Monday, August 11, 2014

On Suicide and Our Love for Its Victims



When there is a death in the public sphere, society and social media tend to center around it and feel a personal sense of loss.  And that sense is very much real.  I have spent more time with Robin Williams' work in my life than with some of my extended family.  I have spent more time reading Star Wars books than biology books.  This shows us that there is some real loss in our lives, even if we have never met the deceased in their lifetime.
            Also, I work hard to not get excited about celebrities.  I had a very short stint in the theatre as a kid and worked with a few people who are notable.  I saw the chinks in their armor and how they had to take one day at a time. 

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Are the Sith Admirable?



Here is a conversation I had recently on Facebook with a friend.  It was a lot of fun, and I hope you find some benefit in it.  These Sith lovers, sheesh. 

Darth Jersey:  The Sith Empire has a lot of good to it.
1. Structure
2. Discipline
3. The ability to feel.
4. Jedi deny human emotion and the ability to love.
5.Respect for Authority
6.All teachings out of Sith Teachings are anathema
7. There is a judgment day for those who are loyal and unloyal.
8. Love of Empire above all else.
9. Master/Apprentice relationship. One must learn while finding his/her own path. The ways of the teacher at times are always not correct, so the student must come to realization on his own to become his master and to excel beyond.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Luke Skywalker: From Farmboy to Student to Hero of the Rebel Alliance, Part II





            In Empire Strikes Back, we find our heroes on the run.  Having found a base on Hoth, they are now living solely for the opportunity to survive and spread their message.  Luke receives the message that he needs to leave his friends for a little while to receive training in the Jedi arts.  After the evacuation of Hoth, he leaves for Dagobah without any reservation.  It is there that he is given knowledge that he never even knew to ask for before.  He is illuminated with a knowledge that was kept safe from all harm.  It is a knowledge of the deeper mysteries of the universe.  For the Church, " Only in the state of illumination does divine grace makes possible the contemplation of the divine light. The hidden truths of Holy Scripture are not revealed to everyone, since illumination comes through the special divine gift of revelation. For this reason in the early Church, the holy Bible was read only in the Church and only by a charismatic person. In the Orthodox Church, we have never experienced "bibliolatry" or "worship of the Book," as in some sects. The Church holds fast to the unadulterated spirit of the Bible as it was delivered to the Saints, and through them, to us (An Introduction to Orthodox Spirituality at www.goarch.com)."

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Luke Skywalker: From Farmboy to Student to Hero of the Rebel Alliance, Part I





This post has to be written in the next 499 days, in order for it to make sense (assuming the saga of Luke will continue in Episode VIII).  In the life of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, we see a growth from farmboy to hero; from innocent child to mature adult.  The unspoken thing in each of those phrases is the path in between.  Luke went from moisture farmer to student to hero pilot.  He went from his innocence, through an awakening of cause which resulted in a mature Jedi.  This progression is a good way for us to talk about the Christian teaching of theosis.