Sunday, December 23, 2018
Merry Christmas
We're only a day away from Christmas, and I wanted to take the time to remind you all that, amidst the flurry of paper, the joy and excitement of gifts, and the (obviously delicious) food, not to forget that the Greatest Gift of all arrived with a flurry of angels: the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas, and thank you all for a fantastic year!
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
The Creation of the World
This post's story is an exciting one for me. Like the narrative
in the Bible, it merges the story of primordial giants with the story of
the worldwide Flood. Since both of these subjects are near and dear to
my heart, I find this myth utterly fascinating.
The great god Viracocha, desiring to bring forth mankind, first set about creating the earth and sky. Once these were complete, he carved out great stone giants, which he then brought to life. Things were good on earth, but the shiftless giants began to fight, and Viracocha did not know what to do. So he turned some of the giants back into stone, but this did not stop the rest of them from being violent. Then Viracocha sent a flood, which destroyed the earth and all of life. After the flood, Viracocha emerged from Lake Titicaca, on whose shores he built the great city of Tiahuanaco. From this city he repopulated the earth with men and women.
-Incan Myth, Paraphrased From Fr. Jose de Acosta's Natural and Moral History of the Indies
Father de Acosta was absolutely astonished at the parallels between the Incan and Biblical accounts. And well he should be, for there are few explanations as to why two distinct cultures separated by tens of thousands of miles and several millennia would tell two very similar stories. I'm curious to know what you all think? Any explanations for the similarities?
The great god Viracocha, desiring to bring forth mankind, first set about creating the earth and sky. Once these were complete, he carved out great stone giants, which he then brought to life. Things were good on earth, but the shiftless giants began to fight, and Viracocha did not know what to do. So he turned some of the giants back into stone, but this did not stop the rest of them from being violent. Then Viracocha sent a flood, which destroyed the earth and all of life. After the flood, Viracocha emerged from Lake Titicaca, on whose shores he built the great city of Tiahuanaco. From this city he repopulated the earth with men and women.
-Incan Myth, Paraphrased From Fr. Jose de Acosta's Natural and Moral History of the Indies
Father de Acosta was absolutely astonished at the parallels between the Incan and Biblical accounts. And well he should be, for there are few explanations as to why two distinct cultures separated by tens of thousands of miles and several millennia would tell two very similar stories. I'm curious to know what you all think? Any explanations for the similarities?
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Poverty in America (Re-post)
*Originally posted 9/19/15*
There's been an enormous amount of talk about "poverty" here in America as of late. Our President mentions it every time there's a riot. Candidate Bernie Sanders has said something to the effect that no one who works forty hours a week should live in poverty. People cry out that we should bring an end to poverty, to level the playing field - that our government should bring an end to poverty. But here in America, I think we forget what poverty actually is.
And as a result I think we have forgotten what luxury is, too.
Now, I understand there are people who work hard - sometimes two or three jobs - have very little, and still wonder how they are going to make rent this month. If that's you, I'm not talking to you today.
There are single mothers who simply can't afford to send their children to special clubs after school, and so they don't. I'm not talking to you, either. All across this nation, there are people who are homeless, who have next-to-nothing, and it's not their fault. I'm not talking to them, either.
I'm talking, instead, to those who waste money and claim poverty. And before people start telling me that this is a Republican lie, let me shut you down now: first, I'm NOT a Republican. Second, I witnessed this firsthand. In my half-a-decade as a banker, I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people who fit into one (or both) of these two categories.
I had a woman come into the bank, in tears, because her rent check bounced. Well, yes, it bounced, because she had spent that money on booze, a big screen television, and a $120 nail job. None of this, of course, was her fault, because she just had to have these things, and wasn't there anything I could do to - I don't know - manifest money out of thin air so she could have a place to live? She didn't ask that, but that's what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to make sure her check got paid, but she wasn't willing to put money in the bank in order to cover it. She was - her words, not mine - too broke.
This isn't poverty. Getting your nails done is not an essential of life. Having a television is not even an essential of life. And a fifth of whiskey - though it might make you feel better temporarily - won't pay the rent.
Here's an idea: go without a television for a while. If you have to choose between providing a roof for your children, or watching your favorite show on a 60-inch screen, I'd go with the roof. Besides, how are you going to watch that t.v. when you're homeless?
This woman wasn't poor because some business owner was a jerk. She wasn't facing eviction because some Republican refused to pass a law preventing it. She wasn't even poor because of her ethnicity. She was poor because she wasted her money on luxuries, thinking they were necessities.
Then there was the man who couldn't feed his kids for the next two weeks. Poor starving kids: Daddy works night shift and still can't feed you! What a horrible company he must work for!
It was either that, or the $1,500 dollars he spent the week before at a popular resort. For a two night stay. Yes, four people, $750 a night.
Look, if you have to choose between groceries or an expensive weekend getaway, go with the groceries. That's not political, folks, that's just common sense. If you are at a point where you skip vacations for a while, so what? Stay home, take the kids to the zoo one day, maybe go to a FREE park another day, and, guess what, that will still leave you $1,400 to feed your kids for the next two weeks.
But, Charles, what if he hadn't taken his kids on vacation in several years? Wouldn't that be unfair to make them wait? No, it wouldn't. Vacations are a luxury. Expensive vacations are a big luxury. Eating is neither.
Let me clear something up real quick: I am against neither vacations, nor stuff. I'm not against televisions, or movies . . . I'm not even against alcohol. What I am against are people who complain about how they are too poor to support their families, and yet they seem to find enough money to buy all of the latest gadgets, all of the newest, trendiest clothes, the most expensive car, and think nothing of dropping four dollars a day on coffee. Folks, if you make enough money to afford all of that, then you're doing a thousand times better than most of the world.
And that is, ultimately, my point. In many parts of the world, a "home" is a piece of tin over a couple of plywood boards. Literally. I have a friend who is from Bangladesh and I've seen pictures. Do you own a car? Then you are "ahead" of roughly 86% of the world's population (according to a 2007 paper from NYU). In the same paper, America makes up roughly 28% of total car ownership in the world.
Our definition of poverty is skewed. We have this attitude that we are entitled to whatever we want, whenever we want it, and it's been going on for decades. How's that working out for everyone? Yes, there is poverty, yes, there is homelessness, and yes, there is a great deal that needs to be done to help people, but the majority of "impoverished" people aren't really impoverished, they're just wasteful.
"But I can't pay my mortgage!" Shouldn't buy a new video game system every time it comes out. "But then my kids won't be like their friends!" I know. Your kids will actually have money. Now your kids are just like their friends: they all got broke parents.
"But Captain America's got a new movie coming out!" I know. And eight months after that, it'll be on DVD. You can wait.
"But I gotta have my coffee in the morning." Yeah, you keep paying four bucks a day. I'm going to keep drinking my $0.28 cup of coffee and keep living in my home.
"But I promised them we'd go to Disney before 2016!" Shouldn't promise your kids something you can't afford.
"My phone needed upgrading!" Why? Because it wouldn't load your snapchat pictures fast enough?
We need to wake up, folks. I'm just spit-balling a number here, but I would venture to guess that about 75% of my "broke" clients weren't broke, they just wasted their money on frivolous things. Phones are good. I have a smartphone. Guess what? It's also the second phone I've ever owned. I had the first one for nine years, and it was the exact opposite of a smartphone. It was more like a Forrest Gump phone. It sent and received calls. That's it - and it barely did even that. Some of you who claim poverty are out there buying a new phone every year. Stop doing that.
