Speechless

Sometimes, I feel Ancient.

I'm only 27 years old, but I feel like I'm going on 300.

My eyes have seen: Love, Hate, Joy, Sorrow, Peace, Patience, Frustration, Horror, Death, Dying, Killing, Fighting, Destruction, Holiness, Pain, Suffering, Torment, Endless Nights and Ceaseless Days, Pitch Black, Brilliant White, Kindness, Gentleness, War, Innocence, Guilt, Extreme Violence, Blood and the Shedding of Blood, Turmoil, Depravity, Tragedy, Tranquility, Fiercely fought battles and Moments of never-ending silence...

Should you ask me to comment on wars, rumors of wars, personal tragedies, political turmoil, global travesties, health issues, upheaval, and everything in between, I would have unending words to give you. Ask me: What Is One Of The Reasons Why You Think God Is Real?

Because only my King can cause me to be speechless.

Colossians 1:15-20 (New King James Version)

15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16) For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18)And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence. 19) For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20) and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Colossians 1:15-20 (The Message)

15 We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. 16 For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels - everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. 17 He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. 18 And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body. 19 So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. 20 Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe - people and things, animals and atoms - get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.

My King puts everything into perspective. He is the sum of every mathematical equation; He is the glue that holds our Universe together; He is the balance of every living creature; He is the sustaining force for all Life as we know it; He is the perfect One, timeless and unending; He is the perfect Song; He is the unrelenting Lover; He IS.

And who am I?

Jesus: Pale-faced wussy boy or Warrior of Warriors?

I became a Christ-follower about halfway through my enlistment in the Marine Corps. One of the things that I had a hard time rectifying was how Jesus has always been portrayed: you know, Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.

When I returned from Iraq, I had even more issues with this image, and with my "box" that I had put around God. Preface: I was not an infantryman; I was a "Field Wireman," which I like to describe is like AT&T in the middle of nowhere. However, I was part of an infantry regiment, and partway through the invasion we were split up and I was given the task of providing communications in advance of the rest of the Regiment. This meant that I had to work very closely with the front-line battalion units, and the final result is that I saw a lot more action than most of my 5th Marine counterparts. I tell you this not to glorify myself; I know that there are Marine who saw/did much more than I ever did, and I won't hesitate to admit that. I am telling you this, however, so that you can understand where I'm coming from.

See, I had been operating under the assumption that a Christ-Follower is supposed to be some sort of push-over. You know, the weak, pale-faced "Christian" who gets bullied and simply smiles and takes it all. My experiences were quite different, to the point of actually seeking out the "bullies" and 'neutralizing' them, before they had the opportunity to attack. Therefore, when I returned to the States, I had this sort of self-imposed guilt that I carried around in me. Weak? I never perceived myself as physically weak in any way! Mentally weak? You're talking about the United States Marine Corps! We are not known for our weakness. And yet, there it was, in Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Coupled directly to that verse was the images of Christianity that are visible everywhere you go: Jesus, sitting in a pasture with little lambs and little kids gathered around him, a gentle smile on His face, His hair neatly trimmed, his beard in perfect proportion, His hands smooth and clean...

In short, I labored for years under the impression that Christ was weak, and therefore I had to be weak.

However, I learned later on the true definition of Meekness: it is the opposite of being out of control. It is not weakness, but supreme self-control empowered by the Holy Spirit.

One of the images that was used to educate me, was that of a wild stallion who, once he learns that his human will not harm him, allows the "cowboy" to put a harness on his neck and a saddle on his back. Can that horse, if he so chooses, kill the cowboy? Heck yeah! He could buck him off, trample him, kick him in the head, or dispatch him in any number of ways. Prior to the invention of the gasoline engine, the primary "tank" of warfare was... the horse! And for good reason, if you know anything about horses.

However properly trained, the horse submits to his master and does his bidding.

A better analogy that came to me was... me. Better, those like me. You know, Marines. From boot camp we are trained to kill; "This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the kills that count. We will kill. My rifle is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but Peace."

