The Best Lack All Conviction

I'm not sure if we ever discovered the meaning of Yeats' poem, The Second Coming, because in the middle of the discussion I got stuck on something that somebody suggested about the second coming of Christ. A few people mentioned that maybe Yeats' was looking at the second coming of Christ from a non-Christian's point of view and that was why the poem was so dark. Then Lane mentioned that Yeats' father was an atheist. I spent the rest of class thinking about the second coming of Christ from a non-believer's perspective, and while I was, I got mad at the Christians. The coming of Christ and being taken home are things that Christians pray for. We even make up songs about it! Why is that? Because we're not content with the mission and the place that God has placed us in right now? I know that the Bible says that we're aliens on this earth that is not our home and blah blah blah, but when we pray and sing for Christ to come soon, are we aware of what we're asking for? It would be the equivalent of saying, "Forget about the people who haven't yet heard, let them be tortured and burned in hell! I'm ready to go!!!" I'm reminded of 2 Peter when Peter tells the people that "one day with the LORD is like a thousand years," and that we misunderstand His slowness because He doesn't want anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. I know I'm  way off, but I like Yeats much more in my head when he's saying this. I'm not saying that I'm against praying for Christ to come, I'm ready for some glorification and some praise for all of eternity, but with that in mind, the time we have here on earth with everyone else becomes extremely little and very precious. Maybe one day I'll stop thinking like a missionary but I doubt it.

(Commented on Rachel's)

Things Fall Apart

I remember Yeat's Second Coming poem from highschool when I read Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" which the title was (obviously) taken from the poem. The book chronicles the life of a tribal African man during the colonization of his area. Achebe is famous for being one of the first African writers to write about Africa in English. I remember this book because of the simplicity of the message and the richness of his story telling style. The reason Achebe uses this poem by Yeats is because as the white men come into the village and begin to take over the social construction of the Igbo village falls apart. Chaos reigns as people try to decide what is right the old ways of the generations before them or these new beliefs. The fight within this poem is clear. It took me back to the discussions we have had about the conflict between order and chaos (Apollo Dionysus). In the African village an honors student can recognize the same struggles we face in our class today as we carefully journey through literature and philosophy.

Today we hashed out in class the meaning behind the poem and struggled with, why poetry? I think part of the reason poetry is so important is it's relevancy. When the poem is meaningful to a person across time and cultural boundaries then the true depth of meaning begins to show. We can study this work years after it's publish date on our computer screens and still be struck by the imagery and fear the author intends.

*I will post on whoever posts after me I suppose

Resolve

Resolve is a word I certainly abused while writing my paper, but I cannot find any resolve for resolve. Throughout my research process, I read of these great minds, with whom I could never hope to compare, and each of them has come to some sort of resolve. Even after writing my paper that seemingly comes to a conclusion or reconciliation between two different thinkers, I still cannot find my own resolve for my topic, or many other topics running through my brain from this semester and semesters previous. While we study these great minds, we essentially model ourselves after them and develop our own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. We search the Scriptures without end for peace and hope's sake, we take to biology or psychology to further our point with empirical evidence or otherwise...maybe this is just me. Nevertheless, I long to be like these people we read about, and yet I have no resolve. Are their own beliefs as unresolved as mine? Did they face the grace with the same questions they told us they answered? Of course we all have questions that will go unanswered in life, but I simply want a resolve, a deeper peace that what I have found thus far.

COMMENTED ON KATELYN'S

P.S. Sorry for my lateness.

Out of Good Blog Titles...

So this is late, but at least I’m getting it... :)

Since Thanksgiving Break I have felt extremely swamped, like I haven’t had enough time for everything, just as most of you probably do. With that being said, I have still found a chance to read Hopkins.

I think my favorite poem was God’s Grandeur, mainly because I actually understood it. I like the idea where Hopkins writes about all the influence that the generations of men have had on the earth, but then he writes,”...for all this, nature is never spent...”

