Self-evident Truths

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..." so said the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Two hundred and thirty-six years later, I am not seeing much anecdotal evidence that the citizenry appreciates the significance of this statement. To the contrary, I have experienced jolting irreverence.

A young man recently told me that if history did not have any applicable benefits, then there wasn't any point in studying it. I would agree with him if he had meant what he said, but he didn't. What he meant was that because he found studying history tedious and because doing so would not result in a pay raise, he considered it a waste of his time. He believed that any potential payoff in insight or wisdom is not worth his investment; there are more efficient ways to gain understanding.  I am thinking that this guy is an evolutionist. His attitude does not express a biblical worldview wherein memorials are important so that mistakes will not be repeated.

Then on the eve of Independence Day, a member of the entertainment press flippantly made a comment that program schedules were changed because of a "silly" national holiday. I will be generous and say that perhaps it was an attempt at levity. Apparently the concept that this "silly" holiday commemorates the founding of a government that is constitutionally restricted from interfering with freedom of the press went right over her head; otherwise she'd have known it wasn't funny.  I am thinking that this reporter is an evolutionist. Her attitude does not respect the Creator's approach to national feast days.

Worst of all was the government employee who thought that she knew American history, but proved that she is as clueless as they come. I am convinced that she is an evolutionist who has no fear of God. In her mind, the 56 founding fathers signed a declaration of war. According to her, they had not yet evolved to the level of being able to "take a time-out" when they became frustrated with tyranny. (The bulk of the Declaration of Independence is actually a well-reasoned list of grounds for separation from England.)

Today, the majority of people trained in America's public education system believe that evolution is a self-evident truth. Our founding fathers did not. They believed that men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Their new government made revolutionary advancements in human rights and freedoms, but not as a result of holding evolutionary paradigms. Today, in a morass of circular reasoning, many who are ignorant of history choose to believe that it was an evolutionary advancement, not a reclamation of the Creator's endowment.  

Years ago when I made this wreath that I hang near the door during the Memorial Day, Flag Day, and 4th of July arc of the year, I thought it was simply a cute bit of folk art. It did not evolve, but was my special creation. It was a very fun and thrifty project because all the parts were free, left over, or recycled from other things. I liked the theme of a down-to-earth farmer rabbit holding a flag.  This year it acquired a new symbolism for me: Our national heritage is being taken over by dumb bunnies.  

Happy Earth Day!

As part of the Celebration of Earth, I am blogging about Conjectures about Earth's Origins! 

An article by Dr. Werner Gitt made the point that "evolution" is not a "theory" in the strictest sense of scientific theory.  It is, he says, a philosophical doctrine. 

I tend to agree with him, and if he is right, it is a philosophy that has evolved via intelligent design. When I say evolved, I mean that simple little patterns that were documented and then interpreted by Darwin and others have become far more complex. The philosophy now extends far beyond biology and even beyond the earth sciences into the social sciences. As soon as a concept is organized enough to intentionally promulgate it, it is no longer entirely random. In other words, evolution is disseminated by intelligent design.

How dare they! 

Watch out because the folks who believe in the doctrine of evolution are poised to win the pennant for Best Hypocrite!

If evolution is true, then

• Why haven't timed tests been banned?

• Shouldn't we embrace pollution as a new challenge for adaptation?

• Why are schools developing anti-bullying programs that care for the survival of the unfit?

• Why do we risk diminishing the gene pool by allowing abortion?  

• Why don't we legalize drugs that could enhance mutation rates?

• How can we take Hollywood's pro-gay agenda seriously?

I recently had a student tell me that evolution is not in the Bible.  It was an attempt to reason that because it is not mentioned in the Bible, God has not condemned evolution. The term "structural engineering" is not used in the story of the Three Little Pigs either, but that does not mean that the house of straw should not have been condemned. The premise was wrong. There is a story about evolution in the Bible.

