Spirituality's mystery

Evadeth realms ethereal

Within a heart eternal

Lieth purest volatility

Resideth she in memory

Diaphanous, undefined

Flora, fauna tribute be

To power unparalleled

Sublime experience

Doth her bosom swathe

Wisdom, enlightenment

Of angles resemblant the

Bounty in which men bathe

Born Again

John 3: 3 tells us that "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." The meaning of what it means to be "born again" still remains unclear for Christians today. Early Christian martyrs who were in the face of persecution tended to conceive the resurrection as pertaining to the body, for this point of view proved meaningful for their circumstances. But does salvation actually comprise of new embodiment or does it constitute a kind of postmortem bliss, free from the constraints and limitations of the physical body? Ancient Jewish and Christian ideas concerning personal resurrection were surrounded by debate over the precise nature of the post-resurrection body. Some anticipated another flesh-and-bone body immune to physical decay and death while others presumed that God's followers would adopt bodies like those of angels. During the Roman period, many others viewed the human body as a prison from which the soul would finally be liberated at death and therefore looked upon bodily resurrection as a repugnant proposal. In Jesus' time, however, resurrection was not universally affirmed as some devout Jews, particularly the Sadducees, scoffed at the idea and considered it to be ludicrous. In Mark 12: 18-27, the Sadducees taunt Jesus with the question of whose wife a woman who has married seven times will be after the Resurrection. Jesus strongly affirms resurrection and portrays the Sadducees' question as a reflection of their ignorance of God's power. Regardless of the differences, and sometimes contradictions, among Christians' views of resurrection, Jesus was seen as the paradigm in all cases, and believers hoped for a similar fortunate fate to befall them.

The Meaning of Easter

Are Christians to carry out their faith solely through the convictions of their hearts, or is bodily implementation of that same creed necessary in addition to avoid the accusation, from either man or God, of apostasy or hypocrisy? Early Christians who believed in bodily resurrection identified with the latter view and deemed it crucial to live out their faith through their outward actions while retaining their inner beliefs. 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 appears to support this notion, for the passage states, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." Elaine Pagels, a scholar of early Christianity, has argued that Christians who viewed the body as insignificant, perhaps the Gnostics, were more willing to make gestures of acquiescence to the Roman Empire as a result of their belief that only pure intentions of heart mattered to God. An argument may be made against this perspective if one considers the message of James 2: 26, which asserts, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." This reference suggests the importance of practicing what one preaches. In addition, in the book of Revelation, the church in Laodicea is severely chastised for observing a watered-down, "inoffensive" form of Christianity, in which worldly and spiritual matters have become almost irrevocably amalgamated into a "lukewarm" dichotomy. In this letter, God strongly urges church members to abandon their tendency to straddle the fence and take a stand with regards to the revealing decision of whether they truly love Him.

A Sunday Morning

Calm, serene, peaceful, tranquil, uneventful, desolate, deserted, empty, quiet, still, static, stagnant. Pathos pervades the atmosphere, the clock strikes noon, yet this bucolic side of town is not without vitality. A gentle breeze from the north carries the flowers from the Bradford pears like snowflakes to the deep green grass, occulted from the naked eye. Tulips line the edge of the center, circular garden bed, bright red and brilliant yellow. Leafcutter ants dot the sidewalk, inconspicuous in the breadth of the vast landscape. The streets are silent, taciturn, the homes uninhabited, abandoned, dead. The chipped paint and the straining planks a tribute to toil, the wandering words drifting through my mind one to tautology. Poignant, nostalgic, reminiscent memories float through time, space appears surreal, dimension retains no form or shape and begins to resemble a tesseract, tangible characteristics steadily disappear. Gravity capitulates, and for a few moments, the universe, still intact, lies prostrate, motionless, frozen. Introspection breeds doubt, questions, qualms, the use of singular indefinite nouns that have lost their amateur status to deduce broad, all-encompassing but often misleading, generalizations. Dreaming of another place, another time, counterfactual thinking overwhelming, curiosity overflowing, pressure suffocating. The eras begin to blur, all phenomenology and ontology a whirling, convoluted spiral, evocative of the Mandelbrot set, till time readopts its fleeting nature, the porch boards gradually reemerge, and the gentle back-and-forth motion of a rocking chair can once more be discerned.

