Power of voice

In class we talked about how in the book of Genesis God gave man dominion over the world through words. The power of speech is another gift from God. A gift that should be utilized by man. Utilized by man in order to better care for the earth he has dominion over. The speech used given to man dominion, while simple, were more powerful than any other words ever. Simplicity and truth must be spoken in order to right the wrongs of the culture that has no care for the environment. Through this class I began to understand just how important and my voice is. My voice must be used for good and truth. When thinking about the environment I realize that my voice must be used to glorify God.

Ocean pollution

My senior year of high school I did a project on the great pacific garbage patch. This collection of garbage in the pacific ocean is as big as Texas. It is cause by this thing called an ocean gyre. The currents of the ocean flow in a way that keeps the trash in the center of the gyre. The trash is incredibly tough to pick up because the sun has disintegrated the plastic into small pieces. Over the past few years I have heard of a few ideas that were out there about how to pick up the garbage. There is still a garbage patch, no solution has been enacted. There are probably a number of smaller scale environmental issues that have been similarly put off. My question is why? What are we waiting for? The perfect solution isn't out there, inaction will not promote change. I write this questioning what is stopping change and how we can promote a culture of effecting positive change to the treatment of the environment, especially for Christians.

Litter

I have a problem, I hate trash.Everywhere I go I try to pick up all the trash. I don't have enough time to pick up all the trash I pass just on my walk to class. The lack of care somebody has to have to leave or drop trash intentionally really troubles me. In thinking through our time in class, we talked about the lack of respect we appear to have for the earth. I experience it every time I walk outside. There is constantly trash. The only potential solution to this appears to be changing the human perspective on the damages of littering. Knowledge and small changes can have a giant impact, I wish very bad that people would recognize that. I remember my freshmen year I had a idea for a organization combining cleaning up garbage and Christian ministry. After this class I realize that being a Christian means that I have a responsibility to care for the earth.

Animal Rights

Since high school i have wanted to work as a voice for animals. I once asked my mother why Humane Society commercials get more response than commercials raising money for starving children. Me being a kid, she made something up. She said that people feel less bad for humans because we are too close to the situation and cannot allow ourselves to picture someone we know hurting that bad. Animals are distant enough from us that emotion sets in. They are our family as well, and are generally more defenseless than humans. I have no idea if this is psychologically correct, but it makes sense to me.
Animals are the same as humans in my eyes. They, however, do not have a voice or a way to defend themselves from inhumane acts. They are caged, beaten, slaughtered, separated from their young, and killed slow painful deaths. We would never consider this ok to be done to humans, but most of society doesnt think twice about doing it to animals.

Zimbabwe

June 26th is my first day as a volunteer on a wildlife refuge in Zimbabwe. Just half an hour from Victoria falls, I will be able to experience a whole new lifestyle! I have wanted to travel far my whole life. My family often took summer trips to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other close by areas. However, they live very much like us and Ive never experience culture shock or felt like i was learning much. In Zimbabwe, I will be staying in an enclosed park, but surrounded with volunteers from around the world. We will travel off site and experience local cuisine (the chef if a local that the IVHQ employed). They encourage traveling (in groups) off site, especially on weekends. I cannot wait to experience a whole new place, despite me still being somewhat sheltered while im abroad.

Turtle island "Facts"

The US has 6% of the worlds population yet consumes 1/3 of the worlds meat. American consumerism is out of control. We take and take without concern for where it is coming from or if we even need it. If we were to stop eating meat, world hunger could be significantly reduced, if not fixed. According to PETA, "2,400 gallons of water [is needed] to produce just 1 pound of meat. Only 25 gallons of water are required to grow 1 pound of wheat." Not only would this significantly help the water crisis throughout the world, we could feed many more people using less water. Meat is not required to  live a healthy life. The amount of meat american's eat is actually unhealthy and results in heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. If we were to cut our consumption, the world would be better for it. 

Punctuation- other reading

Todd Wynward discusses the importance of punctuation. Commas, apostrophes, and capitalization all change the meaning of sentences. His first example is he "eats shoots and leaves" versus, he "eats, shoots and leaves". The first means that the bear will consume bamboo leaves and shoots, while the second means that the bear will eat something, then shoot a gun and leave. There was recently a court case that ruled in favor of laborers due to the lack of an Oxford comma, leaving their duties too general, thus they deserved overtime for certain tasks. Had the Oxford comma been present, the courts would have sided with the corporation and the workers would not have been granted the extra pay for their labor.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/health/oxford-comma-maine-court-case-trnd/

ecological genes- Einsenburg

Ecological genes are those genes leftover from wilderness times. They can be found in dogs, cats, and humans, to name a few. Pets, though domestic and not in need of many of these traits, still act as if they are in the wild. Growing winter coats, shedding in the summer, burying waste and bones, and walking in circles before laying down are all unnecessary in houses. During was used to save food or hide their scent to prevent prey from finding them. Circling was used to pat down leaves and make a bed for themselves. Humans have teeth that are now unneeded, appendix's and tonsils are also unnecessary but have not disappeared because they do not harm us. Without causing harm, there is not natural selection occurring so our genes stay the same.

Safe Water

It is commonly believed that clean water is not an issue in the United States. Clean water is an issue everywhere. A common example is the Flint River Water Crisis. These people do not get clean water because the city was in debt so the State take a number of short cuts so as to lessen the financial burden. If the city had not been in debt caused by Ford downsizing, shortcuts would not have been used. It is also worth noting that the well water at my house does not pass inspection. We go to a restaurant and get a cup of water to send in. Our water is fine for drinking and has never gotten us sick, but the State has such strict rules that most well water does not pass. They want people to pay for city water.

Walls and Security- Eisenburg

I understand the idea of walls protecting us. However, most of the time I would prefer openness. Even being outside of walls can feel as though you are trapped. Trees and mountains can provide a sense of security while outdoors. Given the option, nature providing me security is preferred to walls. While camping, a tent while sleeping is the only safety I want. This only serves as a prevention of getting soaked from rain and being eaten alive from bugs. While I'm not sleeping I prefer to stay out in the open and experience nature.

