a bit of Cars fatigue though, perhaps due to the over-marketing and the repetition (it was my boys' favorite for a while). Mater is most definitely one of the most enjoyable sidekicks around. "I don't need to know where I'm going, I just need to know where I've been." "Whoo-eee! I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!" "She just loves me for my bo-dy."

10. A Bug's Life
This one is my least favorite. I just never really could identify with it, and I probably won't bother to watch it again. "Ladies and gentlebugs! Larvae of all stages! Rub your legs together for the world's greatest bug circus!"

Well, there's my ranking. No doubt, Pixar makes great films. I can only hope that the other planned sequels for Cars and Monsters, Inc. are decent. I'm nervous that the rash of sequels is driven in part because of a dearth of new ideas. They certainly have set the bar high for themselves.

See you at the movies!

Watchman at The Gap

In many ways, I live an introspective life. By this, I mean that my mind never, ever ceases. I am always thinking, wondering, puzzling - and yes, worrying. I wonder about the nature of things, the behavior of societies, the motives of the heart; I am always, always observing. And it frequently exhausts me.

I find this to be both blessing and curse. The blessing comes in those moments of insight and revelation from above that fill me with hope and glimpses of understanding. The curse comes in those moments when the inner vortex temporarily blocks the light, resulting in paralytic depression. To say that I have a tendency to over-analyze everything would be an understatement. I am constantly seeking that framework, that context that provides order and meaning to the way things work, the way people are, the purpose for which we live. Such matters are inseparable from faith, because so much of individual and collective behavior is linked to a corresponding belief system, regardless of its definition. Actions (or inactions) are always driven by motive compelled by belief (for even "lack of belief" is a rooted belief system). Some of these are good, some are not - although they can be difficult to judge apart from some moral standard.

I listened to a sermon podcast this morning that reminded me that actions of kindness, mercy and grace - particularly offered to the stranger who is yet our neighbor - are merely the fruit of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not the actions themselves which enable salvation ("not by works") - but the relationship that transforms and empowers and stimulates us to service. "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.' Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." (James 2:18)

As I pondered this reminder, I was further touched by a story that seems to be making the rounds in various international papers this weekend. It is the story of an 84 year old man, Don Ritchie, who over the past 50 years has personally intervened and prevented scores of suicide attempts at a cliff known as the Gap near Sydney, Australia. I urge you to read for yourself the accounts from the Sydney Morning Herald and the Independent. In the latter, I found myself profoundly moved by this excerpt (emphasis mine):

Lost souls who stood atop the cliff, wondering whether to jump, say their salvation was a soft voice breaking the sound of the wind and the waves, asking: "Why don't you come and have a cup of tea?"

And when they turned to the stranger, they say his smile made them want to live.

Mr. Ritchie, who lives across the street from The Gap, is widely regarded as a guardian angel who has shepherded countless people away from the edge.

What some consider grim, Mr. Ritchie considers a gift.

"You can't just sit there and watch them," he said, perched on his beloved green leather chair, from which he keeps a watchful eye on the cliff outside.

"You gotta try and save them. It's pretty simple."

How easy it is for us to become completely self-absorbed with our own struggles, fears, and preoccupations. We allow that inner vortex to block the light and in so doing, become convinced that we alone are suffering. Sometimes we feel like the one standing at the edge, wanting someone to come to our aid and getting frustrated when they don't. Yet we are not alone, and there is a voice calling, pleading, saying: Just turn around, step away from the edge, and walk in a new direction toward what you know is true. The believer is called to look outward, not just inward. To look upward, not just downward. To see that which is right before us - opportunities to be that soft voice, that friend, that intercessor that stands in the gap to prevent any more lost souls from leaping off the cliff into despair, disillusionment, depression and destruction.

It's all very simple, you see. Believer, you can't just sit there and watch. "You gotta try."

(h/t: Lori Ziganto)

Iranian Ships Headed for Gaza

I promise, I will blog about other topics this month. But this will bear watching over the next week. Potential for fireworks: 60%.

Iran is sending aid ships to blockaded Gaza, state radio said on Monday -- a move likely to be considered provocative by Israel which accuses Tehran of arming the Palestinian enclave's Islamist rulers, Hamas.