What other purpose does a Marine have? They teach us how to fight with our hands, our feet, our rifles, and most importantly, our minds. But, out of all the millions of Marines that have been trained, how many of us actually kill? A small fraction, I'm sure. Yet, we have all that power, all of that knowledge, at our disposal. What keeps each and every Marine that has ever been trained, from going out and killing folks? Discipline; meekness; power under control; self-restraint. We submit to the laws of the land, and to our Commanding Officers, and we act only when we have been ordered to do so.

In the same way, we are to submit to our master, and do His bidding. As believers we are under His control, and we obey His voice and His Hand. Are we any weaker because of this? Absolutely not, not any more than a Marine trained during times of peace is than a Marine trained during times of war. Our Perfect Example is that of Christ Jesus.

Think about the amount of absolute self-control and strength that Jesus had to have possessed, to be tortured to the point that He was no longer recognizable as a man (Isaiah 52:14 - Just as there were many who were appalled at him-- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--) and then have spikes driven through His hands and feet? We're talking about the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE, humbled and under control, doing as His Father commanded. In less time than it takes a human being to blink, Jesus could have reversed the roles, had ten thousand legions of angels hooking and jabbing, and have total control over the entire world. However, that wasn't in God's plan; so He obeyed, and kept His power in check. Was Jesus weak? Not by any stretch of the imagination!

Look at Revelation 19:11-21; we'll focus on 11-16 for now, but I urge you to read the entire passage: "11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On His robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS"

Tell me... does that sound weak to you? Try this passage from Isaiah 63 on for size: "1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?-- "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 "I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. 6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.""

I highly recommend reading all the way through Chapters 63-65 there in Isaiah. What a prophetic vision, what an image of our God, Who is mighty to be praised!! Who are we, that we have such a One who fights for us? Humbling, humbling, humbling. And I thought that Christians were supposed to be weak. No, not if we are truly made in God's image: remember, God has no form (John 4:24 -- God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.) so we know that our earthly bodies are a product of His amazing Imagination and Creativity. However, it is our attributes that are in His image, and our warrior nature is that of God's. (With the caveat that His nature is perfect, and our nature has been destroyed and muddied by sin).

This has brought me great comfort, when I look back on my life and especially my actions in Iraq. Also, it gives me great comfort, knowing that I do not follow and worship some massive wussy boy, but Elohay Mauzi - God Of My Strength.

Something Different

I have a busy day ahead of me today, so I thought that for a change of pace I would post the prologue to a book that I'm beginning work on. It was inspired by the non-Christian band "Clutch," in their song "Guild of Mule Assassins." Yes, funny name for a song (and a band, for that matter...), but every time I hear it, that stupid song gets my creative juices flowing. I wrote the first few chapters when we were vacationing in Prague for Christmas, so Prague is literally woven into the fabric of this story. I really miss that place.

Okay, enough lamenting. Here you go:

Sir,

Please allow me to introduce myself. As department head for the University of Terra's Anthropology Department, I have had the privilege of scouring the universe for unique artifacts left behind by extra-terrestrials on colonized worlds. While our accomplishments and finds are few in number, those that we have found are earth-shattering and extraordinarily revealing about the universe that we live in.

Perhaps you recall the discovery of the religious stones on Altair VI? That was one of our most publicized projects that I personally oversaw.

Normally, when an artifact or a site is discovered, we have more than enough resources at our disposal to make accurate time/date stamps. There is also more than enough physical and observable evidence to make highly accurate suppositions about the races which left the artifacts behind.

However, recently we have uncovered an object that, for lack of a better phrase, has dumbfounded all of the collective expertise at our disposal.

After much discussion, my colleagues and I decided that you and your firm may be able to lend your services to our problem. Rest assured that your usual fee, plus any additional expenses that you may occur, will be covered by the University. It can be assumed, therefore, that you will have a so-called "blank check" to work with.

All that said, let me explain the scenario, and let you choose for yourself whether you'd like to take the case.

Roughly one solar year ago, a strange cylinder, measuring nearly one meter in length and about half as much in diameter, was discovered on Santos. It was buried thirty meters beneath the surface, and was found where construction was beginning on an Arcology. We were immediately contacted, and myself along with my usual team were dispatched with much anticipation.

