I'm white, if you've met me once, it's fairly easy to tell that I have a distinct lack of melanin. There are spots of melanin, but they don't connect. Anyway, today is an interesting day on which we are supposed to take time to reflect on Dr King and what he accomplished. I have read the biographies, heard the speeches, read the books, been to the museums, and have done my best to understand the issues that plagued our country from its inception.
The question is not one of knowledge or of understanding or even of commiserating. The best way to describe the issue would be to draw a parallel. I have been to Mass multiple times and I understand its beauty. I understand the concepts of Mary, the Pope, confession, transubstantiation, genuflection, and etc. However, I do not understand it in its context. I know the history of the Catholic church and I can enter into its world, but there will always be a disconnect as there are things about being Catholic that I cannot understand unless I convert to Catholicism. I will never be the part of a parish or part of the mundane things that become extraordinary or truly understand why specific things are immensely important while others fall by the wayside.
The same applies to MLK Day. I understand the concepts of slavery, apartheid, oppression, Jim Crow, nonviolent resistance, reconstruction, Bull Connor, Black Panthers, SCLC, and etc. I did not, however, live in the 1960s and I'm not black. As a result, there will always be things that I do not understand, why seemingly mundane things become extraordinary and why specific things are immensely important while others fall by the wayside.
Some day, when Jesus comes back, I will be perfectly able to commiserate, understand, love, and rejoice with all people every day. That, to me, is the true message of MLK Day. There are things about each other we cannot understand fully but we need to walk into each others lives and do the best we can to understand but to realize and admit that it will always be imperfect. The beauty of humanity says that we are different but that it is because through those differences that the love of Christ can be shown to a world that says "we need to celebrate MLK Jr and the things he stood for one day a year."
Monday, January 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
OSU vs Michigan
This is OSU Michigan week which always brings out the best, and the worst, in college football fans. Presented here, in a semi timeline is my torrid love affair with the Big 10, college football, and the University of Michigan which ended four years ago this week.
1983 - I was born in Toledo, Ohio. I don't remember watching any games.
1986 - We moved to Kansas. I have piecemeal memories of KS, most of which involve sports, none of which involve college football. Jayhawks, Bo Jackson, and Dan Quisenberry were the people I remember.
1989-1995 - We moved to NYC. In NYC it all began. My dad taught me a love of college football, the Big 10 specifically. I had a Buckeyes sweatshirt and a Wolverines sweatshirt. I thought multiple times that Brutus (pictured on my chest) looked like he would attack me. The maize and blue wolverine, more deadly than a nut, looked like it would attack my enemies. Regardless, I cheered for OSU and Michigan throughout all 6 years in NYC never knowing there was a rivalry. I just liked Michigan better.
1991 - Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy. I think I struck the Heisman pose about 50 times within the next year. I also learned of the amazing broadcaster, Keith Jackson.
1993 - Charlie Ward, for a reason I cannot remember, captured my imagination. I still sometimes think fondly of the Seminoles, Bobby Bowden, and Charlie Ward.
1994 - I learned the agony of defeat as Kordell Stewart threw a hail mary to beat the Wolverines. I cried, and was sad throughout the rest of the week.
1995 - We moved to Ohio.
1995 - I cheered for Eddie George until the OSU Michigan game. I was in Cincinnati with my relatives and my cousins kept talking about how Michigan was going to lose. I didn't understand the hostility and felt that justice, in the name of Tim Biakabutuka, was served.
1995 - My grandfather, the best Ohio State fan that I have ever known, died.
1997 - I watched the OSU Michigan game in my house with my uncle and my dad. Charles Woodson returned a punt for a touchdown. I struck the Desmond Howard heisman pose and jumped around the living room. My uncle grabbed me and said "All year long we cheer for OSU together and are happy. Then, this one day, you cheer for Michigan. I'm sick of it. Pick one or the other." I picked Michigan. He left, and for the next few years, we did not watch an OSU Michigan game together.
2001 - My two uncles, my dad, and some other people gathered to watch the Buckeyes play the Hurricanes for the National Championship. There was an empty chair, with my grandpa’s OSU gear set up on it. A memento of bowl games gone by, when the Noonen men would gather to watch football, for love of the game.
2005 - I was in my room, watching Michigan lose to Notre Dame. My friend, a 6’3 230 pound ex football player, ridiculed me through the entire game. We then watched Texas beat Ohio State, with me ridiculing him. This was, and is, one of the most Godly men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. For the 30 minutes after the Texas victory, we were at war. We started by almost breaking the futon. Then we moved to the common room, moved all the furniture, and had a wrestling match. This was not uncommon, but the violence with which we threw each other on the hardwood floor, made both of us realize it was not for fun. We both ended up bruised and covered in floor burns. I don’t remember who won, the real message was we both lost.
