satiric journalism... or just full disclosure about the ridiculous nature of media...

I have become hooked on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report on the Comedy Channel. I've been an occasional viewer before, but the state of this nation makes me wanna cry or laugh, so I choose to laugh. I can't decide which is better, the entertaining banter of Daily and his guests and mocking of tv reports... or Colbert and his attempt to mimic conservative reporters without laughing.

Sufis Swarming My Head

So, I can tell that the great sufi poets have influenced a great deal in what I think about poetry. It's not as classically structured, who am I joking? I've always done what I want. But there is a density of quippy one-liners, similar to Thoreau as well. It almost always has heretical thoughts about the universe and God (read pantheism here), totally relies upon nature images and sensory illustrations, and has some type of spiritual/cosmic lesson to ponder. In some ways, it's quite a rut to be in creatively, in others, it's an amazing way to express those esoteric ponderings that are always brewing in my mind and heart.

Here's an example... (this could also be the influence of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his Cosmic Christ/Light illustrations)

We exist as fractured light from a burning Source of Creation.
We never exist apart from that Star of Being.
Its light may bounce and bend until we lose sight of its brilliance.
Yet, our souls, those beams of natural light, cannot be,
Unless always tethered to the Sun.

Logos, a magnifying glass for the Truth of Being,
Concentrates the brilliance of creation into one single beam.
Logos Incarnate, the most beautiful of prisms,
Captures the intesnity of that solar flair within itself
And scatters the light in a million directions.

I know, burn me at the stake now. It's not done, yet, I don't think. If you haven't noticed, one part of the Trinity is absent... though in working of it, it's not so much the Spirit (the sense of that I hope is already conveyed in the first two sections) but us as the living representatives of Logos (and if you're not geeky enough, Logos is one way of talking about Christ in a cosmic way) today. I hope to end it with people of creation(God) being called to be extensions of that prism as best we can.

It's weird to be sharing some of this online. I've always been selective about what parts of my journaling I put online and what I leave to paper. I think paper is much more conducive to creative writing anyway. I'm currently working on something surrounding the Hebrew word nephesh which means life, spirit, well-being etc. It's a deeply rich word... like ruach which means breath, spirit, wind.

I'm also working on imagery with fog as cosmic mystery/tree as rooted faith/ and... something... maybe rolling stone? dandelion or helicopter seeds? as seeking faith. The seeking faith illustration is driving me nuts. Rolling stone is too cliche and too hard. Tumbleweed still pretty cliche and dead. Seeds, while perfect for connecting to the tree imagery would be weighed down by fog. I GOT IT! I think. What about a pine cone? Still connected to the tree... living with hope and promise of growth and life, and capable of going a long distance via many paths like animals/birds, storms, etc.

OK, now I'm rambling. Gotta go and do school work that I'm actually going into debt for and will hopefully get me a paying job someday.

Reverse evolution or just sheer stupidity

So, I remember in my evolution bio class in college we discussed the concept of reverse evolution, whether it can really happen, or if evolution is always a forward moving thing, even when a mutation or change of some sort seems to be detrimental. But today, I am all for the thought of reverse evolution... it's the only explanation.

See article about Kansas' decision to include intelligent design and stuff in science curricula.

Baboons control Kansas schools

I'll have to lament over it more later...

Authority Issues, Me? Never!

So, today in Ministry Seminar I became a little devious, opening my mouth when perhaps I should have kept it shut. In comparing the difference between the UCC and the Methodist church I'm currently working at, I talked myself in circles about the distrust I have in hierarchal structures and anyone or thing that says it has authority over how I act, what I think or say. It's one thing to not want to shock the public with my radical tendencies, but it's another to be micro-managed by supervisors, patronized by mentors or teachers, or told I have to believe a certain way, etc.

It ultimately comes down to respect and trust... it's a two-way street for me. A title, degree, or even a position as a supervisor means squat to me if I don't trust or respect you. And why in the world would I give something like the bible ultimate authority over my faith and interpretation of Christianity? While one of the most packed anthologies of spiritual wisdom, it's also one of the most patchwork-written, inconsistent, and sketchy documents ever compiled. Besides, if God created us with the ability to observe the universe and society... would that not inform our decisions as well? Don't get me wrong, I have limitless amounts of trust and respect for many people as well as how the bible can inform my life and faith. But, for example, the Methodists have a "Book of Discipline" Just the very title makes my skin crawl. :) Thank goodness that within the UCC, I am not subjected to such harsh restrictions, or I'd never stay in the Church.

Becky and I went to Kaldi's in Kirkwood for lunch. I meant to run errands, but she was gone for 4 whole days, so we had to catch up. Kaldi's reminds me of the bohemian/hippy part of Lawrence... it makes me miss my home town. sigh. I'm not meant for this city living. Too many people, the very thought of no open space/countryside for 10 or more miles really freaks me out. Lawrence is perfect in that regard... all the benefits of a university town, only 1/2 hour to the city, and still 5 minutes away from farmland and lakes, etc.

I'm going to go and read more depressing stuff on the state of the world and how it's all going down the drain... mostly because of people in authority. :)