Planet Management- Eisenburg

Obviously neither fetisher's nor manager's technique would work for the entire planet. To start, fetishers want to isolate nature and allow no human interaction. This almost counteracts their intentions of preserving nature. If we were to isolate it then humans would be condensed into huge cities with concrete everywhere. This would take a toll on human health. Managers also do not have a foolproof plan. They want to use human-made science to fix any change in the environment. Natural changes occur and most do not need human intervention because they will balance themselves out. Using science (chemicals, artificial insemination, food programs) is counterintuitive.

Eco-apocolypse -Wirzba

Wirzba makes the idea of eco-apocalypse sound far fetched, only relating it to fiction. I strongly disagree. While we will not wake up to 90% of the population having contracted a horrible disease, it has happened in the past when Native Americans met Europeans. Thanks to globalization this is unlikely to happen again. What is more likely is a number of small environmental changes that equal a large change in human life. Raising ocean levels will cause small Pacific Islands to disappear, Norfolk to relocate, and thousands of homes to be destroyed. Changing weather will cause agriculture to suffer. Lack of food causes civil war and turmoil between cities, states and countries. Among other changes, climate change is already leading us down a path toward an eco-apocalyptic life.

Narrating the World- Wirzba

Wirzba states that "the way we name and narrate the world determines how we are going to live within it". I agree with this. In my communications class we went over phonetics and learned that words with a general 'harsh' sound relate to negative, pointy, and hard words. 'Triangle' is a harsh/strong sounding word and it relates well to what we have named a triangle. Three harsh points and three straight lines. Also, if we narrate something has being a positive experience before it happens, we are more likely to enjoy it. Conversely, if we think if something as being bad before it does happen, we are less likely to enjoy it when the time comes.

Oh water - Turtle Island

Water is such a wonderful symbol.  It is powerful, cleansing, pure, and life-giving.  This poem starts with a call to water, asking it to “wash me.” Isn’t it so true that one of water’s most basic functions is to wash.  I would argue that next to hydrating, that is its key function. Other images in this poem are mountains humming and crumbling, and again with the water but this time as snow melting.  It ends saying “earth, great, sangha.”  I looked up to find that sangha means a Buddhist community of holy people and laity.  I think it is nice word to end on because like the sangha combines different types of people, our earth combines many kinds of creatures. Event the water itself is similar in its many uses and forms.  In thinking about my own relationship with water, I have to say that I love it.  Though I am scared of what lies in the deep waters of the oceans, I am mesmerized by the sound of waves, the elegance of waterfalls, and the calming presence of even small ponds.  Being around water, whether it be in the ocean or a shower, is just rejuvenating.  Its properties are pure and clean, and so it is such a prominent symbol and tool in religions as well.  

Pine Tree Tops - Turtle Island

This poem is simple and beautiful.  It is also on one of my favorite subjects – trees.  The poem starts by describing the night, which is blue and glowing.  The image here is one of peace and comfort, as opposed to a black, harsh night.  The trees are said to bend and fade, and in my mind, melt into the horizon.  This reminds me of the time I went into the Shenandoah valley to camp in a cabin with my family. From the valley, the tree tops created a vibrant blue in the Blue Ridge Mountains and intertwined to create one giant blanket of leaves.  The poem ends with the lines, “rabbit tracks, deer tracks, what do we know.”  This was a very powerful ending to me.  It speaks to the fact that though we can see things, we often do not know them.  And even when we think we know something, how can we be sure of it?  Like the tracks described in the poem, we as people cannot fully understand them. We can tell what animal they are from and tell the general direction of where they are going, but we will never know what it is like to be an animal among nature.  They have a sacred place in nature, as do we, but it is more primitive I might say.  They wander, search for food, mate, and are fueled by instinct.  We as people make tracks and wander in our calculated human ways. We rarely just wander in the woods to wander.  We rarely take the time to actually see what is around us and appreciate nature.  I find myself only reflecting on the tree tops from the valley that I saw because of this poem, I needed a reminder.  I was not able to simply wander and appreciate like the animals.  We can learn a lesson from them and truly by preset in whatever moment we are in and take nature for all it is worth, wandering and truly immersing ourselves into it. 

Control Bun - Fire

The poem “Control Burn” in Turtle Island discusses fire and its role in conjunction with the land. It is
described as “an old story” and “a hot clean burn,” phrases that tell of an ancient power. I like this
poem because of the imagery it uses and how it paints a story of fire being a force of both destruction
and life. Fire is said out all of the old growth, burning the land and wiping it clean. Bu at the same time,it is in this destruction that new life comes. For it is only under the right circumstances, after the
old/dead growth is gone, can new life take root. These images and this concept made me think about
Jesus’ parable about the vine and the fruit, where He says that those who are faithful will be pruned so it bears more fruit, demonstrating the necessity sometimes of cutting off in order to grow even more.

This also made me think about how this concept is present in nature. In many ways, nature is more
logical than humans. If a plant is growing a bad part, it lets it die and fall off, and then thrives all the
more without it. People, on the other hand, are ruled by emotions and feelings, and so we would never do such a thing. In fact, we often keep things around us that are not good for us or have extremely detrimental effects. For example, staying in a bad relationship or not treating our bodies right. I have now strayed a bit from the poem that first sparked these thoughts. But to come back to it, I conclude that it was a nice reminder of the power of nature, particularly fire, and the lessons we can learn from it.

Thank goodness for the Noland trail

Thank goodness for the Noland trail.  In this little place called Newport News, in my even smaller bubble of CNU, I often find myself overwhelmed and disenchanted with the material, stressed, and crazy world I am stuck in as a student.  I have always been athletic and into nature, so hikes and outdoor time are normal parts of my life.  However, after the Camino, I found myself needing to escape to nature even more so after I returned.  I am thoroughly convinced that I would not have been in as good of a mental state as I am or have taken the stress of college as well if it weren't for the Noland.  It has been my place of escape, my preferred venue for a run or a date, or place to just get some sun and be alone with my thoughts.
It is truly a blessing to CNU to have such a place right next to our campus.  I think the kind of escape it provides is necessary for people to operate to their highest capacity.  This is why I think people who live in cities must be more stressed and less healthy than those who live closer to nature.  People have an inherent longing and need to recharge and be amongst nature.  It was, after all, a garden where man first dwelled, not in a building.  We must not lose site of how important nature is as the world gets more and more urbanized.  It is for the mental, physical, and spiritual health of humanity that nature is kept close and easily accessible to people, as the Noland is.