Confidence

Confidence. She saunters through the halls at an andante pace like a gentle wind, soft but purposeful. She glides through the atmosphere with drops of Jupiter in her hair. Resolute and beautiful, determined and graceful, prepared and powerful. Unflappable in the face of adversity and precarious uncertainty, firm and secure in her faith. She knows where she stands, says, "I know exactly who I am." Though blessed with strong sense of self, pretentiousness evades her and humility, her longtime friend, accompanies her everywhere. Loving, compassionate, altruistic, a heart possessed by only a few, she gives generously, without discernment, discrimination, distinguishment of any kind. Made pure is her heart, soul, mind, body by the blood of another to whom she is eternally grateful and devotes all her strength. For this One does she live; for Him does she give. Freely and openly, liberally and wholly, absolutely and completely. Holiness flows from her bosom, envelopes her essence, her presence penetrating, overwhelming, pious. Lovely, surpasses a lady, more than wonderful because of He who is unfathomable, indescribable, uncontainable, untamable, all-powerful, incomparable, unchangeable, perfect. She strives to bring her Father glory and marvels at His magnificence. She prays His name not fall into desuetude for the fault of our churlish attitudes, lacking in servitude and gratitude. Lost feels she when unable to see His plans for all that is to come, occur, happen, take place, unfold before our very eyes. Reliance, trust, hope she places not in transient, fickle, capricious wants and desires, passion and fire, fen or mire, but in treasures stored in heaven, her heart, paradise, uncontingent on her part, Faithful and True, to obtain nothing can one do but believe in the Word, listen to the Voice of Truth, and serve.

Reflections on The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

·On page 70, Wormwood is told by Screwtape that his patient’s humility and self-hatred/self-denial “may even do us good if they keep the man concerned with himself, and, above all, if self-contempt can be made the starting-point for contempt of other selves, and thus for gloom, cynicism, and cruelty.” What does Screwtape mean and how is this the case?

On page 70, when Screwtape discusses the humility of Wormwood's patient, he is basically trying to get the patient to equate humility with low self-esteem and self-hatred. Screwtape advises Wormwood to distort his patient's view of humility to mean self-disparagement rather than considering others better than ourselves and looking not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others as Philippians 2 describes. If Wormwood’s patient adopts this ideal of humility, his cynical attitude will inevitably cause depression and trap him in a state of perpetual disconsolation. After identifying his own faults as a false fulfillment of humility, his patient will turn to the mistakes of others and judge other people harshly as well. As a result of focusing on negativity and all the wrongs of this world and innumerable faults of folks around him, he will fall into a deep hole of darkness and despair, which will gradually take on an aura of normality for him, dragging him deeper and deeper into the pits of Satan and farther away from God. Screwtape also wants the patient to see humility as belittlement of one’s achievements, which will “introduce an element of dishonesty and make-believe into the heart of what otherwise threatens to become a virtue.” If Wormwood’s patient does indeed start to believe that humility is simply a matter of self-disillusionment, he will not accept the virtue for what is actually is because of the false appearance of self-deceit he has assigned it. This mindset will draw the patient away from the Enemy because God’s virtues will no longer hold the quality of being pure, earnest, true qualities due to his misconstrued impressions.

· In what ways have you experienced in your own life the uneasiness and distraction which is described in this chapter?

I can relate to the discussion of distraction and uneasiness in chapter 12. Screwtape wants the patient to transform his uneasiness into distancing himself from God instead of seeking true repentance. Eventually, this desire to avoid God for fear of confrontation will lead to unproductivity, giving life a demeanor of nothingness and transforming purpose into meaninglessness like the book of Ecclesiastes. Over time, this feeling of lethargy will become harder to shake off the longer the nourishment of this feeling is prolonged. Oftentimes, when we’re really stressed or under a lot of pressure or just incredibly ill, this feeling of stagnancy can start to evolve into a disconcerting reality. I’m kind of experiencing this uneasiness right now because I’ve been sick for a few weeks and missed school today to go to the doctor, and sometimes the whole situation seems hopeless because I’m afraid of getting behind in school and wondering when I’ll get better and this illness will pass. I’m also concerned about my relationships with other people because I was supposed to make up a test after school today and since I was not able to, I’m fearful of the repercussions from my teachers. I think everything I’m dealing with is pretty minor but it seems to loom larger when you’re sick and weak. I don’t really like to dwell on personal struggles though because the world is a million times bigger than me, and I don’t want contemplation to ever turn into self-pity, which I absolutely despise. I think my problem is similar to Wormwood’s patient in that I need to learn to put my faith in God completely and trust him with all my heart as Peter did when he said, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom,” as recounted in 2 Timothy 4:18. I need to have that same faith in God that he will help me through difficulties. Peter did not say that God “might” save him; he said God “will” save him, and that to me exemplifies ultimate trust in God’s word, which can serve as our defense against notions of nihility.