Lucifer was created with the title son of the morning. Ezekiel 28:13-15 goes into detail, summarized here:

"You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering... You were the anointed cherub who covers... You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created..."

He was a created being who decided to evolve. Verses 16 and 17 explain further: "By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor."

Isaiah 14:13,14 explains: You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

Satan decided he would become the fundamental equivalent of God. This is evolution.

And he used evolution to entice Eve in the Garden; Genesis 3:4,5:  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God... 

Beware the Ides of March & the pollen it brings

Beware the Ides of March, and, of course, the beginning of pine pollen season.

Southern yellow pine is a collective name that actually embraces four separate pine species. Every spring for millennia past, pine trees have been producing and releasing billions of pollen grains into the air. Overcompensation has proven to be an effective fertilization process for the southern pine, and in this biome, the world is covered with fine yellow dust.

Scientific literature commonly uses the term prolific to describe pine pollen production. It is a nice opportunity to toss in some alliteration, but it does not quite capture the copious fecundity of it all. When the wind direction and speed cooperate with the sultry humidity, one can trace his name on the windshield within minutes after washing the glass. Some years pine pollen swirls in yellow clouds like a dust storm.

Pollination season is as ancient as old as the hills. Literally. Ancient pollen was trapped and preserved in sedimentary rock records. Aside from the entombed-in-stone thing, I find that comforting. There is a measure of reassurance in knowing that the processes instituted long ago still work today.

Our church is in a season of change. During this interstitial period where the former pastor has left and the next one has yet to take the helm, there has been a tremendous amount of onstage talk about "something new." That is fine. I do get it. But quite frankly, a lot of people have been running around saying that God is doing something new for many years now. The promise of new is growing old.

Personally, I am ready for some immutability. I would like to see God as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22). I would like to know that the counsel of the Lord stands forever (Psalm 33:11). I would like to hear about the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow (James 1:17).

Do we really want an endless treadmill of new beginnings? That takes pollen. Pollen is the dust of reproduction. And it is messy. It is carried by flighty winds. It is transported by creepy bugs. And there is so very much pollen, so full of new beginnings, that settles uselessly on my windshields and windowsills. So very many false starts, it wearies the heart.

Perhaps we would not need so many new beginnings if we paid more heed to the ancient truths.

Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, `We will not walk in it.' (Jeremiah 6:16) ...the other route happens to be a toll road, you know.

Grape Hyacinths

It has been a week with no shortage of topics to blog about. I have always thought that half the work of writing was done in the head before fingers ever touch the keyboard or reach for the pen.
On Monday I thought about Presidents Day and the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's earth orbit.
On Fat Tuesday I thought about pancakes, colored beads, and the end to Mardi Gras, a holiday I have never celebrated.
On Ash Wednesday I thought about the Lenten countdown to Easter. And when I thought about it being George Washington's real birthday date, I started craving a cherry flavored dessert, but had to axe that idea.
By Thursday I was thinking that I really should have followed through with updating my blog. So I went in search of 'this date in history' and found that the siege of the Alamo began in 1836, the Tootsie Roll was introduced in 1896, the U.S. flag was raised on Iwo Jima in 1945, and the first school children received the Salk polio vaccine in 1954. Those events all seemed rather removed from life on this showery, windswept day. I will think of another topic.
It is Friday, February 24, 2012. I am celebrating the grape hyacinth that grows at the edge along the rabbit trail.

When I was a kid, we had grape hyacinths that were naturalized along the edge of our woods. I really believed that they were wildflowers; after all, in my memory they had always been there and always came back every year. It was the year that I was 12 that I learned their bulbs had first been planted on purpose. I actually felt a touch of betrayal in learning that they had been masquerading as natives all my life.

The grape hyacinth's flower spikes usually do not show up until mid-spring. Unlike the crocus and daffodils that would only tease that spring had come—it was not uncommon to see daffodils buried in snow—when the grape hyacinths bloomed, it was springtime for good. That is why I was so amazed to see them blooming now, with nearly a week of February left to go!