My wife and I don't have a fancy cable package. We get local channels, C-Span, and the Home Shopping Network. I don't need to watch Duck Dynasty, and we're not trying to keep up with any of the Kardashians, so we don't pay extra to get those channels; we've found other things to do.
My last car was driven, almost, into the ground. It was rusted through, burned through oil, and rattled when it idled (that part was actually kind of nice, because it was like sitting in one of those massage chairs). Why did I wait so long to replace it? Because it took twelve years to save up for a new one.
I haven't bought a new book in years, but my daughter and I go to the library every week. Because, you know, libraries are free.
Now, none of this is meant to be a bragging session, as in, "Look how little we spend!" But it is meant to show that it can be done. Your kids don't need everything the world has to offer, but they do need to learn discipline and self-control.
Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20). Sound advice. Of course, the core of the issue is in verse 21: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be."
If we live for and worship the things that are temporary, then when we stand before God, we're not going to know Him. And all of our stuff, all of the vacations, all of the frivolous things upon which we spent our money, will be long-gone and we will have nothing left to show for ourselves.
And then we will hear the most frightening words possible: the Creator of the universe is going to look at us and say, "Depart from Me, because I never knew you."
And, folks, you can't take your television to Hell.
There's been an enormous amount of talk about "poverty" here in America as of late. Our President mentions it every time there's a riot. Candidate Bernie Sanders has said something to the effect that no one who works forty hours a week should live in poverty. People cry out that we should bring an end to poverty, to level the playing field - that our government should bring an end to poverty. But here in America, I think we forget what poverty actually is.
And as a result I think we have forgotten what luxury is, too.
Now, I understand there are people who work hard - sometimes two or three jobs - have very little, and still wonder how they are going to make rent this month. If that's you, I'm not talking to you today.
There are single mothers who simply can't afford to send their children to special clubs after school, and so they don't. I'm not talking to you, either. All across this nation, there are people who are homeless, who have next-to-nothing, and it's not their fault. I'm not talking to them, either.
I'm talking, instead, to those who waste money and claim poverty. And before people start telling me that this is a Republican lie, let me shut you down now: first, I'm NOT a Republican. Second, I witnessed this firsthand. In my half-a-decade as a banker, I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people who fit into one (or both) of these two categories.
I had a woman come into the bank, in tears, because her rent check bounced. Well, yes, it bounced, because she had spent that money on booze, a big screen television, and a $120 nail job. None of this, of course, was her fault, because she just had to have these things, and wasn't there anything I could do to - I don't know - manifest money out of thin air so she could have a place to live? She didn't ask that, but that's what she wanted me to do. She wanted me to make sure her check got paid, but she wasn't willing to put money in the bank in order to cover it. She was - her words, not mine - too broke.
This isn't poverty. Getting your nails done is not an essential of life. Having a television is not even an essential of life. And a fifth of whiskey - though it might make you feel better temporarily - won't pay the rent.
Here's an idea: go without a television for a while. If you have to choose between providing a roof for your children, or watching your favorite show on a 60-inch screen, I'd go with the roof. Besides, how are you going to watch that t.v. when you're homeless?
This woman wasn't poor because some business owner was a jerk. She wasn't facing eviction because some Republican refused to pass a law preventing it. She wasn't even poor because of her ethnicity. She was poor because she wasted her money on luxuries, thinking they were necessities.
Then there was the man who couldn't feed his kids for the next two weeks. Poor starving kids: Daddy works night shift and still can't feed you! What a horrible company he must work for!
It was either that, or the $1,500 dollars he spent the week before at a popular resort. For a two night stay. Yes, four people, $750 a night.
Look, if you have to choose between groceries or an expensive weekend getaway, go with the groceries. That's not political, folks, that's just common sense. If you are at a point where you skip vacations for a while, so what? Stay home, take the kids to the zoo one day, maybe go to a FREE park another day, and, guess what, that will still leave you $1,400 to feed your kids for the next two weeks.
But, Charles, what if he hadn't taken his kids on vacation in several years? Wouldn't that be unfair to make them wait? No, it wouldn't. Vacations are a luxury. Expensive vacations are a big luxury. Eating is neither.
Let me clear something up real quick: I am against neither vacations, nor stuff. I'm not against televisions, or movies . . . I'm not even against alcohol. What I am against are people who complain about how they are too poor to support their families, and yet they seem to find enough money to buy all of the latest gadgets, all of the newest, trendiest clothes, the most expensive car, and think nothing of dropping four dollars a day on coffee. Folks, if you make enough money to afford all of that, then you're doing a thousand times better than most of the world.
And that is, ultimately, my point. In many parts of the world, a "home" is a piece of tin over a couple of plywood boards. Literally. I have a friend who is from Bangladesh and I've seen pictures. Do you own a car? Then you are "ahead" of roughly 86% of the world's population (according to a 2007 paper from NYU). In the same paper, America makes up roughly 28% of total car ownership in the world.
Our definition of poverty is skewed. We have this attitude that we are entitled to whatever we want, whenever we want it, and it's been going on for decades. How's that working out for everyone? Yes, there is poverty, yes, there is homelessness, and yes, there is a great deal that needs to be done to help people, but the majority of "impoverished" people aren't really impoverished, they're just wasteful.
"But I can't pay my mortgage!" Shouldn't buy a new video game system every time it comes out. "But then my kids won't be like their friends!" I know. Your kids will actually have money. Now your kids are just like their friends: they all got broke parents.
"But Captain America's got a new movie coming out!" I know. And eight months after that, it'll be on DVD. You can wait.
"But I gotta have my coffee in the morning." Yeah, you keep paying four bucks a day. I'm going to keep drinking my $0.28 cup of coffee and keep living in my home.
"But I promised them we'd go to Disney before 2016!" Shouldn't promise your kids something you can't afford.
"My phone needed upgrading!" Why? Because it wouldn't load your snapchat pictures fast enough?
We need to wake up, folks. I'm just spit-balling a number here, but I would venture to guess that about 75% of my "broke" clients weren't broke, they just wasted their money on frivolous things. Phones are good. I have a smartphone. Guess what? It's also the second phone I've ever owned. I had the first one for nine years, and it was the exact opposite of a smartphone. It was more like a Forrest Gump phone. It sent and received calls. That's it - and it barely did even that. Some of you who claim poverty are out there buying a new phone every year. Stop doing that.
My wife and I don't have a fancy cable package. We get local channels, C-Span, and the Home Shopping Network. I don't need to watch Duck Dynasty, and we're not trying to keep up with any of the Kardashians, so we don't pay extra to get those channels; we've found other things to do.
My last car was driven, almost, into the ground. It was rusted through, burned through oil, and rattled when it idled (that part was actually kind of nice, because it was like sitting in one of those massage chairs). Why did I wait so long to replace it? Because it took twelve years to save up for a new one.
I haven't bought a new book in years, but my daughter and I go to the library every week. Because, you know, libraries are free.
Now, none of this is meant to be a bragging session, as in, "Look how little we spend!" But it is meant to show that it can be done. Your kids don't need everything the world has to offer, but they do need to learn discipline and self-control.
Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20). Sound advice. Of course, the core of the issue is in verse 21: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be."
If we live for and worship the things that are temporary, then when we stand before God, we're not going to know Him. And all of our stuff, all of the vacations, all of the frivolous things upon which we spent our money, will be long-gone and we will have nothing left to show for ourselves.
And then we will hear the most frightening words possible: the Creator of the universe is going to look at us and say, "Depart from Me, because I never knew you."
And, folks, you can't take your television to Hell.
