Special Post

For this special post, I have chosen to analyze the Book of Joel. There are many reasons why I selected this text to interpret, but the main reason is that I feel there is an urgent call to the world to wake up and realize God’s hand working not only in the past but also now in the present. Joel is a book written to Jewish people as a desperate call for them to repent before death and destruction fall upon the land. If repentance is not found, a horrible judgment was about to come. Joel was a prophet sent by God to tell the Jewish people that if they did repent God would find pity on them. This is not just an imminent call to the Jewish people but also to the present day people and nations. The plagues of the locust were the main source of destruction will come from is exactly what I will be interpreting. The locusts represent not only the source for the horrible things to come. But the locusts also represent the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord refers to the eminent help of God in Israel at that time, if the people were to repent, but it also refers to the returning of the Lord in our time. As Joel was urging the Jewish people to turn from their sins before death was to come, God is urging His people now to repent and come to God, before the destruction of the world. The locusts scream of the final judgment, but at first read you assume the locusts only pertain to Israel’s current condition. God says that his people will never be put to shame in Joel. Before Christ came his people extended only to the Jewish so at first read you assume the God has come to protect the Jews from any shame. Joel wants them to repent not only to be saved from the destruction, but also so that the enemy could not mock their God. But this whole concept of God not letting His people be put to shame applies to all of his children as soon as Jesus steps into the picture. Jesus came to save not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. When Jesus came to save the world, His people became everyone who accepted Him as their savior. So this original statement from God that He will never let His people be put to shame is pertinent to those Christians in the present day. God doesn’t leave our backs, ever because of that very fact He will never let his people step into places were they are doomed for failure. Getting back to the locusts, they refer to the final judgment in our time. That is why this passage is so crucial, yes there was a judgment back than, but the more important judgment is the one that hasn’t come yet. For all the people in the world now, God is calling out to each and every one of us to turn away from sin and repent. Just like the Jewish people, there is an eminent death upon our backs. There are locusts so close to us getting ready to swarm. So I guess there are two important things that this interpretation is trying to point out. The first is that the call for people to repent pertains to us. Joel was not only referring to the Jews, but to everyone. This is why we need to heed to this call and turn from our sins. If we turn from our sins, when the day of the Lord comes to pass, His children will not be put to shame. When this final judgment falls upon the world all the Christians who have been saved through Christ will be saved. And when we are saved, the world will not be able to mock our God, and His people will never be put to shame. The second point refers to the judgment of all nations in the final judgment. In Joel 3: 1-2 it says, "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.” God is not warning His children and people of the world to repent, but also the nations. I believe that this refers to the final judgment that is to come upon nations and rulers of nations in the end times. God has always provided for Israel and the people of Israel. But I feel that this passage of Scripture is a warning to the nations that seek out to harm Israel, they will be more susceptive to destruction if they attempt to destroy Israel. For example, the United States helped Israel gain their independence and has been a big brother figure to Gods nation. But in recent days the United States has drawn away from Israel letting them fend for themselves in order to maintain peace with various other nations. I wonder if this passage seeks to warn nations like the United States who have begun to let go of their ties with Israel if God is going to look harsher upon the US in the end times. Maybe this is a reason for the recent decline and problems that have been going on in the United States, since we have forgotten about our little brother Israel in the past ten years. Either way, Joel is extremely important for everyone, not just the Jews. All people need to turn to God, repent, and seek the Lord with all their heart. If we do this, God will save us from the judgment to come all people and nations, that don’t belong to Him.

Post 25

Christianity is founded on the principle of love; that love conquers all no matter. I think sometimes in the Christian community we forget to let love conquer are preconceived notions or unfamiliar things. What I mean by this is that, as Christians we get shocked when we see people who are different that, whether it be a homosexual, a tattooed person, a gothic person, or even a disabled person. Paul says that we cannot expect those who are in the world, to act like those who are in the faith. The problem is that people forget to separate the differences and conquer them with love. This is what Steven Fettke addresses in his article The Spirit of God Hovered Over the Waters which talks about the issues he has seen personally in the church and world, when dealing with a disabled son. Fettke has a 23 year-old son who has autism, who happens to attend AFI which I talked about in the previous post. As his son grew up in the church, him and his family experienced condemnation by the Christian community. Fettke found that people tended to accuse his son and his family of not having enough faith for a miracle, or it even looked as if his son has demonic activity just because of his illness. All these views that “Christians” placed on the family doesn’t come out of a spirit of love. Im not accusing these Christians of not being true Christians, because some hold these views unintentionally, but what I am saying is that maybe we should all reevaluate ourselves. If love is a primary element of our Christian walk, it show view through all of our life, even when handled the diabled. Mentally handicapped and disabled are people too, there not another form of human, or separate from God’s likeness. God instills specific purpose into each life. It is not our job as Christ followers to deny or push away that someone couldn’t have such purpose just because we can’t see it.

Post 24

Post 24

The Boys Next Door is a play written by Tom Griffin. It has four main characters who are mentally handicapped and live in a group home. Throughout they play there are small vignettes depicting their everyday interaction. Griffin unfolds each characters personality through the relationship they have with other characters. The peak of the story was when Barry’s father comes for a visit and Jack leaves the group home. The play even in its simplicity has a lot of underlying meaning. I think Griffin choose to write the play in a simple manner, because the point you come out with is simplicity. It is the simple things in life that we take for granted. As people, that are mentally disabled like the characters in the play were, we seem to overlook just a simple friendship that’s always been there, or not struggling to read like Lucien did. This play puts a focus on living life to fullest and not missing out of any of life’s small pleasures. These ideas were reaffirmed in my heart when a group of us went to Alliance For Independence. Which is a school/ facilitation that helps mentally disabled people learn how to become independent. My trip to AFI was not my first time there; it was actually my second time. I actually enjoyed going the second time more, because I got an even better understanding of the need of these people. I work with mentally handicapped children, and going to AFI showed me where they could be going in their future. These people are not stupid or dumb, but simply normal having a harder time to function in society as normal. I really learned that in my job I not only am helping children, but I am preparing them to be independent. Because I think in the end everyone deserves that freedom. Independence gives someone a sense of accomplishment and purpose it gives them life. And I think this is what Griffin play was trying to show that everyone needs to enjoy their life and not take for granted the little things, that some people aren’t even fortunate enough to have.

