Exeter Adventures

The After Christmas

2012-01-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

I wrote this about two weeks ago, but never got around to posting it...

***

It is funny, starting up again after the Christmas break...
The closest analogy I can think of to my experience of last semester is getting pegged in the head when fencing.
For those of you who do not know, I did rapier fencing for several years, and because of the heavy construction of a rapier blade, much of the force of a blow gets transmitted down to the end of the blade, rather than simply bending the blade sideways as it would with an Olympic epee or foil.
Getting hit is never much fun, and always hurts, but getting hit hard in the head is absolutely the worst. Your head snaps back, there is a burst of pain, and you end up completely disoriented. You stand there, dazed and confused trying to remember what in the world just happened. You don't know where you are, who you are, or what just happened. And within an instant you have to push all that aside, and throw yourself back into the fight to protect yourself, while most of you is still not quite sure just what is going on.
And, of course, because I'm way shorter than most of my opponents, my head was a fairly easy target, so I spent more than my fair share of time dazed and confused after being cracked in the head before I learned to keep my guard up really high!
I feel like I spent most of last semester getting smacked hard in the head by various things, and I think I went through a lot of it dazed and confused. And right now I'm warily eying this next term (my opponent?) keeping my guard high and really hoping I don't keep getting smacked in the head all this term too!
I guess it might be lucky that I tend to find the challenge of figuring out how to engage in the fight well somewhat energizing? I know I have better strategies, and now that I have the beginnings of a community here for support as well, I think over all, things will be much better. Well, the fight is about to begin, so: Bring. It. On.

Christmas in London

2011-12-20T04:29:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm in London now, settled into Muswell Hill for the Christmas season. What a term it has been!
I'm staying with friends Jim and Amber here, along with their adorable two year old son Caleb. This morning we were talking about creation, and said "In the beginning, God created...?" to which Caleb replied "Boogers!"
I think there has to be some way to work this into my dissertation.

We also walked around Highgate woods and learned the difference between holly, ivy and oak leaves. "Ivy climbs trees like...?" "Monkeys!"

Also, I have been having to review my dinosaur names because of a new bucket of toys: dimetrodon and parasaurolophus don't roll off the tongue like they used to!

Merry Christmas all!

Things I heard in Exeter

2011-12-01T13:50:00.001-08:00

Things I heard walking home from the University:
-the squeal of brakes and click clack of wheels as a train pulled into St. David's station
-the call of swans as they glide along the river
-church bells in the distance ringing out vespers
-fiddle music emerging from a window and the clomping of feet doing Scottish dancing
-a whistle from the conductor as another train takes off

OK, so what I heard in Exeter is not a real update. The basic story is that I am doing really well, and settling in, and looking forward to Christmas in London.

Many thanks to all who have sent letters, cards, packages, e-mails and prayers. You have sustained me more than you know, and I am so thankful!

Remember, Remember....

2011-11-05T16:54:00.001-07:00

To update one's blog! Sorry, I've been absent of late!

Tonight was bonfire night, which normally means fireworks. But in the village of Ottery St. Mary's it means lighting barrels full of tar on fire, hoisting them up onto one's back, and then running around the village through tightly packed crowds. It is hard to believe that much awesome can happen in one place!

Plus, they had the largest bonfire I have ever seen. I don't have a clue how any building in that village is insured against fire. See pictures here.

In other news, settling in is going well. I am really enjoying it in many ways, though I am so far from home.
Yesterday I was at Tesco's buying groceries. I always try to be kind to cashiers and waitresses, and engage them in a little conversation. This particular woman had apparently been waiting all day for someone to ask how she was doing, and she launched into a long and enthusiastic narrative. Unfortunately, I couldn't understand a thing she was saying!! She was going so fast, and using so much slang, and had such a strong accent! So there I was, looking (I'm sure) very earnest, and trying to smile warmly and nod appropriately and sympathetically while the terror of having no idea what I was agreeing to grew behind my eyes. That was the second time that day that I had no idea what the person I was talking to was saying. The other time, it was important that I understood, and I had to ask three times before I caught the meaning!
I mentioned this ongoing issue to someone, and their response was "Yes, it seems so funny and old-fashioned to us the way you speak so slowly." Thanks, guy. That really helps the confidence.

Work is going well, things are picking up, and I'm starting to get to know my way around town. Next weekend I will be in London. Looking forward to it!

Pictures Up

2011-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who wanted pictures, the photos from my walk about the neighbourhood today have been uploaded here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150800540920022.734000.530385021&l=28b17899cc&type=1

Thought for the day: If I don't understand the terminology you are using because we use a different name in Canada, saying it slower and louder will not actually help. Please think of a synonym and try again.

Non-bitter thought for the day: I love public foot paths.

First day of exploration

2011-09-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

I went to the University today and discovered that while many things are new, bureaucracies everywhere are just the same. So, I played the old "I'm sorry, I can't help you at this building, but if you walk across the campus to this other building they may be able to help you there" game, until it got tiring. Luckily, I am almost done! In favour of my day running around, I am trying to register almost two weeks before everyone else is, so there are no line ups anywhere.

After that, I took a trip into town to try and find a bicycle. After three different bike shops, I found one that sells used bikes. But they are fresh out, and will get back to me by the weekend.

Also, I passed a fancy dress shop, but apparently that means costumes, and not fancy dresses.

I forgot to take my camera with me, so no pictures today. Hopefully tomorrow! Other than that, things are great.

Leaving London

2011-09-11T04:12:00.000-07:00

I've had a great week here in London, and head off to Maidenhead tonight to go to Exeter (via a day in Bristol) tomorrow.
It was really interesting this week... London was not the place I had expected. I didn't see the evidence of the riots, people were super helpful and friendly, and Muswell Hill feels nothing like a huge cosmopolitan city. It has gorgeous woods nearby, with ancient oak trees and beautiful paths. And then, the mailman came by the other day with a package for our next door neighbours... but they were not home, so the mailman delivered it to our house instead, with a note left to the neighbours that it was here. Not what I expected... but awesome.
All in all, this has been a great interlude. Now, off to Exeter!

The Linnean Society

2011-09-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

*Written the day before yesterday*

So, I went to the Linnean Society today. For a meeting. Yup, that is the same meeting where Darwin and Wallace first presented the idea of evolution to the world on July 1, 1858. It is also a place where Darwin and Wallace stare down at you from now-famous portraits.
The meeting was really interesting for a lot of reasons. Here are just some of them:
-I've almost always talked about science and the pursuit of science from a Christian perspective. It was fascinating, and a bit somber, to hear high level discussion about the purpose of science with no higher metanarrative to appeal to for common ground. This really stunted discussion in ways that were totally alien to me. Actually, even in fairly common ways, there were problems that were unfamiliar. For example, a big deal was made by several people about the necessity of not creating a huge distinction between organism and environment, because both are part of a bigger system. They kept saying how even the word "environment" was problematic because it excludes the observer (us) from it as well. In my head, I was thinking, "In a Christian context, we just call the whole thing 'the Creation' and are done with it. Totally not a problem."
-At one point in the meeting, the moderator asked "Is there anyone here who does not agree with the basic theory of evolution?" and absolute silence prevailed. Afterward, a young German scholar, knowing I was a theologian said "Why didn't you speak up?" I ended up on a familiar topic (being a Christian and accepting evolution) from a completely different side than I am used to!
-I also realized I just don't know a lot of about science itself. A day full of unknown terms and graphs of impressive but also impregnable data left me quite exhausted. I really AM a theologian, apparently. Apparently, my questions are theology questions too.
-Victorians knew how to build awesome buildings. Apparently, we have forgotten. And if we had gates like these to go through on the way to learning, we might be more impressed with it.

*Written today*
Yesterday, I went through the British Museum, which was as awesome as always. I am amazed, though, that the best museum in the world can also manage to have the very worst gift shop. OK, so there is one cool gift shop, but everything in there was over 100 pounds, and that was not helpful! But the "average joe" one was not cool.
I also met a Canadian woman, identified by her MEC bag. That felt good.
This is a great country though, and I am really enjoying being here!

I think I am starting to settle in here too. At the very least, I am starting to look instinctively to my right when I am crossing the street. Apparently, all those months in Thailand of training have not gone entirely to waste, since it took me at least a month and a half to get used to the change of direction there!
Tomorrow, I begin the journey out to Exeter, so keep thinking of me, as I finally finish this "transition period" that I count as starting July 28th when I left for Chicago!

Arrived

2011-09-06T02:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm here now. Most of me does not believe I am here for real, but then, I am only in London and not out to Exeter yet, so there is a valid sense of "not being here for real." Either way, it is very nice to have come and found Jim, the long-time Anglican studies chaplain at Regent, who just arrived to start on his PhD about a month ago. He and his wife and 2 year-old son are hosting me in North London (Muswell Hill) which is really nice.

I went to get a converter plug for my computer yesterday, and definitely managed to get the wrong one. So, I finally have power for my computer, and thus also for my iPod, which is great.

Also, my one pair of jeans ripped on the plane. I knew they were going, but figured that simply replacing them in Edmonton was too easy. I said to myself "Self, it will be a good excursion for you to shop in England." I didn't expect to have to do it on the first day though! So, with some direction from Amber, I found a bunch of thirft shops, and managed to get a great pair of jeans for cheap (£7) and they were even hemmed to the right length, which NEVER happens. So that was quite a gift.

Today I am just hanging around the neighbourhood. Tomorrow, I will head out on a proper downtown London adventure. I am trying to decide between the British museum and a walk around the downtown core. I'm guessing the museum will win out... but we shall see!

The best conversation ever...

2011-01-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Person #1: Do you know what is absolutely amazing?
Me: No. What?
Person #1: Cell phones! It is amazing that I can pick up the phone and call my sister across the world in like 3 seconds! Amazing! In fact, it is the power of God! And do you know, people don't understand that! The power of God! There is no way human technology could do something that fast!
Me: Yeah, it is pretty cool. Although, I believe the radio waves and electricity move at the speed of light, so there really is more than enough time for the signal to go around the world...
Person #1: No way! It is the power of God! No humans could do that!!
Me: Well, I suppose I would say that God has put regularities in the world that could account for cell phones... That is the power of God...
Person #1: No way! No way human technology can account for that! Do you know what else?
Me: No...
Person #1: Airplanes! People say airplanes fly by... metaphysics... and stuff... but it is the power of God! And people just don't understand that! Nobody could make one fly by itself.

At this point I'm standing in absolute awe of this person... unsure if I can hold back the laughter that is slowly killing me inside.

Me: So, what about birds? Birds fly naturally.
Person #1: Birds! Birds are light! Airplanes weigh thousands of pounds! There is just no way... and people don't understand this!
Me: Umm... OK.
Person #1: Have you met "Person #2"?
Me: No. Hi, Person #2! How are you?
Person #2: Good, I guess.
Person #1: Now, Person #2 needs a wife! (to me:) Are you married?
Me: Umm, nope.
Person #1: Ah, well if it is the Lord's will for you to be single you better get used to it, OK? No point fighting with God.
Me: Ummm... OK.