We spent three months excavating the site. While we were unable to find any other artifacts, the cylinder was more than enough to occupy our attention. Once we were sure that there were no further artifacts, we brought the cylinder back to the University for analysis.

At first, it seemed as though the cylinder were empty. There were no discernible means of opening the cylinder, so after running several tests and scans to ensure that nothing inside would be damaged, I made the decision to have it cut open. Imagine our shock when, after opening the cylinder, we discovered a strange sort of data-storage device!

While we were unable at first to read the data contained on the device, we immediately hired a team of Terra's finest reverse-engineers to construct a device that would be able to read the data on the device. Our last task was to have the University’s A.I. translate everything into modern English.

I remember the day that we sat down to begin pouring over the data like it was yesterday.

As we started, I could scarcely believe what I was reading. A stunning, epic account unfolded before our very eyes. We sat, my team and I, transfixed for days, taking few breaks for personal comfort. What makes this account so incredible is that the beings and civilizations described are obviously human. At the end of the epic account, an incredible debate arose among us. Since it was impossible to date either the cylinder or the data device, we were left solely with the information contained on the device as evidence.

There are many among our colleagues who believe that the events that are described in the account took place many, many millenia ago. There are just as many colleagues who think that, through some as-yet-unknown phenomena, the information was somehow transported back in time to Santos, where it was buried by natural environmental means.

After much more debate, we are hoping that you and your team of forensic scientists can help shed some light on this issue. Perhaps you will notice something that my team and I have missed. I have attached the entire document with this message. Additionally, I also took the liberty of having an A.I. re-construct the entire account, so you may view it as a video, if you so wish. Of course, all translations have been made, so that you can wither watch or read in Modern English.

After you have reviewed the information, please take your time in replying as to whether or not you and your firm can aid us.

I look forward, with great anticipation, to receiving a response from you at your earliest convenience!

Deus ex Machina

Deus ex machina... what a cool phrase. It wasn't until recently that I truly learned what the phrase meant. Prior to my learning the true definition of the phrase, I always thought that that deus ex machina referred to some really cool machine, like a massive robot with guns for hands that could fly through space and take over planets. "I'd like two deus ex machinas, please. Oh, and a large coke."

The true meaning of the phrase, however, stems from ancient Greek mythology and epic tragedies. Literally translated, it means "god from a machine;" perhaps a better translation is "god on a machine." The way it works, see, is that the characters are painted into some sort of corner, some sort of inescapable situation, and then an actor portraying one of the myriad of Greek gods are trotted out and lowered, literally, from a crane onto the stage to deliver the characters from their impending doom. More recently, the phrase involves some trigger, or perhaps even an item, that delivers characters in a story from their impending doom. An example is, in the movie The Fifth Element with Milla Jovovich and Bruce Willis (one of my faves), the entire universe is about to be destroyed by an otherworldly entity. The only thing standing between utter annihilation and life is Milla Jovovich's character, whose name is "Leeloo" and goes by the official title of "the Fifth Element;" she is billed as the 'perfect weapon,' and the only thing that can stop the destruction of Earth. However, by the end of the movie, she is unwilling to "activate" herself. Just when it seems as though there is no hope, the deus ex machina kicks in: Love. Bruce Willis' character, "Korben Dallas," expresses his love for Leeloo, thus 'activating' her and saving the universe.

Improbable? Yes. Handy? Of course!

In writing fiction-length novels and short stories, it seems really easy to sprinkle all sorts of "deus ex machinas" all over the place. Handy weapons here, characters there, and the occasional prod of Divine Intervention. In real life, though, is there really a Deus Ex Machina?

Think about the history of mankind. I'm going to ignore the evolutionists' theory of how life began (I will comment on evolution on a later blog, I'm sure), and focus solely on reality as I perceive it to be. Humor me.

Five to seven thousand years ago, God spoke the world into being. In six days, He created the heavens, the earth, the water and the sky, the stars and the sun, all of the beasts of the field and all of the birds of the air; the culminating act of His handiwork was the creation of Mankind.

However, at what I believe is the second most pivotal moment in history, the moment that defines Humanity, Adam and Eve failed.