One ship left port on Sunday and another will depart by Friday, loaded with food, construction material and toys, the report said. The boats would be part of international efforts to break Israel's isolation of the Gaza Strip.

"Until the end of the Gaza blockade, Iran will continue to ship aid," said an official at Iran's Society for the Defence of the Palestinian Nation.

For now, it appears that the Iranian Republican Guard is staying on the sidelines, despite some preliminary noise to the contrary. It's going to be a long, hot summer.

Empowering the UN vs. Israel?

I confess, this gets under my skin. In ideal circumstances, the UN would strictly be an organization that provides a forum for international dialogue and diplomacy. Instead, it is treated too often as an unelected higher authority to which all nations should be subjugated. I tend to live in the camp that the UN should not trump any national interests, and that the UN should not have any authority in policing its member states. There are pros and cons to this, of course, but simply put, I believe the UN itself should not have any legal or judicial authority to prosecute nations or individuals in civil, legal or military matters. To allow such power to reside in the UN is to surrender sovereignty.

In the most general sense, the president should be a defender of America and her allies. Despite numerous differences in opinion with regard to policy, I will support a president who seeks to represent the American ideals of freedom and liberty to the world. But I'm finding it difficult to stomach the continuing turn against Israel this administration appears to be taking (emphasis mine):

THE WEEKLY STANDARD has learned that senior Obama administration officials have been telling foreign governments that the administration intends to support an effort next week at the United Nations to set up an independent commission, under UN auspices, to investigate Israel's behavior in the Gaza flotilla incident. The White House has apparently shrugged off concerns from elsewhere in the U.S. government that a) this is an extraordinary singling out of Israel, since all kinds of much worse incidents happen around the world without spurring UN investigations; b) that the investigation will be one-sided, focusing entirely on Israeli behavior and not on Turkey or on Hamas; and c) that this sets a terrible precedent for outside investigations of incidents involving U.S. troops or intelligence operatives as we conduct our own war on terror.

Why on earth are we turning against such a key ally? How does such a step possibly benefit the security interests of America and the Mideast? Is the administration simply trying to curry favor with "the world"?

The world is indeed going mad ... and so, apparently, are we.

Update 4:17pm: According to the Jerusalem Post, the administration is denying any intent to support a UN investigation into Israel's role in the flotilla incident. We'll have to wait and see what actually happens. Here's hoping the original Weekly Standard report isn't accurate.

Something Lighter - After LOST

If you were not an avid fan of ABC's Lost, this post will probably not make any sense to you. But those of you who did watch Lost, perhaps you can identify.

Things I've discovered or done since Lost ended two weeks ago:

1. Children? I have children?
2. Vacuumed 500 square feet of months-old sawdust. (really)
3. Primed 48 (blankety-blank) bookshelves. (really - I have the back trauma to prove it!)
4. Attended 4 baseball games in stifling heat and the threat of storms.
5. Watched it rain 8 or 9 inches (had to be).
6. Thanks to all the rain, mowed the yard 27 times. (minor exaggeration)
7. Realized that Star Trek:TNG is sooo 1980's. It was even 80's during the 90's.
8. Checked EW.com and Doc Jensen's Twitter page twice a day out of habit.
9. Rewatched the Lost finale with those useless pop-up notes from ABC, that only seem to say the utterly obvious.
10. Resisted the urge to run out the back porch screaming "WAAALLLLLTTTTT!!!!"

In closing, in honor of the contributions of the Dharma Initiative to the island mystery, a closing video from the Hanso Foundation, courtesy Jimmy Kimmel Live:


Sigh. Time to "move on." But it was fun. What a great, deeply thought provoking show.

Mideast Watch

It was bad enough that the government of Turkey sanctioned the attempt by so-called peace activists to run an Israeli military blockade of Gaza. This blockade, which even analysts for Reuters recognize as legal per international law, aims to stem the flow of non-humanitarian shipments into Gaza-direct. Legitimate humanitarian resources are readily allowed into Gaza, once inspected by Israeli officials. Remember, the blockade is in place because Hamas controls Gaza, and they like to shoot rockets from Gaza into Israel indiscriminately.