A woman on the internet in a hipster, tree-hugging world

As a woman on the internet, I find myself bombarded with new hipster diets, vegan food and clothing, paleo this and eco that, and all things of this sort.  The world is constantly telling women that they need to be more environmentally friendly from what they eat, wear, and entertain themselves with, and sometimes I feel guilty that I’m not living up to these standards.  I see all these celebrities promoting vegan and eco-friendly products and wish I could do the same.  But then I thought – of course they can do that, they make an extreme amount of money and are able to afford this expensive lifestyle.  It is a sad reality, but money allows you to live as a better person.  You can buy the more expensive healthy, sustainable, and responsibly sourced products that are more expensive.  For most people though, especially young and new college graduates, this is not feasible.  So as much as I’d like to be able to live this kind of life, I simply am not able to. 

In saying this, I’d also like to criticize the media for feeding this image, especially to young women, that this is the best way of life and shaming those who aren’t able to participate it. From the companies themselves to the celebrities who agree to promote them, the blame is shared by all of the people and groups pushing this image of our way or no way.  Indeed, as a Christian who values the world for its beauty and inherent sanctity, I’d love to be able to protect the world more through what I buy and how I eat.  But I have also had to come to terms with not being able to live such a lifestyle at this time.  Hopefully one day, we can get to the point where sustainable, eco-friendly, and responsibly sourced are standards and not overpriced high-end alternatives. 

My Final Post:Trump Order Will Aim to Roll Back a Clean Water Rule Article Review

I feel the most fitting way for me to end my blog posts is to warn about the environmental policies of the current administration, and how it not only relates to this class, but why these must be resisted at all costs. Before I begin, I would like to get one thing clear. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with mt ideology. I am an independent who happens to value the well being of our planet's environment, not a pissed off liberal looking for an excuse to slam Trump. With that being said, I'd like to take a minute to talk about the article, Trump Order Will Aim to Roll Back a Clean Water Rule by Coral Davenport of the New York Times. To be frank, Trump has had me worried since day one with his talk of "clean coal", climate change denial, and the appointment of climate skeptic, Scott Pruitt, as head of the EPA. In this article, Davenport discusses how Trump has recently signed an executive order rolling back one the Obama Administration's most significant environmental protection laws regarding the use of clean water. Although this is quite the lengthy process, this is very worrisome to me because it proves that Trump was not just "all talk", and he intends to see many of his promises of dismantling and rebuilding the EPA through. We must fight back against such outdated and shameful policies not only as United States citizens, but on the grounds of faith as well. The Earth was bestowed unto us to cultivate, rule over, and protect as part of God's creation. How many times must I make the same argument? To me this is not a setback, but more so a test to show that we can resist such out-dated thinking if we remain united and work together. Now is the time for change, not returning to the same policies that got us in the mess of climate change in the fist place.

The United Kingdom is Doing Great Things for the Environment!

My senior seminar forced me to endure an excruciating twenty page, thirty source paper, but it did instill some invaluable information in the process. For example, while I have spent the majority of these blogs criticizing mankind's actions over the past two hundred years for polluting/destroying our surrounding environment, I feel the need to discuss the good that we have been accomplishing too! To be more specific, I have recently read some rather encouraging facts through the United Kingdom's online website in regarding the reduction of their greenhouse gases. According to the many conference proceedings I have been reading, the United Kingdom has reduced their emissions by 30% since the year of 1990! This is a huge step for environmentalists everywhere, since the United Kingdom is a 21st century power house of emitting greenhouse gases. In other words, they prove that protecting our environment does not have to come at the expense of becoming a major detriment to industry/the economy. This was accomplished by investing in alternative energy, upgrading homes/appliances to be energy efficient, investing in electric cars/fuel efficient vehicles, and last but certainly not least, setting step-by-step emission reduction targets. There is a serious lesson to be taken away here for not only the United States, but the rest of the world as well. We must begin to work together following countries such as the United Kingdom as an example, and in doing so, begin to walk a path closer to what God intended for His creation.

Into the Wild Brief Book Review

Recently I decided to give the renowned masterpiece by Jon Krakauer known as Into the Wild another read. Needless to say I was just as heartbroken as the first time I read this novel/watched the 2007 film. I felt the need to discuss the work here simply because I feel it relates to a lot of discussions we have been having in class. I mean think about it, a young man sets out across the country to explore creation as it was intended to be experienced. As the story progresses, I remember being left with a sense of wonder, even thinking things along the lines of "I wonder would what happen if I just decided to do this one day?" I feel it's common knowledge how this story ends by now, with the main protagonist passing away alone in the wilderness, no one around for miles due to accidentally ingesting a poisonous plant. Although I have previously discussed how nature is God's most pure creation and should be treated as such, I feel I need to address a different concern that the ending of this book raises. Has mankind evolved to no longer belong in nature? Have we grown beyond the ability to survive without our homes and comfortable 21st century lifestyle? These are questions that have certainly plagued me as I finished the ending of this heartbreaking story. I believe the answer to be a bit of a two part answer. First and foremost, I'd say human beings currently have evolved to reach our current status for a reason, meaning yes, we no longer belong in nature as we are. However, if God intended us to reach this point, that does not mean the we are forsake our duties as caretakers of the earth and selfishly destroy it simply because we feel somewhat removed from our surrounding environment. All in all, this book left me feeling sad, yet optimistic about the future. Nature is one to be respected, not taken for granted or destroyed.