Friday, September 21, 2018
The Love of Most Will Grow Cold. . . .
My backlog of movies to watch has grown longer and longer by the month, but I finally got around to watching Logan, the final (?) chapter in the Wolverine saga. Look, I'm a big fan of the MCU, and the DC Universe . . . well, okay, not so much on the DC Universe. But rarely does a film, and never a comic book film, linger and resonate with me so long after watching it. I love the Marvel stories and characters, but they're popcorn flicks: entertaining and smartly-written, but entertainment. I love the Dark Knight Trilogy (the only DC movies I have finished), but they don't move me the way this movie did.
And I think that's because it wasn't a comic book movie. It was, rather, a movie about mending broken relationships, leaving behind ended relationships, and forging new relationships. It was a film about pain, hurt, fear, and longing. It was primarily a movie about family, and the superpowers and mutants really just felt like a side plot, an "Oh yeah, and they're mutants."
*Big old spoiler alert! If you haven't seen Logan, or Infinity War, or, perhaps any other movie (I'm not sure where this is going, so anything could get spoiled!), you might want to stop reading now.*
Maybe it was Patrick Stewart's broken, angry, confused Xavier. Maybe it was the fact that his death was so surprising - even anticlimactic - that it felt so incredibly real. Because death isn't usually neat, and never convenient. Maybe it's the fact that Logan's death was also Hugh Jackman's final moment as Wolverine, a character he spent twenty years developing. Maybe it's because these men spent two decades portraying these characters, and their Swan Song was the best performance - I think - we've ever seen out of either of them (and, yes, I include Captain Picard in that comparison).
It was definitely the girl. This young girl - I think she was eleven, but I'm too lazy to look it up - was so beautiful in her complexity that it easily got lost on me that she was holding her own with both Stewart and Jackman . . . and she did it for over an hour without saying a word. She didn't have to say anything. Her eyes told everything.
And her scream. That primal scream when she saw Xavier's body in the back of the truck . . . it was utterly heartbreaking. Without a single line of dialogue, her scream conveyed the intensity of losing the only person she trusted - losing her kindly old "grandfather" - and being left with this angry, terrifying, estranged father.
I was shocked when Loki and Heimdall were killed. I even teared up when Gamora was killed. But this film has moved me and disturbed me in ways that most movies don't. And I'm not even sure I liked the movie, to be honest.
I can tolerate some language in a film, even really profane language, but ten minutes into this movie and I was sort of wishing they had hired me to edit the dialogue a bit. I can tolerate violence - even graphic violence - to a degree, but by the end of the movie, I no longer wanted to know how many different ways people could be killed by metal claws.
And yet, it sticks. It sticks because it was so very real. It was so very character-driven, so very emotional, and - let's face it - if you've lived for close to two-hundred years, fought in every major war, lost everyone you've ever loved or cared about, you're probably going to pick up some bad language habits. And shoving metal through people's heads will be bloody. And a girl who was made in a test tube, raised as an experiment, trained to be an assassin, and lost her entire family . . . yeah, she's going to have issues. The movie was poignant because it was real.
Except, of course, it wasn't real - it was only a movie. Men don't have psychic powers. Girls don't have claws in their hands. No one has an adamantium-coated skeleton..
Which is what makes this whole thing disturbing. I am moved - to the point of tears and even some mild depression - by a fictional movie with fictional people. Logan isn't real. Xavier isn't real. Laura isn't real. The family dynamics were scripted and sculpted. The blood was fake, the deaths were lies, and yet the film moved not only myself, but so many other people.
My uncle died a few weeks ago and, believe me, it made me sad. Really sad. But not as sad as this film. A friend of mine just lost his brother, and that made me incredibly sad, but not as sad as Laura's loss made me feel. My wife's grandmother died last July, and I regret that we never made it one last time to visit her, but not as much as I regret Xavier's anticlimactic death.
That should terrify me. I think - I hope - it does, or I may not be writing this. Jesus says in Matthew 24 that as the end approaches, "the love of most will grow cold." I've always taken that to mean that non-believers will just get angry. But when we look at the context, it's actually far more disturbing:
"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (24:10-13).
I think - and I suppose it's a bit vague here - but I think Jesus is talking about believers. I think Jesus is talking about people who, when they see the wicked prosper and they see the world's headlong rush into the depths of Hell, simply stop caring. I think He's talking about people who should be preaching the Gospel and loving their neighbors as themselves, but who, instead, simply grow apathetic to the suffering and plight of mankind.
And this brings up an uncomfortable realization: my love might be growing cold. When I care more about fictional characters in a movie than I do my own family. . . .
When I care more about drama on the latest episode of some television show than I do the heartache of my neighbor. . . .
When I'm more excited that they cast some big name in the next Marvel movie than I am the joy of a friend's newborn. . . .
Brothers and sisters, this is unacceptable. We cannot let our love grow cold. We cannot let cynicism and apathy harden our hearts. We cannot let distrust keep us from helping the poor, the widowed, and the orphans. People are dying and going to Hell, and we're crying over a movie.
Maybe it's time to do the hard thing and turn off the television, shut down the computer, and spend some time in prayer and the Scriptures. Maybe it's time to actually be obedient and take opportunities to love our neighbors as we love ourselves - and certainly to love them more than we love a comic book hero.
Logan may have died, but he didn't die for your sins, or mine. Xavier may have been executed, but he wasn't executed for your neighbor's sins. And, at least in the comics, they may come back from time to time, but only one Man had the power to actually resurrect Himself. And He is worthy of far more love than anything else we could ever invent.
And I think that's because it wasn't a comic book movie. It was, rather, a movie about mending broken relationships, leaving behind ended relationships, and forging new relationships. It was a film about pain, hurt, fear, and longing. It was primarily a movie about family, and the superpowers and mutants really just felt like a side plot, an "Oh yeah, and they're mutants."
*Big old spoiler alert! If you haven't seen Logan, or Infinity War, or, perhaps any other movie (I'm not sure where this is going, so anything could get spoiled!), you might want to stop reading now.*
Maybe it was Patrick Stewart's broken, angry, confused Xavier. Maybe it was the fact that his death was so surprising - even anticlimactic - that it felt so incredibly real. Because death isn't usually neat, and never convenient. Maybe it's the fact that Logan's death was also Hugh Jackman's final moment as Wolverine, a character he spent twenty years developing. Maybe it's because these men spent two decades portraying these characters, and their Swan Song was the best performance - I think - we've ever seen out of either of them (and, yes, I include Captain Picard in that comparison).
It was definitely the girl. This young girl - I think she was eleven, but I'm too lazy to look it up - was so beautiful in her complexity that it easily got lost on me that she was holding her own with both Stewart and Jackman . . . and she did it for over an hour without saying a word. She didn't have to say anything. Her eyes told everything.
And her scream. That primal scream when she saw Xavier's body in the back of the truck . . . it was utterly heartbreaking. Without a single line of dialogue, her scream conveyed the intensity of losing the only person she trusted - losing her kindly old "grandfather" - and being left with this angry, terrifying, estranged father.
I was shocked when Loki and Heimdall were killed. I even teared up when Gamora was killed. But this film has moved me and disturbed me in ways that most movies don't. And I'm not even sure I liked the movie, to be honest.
I can tolerate some language in a film, even really profane language, but ten minutes into this movie and I was sort of wishing they had hired me to edit the dialogue a bit. I can tolerate violence - even graphic violence - to a degree, but by the end of the movie, I no longer wanted to know how many different ways people could be killed by metal claws.