But the attempts to run the blockade have everything to do with political media show, and little to do with true humanitarian cause. The leadership of Turkey is flexing its muscle in the region, to the point where now the Turkish prime minister Erdogan is considering sending future flotillas against the blockade accompanied by the Turkish navy. He is even considering personally making the journey to Gaza to help break the blockade. To make matters worse, Iran also wants to play. They plan to send ships too. Turkish and Iranian ships against an Israeli blockade. I sure do hope the State Department is in overdrive here, even if behind the scenes.

I've quoted Professor Paul Rahe of Hillsdale College before. In a article for BigGovernment.com, he writes (emphasis mine):

There were six ships in the Gaza Flotilla. Only one of them was the source of any trouble, and it was a Turkish craft to a considerable degree manned by Turks. That Hamas and its allies should have staged such an incident is only what we should expect. That the Turkish government should have a hand in such a matter, as it evidently did – that is disturbing in the extreme.

If Recep Tayyip Erdoğan succeeds in his quest, there will be a major change in the balance of power in the Middle East. These days, apart from the Islamic Republic of Iran and its ally Syria, there is no state of any real significance in the Middle East that sponsors terrorism. But Turkey now appears to be coming down on the side of Hamas and Hezbollah, and that really matters. Turkey is a regional power of no mean importance. It has a first-rate army and a fine military tradition; and, when Turks throw themselves into a fight, they mean business. Turkey has weight.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, an epoch is about to come to an end. Soon, Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for nearly thirty years, will pass from the scene. I would not be surprised if his successor, responding to the impulses felt by the younger generation, were to ally himself with the Muslim Brotherhood. There is a storm gathering in the Middle East, and at the White House, alas, it is amateur hour, for the United States now has a President who appears to be blithely unaware of the consequences – or worse: unconcerned or even vaguely sympathetic to the transformation about to take place.

Turkey is a member of NATO, which complicates matters significantly. The apparent trajectories of Turkey and Egypt, once able partners with the U.S. in general support of Israel's right to exist, is a troubling development. I will not go as far as Professor Rahe does in criticizing the White House, but it is troubling that they seem to have little to say publicly. Nevertheless, I would rather them exercise some caution, given that Turkey and Israel, though now apparently at odds with one another, are both still allies of the U.S. But if Turkey does indeed decide to cast its lot with Iran, Syria and terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, we should be very, very concerned.

Little good can come from the standoff of Israeli, Turkish and Iranian naval vessels in close proximity. We shall see.

Anxious Thoughts on Israel

When I was in high school, I had to do a current events project for my American Government class. I was not the news junkie then that I am today, and my understanding of the world and its politics was woefully uninformed. I went to the library and grabbed a newspaper article on whatever constituted the "Middle East peace process" of the late 80's. Based on this single reference, I produced a poster that rather poorly depicted the United States as pouring gasoline on the Israeli-PLO conflict, while holding back the "water" that would bring peace. As I recall, my mother later told me that she had to remove the poster from the table where I had been working on it, as it highly upset my father.

I'm reminded of that episode, not because it has anything to do with any differences between my politics and that of my father. No, I'm reminded of my own ignorance, as I watch the latest crisis surrounding Israel taking shape. The news has been filled in recent days of the attempt by a Turkish flotilla loaded with supplies and "activists" to run a naval blockade Israel has imposed on Gaza. There are options for getting humanitarian supplies to Gaza, which go through various checkpoints for inspection. The blockade exists to ensure that ONLY humanitarian supplies get to the people who live under control of Hamas, an organization designated as terrorist by the U.S. Bottom line, these Turkish "activists" attempted to run a military blockade. At least 10 paid the price.

Israel has long been a strong U.S. ally. But the signs are everywhere that this alliance is weakening, as the political holy grail of Mideast peace beckons. The U.S. signed onto a U.N. resolution that singles out Israel negatively, in the interest of a nuclear free region (while nothing substantive is said about Iran's progress toward becoming a nuclear nation). Further, the administration appears not to be defending the legitimacy of the blockade, and is being condemned by the State Department. Not to mention the audacity of the U.S. government trying to tell a sovereign nation where it can and cannot build apartment complexes.

I find it rather illuminating that the so-called peace "activists" were armed, and several appear to have direct ties to jihadist organizations. Nevertheless, it appears that none will be prosecuted, but rather will be deported and otherwise released.