The picture was taken on my average iQphone. It looks Photoshopped for color, but it is not. As you can see, the grape hyacinth is blooming for all its worth.

Yes, it has been a mild winter. Yes, the jonquils began blooming a month ago, but really, that was barely three weeks ahead of an average year, surely unusual, but not unheard of. The grape hyacinths, by contrast, are nearly six weeks early. The bees are not out and about yet. Should I be worried about pollination?

²⁵ And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span? ²⁶ If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
Luke 12

No, I will delight that winter is not so harsh as it might be. I will enjoy the blooms of today.

The Search for Love

My adult life would have been very different if search engines had been around when I was a kid. I am not sure how it would have been different, but different it would have been.

With the approach of Valentine's Day, I decided to pop 'love' into a Bible search tool just to see what I would find. Today's blog is all about the results of my search for love.

♥ ♥ ♥

In the Authorized King James Version, the word love was matched 334 times. Then I wondered if love grows over time, so I tried the New King James Version. I expected a higher number because I knew that in Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, the new version used love, whereas the original used charity. That would account for about 9 more loves right there, but NO! Even with those extra nine, the New King James has a love loss of 13! The word love was found only 321 in the updated version. Where did the love go?

I don't know who made this "law," and I do not suppose that there is any agency around to enforce it, but I have been told that one of the laws of Bible interpretation is called the "Law of First Mention." According to the Law of First Mention, the first time a concept appears in scripture it is used in its foundational meaning. If there is any ambiguity in later scripture passages, the foundation laid at First Mention is supposedly the most reliable meaning for the interpretation.

This presents a bit of a problem.

First Mention of love in the New King James is in Genesis 22:2.

Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

First Mention is literally sacrificial.

First Mention of love in the Authorized King James is in Genesis 27:4.

And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

First Mention is about sating the appetite.

I do not see any way to reconcile these—short of cannibalism, which I will rule out on both the basis of sketchy theology and for its Eww factor.

The translation that I usually prefer for study is the English Standard, so my next search for love was in that version. It produced a whopping tally of 503 mentions of love. I am not sure what that means, but it seems rather unloving to go around bragging that my preferred translation touts love 150% more often than yours! Besides, at the end of the day, love is work, commitment, self-surrender, and sacrifice.

Of course, Valentine's Day is not about love so much as it is about romance! So my next search was for the word "romance."

It would seem that the only times romance is found in the English translations are when it is embedded in the word necromancer. So there we have it: romance is a dead end.

Using an Archetypal Approach to Literary Criticism

In my Introduction to Literature classes, the students are asked to analyze a short story using their choice of one of the four following approaches: (a) reader response, (b) formalist, (c) historical/biographical, or (d) archetypal. Less than two percent of the students ever choose the archetypal analysis.

The first three analytical approaches have familiar root words: read & respond, formal, and history. Because those words are so common, it is fairly easy to correctly guess the gist of a reader-response, formalist, or historical approach without even studying. But archetype is heard less frequently. Months, perhaps years can pass without hearing archetype pop up in common conversation. Students tend to choose what they are most familiar with, and in a twist of irony, write an archetypical school essay.

An archetype is an original pattern from which copies are made. It comes from the Greek word arkhetypon that means pattern or model.

There are archetypal characters. I will give you a few to get you started:

The rugged individualist - Indiana Jones fits this one.

The knight in shining armor - Sir Lancelot

The mad scientist - Dr. Strangelove

The earth mother - Gaia

You can probably think of others— the ditzy blonde, the Boy Scout, the crone, the jock, the villain.

If someone tells you, "I will be the Woodstock to your Snoopy," and if you understood that to mean he/she will be the cute and faithful companion to your leadership, then you have understood an archetype.

