Bible Discussion — Luke 1:39-2:40

12/24/2007, 2:45 pm -- by | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next section of Luke, Luke 1:39-2:40.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: Luke 1:1-38

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
There is no surprise that Luke’s account of the nativity has become the standard for Christmas celebrations down through the ages. His writing is beautiful, and he himself was a gentile, a startled and awestruck outsider whose heart had not been hardened by religion.

Connie:
Mary leaves on her fact-finding mission, only to find everything is as Gabriel has said. Elizabeth is pregnant and the babies in womb seem to know each other. So cool!

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
I didn’t think I would find one, and then I read v.80 — John the Baptist was “in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.” I knew he hung out in the wilderness, eating locusts and honey, but I didn’t remember it was a long-term lifestyle, preparing him for the ministry to come.

Connie:
Mary was there three months, meaning she could have stayed through to help with the birth — even though it isn’t specifically mentioned. That could have prepared her for giving birth on her own later, as it turned out. I cannot imagine that she’d leave with the birth so imminent; maybe the written order isn’t as legalistic as it sounds.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Chloe: Heavenly Host
Steve: In the Deserts
Connie: Quirinius

Continued here!

Bible Discussion — Romans 15/16

12/5/2007, 12:00 pm -- by | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next two chapters in the book of Romans, Romans 15-16.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6
Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13| Ch. 14

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
The last two chapters of Romans are filled with last-minute admonitions and personal greetings, along with some interesting nuggets.

MC-B:
Paul’s best instruction manual to believers concludes with another reminder to serve one another, build each other up, and listen to what is good.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
In 16:26, the phrase “the scriptures of the prophets.” It’s significant that a New Testament writer testified that what the prophets wrote was scripture.

Steve:
Paul describes intercessory prayer as “striv[ing] together with him” in his work.

Chloe:
In verse 27, is Paul saying the Gentiles owe the Jews money because the Jews shared their spiritual blessing?

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
MC-B: Holy Kiss
David: Lucius and Jason, Erastus the Chamberlain
Chloe: Hindered, The Gentiles
Steve: Brother Quartus, Strive

Continued here!

The Dragon Tree

12/5/2007, 10:30 am -- by | No Comments

The Dragon TreeIn a place called Clissold Park in North London, where dogs run without leashes and babies learn to walk, off the path and far into the cold emerald grass, there is a dragon, cursed by an English witch hundreds of years ago to be eternally rooted in the ground, to pay for transgressions long since forgotten.

The dragon is mossy green with age, and ribbons of bark twist around his huge serpent-like branches. His coils stretch far and low, curling like arabesques in stone cathedrals, and reaching out to those who happen by him. At first glance it is impossible to tell whether he is inviting people to take refuge under his canopy or clawing the sky, writing in agony with the wind.

I have only ever seen the dragon in the winter, when the leaves have all fallen and he looks ragged and lost, like nature put far too much work into one side and forgot about the other. His branches lie at the height of my shoulder, five feet from the ground, and I can wrap my arms around them as if I were holding a horse’s strong, muscular neck, and feel the strange warmth in the tree’s core, the flame of his breath that has yet to burn out. He is a climbing tree, and a limber person could clamber all the way to the top branches to view St. Paul’s and the Gherkin defining London’s horizon, or simply settle in the cleft of a low-hanging branch and write verse or read old novels.

When I first discovered the dragon, I couldn’t tell if he was writhing or beckoning, whether the warmth in his branches was from the burn of fighting muscles or the comfort he exuded. I couldn’t decide whether the holes in his trunk and the creeping moss were conquerors or companions. Perhaps, I thought, he was a content and wise old tree — or perhaps an embittered dragon biding his time, waiting to break free.

Whatever the case, I took on impulse the invitation to recline where the trunk had split at the base so that another gently sloping trunk had grown out of the ground. I accepted the proffered place to sit and muse, to lie back and tell him my thoughts on God and nature, on my fellow man and our history.