• Why is a persistent focus on the FUTURE part of the Enemy's (Satan's) overall plan for our undoing? To what degree do you believe the culture of the United States to be focused or fixated on the FUTURE?

A persistent focus on the future is part of Satan’s overall plan for our undoing because constant focus on the future instills in us a fear of either hope or anxiety and can even fill us with dread if our expectations do not come to full fruition. Satan is pleased if one is calm and tranquil regarding prospects of the future due to a false sense of security, complacency, or too high a regard for his own abilities. Several sources of wisdom have warned us against this kind of nonchalant disposition. Phillips Brooks once said, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men!” When one, as described in the novel, prays for virtues wherewith to meet the difficulties and struggles in store for him and focuses on the present where all consciousness dwells, he is out of Satan’s grasp. We must also be wary to not adopt a sense of complacency about the future because of trust in our own abilities. Proverbs 3:5 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Leaning on our own understanding and justifying contentment about the future with this reasoning is dangerous, because as humans, we are fallible and can easily be lead astray if we do not look to the right sources for inspiration, which only God can provide indefinitely and unlimitedly. I think the culture of the United States is often too fixated on the future. We are consistently thinking about future plans, future goals and ambitions, future dreams, which is fine in moderation but we often muse over the future in excess. Oftentimes, we mull over the colleges we plan to attend, the work we have scheduled, or even the plans we have for next summer to a degree where our aspirations almost become imperious in their control over us. At the point where we are consumed by thoughts of the future, our thoughts take on the form of a stronghold and can actually separate us from God. Sometimes, we need to take things one step at a time and remember the prayer asking God to give us our daily bread.

• On page 81, Screwtape tells Wormwood, "Surely you know that if a man can't be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighbourhood looking for the church that 'suits' him." Why would Satan and his ambassadors want us to do this?

In Chapter 16, Screwtape advises Wormwood to instill in his patient a desire to go church hopping.  Satan and his ambassadors would likely want us to do this because this kind of desire arises from a mindset that implies self-superiority and nurtures the idea of a position of judgment rather than the role of a student and pupil who engages in worship with his fellow Christians. This reasoning reminds me of a chapel we once had where the speakers were stressing our collective role of worshipping God and fulfilling his service together. They reminded us that the people who speak and perform in chapel are not to be judged by us on their performance; that role is reserved for God alone, but rather we are ALL performing for God through listening attentively and receiving his word with open hearts. Satan desires to reverse this role and wants us to adopt an attitude of a critic rather than a pupil. Screwtape describes how God is the exact opposite and “wants of the layman in church an attitude which may be critical in the sense of rejecting what is false or unhelpful, but which is wholly uncritical in the sense that it does not appraise-does not waste time in thinking about what it rejects but lays itself open in uncommenting, humble receptivity to any nourishment that is going.” Satan would discourage adopting his kind of humble servitude, because in this condition, we are able to allow God’s Holy Spirit to engulf us and fill our lives, and Satan does not want us to be fulfilled. By allowing his patient to go church seeking, Wormwood’s patient would take on the false, misleading role of a teacher or rabbi and become blind to his true, actual role as God’s son.

• In essence, Screwtape tells Wormwood that the whole principle by which Hell functions and operates is COMPETITION: "My good is my good and your good is yours. What one gains another loses." Do you think there is truth in this? Why or why not? Is it possible for life to operate by the "win/win" principle in which everyone wins and no one loses? How have you seen competition to be healthy? Unhealthy?

• In his concluding remarks to Wormword in this letter, Screwtape says: “They [humans] regard the intention of loyalty to a partnership for mutual help, for the preservation of chastity, and for the transmission of life, as something lower than a storm of emotion.” In your own words, describe what Screwtape is saying here.

Ø  I don’t think Screwtape’s comment about the good of individuals being non-mutual is valid. The statement “my good is my good and your good is yours” completely contradicts the concept of community, which we rely upon and draw strength from, and for this reason cannot be true. This view is the polar opposite of that expressed in Countee Cullen’s poem “Any Human to Another” which states “your grief and mine must intertwine, like sea and river, be fused and mingle, diverse yet single, forever and forever.” Cullen presents her idea of community through the meaning of empathy, which is nonexistent in Satan’s world. Screwtape in his letter states that God aims to show how “things are to be many, yet somehow also one.” I think it is very possible, even essential, for life to operate by the “win/win” principle. Often collaboration and cooperation rather than competition offer the best solutions to everyday problems. By reaching a consensus, all people will benefit leading to further progress rather than the gain of some at the expense of others. Competition does have its arena, however, and can be healthy if serving as a source of motivation to be the best we can be. Competition has proved to be a good thing when it drives people to strive to produce the best results possible, but can be harmful when one fails to see the bigger picture and places the individual interests above those of the community. Competition becomes unhealthy when one decides to extract all possible benefits from a community without remembering to give back to it.