There are archetypal settings: the Garden of Eden, the ice planet Hoth, Mt. Olympus, the River Styx, a deserted isle, also bridges, pathways, and doors. If someone told you that he was getting ready to sail from the Grey Havens, and if you understood what he meant, then you have used archetypal thought, (and you probably know a J.R.R. Tolkien fan as well, at least for a little while yet.)

There are archetypal themes: coming of age, struggle against nature, forbidden love, hope that endures, sacrifice, the phoenix (rising from ashes/dead), etc.

All of these are patterns for other characters, settings, plot devices and stories. It is no accident that the tarot cards used by psychics have archetypes on them; archetypes are common and recurring, so the fortune-teller is statistically bound to hit upon a match now and then. Many dream interpretation books are based on the premise that people dream in archetypes. Soap opera storylines are often archetypal, which makes it seem like the same stories keep repeating. Fairy tales are quintessential in the use of archetypal patterns, plots, and characters. Even though the label "archetype" is heard more in a classroom setting than on the street corner or at the home and hearth (more archetypes, by the way) archetypes are familiar concepts.

Analyzing a story using the archetypal approach is fairly easy. Start by asking what is wanted or needed. The pursuit of this goal often becomes a quest or a journey. It might also play out as a battle or war, often between good and evil. Look for big, universal concepts.

To illustrate how to use the archetypal approach, I used "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. It is a fascinating short story that was in the course textbook, but it is also out of copyright and easily found in a web search. If you don't want the ending spoiled, read it before continuing. Link to KateChopin.org The Clugston quote below is from the textbook.

Let's consider "The Story of an Hour."

Reader-response — the first response is the emotional connection. Many relate to feeling trapped in a relationship or job and might identify with the housewife. Some might relate to dealing with her chronic illness, while others may feel like they are living the sister's role and always walking on eggshells. It would be possible to identify with the husband or even to relate to the 19^th century two-story house, although I have never read a paper written from either of those angles. The reader-response analysis will investigate why that connection was felt.

Formalist — The reader looks at literary elements such as plot, characterization, setting, language style, literary devices, etc. When approached in this manner, sometimes patterns become apparent that are not easily seen when a different technique is used for evaluation.

Historical/Biographical — Consider the gender roles and societal expectations of that era. Learn more about Kate Chopin and read some of her other works for comparison. Many students who read Chopin for the first time in "The Story of an Hour" think the ending is very ambiguous. They are not sure if Mrs. Mallard died from her heart condition, from the shock of seeing her husband's "ghost," from the loss of her expectations of freedom, or if the doctors really were right and she died from joy. Readers who have read some of her other short stories first, such as "The Storm" or "Désirée's Baby" do not have as much doubt. Also, knowing that the story was originally published with the title "The Dream of an Hour" might make a difference in how one interprets the ending.

Archetypal — Clugston (§16.2) says that, "Every archetypal pattern illustrates how a particular human goal is commonly achieved or how a universal human dilemma is resolved." In "The Story of an Hour," there is an archetypal dilemma, the subjugation/liberation of the human spirit, and the human goal of freedom is achieved, although in an unexpected manner. Paragraph 6 reflects the freedom and hope of heaven. "There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds..." Paragraph 11 reveals that Mrs. Mallard had been confined to a personal hell with a "powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence..." Life and Death and Fate all play out in the story. Nowhere is an archetype more evident than in paragraph 18. "There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory." Led to believe that Mr. Mallard was dead, Mrs. Mallard had accepted his sacrifice and experienced a cathartic rebirth of her own spirit. Her deliverance was practically messianic.

So what could this archetypal approach reveal about "The Story of an Hour" that some of the other approaches may have missed? It could be argued that the archetypal approach puts more emphasis on the character of the husband than the other three do. Archetypal analysis circumvents knee-jerk conclusions more effectively than a reader-response. Archetypal critiquing highlights the enslavement of the soul more than a formalist approach. The archetypal approach removes the restrictions of the historical approach and allows an analysis that is larger than marital roles of the late 1800s—the human spirit has always been engaged in a struggle with whomever or whatever will ultimately control it.