During these long afternoons, the dragon taught me things he had learned throughout his centuries in the ground. He described to me the great people who took their first steps within his circumference, the heinous crimes committed beneath his branches, and the everyday commonalities that taught him the most about humanity. He taught me that men search for God in whatever they can, be it mountains or oceans, stars or suns, or trees that reach out to touch people, to brush their shoulders and say, “Come, I have much to tell you.”

The dragon taught me that, as great as nature is, and as much as it can fill me with awe, the Creator is still greater. He taught me that I too must learn patience and discernment if I will be wise like the dragon. He taught how the world will go on after I have passed away and time has swallowed my memory, how I am so undeniably small.

There is a dragon in Clissold Park in North London. I have never hugged, never loved, never learned from a dragon before. But the dragon in Clissold Park, cursed by a good British witch, has learned much in his years in the ground, sedentary and silent but for the wind. He has learned that when one’s movement is measured in decades rather than seconds, one must calculate each choice carefully: that choosing to writhe is choosing to writhe for an eternity, and choosing to beckon is choosing to listen and teach forever. And he learned that though each small movement will make its impression on his form, only the results of centuries will be remembered.

Bible Discussion — Romans 14

11/28/2007, 12:30 pm -- by | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 14.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6
Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
Chapter 14 illustrates one of the key differences between the New Covenant and the Law. Rules and regulations regarding dietary restrictions and Holy Days are lifted and replaced by a measure of liberty, but that liberty can not be used to wound others. In addition, Paul introduces the concept that we stand before God Himself as our judge, not man — rendering the priesthood obsolete.

Connie:
There can’t be anything more Christlike than laying aside your desires in favor of someone else’s. This whole chapter points out that if we truly call ourselves Christians, our smallest actions and most common practices should always reflect our heritage.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
David:
When it says here that “every knee shall bow to me,” it is intended as a warning to Christians like me not to judge others. It’s not there for me to threaten the world with.

Chloe:
Paul’s talking about another kind of sacrifice we don’t hear about often — the sacrifice of normal things for the benefit of those who see them as a medium of sin.

Steve:
Verse 9 presents a nice little nugget of theology about Christ’s resurrection, smack dab in the middle of a treatise on how to treat each other. Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living — to conquer death by paying the price of sin for all time. So who cares if I celebrate Christmas? Back off! God’s still on the throne!

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Everyknee
Chloe: Everyday Alike
Connie: Stumbling Block
Steve: Every Effort

Continued here!

November!

11/27/2007, 1:00 pm -- by | No Comments

My friend Keisha and I made an attempt this week to find a coffee shop with wireless on Oxford Circus so we could work on one of our many final papers. It was raining when we hopped on the 19 and struggled up the stairs to find seats, spotting two in the back after several moments of searching. We wedged ourselves in and watched the windows fog up as the bus lurched to a stop to pick up more passengers.

No one ever talks about buses in London. It’s all about the Tube and the Thames and other things starting with T that you can get around in, like taxis and trains and . . . tugboats. No one talks about how close you can get to people you don’t know on the bus — and I don’t mean inside. I watched with mild panic as mopeds and bicycles swerved in and out of our lane, wondering if they would suddenly slip on the wet asphalt and meet a damp and messy end before my eyes. Other buses breathed down my neck at stop lights, while my bus did the same to unfortunate passengers in other vehicles. I didn’t realize until that ride how small buses are. It wasn’t long before I was in a full-fledged anxiety attack, and I had to force Keisha to move to another seat closer to the stairs and surrounded by more windows to keep from hyperventilating.

We never got to Oxford Circus. By the time we reached Holborn (a 20-minute ride normally), we had been on the bus for nearly an hour and a half, and the muggy bus wasn’t even inching along in the driving rain. It was millimetering along. Keisha and I went downstairs in the mad hope of jumping off at the next stop, no matter where it landed us. Then a girl approached the bus driver and asked him to open the doors. “I’m late to an interview,” she said. “I’m so late, and I must get off. We haven’t moved in 15 minutes!”

