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What If I Am Father?
Comedian W.C. Fields was reading the Bible one afternoon when a friend asked him what he was doing. The actor responded wryly, “Looking for loopholes.”
Somewhere within the intended humor of this statement probably lies a revealing glimpse of our often-ironic approach to God. That is, if God is real, there is something irrational about thinking in terms of an entity that can be manipulated; if there is such a thing as truth, there is something ridiculous about defining it to suit ourselves. But we do this regularly.
Author A.J. Jacobs always assumed that religion “would just wither away and we’d live in a neo-Enlightenment world.”(1) When this did not happen, he figured he should examine whether he was missing something essential to being a human or whether half the human population was simply deluded by the existence of God. So he decided to follow literally every command in the Bible for a year—including not trimming his beard and making tassels on the corners of his garments. In his book A Year of Living Biblically, he describes his experiment, which he admits held a bit of irreverence. In the end, nonetheless, he draws the conclusion, “I now believe that whether or not there’s a God, there is such a thing as sacredness.”(2)
Many, including Jacobs, point out the irony of his experiment—namely, deciding to follow the Bible literally is hardly the same thing as deciding to follow God. Yet the popular approach to theological inquiry is not much different and is often equally suited to our own interests, the difference perhaps being that we rarely point out our own incongruous thinking. Truth is comfortably understood in terms of preference, and God is readily comprehended as one who must prepare a defense for our own thunderous line of questioning, even as we question this God’s very existence. Somehow we have arrived at a state of mind where we can live in anger with God for existing, where we can each choose our own brand of reasoning and be frustrated with life for being unreasonable—and see none of the contradictions in our words. Or else we simply choose to overlook them—along with the desperate love of the one crouched at our feet.
The prophet Malachi screamed of crisis during a time when people were asleep to their own incongruous thoughts. Malachi’s message came at the end of a thousand year period of God’s revelation to the people of Israel. The next voice to be heard centuries later was that of John the Baptist preparing the way for the Messiah. Yet historically, the people of Malachi’s day were standing in a period of almost eerie stillness. There was no looming threat to be addressed, no extraordinary prospering to be consumed by, no real reason to be moved by much of anything. Whether for lack of excitement or for excess of ease, the hearts of the people had grown cold and weary. Their worship was tired. Their complaints had no end. It was Malachi who pointedly voiced the irrationality of their half-hearted approach to God, the sheer irony of finding the almighty God wearisome.
Through Malachi, we hear a series of distinctive questions and answers in a dialogical fashion, and we get an eye-opening glimpse of the often-cynical, often-illogical cries of humanity in light of the cries of a Father’s heart in response to his children.
The opening lines of the closing book read powerfully, “I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, ‘In what way have you loved us?’… A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?”(3) The inquiry is both direct and personal, referencing a great story of pursuit and belonging, embrace and subtle or not-so-subtle rejection. If I am Father, why am I the one being questioned? While you have grown cold and weary, I have loved you. Yet you ask, “In what way?”
In these words, in the midst of whatever inconsistency we may or may not see in ourselves, I believe a loving Father still beckons. This declaration of love, which could easily be spoken in anger, voiced as one taking back the words and years of care, is not spoken in terms of retreat. On the contrary, spoken in perfect tense, the phrase “I have loved you” signals past actions, but present implications. The immense history of God’s pursuit and care is indeed called to mind, but the sentiment remains unscathed, present and active. It is as if God is saying through a crippling lament that remembers every costly act on our behalf, and yet still hopes to assure: You don’t know what you’re saying or doing. I have loved you. I have loved you. I have loved you.
Similar words would be spoken even closer centuries later as God stood among humanity as one of us. “And when they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. But Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'”(4)
What if God is dissatisfied by empty worship, not out of greed or arrogance or self-preoccupation, but because God’s love is so far from empty itself? What if God is grieved by barren, distant images of abstract religion, not out of legalism or fastidiousness, but because God lives so much nearer than we know? What if God laments our self-consumed inquiries as to divine love and character simply because the statement is far truer than we have imagined: “‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord.”
How do we respond to this love? For one, there is really no need for loopholes. And if we will remember the immense demonstration of this love in history, there is also no reason to ask “in what way?”
Jill Carattini is managing editor at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.
Oil drilling in the Artic is against the constitution the sign says. A quiet protest in the city centre of Stavanger today.