This makes me think of how God provides for all His creation, just like Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” I believe we forget that a lot of times and don’t think about turning to God to provide for us.

P.S. I posted on “Aaaaaaaah!” by Ben.

Jefus is the Reafon for the Seafon!

Soooo, hey guys!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morning!
(yes, I do know those are not the words, but it's like, almost one thirty)

I hope everyone had a magical thanksgiving, and the turkey didn't gobble away. :)
REMEMBER! THE real reason for Christmas is.... *drumroll please*
Jesus! :D
I had a little girl at work the other day sing me the ten commandments song after telling me "Jefus is the reafon for the seafon" She may have had a lisp....? Still super cute.

Anyway, I like(d) reading Dostoevsky, and thanks you the Honors Final Drama I can properly pronounce his name. I think. Also, I love you all.
I now bid you all, adieu.

What would happen if I wrote a blog all about nothing?

First of all, if you got the reference kudos to you on your music selection.

Moreover, Nietzsche apparently knew Communism and Nazism was coming.

Secondarily, When I read about the New Idol, I immediately thought of the people giving up their rights to the state in order to obtain a pseudo-happiness.

Sixthly, and lastly, This is what happened during the Russian Revolution

Thirdly, Look where it got the Russians

and to conclude, I commented on Callie's "For some reason Kierkegaard is on my mind"

Aaaaaaaah!

I emerged from the practice rooms about ten minutes ago and I just now remembered that I had a blog to post! As my life has been consumed with memorization of piano pieces, voice pieces, a scene from "the last night of ballyhoo", the honors drama and writing a research paper, I haven't had time to read Hopkins. I've been scouring Dostoevsky and Descartes for tidbits of wonderful information, though. Something that I've found really interesting (and actually decided to base my paper around..) is a quote from one of my sources for my paper. The source is an article by Kerry McSweeney exploring the dreams of a few great literary works (Crime and Punishment, Wuthering Hights, War and Peace). The main quote I'm using from her article is this.

"What madmen represent to themselves while awake is also represented in the dreams of the sane while they are asleep."

As I have more paper yet to write, I'm just going to leave this quote suspended in cyberspace.

So what did we learn this week? Nothing? Good. That's exactly what I thought.

Until Next Time,
Benjamin

P.S. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

P.P.S. I commented on Blahrgoty1131's blog "Uplifted"

Can't Wait For Spring

Christmas is like nothing else. It brings joy and cheer, for
different reasons in everyone. For most of us here, it is the beautiful
reminder of Christ’s coming down to be with us for a little while before
sending the Holy Spirit to live with us. But it is so cold. So, when I looked
at Hopkins's poems, I went automatically to Spring.

"Nothing is so beautiful as Spring"

I love the reference to Spring being like the garden Eden. Unfortunately, our sin soured that and those happy times, like Spring, sour as well. Which brings me back to Christmas. Because of it, we could have an even more joyful "holiday", Easter! (Which is in the Spring). This poem just reminds me of how we will have Spring, Christmas, Eden, Easter, and God all wrapped up in one once we finally reach Heaven. There's nothing better to work for than worshipping our Lord and Father which I think this poem is a good reminder of.

For some reason Kierkegaard is on my mind....

It interests me that so many authors that we have read have written concerning the universal law, and stepping over it. Kierkegaard speaks of the man of faith who can overstep the universal law at the command from his God; Dostoevsky presents Raskolnikov who tries to step over these bounds like Napoleon, but whose action results in epic failure; and Nietzsche who presents the idea of the superman who he believes should not be ashamed to express his uniqueness and cross over the lines of the "supposed universal law." The main question comes up of the importance of the ethical, and when/ whether or not these bounds should be crossed? Or, for Nietzche the question even arises of the validity of such a universal law, or if such a law even exists at all.