Their sin was not that they ate a fruit. The fruit itself was not sinful, nor was it, I believe, in and of itself bad. It was a symbol, it was the linchpin, upon which the entire balance of Humanity would swing (on a side note, don't be mistaken; God was not surprised when Adam and Eve defied Him; He wasn't dismayed, the Trinity wasn't having an emergency meeting in Heaven trying to figure out what to do. Whether we can understand it or not, God knew that Adam and Eve would defy Him). See, it was the disobedience behind the act itself. All the other commands were not taxing to Adam and Eve, because they were commands that were good in their own eyes, as well. But the command to not eat the fruit, that was a command that would prove their love and obedience to God; would they obey Him, even though it was difficult and not eat the fruit, or would they disobey and do what was right in their own eyes?

Anybody who knows even the slightest bit of Christianity knows that Adam and Eve failed the one test, the one taxing commandment, and ate the fruit, thus plunging Man into a period of Darkness and Sin that has lasted even until this day, and for an unknown distance into the future.

Every evil, every sin, every bad thing that happens, has happened because of the Original Sin. Every war ever fought, throughout the history of Man, has been fought because of Sin. (Yes, even my war, the Iraq war, was fought because of Sin) Every murder, every sexual perversion, anything that is considered 'bad' and much more, all because of Sin.

If one had the ability to remove themselves from our time stream and look upon humanity as we were, prior to Christ's birth, they would see that there was absolutely no hope for Mankind. There was nothing to rescue us from the pit of our own design.

I wonder; had Christ never been born, would Man have self-destructed a long time ago? Even since His birth, wars have been fought in His name. I do not think that Jesus would ever have wanted any war fought in His name. Perhaps (and I'm just musing here, there's no real theology to back this up) Christ's birth, life, subsequent torture, death, and His resurrection, has only delayed our own self destruction.

Either way, as we read the news today, it is quite obvious that there is no hope for humanity. Political squabbles, interminable wars (and those are just the ones America is involved in, not to mention the other wars happening around the world as we speak), abortion, genocide, the manipulation of our genetic structure (I read the other day about how scientists had created a human/bovine embryo...!), the daily struggle to wipe out Free Thought and Reason and replace it with Forced Thought and Propaganda, the financial crises of the globe, the insane weather patterns (no believer in Global Warming here, but one must admit to the impending droughts of Southeastern and Western USA, as well as in other parts of the globe), the shortages of basic food, water, and housing in places such as Ghana, Kenya, Somalia, Haiti and in other places throughout the globe; all of these things, and no end in sight.

Is there any human being who will be able to rescue us from ourselves? Is there a single human soul, anywhere, that has The Perfect Solution to all of the world's problems? What about a combination of humans? Could a body of imperfect beings save any other body of imperfect beings? Perhaps the U.N.? Maybe America?

I'm a firm believer in a dystopian future. A Dystopia is the opposite of a Utopia. Should Man actually be able to last for another hundred or two hundred years, not much will have changed. Sure, technology will have continued to evolve (think: ipods in our heads!) but there will be no real solutions. The problems of today were the problems of yesterday, and shall be the problems of tomorrow, unless something changes.

I believe that there is, for lack of a better term, a deus ex machina looming on the horizon.

This "plot twist" defies all imagination, has no basis in the "reality" as we pathetic Humans seem to insist is true, and it will come at the moment when Humanity needs it most and expects it least.

This is a REAL God, not some actor with a mask, Whose only 'machine' was the Cross, and instead of being lowered down onto the stage of Humanity, He was lifted up as a sacrifice to appease His Father for all the sins of the entire world, of every single human being that has ever existed and will exist in futures to come. The bible says that one day, He will come, at the time that He is needed most, and rescue Humanity from itself. At that time, there will be a great reconciliation, and the bible says that "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." Will every person be saved? No, unfortunately, not every person will be saved. But they will, eventually, have to admit that there is a God, and that His name is Jesus Christ.

After He has separated the sheep from the goats, there will be, for the first time since Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, Peace on Earth.

