Fasten Your Seatbelts

Brilliant:

"If Air Travel Worked Like Health Care":



Hat-tip: Sully

"Collectively Immature"

Best quote yet stemming from the undie-bomber incident:

"I think this notion that the state can protect us at all times from all things is fucking absurd, delusional and collectively immature."

-- Ta-Nehisi Coates reacting to David Brooks

2036

What are you doing in 2036?

That's the year I turn 60 (God willing).

From my morning train reading in today's Wall Street Journal:

As asteroids go, Apophis is a whopper, measuring 1,000 feet across, about the size of the Rose Bowl. In 2029 it will make its first pass around the earth, so close that it will travel beneath our communication satellites. In fact, you might see it whiz by overhead with binoculars. Depending on how it whips around the earth, there is a slight chance it might actually hit the earth when it returns in 2036 (but the latest calculations only show a one in a hundred thousand chance of impact).

Eh. Those aren't bad odds.

The image above is from Apophis' Wiki.

"An Urgent Message"

The holiday double issue of The Economist featured an interesting piece called "From memory to history" about the last two fighting British servicemen of "The Great War" a.k.a. World War I.

The article's subhead: "With the deaths of Harry Patch, at 111, and Henry Allingham, at 113, the last memories of fighting on the front in the first world war have gone."

Noteworthy passage:

In old age both men had an urgent message, so urgent that it almost exhausted their small supply of breath. “War’s stupid,” said Mr Allingham. “Nobody wins. You might as well talk first, you have to talk last anyway.”

“T’isn’t worth it,” said Mr Patch. “War isn’t worth one life.”

"A Real Religion"

In my review of the new film "Avatar," I hesitated to comment on the film's political and religious themes.

Over at First Things, Hunter Baker does just that in a smart way:

"I saw Avatar a couple of nights ago with the words of many earlier critics in mind. The template was in place. This would be a left-wing, pantheistic film.

Coming out of it, I think Avatar is more complex than that. Whether or not Cameron intended that complexity, I don’t know, but I saw more than I expected to see.

Yes, the humans from their “dead planet” are on a paradise planet attempting to rape it for its natural resources. I suppose many people will see this, and have seen it, as westerners technologizing the world and expending so much fuel that they have to steal it from poorer humans around the globe. Cameron may have been thinking NO BLOOD FOR OIL.

For the most part, the humans are completely uninterested in the religious beliefs of the people they are exploiting and appear to have none of their own. That was something that stuck out to me. The humans of the future, the ones exploiting another planet for corporate wealth, appear to be resolutely secular. The military contractors are even worse. They are secular and tribal. You are with them or against them. Right and wrong don’t enter the picture. What is right is what the chain of command says is right.

Cameron may be the kind of western liberal who doesn’t recognize the influence of Christianity on his own thought. The human being who inhabits an avatar and becomes one of the alien Na’vi caused me to think about the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. The avatar in the film is sent to deliver one message, one of power and oppression, but ends up being a mythic, savior figure who somehow connects with the “real” god of the planet and turns the tide in battle.

Another point that I found compelling is the insistence of Sigourney Weaver’s scientist character that the religion of the Na’vi is a real religion. What she means is that elements of the physical existence of the planet bear out the religious attitudes of the alien people who live there. In other words, they are connecting with (apologies to Francis Schaeffer) a “god who is there.” Again, I thought of Christianity because the church has always insisted that the things that make the faith matter are real things that happened in time and space. For instance, the resurrection is a physical resurrection. Christ is not an attitude or a collective spirit of his followers who remember him well. He is real and because of his unique ability to triumph over death, his authority can be trusted. ... "

The movie still above is from here.

The Star

For many Western Christians, today is the Epiphany. ("Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord" in Catholic-speak.)

On this day, we remember the visit of the Magi from the East to the Christ Child.