It is interesting that Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky seem to come to different conclusions about the ability of a person to overcome the universal law, despite the fact that both are christian men. For, Raskolnikov, in his attempt to trespass the universal law, fails and in the end accepts it. Whereas Kierkegaard presents Abraham as a wonderful example of how one can enter into the mystery of faith and nobly transcend above the universal law. Perhaps a closer look at the circumstances surrounding Abraham and Raskolnikov would provide a better understanding as to why the authors came to such different conclusions. Maybe they were focusing on different aspects of the same topic....

I commented on Jamie's God and Science

Uplifted

Hopkins' poems are so bright and cheerful when compared to the heavy reading of late. Some of the poems have a darker tone, but for the most part they are cheerful. My favorite of the poems was "Hurrahing in Harvest." The imagery in the poem creates a very picturesque scene for the reader. Being someone who loves horses, I connected most when Hopkins compares the hills to a stallion in lines nine and ten. He says "And the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder / Majestic - as a stallion stalwart, very-violet sweet! -- " I think the form is a fourteen line sonnet, however I'm not sure what the meter is. The best part of the poem is the end when Hopkins talks about the beholder seeing a beautiful nature scene and how it uplifts the beholder's heart. It almost makes the reader have that same excited feeling when reading it.

First blog in weeks. feels weird.

I would like to take this moment to share that I hate writing papers… simply because I don’t feel like my brain naturally focuses on things in the “A to B to C” sort of way. It’s more like B to F to Z back to B and then on to A. It’s a very difficult task to try and be organized when I’m jumping between paragraphs trying to sort things out. That being said I guess I’ll talk about Nietzsche. Nietzsche has this quote where he says: “I should only believe in a God who understands how to dance.” And though this is not the point of my blog I feel if Step-Up had a Biblical basis that would be the major quote of the movie. I had no real issue with Nietzsche up until he started talking about women. Up until that point I was just boppin along thinking that though he was completely weird he was at least interesting… and then the chapter. He refers to women as a “dangerous plaything” that, essentially, is only good for getting pregnant and popping out kids. So when I read that it was confirmed in my mind that I don’t really like him. I guess it just made me think of his as just a male ego who thinks he’s more important than he actually is. I do admit that I was still intrigued by his stories… because they’re just super weird. The man carried around a corpse for goodness sake.

a sinful image.

This might not pertain so much to a direct reading, but throughout all of them, I have been constantly noticing and thinking about one thing: How a human, that is created in the image of God, can be naturally sinful. I've gone in circles around this one thought for a few weeks now. I recorded my thought process with sticky notes, and every time I thought of something new in the process, I would write it down on a sticky note and stick it up on my wall. I definitely looked crazy by the time it was over, but I think I might have a conclusion, it is probably not the right conclusion, but it's one. So here's my thought process:
Even though we are created in the image of God, there is no way that we can be good on our own doing. (there is no one who does good. Romans 3:12) Well, first, what does this say of the hope of someone who doesn't have the Anchor that a Christian would have.
Humans are an intertwining of good and bad, of God and flesh. Jesus is pruning the vine of all bad things until judgement day. Therefore, we can't be fully glorified in this fleshly, earthly life, even though we are presently created in the image of God.
God created us in His image, but at the same time, we're sinful. So did God create us sinful? or did He create sin? Or, is sin simply the opposite of good? However, if it was an exact opposite, it would have the same measure of the good, meaning it was created. So did Satan have enough power to reject God and create the opposite of good, which is sin? But isn't God the only Creator? Is Satan a creator or deceiver?
Adam and Eve were the first created humans on the earth, but God hovered over the spirits, (Gen. 1:2). So are these spirits Satan and a third of the angels that were cast out of heaven? If so, we can then conclude that God has created His perfect, in His image humans on the devil's kingdom. For those who are not of God, are of the devil. And whoever is of God knows that this earth is not their home because this earth is corrupt. But why is it corrupt? Before the fall, was the garden supposed to be their home? They were never to ascend to His Kingdom?
Anyways, Adam and Eve disobeyed and chose the option of sin. So even though they chose something for themselves, we can conclude that there is no real choice with God. He gives us the freedom to choose, but any other choice besides Him condemns to hell. (The ability to choose, and freedom are "images" of Him that we have.)
So, we are created in the image of God, but obviously not the full image because we aren't fully glorified. (1 Cor. 13:12).
Back to Satan, he couldn't have created sin because God is the only Creator. Humans have no ability to create anything completely new, or think of anything completely new without using something already given to them. Satan must have then taken the goodness of God and lessened it, and thus sin. So sin is the lessening of the good. Which now makes sense in the contrast to us being created in the image of God, because we aren't the full image but a lesser image.