*Later*
Person #1: Do you know your strength is?
Me: Nope.
Person #1: You really love the Lord. That should be a strength of every Christian, but it really is for you. I know that you are unsure about this whole PhD thing, but you are not supposed to worry about it. God will take care of it, and of you.
Me: Umm... OK.
Person #1: Bye!

Recent Work

2010-09-07T10:21:00.001-07:00

The muse of inspiration has not been visiting here often of late, but I have been writing for some other folks. Three articles for BioLogos kept me busy. Here they are:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

And then there is this one over at Michael Buttrey's blog, which is part of an ongoing discussion on metaphysics. Now keep in mind, this last one was written mostly facetiously to annoy a couple of my close friends who think nominalism is the forerunner of Satan. So take it with a grain of salt!

The Christian Year

2009-12-06T20:51:00.001-08:00

This is from John Keble, one of the men from the Oxford Movement. This is a poem he wrote for the second Sunday in Advent. Enjoy.

And when these things begin to pass, then look up, and lift up your
heads; for your redemption draweth night.  St. Luke xxi. 28.

Not till the freezing blast is still,
Till freely leaps the sparkling rill,
And gales sweep soft from summer skies,
As o'er a sleeping infant's eyes
A mother's kiss; ere calls like these,
No sunny gleam awakes the trees,
Nor dare the tender flowerets show
Their bosoms to th' uncertain glow.

Why then, in sad and wintry time,
Her heavens all dark with doubt and crime,
Why lifts the Church her drooping head,
As though her evil hour were fled?
Is she less wise than leaves of spring,
Or birds that cower with folded wing?
What sees she in this lowering sky
To tempt her meditative eye?

She has a charm, a word of fire,
A pledge of love that cannot tire;
By tempests, earthquakes, and by wars,
By rushing waves and falling stars,
By every sign her Lord foretold,
She sees the world is waxing old,
And through that last and direst storm
Descries by faith her Saviour's form.

Not surer does each tender gem,
Set in the fig-tree's polish'd stem,
Foreshow the summer season bland,
Than these dread signs Thy mighty hand:
But, oh, frail hearts, and spirits dark!
The season's flight unwarn'd we mark,
But miss the Judge behind the door,
For all the light of sacred lore:

Yet is He there; beneath our eaves
Each sound His wakeful ear receives:
Hush, idle words, and thoughts of ill,
Your Lord is listening:  peace, be still.
Christ watches by a Christian's hearth,
Be silent, "vain deluding mirth,"
Till in thine alter'd voice be known
Somewhat of Resignation's tone.

But chiefly ye should lift your gaze
Above the world's uncertain haze,
And look with calm unwavering eye
On the bright fields beyond the sky,
Ye, who your Lord's commission bear
His way of mercy to prepare:
Angels He calls ye:  be your strife
To lead on earth an Angel's life.

Think not of rest; though dreams be sweet,
Start up, and ply your heavenward feet.
Is not God's oath upon your head,
Ne'er to sink back on slothful bed,
Never again your loans untie,
Nor let your torches waste and die,
Till, when the shadows thickest fall,
Ye hear your Master's midnight call?

What's the point?

2009-11-22T13:19:00.001-08:00

Ok, I have a confession to make. It my spare time (which is not very much just at the moment) I've been watching "The Vampire Diaries". I don't know if it is just a Twilight knock off or not, but this is what I don't get: the vampires are "good". I think the trend started with Angel from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"--you know, the soft, good natured, sensitive guy who just happened to suck human blood to stay alive. Then came "Interview with a Vampire" and who can't sympathize with Brad Pitt? Then Twilight came out, and vampires could stand in the sun and be beautiful instead of be burnt. And in the Vampire Diaries, as in Twilight, the "good" vampires are "vegetarian", that is, they eat animal blood instead of human blood to stay alive. They sleep in beds, not coffins. They don't drink human blood. They can eat garlic and stand in the sun... like I said in the title: What is the point? What is the point of having a vampire show if the vampires are not actually vampires? I feel like we need a little Bram Stoker's "Dracula" to remind us that vampires are supposed to be terrifying creatures of the night who prey on human life without remorse or pity. They are supposed to inspire terror, not teenage angst! Argh...

Ok, rant done. Of course, the simply solution is: ignore Twilight hype and stay away from bad TV. Point taken.

Machiavelli, Power and the Princess Bride

2009-10-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Augustine once famously pictured the state as a lawless pirate. Like a pirate, governments use coercive force to get their own way. Unlike a pirate, the state is powerful enough to do so without any bad consequences. Except for divine grace, the evil effects of the state would overwhelm mankind. Thankfully, divine grace intercedes and makes governments tolerable.
When Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513, he basically agreed with Augustine and took the theory one step further. Governments, according to Machiavelli, are entirely based upon power. All states are pirates. Especially the “good” ones. The trick is to appear to be good and virtuous on the outside, but be bad and manipulating on the inside. In fact, the more vicious you are in reality, the more important it is for you to appear pious and peace loving. Once you’ve fooled the majority of people, they will happily support you. Furthermore, even if you are pious and peace loving, you ought to learn how to be savage and dishonourable in order to survive. Thus, Machiavelli redefines virtue for the modern world: Virtue is the combination of abilities that allows you to survive. It has nothing to do with being good or moral, only with using force well. Machiavelli also points out that all the states which have survived have in fact already been doing this, whether they realized it or not. If you unmask even the most virtuous state, he says, you’ll find... a pirate––ruthless, corrupt, and power hungry.
This empirical observation has been oft repeated in books of political theory ever since. Yet one contemporary book powerfully challenges the Machiavellian thesis. William Goldman’s The Princess Bride (1973) contends that Machiavelli did not probe deep enough into the heart of humanity. In Goldman’s novel we are presented with the cruel Dread Pirate Roberts. He is a man who never allows prisoners to survive. He can out-fence and out-wrestle the greatest fighters on earth, showing his mastery of coercive force, and he can “go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line” and live to tell the tale, demonstrating his adeptness at manipulation and intrigue. Truly, this is a depiction of corrupt humanity in all its bloody glory. Yet, when the Dread Pirate Roberts is unmasked, the reader is shocked to discover that beneath the rapacious exterior lies the love-stuck, virtuous Wesley who gently whispers “As You Wish.”
Is this the death of Machiavelli? The virtuous state conceals the swashbuckling pirate, it is true. But is that the end of the story? Perhaps beneath the savage mask of piratey coercion lies the softly beating heart of True Love. Thus do we find layer upon layer.
With the empirically demonstrated link between the drop in number of pirates and the increase in global average temperature (see graph below), it is an environmental imperative that we do all that is within our power to encourage further political involvement, especially amongst apathetic Canadians. More politics means more pirates. More pirates means cooler global climes. We can save the planet and, thanks to the Goldman thesis, rest secure that the increase in piratical political activists will be under-girded by love. Huzzah!

Of Cosmic Miracles

2009-09-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

I've been trying something new lately.

Autumn is coming here in Vancouver, and you can feel it. No really, you can! It drops down from the sky and smacks you in the face and stays with you for hours as your body heat slowly dries up the damp. In short, the rain is back.

We've been spoiled this summer with an excessively sunny season. It has been hot, dry, and cloudless nearly all summer. It was so bad that trees were dying because these BC folks have forgotten (as you do when you live in a rain forest) that if there is no rain you actually have to water trees to keep them alive.

Anyways, the rain is back, and people are complaining. So I've been trying something new. Every time someone looks annoyed and mentions "it's raining again..." I let a glazed, dreamy expression settle over my face with a half-smile, as if I'm remembering how my first crush made me feel when he smiled at me. Then I mumble "Yeah, isn't it great?" Typically I get a really weird look in response, wondering whatever could I mean, that this cold, wet, and gloomy reality is back. If they ask a question, they are in for it...

"It's a freaking cosmic miracle!" I explain "The very thing we need for life, liquid water, which is only liquid within fantastically small temperature ranges, is FALLING FROM THE SKY!... This is like better than money, or BBQed pork (for all you Lamb readers out there), or gold, or... or... pretty much anything! (although actually, beer would be pretty cool falling from the sky, though everything would be pretty sticky...). Pure water is falling from the sky for free! Do you know how rare this is? It's awesome!"

By this time, they are usually smiling quizically and saying "I've never thought of it that way" and they walk off with hopefully a little more gratitude in their hearts for the miracle they have just witnessed.

Random act of kindness for the day: check!

School begins again...

2009-09-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

I always feel like September is a time for new birth. New life. It is the real New Year in the student calendar. It is a time to recommit to devoting oneself to study. You make promises about how much you'll accomplish, and hope that you'll last just a little longer than last year before breaking them.
Everyone comes back from the summer, rested, renewed, and excited. New people come, and you always know that there will be new friends and old friends, and joyful meetings and boring repetitions of answers to the same three questions over and over and over again.
New paper, new books, and sharp pencils. Everything is made new.

Did I mention that I love September and the start of school?

This year, I am looking forward to a couple of things in particular. I am in a seminar that will be amazing. On political thought. I've spent the last couple weeks immersed in Aristotle's Politics and it was been amazing.

I am also looking forward to Anglican communion and mid-day prayers at the college. I think the loss of my daily communal prayer time has been one of the greatest losses of my summer. The structure of prayer is vital for my undisciplined self, and those daily refocussings help me to get out of myself. Especially the communion liturgy.
I always thought that liturgy would be boring, but I find that coming to the same words when you can be in such different places is a great gift. Some weeks I am bored, others I am distraught and stressed, others I am joyful. But the words remain the same, and so each week is like seeing it from a different perspective. Then, after, we go for lunch and talk about theology, politics, personal lives, the Anglican church, and whatever else.

I'm glad that school is starting again. Please, remind me of this in early November.

Torture and the Brave New World

2009-08-06T10:16:00.001-07:00

I remember reading Frank Herbert's "Dune" series, and being somewhat morbidly impressed by the "pain box" which could cause unbearable pain without leaving any mark. Now, this has become a reality. The Silent Guardian has been produced to impose unbelievable pain by slightly microwaving pain nerves at exactly their most sensitive frequency. Can this really be considered by police forces?
The maker insists that there is no permanent damage, and that no one will stand more than a second of the agony. The plans for this, the very thought of it should be banished from the human mind. In today's world, the only apparent rule for torture is "don't leave a mark". This inflicts unbearable pain, and yet the person will never be able to "show" it later. Even worse, it is not limited to one particular spot on the body, but can encapsulate the entire body in agony, like being dipped in a pot of boiling oil, but without death to bring relief.

Of all the demonic inventions, I have yet to see anything that can equal this in its potential for injustice, cruelty, and hate.