“If I open these doors and you get plowed down, you’ll sue me. I can’t open the doors,” the gruff driver replied. He’d already displayed an extensive arsenal of colorful words throughout the trip, and so we inched away from the looming altercation.

“No, no, I promise I won’t sue you! Please, let me off, I need this job!”

She continued to beg him, and he continued to refuse. Then a gallant young businessman rose to the occasion and defended the fair maiden. “Look, please just open the door.”

Good job, turbo.

“I can’t open the doors, because I’ll get sued if you get hurt…but that doesn’t mean you can’t open the door.”

So the ambitious knight began tugging on the door. “No, no!” the bus driver said. “Press the button above your head!”

The hopeful suitor looked above him and espied the button, pressing it with all the fervor of a man about to be spurned by a pretty girl.

The doors hissed open and the girl sprang off, yelling “Thank you!” over her shoulder. The poor hero hopped off, too, heading in the other direction. So I was romanticizing it, but I had been on the bus for over an hour; I was mildly insane by that point.

Keisha and I made our escape at that point, too, giving up our search in Oxford Circus and returning to familiar territory — the Starbucks in Angel with two floors and magnificent heating. We were freezing cold and dripping wet, and we had spent nearly two hours getting there.

As I settled down with my Eggnog latte (┚¤3.05, but I so deserved it), I picked up the assignment for the literature class:

No traveling at all — no locomotion,
No inkling of the way — no notion —
‘No go’ — by land or ocean — [:]
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member —
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds —
November!

Indeed.

Bible Discussion — Romans 13

11/21/2007, 3:30 pm -- by | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 13.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5
Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
Sit down. We need to talk about your attitude toward authority. “The powers that be are ordained of God, whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God…” Parents, teachers, policeman, bosses, presidents — even if it’s Hillary — are you ready to live this out?

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul’s brief summary that equates love and the law. All the commandments about human relationship are designed to protect others, to give them the same respect and care we afford ourselves — so one who loves perfectly must necessarily (and perfectly) fulfill the law.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Walk Honestly
Chloe: Fellowman
Steve: Slumber

Continued here!

Trust

11/21/2007, 10:00 am -- by | No Comments

In Starbucks the other day, a woman asked me to watch her purse, jacket, and shopping bags while she fetched her coffee downstairs. It struck me as ironic that she would trust me, a total stranger, with some of her most important belongings. For all she knew, I was a thief waiting for the chance she gave me. In all honesty, I thought she was a total moron for trusting me, not because I shouldn’t be trusted, but because no one should be trusted.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree and betrayed God, an innate inability to trust sprung up alongside sin in humanity. Because we as individuals know that we should not be trusted, we instinctively do not trust anyone else, particularly God. He is, after all, the One we betrayed. It’s like we’re just waiting for Him to get back at us when we least expect it.

This isn’t just true of non-believers or people who have been hurt by Christianity. I, for one, am struggling daily with giving even an inch to God for fear of what He’ll make me do, what He’ll make me give up. There are some things in this life I’ve decided I can’t live without, and I just know that if I trust God, He’s going to take that chance to get back at me. Just like I deserve.

Trusting God and giving up control over our lives is not easy, especially when we have everything planned out with careers and relationships, budgets and schedules. Who knows, maybe God will ask you to give up your office or teaching job to do His work in the Congo or Zimbabwe. My fear is that God will tell me to give up writing to go do something awful and miserable, something I’ll hate and will eventually kill me. Something like teaching high school.

Will He? I don’t know, which is one of the reasons I haven’t let go yet. But I’ve been told God doesn’t work like that. He doesn’t give gifts and then forbid us to use them. Obviously, I don’t believe that yet, so if you’re struggling with the same thing, let me be an encouragement to you. You aren’t alone in your wrestling. I’m praying for you, and I’ll ask you to pray for me, and then hopefully one day soon we’ll take that step and let Him direct our lives. I wish you the best.