"His ways are above mine, His thoughts higher."


commented on Lane's

Yep, My Mind Is On Fire...

... Literally and figuratively. My paper was on Schleiermacher and Emerson and their differing approaches to the theology of communication. I've never written a paper that related to my life as much as this one did! God spoke to me so much through it, about how He has put certain people in my life and given me the gift of friendships so that I always have someone to talk with about my struggles and discoveries. And, also so that I can return the favor by listening to theirs and learning from them. He also showed me, as I was writing about absolute dependence, that my dependence wasn't completely lying with God like I thought it was. There are definitely certain things in my life that I have failed to surrender to Him. Although this paper drained me (ok, technically that's the fault of tons of coffee and no sleep as a result of paper writing) I actually enjoyed my discoveries. I plenty of AHA! moments that inspired squeals and happy dances!

Here's a few Augustine quotes that I included in my paper and wanted to share with you guys:

1. "By faithfulness we are collected and wound up into unity within ourselves, whereas we had been scattered abroad in multiplicity."

2. "Pray as though everything depended on God, work as though everything depended on you."

3. " Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand."

 Side-note to everyone: Can I just say that I feel beyond blessed to go to a college where I can openly writes about my faith and grow spiritually from a research paper!!

Commented on Lane's God Complex

Side-note to Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Olsen: 1. Thank you so much Dr. Mitchell for the Emerson: Mind on Fire book! You will see quite a bit from it in my paper! 2. The connection of Schleiermacher to the Sufists was all me. Just wanted to make that clear because I was pretty proud of it. Lol

  

The Last Great King

"There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn't the end of the world, it's the beginning of a new life."
-Unknown

So, we've reached the end of Realism, and who better to close us out than John Hopkins, who wasn't just a Christian poet but a revolutionary one at that. He came up with his own form of writing. He had his own system of syllables and rhyming, and managed to fuse pure Christian thought with a Romantic sensibility that is really to be admired. Hopkins' poems are proof you don't have to be an up in outer space Romantic to write a beautiful poem about God. In God's Grandeur, he talks of God very matter of factly, describing his omnipotence in a way that is almost inarguable. In other poems, he speaks of God with immense command and control over his subject matter, and it is refreshing to see that Hopkins does not merely speak of God as some great, interstellar romanitic experience but as real being that he knows and is familiar with.

But isn't it also interesting, in retrospect, how much Hopkins is like King Josiah from 2nd Kings and 2nd Chronicles. For those unfamiliar, Josiah, in an era of idolatry and disobdience to the Lord, reformed Judah and brought the nation back to God and cleared out the city of its foreign corruptors. He cleased Judah and reestablished the lost law of Moses, and was the last righteous king of Judah before it fell to Babylon. Next semester we will be entering a godless era of literature where, as Nietzsche predicted, God is indeed dead, and I wonder if there will ever be a man like Hopkins to find a place for our faith. He just may be the last righteous writer before the Modernist era. Do not fear the darkness, though, for we will find truth, we will not lose our faith, we must leave behind the loved ones of the past and move on, no matter how dark it may seem. Do not be afraid.

Thank you for reading my blogs, feel free to comment, have a merry Christmas and God bless you all! BTW, I commented on Jamie Kilpatrick's post, God and Science.

Is that movie you're watching Expelled? If so, I really love Ben Stein and that movie. If not, I absolutely agree with what you're saying. We claim to want to seek truth, but only if it fits our needs. If we don't like what we see, we want to rationalize it away. We as Christians will use that to attack evolutionists and athiests, and they'll use the same thing against us. It's very confusing indeed.