At the moment, the beam is not held for long, and it seems that a little movement from the beam's path relieves the burning feeling. But it is just to use such a thing? What if (when?) it is abused? It could, indeed, save lives. But at what cost?

My New Favourite Term:

2009-07-16T13:35:00.001-07:00

Sheeple.

Just When You Thought...

2009-07-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought the Christian film industry couldn't sink any lower, comes The Bike King and the Ten Commandments. Possibly the worst Christian film of all time, and that's just from seeing the trailer. Although, I must admit, the broken-record, CD-pooping God Tree is intriguing, and I actually quite like the anaconda Satan ("You can call me... the Prince of Darkness") those are more bonuses of irony, not of directorial intent.

Check it out.

Edmonton Adventures

2009-06-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

I've come home for two weeks, only to be encountered by mystery here.

My second day home, we got an envelope in the mail. "A. Thorne" was all that was on the front, and it was not mailed but dropped off. It was thick in the middle. We opened it to see if we could find further identification inside since none of us know anyone by that name. Inside was a folded piece of paper filled with a slightly off white powder. Written on the paper was "See Message Above - From A. Thorne"

We did what most sane people would do if they found a package of white powder in the mail - we phoned the cops. They were going to send a car out, but since we were leaving the house, we said we'd drop it off. We brought it to the police station and after filling out the proper forms, etc. we took off.

Later that night we got a phone call from the police saying they had analyzed the powder. It was general mill flour.

The next day we got another envelope addressed to the "Household at 12..... Ave". Opening it up we were told that we were now subscribed to a website on astro-physics, which would cost us 1280 AstroMarks. Weird.

My mom started phoning the neighbours to see if they had gotten weird mail, and it turns out our next door neighbour's 14 year-old son was bored and playing practical jokes. He thought the flour would make a mess when we opened it, and so would be funny. The website was fake, and so would be funny.

He got quite a talking to from his parents, and came over to apologize looking pretty upset. I felt bad. It makes me wonder what kind of world we live in, when a practical joke immediately gets police involvement. Then again, what do you do when you find white powder in your mail box?

Frustration!

2009-06-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

I've just been reading in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology as he tries to pull apart why "Theistic Evolution" is wrong. First, he completely screws up its definition, including general evolution but with interventions along the way. (This would be progressive creationism). Then he ridicules them for their inconsistency with Genesis ("And God said 'Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds' and after three hundred eighty-seven million four hundred nintey-two thousand eight hundred seventy-one attempts, God finally made a mouse that worked"). What kind of uninformed junk is this? All it does is show his own ignorance of both the genre and intention of the author(s) of Genesis and his own ignorance of Darwinian theory. Even worse is later when he starts pointing out the issues with Darwinian theory. Especially the classic micro-macro distinction. THERE ISN'T ONE!!! If you observe micro distinctions, those are the same thing that lead to the so-called "macro" evolutions. Even back in 1953, one of the guys who coined the third (and rather ignored) term of "megaevolution" (Simpson) said "At present I am inclined to think that all three of these somewhat monstrous terminological innovations have served whatever purpose they may have had and that clarity may now be improved by abandoning them." The only difference between them is time frame. Yes, yes, I hear you saying "but macroevolution is one species to another, and microevolution is within a species." Fine. Define a species for me then. "Why," says you "it is a reproductionally isolated family of animals". Great! Good definition! Unfortunately it is often impossible to tell if certain species can be crossed or not, and often (especially with plants) there is a range between 0% and 100% success rate in cross-breeding species. So if a plant has only a 3% chance of breeding (but can be crossed) with another plant, is it a separate species? Especially if compared to another plant with which it has a 90% success rate. All the same species? Not likely. There is also the problem of birds whose mating song changes. Physically they can reproduce, but because the song is different, the females won't mate. Different species? Technically, yes. Physically, no. The science books go with the technical answer.
Here's the deal: no one can define what exactly a species is because it is a false delineation, and like other distinctions we like to make (fruit/vegetable, animal/plant, living/non-living) nature just loves throwing things in that don't fit. Darwin didn't believe in "species" as a hard and fast delineation, and a comparison of numbers of species in any animal or plant encyclopedia will always disagree. So give it up!

Woo, ok, done ranting. Sorry. Got a little carried away there. I just can't stand smart people using their excellent brains to screw over people who don't have the chance to study at Harvard and Cambridge, etc.

I wonder if Grudem thinks the sun moves around the earth, as the Bible "clearly teaches"....

Procrastination!

2009-05-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

... Don't put it off today!

Seriously though, I should be working on my thesis. But it is that mid-afternoon lull when my mind is not very sharp, and trying to introduce the issues that plate tectonics brings into theodicy is just not working well. I also sat in on an interesting round table discussion today: "Agonies and Ecstasies: Women in the Church, Academy, and Society". Suddenly, I've been inundated with feminist thought and I'm not sure what to do about it. Part of me wants to stay away from the whole debate and just go on with what I'm doing without trying to look to close at it. Maybe I'd rather not know.
On ther other hand, it feels a good deal like it did right before I got into the science/religion debate... standing on the edge of a huge and tangled issue, not sure if I want to get involved, but realizing that I'll probably find it immensely fascinating and hugely frustrating.

Do I want to go there? Don't know yet.

Well, back to work.

Thesising

2009-05-17T19:40:00.001-07:00

I've been thesising for two weeks now. I'm not quite sure if I like it or hate it. It is nice in terms of the amount of focus on just this one area. There are no little assignments, no reading logs, no distractions. Yet, that almost makes everything a distraction. I've put myself on quite a definite schedule -- two weeks per chapter. I've finished chapter 1 within the time frame, though there are a couple of flow issues that need editing. Yet, I feel too close to the material to properly interact with it at this point. I'm scattered, trying to figure out how to talk about several different issues that are very close to each other, without actually repeating myself, and yet allowing the argument to build over the pages. Instead of one cohesive argument, it feels kind of like herding cats. Each cat is a part of the argument, but it has its own mind and only wants to serve its own particular interests. Argh! How do you make this come together?

One chapter at a time. Keep the later chapters in mind, but don't try and write them now. Let them wait. How do I make this chapter flow? I'm not sure. The last third is fine, but there is repetition amongst the first two sections...

Hmm... sorry folks, I'm getting carried away with my "inside thoughts", and using this as a stream of consciousness which I am sure you are not interested in. Instead, listen to this:

If you get an e-mail warning you about the dangers of eating processed pork due to the swine flu, feel free to ignore it, it's just spam. (hehe...)

Seeing yourself though another's eyes

2009-05-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

I just had a moment of clarity.

I've been reading a variety of material for my thesis on evolutionary theodicy, and one of the articles was Wesley J. Wildman's in the book Physics and Cosmology. Basically, he holds that people (like me) who hold to a good, personal, and omnipotent Creator are self-deluded, optimistic folk who ignore the fundamental realities of the world we live in. The violence inherent in nature, the dog-eat-dog world, and the lack of divine intervention should undermine any confidence in such a God. However, after reading his well-written article, I find myself still convinced of the truth of my "wildly-optimistic", but caring, God. Even in the face of the reality of the world. Perhaps (as I argue in my thesis), partly because of it, and because of my commitment to the words of Scripture as faithfully portraying God.

Then, I started reading Kenneth Miller's Finding Darwin's God, where he describes how Henry Morris holds to a Young Earth Creationist scheme in the face of all available evidence to the contrary because of his committment to Scripture. To my mind, it looks ludicrous, and fails to understand even the basics of biblical interpretation. To Wildman, however, I look as ludicrous as Morris does to me. Optimistic, fundamentalist, and unable to face the facts of life.

My only defence comes in the form of holding that science and religion hold separate arenas of inquiry into truth. Observing nature can no more tell us the ethical nature of God or the world than smelling can tell us the colour of an object. Perhaps I am wildly optimistic to believe in a caring, personal God. But that God has interacted with us in history, in the person of Jesus Christ. This is something a ground-of-being god could and would not do. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

Still, it is somewhat discomforting to see myself reflected in someone like Morris. Brings me back to the "everyone is logical in their own mind"... it is just a matter of understanding them before condemning them. Though, I still completely disagree with YEC, just for the record.

The Beginning of Resurrection

2009-04-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

My last post was made just before Good Friday. This post is now after Easter. And that, it seems, has made all the difference.

I've been offered a TA position in Old Testament, which will be a lot of fun. I've also worked out a plan to work with the history professor that I wanted to work with so badly, and in a way that will give me much better feedback on the places I need work. And, just moments ago, my new thesis proposal was approved without reservation. (A quick note to all you kids out there: if you can't beat them with brevity, overwhelm them with length and details. A 12,000 word proposal for a 40,000 word thesis gets approved apparently.)

In fact, quite ironically, one of the committee called the new one "much tighter" than my original 3,500 word proposal. Unbelievable!

Apart from that I'm only waiting on Cambridge, but that is largely irrelevant, since I won't be going in October anyways. It's been a tough lent, but worth the wait.

Disappointment...

2009-04-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the first of my "waiting list" is answered. I was turned down for the history TA position. I feel bad, and sad, and I'm not quite finished pouting yet, but the process of applying for this has gotten me into some really interesting material that I wouldn't have otherwise read:
-Hegel
-Works on Historiography (Bebbington, etc.)
-Darwin
-The Communist Manifesto
I'm also finding that it is hard to be disappointed with people rather than God. God has a ready ear and you can say all that you want to to him. That is not always the case with people.

In some ways, the church calendar this year is perfect. All this waiting, and then, great disappointment (and more to come, I'm sure! I still have many more on my list.)
I don't quite have the faith yet to look for the resurrection... I'm not quite ready. Perhaps I'll go fishing. But I'll keep an eye on the shore.

Still Waiting

2009-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

I think I'm finally getting what Lent is actually about. The rack-like tension of waiting. My culture has taught me to want to have instant gratification. Our instant e-mails mean we get answers nearly as soon as we ask the question. Now, however, I am waiting. And the answers are not coming. And that is not a bad thing. It is shaping me, like the burning blade being shaped and forged under the blacksmith's harsh hammer strokes. There is no easy way to do it.

Unfortunately, instead of waiting throughout Lent for the death and resurrection of Jesus, I have been waiting for answers in my own little world. Some days I remember to transfer my thought and my waiting to the greater story, but mostly I don't. That, however, will be my goal for this last week - to wait for the story of the passion week to be played out. To wait for the passion, the death, the resurrection.

To live again the story of how my faith came to be.

(The clock is the chronophage clock at Cambridge - the time devourer)

Preview: Next Lent

2009-04-02T14:32:00.001-07:00

So, at lunch today with the Anglicans, I decided what I would do for next year's lent: eschatological vegetarianism. I mean, if you are going to go vegetarian for lent, you might as well go eschatological as well...