1983 - I was born in Toledo, Ohio. I don't remember watching any games.
1986 - We moved to Kansas. I have piecemeal memories of KS, most of which involve sports, none of which involve college football. Jayhawks, Bo Jackson, and Dan Quisenberry were the people I remember.
1989-1995 - We moved to NYC. In NYC it all began. My dad taught me a love of college football, the Big 10 specifically. I had a Buckeyes sweatshirt and a Wolverines sweatshirt. I thought multiple times that Brutus (pictured on my chest) looked like he would attack me. The maize and blue wolverine, more deadly than a nut, looked like it would attack my enemies. Regardless, I cheered for OSU and Michigan throughout all 6 years in NYC never knowing there was a rivalry. I just liked Michigan better.
1991 - Desmond Howard won the Heisman Trophy. I think I struck the Heisman pose about 50 times within the next year. I also learned of the amazing broadcaster, Keith Jackson.
1993 - Charlie Ward, for a reason I cannot remember, captured my imagination. I still sometimes think fondly of the Seminoles, Bobby Bowden, and Charlie Ward.
1994 - I learned the agony of defeat as Kordell Stewart threw a hail mary to beat the Wolverines. I cried, and was sad throughout the rest of the week.
1995 - We moved to Ohio.
1995 - I cheered for Eddie George until the OSU Michigan game. I was in Cincinnati with my relatives and my cousins kept talking about how Michigan was going to lose. I didn't understand the hostility and felt that justice, in the name of Tim Biakabutuka, was served.
1995 - My grandfather, the best Ohio State fan that I have ever known, died.
1997 - I watched the OSU Michigan game in my house with my uncle and my dad. Charles Woodson returned a punt for a touchdown. I struck the Desmond Howard heisman pose and jumped around the living room. My uncle grabbed me and said "All year long we cheer for OSU together and are happy. Then, this one day, you cheer for Michigan. I'm sick of it. Pick one or the other." I picked Michigan. He left, and for the next few years, we did not watch an OSU Michigan game together.
2001 - My two uncles, my dad, and some other people gathered to watch the Buckeyes play the Hurricanes for the National Championship. There was an empty chair, with my grandpa’s OSU gear set up on it. A memento of bowl games gone by, when the Noonen men would gather to watch football, for love of the game.
2005 - I was in my room, watching Michigan lose to Notre Dame. My friend, a 6’3 230 pound ex football player, ridiculed me through the entire game. We then watched Texas beat Ohio State, with me ridiculing him. This was, and is, one of the most Godly men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. For the 30 minutes after the Texas victory, we were at war. We started by almost breaking the futon. Then we moved to the common room, moved all the furniture, and had a wrestling match. This was not uncommon, but the violence with which we threw each other on the hardwood floor, made both of us realize it was not for fun. We both ended up bruised and covered in floor burns. I don’t remember who won, the real message was we both lost.
After that, I talked to Kimmy. We had a long discussion after which I decided that I loved my brothers in Christ more than I loved the Michigan Wolverines. It still makes me happy to see them win, but it does not adversely affect my relationships or my demeanor. Kids that were in 5th grade when I graduated High School will be playing in this game. I will still cheer for the Wolverines and will most likely watch the game.
As an aside, praise God that I can once again be in a place where I'm not a pariah for liking a football team. There are way more important things to be passionate about than some kids playing a game on a Saturday.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Registry Edit
Windows search will automatically search for text in specific files which is very awesome. To see what I'm talking about open a folder, create a .txt file, open and edit the .txt to say "Shoobie". Then save and close. Then in the folder search box, type "Shoobie." Your file should show up.
Anyway, I needed to search .log files which are really .txt files with a different extension (same encoding and editable in Notepad (or Notepad++)) Some quick searching turned this up:
To use the text filter provider for .zzz files, the following registry setting should exist:
If you've never edited the registry, here's how to do it:
http://antivirus.about.com/cs/tutorials/ht/regmod.htm
And keep this in mind: When your computer does something, it does it for a reason. If you want to change what it does, search around. You can mess with just about everything. Worst case scenario, everything blows up and you get to start over after formatting your hard drive.
Anyway, I needed to search .log files which are really .txt files with a different extension (same encoding and editable in Notepad (or Notepad++)) Some quick searching turned this up:
To use the text filter provider for .zzz files, the following registry setting should exist:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.zzz\PersistentHandler\(Default) = {5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}
After you add this value to the registry, you must log off and then log back on to make the change take effect.If you've never edited the registry, here's how to do it:
http://antivirus.about.com/cs/tutorials/ht/regmod.htm
And keep this in mind: When your computer does something, it does it for a reason. If you want to change what it does, search around. You can mess with just about everything. Worst case scenario, everything blows up and you get to start over after formatting your hard drive.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Colonialization and Christianization
I read a disturbing quote today and it was this:
"Through the language of art, Christian artists can have a part in reclaiming our culture for Christ."