Post 23

"I went to the Polk Museum of Art for this assignment, and I stayed there for at least 40 minutes.”

Art is defined by Webster as “The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.” This is exactly what I re-learned when I went to the Museum. I absolutely love art, and I always have. I personally, sketch, paint and graffiti; I was even going to go to Art School and do graphic design. But God has called me to do something different in my life, and art has been pushed to the side since coming to Southeastern. This trip really reminded me of how much I miss and appreciate art for what it truly is; beauty that pushes the mind, heart and soul. Webstar said that art is more than ordinary significance and that is exactly what I believe. In W.H. Auden’s, Musee des Beaux Arts he explored the meaning behind a painting through his literature. His poem is an example of how art doesn’t only pertain to an artistic mind, but a logical or scientific mind even. The piece of artwork that I stayed examing for 6 minutes at the museum was a sketch called Attempt to Speak Clearly, by Ummarid “Tony” Eitharong. The picture is off a man, with a blurred face and clentched hands, with a separate set of hands on either side. I really loved this piece because I feel that it pushes or describes a message through his artwork. I think more art needs to portray a message rather than so much of this “modern art” we see recently. I mean I love modern art, but usually art with a message encourages thinking and can even help someone to learn something new. As I studied the picture, I felt that it portrayed a man going through an internal struggle to be heard. He’s frustrated and wants to express himself any way he can, yet he is silenced by the world.

Their trapped, their concealed

Their hidden by the world, choked by people

Society tries to claim my thoughts, my mind

My heart, but I won’t be silenced.

To the world my face looks blurred

They hear my words, as thoughtless mumbles

They watch my mouth, and turn their heads

When will they see that my life matters?

I won’t be silenced

When will they see my voice matters?

I will not be silenced

It’s more than a crime

Silence, kills my soul

Speech-less by force

Their words are not worth more than mine

Society wants to speak for all

But even in my death, I will scream

My scream speaks clearly

I will never lose my voice

I will never die

Because a true soul, finds away to be heard

When all else says be quiet

A true soul attempts to speak clearly

Post 22

Luci Shaw in her essay Beauty and the Creative Impulse explains that beauty in our world and lives is often overlooked. Beauty that can be seen throughout creation even in a mere conversation between friends can be forgotten. Shaw points out that through perversion and emptiness we have forsaken the importance of beauty. What exactly is this beauty that we are forgetting than? Beauty is essentially truth. Truth usually slaps us in the face, when we first hear it. But always when someones accepts truth, it clarifies areas that previously had been gray. A main component of God is truth, therefore making beauty and truth join as one. There is a special interconnecting relationship between truth and beauty that is so profound. I don’t think anyone can ever fully know the extent of this connection, until eternity. But I guess its my job to explore what this relationship means to me. Truth awakens my soul. Most people tend to not be receptive to correction or truth, and push its usefulness away. But as for me God has softened my heart to Him through the very “truths” I originally pushed away. Before I was saved I wanted to live life for me, and keep God on the sidelines. I had a wall up to those who tried to correct my ways. But I remember it began with a sunset one morning, something incredibly beautiful to get me to realize that God is something not to play with. And that day I began to learn that these truths I was ignored, were not meant to be played with. I think this is what beauty is realizing that all truth is Gods truth, and is this fact is true beauty. I feel that if us as a fallen people could realize all truth is Gods, they would find beauty in their situations, and lives. They would know that even in difficult times, God is true to what He says He is. They would see the beauty in even a negative situation. Our world would fall on its face before the Lord in recognition of His truth, glory and beauty.

Post 21

When people wander around in the darkness of life everything usually comes into perspective. I feel that these dark or troubling times, are the very moments where we begin to shape who we are in the good ones. But you cannot learn how to live life in the good times, if you haven't first learned from the bad. I believe life requires us to choose our person hood, by the experiences it throws at us. The way we respond to these situations creates our character. The Bible says in Romans, that in our suffering, we produce endurance, character, hope and finally love. The thread that is unseen, yet holds all these elements together is faith. Faith asks you to trust in and hope for, “One can never understand what hope is really about unless one wrestles with despair”. In Prof. Corrigans essay, he quotes this from Cornel West, I think this statement sums up faith. Faith is something that is driven out from the heart, its a hope to believe that something outside of your self will save you. The only way to experience faith is when your given an opportunity to suffer. When people ask where is God ion the hard times, God is challenging, or in one sense inspiring His children to have faith. Sufferings spark the opportune moment to have and act up[on faith. And these times where we either fall or have faith is when we grow and learn the most about ourselves and life. Our questions always become more important than the answers in this time. When we ask questions like where is our God, it gives us the perfect time to explore what exactly were asking. Why and what can I learn just from going through this, maybe just pondering on that thought is the reason somethings happens. Maybe just wondering or thinking about things, are the reasons God chooses to let these troubles come. Maybe answers aren't always needed, or maybe there is multiple answers to one question. Either way God knows what He's doing, it's just our time to have faith in the question.