Reader-response thinks personal. Archetypal thinks universal.

Formalist dissects and cuts apart. Archetypal does the big picture.

Historical looks at the point of origin. Archetypal patterns are timeless.

Groundhog Day

Did you know that Groundhog Day is in the Bible?

Okay, so it isn't really, but Elihu did explain why the woodchuck went into his burrow in the first place.
Let's revisit Job 37:

⁶ For to the snow he (God) says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
⁸ Then the beasts go into their lairs,
and remain in their dens.
⁹ From its chamber comes the whirlwind,
and cold from the scattering winds.
¹⁰ By the breath of God ice is given,
and the broad waters are frozen fast.
¹¹ He loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning.
¹² They turn around and around by his guidance,
to accomplish all that he commands them
on the face of the habitable world.
¹³ Whether for correction or for his land
or for love, he causes it to happen.

This passage shares both a purpose and a wildness about God. The snow, wind and cold had driven the animals into their burrows. Some hibernate, and even those that do not will still seek shelter from the elements.

Verse 7 was left out when the rest of the passage was quoted. Here it is:

⁷ He seals up the hand of every man,
that all men whom he made may know it.

This is a literal translation and some assistance with the terms might be helpful. The verb translated seals means to lock up or fasten with a seal. The noun hand can refer to the work of the hand or production. For most people living in the agrarian world of Job and Elihu, God has shut down the agriculture for a season. God stops men's work so that men may gain an understanding of His work.

Circumspection in the New Year

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With New Year's Day falling on a Sunday, the first official function of the year for many folks was a church service. This morning's text for the first sermon of 2012 was Ephesians 5:15-17. For those of you who do not have total recall, it goes like this:

¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

At least, that is the way it goes in the New Living Translation (Tyndale House).

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that those who love the NLT probably did not add a Word-A-Day vocabulary builder to their start page as part of their New Year's resolutions. The NLT is generally listed as a sixth-grade reading level. (I think that is being generous, but I am not selecting curriculum today, and it works for the purpose of today's blog.)

I understand that there are a gazillion solid reasons for choosing a Bible version that is easy to understand. Tyndale House Publishing has even trademarked the catchphrase The Truth Made Clear in order to promote that idea for the NLT. But take a look at the New King James Version:

¹⁵ See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

In verse 15, "be careful" does not begin to capture the tenor of "see that you walk circumspectly." Walking circumspectly is thinking carefully. It is knowing how to avoid distress. It is prudence, watchfulness, and deliberation. Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary defined Circumspection as, n. Caution; attention to all the facts and circumstances of a case, and to the natural or probable consequences of a measure, with a view to a correct course of conduct, or to avoid danger.

Verse 16 is downright dangerous as a standalone statement in the NLT: Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days! That is not the same thing as making the most of your time because the days are evil.


Therein lies the rub.


Using a simpler translation in an effort to be clearer has muddied the meaning instead. If I am to walk circumspectly and redeem the time, I should not be crippled with low-literacy scripture. (If I were teaching students who are learning to read, or had it been a family service rather than an adult audience, or if the scope was a "big picture" view that involved distance reading, I would concede that the NLT might be appropriate.) When I am ardently seeking the face of the omniscient Creator and expecting an answer, I want the advantage of every overtone, every innuendo, and every extra shade of meaning that I can muster. The challenge of this passage is to be sensible and not act like simpletons in seeking the will of the Lord. Using a less precise translation is so not walking circumspectly!

Q. Which translation leaves you more empowered, directed, and energized? In other words, which one is more relevant?

(a) So be careful how you live. (It’s a rough world out there.)
(b) See then that you walk circumspectly. (Put your antennae up; use the time.)


Answer Key. Notice the shift in focus. Answer (a) subtly introduces fear. It is all about being careful for your own self. Answer (b) shifts the focus to "looking watchfully" for the will of the Lord. It offers the hope that wisdom will get you through.