Trillions of Plastic Bits, Swept Up by Current, Are Littering Arctic Waters Article Review

As if our planet's polar regions needed more problems... (Serious eye roll). Once again I am disheartened to see yet another article describing the crimes of mankind against its environment, will it never cease? According to Tatiana Schlossberg of the New York Times, 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the ocean each year, and what's more is that scientists estimate approximately 110 million tons of plastic waste is currently sitting in the ocean at this very moment. While some efforts have been made to clean up this trash, the waste has now begun drifting toawrds our planet's most delicate, yet highly necessary polar regions. Scientists don't exactly know what adverse effects this waste could have on the ecosystems located there, but one thing is for certain that it will not be a positive one. The worlds polar icebergs/glaciers account for 10% of water found on earth and have already begun to melt at highly alarming rates due to climate change. Some experts argue that if large amounts of plastic waste ended up drifting to these regions within the coming decades, it could only further speed up this process. We already know that plastic has adverse effects on our planet's wildlife so what more proof do we need to make sure this kind of pollution doesn't spread? We must use these coming decades to begin altering past mistakes infringed upon God's creation we seem so guilt free on continuing to destroy.

Climate Change Reroutes a Yukon River in a Geological Instant Article Review

Today I read an article by John Schwartz of the New York Times that quickly caught my attention. Apparently, one of the Yukon's rivers has had its course changed due to the melting of glaciers attributed to climate change. Why this may not seem like a big deal on the surface, the scary thing is this river's path was diverted almost instantly in what scientists refer to as "river piracy". This process would normally take thousands of years, but thanks to climate change, this change took place practically overnight. With this change comes habitat destruction, ecosystem composition changes, and all other sorts of consequences associated with the environment. Having discussed nature being God's most natural and pure creation in class, the question remains: why does mankind continue to ignore the warning signs and pursue only selfish goals at the cost of the environment? It's sad that greed continues to cloud the judgement of man, and that we only continue to have adverse effects on the environment that is God's creation. To me, this was just another case of overwhelming proof that there needs to be a change. I pray it comes quickly.

Household Conversation

I have had the pleasure of living in a house with girls that I am not particularly, er, um, naturally close with. But is has been so FUN! For, in the house are ladies that are so full of life!! We are each different and complementary in the funnest ways!

There is a scientist explorer, creative artisan, outspoken activist, people person, and myself.

It makes for interesting conversations to say the least.

The other day I was excited after we concluded a conversation because it allowed for each of us to shine and to depend on the others. We were talking about something simple like fast fashion that one of the girls had been studying for her Honors seminar. That then connected to the ecological implications and business implications of it. We then connected those to convictions and religious sentiments behind it.

I sat back amazed because I had been praying for almost a year for the Lord to do His will among the house. In small things like this I see so much promise. The connection between class, friendship, and faith collide. I learn how my faith can be acted out realistically through serious issues like abstaining from fast fashion, and they can see how those actions connect directly to faith. In connection to these things, too, we all saw more readily than ever the connection both faith and our choices have to play in our future of the planet.

I thought I would share because it was extremely encouraging to have this conversation. I look forward to having more like this in the future!!! Thankful!!!

Cageless Birds

The following is a piece that I found this year has been a tremendous encouragement to me. I thought I would write it out here for the blog in case someone were to come up to it and maybe be encouraged by it to. 

It is about being let free from your cage and flying like you are meant to. 

Cageless Birds - Melissa Helser 

Standing on the shore of decision
looking into the face of adventure
desire to abandon all I know.
What pushes me is something between
misunderstanding and knowing.
Knowing that what I want I want
to understand is not within my reach.
So I ponder my escape.

Not knowing what lies ahead.
Adventure in theory is full of excitement
and bleeds with passion for life.
But adventure in reality is full of
breathless moments, silent nights,
and wounds that leave scars of memory on a heart.

Can I go the distance?
Can I give all my mind to get what the Messenger is saying?
Can I surrender my knowing?
Will I survive the humility of ignorance to obtain a treasure that earthly gold cannot buy?
Will I ask the question of honesty even if the answer convicts my soul and sends me to the land of repentance?

All of these thoughts flood my mind.

As I stand on the shore of choosing
and in the distance of my wondering
I see with my clear eyes a flock of
wild beautiful birds
swooping clearly in my direction
as if they see me and are coming for me.
And how strange it is that their eyes are full of clarity.
And the melody of their flapping wings sings out:

We are coming for you.

My song is waking up. Wake up songbird. We want to hear your melody. Songbird wakeup and start singing. You're not in your cage anymore, bound by your shame anymore. The walls that held you in prison, the gate is flung wide open.

Start singing.

A Trip to China

I know I talked previously about my sadness after seeing the Noland Trail being closed off for environmental clean up, but nothing comes close to my experiences in China this past summer. I went all over this country, and when I say all over, I literally mean I witnessed at least 50% of the country in 6 weeks. I learned many things during my time there, but in relation to this class, I learned what true pollution looks like. It was frankly disgusting, and nothing like we have here in Newport News. The water is undrinkable, mountains of trash as well as toxic waste clog most of the rivers, and even the air itself is boarder-line not breathable. Although China has made recent attempts to clean up their country in the past few years, saying they have a long way to go would be serious understatement. The one place I went to see that wasn't overridden with pollution was Changbaishan mountain on the border of North Korea. The views here were impressive to say the least, but there was still a massive amount of construction going on near the resort that was being built, and hordes of people fleeing the crowded cities were tightly packed all around us. It simultaneously made me appreciate the nature we have in America while also filling me with a heavy heart to see mankind treat God's creation in such a manor. I truly hope China can learn from its mistakes and continue to make progress on cleaning up its environment; it's never too late.

Construction, Building, Developing.

Landscape is as much human construct as is a cityscape or a cultural development. For, landscapes are culture before they are nature. The [natural class] frames [what we tell]. And this frame adds cosmos to cosmos, which imposes an interpretation.

This contradicts our desire to interact with the world as tabula rasa, a blank slate.
--related to this, phenomenologists have a subjective view, we're unable to have complete objectivity.

My question is this. How is our comfort related to the nature we're surrounded by? 

(ex: Virginians who traveled out to the west coast for the first time may feel out of place for some reason. They start to realize that they are in a different landscape; they are around no trees, and they feel exposed.) 

On another note. PHYSICS (or nature to Aristotle) is different than the NATURE of other philosophers means (in the Enlightenment at least) (Kant, etc.) 