Bible Discussion — Romans 12

11/14/2007, 11:30 am -- by | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 12.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5
Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
Chapter 12 marks a complete change in the tenor of this epistle. The main work of dealing with the law, the Jew, and the Gentile done, Paul turns to general exhortation for the body of Christ. It is rich in basic instruction on “How to Live” for the believer.

Chloe:
A wonderfully concise handbook for Christianity.

Connie:
The chapter begins the final section of Romans, a call to practical obedience to God. Christians should live lives that reflect a transformation by our salvation working in us, and we should demonstrate such by good stewardship of our spiritual gifts.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Tom:
Under the old covenant, there were two types of sacrifice: the sacrifice to atone for sin, and the sacrifice made for worship. Since Jesus already became the sacrifice for our sin, when we’re exhorted in this chapter to be living sacrifices, we aren’t earning our salvation through good works. Instead, Paul encourages us to make our very lives an act of worship, which IS a pretty reasonable service given the circumstances.

Erin:
Verse 19 says, “Never avenge yourselves.” Never! I had always heard “Vengeance is mine” quoted, but the other side of that statement hits home. We are NEVER justified in “getting back” at someone. Never. Not even if it feels fair.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Erin: Customs of this World
Tom: Place to Wrath, Fervent in Spirit
Chloe: Zeal
Steve: Overcome
David: Abhor
Connie: Vengeance Is Mine
Josh: Humble Associate; Hungry Enemy

Continued here!

Sunrise on Firth of Forth

11/14/2007, 9:30 am -- by | 2 Comments

There is no smell in the air, none at all. There is no lingering cigarette ash or swirling car exhaust, no rotten garbage or fetid water. And it is quiet, only the sound of the water slurping up the rocks and the wind rustling the waves like a dancing woman’s skirt. Scotland’s wind is not pushy and impatient, but mischievous, catching and teasing the tendrils of hair that have slipped my fist. Here there is respite from noxious cars and obnoxious horns, from people muttering, “Sorry,” and salesmen tugging at my sleeves. Here there are only the croaking calls of seagulls and the chatter of wind and waves.

There is a storm brewing off to the north, big and tumultuous, yellow and blue like a bruise, and when it breaks, everything in Scotland will turn greener than it was. In London, the plain almost-gray sky never quite rains, but drizzles unremarkable specks of water into unremarkable puddles of muck. When this storm breaks, the writhing clouds and turbulent ocean, the heavy blue hills ambling out of the water towards the southeast, all that will be washed in tacky greens not fit for painting. Maybe, when it breaks, the neon sunrise lurking beneath the horizon will decide to wander in.

I settle on a rock, where brine has anchored conical shells to the sides of the massive black boulder, and they scrape my legs each time I swing them back and forth with the rhythm of the tide. I face the east, where the sun will make its entrance and wrestle with the waves for the stage.

The sun rises uncertainly over the harbor, budding baby yellow on the hills, melting into confused greens and deepening shades of blue up into the sky. As it gains confidence, though, it throws out against the clouds an armory of pinks and oranges, bold and embarrassing colors to the Prussian blue ocean. The sky is flaming now, no longer shy yellows and greens, but bright shades of gold against the clouds.

And then the tides change. The clouds begin to recede. Those bullying masses were only testing the waters, looking for a reaction, and meant no harm, after all. They give ground to the sun, taking with them the chill wind and white waves, leaving in their place ripples on a placid surface, and shallow pools reflecting the boulders on which I perch. And then a final flourishing bow from the clouds splashes vibrant greens all over the opposite shore.

Scotland is green once again.

Epilogue

11/8/2007, 1:00 pm -- by | 2 Comments

I wanted to share this with everyone. I volunteer at Salvation Army Homelessness Center on Wednesdays after class. This week I went in, and the boss, Andy, said, “Oh, Chloe! You have a message!”

A message? For me? I’m not important enough at Salvation Army to have a message! But there was a little yellow piece of paper with the name “Jean” on it. I don’t know a Jean, and certainly not one who works at “Islington Home Health Care.”