What? 'What does it mean' you ask?
Well, the eschatological vegetarianism is a recognition that we exist in the already but not yet kingdom of God where the continual inbreaking of the Trinitarian God in Sabbath calls us towards a sacramentally ontological paradigm of existence while recognizing that the outpouring of shalom from that eschatological reality involves the entire cosmos in its redemption scheme.

Got it? Good.

Spread the word.

Merry Christmas!! .. I mean, Easter?!

2009-04-01T09:57:00.001-07:00

So, we are a little confused about the seasons here in Vancouver. Apparently, the Powers that be thought a really good April Fools joke would be to cover the whole city in snow... again. So I'm sitting in the relative warmth and safety of Regent watching the white stuff come down all around me. Still amused at the native Vancouverite inability to deal with the stuff. It looks like buses are still running, since it hasn't yet piled up on the roads, but if this keeps up, the whole city is liable to grind to a halt.

How much snow in a winter does it take for these BCers to realize that it snows in Canada and they should be prepared? Then again, why am I here if it is snowing in April? I thought moving here was supposed to avoid this kind of silliness. Apparently not.

Sex Lectures

2009-03-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

My 95 year-old landlady came to the Regent "sex lecture".

Recipe for disaster? Nope. She did brilliantly, and was even used as a object lesson on how just how recent many of the changes in modern views on sexuality are--the ones talked about in the lecture have all happened within her life time. (She met Sarah just before the lecture started)

It was also interesting to hear her perspectives on things as we sat for coffee in the atrium afterwards. She's seen these changes from the inside, and has both an important affirmation of some of the changes that have occurred, and a wise critique.

I wasn't sure how she would respond to the lecture, but she responded with her typical thoughtfulness, graciousness, humour, and deep interaction. If I could grow old with half her grace, I would count myself lucky.

Everything is rushing in... and I am still waiting...

2009-03-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am frustrated. I feel like I have no time for doing my assignments left, and at the same time I feel utterly frozen in time. It's like being on a medieval rack, while neither being able to move forward or accomplish things I need to.

What am I waiting for?
-Thesis proposal submitting and approval
-Word from Cambridge
-Acceptance of an abstract for a conference paper
-Three TA positions I've applied for

These things will absolutely shape the next year for me. I know what will happen for the next two weeks - after that, it all depends on these things. I can't hurry it up, nor can I enjoy the time leading to it, since that is filled with doing assignments that feel like eating chalk. The assignments are not bad, I'm just already looking past them. I don't even care about the actual answer, I just want to know one way or the other. I've been left in limbo with Cambridge since October...

Maybe I need to take a page from my father's book: be all here, now. Or maybe that was Jesus: "who of you, by worrying, can turn one hair black or white?" "each day's evil is enough".

So, I'll put my blinders on and get to work: Hebrew, another history gobbet, and my cosmic fall paper. It's all I can do.

I should be working

2009-03-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in the Regent library, completely unable to concentrate.

Weird.

Typically when I want to get down to work, I can. But my thoughts today are flying out of control. I'm in an awkward phase of waiting... waiting on things that I can not control in the least - my applications (both for TA positions and for PhD admittance) and for my supervisor to look over my new thesis proposal (my original one was rejected by the thesis proposal committee last week). I've rewritten it, and sent it to my supervisor, but because it is reading week, I haven't heard anything back.

I don't like waiting. I like working. Give me something that I can get down to - that I can change and work on. But being left in suspense with literally weeks ahead promising little change and no answers is hard. I've been told that Graduate school is often an endurance race. Due to the heavy work load, I hardly ever feel like that is the case - more like a sprint for the finish. Today, however, things are moving as slow as molasses, and the one thing that I can work on is entirely unappealing. Regardless, I must buckle down and plod on, setting everything else aside to finish a paper I'm only tangentially interested in. If I can only get this one done...

... I can get started on the next one!

Where does it end?

May your road, dear reader,
be clear and enticing,
both calling and inviting you forward,
into the newness that is now.

The Most Gratifying Feeling in the World

2009-03-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Irenaeus

2009-02-23T21:39:00.001-08:00

So, I was looking in Irenaeus (an early Church Father) for the answer to my questions about creation, evolution, and everything. Instead, I find that he probably started the "Left Behind" series.
Check this out:
For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years shall it be concluded.
And for this reason the Scripture says: “Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and God rested upon the seventh day from all His works.” This is an account of the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come. For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years; and in six days created things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an end at the sixth thousand year.

How crazy is that! Ol' LaHaye wasn't so original now was he?

Happy 200th Darwin!

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

You may not realize it, but this is a very historically important year for the science of biology. Today (Feb 12th) is Charles Darwin’s birthday. He was born in 1809, and in November of 1859 he published the famous (and infamous) Origin of Species, making this year a tidy double anniversary. With all the rising excitement surrounding these celebrations we can expect the usual claims and counterclaims about the great scientist. On one hand, expect to see the young earth creationist faction denouncing Darwin as demonically inspired (Henry Morris has said “Satan himself is the originator of the concept of evolution”). On the other hand, there is no doubt that Darwin’s contemporary ‘high priests’ will want to use Darwin as the figurehead for the advancement of materialistic atheism — touting him as the saviour who “made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.”

The reality is that Darwin would not have supported either program. He was not trying to overthrow Christianity in favour of atheism because in fact, Darwin was never an atheist. In a letter he wrote three years before his death, Darwin stated “In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God.— I think that generally (& more and more so as I grow older) but not always, that an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind.” Equally in his Autobiography Darwin states that in regards to his religious belief he “deserve[s] to be called a Theist” due to his recognition of intelligence in the architecture of the universe. On the other hand, the myth of his deathbed recantation is also false, as has been confirmed by Darwin’s son Francis.
Darwin was religiously a moderate man. Yet as recently as this summer, big time multimedia has been attacking him once again, associating his views with atheism, racism and support of eugenics. In a kind of “strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter” logic, Ben Stein’s movie Expelled quotes the following from Darwin:
With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated. We civilized men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination. We build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed and the sick, thus the weak members of civilized societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. Hardly anyone is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed.

What Expelled misses (and I can only think that it was intentionally done) is the very next paragraph where Darwin explicitly states that he does not support the idea of eugenics. In reference to humans he says:
Nor could we check our sympathy, if so urged by hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with a certain and great present evil.

Darwin was a good man, and a great scientist. Not only did he not support eugenics, he opposed racism, was staunchly against slavery, and would have been appalled at “social Darwinism”. He was a prototypical Victorian gentleman, whose letters and books were filled with equal measures of humour and wit. But why take my word for it? Why not take a moment to get to know the man yourself? As the world celebrates his 200th birthday, crack open Origin of Species or read some of his letters, and look past the ugly rhetoric to discover the real Charles Darwin.

http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/
http://darwin-online.org.uk/

Food for thought.

2009-02-10T21:08:00.001-08:00

I went to my professor's house last night. To cook steak. Apparently the English have no idea what to do with it. I realized that must be the case when I suggested we use the BBQ and I got a blank stare and a "Whatever for?" in response.

After that, I decided to take full control of that part of the meal. I even brought my own (cast iron) frying pan. I also made pasta and brought all my own materials, just in case. I asked the prof. to take care of the vegetables. When I got there, she had five different dishes on the go, and salad. When we finished cooking and sat down to the meal, her kids were exclaiming "We haven't had a meal like this since Christmas!"

There was an abundance of food, laughter, and stories. My special steak marinade was a happy success, and even the daughter who had had a tooth out earlier in the morning bravely ate a good chunk of it. I think my favorite part of the meal was when the daughters asked their mandatory "guest questions". One was "Would you rather go to school/work naked, or be squished by an elephant?" It took me about 2 seconds to decide on the elephant.

The warmth and humor of the meal followed by an ultra-intense game of Dutch-Blitz was wonderful. It made me miss home. Family is such a great thing, and despite all the craziness that normally surrounds them, I wouldn't give mine up for anything. The memories of laughing, eating, teasing, and (invariably with my family) talking about fecal matter will always remain precious.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

It has been too long!

2009-02-04T21:41:00.001-08:00

Hello dear reader,

I am sorry I have not posted in a long time. I will try to do better in the future. I have been coping with lots lately:

a full grad school course load
publishing a paper
writing a thesis proposal
applications to Ph.D. programs
getting in shape
teaching a course at my church on Genesis

It is this last one I'd like to write about. I just finished my second class with these dear people. They are so brave and smart I am ashamed to be teaching the class! They are understanding in moments what it took me months to get. And they are learning this incredibly challenging material with grace and courage. My course undermines great deals of their presuppositions about Scripture, and is really shaking them, and they are responding so well. Today we looked at the Ancient Near Eastern mythologies and compared them to Genesis. It was criminal how much I threw at them, and they took it in stride. I am so proud of them!
I've never realized this before, but I think teaching might be more for the teacher than for the student.

Well, I'm going to go to bed, with the cat purring beside me, the stars twinkling over the mountains outside, and the sound of opera drifting up the stairs outside my room!

Good night!

2009-01-17T15:38:00.001-08:00

We have been immersed in fog here for just about a week. Sometimes, it is so thick you cannot see half a block. At the moment, I can tress about a block away, but after that, all is consumed. Out of the fog though, the haunting sound of fog horns sounding in the bay is almost continuous. I know of no sound that arouses such a longing for the sea and it induces such a wanderlust that I can hardly concentrate on my work.

My work. I have been reading through "Origin of Species" as well as through Darwin's correspondence with a Harvard biologist named Asa Gray. I am now into my 75th letter between them. It is a strange thing to read into their close friendship. These were often personal letters, not meant to be shared. But now I have been involved in Darwin's life and contacts sufficiently that even personal references are familiar and I don't have to go looking to see who "so and so" is. Maybe all this reading of England the descriptions of Cambridge are adding to the feelings of wanderlust. I had such a wonderful time there this summer, and could easily return. And now that I am studying Darwin there is so much more I would ask! All these questions come to mind, and the only reason I did not entirely miss out on what was happening was because Denis Lamoureux had prepared me and told me what to watch for.

Oh wow! I think I've just felt my first earthquake here! Suddenly everything was subtly vibrating, like a big truck was going by. But I am in a quiet neighbourhood, and that does not really happen here. It lasted about 15 seconds. And then everything is back to normal - fog horns, and traffic. I'll check later and let you know - I think it is too early to tell for sure and nothing will be on the web yet.

Until next time!

A Christmas Visitation!

2008-12-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I was studying, and found myself staring at the roof. And no sooner did I do that, than I saw a fantastic vision! Yes, right here in Regent College, we have had a miraculous appearance in the water damage in some roof tiles! It's true! In fact, as soon as I saw it, I flipped my computer around and took a picture...

Can you see him there, in the top left corner? I admit that he does look like he's had a bit of a fight, and has a nice bruiser growing right on top, but otherwise, it is a pretty impressive resemblance.

But resemblance of who?

I'm going to post a couple of ideas, and you need to help. Either vote for one of my options, or post your own! And if you are really enthusiastic, send some friends over to vote too!