Matthew Chapter 2 tells us they came because of a star. The star provides the imagery for the alternate opening prayer at Mass today:

Father of light, unchanging God,
today you reveal to men of faith
the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong,
your love is near;
draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes,
to the life where your spirit makes all life complete.

In an Epiphany post over at the Parish Blog of St. Edward the Confessor, Fran today makes this wise observation:

"The reality is that all of our faith journeys are about the unlikely and often impractical matter of following our star that leads to Jesus. We keep trying to domesticate our faith journeys and they were meant to be wild."

Finally, in celebration of today's solemnity, here is another rendition of the old hymn "We Three Kings":



Flashbacks: Epiphany 2009, 2008 and 2007.

"Yeah, It Is"

Toddler as thespian:



Hat-tip: Amy

No Hazard

Amen to this:

"Children are not a hazard of sex; they are an 18-year commitment to being the best parent you know how to be."

-- Kellybelle at Ephphatha reacting to this disturbing news

For Auld Lang Syne, My Dear

Happy New Year 2010!

May it be year of peace.

As is tradition:

All Soul Searchers

Hard to believe -- it's New Year's Eve.

Since we are approaching the start of the three-day break, here a bit early is this week's "YouTube clip for a peaceful weekend."

"Christmas Song" by Dave Matthews is the pick. It's both a chill tune and fitting for this seventh day of Christmas. The lyrics are below.

Peace:

She was his girl; he was her boyfriend
She'll be his wife; make him her husband
A surprise on the way, any day, any day
One healthy little giggling dribbling baby boy
The wise men came three made their way
To shower him with love
While he lay in the hay
Shower him with love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
Not very much of his childhood was known
Kept his mother Mary worried
Always out on his own
He met another Mary for a reasonable fee, less than
Reputable as known to be

His heart was full of love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around
When Jesus Christ was nailed to the his tree
Said "oh, Daddy-o I can see how it all soon will be
I came to shed a little light on this darkening scene
Instead I fear I spill the blood of our children all around"

The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around

So I'm told, so the story goes
The people he knew were
Less than golden hearted
Gamblers and robbers
Drinkers and jokers, all soul searchers
Like you and me

Rumors insisted he soon would be
For his deviations
Taken into custody by the authorities
Less informed than he.
Drinkers and jokers. all soul searchers
Searching for love love love
Love love love
Love love is all around

Preparations were made
For his celebration day
He said "eat this bread and think of it as me
Drink this wine and dream it will be"
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around
The blood of our children all around

Father up above, why in all this hatred do you fill us up with love
Fill me love love love
Love love love
Love love
was all around

Father up above, why in all this anger do you fill
Me up with love
Fill me love love love
Love love love
You can't buy me
Love love love
All you need is
Love love love

And the blood of our children all around

My Christmas Comeuppance

It's the sixth day of Christmas.

I realize I've been rather whiny this year about the secular part of the holiday.

This photo of my little cousin David is my comeuppance:

Photo by my cousin Sara Snatchko.

Magi Punk

For many Western Christians, the Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated this coming Sunday.

Anticipating our celebration of the visit of the Magi, I am posting below a clip with a rendition of the famous carol "We Three Kings."

Ladies and Gentlemen, "We Three Kings" as covered by Blondie (!):

"The Logic of Love"

Today is the fifth day of Christmas.

Some food for thought:

"Jesus' identification with the poor remains one of the greatest and most incomprehensible mysteries of the Gospels. How can God who is all powerful, all beautiful and all glorious become so powerless, so little, so weak?

The logic of love is different from the logic of reason and power.

When you love someone, you use her language to be close to her. When you love a child, you speak and play with him as a child. That is how God relates to us. God becomes little so that we will not be frightened of him, so that we can enter into a heart-to-heart relationship of love and communion.

The Word became flesh to reveal what is most precious in each one of us: our hearts; our thirst to be loved; and our capacity to love, be kind and compassionate and give life to others.