“What’s the message?”

“Well, apparently she found your driver’s license on the street. She sent it by post, so it should be here by tomorrow.”

(In my head, I’m still jumping up and down, yelling, “Praise God, praise God, praise God!”)

What are the odds? Really, what are the odds that in all the 7.5 million disenchanted, apathetic, tunnel-visioned people in a big city like London, a decent person would spot my stolen driver’s license and pick it up? More than that, what are the odds that the card I have from Salvation Army would be chucked out with it, land in the same place, and stay there with all the wind London had Wednesday? And, honestly, what are the chances that, in calling that number, the angel named Jean would get in touch with someone who knows me in a church as big as Regent Hall?

There aren’t any.

Praise God, praise God, praise God!!!!!

Bible Discussion — Romans 11

11/7/2007, 12:00 pm -- by | No Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 11.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4
Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
During the previous two chapters, Paul has picked up his opening argument that God opened the Gospel to the Gentiles based on faith, and rejected the Jews and their pursuit of salvation through the works of the Law.

This requires some adjustment of the parameters of “rejection” and “acceptance” to assure the Jews that they are not beyond God’s grace, and remind the Gentiles that they are not above rejection themselves if they do not continue in faith.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul identifies the Jewish remnant as saved by grace in verse 2, and goes on to say that grace rules out the possibility of works. Work and grace exclude each other. We can’t rely on some combination of the two.

David:
David’s remarks, quoted from Psalm 69 (11:9-10), actually referred to those who would specifically reject the Messiah.

Connie:
For a chapter that talks about the rejection of Israel, there is a lot of talk about the restoration of Israel.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: Irrevocable; Holy Lump
David: Seven Thousand Men
Chloe: Wild Shoot
Josh: Stumbling Block

Continued here!

Awful, But Good?

11/7/2007, 9:30 am -- by | 6 Comments

London isn’t so friendly anymore. In fact, I rather hate it right now, but I’m sure that will pass eventually.

I got back from Scotland late last Monday night to find my room in ruins. Apparently a water input pipe on the toilet in the room above me had suffered from a slow leak. When I first saw the rubble, I thought my room had been broken into. But amazingly, nothing was ruined, thanks to how much time I spent tidying up before I left. What’s more miraculous, though, is the fact that I wasn’t in the room when the disaster occurred. The ceiling collapsed in an area where I spend a lot of time, and big chunks of stained drywall landed right where my head would have been.

I was moved around a few times until the guesthouse settled me in a room meant for one person. I’m sharing it with a dear friend whose kindness shows no bounds. The room is cramped, very cramped, but it’s only temporary. On the 15th my own room will open up. In the meantime, I’ll have to do what I’m worst at — humbly accept the kindness of others. I’m in awe, really, of how hospitable Houghton students are. I had numerous offers the first night for me to stay with someone else, and one girl was adamant that she would give up her bed for me. And again, with the friend I live with now, Christian hospitality is at its best, even if it means my pride is writhing on the floor.

The Sunday after this incident, while most people were gone on break to Rome, Amsterdam or Geneva, three friends and I went to the White Swan, a fantastic little pub with cheap and delicious coffee and meals that fits our budget when the food at the guesthouse is substandard. We sat around a square table, and I put my purse between Matt’s and my feet, nearly under the table. It was safe, I knew, but I checked it every so often because I’m paranoid.

We were there for two hours, completely absorbed in a conversation that weaved in and out of film and literature, what made movies span generations, and whether M. Night Shyamalan was working on anything. Then something changed in the atmosphere, a flurry of movement, perhaps, or a sound, and when I looked down, my purse was gone.

I don’t remember getting up from my chair and running the length of the bar to get outside, but suddenly I was out there, jogging down the street to find a man I had noted as suspicious when he walked by the table twice. There he was, walking quickly down the street. I jogged ahead of him, then stopped and turned around, getting a good look at his face. He didn’t look nervous, but he had a backpack big enough to conceal a purse, and if the police find anything on the CCTV, I’ll have no trouble confirming it. I know that man’s face. I dreamed of it last night. He was a televangelist.