Choice 1: The beatific vision of Martin Luther
Martin Luther once saw the devil. So he threw his inkpot at him. (What would you do?). The inkpot broke against the wall and you can still see the stain to this day.
Luther was the great reformer who in 1517 nailed his 95 thesis to the church door in Wittenberg on Halloween night. He is remembered for his love of food, and especially beer. In fact, one of his mottos is "He who loves not women, wine, and song, remains a fool his whole life long". Another was "sin greatly then repent greatly". Needless to say, he'd be a great person to have around at Christmas, with his wife Katherina von Bora who was also a great brewer.

Choice 2: The reverend Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thomas was a dedicated monk. He was also a great scholastic. In fact, he single handedly brought Aristotle into the western world, and created a synthesis between Aristotelian thought and Christian doctrine that would dominate until the enlightenment (and in fact, is still with us in many ways). His family didn't want to have him be a boring monk and scholar. They wanted him to take up the family buisness. So they hired a prostitute to tempt him out, but unfortunately, Aquinas grabbed a fire brand from the open grate and drove her out. Determined guy wasn't he? So determined that he would insist on a Regent visitation in December? That is up to you to find out!

So vote now, and let me know who you think our Christmas visit is from!

Hello!

2008-12-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

Hello, Dear Readers!

I know you may think that I have forgotten about you. It's not true. In fact, I think of you often, but just don't get around to posting very often. At the moment though, I am in the ecstatic throes of post-paper-hand-in joy. Well, that and a mixture of denial about the several papers due next week. One at a time I always say! (I usually also say "always a week early", but that fell to the wayside this semester. More like "start within a week", but that's the way it goes.)

I've been getting as much mileage as possible out of the "I'm sick" line to justify my procrastination, but since I'm not really sick anymore, I won't ask for a deadline. Suppose I should get back to work.

I'm writing a paper on a fascinating book called "The Book of Job as Sceptical Literature" by Katherine Dell. It is the best treatment of Job that I have read so far, and it makes so much sense of things by treating Job as a parody/satire in the same way that Jonah is a satire of prophetic leadership in Israel.

Well, take care!

There are some things...

2008-11-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

... you should never do. Sitting down, listening to 3 hours of online Hebrew lectures is one of them. Another is to eat a whole pomegranate during those three hours. The first leads to a foggy brain and unedited blog posts. The second leads to a really sore stomach and soggy fingers. But the one advantage is that one might be tempted to gnaw a hand off during lectures from the interminable boredom, and the pomegranate provides a safe and viable alternative. It also takes enough time and effort that it keeps you busy for the whole three hours. (There are, after all 840 seeds in every pomegranate!) Actually, I feel kinda bad now for eating the whole thing. Hmmm...

My parents were in town this last week. It was great to see them here, and spend time with them. We also ate well. Really well. I probably doubled my usual food intake. Either way, I discovered some neat new places, and enjoyed my parent's company since I don't see them everyday anymore.

Sorry!

2008-11-09T13:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged for a while, because, I've been procrastinating too much to consciously procrastinate by blogging. I know that probably does not make sense, but that's how it goes.

Nonetheless, in the last 40 hours or so I have been working my butt off. No, really. Other than a Thanksgiving dinner at Regent, I have spent the rest of the time working like crazy. Why? Well, deadlines on application, deadlines on assignments, and a huge standardized exam on Friday. I found out I don't know anything. Which is an issue. It turns out that the GRE exam I need for my applications tests MATH. I haven't done any math since high school. What is worse is that we can't use a calculator, so even basic things (like reducing fractions) takes me forever. With only about 2 min/per question I'm going to be in trouble. The verbal stuff will be fine, I'm sure, and the writing should be fine as well. But the math is going to kick my bum. So think of me, feverishly working away at trying to recall how to figure out how much time it will take Tom, Joe, and Shelly to paint the house if it takes Tom 2 hours by himself, Joe 6 hours, and Shelly 3 hours and a half.

Be merciful. Shoot me now.

This Beautiful City...

2008-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

Despite everything that has been going on this semester - sickness, doctor visits, lack of energy, etc. the beauty of this city is once again wooing me. We had a beautifully clear day today. The sun was shining and it was warm. After church, I was walking down Granville to the bus station, and just kept going down to Granville Island. I didn't mean to, it just happened.

So I wandered around for a bit, looking at overly-expensive pieces of handcrafted jewelry and strange sculpture art. I then found out that the Granville Island Brewery has just come out with their famous Winter Ale, but since that doesn't mix with antibiotics too well, I held off and made a vow to come back.

Then, since it was about noonish, I went looking for a fish and chips shop I'd heard about. All I knew was that it was "a shack, somewhere near Granville Island, and they sell fish caught by local fisherman, and even close on Mondays to go fish themselves". I was also informed "get there early, because they only sell what the locals caught that morning, and when they run out, the close.

I walked everywhere on the island looking for the place, and then saw that on the entirely other side of the wharf and marina there was a crowd of people in isolation. I walked over, and there it was! Not only do they serve fresh, locally supported fish, they also use dim sum bamboo containers as plates. I loved it.

Being alone, and with the crowd, I was soon asked by some nice folks if they could sit down with me. I was happy to have the company, and when we started talking it turned out they were from Edmonton, and the man is actually one of my dad's patients! Such a small world!

It is so pretty here, and fall lasts forever. I went down to the beach last night after dark, armed with my binoculars, and spent about an hour looking at the stars. You can see infinitely more stars with even the least magnification. And down on the beach, it is nice and dark, but busy enough not to be scary at night.

I can't believe where I am living. The last thing I'd like to do is get a membership to the local UBC sailing club. I've never sailed before, but as I now live only 3-4 blocks from the boat sheds, it seems silly not to. Well, except for the money and the time. It won't do to waste many thousands of dollars on tuition because I'm spending hundreds on sailing. Concentrate Beth, concentrate!

Last, but not least, I took a left brain/right brain test the other day (I'm 66% left brained). It had several great lines in the review, but these were my favorites:

"Preferentially you learn by listening and maintaining significant internal dialogues with yourself. " Yup, I talk to myself. Thanks. Just what I needed to know. I already walk down the street and talk to myself without noticing it. Thanks for the justification.

"For the most part, you will be considered objective without being cold and goal-oriented while retaining the capacity to listen to others." Well, that's nice. At least I won't be considered cold. Does that just mean I can act well?

"To the extent that you are even implicitly aware of your hemispheric dominance and sensory style, you will feel most comfortable in those arenas which emphasize verbal skills and logic. Teaching, law, and science are those that stand out among the professions, along with technical sales and management." This definitely justifies my lack of productivity in the real world. I make nothing but words. It's been bugging me lately, because I am surrounded by all these people who are talented at everything. Oh well, blame it on the brain!

The difference between Canada and America...

2008-10-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I didn't want to post on politics, but I just couldn't help it.
I've just watched McCain defending Obama at his own rally, saying he was a good, family man who is not to be feared. He goes on to defend Obama's past, and says he'd make a decent president.

This is at his own rally.

Then we have Canadian politics. I recently watched the leaders debate, where it was a 4-on-1 for two hours. My favorite line was when Jack Layton was talking about the economy and Stephen Harper's non-action, and said "Either you don't care, or you are incompetent. Which is it?" Ouch! Hard hitting Canadian action! What happened to the "nice" Canadians? I'm still waiting for one of them to take off their skates and go for Harper's neck.

In other news, we had Walter Brueggemann in at Regent for the annual Laing lectures. He was absolutely fabulous. Edgy, hard hitting, imaginative. His first lecture was amazing. Written 4-5 weeks ago, it was about Pharoah's politics of debt slavery, and how to move from the fear that underscores that system into the neighbourliness and abundance of God's economy. It could not have been more appropriate, and sounded like it had been written Thursday afternoon, instead of before the crash. Really amazing. My favorite line "can I say this here?... Why bust your ass for the empire?"

Sweet.

I'm positive! Again! Except not like last time...

2008-09-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

So I realize I was whinging a lot the last post. But it turns out I have mono. So at least it was partially justified. Strep and mono? What kind of luck do I have? None at all it seems... that, or God is mocking me again. Mockery is one of my love languages, so I wouldn't mind if He was, after all, I certainly see the humour in the situation - I just wish it didn't interfere quite so much with my studying ability. That's really a bummer.

So, if you remember, do lift up a prayer or two. I'd certainly appreciate it! Otherwise, keep on rocking in the free world!

In other news, Walter Bruggeman of biblical theology fame is coming to Regent in about a week. I am unbelievably excited. He's talking about the Exodus and joyous celebration or something. At any rate, it should be more understandable than last year's on love by Nicholas Wolterstorff. Not that W. was bad, just incomprehensibly philosophical, with all that that entails.

Doctor! Doctor!

2008-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, faithful reader, I've been sick. I don't think I mentioned this before, because it is kinda boring to hear people whinge about health. But today was rather exciting.

I went for a check up because since the last time I went to the Dr. here in Van in my first week, I haven't gotten better. That time, I was diagnosed with Strep C, which they don't treat, so I was sent home. Fair enough, right? But the main problem - the fevers - have not gone away, and I've added quite a nice cough to it. You know the type - you start coughing, double up in a ball, and emerge 20 seconds later with your eyes watering like crazy and everybody in the room inching away from you.

Well this morning, I had an appointment. I though 8:15am would be a good time because the clinic would not be busy - nor would any of the labs. Good thing. If you count every test I've ever had in my whole life, I think I've doubled them today. Chest X-Ray, ECG, urine, blood... I just kept running around the hospital to different units. And even more fun is that the things that came back right away - x-ray, ECG, and white blood count - were perfectly normal. So, now I get to talk to the infectious disease specialist. Woohoo mystery disease!

So, if you think of me, please send up a little prayer.

Regent Retreat!

2008-09-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hey fine folks!

Well, I just got back from the Regent Retreat, which was super duper, but pretty crazy too. I've had very little sleep and lots of long talks, so this may not be coherent.

We went to Warm Beach Camp, which is neither warm nor a beach. We also had to cross the border, which meant that 200 km took over 4 hours (and that was quick, since we went to an out-of-the-way border crossing... some waited 4 hours just in line). And then it poured rain all weekend until the drive home. Despite these drawbacks, it was a great weekend.

Especially fun were the talent show and the ceilidh dancing (taught by real Scots!). The talent show had everything from a professor dance-off to poetry recitals, from men in tights (literally) to a michael jackson's "Beat It!", but my favorite was the U2 cover band. One professor, one staff, and two students got together. Now, that sounds just "OK" until you realize that one of the students is OBSESSED with U2 and has pretty much all the same gear as them, including guitars, pedals, amps, etc... and knew every song off by heart. And the lead singer was absolutely hilarious - played Bono perfectly. Here is a video of the guitarist, Patrick.