Israel is in a constant state of conflict and isolation. Yet this time, I feel a sense of foreboding. There's the flotilla incident; Lebanon tried to shoot down an Israeli plane; Iran keeps rattling the saber as it flaunts the world in its pursuit of nuclear weapon technology; and a less friendly posture between Israel and the U.S. Beyond the strategic value of the relationship in a volatile region, there is a very real connection between Israel and America that goes beyond geopolitics. No doubt, America has its Jew-haters. But we do share a common spiritual heritage, albeit with one major distinction and chasm. In all of this, I cannot help but to think that there is great danger in turning our backs against Israel. With so much of the world turning up its condemnation of Israel, I can foresee a worst-case scenario that places us on the sidelines watching a Euro-Arab-Persian perpetration of a second Holocaust.

I can only pray that these straits are not so dire. Yet then I read an account of an American rabbi in Israel, who sometimes blogs at Sense of Events. He writes of life as a parent in what is presumed to become a new theater of war. I find myself deeply moved by this inside sense of things, apart from the news media. My take is this: unless the winds shift soon, a major Mideast war is at hand. And what awaits us if that happens?

My late grandfather had quite the interest in end-times prophecies. The last time I saw him, many years ago, he pulled me aside and looked me directly in the eye, earnestly saying: "Jesus is coming back soon. He's coming. It will happen in your lifetime." I simply and warmly responded, "I know, Grandpa."

From a theology standpoint, I tend to be very much in the realm that we can know neither the day nor the hour of the Lord's return. Signs of the end times have been prevalent since His Ascension. I would prefer to focus my energies not on what may or may not be signs pointing to the fulfillment of prophecy, but rather on the ministry of today, and the impact that today can have on eternity.

Yet a part of me does wonder, and what I see unfolding reminds me of how temporary this all is. The last 20 years have been distinctly tumultuous. I'm afraid we haven't seen anything yet.

Perhaps Grandpa was onto something.

For a Dream

During the late 90's, my wife and I used to produce videos and other media for our church. This was back in the early days of PC-based video capture software, and frankly was quite a time-consuming challenge. We gave it up after a while; while we were technically competent and did the best we could with the technology we could afford, the artistic intuition required was not really our strong suit.

At any rate, one of the videos we produced is a perfect fit for a Memorial Day post. May God bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom: that of today and that of tomorrow.


Credits:
Music: "For a Dream" Phillips, Craig and Dean. Star Song Music. 1992.
WWII Images: National Archives
Other images from The Visual Bible: Matthew. GNN International Corp. and Visual Bible, LLC. 1993.

Update: Despite my attempts to properly credit all content, both in the text of the post and embedded in the original video, EMI has blocked access to the video. Sorry about that. It was a good video, though.

Turkey Lane

School's out. Skies of full of thunder and hail. Sounds like the perfect time to go ...

Bowling!

Guys only. And yes, I trounced my children. Two games, I pulled in a 205 and a 158. Fun was had by all.

During my preteen years, I bowled in a youth league. But my real bowling heyday was during my college years. I bowled fairly frequently back then, especially the last 4 quarters I was in school. I played on Auburn Wesley's intramural team the year we tied for the league championship. My running average that season was in the 170's. The all too rare outings since graduation have rarely given me games even close to that.

But today felt good. It was much better than sitting around playing Wii or watching TV. I even was able to start teaching my oldest how to employ more proper techniques to the game.

It's a good start to a 3.5 day weekend, and a chance to post something light for a change.

Appreciating Mystery

TV's Lost is coming to an end this Sunday. Until Lost came around, I had largely avoided much of what the big networks had to offer. Our TV watching prior to this show was largely limited to TVLand, Nick@Nite, and USA. But after getting badgered into watching the first two seasons of Lost on DVD, I acquiesced into making that show a part of my weekly schedule. I have been fascinated at the way this show weaves heady themes of dark and light, faith and science, destiny and coincidence - all very familiar, existential themes cloaked in a new version of old mythologies. While not overtly spiritual in any particular sense, there are spiritual themes throughout that give rise to the subtle undertones of truth, or at least, of the mystery that so often surrounds the truth of our being.