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” ~ Charles R. Swindoll
CHRISTMAS 2011
Brooms (seen in Baguio City)
© 2011 Bong Manayon | FB: Bong Manayon Photography
Pentax K-5 + SMCP DA 55-300/4-5.8 ED
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This photo has made it to explore! Rank #195 on 2011-12-28.
Boerderijen, laantjes, weilanden, boomgaarden en een kerkje.
En dan dit gebouw, met deze opvallende gevel.
Boven de voordeur prijkt een paardekop — vermoedelijk een verwijzing naar de oorspronkelijke functie.
Het torent overal bovenuit. De torenspits van het kerkje is misschien net iets hoger, maar het gebouw trekt alle aandacht. Het kerkje valt er bijna bij in het niets.
Een architectonisch statement, midden in het stille dorp.
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Location: Ressen, the Netherlands
Farms, country lanes, meadows, orchards — and a little village church.
And then this building, with its striking façade.
Above the entrance, a sculpted horse’s head — likely a clue to its original function.
It rises above everything around it. The church spire might be slightly taller, but this house commands all the attention. The church almost disappears in comparison.
A bold architectural statement in the heart of a quiet village.
Captive bird at Muncaster Castle Hawk and Owl Centre.
A yellow-billed Kite.
Canon R with 70-200mm f/2.8L lens as I didnt have anything with longer reach with me.
Made a few mistakes - should have gone for shorter exposures (1/2000 as minimum) and probably should have switched off IS. Had a dreadfully slow memory card so buffered frequently which didnt help.
Probably should use a bit of exposure compensation as well!
But I'm getting there!
Until now, Ive mostly captured perched birds - I want to work at birds in flight. Hopefully, this is just the start!
1997 Renault Express 1.2 RN Combi.
The Renault Express replaced the well-known R4F6 Fourgonnette. It was based on the Renault Cinq Phase II.
The Express underwent two facelifts. This one is from the third version (2nd-facelift).
1239 cc.
868 kg.
Production Renault Express: July 1985-July 2000.
Production Express Mk3 this version: Spring 1994-July 2000.
Original Dutch reg. number: March 25, 1997 (not valid anymore, Dec. 2022).
Sold on and scrapped after Dec. 24, 2019.
Amsterdam-Noord, Aambeeldstraat, Oct. 19, 2018.
© 2018 Sander Toonen Amsterdam/Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
I drove out southwest of town and past a lot of repaired flood destruction on Oxford Road west of Niwot past their cemetery. I caught this well west from the cemetery and Haystack, a pointy hill that always leaves me wondering. In this shot, NOAA Table Mountain is in the background with government experiment stations atop. I don't suppose any of the experiments trickled over the hill and wiped out this farm. This does not look like it happened overnight. This is certainly NFL - not for long. It looks like someone set up a slab of cottonwood trunk for axe throwing practice.
Although still in September and suffering August heat, I'd say summer grasses were done but the cottonwoods and shrubs are still green. It often seems agricultural has been sucked from this area. Fortunately, we can buy food from the Sam n' Ella's farm in Mexico. The area is learning how valuable water in the west really is but have yet to learn the true value of watered land and soil that doesn't need paving.
Strangely, we had a summer that was closer to normal, if high in humidity, but I don't think ignoring climate change or pumping petroleum will make rougher weather go away. This was a summer that was hotter than any on record. This August was hotter then any on record. This September was the hottest on record, all set world wide. perhaps you see a trend. That is at least until the looming petroleum wars are settled and the Koch Brothers and their political tea purchases are put away in their place. Until then CO2 levels in the atmosphere which are at an 850 million year high, will not be turned around. Actually, anti-fracking proposals passed in Colorado.
Drinking is our way of life.
Another old shot from 2008.
I wonder what she'll say today, - 12 years later.
2:50pm from Moat lane . image shot unusually for john on Agfachrome which has not colour deteriorated.
The caption on these images are purely what John Wiltshire wrote on the 35mm slide mounts plus my own research into the locations. I therefore welcome any additional comments providing interesting information about the locomotives or the history of the location, line closure dates etc. Also please make caption links to other FLICKR images of the same location so we can all see how the locations have changed over time.
Due to recent unauthorised publication of my John Wiltshire images in a magazine. newspaper and two published books without payment I have to now make this statement.