I didn’t lose much: $40, my (now canceled) debit card, driver’s license, mobile phone, universal bus/tube ticket, hair brush. The things I’ve missed most are my chapstick, oddly enough, and my glasses. On the way out the door, I recalled that it was a weekend, so usually pubs had bouncers out front to check ID’s. I’d been turned away before on account of my student ID being unacceptable, and I almost, almost took my passport along. But then I thought, No, this will be the night my purse gets stolen, and opted for the license instead.

Again I find that if this had to happen, this was the best possible way — and again I am dumbfounded by how wonderful people are. One girl even gave me a hairbrush! The professors have gone out of their way to replace my travel card, and thanks to the kindness of others, I now have a loan to last me until I can figure out how to get money from the States to my pocket.

London is not my favorite place right now, not by far. But throughout this terrible week, God has reinstated in me a faith in other people, and in the divine arrangement that kept me from losing my head to plaster, or a knife in return for my purse.

Things could have been so much worse, but praise God, they weren’t.

Clash of the Titans LVIII: Library Internet Censorship

11/4/2007, 2:00 pm -- by | 6 Comments

In this corner, against censoring the Internet in libraries, is Tom!

 And in this corner, in favor, is Chloe!

I am in no way in favor of children viewing adult material. I’m not even in favor of the vast majority of adult material. But I am against an adult using the Internet and having it censored.

Censorship’s main problem is the inelegance that defines its operation. To function properly, a censor’s parameters must be defined by a person, and enforced by a machine. This is a less than ideal situation. The first problem is mostly that of scope. There are many ideas on the Internet with which a given librarian may not agree. What’s to stop that crusading librarian from blocking that subject from all patrons, for their “own good”? Restricting access to one arena opens the door wide to restriction for any other, and I fervently believe that the power to restrict people’s access to ideas could and would be misused.

The other problem with censorship is enforcement. A computer is a machine, and as such would make mistakes in enforcing almost any type of censor that could be installed.

A violence filter could block images of religious icons, news articles exposing the savagery of which humans are capable, and even reviews and previews of sweet Lady Hollywood’s newest blockbuster.

A sexuality filter could block access to this article (it does contain the word pornography), websites devoted to the health and safety of young people, and even reviews and previews of sweet Lady Hollywood’s newest blockbuster!

And a profanity filter might decide that your 56-year-old eyes cannot be trusted reading the velvety prose of my erstwhile opponent’s last clash, written back when she still extolled the virtues of free speech.

Friends, a better solution exists. In every public library I’ve ever entered, the computers were fitted with polarizing screen filters. This inexpensive device renders it impossible to see what the screen contained unless you were sitting in a chair directly in front of it. This way, when I’m triumphantly reading my newest clash against sex trafficking, or my latest public service announcement lauding the HPV vaccine, no child will be harmed by the foul language and ideas. To be doubly sure of their safety, a NetNanny-style censor could be activated should a child need to use a computer, as I have no problem restricting the freedom of those little monsters.

Because, remember — they are our future.

I had a librarian in high school named Mr. W. He was old, at least 75, and perhaps the most ill-tempered librarian I’ve ever come across — and I’ve seen some vicious librarians. He commonly yelled at students for talking, and was known for his tendency to throw students out while they were studying or doing research. We were all quite thrilled when he was fired, and we were absolutely triumphant when we found out why. Pornography had been discovered on his work computer. We were right! He was the devil!

But he was a teacher, exempt from the Internet restrictions imposed on students. It was just assumed that, as an adult, he would have the self-control and moral standing to refrain from such behavior.

Clearly, this assumption was wrong.

Library computers exist to assist in research and provide those without access to a computer the opportunity to use the Internet. They are not there to enable people to look at pornography or read about methods of violence. If a person wants to expose himself to such filth, he should get his own computer and do so in his own home. But when a free service is provided by public funds, we have the right to impose restrictions.