And yet, it sticks. It sticks because it was so very real. It was so very character-driven, so very emotional, and - let's face it - if you've lived for close to two-hundred years, fought in every major war, lost everyone you've ever loved or cared about, you're probably going to pick up some bad language habits. And shoving metal through people's heads will be bloody. And a girl who was made in a test tube, raised as an experiment, trained to be an assassin, and lost her entire family . . . yeah, she's going to have issues. The movie was poignant because it was real.
Except, of course, it wasn't real - it was only a movie. Men don't have psychic powers. Girls don't have claws in their hands. No one has an adamantium-coated skeleton..
Which is what makes this whole thing disturbing. I am moved - to the point of tears and even some mild depression - by a fictional movie with fictional people. Logan isn't real. Xavier isn't real. Laura isn't real. The family dynamics were scripted and sculpted. The blood was fake, the deaths were lies, and yet the film moved not only myself, but so many other people.
My uncle died a few weeks ago and, believe me, it made me sad. Really sad. But not as sad as this film. A friend of mine just lost his brother, and that made me incredibly sad, but not as sad as Laura's loss made me feel. My wife's grandmother died last July, and I regret that we never made it one last time to visit her, but not as much as I regret Xavier's anticlimactic death.
That should terrify me. I think - I hope - it does, or I may not be writing this. Jesus says in Matthew 24 that as the end approaches, "the love of most will grow cold." I've always taken that to mean that non-believers will just get angry. But when we look at the context, it's actually far more disturbing:
"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved" (24:10-13).
I think - and I suppose it's a bit vague here - but I think Jesus is talking about believers. I think Jesus is talking about people who, when they see the wicked prosper and they see the world's headlong rush into the depths of Hell, simply stop caring. I think He's talking about people who should be preaching the Gospel and loving their neighbors as themselves, but who, instead, simply grow apathetic to the suffering and plight of mankind.
And this brings up an uncomfortable realization: my love might be growing cold. When I care more about fictional characters in a movie than I do my own family. . . .
When I care more about drama on the latest episode of some television show than I do the heartache of my neighbor. . . .
When I'm more excited that they cast some big name in the next Marvel movie than I am the joy of a friend's newborn. . . .
Brothers and sisters, this is unacceptable. We cannot let our love grow cold. We cannot let cynicism and apathy harden our hearts. We cannot let distrust keep us from helping the poor, the widowed, and the orphans. People are dying and going to Hell, and we're crying over a movie.
Maybe it's time to do the hard thing and turn off the television, shut down the computer, and spend some time in prayer and the Scriptures. Maybe it's time to actually be obedient and take opportunities to love our neighbors as we love ourselves - and certainly to love them more than we love a comic book hero.
Logan may have died, but he didn't die for your sins, or mine. Xavier may have been executed, but he wasn't executed for your neighbor's sins. And, at least in the comics, they may come back from time to time, but only one Man had the power to actually resurrect Himself. And He is worthy of far more love than anything else we could ever invent.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Bill Looney
Hey!
I just wanted to encourage you guys to take a look at another book illustrated by Bill Looney (who illustrated Giants). You can find the book on Amazon here!
Oh, and here's a link to his site!
http://looneybill.com/
I just wanted to encourage you guys to take a look at another book illustrated by Bill Looney (who illustrated Giants). You can find the book on Amazon here!
Oh, and here's a link to his site!
http://looneybill.com/
Monday, August 20, 2018
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Edible Kale
After decades of Bible study and years of attempting to eat kale, I am now firmly convinced that kale is of the Devil. It's sharp, thistle-like leaves are almost the perfect example of the "thorns and thistles" with which God curses man in Genesis 3. But, as with all things, God can redeem it, and He has left a way to cook kale that actually allows it to be edible - and even taste good! This is a really simple recipe that requires very little culinary skill, and it allows you enjoy the benefits of kale without the suffering.
So kale is a really tough leaf, and chewing it can feel like trying to chew a piece of silicone. The key, therefore, is to break down the tough fibers of the leaf. The second issue is flavor - kale tastes like weeds. It's a strange mix of broccoli, cabbage, and grass, and so imparting some kind of flavor is important. So you need lots of cooking and lots of flavor.
With that said, let's get going:
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
one bunch of kale, washed and finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1) Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.
2) Add kale, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Add vinegar, stirring to incorporate, and cook for another ten minutes. If kale seems dry, add 1/4-1/2 cup water. Add salt and pepper to taste (I do about 1/4t each).
3) Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and let simmer for 1 hour.
4) Remove lid. Kale should be moist and the leaves quite soft. If it's not done yet, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
5) Remove lid and let simmer for 15 more minutes, or until the water is mostly evaporated. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
So kale is a really tough leaf, and chewing it can feel like trying to chew a piece of silicone. The key, therefore, is to break down the tough fibers of the leaf. The second issue is flavor - kale tastes like weeds. It's a strange mix of broccoli, cabbage, and grass, and so imparting some kind of flavor is important. So you need lots of cooking and lots of flavor.
With that said, let's get going:
2 T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
one bunch of kale, washed and finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1) Heat oil in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.
2) Add kale, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Add vinegar, stirring to incorporate, and cook for another ten minutes. If kale seems dry, add 1/4-1/2 cup water. Add salt and pepper to taste (I do about 1/4t each).
3) Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a tight fitting lid, and let simmer for 1 hour.
4) Remove lid. Kale should be moist and the leaves quite soft. If it's not done yet, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
5) Remove lid and let simmer for 15 more minutes, or until the water is mostly evaporated. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Thursday, July 5, 2018
The Myth of Fire, Part 2
The Maori people (Polynesia/New Zealand) also have a story that explains the origin of fire. Now, to be fair, their story begins in medias res, after mankind already has fire. In this story, however, humans have to keep their fires burning continuously, since no one knows how to start a fire. In other words, once the fires goes out, everyone is doomed to eat raw food.
Maui, being a bit of a trickster - as well as a demigod - decided to find out exactly where fire originates, so once everyone was asleep, he ran around and put out all of the world's fires. Then, when everyone woke up to find that they could not cook breakfast, he volunteered to go find more fire.
The source of fire was located inside of a burning mountain, all red and glowing, hot as the sun. Mahuika, the goddess of fire, was more than happy to give Maui one of her toenails, once she discovered that earth had lost all of its fire.
However, after a series of deceptions on Maui's part, after which Mahuika had given up all but one of her toenails and her fingernails, the goddess grew angry, and tried to engulf Maui in flames. He turned into a hawk and fled, but fire had singed his wings, and the waters over which he flew boiled with the heat. She threw her remaining toenail at him, which landed in a tree and embedded the fire in the tree.
Maui brought a branch back, bringing with it fire, which he then gave to the rest of the world (and there was much rejoicing).
On the surface, the story is vastly different from the previous stories. But notice a few of the details:
1) Maui is semi-divine - like Giant and Prometheus, Maui is a supernatural creature, but not one of the chief gods of his culture
2) Maui is a trickster - like Giant and Prometheus, Maui is deceptive, and he uses his deception to his advantage
3) Maui's trickster nature angers the more powerful goddess - like the gods of the Tsimshians, or the gods of the Greek Pantheon, the goddess Mahuika is furious at Maui's attempts to steal her fire
4) That blasted stick - Like Prometheus, who brings fire back in a fennel stalk, and Agni, who brings it back in the pramanthaya, Maui brings fire back in a stick.
5) Source of fire - Maui may not have ascended into the heavens, but he did go to the ends of the earth, and while he may not have retrieved the fire from the sun, he did retrieve it from the largest burning object on earth.