Don't you see, reader? We can write all the fiction we want, and place all sorts of improbable deus ex machina into the plot; we can create heroes who perform spectacular deeds, and invent weapons or tools of incredible power and usefulness, but none of them will ever measure up to the incredible "plot twist" that is God.

There is a plot twist coming, reader. Humanity cannot continue on the path that we are traveling upon for much longer. Somebody greater than ourselves must rescue us from this plot of endless doom and self-destruction that we are traveling upon, else there will be nothing left to save. We live in volatile times, with every headline bringing more and more doom and gloom into our homes. There is only one way to be saved; through Jesus Christ, the One and the Only, my King.


(Edit: My wife pointed out to me that my comments regarding the fruit could be taken out of context. Yes, I believe that there was a fruit; I believe in the literal translation and interpretation of the bible. If the bible had said that it was an airplane, I would believe it; that's just they way it has to be! My point about the fruit, however, is this: it could have been any item, any stipulation, or location, that God had put the commandment on. For example, He may have forbidden them to enter into a pond, or to not pet a certain animal. It wasn't the item that mattered, but the command.)

One of my Loves

I have three true loves in my life. I'm sure that if my wife were to read that, and not progress any further, she would be quite upset with me! I'd end up sleeping in the garage. Seriously, though, I have three true loves in my life, although if I were to be much more specific and accurate, I suppose that the number would have to increase to five true loves. In order they are:
1) My King
2) My Wife
2a) My oldest Son
2b) My youngest Son
3) Writing

I love to write. I fancy myself as some sort of spectacularly underrated author, striving in the shadows for recognition. In reality, I bet the truth is closer to somebody who thinks much too highly of himself and his skill-set. My "idol," the author that I wish I would be able to study under, is C.S. Lewis. If I had 1/100th of his talent, I'd be a happy, happy man. Not only his writing talent, though, but his grasp of the deeper things in life, and his walk with God. I can't imagine how many hours, or days, that he spent in deep communion with the King.

For example, in one of my favorite books written by him, Perelandra, the protagonist is charged with saving a "new creation" from repeating the mistakes of Adam and Eve. Some of the dialogue that goes back and forth between the antagonist, the protagonist, and the "Eve" character is so convincing, that I wonder how he had managed to listen in on the original conversations between Eve and the Serpent. Of course, I'm not advocating that God told him anything, but I am saying that Lewis had a grasp on both the King, and the enemy, that I envy. In the end, of course, the protagonist has to abandon trying to fight the enemy with logic, and simply destroy him through brute strength. I won't ruin it for you, but of all the hundreds and hundreds of books that I've read over the years, the three books of the Space Trilogy (of which Perelandra is part) hold the top three positions of my "favorite books of all time" list.

As for my own writing, I must say that my skills, my interests, and the actual outcome of my writing has evolved over the years. As a young "tween" and then as a teen, I filled notebook after notebook with plenty of scribblings, late into the night when I should have been asleep. The subject material was wide-ranging, everything from "fan fiction," to combining certain "universes" and writing about how conflicts in those combined 'verses would work out, to some pretty original stuff. Then I joined the Marine Corps and not much writing happened, until a few months before I met my wife. We were out on a CAX (Combined Arms Exercise), out in 29 Palms California (one of the loveliest places on Earth), and I was on watch one night. It was very late at night, it was absolutely gorgeous (the weather, combined with the cloudless sky and the full moon), and I couldn't help but write. It was then that I started laying down the foundation for my first true Science Fiction work. Now, nearly 8 years later, I'm still working out the kinks. There's just certain things that bother me about the story. The plot is solid, as are the characters. In fact, if you were to ask me what I didn't like about it, I would be hard-pressed to find an answer for you. So, for now, it's on the back-burner, simmering in the corners of my mind as I try and figure out exactly where to go with it.

The other novels that I've been working on are Fantasy in genre. So far, they've been met with "critical" acclaim, meaning that my wife and friends love it. But they're supposed to, right? Seriously, though, the first novel in the series has actually made it past the first few hurdles of publishing! I'm quite surprised that it has made it that far. Right now, the acquisition editors are pitching it to Barnes and Noble, and other booksellsers. It's turned into a waiting game for me thus far, and I'm not sure how much more I can wait!