This image is the copyright of © Peter Brabham; Any users, found to replicate, reproduce, circulate, distribute, download, manipulate or otherwise use my images without my written consent will be in breach of copyright laws. I will retrospectively claim £50 per print image if prior written authorisation for publication has not been sought. Please contact me at pete.brabham@ntlworld.com for permission to use any of my John Wiltshire photographs in hard copy publication. I will usually give permission free of charge to Heritage Railways and steam loco restoration project advertising, but profit making magazines and book authors must pay a reproduction fee. Authors should know the provenance of high quality digital images that they use.
A tiny Earth Day beauty along the riverfront at Blakeley, yesterday...
It didn't seem so much like Earth Day this year, with the local observances and celebrations cancelled for the first time in 50 years...so it had to be individually observed!
I really liked this statement of the obvious warning sign positioned a couple of yards back from a 1,000m drop straight down. Thought it was a little more fun posted this way round, with the "arrow" pointing down. I'd appreciate everyone's comment on the matter, as ever!
This is taken from the ski centre at the end of the Lake Bohinj valley in Slovenia's awesome Triglav National Park. There's a GND on the sky. Sadly, the angle of the sun has created a sharp white line along the lefthand side of the sign - this is in camera, not PP. It gives the appearance that the sign is PS'ed in, which is a nuisance! Lots of other pics for sceptics if they want to message me.
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It seems that some of the geese have adopted the Duckie Bowtie fashion!
Better on black & larger : )
It really is a leaf! lol!
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classic Chinese Garden in Chinatown. The garden opened 26 April 1986. Rated #1 Classic garden by National Geographic for 2011.
01 Feb 2014 - Vancouver Courier article:
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and adjoining park are one step closer to being listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places thanks to a statement of significance from the park board.
Jeannette Hlavach, a board member of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Society, said the city must first add the attraction to the Vancouver Heritage Register. Support from the park board means a lot towards achieving that goal.
“Chinatown was added to the Canadian Register of Historic Places in 2011,” said Hlavach, a former heritage planner for the City of Vancouver. “That was very important.”
Hlavach was involved with that effort, as well as the Millennium Gate and Keefer Memorial Square projects.
The garden was created in time for Expo ‘86 to celebrate Vancouver being the twin city to Suzhou, China, and for 15 years Sun Yat-Sen was the only one like it in the world outside of China. The garden is named after Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a nationalist leader considered by many to be the “father of modern China.”
According to the garden’s history, he stayed in Vancouver for three extended visits while travelling the world raising money and support for the Chinese nationalist movement. The large number of Chinese nationalists who lived in Vancouver helped finance the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911. Sun Yat-Sen became the first president of the Republic of China.
Funding for the garden came from the provincial, Canadian and Chinese governments, as well as Vancouver’s Chinese community. Later, when more money was needed, organizers turned to the city’s affluent West Siders and businesses.
Architects Joe Wai and Donald Vaughan designed the outer park, while architect Wang Zu-Xin conceived the inner garden with help from the Landscape Architecture Company of Suzhou.
In total, 52 master craftsmen travelled to Vancouver from China to create the attraction modelled after a scholar’s garden from the Ming Dynasty, which dates back to the 15th century.
The men brought with them 950 crates of materials and constructed the garden using traditional methods, which excluded the use of glue, screws or power tools.
In 2011, National Geographic listed the attraction as one of the top 10 city gardens in the world, and in 2012 it was named Canadian Garden of the Year by the Canadian Garden Tourism Council.
Hlavach said the fact the garden is somewhat hidden makes those awards more special. She added Ming Dynasty-style gardens are extremely complex and typically aren’t as manicured or picturesque as gardens found in Japan, France or England.
“They can look a little higgledy-piggledy, but then you realize there’s a symmetry to them,” said Hlavach. “There are small details worked in and the idea of yin and yang plays heavily so every time you see something round, somewhere nearby will be something angular.”
Hlavach said that same principle applies when smooth items are combined with rough and dark with light.
“It’s the universe in harmony,” said Hlavach.
Hlavach explained because the garden will be “listed” a heritage site rather than “designated,” means it will be business as usual when it comes to the day-to-day operations of the attraction.
Once the city lists the garden on the Heritage Register, the next step is for the provincial government to recommend it for the Canadian Register of Historic Places.
“There’s a long road ahead of us, but being added to that list will raise our profile,” said Hlavach. “We want the garden to become an attraction for tourists and some people do plan their itineraries around national historic sites.”
- See more at: www.vancourier.com/chinatown-dr-sun-yat-sen-garden-findin...