There are other, minor connections - the fact that Giant and Maui both transform into birds, for example - but these five points are interesting. Again, I'm not trying to say that this story is 100% accurate, or that there was even a mountain of fire somewhere on the earth at some point, but these details keep popping up all over the globe, and between cultures that have no relation to each other whatsoever.
This should make us pause and reconsider the narrative of our past that most people so readily accept and believe. Perhaps there really were giants in our ancient past, and perhaps they really were heroes of old and men of renown. And if the Bible is right about that point, what else might it be right about?
For a detailed telling of the story, please click here.
Maui, being a bit of a trickster - as well as a demigod - decided to find out exactly where fire originates, so once everyone was asleep, he ran around and put out all of the world's fires. Then, when everyone woke up to find that they could not cook breakfast, he volunteered to go find more fire.
The source of fire was located inside of a burning mountain, all red and glowing, hot as the sun. Mahuika, the goddess of fire, was more than happy to give Maui one of her toenails, once she discovered that earth had lost all of its fire.
However, after a series of deceptions on Maui's part, after which Mahuika had given up all but one of her toenails and her fingernails, the goddess grew angry, and tried to engulf Maui in flames. He turned into a hawk and fled, but fire had singed his wings, and the waters over which he flew boiled with the heat. She threw her remaining toenail at him, which landed in a tree and embedded the fire in the tree.
Maui brought a branch back, bringing with it fire, which he then gave to the rest of the world (and there was much rejoicing).
On the surface, the story is vastly different from the previous stories. But notice a few of the details:
1) Maui is semi-divine - like Giant and Prometheus, Maui is a supernatural creature, but not one of the chief gods of his culture
2) Maui is a trickster - like Giant and Prometheus, Maui is deceptive, and he uses his deception to his advantage
3) Maui's trickster nature angers the more powerful goddess - like the gods of the Tsimshians, or the gods of the Greek Pantheon, the goddess Mahuika is furious at Maui's attempts to steal her fire
4) That blasted stick - Like Prometheus, who brings fire back in a fennel stalk, and Agni, who brings it back in the pramanthaya, Maui brings fire back in a stick.
5) Source of fire - Maui may not have ascended into the heavens, but he did go to the ends of the earth, and while he may not have retrieved the fire from the sun, he did retrieve it from the largest burning object on earth.
There are other, minor connections - the fact that Giant and Maui both transform into birds, for example - but these five points are interesting. Again, I'm not trying to say that this story is 100% accurate, or that there was even a mountain of fire somewhere on the earth at some point, but these details keep popping up all over the globe, and between cultures that have no relation to each other whatsoever.
This should make us pause and reconsider the narrative of our past that most people so readily accept and believe. Perhaps there really were giants in our ancient past, and perhaps they really were heroes of old and men of renown. And if the Bible is right about that point, what else might it be right about?
For a detailed telling of the story, please click here.
Monday, June 25, 2018
The Myth of Fire
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days - and also afterward - when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Where would mankind be without fire? We wouldn't cook, keep warm, sing cheesy songs, or - and this is the most shocking revelation of all - toast marshmallows. But if I were a betting man, I would bet that one thing few of us ever contemplate is how fire was “invented” (or, perhaps more accurately, “discovered”) in the first place. And when we do, I think we tend to have an almost comical view of the process. Maybe we picture a very frightened caveman being surprised when a lightning bolt strikes a tree and the tree bursts into flames. As the caveman feels the heat radiating from the tree, his eyes widen in understanding. Grabbing a flaming branch and making grunting sounds, he runs off in the direction of his cave-dwelling family, and, amidst their cries and screams of pain, proudly burns them. Later, they forgive him when they eat their first bite of flame-broiled mastodon.
Or maybe we picture a group of primitive men rubbing sticks together, just for fun (movies weren't around yet), and out pops a little smoke and a small flame. Excited, the men promptly singe their eyebrows as they lean in for a closer look.
These are silly, I know, but they’re fairly close to what I have always pictured as the “discovery of fire.” But what if those visions are wrong? What if the discovery wasn’t an accident, but was brought to us by one of a race - hear me out - of ancient giants?
In the Greek story of Prometheus, the Titan and his brother, Epimetheus, combined their resources and created the world, dividing the work between them. As it turned out, the two brothers were somewhat wasteful so that by the time they came to the creation of man, they were out of the resources they needed in order to set man apart from the animals. So Prometheus, being a little bit on the mischievous side (one of his epithets was “trickster”), ascended into heaven, grabbed part of the sun, and brought it back to earth (he is commonly depicted as holding a flaming torch), giving fire to mankind. The gods were angry with this and, after the Titan War, Prometheus was chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten out daily (it regenerated each night so as to be eaten again the next day).
To my knowledge, this is not a question that has ever been explored. Perhaps we would rather picture the cavemen roasting their mastodons, trading one fantasy for what we consider another, more “reasonable” one. The fact remains that speculation is speculation, no matter how reasonable it may seem, but based on the literary evidence, it seems far more likely that mankind received the gift of fire, not from an accident, but from a giant.
-Genesis 6:4
Where would mankind be without fire? We wouldn't cook, keep warm, sing cheesy songs, or - and this is the most shocking revelation of all - toast marshmallows. But if I were a betting man, I would bet that one thing few of us ever contemplate is how fire was “invented” (or, perhaps more accurately, “discovered”) in the first place. And when we do, I think we tend to have an almost comical view of the process. Maybe we picture a very frightened caveman being surprised when a lightning bolt strikes a tree and the tree bursts into flames. As the caveman feels the heat radiating from the tree, his eyes widen in understanding. Grabbing a flaming branch and making grunting sounds, he runs off in the direction of his cave-dwelling family, and, amidst their cries and screams of pain, proudly burns them. Later, they forgive him when they eat their first bite of flame-broiled mastodon.
Or maybe we picture a group of primitive men rubbing sticks together, just for fun (movies weren't around yet), and out pops a little smoke and a small flame. Excited, the men promptly singe their eyebrows as they lean in for a closer look.
These are silly, I know, but they’re fairly close to what I have always pictured as the “discovery of fire.” But what if those visions are wrong? What if the discovery wasn’t an accident, but was brought to us by one of a race - hear me out - of ancient giants?
In the Greek story of Prometheus, the Titan and his brother, Epimetheus, combined their resources and created the world, dividing the work between them. As it turned out, the two brothers were somewhat wasteful so that by the time they came to the creation of man, they were out of the resources they needed in order to set man apart from the animals. So Prometheus, being a little bit on the mischievous side (one of his epithets was “trickster”), ascended into heaven, grabbed part of the sun, and brought it back to earth (he is commonly depicted as holding a flaming torch), giving fire to mankind. The gods were angry with this and, after the Titan War, Prometheus was chained to a rock, where his liver was eaten out daily (it regenerated each night so as to be eaten again the next day).
An important note to keep in mind is that the
name Prometheus comes from the Greek pro
(before) and manthano (to learn). In essence, his name means “Before Learning,”
and so it is clear that to the Greeks, Prometheus and his stunt with fire
occurred very early in earth’s history.
Halfway
around the world in Alaska, we find the Tsimshian legend of Giant and the Mā.
Giant, who is bored and (also) mischievous, descends from his perch in
the clouds, landing on the newly-formed earth.
For fun, he creates some fish (still no movies),
some islands, and some fruit trees, and then he steals something known as the Mā.
This angers the gods, who give chase and, when things go south and it looks like he's going to get caught, Giant breaks the Mā, bringing the sun
and its light to earth. This action
earns Giant the name of Txǟ’msem, or “liar.”
