Monday 15 October 2007

Of Christianity and Rock

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. - 1 Corinthians 12:4


It goes without saying that no two humans are exactly alike. Among the 6.1 billion people here on this Earth, it's a surety that you'll find shared characteristics, but in terms of whole equality that's a definite negative. It is also true that we have certain abilities, the degrees and expression of which are peculiar to us and only to us. I make reference of course to our talents, the little things we have a knack for doing, like drawing, writing, playing sports, public speaking, and a myriad of others that I, for lack of time, cannot mention here. On the other side of the coin, there are also things we like to perceive, whether it be artwork, music, literature and so forth (which are indubitably the products of someone else's talents). So we produce via our own talents for the enjoyment and appreciation of those that prefer to consume them. An interesting cycle.

Let's narrow it down a bit and talk to music. Nowadays music is wide and varied, coming from prehistoric natural sounds, to the ancient to the medieval to the dispersal of tradition in favour of diversity. No longer do we listen to music that's bound by cultural lines as it were in the past, nowadays the lines are blurred by a seeming diffusion of styles across borders according to what fresh new innovative minds decide to incorporate into their own compositions. It's only natural that some of these will take off and others will not, especially with the finding of instruments that give off a particular feel that's well suited to what is being produced. If I seemed to be going off on a tangent before, I hope where I'm heading is slowly becoming clear. And while I'm at it I think I'll dispense with the bland essay-type writing that I seem to have been pursuing for the past 289 words...good gravy I think I'm turning into one of those old philosophers. Reading some of those texts you immediately get a picture of a dark and musty old room filled with cobwebs and the scent of several melting candles providing light for the author. Yikes.

Now to get to the point for the sake your time and mine, I'll pose the essential question: "What's up with Christianity and Rock Music??" The rock music I'm referring to here is not that of the secular world--because Lord knows there are some pretty scary/disturbing ones out there (Nine-Inch Nails...hint-hint). I enjoy some of the musical backdrops however, and some of them have wicked-cool guitar tones all wrapped up in them (Big Machine by the Goo Goo Dolls is a prime example). However, the lyrics usually spoil everything--and in some cases I don't even know what these people are trying to express. There was a point at which people thought rockers were just kids who loved singing songs about being angry with their parents--and after my first encounter with their music I was almost inclined to believe the same. But propaganda aside, the main thing here is that one can enjoy a song purely for its instruments and not for the vocals. Having done breakdancing in the past, I can attest to the truth of that--a piece of hip-hop or electronica may be playing and you're following not the words of the song, but rather the rhythm and tempo and matching those to the execution of the breaks. You don't perceive the words anymore--all you perceive is a flow on the beat which the cadence of the words tends to augment. For example, I have no idea what Joe Budden says in "Pump It Up"...but he flowed so well on the beat that dancing to it was a joy ^______^. I think we played that at least once at every session for over a month actually o_O. In any event, dancing to hip-hop doesn't make me want to be a part of that culture I only like the backbeats. Perhaps if the words were more meaningful I'd actually listen to them. It follows then that if you were to give me the same backbeat which I already like, with words that are sending a message, that my ears will perk up and I'll get interested. This is the one thing that we as Christians don't seem to understand--what did the Word say? Moreover, what are we as Christians supposed to do, if not capture everything and make all such things submissive to Christ? Does that not also include music?

Music in and of itself is not evil. It can be associated with evil things however, and that makes all the difference. There is no difference between the sweet subtle melodies of a hymn and the cacophonous sounds of guitar storms other than what you perceive to be your preference (or lack thereof). Check out the Anglican/Catholic hymn 'O Jesu I have promised' and DC-Talk's rock gospel 'Jesus Freak' and you'll get what I'm saying. There's also no question that we tend to fall under the influence of what we like--it's pretty obvious. Ask any gamehead (cough, cough, not I >_>) and you'll see. You get enthusiastic about those things because they appeal to you. So now, let's be shrewd. We've got a Great Commission given to us at the end of Matthew which we must fulfil. So the point here is that we need to find more creative ways of spreading the gospel--in other words, by using our talents. If someone's enthusiasm doesn't lie with the organ, but does lie with the electric guitar, then that person has as much right to praise God with it as the organist does. Both instruments, and more importantly, both persons are being submissive to God, they're just praising him the best way they know how--by doing what they're best at for his sake. By using their talents they can then reach out to other people that have similar likings and tastes in music as they do, and who knows, before you know it a following begins. It's not to say that everyone that hears their music will necessarily be inspired to follow Christ...because once they get the Word out there, it's all up to God. After all, we don't know that person's heart, but He does. His Truth is what draws people...we're just the messengers.

Remember, the measure of a man lies in his heart. It's his courage and faith to be effective, and most importantly, the love that he has for God and His children that defines him. Don't be a flapper. We're all called to serve with all our hearts and minds, so let us not be content to be less than what we really are: the Sons and Daughters of a King.

Till next time.

Blessings!

PS:
'The Measure of a Man' by 4Him is a very good song...I encourage you all to take a listen when you have the time. Now if only I could remember what World of Worship CD it's on...