Habitat is a place of dwelling. Habitus is the way we dwell in a certain place; ritual way of perceiving reality, relational... With no habitus, habitat turns into scenery. 

SO, all that I've written here must be seen within the eye of dwelling. When there is a being dwelling in place it changes it inherently and turns it into a new thing altogether.

I love that. There is something magical about being in a place. We will never know what a place is like when there is no dwelling, for it is not truly experienced, just seen with an eye at best. Its a special capability to experience and do these things. 

The Sequoias of the Oregon Coast

Not an Idaho blog?! Believe it or not, I have actually other places in the United States... In all seriousness though, vising the Sequoia National Forest was one of the most incredible experiences in all of my life. At the time I was only 12, but the images I saw during that trip remain forever etched in my memory. The trees themselves were huge, at the very least two hundreds of feet tall, and yes, bigger than the redwoods. To be exact, most of the trees stood well over 300 feet tall, and standing at the base, you could fit an entire living room inside them. Hyperion was not only the tallest among them, but also the tallest tree IN THE WORLD. How tall to be exact? Oh only around 380 feet tall. I kid you not, it was like I was in some elf forest straight out of Lord of the Rings. I remember gazing up at them, and barely able to catch a glimpse of the top. It blew my mind coming face to face with a creation such as this, it almost seemed too unreal. Looking back on it, it's hard to describe something so impressive, yet utterly beautiful, as anything more than being created by divine hands. Whatever your religious views may be, I strongly recommend you visit this forest. It'll be a memory you will take with you for the rest of your life guaranteed.

Connection in Wilderness

I often return to memories of my time on the Appalachian Trail with the Sacred Communication and Sacred Journeys class. Each time I come back I have the pleasure of enjoying deeper meaning of the trip in total. Throughout the two weeks of hiking together I was immersed in nature in the most intimate way I had ever been in my life. Also I was freed to enjoy humans in a way that I had never been given the chance to.

Looking back on this time I quickly remember certain flashes of memory from Tylor warming up his water bottle to sleep with on a chilly day, or filtering water at a trickling brook, or walking on my lonesome with birds fluttering about me. However I find myself most often returning back to a moment in the Greyson Highlands where I gazed out at the stars with two close friends of mine. Everyone else on the trip had decided to hike down to a concert a couple miles away and we felt it would be fun to sit back and enjoy stories together. So I heard from these two. I heard their deepest thoughts, their biggest struggles, and some of their funniest joys.

Now when I think back to this memory I go now to the relation our space had with the conversation and connection. If we were to have walked to the concert with everyone else these thoughts never would have occurred. This may be true, but I also want to make a difference between mere context and the spiritual implications of different ecology.

It was the rocks, the stars, the grasses, the trees hiding us away, that allowed for that moment. It granted us a feeling of security, a feeling of wonder, and a feeling of freedom. We were in a place of humility and nakedness of soul, there was nothing to hide here in the wild.

I am thankful for that night. I am thankful for that space. For, without those things I do not believe I would have known myself or known those two to the extend I know them today.

More Idaho Talk

I know what you're thinking at this very moment: "Gosh more Idaho talk?" The answer is yes, more Idaho talk, and for a good reason. I truly feel people don't grasp the beauty of this place unless the visit it for themselves. When first mentioned, people immediately think "potatoes" when they hear the word "Idaho." That couldn't be more far from the truth however, and forgive my harshness, but is just classic east-coast ignorance. If I had a dime for every spoiled kid from NOVA who gave me crap about loving Idaho at this school... We'll let's just say I'd at least have a dollar. Anyways the beauty of Idaho is that because of these preconceived ideals, it is a much less targeted area for tourism. The mountains are humongous, the rivers and lakes are pure, the air is as clean as can be, and the views are almost unimaginable. I truly feel God's presence is strong within this land for two reasons. The first is its natural beauty, which relates back to the "how creation was intended to be viewed" argument I have made in previous posts. The second may come as a surprise to some, but is because of the lack of other people around do I feel a deeper sense of wonder when traveling there. I believe God speaks to people the most in moments of true beauty and solitude. In other words when mankind is in its natural state of creation does our creator talk to us. To sum things up, it was whenever I visited Idaho did I feel my strongest detachment from the modern world around me, and in turn, a stronger connection with a force known as my creator.

A Trip to the Shenandoah National Park

A few months ago I found myself having the sudden urge to get the hell out of Newport News. Shocker right? Anyways me and my girlfriend decided we wanted to see mountains, so we made a split decision to drive two hours to hike the renowned Hawksbill Mountain in the Shenandoah National Park. After a brief struggle to hike up a mildly challenging ridge, we were left with a truly wondrous sight to behold. It is in moments such as these that stand out to me more any other memories during my 22 years on this planet, and furthermore, seem to be the most holy. Even the many years I have spent in church don't seem to compare for the following reason: there is nothing more naturally beautiful than gazing out at God's creation as it was intended to be seen. Valleys, rivers, mountains, trees, even the sky, all paint a paint picture unmatched by any artist. It is the ultimate beauty, made from the hand of God himself. I recognize this is a rather unorthodox opinion as a confirmed Christian, but I truly feel God most strongly in my heart in moments such as these.

The Noland Trail

Last Friday I took a trip to the Noland Trail for the first time in several weeks. When I arrived there I was surprised to find my favorite spot on the beach had been blocked off for environmental reasons. Being a natural juvenile delinquent, I decided to ignore the signs and walk out on the beach anyways. Within a few minutes of my admiring the gorgeous sunset on the water, a park ranger walked up from behind me and rather forcefully asked me to leave. When I asked him why this area was closed off he told me people had been throwing trash in the area and it now needed to be cleaned/rehabilitated. This deeply saddened me for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I recognize that I go to school in Newport News, and that nature is already rare in this region. So therefore seeing the one place I could escape to while living here being disrespected like that filled me with a sadness. Secondly I realized after my time spent in Religion in Ecology how sacred nature is in terms of Christianity. Being a Christian myself it upset me to see God's creation in an area already riddled with pollution being treated in such a manner. I hope we can learn from these mistakes and in turn make better decisions in the future.