Other than that, we came up with a couple new phrases. Instead of the usual "Ring by Spring, or your money back" Bible College guarantee, the new Regent phrase is "Consummate by reading break!" or, because of the wave of pregnancies, we are renaming ourselves from the "unseminary" to the "inseminary". Har har! (Also, Friday, the first day of the retreat was International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Huzzah! Grog all around!)

This morning we had my top highlight of the retreat. They have a communion service where they take time (sometimes 5 minutes or more) to pray over each person individually as they recieve communion. With over 400 people at the retreat, and about 20 stations, this can take quite a while but it is really worth it. I ended up at Polly and Phil Long's station (also known as my Greek and Hebrew teachers from Tennessee!). It was really a neat time. If you have a church where you can do something like that, I'd certainly suggest trying it.

Otherwise, I had a whole bunch of really great talks. And I finally met Rick Watts properly - I'm pretty sure he'll remember me. I think we ended up at 3 meals sitting beside each other. And the last conversation we had was great, covering my absolute favorite topic of the moment - evolution! Lots of fun.

Well, take care folks! Until next time!

Reflections on Gardens

2008-09-12T10:37:00.001-07:00

As I sit looking down on my japanese garden, I'm studying about the cosmic fall and the garden of Eden. I've been trying to convince some people at the American Scientific Affiliation that the Garden of Eden really was a paradise. Of course, the Septuagint uses the word paradieson to describe the garden, so the case is an easy one to make.

Now, the one thing I am discovering about my garden here is the inordinate amount of spiders. There are hundreds of massively large spiders, all sitting in the middle of their geometrically perfect sails of silk. The sway back and forth in the breeze, glistening in the sunlight. I hate spiders. They keep making these small wonders of engineering right across my walking path, and especially at night, it creeps me out to get a full web in the face. This garden is a mini paradise - a centre of calm and serenity in the midst of a busy city. But if gardens mean spiders, I'll have to rethink my estimation of Eden.

I'm positive!

2008-09-11T17:36:00.001-07:00

... positive with Strep Throat that is...

I just got my test results back today. And even better, they are not going to treat me! Why? I'm not bad enough. Of course, the fact that I live with a 95 year old lady, whose mother actually died of Strep throat, doesn't seem to matter. Nope, no penicillin for you!

I'm a little annoyed. Even more annoyed because they had the results in yesterday and didn't bother to look at them until I harassed them today - even though they came back positive. I could be dying dammit! (ok, well, not really. Not yet. But it is annoying all the same.) (And, while the bracketal voice of reason is speaking, I should also add that strep C is not very severe, and the side effects of antibiotics are more risky, and they never treat non-severe strep C). But still!

In other news, school is great. I love Regent just as much as ever, and Hebrew is maybe not quite as much of a suicide-thought-invoking course as I thought it would be. Of course, talk to my friend Diana and you might get a different perspective.

But either way, being back and having lots of interesting discussions is everything it should be. Except that I'm contagious with strep throat.

Thanks for reading. Here is another picture from my room. It looks better in real life, I promise. The mac cam just doens't do it justice.

Some pictures...

2008-09-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know these pictures are bad, but I had to take them from my computer because my real camera broke. This first one is part of the Japanese garden outside my study.

The second and third ones are from my bedroom. You can see the furniture made by Margaret's late husband Mack. And the last one is the view from my bedroom, although you can't see the mountains well, and that blue strip is the ocean.

Well, I'm back.

2008-09-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

No, unlike Sam from Lord of the Rings, "I'm back" means my adventure is starting, not finishing.

I've moved in with a remarkable 95 year old woman. She is bright as a button and very witty. She also walks up the massive hill beside our house and carries her own groceries down, reads voraciously, listens to The Vinyl Cafe on CBC radio, and rarely turns on the TV. She's lived in this house since 1941.

Speaking of the house, it is incredible. As I sit now, I'm looking down into a Japanese garden (perfectly maintained, and complete with pond), and to my right I can see cruise ships gliding past in the ocean, and watch the sun setting on the top of Sycamore mountain. Fantastic. From my bedroom, I look back onto downtown. I'd post pictures, but my camera died in England and I didn't bother bringing it here, because it's not worth repairing (being the 4-5th time it has needed costly repairs). So either I'll get a camera, or use the bad one of my computer to get pictures.

The house itself is remarkable. It was built by Margaret's family, mostly by her father. It has been modified by Margaret's late husband into a bit of a Japanese style - hence the garden. He was also a furniture maker and clock enthusiast, so most of the furniture is hand made by him, and there are several remarkable clocks around, including the "guts" of one from the 17th century, sitting beside me here in the study.

The drive out here, with my friend Diana, was wonderful. She drove the whole way (even though I offered!) and we stayed with some friends of hers from eMI in Kamloops. They were wonderfully hospitable, and I ended up staying up far later than I intended to talking to our hostess Joan.

Today, I helped Diana move, and then we went for dim sum with her parents who had also driven out with some of her stuff. The night we arrived, Di and I went for sushi with two Edmonton friends who were in town for a couple of days, and then had some bubble tea afterwards. The next day we walked in the ocean and through a forest.

So, ocean, forest, sushi, dim sum, and bubble tea. Now I'm ready for term to start. Well, perhaps I still need to visit Wolf and Hound for a pint, but I'm pretty much ready for term to start. Freshman orientation is tomorrow, so I don't need to be there, but I think I'll show up for a bit - even though I should be working on my paper for the geology/paleontology course I took with Denis this summer. That can wait. Orientation only happens once a year.

Well, that's all for now. Do check back for further updates as time progresses! I'll try and do one a week or so, but who knows?

I lied, it wasn't over.

2008-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it was, but it wasn't.

Sunday morning, I was trying to get to King's College Chapel for a Eucharist service, but got lost because I took a new route and there was this rather confusing traffic circle where instead of walking around, you walked underneath. Also, the typical lack of visible street signs meant I took off in the wrong direction.

Anyways, late and lost, I saw this church that seemed to have people streaming in. So in I went, and it was a nice evangelical service. Then I had a coffee after service and was hanging around looking awkward and a woman asked me who I was and what I was doing. As I told her, she started laughing. Her husband is starting a new research facility in Cambridge on science and religion, and they were having their first lecture series that night. So I was invited along. As it turned out, this was a pretty big thing. We had one of the top archeologists from the British Museum there, a guy from Germany who is working on a dig in Jerusalem, and several other experts in their fields. Everyone (including the director of the Faraday Institute with whom I'd just taken this course) had had a private invitation. Except me, I just showed up. It was fantastic!

Anyways, I've left Cambridge, I'm now back in Staines, and head home tomorrow!

Cheers!

Well, it's all over folks!

2008-07-26T01:36:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe not quite yet. I suppose there is still two more days in Cambridge and the flights home, but just about everyone has left now. I'm heading out again soon with Dean Zimmerman for lunch. He's the prof. of philosophy from Rutgers university who also likes old slasher movies, punk rock, and Dr. Horrible's musical weblog. (I'd love to link all these, but right now it is not working on this computer. I'll have to come back and change this when I get to a real computer.) Last night we went out and saw a bunch of local punk rock bands at a tiny venue. Tons of fun. There was this absolutely fantastic group called The Sills. I got their CD so if you are interested, let me know and I'll give you a listen.

In other news, one of my buddies here has been keeping a VERY good blog where he is actually talking about the lectures and the responses to them. He's a physics professor from Ireland, and a nice and interesting guy. I give you: Cormac.

http://coraifeartaigh.wordpress.com/

He'll also soon have pictures up. My camera died, so I got a disposable for a couple of important shots, but you can see what things looked like from his perspective there. And if I download them later, I'll post my favourites.

Well, so long, dear reader! I may post again before coming back, but no guarantees.

I love this country!!

2008-07-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Simon Conway Morris presented this morning. If you don't know, he worked on the Burgess Shale, which is tons of fun biologically. He gave a brilliant presentation, and I may have a new hero.

In other news, a couple of us were taking a back alley/road (they are hard to tell apart here) last night to the pub, and who should be getting in/loading into a van right in front of us but Stephen Hawking. So yes, I saw him, he crossed the street right in front of me.

Speaking of the pub, the pub we went to (The Eagle) was where Watson and Crick dreamed up the double helix form of the DNA molecule. It's also where they announced it to the world. I didn't have such a brain wave, though I tried to think of one while I was there. I did, however, have a fantastic and far too long talk with Dean Zimmerman, our philosophy expert at the conference. Definitely a cool guy, who likes Flight of the Conchords and old slasher movies.

Today is "evolution/biology" day, so I'm actually coherent on the issues being presented, which is really nice. Unfortunately, the pseudo-theology being presented was horrid, but so they've only been tag-ons to excellent scientific work presented by scientists. The theologian is up next, so let's hope it is good. I'll let you know.

Hello Again!

2008-07-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

Well, time is just flying here, and I hardly have the opportunity for these short updates!

Today we heard from Katherine Blundell, and Paul Shellard. Paul was talking about speculative physics models (multiverses, cosmic inflation, and the like) and unfortunately I didn't really understand a word of it, though it all sounded quite impressive. On the other hand was Katherine, who spoke entirely intelligibly, and wonderfully, and even introduced a hermeneutic for interpreting the Bible which was incredibly close to Denis', though it held itself back to mathmatic and cosmological concordism. (If that last sentence makes no sense, don't worry. I only included it for about 2 people who I know are reading this...)

Life here is delightful. It has been really nice weather - no rain, and a mix of sun and fluffy clouds. The grounds are amazing, and I have a friend (Rowan Dorin) studying over at Trinity College, who walked me all around and inside the grounds of Trinity and Kings.

I can't get over how small Cambridge is. It takes about 1/2 hour to walk across the entire place. It is, as a result, rather dense with very narrow streets and lots of grand buildings.

I haven't been punting on the river yet (little boats you take out, and push along with a long pole... think Venetian gondolas, but flat-ended), but I have been to several pubs. I've also been shamelessly asking everyone about Ph.D. supervision, but don't have any good news yet. We'll see. If nothing else, I'm making lots of great connections - getting lots of face time.

This afternoon we have John Polkinghorne and Dean Zimmerman. I can hardly think of a stranger combination for one evening, but there you go!

Sorry if this whole post is a little fragmented... I've been running primarily on caffeine and adrenaline, with far too many incredibly interesting conversations, so I'm starting to fray a little around the edges, despite the fact that we are not yet half finished!

Cambridge!

2008-07-22T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hello faithful readers!

I do apologize for being so late in updating this, I've simply been frightfully busy! Actually, I just can't get into the library, but that's another story!