What is most important is not our knowledge or influence, but the love hidden in our hearts, which permits us to use our knowledge and gifts to serve others, to give life and build covenant relationships. ...

... Our God is not a God of rules, regulations, and obligations or a master teacher who wants to impose a path to salvation. Our God is a God of love and communion, a heart yearning to communicate to another heart the joy and ecstasy of love and communion that exist between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

-- Jean Vanier, a founder of L'Arche, an international network of communities centered around people who have developmental disabilities.

This passage is from "The Heart of L'Arche: A Spirituality for Every Day." (I added some of the paragraph breaks.)

The image above is from the Parish Blog of St. Edward the Confessor.

Beautiful and Complex

Christmas Eve afternoon, we went to see "Avatar."

To answer your first question: No, I did not see the film in 3D. (Note to Fandango: Tell me I have this option next time!)

"Avatar" is a complex film. It has many aspects, most of which I found appealing -- but others that require more consideration.

Directed by James Cameron of "Titantic" fame, "Avatar" is the story of a former U.S. marine (played by Sam Worthington) who goes to another planet to work for a private company that wants to mine a valuable substance from underneath the gigantic "home tree" of a native group on that planet.

The private company has a hired military unit (seemingly all Americans) as well as a team of scientists led by a character portrayed by the amazing Sigourney Weaver. The scientists have developed a program in which their brains control "avatars" that look like members of the "tribe."

That's sufficient background. You can guess what happens. "Avatar" really is "Dances with Wolves in Spaa-aace" combined with a "Titantic"-like romance and great battle scenes.

Did I mention the politics? "Avatar" deals with oppression of native peoples, blatant environmental destruction in the name of capitalism, racial transformation and maybe more.

Religion, too. The "tribe" has a developed belief system, sacred spaces and "prayer" methods. (It's a "connected to the energy of the forest" kind of thing.)

I loved "Avatar" for its effects, which are brilliant and engrossing. This is a beautiful movie to watch.

I enjoyed the romance, too. Cameron isn't the most subtle of directors -- but he knows how to make you care about his young romantic leads as they face unspeakable horrors.

And, the politics and religion? I need to see the movie again before commenting on these. There's more at issue than I can adequately address in this space. (I'll concede I did tear up when the massive bulldozers entered the tribe's sacred space.)

I did take note that the "bad guys" in this movie are quite clearly Americans (and marines!). When did we become the bad guys?! English-speaking bad guys are supposed to dress like Nazis and speak like Brits. (See: "Star Wars.")

I would not be surprised to see "Avatar" nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. And, if enough Academy voters prefer it to "Precious," "Inglorious Basterds" and a few other '09 flicks, it could take home the Oscar.

As of this writing, "Avatar" has an 83 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It's deserved.

Over at YouTube, this young man says "Avatar" is the "Star Wars of my generation."

Diva Vote: The Anchoress

There's a poll asking who should be named the 2010 Grande Conservative Blogress Diva.

I voted for The Anchoress.

If you're so inclined, you can vote once a day until noon on December 31.

Early Monday, our "diva" penned this:

We hear a lot of talk about “quality of life” issues -- they go hand in hand with “Obamacare” issues and pro-life issues. My bottom line is always this: one person’s life may seem wasted, or unenviable, or horrifically difficult to another, but it is the life that person has -- in all of its difficulties, challenges and “deficiencies,” it is still the life that person has; he or she should be allowed to live it. If we are to err, let it be on the side of life.

Hat-tip

"The Big Zero"

If you've had a bad day, don't read this column by Paul Krugman in today's New York Times.

Nut graph:

... from an economic point of view, I’d suggest that we call the decade past the Big Zero. It was a decade in which nothing good happened, and none of the optimistic things we were supposed to believe turned out to be true.

Full, Active & Conscious

I was remiss yesterday in doing a post on the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

A few days ago, over at There Will Be Bread, Fran opined that Mary was anything but a docile and passive participant in the history of salvation (as she is sometimes perceived).