Wednesday 10 October 2007

Proverbs...

Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:20-21)

This is why I love the book of Proverbs. Direct, and to the point in its own poetic way. How many of us lean to our own, fallible understanding on a daily basis? How many times do we rush into things without so much as a word of prayer to the one who holds our lives in His hands? Doesn't even make sense to deny it, we all have done it. Good thing our Father loves us, and understands our failings.

I've been dissatisfied for a good while now. Funniest thing is I didn't even realise it. So much for thinking that introspection was one of my strong points -_-. In any case, it's strange because I had such enthusiasm for what I was doing all through school--and now that I'm in the real world, I suppose it's not all I thought it would be. This is perhaps a classic case of depending on the world to meet needs that only God can fulfil--but at the same time that's not quite it. It's something about me, something about my own process of construction that's the problem. This reminds me of a time when my artistic ability became stagnate, and I would despair for hours wondering why I would never improve. Of course the answer was clear, I had outgrown that artistic stage, but it was almost as though in my mind I had reached the top--my limit so to speak. I was, for all intents and purposes, blind to what would come next. I recall speaking with York (best friend) about it once, sitting on a bench under that (accursed) mango tree where we used to wait for our parents. He said he was disappointed that I thought that. That's one thing I enjoyed about our bond--there was no need to sugar-coat things, because the truth was always the truth. No amount of buttering made it otherwise...that would only make it lose its value. Truths are hard, rarely soft.

And consequently I guess one truth I have to face is that I've come full circle--the only difference now is that I'm seeing a bit more clearly than when I was 16. I'm wondering where else to go now when there's a veritable sea in front of me. There's an island somewhere out there that will offer me something new--but I can't see it. What do I choose? Do I dive in as Steven Curtis Chapman sings...or do I remain within the comfortable boundaries of land? I cannot remain in this same position, I would merely drown in my own complacency. I want more--wisdom, faith, perseverance, everything. If only I could be more aggressive about it and not procrastinate all the time, then maybe I'd have gotten somewhere between 16 and now. But I suppose, we fall down so that we learn lessons about getting up. And that's where I am. There's a plan for me, as there's a plan for all of us. But once we start going forward, we must never go back. Never. Many of us stick at that decision and it's no wonder why. The commitment seems too huge. But our God has promised us that he has plans to prosper us and give us a hope and a future. There is no harm in Him. He didn't promise comfort, but He promised Grace, and that's all we will ever need.

...The question is...have you got that mustard seed? Plant it because Christ is at work within you.

As my supervisor often quotes when she's managed to solve a problem: "Jah-jah people forward ever, backward never!" I always get a good vibe hearing that. I think I'll end on that note.

Blessings!

Monday 8 October 2007

Patience

Galations 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Sigh. Incredible that the other day I so badly wanted a car...and now that I've got one I'm dissatisfied with it. I've prayed so hard about this! And now that I've received what I wanted there are all sorts of problems, the roof seal above the doors seems to be leaking, the AC only works when it's turned on High, and the steering is pretty stiff. It needs new mats, the lower waterhose needs to be changed, the oilpan seal needs to be replaced and it's in need of servicing. Granted, I got it for 140 K (J'can) which is fairly good given it's a 1994 Swift Sedan (1.3 L) with a sound engine.

But at the same time, what did I expect? Luxury for the cost? I daresay that's what I thought.

I guess I got so caught up with the idea of owning one I forgot that, heck, for second-hand stuff it's never going to be easy. I prayed to God for something to move around in and that would fit my budget. It works, and drives quite nicely so my prayer actually was answered. But we always want more don't we? We always do--that's what caused the whole Eden fiasco in the first place. (On that note, where do people get off blaming Eve o_O? I won't say she wasn't part of the problem--but didn't God give Adam a specific mandate? In light of this, shouldn't he have at least dealt with the issue as soon as it arose? As they say over here "Satan 'trang yuh nuh" -_-. By the way, there's a hilarious comic from ReverendFun.com here) We always want things in the now, not the later. Quite frankly--I'm pretty angry with myself for thinking like I do quite a bit of the time. I mean, I do wish that things could have worked out a little better, but that's no reason to be ungrateful. I was actually able to drive my girlfriend around--and that was a good feeling especially since previously lacking mobility kind of prevented us from going out when we wanted to. In fact I'm hoping it will give us more opportunities to see each other--since we're both busy with work and all that. So I'll be thankful not only because it's the right thing to do, but also so I don't forget where I'm coming from. I used to have to ride pillion on a bike in the rain, and would sometimes get splashed. Now I'm in a vehicle, warm and dry. And did I mention that the gas needle has barely moved since I've been up and down in it? The fuel economy sure is nice :). I must make do with what I have because things could always be worse.

How easy it is to lose oneself in what one wants as opposed to what one really needs! In the end I think that makes all the difference. Take care till next time.

Blessings!

PS: I hereby christen my Swift--the FaithMobile 2.0 (cuz Yan has the original FaithMobile...boy the number of times I thought it would run out of gas and guess what...it didn't o_O!)