In this photo Margaret C was on a mission. We all need to be on a mission from time to time. With her athleticism she mounted on the 5 ft high cement obstacle with the US Capitol behind her, she turned to look at it, looked back at me and seemed exhilarated. I proposed a rare posed shot, envisioning her representing strength, determination, and the ability to surmount any obstacle. Well, she took if from there and struck the pose and I took the shot. You can surmount your obstacles whatever they may be. Sometimes you have to make a statement! Washington DC, 1 October 2017.
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The absolute latest in portabile WCs here in Tuscany...seen at Lucca's annual Comics exhibition
EXPLORE #427 of 13 November 2008
After a long debate, all sides considered, here is Woody the cat's official statement on what the EU debate all boils down to for him...
This is an installation shot of the exhibition I have been posting about "Deposition : Drawn".
Here is the text of (long) statement I wrote for the exhibition:
"Deposition : Drawn" **
(An introduction by exhibition curator Tim Lowly)
Dear viewer,
Please note that the works in this exhibition are most likely not (about) what they initially appear to be. To better understand this exhibition please read the following.
As the curator and director of this gallery for over twenty-five years this exhibition is a rarity in that it brings together my role as gallery curator and my work as an artist. In relation to the latter, I am referring specifically to the most frequent subject of my own art: my now 37-year-old daughter Temma. Temma is and has been profoundly disabled since shortly after birth when she stopped breathing, had a cardiac arrest and–once revived–was having constant seizures: all of which ultimately resulted in substantial brain damage. Temma does not seem to be able to learn / remember. As such she exists attentively in a state of utter and profound innocence.
Temma is a member of a sector of society that is rarely seen and even more infrequently represented (pictorially or otherwise). Ethically it is a fraught thing to photograph someone who is unable to consent to being pictured. As such, individuals like Temma are largely invisible to (and unknown by) broader society. I find Temma to be a profoundly meaningful human and as her father I believe she is certainly worthy and deserving of representation. Much of my work as an artist has been Temma-centric. But this exhibition marks a new initiative titled “Deposition” in which Temma is conceptually at the center of the project but does not appear directly.
With this the first iteration of the Deposition project twenty-four artists have generously participated with their understanding that the exhibition would be symbolically, indirectly–yet centrally–related to Temma. I gave each of the participating artists a unique prompt which was informed by their own art practice and in some way–metaphorically, symbolically, poetically–by Temma. To be clear: every one of the images here was in some respect developed as a poetic / symbolic meditation on Temma Lowly (and–by extension–others like her).
For instance, following are examples of the prompts that led to four of the images made for the exhibition:
- Leyli Rashidi Rauf’s prompt was a drawing of a girl’s “pony-tail” of hair – perhaps being cut. The title of Leyli’s drawing “To break with the past” references the cutting of a woman’s hair as a gesture of protest in the current uprising for democracy in Iran. For Temma’s family the drawing also brings to mind the practice we have of cutting Temma’s hair every three years to donate it for wigs for people with medical hair loss.
- Emma Hadzi Antich’s prompt was a drawing of a baby mountain. One of Temma’s nicknames is “Baby Mountain”. This comes from my amusement when (as I was growing up in South Korea) American military would refer to their Korean girlfriends as “baby san”– with an unintended double meaning being that “san” can mean “mountain”. According to the artist her drawing of a mountain range–employing a stylization reminiscent of Orthodox iconography–protectively shelters the “baby mountain”. Emma’s meaning of the image certainly mirrors the way Temma’s care has been a matter of community.
- Greta Bisandola’s prompt was a drawing of utter innocence in a mysterious space. This Italian artist brought to her drawing a disconcerting juxtaposition of the head of a seemingly distressed infant on the torso of a woman’s body (the latter seemingly referencing the Italian Renaissance tradition sculptures of idealized nude figures). For Temma, who is 37 years old the existence in the body of an adult woman seems to be a truly mysterious thing.
- Alex Maczkowski’s prompt a drawing of a tree falling in the forest–perhaps with a bird taking off–whilst wondering if anybody hears taps the singer Bruce Cockburn’s twist on the famous philosophical question: “"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?". But Maczkowski’s prompt shifts the metaphor from Cockburn’s critique of deforestation of the Amazon (“If a tree falls in the forest does anybody hear?”) to wondering who hears–pays attention to–the profoundly disabled–i.e.the “fallen”.
** Deposition is a curious word that I am using here metaphorically with a nod to these two meanings:
1) Art historically: an image of Jesus being lowered from the cross by a group of people.
2) Legal term: out-of-court testimony made under oath and recorded by an authorized officer for later use in court.