Ø  When Screwtape says that humans “regard the intention of loyalty to a partnership for mutual help, for the preservation of chastity, and for the transmission of life, as something lower than a storm of emotion,” he is referring to people’s tendency to place emotionalism on a higher shelf than commitment. Screwtape means that often we tend to yield to the unpredictable, randomly chaotic, inconsistent emotions that we experience as a result of change in circumstance rather than embracing a consistent attitude of temperance and patience. Because long-term commitment and loyalty sharply contrast with this often accepted indulgence in emotions rather than paradigms, Screwtape suggests that our view of marriage and fidelity is flawed in a way that benefits his corrupt intentions.

Reflections on The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

1.         Steinbeck composes his novel, The Grapes of Wrath, by utilizing juxtaposition, alternating long, narrative chapters focusing on the Joad family’s journey with short, expressive chapters pertaining to the migrants as a whole.  Steinbeck allows the reader to look through different lenses and experience the story through multiple perspectives by using this shifting telescoping technique.  Steinbeck stirs up emotion within the reader during poetic chapters and helps the reader to relate to and empathize with a family struggling for a better life in the expository episodes.  Steinbeck masterfully weaves an intricate web that stands out “magically in this light, in the overdrawn perspective of a stereopticon” (99).  For example, in Chapter 17, to describe the convergence of all the migrating families into a single huddled mass, Steinbeck writes, “because they were lonely and perplexed…and because they were all going to a new mysterious place….a strange thing happened: the twenty families become one family, the children were the children of all.  The loss of home became one loss” (193).  Chapter 18 reverts back to the Joad family’s exodus, as tragedy strikes with the death of a loved one.  Steinbeck implicitly conveys the sense of a dearly departed soul in the line, “after a time Granma was still, and Ma lay rigid beside her” (225).  Chapter 17 instills a sense of unity within the reader, and therefore the loss of family creates a more dramatic effect upon the reader’s emotions.  The chapters pertaining to the migrants also foreshadow obstacles that the Joads encounter.  For example, Chapter 19 foretells the unfortunate events, such as the destruction of camps, which reappear in Chapter 20.  The deputies rage, “Department of Health orders.  This camp is a menace to health…We got orders to get you out of here.  In half an hour we set fire to the camp” (237).  In Chapter 20, a deputy tries to persuade Tom and other migrants to move, threatening, “Might be a good idear to go.  Board of Health says we got to clean out this camp” (264).

2.         Chapter 3 represents the journey of the Joads and the other migrants portrayed through aspects of nature.  The tenant men share similar characteristics with the seeds since their initial inert reaction to the bank’s cruelty mirrored the state of the seeds.  Steinbeck describes the seeds as “sleeping life waiting to be spread and dispersed…all passive but armed with appliances of activity, still, but each possessed of the anlage of movement” (14).  After a tractor crushes a house like a bug, Steinbeck expresses how “the tenant man stared after it, his rifle in his hand.  His wife was beside him, and the quiet children behind.  And all of them stared after the tractor” (39).  Several parallels exist between the turtle’s trek and the Joads’ plight.  First of all, a malicious truck driver intentionally strikes the edge of the turtle’s shell with his front wheel, rolling the turtle off the highway.  Similarly, different adversities impede the Joads’ progress along their way.  The Joads often face bigotry, for the deputies treat the migrants harshly with no hint of sympathy in their demeanor.  Casy recalls how cops tore people apart, remembering, “We tried to camp together, an’ they druv us like pigs.  Scattered us.  Beat fellas” (383).  Secondly, the truck displaces the turtle in the same way that the tractors drive tenant men from their homes.  Steinbeck describes how “suddenly the machines pushed them out and they swarmed on the highways” (282).  Lastly, the turtle also overcomes obstacles amidst his defeats.  Steinbeck writes about how the animal relieves himself of irritation caused by an ant: “A red ant ran into the shell…and suddenly head and legs snapped in, and the armored tail clamped in sideways.  The red ant was crushed between body and legs” (15).  Likewise, Floyd Knowles and Tom Joad stand up to the forces of oppression when a deputy attempts to arrest Floyd on the indictment of a charge with no actual evidence.  Steinbeck details the attack: “Floyd spun and swung with one movement.  His fist splashed into the large face…The deputy staggered and Tom put out his foot for him to trip over.  The deputy fell heavily and rolled” (264).