I was dropped off in Cambridge on Sunday around 4pm, on the complete opposite end of town. Luckily, it only takes about 20 minutes to walk across the entire thing! I checked in, and then called my good buddy Rowan. He took me all around Trinity and Kings colleges, and down the river. It was lovely. But I soon had to hurry back because the course was starting. I ran back to St. Edmund's and came to dinner. We met in a big hall, surrounded by portraits and gardens. After dinner was a drinks reception, so I stood there sipping beer talking to people I was terrified of. In fact, at one point I was standing with two very tall, very proper Englishmen, who both sort of mumbled things like "quite" a lot. I felt like I was in that Family Guy episode where Brian goes to the New York Times and he is sitting in this room with these really incomprehensible people.
Then, I was talking to a guy named Peter Harrison, a professor at Oxford whom I'd love to work with, and this American walked up, invited Peter for "a real pint" and since I and another guy were standing there invited us as well. The American is a guy named Ed Larson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, holds two University chairs, and all sorts of things. Of course, I knew nothing of this, and probably made a total fool of myself, but there you go! It was fun.

Day one was exciting - lots of good discussion, and great topics to talk about. And the other people in the course are fantastic as well - from all over the world. This morning, for example, I was invited to early morning prayer and eucharist. I only found out at breakfast that the man who led it is a Jesuit priest from Malta.

Yup, Cambridge is fabulous.

I also went to see Darwin's papers - they have the largest collection of manuscripts in the world here - so I saw his letters, notes he'd made on his Beagle trip, and even his annotations of Paley's books. And, surprising enough, Darwin's great grandson was actually in the room, advising another group of Darwin scholars. It was really neat!

Well, the next session starts in 4 minutes, so I'd better get going! Until next time!

London : the day of three

2008-07-19T15:58:00.001-07:00

I woke up late this morning. I think the adrenaline is wearing off and the jet lag is setting in finally! But I was in London by noon, at the National Art Gallery (also free in this great country!), and was looking at the masters! Donatello, Raphael, Da Vinci, Michaelangelo (yup, that's all four ninja turtles!), Monet, Rubens, Rembrandt, Tintoretto and many more! Fantastic! Also, dropped by the National Portrait Museum and saw Elizabeth I, and her court, John Bunyon, Milton, the only Shakespeare portrait by someone who has actually seen him, and all sorts of other things. Then I went back to the British Museum to see an important room I'd missed (the reading room) to find it closed in light of a new exhibition that will soon begin. Then I wanted to go over to the room with my Babylonian map of the world, but it was closing just as I got there and couldn't get into the gallery. Much sadness. But all was not lost! Because, I left and caught a double decker and sat front and centre all the way back to the train station home, so my trip there was not a complete waste.

Finally, my hosts took me out for a wonderful Indian meal at a local restaurant here in Staines. Yeay Lamb curry!

Tomorrow, I'll go to church with them, and then head directly off to Cambridge, so next time you hear from me, I should be there! Adios!

London: Day 2!

2008-07-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

So, I found out today that if you travel after 9:30am (end of peak time) they take a good 5-7 quid off your travel price. Needless to say, I slept in with happiness. Then I went in, just in time to catch the changing of the guard. Which was, as a short person, rather a disappointment. I suppose if you like looking at the back of people's heads and hearing scraps of music and being crushed by a crowd, you might like to see it. The only real redeeming part was the fact that the band inside (the one being relieved) played the starwars theme. The whole thing. It was brilliant.

After that was the Tower of London. Certainly a worthwhile trip. I think it was awesome: medieval castle, where the royal family lived for 500 years, the place where Queen Elizabeth I was imprisoned while a princess, where Anne Bolyn and her sister were executed, the royal crown jewels, and armouries!! I saw more suits of armour today than I ever have before... it was delightful. And the security guards all actually double as tour guides, and are incredibly knowledgeable about the rooms if only you stop to talk to them. I stayed until it closed and I got kicked out. I also did my mandatory "Fish and Chips" meal during this time. Yeay!

After that, I went over to Westminster Abbey to try and catch an evensong service. Unfortunately, I was too late. But I saw all these people walking in after whispering something that sounded like "high mass" to the security guard. So I did the same, and he let me right in. So I was wandering around this massive cathedral, and found the service in the main bit- right where the coronations happen. And as it turned out, it was a very small gathering with a very large choir. Probably about as many in the choir as in the congregation. And it was HIGH church. Incense and everything. (I actually talked with the guy who made the incense later, and he bases the recipe on the high priest incense in Exodus - you know the one that anyone who imitates should die? But he adds more cinnamon and nutmeg to the mix, so it comes out smelling like apple cider)
Anyways, there I am in one of the most glorious cathedrals in the world, celebrating high mass with almost everyone in the congregation in suits, and then the robes of the choir/priests, and I am in sandals, jeans, and my pink robot t-shirt taking communion. Classy. I know.
Then, as I was leaving, people seemed to be leaving in two different directions. I thought "Well, I've already been down that way, so I'll go the second way". But it didn't lead to a way out. It lead to a private reception in Poet's Corner. With wine and free food. Being a shameless student as I am, I ate... well... shamelessly. It turns out the mass I stumbled in upon is a once-a-year event put on by the "Our Lady of the Pew" society. I spent all evening there, talking to different people. And then one old Scottish guy decided to give me a tour of the Abbey. Except instead of showing me normal things, like the nave, or side chapels, he took me into the back gardens, completely ignoring all the signs that said "Residents only" or "Private" - right into where the canons live. Then another old couple (who turned out to be Catholic Charismatics) took down to Downing Street, and along the street beside Whitehall, the House of Lords and Big Ben. It was marvelous. They also said "We always have beds kicking around, and we live in London, so if you don't like commuting from Staines..." Hmm... I might just take them up on it someday!

Well, another adventurous day is past. Tomorrow? Indian curry with my hosts, and a couple of museums. But we'll see. It is after all, another day.

Good night dear reader!

I've arrived... and such....

2008-07-17T14:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I must say it has been a busy day. I arrived at Heathrow around 9ish, got out by 10:30ish and was ready to explore by 11ish. Of course, I no sooner set out for the train station than I got entirely lost. Yup. Had to ask some maintenance guy. Despite my map. Turns out the "street" I was supposed to turn off on was really more of a goat track hidden by bushes. No, really.

Anyways, got to London, Trafalgar square, and the British museum. They are... stunning. Especially that last one. I actually petered out before I even got through every room. Of course, trying to deal with jet lag, while piling lots of facts and random things into your head is not so easy. But here is what I remember seeing: the great sphinx's beard, Ceasar's ring seal, a Babylonian map of the world, the Rosetta stone, mummies, coins, half the parthenon, swords, and so on. And no sooner did I get out of the museum than another vision of greatness presented itself to me: Spamalot! Yes, the Monty Python musical is playing here, and I already bought my Edmonton ticket. Am I bitter? Don't ask.

Then came the Globe Theatre, Fleet street (which does have a barber shop, but underneath is a noodle shop, not a pie shop. Asian fusion food is all the rage these days...), St. Paul's Cathedral, the old Bailey, Millenium bridge, the Golden Hind, Rev. St. James beer, the Underground, and many other adventures.

Oh, I should also mention that I'm saying in the "town" of Staines. Yup, the same place Ali G calls home. Word.

I also got lost down a random street and found a wall hanging that said "Mr. John and Mr. Charles Wesley preached here frequently." Cool.

Well, more has happened, but I can't tell you all. Also, if you are wondering why there are no pictures it is because my totally unreliable camera has proved itself one more to be... unreliable. So, later I'll add some generic web photos of these places and some of you innovative people out there can photoshop me in!

Cambridge!

2008-07-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

Well, as a request came in, I will be blogging for my Cambridge trip.

For those of you who don't know, I'm going to Cambridge for a week long course at St. Edmund's college. It is a faith/science conference put on by the Faraday Institute. The link to the course is here.

I leave on Wednesday and will update you as stuff happens!

Home.

2008-05-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Since I am home for the summer, and I wrote this blog for all you peoples back here in Edmonton, I won't write again until September. See you then!

Monty Python Realities

2008-04-05T12:07:00.001-07:00

Hmm.. anyone heard about the "pregnant man" who is on Oprah? Yup, a guy, who was a girl and is having a baby.

Well compare these two quotes:
"I feel it's not a male or female desire to have a child. It's a human need. I'm a person and I have the right to have a biological child."

and

" It's every man's right to have babies if he wants them."

The problem is... one of these quotations is from the weekly news, and the other is from Monty Python's "Life of Brian". How interesting that what was mocked as a ridiculous conclusion is now a person's real moral stance... Where are we going in this hand basket?

Just cuz I like it, the context of the Monty Python is here. If you want to find out about the man who was a woman, who is now a pregnant father, just google "pregnant man".

FRANCIS:: Why are you always on about women, Stan?
STAN:: I want to be one.
REG:: What?
STAN:: I want to be a woman. From now on, I want you all to call me 'Loretta'.
REG:: What?!
LORETTA:: It's my right as a man.
JUDITH:: Well, why do you want to be Loretta, Stan?
LORETTA:: I want to have babies.
REG:: You want to have babies?!
LORETTA:: It's every man's right to have babies if he wants them.
REG:: But... you can't have babies.
LORETTA:: Don't you oppress me.
REG:: I'm not oppressing you, Stan. You haven't got a womb! Where's the foetus going to gestate?! You going to keep it in a box?!
LORETTA:: [crying]
JUDITH:: Here! I-- I've got an idea. Suppose you agree that he can't actually have babies, not having a womb, which is nobody's fault, not even the Romans', but that he can have the right to have babies.

On Reading and Listening

2008-03-27T22:42:00.001-07:00

"I read the book." The words fell with a finality.
"I... Read... The... Book." I've heard this phrase used twice recently. It comes with an angry sort of confrontation. Like someone saying "look, I've performed this stupid exercise, and it is the most ridiculous thing ever". It also leaves no uncertainty as to the perfection of the interpretation of the book. Somehow, this phrase takes grace and humility and tosses both out the window. If we are discussing a book that we've all read, why state that you read it?
You read the book. But you did not listen to it. You didn't allow it to inform you, or challenge you, or even just amuse you. You read it. But you didn't let it in. You pushed it away, or ignored it, or simply let your eyes go over the pages, but the words stopped at your eyes instead of your mind.

I've determined never to use that phrase. The futile sense of meaningless accomplishment is too much for me.

Waiting Under Bridges and other fun adventures.

2008-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

Sorry I haven't posted recently. Work and life events, as well as a hesitancy to post what is not really processed have held back my hand.

Reading week last week was great. Not only was it Mel's birthday, but it was also my roommate's, and my friend Brad's. So three b-days, and three parties. By far, Mel's was the craziest, at a house in north van with a fitness pole playing a prominent part in the gatherings. (There is a video on Facebook for those of you who like that sort of thing). People running around in circles and so on.

The year is wrapping up quickly, and I'm still a little overwhelmed by the prospect of the year being almost done. I still feel like a newbie, and yet I'm applying for TA positions for next year! Ahh!