Mind you, I'm using truth here with a lowercase "t," because I am not suggesting that the storytellers of Lost are attempting to convey biblical truth as the foundational philosophy of the show. But neither do they overtly reject it. Remarkably though, they have captured the basic ethos of the spiritual struggles of our era in the context of an entertaining and suspenseful plot. But I'm not here today to pull back the curtain and examine how God might speak through the creative gifts of ordinary people. Nor am I going to theorize as to what it all means, or spend time exploring all the deliberate placements of literature, namesake characters, and mythologies the way the estimable Doc Jensen does on ew.com. Rather, I simply want to call attention to something I read while reading the various essay and blog posts of fans giving tribute to the conclusion of a wonderfully mysterious show.

In his post on the upcoming finale, "Frank" at popinitiative.com captured the following quote from J.J. Abrams (emphasis mine):

“Mystery, now more than ever, has special meaning. Because it’s the anomaly, the glaring affirmation that the Age of Immediacy has a meaningful downside. Mystery demands that you stop and consider — or, at the very least, slow down and discover. It’s a challenge to get there yourself, on its terms, not yours…The experience of the doing really is everything. The ending should be the end of that experience, not the experience itself.”
- J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams is big on the idea of maintaining and treasuring "the mystery." (For more on his thoughts about this, check out his presentation on TED.com) or on YouTube).

With regard to the show, I too originally wanted answers to the mystery. We're wired that way. We want answers to questions, be it our math homework or the meaning of life. Yet the best stories I have ever read always leave enough mystery to get me thinking, to keep me wondering, and to free me to imagine. This Age of Immediacy, if nothing else creates an inner tension that leads to a strange dichotomy: the faster I feel the need to go to get to my destination, the more I ache to slow down and simply be. That's why pictures like this take my breath away.

In both my spiritual walk and in my everyday life, the mystery of the moment is something to be discovered, pondered and treasured. The mystery of creation, with all we know and don't know, gives rise to even more of the same. Strange as it may seem, if we allow ourselves to appreciate it, there is energy, there is discovery, there is enlightenment, and yes - even contentment - in not knowing the answers to everything. I am not suggesting a path of willful ignorance - far from it. But I am suggesting that contentment, and even pleasure, can be found in the experience of the mystery. And in that mystery lays the opportunity for revelation - of Truth - that connects and engages more than just the mind, but the soul as well.

This Age of Immediacy definitely has a downside. Not every question can be answered with a search on Google. Figuratively, we need a taste of that island adventure, to sit outside the lighthouse and stare at the ocean for hours on end, if only to recover our perspective. Accepting that mystery is a vital part of this temporary existence frees us to embrace and appreciate it all the more.

How amazing would it be for our story to end with a new beginning, a new mystery completely free from the destructive and repetitive cycles of the past. At the risk of seriously cluttering up the conclusion of this concept, I'm reminded of the closing words in the series finale of Quantum Leap, in which it was said of the main character: "Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home." The continuation of purpose interwoven in the mystery and wonder of eternity ...

Now wouldn't that be something?

Update (8:30pm): Similar thoughts at the Wall Street Journal.

Potential vs. Calling

A few months ago, someone sent me a link to a video excerpt from a message given by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I have watched it numerous times since, not merely to absorb its meaning (it is fairly straightforward), but rather, trying to absorb its meaning for me. I can see applications in several areas: as mid-level manager in a small business, as a parent, and as someone who was once (and will be again) involved in ministry.

First, watch this video ( ~ 8 minutes):


This idea of pursuing your calling and not your potential rings true to me. Around 2:20, Driscoll talks about the mistakes businesses make, when they pursue their potential as opposed to their calling. I believe I've seen that happen with every employer I've had. Each seems to lack that sense of corporate identity that says "This is who we were are, this is our mission, this is our purpose, and what we produce reflects that set of core values and capabilities." Instead, too often, it's: "We got some smart people, and we can do anything we put our minds to."

The substitution of potential and calling occurs in our churches too. Churches often spread their resources into a wide variety of ministries, and each has potential to bear fruit, representing a wonderful reflection of the heart of God for His people. Yet too often some ministries exist for the sake of themselves, and become the end rather than the means to an end. Churches all have a common mission, but each has a unique calling to the community they serve, and their ministries should reflect that calling. We should not let a number of "good things" distract us from the "first things." When our ministries are aligned to our calling, to a vision we can see and articulate, we find that what we are about is "unto something." That sense of purpose, of being unto something, is essential to maintaining passion in our service and our discipleship.