On Not Knowing Where or Who We Are

This chapter can be summed up in its entirety on a rather gloomy note within its conclusion: “Our desires and plans to make life comfortable for ourselves seem to have the reverse effect of compounding misery and doom.” ( Smith 28) Here it becomes obvious that mankind needs to change its ways, or we will only continue to hasten our own demise. As stated previously, humans are sinful by nature, which is a shame that we in turn cannot see that our true goals are aligned with our inner nature, and instead continue to be driven by temporary and selfish desires. Smith ends the passage by saying that we as Christians need to learn the art of respecting nature.We need to completely accept this nature, and in turn, treat everything else in according to their own nature. We were meant to live in harmony with other creation, not destroy it. Only by living as natural creation can we hope to achieve true happiness and harmony. It is not only our true purpose for being, but how we were intended to thrive. To put it simply, we must let our identity as creatures born from a loving God to guide our actions in the future. 

A Goddess Quantified

Overall, this chapter contains an abundance of dense material. However, after careful analysis and consideration, it arrives at the following conclusion: Gaia needs chaos in order to survive. Life rises from the ashes, and living on the brink of instability is what causes life to thrive in the first place. With this understanding now in place, is our planet really that different from the mythical Eden discussed in the Genesis? Whether you agree or disagree, life is flourishing despite the chaotic history of our planet for the past 3 billion years. I find it rather odd that this chapter reached this conclusion because it contradicts the message behind chapter 19; that mankind has been in sin and trying to return to Eden ever since the fall. Furthermore, part of human nature that is forever connected to Eden despite our sin. So in other words, we’re like half way in and half way out. Sin keeps us separated while our yearning for God, and to fulfill our nature, is wait awaits us in Eden. 

The Uses of Light - Turtle Island

Unlike the two previous poems I have discussed from Gary Snyder's Turtle Island, The Uses of Light on page 39 did not conjure up any specific memories from my childhood years in Idaho, but more so a wide array of emotions. I believe this can be attested to the language used in each line, or in other words, specific images that aren't described, but hinted at through the use of adjectives that are intended to effect the reader's senses. To explain exactly what I mean, let us examine the following paragraph below.

"It warms my bones, say the stones, I take it into me and grow, Say the trees, leaves above, roots below."At first I was confused as to what Snyder was talking about within these first few lines, but I got sort of a fuzzy feeling while reading, so I continued on as my curiosity was now intrigued. This feeling grew into a sense of warmth as I reached the middle of the poem, almost as if I was basking in the warmer summer glow of the sun. By the end of this piece I realized that Snyder was describing not just the feeling of sunlight, but its uses all throughout the world. Not only is it responsible for the trees, leaves, plants, and warmth of the land below, but all life under the heavens need its benefits to survive. It is light that warms our planet and keeps us safe, even night dwelling creatures require its nourishment indirectly to stay alive.

O Waters - Turtle Island

Returning once again to the collection of poems written by Gary Snyder known Turtle Island, I was again found myself fascinated with another one of his works.This time my attention was caught by the poem titled O Waters on page 73. The poem once again reminded me of my time spent out in Idaho, but this under different circumstances. As stated in a previous post, I would spend the entirety of my summers during my younger days out west, which I will now explain in relation to the text.

The first few lines of O Waters filled me with a sense of calming/serenity: "O Waters, wash us, me, under the wrinkled granite, straight up slab". Here I had begun to spin a few thoughts in my mind of glacial lakes I had seen out backpacking in the wilderness with my family all of those years ago. However, once I read the following lines: "sitting by camp in the pine shade, Nanao sleeping, mountains humming and crumbling", I could not shake the image of these camping trips from my mind. I fount it strange that once again a few lines could conjure fourth images I had locked away years ago, but the effect was certainly the same as before. There really is something uncanny about the beauty to be found in the western mountains of the United States. It is a beauty I have found to be almost like none other in this world.

Pine Tree Tops - Turtle Island

Gary Snyder's Turtle Island boasts many impressive and intriguing poems, however, in my humble opinion, I discovered a few that to me, left the greatest impact. One of these poems was none other than Pine Tree Tops located on page 33. While at first glance this poem is rather short, the image it constructed in my mind reminded me very much of my eight years spent living in Idaho. Let me explain I mean in greater detail below.

Within the first few lines, the following few words stuck out to me: "in the blue night, frost haze, the sky glows". These lines gave me a vivid image of my early teens spent out in the resort town of McCall, Idaho. Back then, I used to visit this wonderful paradise twice a year. Once for the entirety the summer, and one during the winter season for two weeks. It truly was a magical place for a number of reasons, but for the sake of staying on the topic at hand, I won't bore you with the details. In the third, fourth, and fifth lines: "pine tree tops, bend snow-blue, fade, into sky, frost starlight", images of the ice covered glacier lake surrounded by snow caped fir/pine trees all came flooding back to me. I couldn't believe how just a short few words written on a page could spark something so deeply ingrained within my memory.

We're Building Arbitrary Walls

Whenever I've walked through trimmed neighborhoods or valued cityscapes, I've seen the beautiful architecture and landscaping that make these places beautiful to many. I walk past rose gardens, fluffy bushes, and trimmed grasses. However, the thought of the purpose behind these things never crosses my mind, typically.

However, since listening to conversation in this class we were prompted to think about the purpose of these things, and particularly the wall.

The wall in gardens these days I thought was mostly decorative and to keep children from walking on property, maybe even to keep a criminal from desiring to steal things inside the property. Maybe these are true, and maybe these are all that it carries. The wall isn't what a wall in itself typically is used for. It is more so decorative to its end, rather than useful. That may be okay, but it is worth noticing.

Since towers gave people a sort of power over the land they have become masters, kings, rulers. People have since seen inequality and tried to make things equal. Over time from the towers of general humanity vast, beautiful gardens of Versailles were trimmed down to fit the everyday person. English gardens began to be cultivated everywhere, and everyone became masters of their own place.