In reality, I guess I'm just trying to do that which I was created for. I've never been talented at anything else; singing, dancing, playing music, drawing, they were all busts for me. In the book of Matthew, chapter 25 verses 14-30, is the parable of the Talents. Now, I know that the actual "talent" that is spoken about in the passage is the term for a monetary wage, back in Jesus' day. However, I take the word quite literally, too. In the parable, there is a wise Man, a King, who goes on a trip to a far away land to receive a kingdom given in tribute. While He is gone, He gives a measure of money to each of three servants, and tells them to do something with it. As with all trips, this one has to end sometime, and eventually the King returns and asks the three servants what they did with the moolah that He left them. Servants One and Two were able to double the money that the King had given them. But Servant Three said these words: "Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours." Servant Three was paralyzed by his fear of his Master! I had to come to the realization that I could not be paralyzed by fear, or rejection. I had to take the talent that my King has given me, that of writing, and apply it.

Even if, in the long run, I am never published by a "real" publishing company, I hope that my writing skills will be able to be put to use to help further the kingdom of Heaven. I wonder though: how many other Talents do I have that I'm not using?

Odd, how things work out...

As I was brushing my teeth last night in preparation for going to bed, I was struck with an incredible realization. My blog, as you can tell and I explained last night, is titled 45:1, for obvious reasons laid out in the text of my first post. However, as I sat on the edge of my bed thinking about what I had just realized, the similarities to what I had been struck with and what I intended of this blog were quite interesting.

It has been many, many years since I had read this book, but Fahrenheit 451 was what struck me last night.

Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper auto-ignites. Allusions were made to this book by good ol' Michael Moore with his 'documentary' on 9/11, titled "9-11 the temperature at which freedom burns." Trust me, the original book was much better than any garbage peddled by Moore.

In the book, 'firemen' travel around on the governments dime and burn things. They are, in fact, quite opposite to the 'firemen' of today, who are charged with putting out fires. No, the 'firemen' of the future are in fact censor men, and they hunt for and burn anything that could lead to free thought and expressive creations.

Interestingly enough, according to my research, Bradbury intended the novel to be a jab at television. Check out this quote (taken from wikipedia, sorry)

“In writing the short novel Fahrenheit 451 I thought I was describing a world that might evolve in four or five decades. But only a few weeks ago, in Beverly Hills one night, a husband and wife passed me, walking their dog. I stood staring after them, absolutely stunned. The woman held in one hand a small cigarette-package-sized radio, its antenna quivering. From this sprang tiny copper wires which ended in a dainty cone plugged into her right ear. There she was, oblivious to man and dog, listening to far winds and whispers and soap-opera cries, sleep-walking, helped up and down curbs by a husband who might just as well not have been there. This was not fiction.”

Tell me, is this not a picture of what we see every day, all day? How many people do you see walking down the street, plugged into their devices, plugged into a whole new "reality" but in fact, absolutely oblivious to the world around them?

There is a problem with being so plugged in to a separate reality. I believe that it desensitizes you to your fellow human beings, and to REALITY as it truly is. I spent some time in Iraq. It was my first extended period outside of the United States. Sure, I had gone to Mexico once or twice, but both Kuwait and Iraq were completely different than anything else I had ever seen. I mean, besides the fact that it was a war zone.

When the invasion started we crossed the border, going "Heavy Kinetic" all the way to Baghdad as our beloved Colonel "Fightin' Joe" Dunford exhorted. Along the way, I had the opportunity to interact with occasional civilians, and see how they lived. The abject poverty that many of them lived in was a slap in the face to me and all my cultured notions of what "reality" was truly like.

Coupled with the fighting and the killing the "human element" was something that, when I returned to the United States, made me very angry. I remember standing in a Starbucks, thirsty for my first real cup of coffee in many months, and hearing a woman squeal about how her latte wasn't hot enough. It was all I could do not to explode on her. Fresh in my mind was the family that lived in the dump, or the other family that was gathering water from an irrigation canal that doubled as a sewer. Would they have cared how hot their latte was? Or would they have been thankful to be in a climate-controlled building drinking something that was in a clean cup, with pure water and not contaminated with disease? What is reality?

Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenhiet 451 was more prophetic than he may have realized. If, indeed, he wrote it to express his love of books, and of writing, and of free thought, and to decry the desensitization and brain-washing of the public from television and radio (and now, Internet), then if he is still alive today he must spend each day in a marveled daze at how we have turned out.

On an even grander scale is the fact that such a preferred isolationism, this sort of chosen hermitage among society, has also separated us from the One who, indeed, invented creativity and free-thought.

In our rush to buy the latest, the greatest, the most technological or the most convenient, we have (quietly, at first, and then with an outright middle-finger), shouldered out the King who is constantly calling for our attention. I remember, just a few weeks back, hiking in Bear Canyon, and marveling at the beauty of the place, and at the quiet and the solitude, and then glancing up at an on-coming hiker and seeing a dude who was plugged into his ipod and bobbing his head in time with the music, absolutely incognizant of the grandeur around him. Another time, my buddy Mike and I were hiking up near Bridal Wreath Falls, and encountered a gentleman who was having quite a heated conversation on his cellular phone, some six miles up and away into the wild. What is the purpose of these gadgets in such a place? Where one should be quiet, contemplative, instead they are filling those quiet moments with noise, clamor, with busy-ness and with action.

I believe that when people do this, they are doing it because they are afraid, afraid of hearing the quiet, gentle voice of the One who is constantly calling. Don't be mistaken: He may have created the Universe, He may be depicted as a Mighty Warrior (and we would be well off to remember that this isn't just a depiction), but He is also a gentleman, and He would never take by force that which He could receive through a gift. In scripture, it is said that He "Stands at the door and knocks..." He does not have a battering ram, He does not have an entry-model shotgun, ready to blast down the door to your heart, move in, and take over.

We can make the fatal mistake of drowning out the knocking of the King, by filling our lives with detritus and busy-work. I ask you, would it kill us to unplug? How hard would it be for any of us to remove our distractions, for even one hour a day. Do you jog in the mornings? Walk at night? Leave your mp3 player behind one day out of the week. Simply be silent. Enjoy creation. Listen for the King.

Getting back on track, all of the above is what ran through my head last night as I brushed my teeth. Psalm 45:1, what I am officially making my "life's verse," and what ended up being the title of my blog which, I hope, will end up being exhortations for us all to be free-thinkers, to delete censorship in our lives, to unplug from the television, the radio, mp3's, and the like, and to focus on the Creator, has a distinct correlation to Ray Bradbury's classic Fahrenheit 451.

I don't believe in coincidences. Do you?

Well Then

Here it is, my first blog. It has been an odd sort of journey to reach this spot, this decision of creating a blog. As I tried to decide whether or not to blog, I was also thinking about all the things that I would "blog" about, and began to plot my assault on the blogging world; during the planning phase, I figured that I could go two routes: I could give a long and exhausting background of all my history, detailing even the most minute details of my childhood, and progressing upwards until this very moment in time. The other route I was considering would involve simply plunging you, the hapless reader, directly into the center of my life and let you figure everything out as I go along.

Being who I was created to be, I think that I shall opt for Option 2. Sorry.

I suppose that even if I do not give you an exhaustive history, I ought to at least explain the title of my blog. Psalm 45:1 reads: "My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer."

My heart and my mind belongs to Another, One Who transcends the very fabric of this created sphere that we yet live upon. He is above our ways, His thoughts are above our thoughts, His mind is above our mind; with but a word He spoke time into being, and He fashioned you and He fashioned me. How can my heart not overflow? How can my compositions not concern the King? He gave me the tongue of a ready writer; I pray that my mind and my fingers are used for no other reason than to glorify the King who is worthy.

That, then, is why I have chosen 45:1 for the title of my Blog. During the course of our journey together, reader, I am sure that we shall cover quite a bit of territory. Do not expect to see perfection out of me, for that which I once was still has a tendency to raise his ugly head and lead a rebellion against the King. Surprisingly, I'm looking forward to this. I hope to see more of you around here, and I hope that you will come to enjoy my nonsensical style of writing, and the things that are put onto my heart and onto my mind.