For an institution or organization of any kind to find long-lasting success, it must have that vision, that burning sense of purpose that burns more brightly than anything else that might serve to distract from its fundamental calling. It is the assurance and embrace of that calling that allows the organization to focus its efforts and resources on those activities that "best" aligns with its vision, avoiding those initiatives which may be "good," but not as well aligned.

To go even deeper, I discovered long ago that my individual efforts flounder when not aligned to a greater purpose. I have to be "unto something." Not just "doing something," but being "unto something." I'll explore this in a later post, as I have another video which I'd like to leverage. But fundamentally, it comes down to this: I'm called to bear fruit (John 15:16). Not for my sake, but for the sake of that which is greater and unto something.

I once thought I had all of this figured out, but I'm finding that much of it I'm having to relearn. But living life without the focus of purpose, well, it makes me feel empty. I'd rather be full, and aligned to a greater vision. Hm.

Catching the Wave

Alas, it is not a precursor to a tachyon detection grid. But NASA and the European Space Agency have cooked up an idea that is reminiscent of such imagined technology. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is being developed in the hopes of detecting gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are a phenomena that was predicted by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, but so far have never been directly detected. The LISA program aims to do just that, however:

LISA consists of three identical spacecraft flying in a triangular constellation, with equal arms of 5 million kilometers each. As gravitational waves from distant sources reach LISA, they warp space-time, stretching and compressing the triangle. Thus, by precisely monitoring the separation between the spacecraft, we can measure the waves; and by studying the shape and timing of the waves we can learn about the nature and evolution of the systems that emitted them.

These "arms" referred to in the preceding paragraph are actually lasers:

LISA's implementation of interferometric measurements resembles the technique known as spacecraft Doppler tracking, but it is realized with infrared laser light instead of radio waves. The laser light going out from one spacecraft to the other corners is not reflected back directly, because diffraction losses over such long distances would be too great. Instead, the phase of the incoming laser is measured, and used to set the phase of the outgoing laser, which is transmitted back at full intensity: this process is known as transponding. When the transponded laser light arrives back at the original spacecraft, it is superposed with a portion of the original laser beam, and their phases compared.

The physics behind this is quite beyond me, not to mention the challenge of aiming two separate lasers per craft at targets 5 million kilometers away. According to the NASA site, a technology demonstration is scheduled for 2012, so there is still a long way to go before we'll see the fruit of this effort. Nevertheless, if nearly 100 years after Einstein postulated his theory, evidence of gravitation wave energy can be measured, it will say something astounding about the brilliance of a man who did more to shape our modern understanding of physics than anyone else. Dude!

(h/t: Gizmodo)

The Bailout Bane

Generally speaking, I try to avoid news stories and headlines about the economy. This reticence dates back to the days when the newspaper came to my door, when I usually discarded the business section. To me, forcing my brain to wrap itself around business and economic topics is an effort I find as appealing as a bowl of cottage cheese. To put it more succinctly in the slang: blech.

Reading about the economy makes my head hurt. Reading about the politics of the economy, however, makes it hurt worse. Taxpayers have bailed out banks, auto companies, insurance companies and the mortgage industry, and will receive nothing in return from those recipients of government underwriting. Now, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, those government-owned mortgage "companies," are looking for additional billions in bailouts. The European Union, with some encouragement from Washington, has just agreed to pony up another trillion dollars to stabilize their economy after the bailout of Greece. Mind you, all of this money - all of this revenue - does not exist. It represents revenue that has yet to be produced or collected. It is akin to that money you put on your credit card, in the hope that over time, you'll make the money you need to pay off the debt in the future. But if you rely too heavily on the model of deficit spending (spending future money, beyond current revenues), you quickly fall behind, and your debt liability increases dramatically.