Perhaps the English were the first to leap the fence and see that all of nature was a garden. England and their enclosure acts this is a screwiness. The hedgerow now is like a fence, but doesn't work as a wall. And also connects to industrialization also feeds into this.

Mountain of the gods

Let us examine quickly the difference in city vs. agrarian cultures. The two clearly have different world poles, one focused on the tower, the other on the mountain. Both have their separate myths and both encourage cultural implications from them. Myths that surround the god of the mountains hold the world pole as the mountain. The mountains thus hold the gods, and humans cannot access this place. However, not everyone agrees on the shape of the world pole. For example, some believe humans cannot access the mountain, while others believe the mountain is the place where heaven and earth connect (and the movement is two-way.)

This is visible in ancient Canaanite religions. Their gods lived on the mountains and were separate from human beings. (See myths of El and Baal.) 

In addition to world pole, the mountain may also become ecological fact. The mountain is also a place of life, for the land has been farmed, excavated, and taken over, but the mountain withstood this human control, mostly.

Man used to peer from the mountain, but now he doesn't need them anymore, at least not to peer onto things. We have created tall buildings that we can peer down onto our developed lives from. Plus, it's much more accessible than a tall mountain.

This has changed our world pole to the city.

This proves several things. With cities humans will move from the mountain and forget about the power flowing from the gods on the mountaintop. This has rid us of mystery, and placed god in the temples men have created.

Further, as our technology takes over wilderness it eventually leaves nothing but desert. We are depleting not only the spiritual but the physical and must heed warning to keep the mountains sacred.

Choice 1

Progress, we talked about progress in terms of technology in class. Whether progress is actually furthering man or whether it could be harmful. Thinking about the advancement in agricultural technology, you could conclude that progress is not furthering man anymore. The mass production of crops has made food much less healthy. Talking about a product like milk, milk is filled with hormones now because of the hormones injected into cows to have them grow larger. Fresh milk from a cow not injected with hormones would be good for us, but that is much more rare today. Similarly the land used for crop production is under great strain and covered in harmful chemicals, whether pesticides or chemicals to keep the crop looking a particular way. These chemicals and the great use of the land is not natural. The progress this might be considered, is not progress rather it is shadow progress. Perceived progress, progress that in reality is causing a health crisis and a generation of people that aren't understanding what they consume. Nature to Creation discussed how Christians have a responsibility to be at the front of the renewal of the earth. I think that's absolutely correct, that Christians have a responsibility to guide a renewal of understanding on how we should treat the earth.

Triune God of Grace

One summer when I was working far from home I found myself in a small building with comfortable seating to read, write, and converse. I snuggled up against a warm pillow and began minding my own business in the time I had off before my next shift began. Next to me were two or three young men whom I had not met yet. They conversed privately about their weeks ahead and certain joys on their minds. I remember overhearing one of them, the eldest one, tell the others about a recent book he had finished. It was called Worship, Community, and The Triune God of Grace. I immediately became interested and wrote to my parents asking if they could send me a copy of my own. The next week I walked to the mail pickup and sure enough, it was there waiting for my mind to enjoy itself.

Since then this book has been a wonderful anchor on my understanding of worship and our role as people, made in the image of God.

One particular part that stuck out to me was where it talked about how we are made in God's image. God made men and women in his own image to be priests of creation and to express on behalf of all creatures the praises of God, so that through human lips the heavens might declare the glory of God. When we, who know we are God's creatures, worship God together, we gather up the worship of all creation.

These simple words remain profound to me and determine the direction that I hope to go in my life. When I understand that I am now part of the priesthood of believers I now have an incredible opportunity and responsiblity to give glory to God although creation cannot.

Place of my Own

My housemate picked up a gem of a book at the thrift store last month and left it on our living room bookshelf which I managed to bump into last week. I gazed down and saw this work glittering in our afternoon sun and read its cover, then decided to pick it up for night reading.

That night I was lost in a wonderful realm of imagination. Micahel Pollen's Place of My Own: Architecture of Daydreams had me hooked.

In his preface he says the following. "Architects do their work on the frontier between the ideal and the practical, translating wisps of ideas into buildable facts, and carpenters are among those lucky souls whose handiwork actually adds to the available stock of reality. To a writer, whose creations can really only be said to exist among the human speakers of his or her language, this is cause for envy."

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT because that is how I feel many times! Placing so much focus on words and reading and books and speeches and etc. etc. etc. my body has begun to crave something, well, more.

Pollen has described something here more profound than I could expound at the moment. I think back to Sacred and Profane Beauty and the separate realms of beauty. Each have their own elements and special qualities. For someone like me who has heavily focused on words the specialties of words have become less exciting. I now crave even more so than usual a creative outlet of art, building, or music making that transcends language barrier more swiftly than mere English words.

Ultimately, what I crave is to respond to life, respond to creation, and be.

poetic justice

As of recent I have regained my interest the art of words. Since being in the university words have become overused and arbitrary to an extent just because of the amount of assignments given to me as a student. Ironically my words are becoming mundane while I'm learning how to better articulate myself than ever before.

Word structure, advanced theory, and deeper emotion have mixed together more succinctly than ever before.

So, I've begun to re-open the rusty doors of poetry and prose.

It all started with e. e. cummings for me... with strange word arrangements that taught me to think outside of the box, outside of the traditional. But, as time progressed I also held traditional yet profound words close.

As I've experienced many new thoughts, old routines, and heightened emotions this year, I've been lead to write the following.

swim past the window of this vessel 

eyes that meet mine with depth

that make the sea crustaceans smile 

"he's swimming towards Salacia" they told me 

swimming indeed, but the look he holds 

is much too solicitous for her mixed waters 

unto where the journier ends 

i've yet to see, "swim, swim," i call

for the salty current may arrest thee 

My hope in writing is to express emotion and knowledge in an artistic way that was once not accessible to me. I am looking forward to the summer when I supposedly will have more time to invest into this.

Perceiving Creation

We talked some about the following assertion: We should develop the ascetic disciplines and habits of being that address those passions that prevent us from loving, and thus properly perceiving others.
This is because according to what we were learning in class, and for me, in other classes recently: Today who people are is a matter not of being a certain kind of person but of having the kinds of commodities that will give the appearance of a particular kind of persona or image.