3.         The title of the novel reflects the intense emotion of the migrants who cannot retain contentment after bearing such an immense amount of contempt.  Steinbeck writes, “There is a crime here that goes beyond denunciation….In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage” (349).  These words convey the anger of the migrant people, resulting from the loss of everything they shed blood, sweat, and tears to gain.  The emotion that words cannot express, beyond angst, overwhelms the people.  For example, Steinbeck writes about how a man maintains and cares for a piece of land only for a sheriff to drive him off his prized possession: “Secret gardening in the evenings, and water carried in a rusty can.  And then one day a deputy sheriff: Well, what you think you’re doin’?…The land ain’t plowed, an’ I ain’t hurtin’ it none…Think you owned it.  Get off now” (235).  Wrath plays an important role in the novel because it serves as a source of motivation, determination, and strength.  Steinbeck writes about how one may fight for what he has grown with his own two hands: “A crop raised-why, that makes ownership.  Land hoed and the carrots eaten-a man might fight for land he’s taken food from” (235).

4.         After Casy’s death, Tom reminisces about the epiphanies the former preacher used to share.  Tom recalls, “Says one time he went out in the wilderness to find his own soul, an’ he foun’ he didn’ have no soul that was his’n.  Says he foun’ he jus’ got a little piece of a great big soul….his little piece of a soul wasn’t no good ’less it was with the rest, an’ was whole” (418).  Tom remembers a Scripture Casy quoted from Ecclesiastes 4: 10-12, which reads, “Two are better than one…For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up.  Again, if two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone?”  Casy’s comment suggests a need for people to be together in order to help each other, and the Old Testament passage complements Casy’s message by revealing the results of cooperation.  Steinbeck illustrates this theme throughout the novel in the togetherness of the Joads, the merging of the migrants’ families, and personal sacrifice.  Ma emphasizes the importance of staying together as a family when Tom suggests that he leave for fear of endangering the family after committing murder.  She pleads, “…goin’ away ain’t gonna ease us.  It’s gonna bear us down…Got nothin’ to trus’.  Don’ go, Tom.  Stay an’ help” (392-3).  Chapter 17 describes the accord between several families who support and live with each other in harmony through both joyous and despondent moments.  Steinbeck narrates, “It might be that a sick child threw despair into the hearts of twenty families, of a hundred people; that a birth there in a tent kept a hundred people quiet and awestruck through the night and filled a hundred people with the birth-joy in the morning” (193).  Casy’s words also encourage a man’s actions to benefit the good of the people instead of a single individual.  Tom decides to follow in Casy’s footsteps and direct his efforts towards the good of the family to fulfill his duty, which means leaving his loved ones.  He explains that he will always be with the people, in times of triumph and victory as well as times of sorrow and defeat.  Tom conveys, “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.  Wherever they’s a cop beatin’ up a guy, I’ll be there.  If Casy knowed, why, I’ll be in the way guys yell when they’re mad an’—I’ll be in the way kids laugh when they’re hungry an’ they know supper’s ready.  An’ when our folks eat the stuff they raise an’ live in the houses they build—why, I’ll be there” (419).

5.         Chapter 19 discusses the consequences of too much land in too few hands.  The deputies express fear after contemplating the results that would follow if the Okies revolted.  They urge, “Got to keep ’em in line or Christ only knows what they’ll do!…If they ever get together there ain’t nothin’ that’ll stop ’em” (236).  The basis of this prejudice originates from xenophobia, resulting in repression, devastation, and eventually wrath for the Okies.  For instance, an official by the name of George clubs Casy on the head after the preacher asserts his opinion.  Steinbeck depicts this image in the following lines: “The heavy club crashed into the side of his head with a dull crunch of bone, and Casy fell sideways out of the light” (386).  Tom’s wrath at this injustice becomes apparent by his actions.  Steinbeck communicates, “He wrenched the club free.  The first time he knew he had missed and struck a shoulder, but the second time his crushing blow found the head, and as the heavy man sank down, three more blows found his head” (386).  This harsh reality of inequality resurfaces in Chapter 28 as Tom communicates, “I been thinkin’ about our people livin’ like pigs, an’ the good rich lan’ layin’ fallow, or maybe one fella with a million acres, while a hunderd [sic] thousan’ good farmers is starvin’” (419).