Yes, it’s true that at times, censoring can be annoying. There have been occasions when I was doing research, and for some odd reason, Houghton’s filter refused to grant me access to pages due to “adult content,” which was absurd. It’s irksome when you’re doing research on, say, breast cancer or victims of human trafficking, and you’re barred access because of explicit content. It’s inconvenient, but easily remedied. In a library setting, it’s not that hard to either find another website or ask the proctor to lift the restriction for the moment.

Internet censorship in libraries isn’t an impediment on your rights. It’s not a ridiculous attempt by the nanny state to turn you into a moral human being. It’s common sense, because there are people who would use those computers for the sole purpose of viewing explicit or malicious content — and that doesn’t belong on a publicly-run service.

{democracy:160}

Bible Discussion — Romans 9

10/24/2007, 11:45 am -- by | 1 Comment

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next chapter in the book of Romans, Romans 9.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50

Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40

And the book of Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3
Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I) | Ch. 8 (II)

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
After introducing the concepts of calling, predestination, and election in chapter 8, Paul must now deal with the ramifications of these doctrines on his people, Israel.

Steve:
Paul turns a corner here, going from the exaltation of the last few chapters, to equal depths of anguish as he weeps over the condition of his countrymen, the Israelites.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Steve:
Paul actually says the Israelite people “are not all Israel.” Much like Esau had the right blood, but the wrong heart, the current descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were focused on genealogy rather than God.

Chloe:
The Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it by faith. The Jews, because they tried to gain righteousness by works, did not.

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
Steve: The Same Lump
Chloe: Cursed and Cut Off

Continued here!

Doomed to Learn

10/24/2007, 9:15 am -- by | 3 Comments

It was a bright and beautiful day when we kicked off. The weather must have been sunny with a high of 75, not a cloud in the blue London sky. The traffic was moderate, only a few people honked at us, and before too long, we were on a train headed to Birmingham.

Two friends (Mike and Matt) and I were biking from Birmingham, England to the coast of Wales, 160 miles total, sleeping on the side of the road, and eating dried fruit and peanut butter and jelly. We had been planning the trip for weeks, everything had gone right, and now we were there, on the train, actually going on this grand adventure.

Birmingham was bigger than we anticipated. We hadn’t done much in the way of city cycling, and we didn’t know Birmingham. As the sun sunk lower, it got colder. We lost each other a couple of times trying to maneuver the rush hour traffic. Then I started shaking. My heart was beating irregularly, my legs were on fire, and I was dizzy. I was falling behind, so I jumped off my bike. Mike and Matt stopped ahead of me and waited for me to catch up. We had only been biking for about four miles. “I don’t think I can do this,” I announced.

They convinced me to try again, arguing that since I wasn’t out of breath, it was probably just the traffic throwing me off. They were sure I could do it.

But ten minutes later I was off my bike again, then again five minutes after that. Only then did they finally accept I simply could not handle this trip. So they went on, and I walked the bike all the way back to the station and caught a train home.

Throughout the next day, I learned that even the fittest person can’t just hop on a bike and go 160 miles in four days — that kind of work uses such specific muscle groups. It would take intensive training to take such a strenuous trip. But my mother didn’t share her similar biking experiences until I got home. My professors didn’t admit how worried they were until I admitted it was impossible. No one said I couldn’t do it. And knowing me, if they had, I would have made a point to prove them wrong.

There are so many lessons in life we must learn the same way. One of the hardest things is keeping your counsel when you know someone else is going through such a trial. But the lessons learned through experience will be lessons they’ll never forget, lessons that will increase their wisdom and make them more whole.

Mike and Matt returned home the next day because of a broken bike. I’m thankful all three of us got home safely. I’m thankful for the experience, for biking around London and Birmingham, for getting to know Mike and Matt better, and for getting to see firsthand how God humbles and protects His children.

And I’m thankful to the people who let me figure it out myself.

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