Sunday 7 October 2007

Vector!

Did I mention I'm having a most unholy attraction to vector art as of late o_O? Well, not 'unholy' per se, but dang I've got a sudden interest. It's something to do with the colours I think. Maybe this is why I've always preferred Dreamcast RPGs to PS2's: the colours on the DC are so much more vibrant and edged. Then again it did have a more powerful GPU than the PS2 so I guess that's why (gloats). Skies of Arcadia--Praises be. Grandia 2--Hallelujah. Sweet stuff man.

In any case, I'm going to see if I can get Inkscape. I'm hearing rumours that it may be better than Illustrator, but I doubt that since Adobe's got a rather mature product and they make all-around good software ^_^. Heck but at least Inkscape is open source/free. And maybe I can make a couple attempts at vectoring a couple verses and stuff--mwuhuhhaaaa. Should be a fun experiment. I just hope Inkscape makes text easy to handle...when I was doing a poster class in Photoshop, text was reeeeaaallly easy to manipulate. I look forward to Inkscape providing me with the same luxury.

Keep the faith and walk good.

Blessings!

A Visit from the Archbishop of York

Hey again y'all. Today was really cool, the Archbishop of York (from England) held an Inter-Anglican service today at our National Arena. Being a server (and thus being obliged to be there >.>) I initially thought that it would have been a 3-hour drag. My colleagues Sadikie, Stephanie and Dominic seemed to have been under the same impression, but lo and behold we were pleasantly surprised. The theme of the service was that "We are called to freedom, working for justice while embracing responsibility" and banners reflecting as much were placed all around the Arena. In part this was the bicentenary celebration of the abolition of the Trans-atlantic slave trade. It was only fitting that the first black man ever to have achieved such a high position in the Church be called to host it XD.

His name is (The Most Rev. Rt. Hon. blah-blah) Dr. John Mugabi Sentamu--a humourous, dark fellow (African-born) who has quite a history, having championed the case for a young buy who was murdered by racists in England. He even followed the father of the child here to pay his respects at the funeral. Incidentally, he described those called to the bar as being "thick-skinned, short-sighted, and ready to charge" (like a rhino), a bit of mockery derived from his own days of such no doubt. Now, he considers himself a donkey.

Yep, a donkey.

It makes sense actually because the donkey that carried Jesus into downtown Jerusalem was rather adorned. He drew a parallel between that scene and himself in his fancy robes, saying that he was simply Christ's donkey, carrying his Saviour to places where there was no love, no hope, no charity--in short any place that Mission Impossible (what I like to call Mission 3:16 :-)) involved. Funnily enough, he directed that same call to the other Bishops et. al on the altar--and while some smiled, I am sure their smiles did not reach their eyes in some cases. I wonder why?

I think more than 1500 people were in attendance, and that's not counting the people in the Sports Complex where they watched via CCTV. The sermon was excellent--not long/overbearing, but just right, to the point, with just the right bit of humour thrown in to keep any listener's interest. In fact let me see if I can simply describe the salient points:

In retrospect, the entire thing was about giving your service to God. We've heard it all before but the way he did it was 'right on the money' as they say. He lay bare the facts and was fiery without being nauseatingly so (something you'd sometimes find on Way of The Master Radio at times -_-) that a lot of us were 'flapping'. That's right, 'flapping' not 'flagging'--no typo. Allow me to explain--he wanted to bring across the point that for us to be effective for God, we needed to be deeply involved. Indeed we would need to have a closer relationship with God rather than the simple hi-and-bye routine that so many of us, (myself included -_-) have fallen into. The analogy he used was that of a glove that's being told what to do but hasn't been fitted over the hand of its master. Of course such a tool would be limp, ineffective, and in short not serving its master's purpose. Put the glove partly over the hand and it becomes a 'flapper'. In a sense it's neither here nor there, it resembles those of us that try to have a little bit of everything, so to speak. A little bit of church, a little bit of Jesus, a little bit of the world, and in the end we're not really doing anything of much significance o_O. Also that's the worst way to live--trying to please everybody and trying to satisfy your own needs at the same time. To those of us that profess to love Christ, remember what this passage, John 21:16 :

Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."


This basically echoes the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20 :

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

If you love God, take care of his sheep. It's the hallmark of Christ's life, he died for us that he may be saved. Thus in the same way that he gave His life for us, we too should extend that same sacrifice to those among us that do not know Him. He then linked that back to the theme of freedom (through Christ), justice (for the oppressed) and responsibility (for His sheep). It was all around a cool sermon throughout. I doubt I'll hear another for a loooong time (I hope our own Rector takes some pointers--hehe--just kidding, he gives some really good sermons but the delivery could be better).

I cannot regret having gone to that ceremony. I'm recording my thoughts here not only to allow other people to know what's going on, but also so I'll have a bit of a record to go by. I've got some work to do :-), and this time I'm actually happy about doing it. Christians need Christians as they say, and I think I'm definitely missing out on such things because I'm so busy all the time >_<. But as they say, if you want something, you'll make time for it. I want Jesus...I'll make time for Him. Praying that all will work out.

Blessings!