So
here’s what we have so far:
• in
both legends, a supernatural, god-like giant creates part of our world
• in
both legends, the giant is known as either a “trickster” or “liar” (the two
words are
synonymous in many languages and cultures)
• in
both legends he brings either “fire,” or “sunlight” to mankind – either way, it
involves the sun
• in
both legends, he does so early in earth’s history, but after there were people
• in
both legends, his actions anger the other gods
Is
this just a coincidence, or are we seeing Telephone Mythology at work, pointing
back to a time when mankind was brought fire from these “men of renown”? Now, to be fair, the stories are different enough
that I would have simply assumed this was coincidence if I hadn’t stumbled
across the Vedic hymn devoted to Agni, the Hindu god of fire.
In the legend, Agni brings celestial
fire down to earth, giving it to Bhrigus, one of the foremost of the Ŗsis (the Ŗsis were a group of wise and learned sages who, at least in the literature, appear to be immortal. Their function was to carry education - that is, the tools of language, mathematics, engineering, and the arts - down through the ages, in order to restore civilization each time the earth is destroyed). The tool Agni uses to do this is called a pramantha. It is a stick used to stir the cauldrons of
the Brahmins, and is often a symbol for various mystical concepts.
So
now we can add the following information to this list:
• In one legend, fire is brought by a
giant named Prometheus, in a different legend, it is
brought down using a tool called by an eerily similar name.
Now, I’m just speculating here, but
we might possibly have a large insight into the ancient world. Could it be – not do we know for sure – but could it be possible that the means of creating fire
was invented or discovered by an early giant? Is it possible that this giant then shared
his discovery with the rest of mankind?
If so, wouldn’t that act then make him a “[hero] of old” in the minds of
other humans? Would that action have
sparked jealousy among his fellow giants, perhaps stirring up hatred – even
racism – between the two groups? Is it possible that this story was passed on
from generation to generation, throughout the Diaspora, changing into varied,
but still similar, forms?
To my knowledge, this is not a question that has ever been explored. Perhaps we would rather picture the cavemen roasting their mastodons, trading one fantasy for what we consider another, more “reasonable” one. The fact remains that speculation is speculation, no matter how reasonable it may seem, but based on the literary evidence, it seems far more likely that mankind received the gift of fire, not from an accident, but from a giant.
While we have to be careful not to begin assuming that every story we read is true, three separate cultures depicting three very similar stories (with very similar words and concepts) is a difficult coincidence to swallow. Though the Bible is rather mum on what it means to be one of these "heroes of old and men of renown," it is not too far-fetched to wonder if part of this renown involved giving us the means to stay warm and cook our food. And, while I find it highly unlikely that some giant traveled to the sun in order to bring us fire, this does not immediately negate the possibility that their discovery of fire helped out the rest of us.
Monday, June 11, 2018
The Queen of the Serpents (Repost)
I posted this myth many years ago, but I thought it was worth another go.
Once there was a fisherman who had a beautiful daughter, named Egle. Egle used to bathe in the sea every morning. Once, as she emerged from the sea and went to gather her clothes, a large serpent rose up out of the folds of the garment and spoke to her.
"If you will marry me," he hissed, "I will return your clothes."
"But how could I, a woman, marry a serpent?" Egle asked, distraught.
"Then you will be shamed by your nakedness," the crafty serpent replied. So Egle consented, and took the serpent home to meet her family. Her father and brothers treated it poorly, but to no avail, for the next day, a hundred serpents were waiting in the yard of the fisherman's hut, all of them having come to take part in the wedding of their beloved Prince (for that is who the serpent was, the Prince of the serpents).
And so the two of them were married, and the Prince took his bride to his castle under the water. There, he transformed into a handsome young man, and Egle was very glad she had married him. By and by, the King died, and her husband, Zilvinas, became King of the serpents. The King (and now the Queen), soon had three beautiful children, and all lived quite happily. But by and by, Egle became homesick, and asked to see her family.
Zilvinas agreed, and told his wife that she could return tot he surface for as long as she wished. When it was time for her to come home, she only had to speak his name, and he would send a wave to carry them back to the Kingdom. "But," he said, "if the wave is bloody, then you know I have died, and you must not come here again."
So Egle and her children went to see her father and brothers. But the brothers were cruel, and beat the half-human children. Egle begged them to stop, but they would not rest until they learned the secret of how to kill Zilvinas. In her distress, she told them how to summon him, and the brothers went to the seashore and called out to him. He appeared, and they killed him.
Egle, however, did not know what they had done, and, seeing an opportunity to escape, she grabbed her children and ran to the seashore. She called for her husband, but the wave that washed ashore was bloody, and she knew what had happened. In her despair, she cried out that she and her children might be turned into trees, and the gods listened to her and obeyed.
Once there was a fisherman who had a beautiful daughter, named Egle. Egle used to bathe in the sea every morning. Once, as she emerged from the sea and went to gather her clothes, a large serpent rose up out of the folds of the garment and spoke to her.
"If you will marry me," he hissed, "I will return your clothes."
"But how could I, a woman, marry a serpent?" Egle asked, distraught.
"Then you will be shamed by your nakedness," the crafty serpent replied. So Egle consented, and took the serpent home to meet her family. Her father and brothers treated it poorly, but to no avail, for the next day, a hundred serpents were waiting in the yard of the fisherman's hut, all of them having come to take part in the wedding of their beloved Prince (for that is who the serpent was, the Prince of the serpents).
And so the two of them were married, and the Prince took his bride to his castle under the water. There, he transformed into a handsome young man, and Egle was very glad she had married him. By and by, the King died, and her husband, Zilvinas, became King of the serpents. The King (and now the Queen), soon had three beautiful children, and all lived quite happily. But by and by, Egle became homesick, and asked to see her family.
Zilvinas agreed, and told his wife that she could return tot he surface for as long as she wished. When it was time for her to come home, she only had to speak his name, and he would send a wave to carry them back to the Kingdom. "But," he said, "if the wave is bloody, then you know I have died, and you must not come here again."
So Egle and her children went to see her father and brothers. But the brothers were cruel, and beat the half-human children. Egle begged them to stop, but they would not rest until they learned the secret of how to kill Zilvinas. In her distress, she told them how to summon him, and the brothers went to the seashore and called out to him. He appeared, and they killed him.
Egle, however, did not know what they had done, and, seeing an opportunity to escape, she grabbed her children and ran to the seashore. She called for her husband, but the wave that washed ashore was bloody, and she knew what had happened. In her despair, she cried out that she and her children might be turned into trees, and the gods listened to her and obeyed.
Monday, May 7, 2018
Still Going!
Although it has been nine years since Flood Legends was first published (!!!!), the book is still resonating with audiences. It is currently #247 in sales rank for Amazon's "Histriography" category. While that's obviously not a bestseller, for a no-name author in an obscure niche, I'm pretty happy. :-) Thank you all for supporting this project, and I hope to have a new project out to you very soon!
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Japanese Creation Myth
All was utter darkness. There was no light. There was no sound. There were no gods. But then, slowly, the particles of the universe moved, and they made a sound. As the sound grew, so did the particles grow. Some of the particles were heavy, and sank to the bottom; they were the Earth. The lighter particles, made of air and light, rose to the top and became the Heavens.
In the Heavens now there were the Three Creators: The Master, the August Producer, and the Wondrous Ancestor. They looked upon the land, surveying its moving, fluid motions as it floated upon the water. They made the reeds spring up, and from the reeds came two new gods: Izanagi and his wife, Izanami. Other gods and goddesses were born, but it was these two who were given dominion over the Earth.