Hopkins

"The Starlight Night" -Everything in this poem seemed to remind me of Christmas, which reminded me of how much I want to be home!

"Look at the stars! look, look up at the skies!"

When I see stars at this time of year it reminds me of Christmas lights. This is the first Christmas that I was not able to help put up lights and the tree.

"Down in the dim woods the diamond delves! the elves ears!"

Elves reminded me of Santa. Then I thought of how long it has been since I have put cookies out for him. I'm thinking that I'll put some out this year."Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows."

The reason for the season is Jesus. Sometimes I feel that He is forgotten in the whirl of Santa, presents, and decorating.

ps i commented on Amanda, Stars

Small World

I am increasingly interested in all of the different parallels that are apparent within the different characters of the works we have studied. We talked about a lot of them in a really cool discussion in which I was able to give you guys a few pointers in Greek. Since then however I have thought about a few more such as:

dare I say it? Raskolnikov and Abraham (in the since that certain men can be go against the universal ethic)

I also found them in good ole Nitz and Raskolnikov... and ultimately these two lead to thoughts of the ideals of such as the likes as Hitler.

These comparisons can bring a lot of uncomfortable feelings. Father Abraham compared to someone who is compared to someone who is compared to Hitler?

Small world. Think about it.

commented on Danniel's

God is Dead

One of the groups in class gave the idea that the quote "God is dead" in Thus Spoke Zarathustra could mean that if people do not act like Christians, God is basically dead to them. If you think about it, the whole reason they became Christians was because of the fact that God is alive. To go about one's life as if He is nonexistent when one claims to be in the light would be pointless. So many people do this because it Christianity is popular or acceptable here, but they still want to be able to live their own life. Oftentimes I think that if we were in a country where Christians were persecuted, we would quickly see who truly loves God and lives as if He is alive today.

This probably won't make sense

Ok so more than anything, this particular blog is more so for me to try and make some sense out of what i'm writing my paper on. In a nutshell, i'm writing about the differences in God consciousness in Poe's Ms. Found in a Bottle and Schleiermacher and the implications of those consciousnesses. My problem though, is that the character in Poe never actually states his beliefs about God one way or another. I think more of what i'm writing about is actually going to be the potential reaction of that character to the God consciousness found in Schleiermacher. Because the character in Poe undergoes a terrible hardship, i am going to attempt to explore the potential extremes of introducing a higher power into the situation under the context of forms of submission. Like i said, this probably didn't make any sense at all, but it was super helpful for me. That is all. Everyone have a wonderful and blessed Christmas!

So with all of the stresses of exams and finals and papers and all that piles up the end of the semester, i decided to blog about what I am writing my paper on. I really enjoyed reading "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. And i loved the comparison we made of both Poe and Emerson on our midterm exam. We talked about how Poe could be considered a nightmare version of Emerson. I can definitely see how Poe was like the alter ego of Emerson. Poe was dark and wrote on the evil things of man's mind, while Emerson was more optimistic in his writing. In the Pit and the Pendulum, Poe wrote in a way that shows the fear that thrives on one's mind in an experience like that of the Pit and Pendulum is nothing else. It seems to be almost a satisfying feeling to be in that state with no hope that something will change for the better. Emerson, on the other hand, was more hopeful of the things of nature and man's mind. I loved reading both Emerson and Poe!

P.s I commented on Lane's post       

For the sake of brevity I will write about Nietzsche. The man may be insane but he makes some points that we can learn from, though he often takes them to a place that we should not go. For example, he takes the idea of how life is not about a moment but about growth and changes that we undergo, but he takes this to mean that each moment can be without meaning because it will only reoccur. In reality this is not the case, time is not made up of eternal recurrences. Time is made up of many millions of moments in which we decide, make mistakes and learn valuable lessons. Like learning not to leave a paper to the last minute. A mistake but one that can be learned from if I am but willing to make the effort.

commented on Danielle's