. . . in times of war and peace, thank you. We owe you deep gratitude for our unique liberty.
Photo: PowerPee/Flikr
Whether you fought the bad guys or kept watch on our borders, thank you for your service.
Photo: soyboy7/Flickr
PowerPatton
This is brilliant. Floyd, over at Threedonia, has turned Gen. George Patton’s famous speech to the Third Army into a PowerPoint.
By the dawn's Erling light, Part 1
Phil has suggested that I write about the American political themes in my Erling Skjalgsson novels. This had never occurred to me, but it’s an excellent idea, because I have indeed had our American republic much in mind as I wrote.
There’s a scene in my novel The Year of the Warrior, where the missionary king Olaf Trygvesson is talking to some Norwegian farmers, trying to persuade them to convert to Christianity. One of the reasons he gives for converting is the glory and wealth of the Christian countries. He speaks of the great cathedrals and palaces in England and France, beside which the low wooden halls of the Norse were unimpressive.
This is emblematic, I think, of a political difference that runs through history, a problem that’s been solved in various ways. How do men live together in a society? Will there be freedom (which can become anarchy), or will one central authority control everything (which can become tyranny)?
In the days of the Romans, and later in the early Middle Ages, there was a division between the Latin cultures—those descended from the Roman empire—and the Germanic cultures, which were generally democratic in nature. I might symbolize them by the Roman palace or basilica, and the Norwegian hall. Continue reading By the dawn's Erling light, Part 1
Linkage
WORLD Magazine reports that Mosab Hassan Yousef has been granted asylum in the United States. The son of a Hamas founder, he turned against terrorism, spied for Israel, and embraced Christianity. Youself had been threatened with deportation for his past terrorist associations. That would certainly have resulted in his murder.
In his book, Yousef describes growing up admiring Hamas and hating Israel. He said he bought machine guns and a handgun in 1996, but the guns didn’t work and he was arrested by Israeli forces before he killed anyone.
Yousef says he started working with Shin Bet after witnessing Hamas brutalities in prison that left him disillusioned. He gravitated toward Christianity after his release in 1997, joining a study group after a chance encounter with a British tourist at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
Thank God. Thank God.
DISCOVER Magazine reports on scientists who are studying a unique form of sign language, developed by deaf schoolchildren in Nicaragua. The researchers are discovering new things about the power of language, and the very real effects it has on how we think about our world (or don’t).
This is a fascinating result, especially since the first group of adults were older and had been signing for a longer time. It’s clear evidence that our spatial reasoning skills depend, to an extent, on consistent spatial language. If we lack the right words, our mental abilities are limited in a way that extra life experience can’t fully compensate for. Even 30 years of navigating through the world won’t do the trick.
Tip: Mirabilis.
Maybe I exist after all!
I’m sitting here dumbfounded. Andrew Klavan–THE Andrew Klavan, the power cord of whose laptop I am not worthy to untangle–has linked to my story about the “outing” of my pastor, in its separate life over at The American Culture.
Nunc dimittis.
Pastoral letter from the future
A PASTORAL LETTER
From Bishop Judith Hardanger-Hansen
Dearly beloved,
There has been considerable dissension in our fellowship recently, and a number of hard words have been spoken, causing much pain. I feel it my obligation to address the matter directly, exercising openmindedness and charity, both to the enlightened, Christ-like people who agree with me, and the knuckle-dragging Nazis on the other side.
From its inception, the Merry Pride movement has been like the wind of the Holy Spirit, breathing new life and new ideas into the church. Sadly, however, some people do not welcome change, and run from the challenges of a new day.
In case anyone reading this is unaware of recent history (home-schooled people, perhaps), the term “Merry” was adopted by the oppressed group formerly known as “adulterers,” employing a pun on the word “marry,” to give their lifestyle a more positive public face. They felt it intolerable to be forced to live any longer with a name that bore the weight of centuries of misunderstanding, prejudice, and oppression. Continue reading Pastoral letter from the future
Kagan Supports Book Banning
Judicial nominee Elena Kagan, presently before the Senate in confirmation hearings, apparently has no problem banning books and other media when the right people want to. You can listen to the audio on the linked post.
The opposition clarifies the issue for us. “Right-wing media are distorting comments Elena Kagan made during arguments before the Supreme Court to falsely claim she said ‘it’s fine if the law bans books.’ In fact, in the video the right is citing, Kagan never said ‘it’s fine if the law bans books’; she specifically argued that federal law had never banned books and likely could not do so.”
That’s so true. I did not hear her say, “It’s fine if the law bans books.” I heard her say that the statute has never been applied to books and no one ever wanted to apply it to books. The Supreme Court Justices make it clear that the law does apply to books, but Kagan argues no one will ever enforce that application.
In other news, Hon. Kagan claims to be an originalist in one sense.
Why Are the Big Books All on One Shelf?
Alastair Harper writes about literary novels being so difficult.
We read books that were clearly quite brilliant, if only we could understand them. They might, as we never admitted to each other, baffle us now, but hopefully we’d come out the other side stronger, better people for the experience. Maybe one day we’d even impress some girls.
He closes the article asking for recommendations and warnings on difficult book. Which ones are worthwhile; which ones are worthless?
"Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation."
All Star-Spangled Banner lyrics below the fold. Continue reading "Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation."
Relying Not on Ourselves
2 Corinthians 8-10 ESV–For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
I’ve been praying during the night for a few people who would identify with Paul’s suffering, but beyond that the applications are legion, aren’t they? Self-serving officials, the mess in the gulf (now being called a dead zone), crime in our cities, conflict in our families, illnesses or injustices or simple unemployment among our friends and acquaintances. No matter what the next step may be for one of these problems, it is to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He is all-sufficient, merciful, and righteous.