SO, we start to self-glorify. We idolize ourselves. This is where it gets sticky.

It is if we are looking into "mirrors reflecting the scope of the viewer's aim." However, it is known by any who look into a mirror that they always take reality and flip it around completely. So, we cannot see things as they actually are.

As spoken by the one and only Mr. Benjamin Pierce we related this to the following idea.

The Subject <---------------------------------------Self--------------------------------------->Other

We are creatures. We are created and we are not the subject. To connect once more to Heidegger we have the ability to think when we're relational. We are free to be relational.

So, we can think and act to either idolize ourselves or not. I am of the opinion that we are to resist this temptation of simply having and move towards being. It is deeper and more moving than simple having of something. Think about it. Would you rather be a blonde or have blonde hair? The two phrases carry different meaning... just as a small example.

:-)

Inquiry Always Begins With Sin

"All inquiry begins in the realm of sin because we are hoping to know that which we cannot and were not created to know." (113)

Since we are created, we have limits. Think about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil within the creation story and Genesis account of Adam and Eve. This tree with pretty obvious choices was place smack dab in the center of the garden. This can be interpreted by some that at the core of our identity is this choice, either good or evil. However, within this choice we are still limited and mostly by the responses to these choices. 

Limits have negative connotations typically... but spiritually it reminds us that we need goodness. Limit is a gift of grace. 

To be modern today is to reject these limits. Especially as Millennials my generation has been told to stretch ourselves past our limits for we are able, we are entitled, and we are supposed to do so. In doing so, however, we are more prone to reject the idea of grace and choose for ourselves, on our own wills, either good or evil. 

Can you think of ways this affects our interactions and or future? 

Say we choose evil, we will be judged by it. Then, won't the next generation be more prone to seeing this an see how limits are good? Maybe not? It seems that the progression of technology is leading us to new "unbreakable" limits and we wont learn for a good while what our place is, humbled at the feet of the Creator. 

So... today, does our inquiry really begin with sin? Are we trying, maybe through technology, to know what fast business, or quick easy relationships are like, when we are supposed to be made some other way? 

Questions to ponder on. 

Idolizing Nature (Cont.)

I have more to add to my last post...

Being in the world is also to recognize that a transformation of vision goes hand in hand with transformation of life (72).

ICONS: we can interact with them in more than a visual way. The word itself can be iconic... there is depth and transcendence to them as well.

Returning to Levinas' words... that we are prone to turn "the other" into "the same."

self - other/alterity

(This relates to sublimity, or when we become overwhelmed with the "otherness" in something or someone.)

William Blake says the whole creation can be iconic because of this. Since, icons are instruments that help you get to "the other," or "the sublime."

So, an idol -> brings us to ourselves                an idol -> brings us out of ourselves.

On another note, we are bored because we are failing to be fully present. When we are bored we are wanting to be somewhere else...

So, ICON is a means of prayer. This is where we must turn to iconographic tradition.

This icon points to archetype without being that archetype. (See pg. 81 on God's essence vs. God's energies.) "The divine energies are within everything and outside everything." (Lossky) This is christological, and particularly in Colossians 1:15-17 Jesus is that image [icon] of the invisible God.

Do you see the connection of transformation of life and following Jesus in relation to icon?

Idolizing Nature

(From: 2/9/2017) 

I've got a couple thoughts for this blog. I start here, that at the center of idolatry is the worship of oneself. Since humans are able to consider their essence in a way unique than any other creature, this idolatry essentially becomes a human problem... especially because God commanded us to not make any false idols in His place. Even though "there is no raw access to the world," we force our views, our idolatrous views, on the existing world... (interesting, I see a parallel to the existential warnings of inauthenticity etc.)
In indigenous rituals there is a debating or negotiating with nature. Some Western thinkers today may think this is considered idolatry, but in reality this could be a respecting of nature, (so on and so forth.) We cannot totalize what changes because what changes will break out of our system. This is why we must reach transcendence. But our totalizing gaze leaves no room for transcendence and no room for the sanctity of others to shine through.

[To know is to reduce otherness to the "same." In other words, the same as me.] ((from Levinas))

Hegel talks about us wanting to turn the other into a slave. 

If we think we can objectify the world then it helps us think we can control the world. 

ICON: sacrament for the Christian ... Vehicle for a personal presence, or a vehicle for a transcendent reality. It becomes holy by participation, rather than holy in itself. 

We shouldn't be concerned with representation of our emotions, rather we should be engaged in transfiguration. 

This is where we reach the "end" of idolatry. 

Our desires, or our idols clash and this causes moral confusion. The solution is to recognize a higher reality of nature. 

(See more p. 58 making trek to beautiful vistas... we expect wilderness while we're still in nature.) 

What do you think? 

Outside Reading #5

INTELLIGENCE WITHOUT EXPERIENCE

“The will of God has been a much-debated subject, which I often find quite entertaining. It does us no good to keep the conversation in a classroom caught up in Christian theory. It has to be taken onto the streets, where the hurting people are. The will of God must be displayed by a praying people, unwilling to sit on the sidelines and see the devil continually steal, kill, and destroy, and then watch the theorist give God the credit. Masking our unbelief with a spineless theology is the great deception. This continual misrepresentation of the nature and heart of God for one another and for the world must stop. Stupidity often looks like intelligence in the absence of experience.”

-       Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church, an evangelical charismatic Christian church in Redding, California speaks about the phrase “God is good” in his book titled “God is Good: He’s Better Than You Think”. In this quote, he talks about Christian’s tendencies to be theological experts and argue and debate about trivial matters, but there is no activation of people to live the actual Christian life and be disciples. I love how he says that we mask our unbelief with a spineless, intellectual theology that simple seeks to argue. I myself have been guilty of falling into this trap a lot. I think that so often we get caught up in our religious debates over this person or that person being right or whether we should say this about the Eucharist or that about spiritual gifts, when God gave us one call: to love and know Love. The practicality of the Christian faith, to make disciples, and the abandonment of human intellectualism  is something that I long to see more in myself and the Church in my generation.