I believe that there is a fundamental flaw in that statement, well more than one, but it is not only theologically inaccurate, it points to the crux of why the culture at large has abandoned Christianity. Culture is not something to be claimed.
A brief history lesson (for those of who that slept through American History, or only read the version of history where Indians meant Squanto, Pocahontas and Little Big Horn)
1) The first Europeans who came to America claimed the Americas for King (or Queen) and country.
2) They established their own ways of doing things, decided that all they needed was instant riches, and mostly died.
3) The indigenous peoples met them with hostility and anger and the only reason the colonists were able to establish a stronghold was because they brought with them diseases that the natives had never encountered.
4) The seeming technological advantages were worthless. A gun in the 1600s was about as accurate as a Tim Wakefield knuckle ball when the wind is swirling.
5) The colonists would have died without continuous support from Europe and stealing practices from the natives. I'm not talking only about North American history, the entire colonization of America had the same basic story.
Intense parallels can be drawn to the reclamation of culture by Christianity.
1) We claim culture for God and country (interchangeable in some circles) or claim the country for God.
2) We established our own ways of doing things, decided that all we needed was conversion and power, and mostly failed.
3) The culture meets us with hostility and anger and we have no strongholds, only isolation.
4) The seemingly intellectual arguments with which we attack culture are worthless and do not stand up to scrutiny by children, let alone adults. The arguments that we make that do merit some success are the ones that only a sociopath would argue against.
5) Christian artists would die without continuous support of Christians and stealing practices from established artists. I'm thinking of you, Plus One. Not that the Backstreet Boys should have ever been emulated, by anyone, in any culture.
In order to influence culture, we need to be missionaries into culture. We need to enter into it, engage it in a critical manner, and create our own counterculture. Not counterculture in the sense of something in direct opposition to the current frame of mind, but counterculture in the way we see the world. Culture as a communal manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
In order to do this, we, as Christians, need to show the world that Christian culture is better than the current culture. Not better in the sense that we are right and they are wrong, but better in the sense that their version of culture is incomplete. That it is possible to have your artistic cake, eat it, and never be hungry. I cannot wait for a world in which every song is fulfilling, every artistic endeavor is successful, and every blog post goes Double Myrrh.
"Through the language of art, Christian artists can have a part in reclaiming our culture for Christ."
I believe that there is a fundamental flaw in that statement, well more than one, but it is not only theologically inaccurate, it points to the crux of why the culture at large has abandoned Christianity. Culture is not something to be claimed.
A brief history lesson (for those of who that slept through American History, or only read the version of history where Indians meant Squanto, Pocahontas and Little Big Horn)
1) The first Europeans who came to America claimed the Americas for King (or Queen) and country.
2) They established their own ways of doing things, decided that all they needed was instant riches, and mostly died.
3) The indigenous peoples met them with hostility and anger and the only reason the colonists were able to establish a stronghold was because they brought with them diseases that the natives had never encountered.
4) The seeming technological advantages were worthless. A gun in the 1600s was about as accurate as a Tim Wakefield knuckle ball when the wind is swirling.
5) The colonists would have died without continuous support from Europe and stealing practices from the natives. I'm not talking only about North American history, the entire colonization of America had the same basic story.
Intense parallels can be drawn to the reclamation of culture by Christianity.
1) We claim culture for God and country (interchangeable in some circles) or claim the country for God.
2) We established our own ways of doing things, decided that all we needed was conversion and power, and mostly failed.
3) The culture meets us with hostility and anger and we have no strongholds, only isolation.
4) The seemingly intellectual arguments with which we attack culture are worthless and do not stand up to scrutiny by children, let alone adults. The arguments that we make that do merit some success are the ones that only a sociopath would argue against.
5) Christian artists would die without continuous support of Christians and stealing practices from established artists. I'm thinking of you, Plus One. Not that the Backstreet Boys should have ever been emulated, by anyone, in any culture.
In order to influence culture, we need to be missionaries into culture. We need to enter into it, engage it in a critical manner, and create our own counterculture. Not counterculture in the sense of something in direct opposition to the current frame of mind, but counterculture in the way we see the world. Culture as a communal manifestation of the Kingdom of God.
In order to do this, we, as Christians, need to show the world that Christian culture is better than the current culture. Not better in the sense that we are right and they are wrong, but better in the sense that their version of culture is incomplete. That it is possible to have your artistic cake, eat it, and never be hungry. I cannot wait for a world in which every song is fulfilling, every artistic endeavor is successful, and every blog post goes Double Myrrh.
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