When Izanami died in childbirth shortly thereafter, Izanagi grew distraught. He descended into Yomi - the land of the dead - to find her. It took him many days to do so, and by the time he had arrived, her body had already begun to decay. Izanagi wept for many weeks. Finally, he dried his eyes, stood up, and left his wife in Yomi.
Because he had been defiled by his time there, Izanagi washed and purified himself, using the rituals of the ancestors. In this washing, three spirits were formed: Susano-o, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi, who were the wind, the sun, and the moon, respectively.
-Japanese Myth
In the Heavens now there were the Three Creators: The Master, the August Producer, and the Wondrous Ancestor. They looked upon the land, surveying its moving, fluid motions as it floated upon the water. They made the reeds spring up, and from the reeds came two new gods: Izanagi and his wife, Izanami. Other gods and goddesses were born, but it was these two who were given dominion over the Earth.
When Izanami died in childbirth shortly thereafter, Izanagi grew distraught. He descended into Yomi - the land of the dead - to find her. It took him many days to do so, and by the time he had arrived, her body had already begun to decay. Izanagi wept for many weeks. Finally, he dried his eyes, stood up, and left his wife in Yomi.
Because he had been defiled by his time there, Izanagi washed and purified himself, using the rituals of the ancestors. In this washing, three spirits were formed: Susano-o, Amaterasu, and Tsukuyomi, who were the wind, the sun, and the moon, respectively.
-Japanese Myth
Monday, April 16, 2018
Website
Hey, folks! I'm looking to start up an official website (you know, one with an actual domain name!), and I need some help! Those of you who have your own websites: what platform do you use? What are the positive attributes of it? What are the negative qualities?
Let me know! Thanks!
Let me know! Thanks!
Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Realm of the Sea God (Re-post)
I originally posted this several years ago, but it's so interesting to me, especially in light of what appears to be ruins of a great city, located on the ocean floor off the coast of Japan.
The Great Fire-Glow was a prince who was adept at fishing in the ocean, and caught all manner of sea life. His younger brother, Fire-Fade, was a mountain man, skilled at hunting the wildlife of the earth. The two brothers one day decided to try their hands at the other brother's occupation. Fire-Fade took to the sea, but was unable to catch any fish. In fact, at one point, he even lost his brother's fishing hook beneath the waves! When his brother, Fire-Glow, requested his hook back, Fire-Fade responded, "I was unable to to catch anything, and, alas! lost your hook in the sea."
Fire-Glow was angry, because he had taken great care to return his brother's bow and arrows. He demanded that his brother retrieve the hook from the bottom of the ocean. Unable to comply, Fire-Fade fashioned another hook for his brother, but Fire-Glow demanded the original hook once more.
So Fire-Fade melted down his sword and, with it, fashioned five-hundred hooks for his brother, but Fire-Glow would not take them. Fire-Fade then made a thousand hooks for his elder brother, but this was not good enough. "I want my hook back," Fire-Glow demanded.
In his frustration, Fire-Fade stood at the edge of the ocean and cried out to the sea spirits. At last, Shihi-tsutsu no Oji stood by him and asked, "What is wrong, that you grieve so?" Fire-Fade told him the story, and the old man responded, "Do not worry, for I will help you." So he fashioned a water-tight basket for the hapless brother, and lowered it into the ocean with Fire-Fade inside (for the basket was lowered upside-down, so as to be filled with air).
In time he found himself situated on the bottom of the ocean near a pathway, where, leaving the basket, he soon found himself at the Palace of the Sea God. The palace was adorned with towers, battlements, and fierce means of defense. Fire-Fade, afraid to enter uninvited, stood next to the gate until the princess invited him in. She took him before the Sea God, who asked Fire-Fade his purpose there. Fire-Fade told the story of the fishing hook, and the Sea God questioned all of the fishes, to see whether they had seen Fire-Fade's missing hook.
They had not, they responded, but one of their kind had suffered with a wound in her mouth for quite some time. The Sea God called her forward, and, upon examination, it was discovered that the hook was caught in her mouth. It was removed, and returned to Fire-Fade.
However, having seen the beautiful daughter of the Sea God, Fire-Fade desired to remain in the kingdom. So he married her, and they lived in the palace for three years. Eventually, Fire-Fade began to miss his home, and his wife, the princess, saw his distress. She told her father of Fire-Fade's deep sighs, and the Sea God granted her husband permission to return to his home. Upon his departure, Fire-Fade received two magical stones, which would allow him to control the waves, causing them to ebb and flow at his desire. The Sea God suggested that he use the stones to drown his older brother, who was most unreasonable about the ordeal with the fishing hook.
Before he could leave, however, Fire-Fade's wife informed him that she was with child, and would soon join him on land to give birth to their child. "When the waves and sea are stormy," she told him, "I will come and wait for you on the seashore."
Fire-Fade returned to his home, and, with the stones, convinced his brother to repent. Soon afterward, Fire-Fade's wife emerged from the depths to give birth to their child. As she was about to deliver, she told her husband that she would have to take her natural form, and begged him not to look at her in that condition.
However, as he stood in the hallway awaiting the birth, Fire-Fade looked in upon his wife, and lo! she was a dragon! She was saddened and ashamed at this, and told him, "If you had listened, I would have made the sea and land peaceful with each other. As it is, the two kingdoms shall never be at peace again." And so she abandoned her child and descended into the depths, barring the way to the castle.
-Found in the Kojiki and Nihongi, Japan
The most interesting part of this story is the existence of what appears to be an actual city on the ocean floor off of the coast of Japan (don't worry, it's uninhabited!). Could an adventurous person have made a rather primitive sort of submarine, as depicted in the story, and actually seen these ruins?
The Great Fire-Glow was a prince who was adept at fishing in the ocean, and caught all manner of sea life. His younger brother, Fire-Fade, was a mountain man, skilled at hunting the wildlife of the earth. The two brothers one day decided to try their hands at the other brother's occupation. Fire-Fade took to the sea, but was unable to catch any fish. In fact, at one point, he even lost his brother's fishing hook beneath the waves! When his brother, Fire-Glow, requested his hook back, Fire-Fade responded, "I was unable to to catch anything, and, alas! lost your hook in the sea."
Fire-Glow was angry, because he had taken great care to return his brother's bow and arrows. He demanded that his brother retrieve the hook from the bottom of the ocean. Unable to comply, Fire-Fade fashioned another hook for his brother, but Fire-Glow demanded the original hook once more.
So Fire-Fade melted down his sword and, with it, fashioned five-hundred hooks for his brother, but Fire-Glow would not take them. Fire-Fade then made a thousand hooks for his elder brother, but this was not good enough. "I want my hook back," Fire-Glow demanded.
In his frustration, Fire-Fade stood at the edge of the ocean and cried out to the sea spirits. At last, Shihi-tsutsu no Oji stood by him and asked, "What is wrong, that you grieve so?" Fire-Fade told him the story, and the old man responded, "Do not worry, for I will help you." So he fashioned a water-tight basket for the hapless brother, and lowered it into the ocean with Fire-Fade inside (for the basket was lowered upside-down, so as to be filled with air).
In time he found himself situated on the bottom of the ocean near a pathway, where, leaving the basket, he soon found himself at the Palace of the Sea God. The palace was adorned with towers, battlements, and fierce means of defense. Fire-Fade, afraid to enter uninvited, stood next to the gate until the princess invited him in. She took him before the Sea God, who asked Fire-Fade his purpose there. Fire-Fade told the story of the fishing hook, and the Sea God questioned all of the fishes, to see whether they had seen Fire-Fade's missing hook.