The graphic found on the blog at Heritage.org is telling. (Note: While the graphic is informative, I do take some issue with the tone of the post. Deficit spending by our government is not a new phenomenon, and the blame should be shared by decades of Congressional and Presidential budget busters from both parties. I will allow, however, that there may be times when deficit spending is appropriate, but ideally this should be the exception rather than the norm). That said, the finger-pointing about the origins of the recent economic turmoil have no logical bearing on the continued decisions to accelerate deficit spending. The numbers show that the current projected annual deficit reflected in the budget proposals of the current administration far outpace that executed by the previous administration. To blame yesterday's administration for the spending of today's administration is simply tu quoque. It diverts from the real issue of defending your choices by accusing someone else of making similar choices, thereby allowing you to avoid having to defend your choices. Not exactly an honorable or intellectually honest approach.

Moving on. Economically speaking, we live in the Age of Debt and Deficit, (alternatively, the Age of Entitlement). Some argue that this is the natural consequence of materialistic and capitalistic social structures, feeding the compulsion for instant gratification. And to be sure, it is hard to deny the causality. But other sociopolitical models such as communism and socialism have their own problems. For no matter the structure, you have producers and consumers. Ideally, I am both a producer and a consumer, and not one or the other. Certain types of regulation, however, interfere with that balance. Placing artificial controls over what producers produce, and what consumers consume, inhibits both and is thus detrimental to the overall economy. It places control and power in the hands of the decision makers, and often results in the classification of people into labor groups. For example, much is made out of the "middle" class, that arbitrary space between those in poverty and those considered wealthy. The gap between the rich and the poor, and all that. This is an artificial construct, and arguably unnecessary for a healthy society. Yet even the socialist ideals of equality and entitlement by design create arbitrary classes: the political elite that make the decisions, various protected classes based on preferential selection, and the laborers. Furthermore, the drive for equality and entitlement necessarily lowers both the median and the mean in terms of prosperity.

I'm a simple transaction kind of guy. I consider it wise and prudent to make more than I spend. When my net income is reduced, I spend less. I strive to reduce my debt liability at every opportunity, but am willing to spend when I believe the investment is advantageous or the expenditure is affordable (fun is an important part of life, evidenced by several trips to Disney - but it is always paid for, taking advantage of good deals wherever they may be found).

I don't live my life thinking that I am entitled to anything this world has to offer. I am blessed, to be sure, and I labor for my wages. Hard times may come, and if they do, I'll adjust and continue to labor to provide for my family.

I certainly don't know what the future holds for the economy. It seems reasonable to me, however, that the Age of Debt and Deficit is a house of cards waiting to fall. And the consequences of such an event will be … severe. It may also be transformative in way that is entirely unpredictable. What happens then is beyond me - and makes my head hurt.

For now, I will simply continue to live within my means, and focus on those things I can control instead of worrying about what I cannot. It sure would be nice, though, if our political class would slow the headlong rush toward insolvency.

An Unnecessary Warning Label

In the 90's, advocacy groups for concerned parents successfully pushed for warning labels to be placed on music albums with explicit lyrics. The effort made sense prior to the age of the internet, where now parents can do their own research on such things prior to purchase. Other types, such as warning labels on medicines required by the FDA are commonplace as well. Again, it makes sense. We live in the age of disclaimers and warning labels, primarily because we are such a litigious society. But this label, on a paperback copy of The Constitution of the United States of America, The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, is in my view quite unnecessary:

© Wilder Publications 2008

This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work.

According to Walter Olson of Cato, it appears that this disclaimer is boilerplate material used on several of their re-published works.

I take issue with the idea that our Founding documents are products "of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today." I take issue, but I fear that it might actually be true.

Far from needing a warning label, I think I'd prefer the material to be required reading. Or perhaps an alternative warning:

This book is a product of its time, but was written for present and future generations. It may not reflect the same values as is common today. Reading this book may be hazardous to such contemporary notions, as it has shown in certain cases to raise awareness of, and reawaken in others, the concepts of liberty, freedom, and the principle of "consent of the governed." Parents might wish to brush up on such topics, and be prepared to discuss these classic and relevant works with their children.

No Time to Discuss This in Committee

Yes, I suppose I am two days late in the proper recognition of that quintessential American holiday known as "Star Wars Day." According to WookieePedia, this is the day legions of fans come out to text their friends and family, "May the 4th be with you!"

So, in order to correct my (General) grievous oversight of this important and illustrious commemoration, I do hereby proudly present a link to "The Fastest and Funniest LEGO Star Wars Story Ever Told":


LEGO Star Wars rules! And I am NOT a committee!