Here are a few graphs from that reflection:

Little lady dressed in blue. That is an image of Mary that attracted me as a young girl and who seemingly called out to me as a 30-year-old woman who needed faith. Mary - sweet, lovely, docile, passive.

As if. ...

... Full, active and conscious participation is demanding; it is not the work of the docile or of the dilettante. Mary was neither. Mary was obedient however. Sadly, our contemporary use of language has demeaned obedient to mean, well - docile. ...

Mike also has a post on yesterday's feast.

Flashbacks: Feasts of the Holy Family 2008, 2007 and 2006.

The image above is attributed to G.E. Mullan. It comes via A Concord Pastor.

Of Politics, Sports & Poetry

Wednesday night, I saw "Invictus" at the Angelika. The latest directorial offering from Clint Eastwood, this fine film tells the story of a meeting of politics and sports in post-Apartheid South Africa.

"Invictus" is set in 1995, the year South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup. In the film, President Nelson Mandela hopes a tournament win by the South African team will help unify the racially-divided nation.

The great Morgan Freeman turns in a spot-on portrayal of Mandela, a stoic and strong George Washington-type who is all too rare on the world scene. (If only Afghanistan and Iraq each had a Nelson Mandela!)

Matt Damon has a key supporting role in "Invictus." He plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks, South Africa's rugby team (then made up of almost entirely of white players).

Damon's performance is solid but the flat role easily could have been filled by an actor with less star power. Note to Academy voters: Avoid the temptation to nominate Damon for Best Supporting Actor for his work here. He's more deserving of a Best Actor nod for his quirky part in "The Informant!".

Another ingredient in the success of "Invictus" is its soundtrack. Some nice tunes, including one with some underlying Dvořák (I think).

"Invictus" currently has a 76 percent rating at Rotten Tomatoes. This YouTube guy didn't like it. These guys did.

"Invictus" takes its name from the poem by William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). Take a look:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

A Stealthy Raid On Our Nature

For the faithful, Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation, the belief that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ.

It's the idea that the creator of the universe physically entered his own creation in order to set aright that which had gone wrong -- to heal a wound.

That's no modest claim.

The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) called faith in the Incarnation a commitment to the absurd. (Source; More)

The French poet and playwright Paul Claudel (1868-1955) penned this tongue-in-cheek take on the Incarnation:

“When God took possession of the human form, when he appropriated it for his own use, when he placed himself within it in hypostatic union, he committed an unpardonable offense against justice, good sense and propriety. Until the end of time, intellectuals will respond with alternating indignation and amusement. There are certain things that are simply not done. … this transgressor caught in the very act of stealing back a possession we had every reason to regard as exclusively ours.

… He embezzled our funds for his own profit. In one stroke he reclaimed for his Father all that cultivated estate which we considered ours by tenants’ rights, under the terms of a hard-won agreement. …

Thanks to the complicity of the Virgin, there has been a stealthy raid on our nature. The damage is permanent; henceforth our walls are marred by a crack that for all our industry can never be mended again. … Our homes are no longer our own.”

-- from “I Believe in God, A Meditation on the Apostles Creed.”

The image above is a detail of "The Nativity" (c. 1303-1306) by Giotto di Bondone.

What Christmas Is All About

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?" pleads Charlie.

Linus does:



Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) saw it cosmically:

It is done.

Once again the Fire has penetrated the earth
Not with the sudden crash of thunderbolt,
riving the mountain tops;

does the Master break down doors to enter his own home?

Without earthquake, or thunderclap:
the flame has lit us the whole world from within.

All things individually and collectively
are penetrated and flooded by it,
from the inmost core of the tiniest atom
to the mighty sweep of the most universal laws of being:
so naturally has it flooded every element, every energy
every connecting link in the unity of our cosmos,
that one might suppose the cosmos to have burst
spontaneously into flame.

Hat-tips: Rocco and The Anchoress