They had not, they responded, but one of their kind had suffered with a wound in her mouth for quite some time. The Sea God called her forward, and, upon examination, it was discovered that the hook was caught in her mouth. It was removed, and returned to Fire-Fade.
However, having seen the beautiful daughter of the Sea God, Fire-Fade desired to remain in the kingdom. So he married her, and they lived in the palace for three years. Eventually, Fire-Fade began to miss his home, and his wife, the princess, saw his distress. She told her father of Fire-Fade's deep sighs, and the Sea God granted her husband permission to return to his home. Upon his departure, Fire-Fade received two magical stones, which would allow him to control the waves, causing them to ebb and flow at his desire. The Sea God suggested that he use the stones to drown his older brother, who was most unreasonable about the ordeal with the fishing hook.
Before he could leave, however, Fire-Fade's wife informed him that she was with child, and would soon join him on land to give birth to their child. "When the waves and sea are stormy," she told him, "I will come and wait for you on the seashore."
Fire-Fade returned to his home, and, with the stones, convinced his brother to repent. Soon afterward, Fire-Fade's wife emerged from the depths to give birth to their child. As she was about to deliver, she told her husband that she would have to take her natural form, and begged him not to look at her in that condition.
However, as he stood in the hallway awaiting the birth, Fire-Fade looked in upon his wife, and lo! she was a dragon! She was saddened and ashamed at this, and told him, "If you had listened, I would have made the sea and land peaceful with each other. As it is, the two kingdoms shall never be at peace again." And so she abandoned her child and descended into the depths, barring the way to the castle.
-Found in the Kojiki and Nihongi, Japan
The most interesting part of this story is the existence of what appears to be an actual city on the ocean floor off of the coast of Japan (don't worry, it's uninhabited!). Could an adventurous person have made a rather primitive sort of submarine, as depicted in the story, and actually seen these ruins?
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Thor and Jormungand
"Hymir!" a youthful voice called from outside the giant's cave. Hymir poked his head out, and saw, indeed, the youthful owner of the voice. "Hymir, O Mighty Giant! I am in need of shelter, and your hospitality is known far and wide!"
Hymir consented, unafraid of humans, and the young man stayed the night. After a dinner of roasted mutton and fried potatoes, the young man spent the night, wrapped in sheepskins near the entrance of the cave. In the morning, Hymir rose early, and the youth rose, too. "Where are you going?" he asked his host.
"I am going fishing in the deep sea," the giant growled.
The youth grinned broadly. "Take me with you! I shall catch and cook for you the biggest fish you have ever seen, as thanks for your hospitality!"
The giant doubtfully eyed the frail youth. "You will catch cold," he grumbled. "I sit far out in the ocean, for many hours. You will not survive." But the young man was persistent, and assured the giant that he could row further than the giant could, and would last longer than his host. He was so insistent and boastful that Hymir allowed him to come, if only to prove him wrong.
"What do I take as bait?" the youth asked.
"Find your own," the giant replied, curtly. "I am not your mother!"
The youth, seeing Hymir's herd of oxen grazing outside of the cave, struck off the head of the largest and heaved it onto the boat (for the youth had a plan to catch something larger than a fish). Once settled into the boat, the youth began to row. And row. And row. He rowed so far out into the ocean, that Hymir was afraid that they would fall prey to Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, who lived at the bottom of the sea and circled the entire earth.
But the youth paid no attention to Hymir's entreaties to turn back and, instead, baited his hook with the ox head. Casting it into the sea, the youth waited. At long last, the line began to thrash, the ocean began to roll, and the enormous head of the Midgard Serpent emerged from the waters, hissing angrily, poisonous vapors issuing forth from its mouth.
The youth stood, shouting triumphantly, and in that moment his disguise dissolved and he was revealed to be Thor, the god of thunder. Thor raised Mjolnir, his hammer, ready to deal a fatal blow to Jormungand (for it had been predicted that Thor and Jormungand would fight to the death at Ragnarok, the end of all things, and Thor wished to avoid this).
Hymir, seeing Thor and Jormungand, feared that Ragnarok was upon them. He grabbed his knife and cut the line, and the serpent sank back into the sea. Thor threw his hammer after it, but to no avail. Then, angry at the giant's meddling, Thor knocked Hymir in the ear so hard that the giant fell backwards into the water. Thor himself returned to the shore, sullen at his defeat.
-Norse Myth
Hymir consented, unafraid of humans, and the young man stayed the night. After a dinner of roasted mutton and fried potatoes, the young man spent the night, wrapped in sheepskins near the entrance of the cave. In the morning, Hymir rose early, and the youth rose, too. "Where are you going?" he asked his host.
"I am going fishing in the deep sea," the giant growled.
The youth grinned broadly. "Take me with you! I shall catch and cook for you the biggest fish you have ever seen, as thanks for your hospitality!"
The giant doubtfully eyed the frail youth. "You will catch cold," he grumbled. "I sit far out in the ocean, for many hours. You will not survive." But the young man was persistent, and assured the giant that he could row further than the giant could, and would last longer than his host. He was so insistent and boastful that Hymir allowed him to come, if only to prove him wrong.
"What do I take as bait?" the youth asked.
"Find your own," the giant replied, curtly. "I am not your mother!"
The youth, seeing Hymir's herd of oxen grazing outside of the cave, struck off the head of the largest and heaved it onto the boat (for the youth had a plan to catch something larger than a fish). Once settled into the boat, the youth began to row. And row. And row. He rowed so far out into the ocean, that Hymir was afraid that they would fall prey to Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent, who lived at the bottom of the sea and circled the entire earth.
But the youth paid no attention to Hymir's entreaties to turn back and, instead, baited his hook with the ox head. Casting it into the sea, the youth waited. At long last, the line began to thrash, the ocean began to roll, and the enormous head of the Midgard Serpent emerged from the waters, hissing angrily, poisonous vapors issuing forth from its mouth.
The youth stood, shouting triumphantly, and in that moment his disguise dissolved and he was revealed to be Thor, the god of thunder. Thor raised Mjolnir, his hammer, ready to deal a fatal blow to Jormungand (for it had been predicted that Thor and Jormungand would fight to the death at Ragnarok, the end of all things, and Thor wished to avoid this).
Hymir, seeing Thor and Jormungand, feared that Ragnarok was upon them. He grabbed his knife and cut the line, and the serpent sank back into the sea. Thor threw his hammer after it, but to no avail. Then, angry at the giant's meddling, Thor knocked Hymir in the ear so hard that the giant fell backwards into the water. Thor himself returned to the shore, sullen at his defeat.
-Norse Myth
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Flood Legends
For those of you who still read paper books - you know, normal humans - Amazon has knocked $1.65 off of their selling price of Flood Legends. Giants is still full price, BUT . . . if you order them both together, you get free shipping. So there's that.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Rats!
Once, a great and mighty chief of ours had three grandsons. One day, their grandfather interrupted their play. "Please, go catch this rat that I saw!" he told them. So the three boys began to search for the rat.
But while they were searching, they were suddenly unable to understand each other. The youngest boy could not understand the other two, the middle boy could not understand the others, and the eldest could understand neither of his younger brothers, for each spoke a unique language. It is said that the boys grew up and started clans, each under his own tongue. Thus were born the Lamyang, the Thado, and the Manipur tribes.
-From the Kukis of Assam
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