As for "waiting under bridges", we had a really interesting Easter Vigil at my church. We went under the Burrard Street bridge, and built a little fire in a pit, and sat in a circle with candles while we sang songs. It was a reflective service, one that understood the agony of Friday and waiting for the resurrection of Sunday when it has not yet come. But I thought it was so comforting to wait together. We forget that sometimes. Anyways, the bridge was neat. One of my pastors goes there regularly, and hangs out with the people who live there. She's also built a prayer labyrinth out of rocks and pebbles that she found around. I wonder how many of these spaces we completely overlook in our day to day wanderings.

It's like walking in the forest, which I posted about before. I sometimes go long periods without going in, and silently, it waits. But when I do go in, there is such peace that I wonder why I don't go more often.

Well, all that to say, I'm doing well, and thinking lots! I'll see all you peoples soon, as I'm planning to be back in E-town by May.

A Baby's Been Born!

2008-03-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

The people who live upstairs have had a baby!

A little boy was born Tuesday morning, and now I can hear him crying at times. I haven't met him yet (and he still hasn't been named), but it's a neat thing to know he's up there. I spoke to the the dad today, and he is rather delighted.

I also saw Juno recently. Great movie. I highly recommend it. It reminded me of "Little Miss Sunshine", an indie movie that was heartfelt and sweet, and affirmed life in all its weird, comical, and tragic bits.

There is so much to learn, so much to experience, so much to see. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by it all. I wish I could read and watch and listen all at the same time. I think this is what reading "The Creation" by E. O. Wilson is doing to me. It's inspiring me to see the wonder in the world. And there are so many people I'd like to get to know.

I don't know if any of this is making sense. I also just finished the last paper due before reading week and the relief is palpable. That's probably why I have this sudden lust for life. Comes from finishing the eternal assignment. Of course, there are plenty more yet to do, but that's in weeks to come! Lots of time!

Well, good night good peoples!

Taste of the World

2008-03-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a while, so I figured it was time.

We had "Taste of the World" here at Regent. It was like missionfest food and entertainment without the missions. Also, everything was actually by people authentically from the countries being represented. At the Canada booth we had TimBits, nanaimo squares, and salmon. Perfect.

Walking home, I was amazed by the difference between walking around during the day and during the night. The stars were out, and it was beautiful. And then you look around and there are cats everywhere. And skunks too, though I didn't go too closely to investigate. But there is this peaceful serenity, that you just don't see during the day. I could wander around for hours. But I also find that every time I do, I end up running into people I know who kinda look at me weird, and wonder if I'm quite well or not. Oh well.

In other news, I've been an unintentional poster girl. Last year, I went down to the National Pastor's Conference in San Diego with my buddies at Vanguard. Good times. Well, this time, they went back and found this photo!

Ironically, I know exactly when this was taken. I had sat down to read, and none other than Eugene Peterson sat down at the table next to me, and engaged in conversation with a pastor. I assume the photographer wanted pictures of him, and just coincidentally grabbed this one of me. Either way, I think I should get royalties!

Di's visit

2008-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

My long-time friend Diana came to visit this last weekend. It was great to see her. She came to check out Regent, but is still working through the process of discernment as to whether to come or not. Either way, she was exposed to some of the best that the community here offers (although she missed out on Saturday morning breakfast at the local community house, but I did tell her about it!).

I also had a delightful time embarrassing her by introducing her as my "youth leader". That was a long time ago, and we've come a long way since, but it's still true.

We also ate very well. I don't think I'll need to eat for a week or so. Beautiful.

It's been a great week. Meeting with long time friends, beautiful weather, and some very interesting reading. I should also mention (for those of you in Edmonton especially) that I think spring has arrived. Flowers are blooming, there is that sweet smell in the air, life is bursting forth everywhere...

And no. Still no man. Quit asking.

;)

Peace.

2008-02-21T18:02:00.000-08:00

I sometimes find that the peace here is overwhelming.

Today the sun was out, the snow-capped peaks were glistening. The air was fresh and warm. Flowers are peaking out all around the city, bringing fragrance and beauty. There is a wonderful vitality.

I spent the morning reading in the sunshine. It was glorious. Then, I had a great conversation with my Greek tutor, about life and living. The bell was then rung, calling us to mid-day prayer. Right after prayer, I had lunch in the atrium. Since it is "Offering of the Arts" week, there was live music, and a relaxed and happy atmosphere. And another life-giving conversation. It was brilliant. Two hours of class, some study, more good conversation and supper finds me here. In the library working on my exegesis paper. Beautiful.

I also watched the movie "Wit" last night. If you've never seen it, you need to. It was made for TV, and so didn't get a lot of press, but I think it is the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. We watched as part of our curriculum, but I think I'm going to get a copy. Emma Thompson has an awe-inspiring performance. And it just happened to intersect with a lot of questions I've been having about academy, scholarship, and being human. I highly recommend this film.
Warning: Bring kleenex. Lots of it. I'm not one to cry during movies, and despite my best efforts I bawled like a baby. Even after it was finished. If you thought "Million Dollar Baby" was sad, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Unbelievable Part II

2008-02-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's a cold, wet day. It hasn't stopped pouring since I got up. My roommate is sick, and fled to her parents house as soon as I got up and started cooking breakfast (I didn't know she was sick at that point). So there I was, all alone for the day.

I ended up going for a walk, as is my habit, through the nearby forest. But because it is miserable, the paths were deserted also.

On my way home, I decided to stop by Safeway to grab a couple of things that we are running low on here. While I was walking there, I was complaining to Jesus (as one does...) about how alone I was feeling, and how I'd really like to see a friendly face. I had in mind a couple of people who live in the neighbourhood, and whom I've run into at Safeway before. I figured, a couple of minutes with one of these people, and I'd be good.

I got to the store, and kept my eyes open. But none of the familiar figures were there. "Figures..." I muttered to myself, and started looking in earnest for the things I needed. I was just heading to the bakery with half-formed ideas about buying lots of chocolate donuts when I passed the pharmacy. And who should be there but Kit, a long time friend, and my very first Kung Fu instructor. He was as surprised to see me as I him. We ended up talking for a couple minutes. He's just moved to the city from Hong Kong. Anyways, we made plans for a board game night, and he went back to work. It was so nice to see him.

It's funny. I wanted a quick meeting with a friendly face, and instead I got reconnected with an old friend who I had no idea lived anywhere near here. I am much more satisfied than if I had gotten what I'd asked for. Unbelievable.

Unbelievable

2008-02-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Some of the opportunities life brings you to is amazing.

A friend of mine is from South Africa. His brother came up to visit. They came over to our house for tea and scones (cooked by my amazing roommate) and today we went to church and then out for lunch. Rory and I had had several verbal battles by then, and (as is typical with me), I'd let out a couple of "I could take you!" remarks. That's when I found out that he had been Nelson Mandela's chief bodyguard. Head of his security throughout his presidency. Amazing. He told a couple of crazy stories. Of course, I couldn't back down then, but I think we both had a good laugh after that. Who knew?

Other than that, it's been an amazing week. And (even better) it is reading week this next week, so I'll catch up on all that sleep I've been missing. Slow down, relax, and get some good solid work done. The week before last was a bit of a nightmare, so this is really nice. Peace is such a valuable thing.

Also, Rory wrote a book about his time with Mandela, you can take a look at it here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Step-Behind-Mandela-Nelson/dp/1868722694

You know you're at Regent when...

2008-02-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

You know you're at Regent when...

- the top question on your mind for the last week has been "what does it mean to be truly human?"

- you start feeling apologetic anytime you throw something out, and you start refusing bags when you buy things because of environmental concerns.

- you start wondering about the ontological reality of the image of God and the possible false dichotomy between natural and supernatural.

- you start saying "It seems to me..." whenever you're trying to make an astute theological point.

- you don't really notice regional accents any more.

- you've given up trying to imitate all the different regional accents.

Thoughtful...

2008-01-30T19:47:00.001-08:00

The morning after my last post, a friend of mine e-mailed to tell me about his new born son. So, life and death. I don't think we normally see those two set against each other in such stark contrast, nor in such quick succession. But it has been sticking with me all week. One dies - sad, terrible, sorrowful, unlooked for. Another is born - joyful, wonderful, looked for in great anticipation.

God is still here. To weep with those who weep. To rejoice with those who rejoice. From ashes to ashes. From dust to dust. From life, to death, to life renewed.

" Then Job replied to the LORD :

"I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'

My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you."

Sorrowful...

2008-01-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

A good man has passed away.

My earliest memories of him were mostly of fright. He used to stomp around the camp, and he had this loud, intimidating voice. But through the years, you got to know and love him. Whether he was getting worked up in a preaching storm, or tirelessly rewinding up the zipline cable, it was hard not to love him.
I remember when he first got a digital camera, and ran around the camp, taking pictures of absolutely everything. He was just so delighted that if you took a bad picture, it didn't matter. Just delete it. He printed off pictures and gave them to everyone. Printing pictures off your own printer was so cheap! I still have one of the pictures he took of me riding a horse named Madeira. It's in my little photo album beside my bed.
I remember when we used to host Korean students. He would preach, and the translator wouldn't understand, and so there would be a pause as they would go back and forth and try to figure out what the other meant. It was often really funny.

I remember when he lifted me out of the water at my baptism. It was a perfect, warm, sunny day. He was smiling.

How many memories I have. He died today. A snowy road. A blizzarding sky. A vehicle not seen until too late.

Thank you for your dedicated service. Thank you for the sacrifices you made. Thank you for a life well-lived.

"And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest"

Creative Hippy Genius

2008-01-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

,

So, I've said before that there is some creative genius around this school. Case in point...

The "Creation Care" Community group (many of the groups have themes, including social justice, missions, environmentalism, etc.), dumpster dived for a week and put together this display in our atrium. The entire tree is made from recovered and rinsed cups from the Regent trash cans.

The posters say "The cups used to create this "tree" represent approximately one weeks worth of non-recyclable cups disposed of at Regent College alone", "Raise your awareness" and "Drink Responsibly: Bring a Travel mug..."

I was in fact really glad that I had brought a travel mug this morning, as it would have been a little embarrassing on this day to order the cup. Although it did make me reflect on the fact that often my own laziness in rinsing out my morning coffee cup causes me to order an afternoon one with a new cup. I'll have to do something about that.

Either way, I liked the creativity of this approach. If more environmentalist propaganda was of this nature, I'd probably be more inclined to pay attention. I was impressed.

On that note, I think I'm going to join the chapel choir. I feel like such a consumer here. It would be nice to contribute.

I remember!

2008-01-18T15:01:00.000-08:00

I remember the thing I was going to tell you all! (If you are confused, refer to my last post...)

On Wednesday night we watched the movie "Luther" as an optional component of our Christian Thought and Culture course. At the end of the night, our librarian showed up with a 1595 copy of a Catholic refutation of Luther's works. Not being so quick, he commented on Luther's works, and then actually included large chapters of Luther's works. So a book that was supposed to be a refutation, actually contained primarily Luther's works.

We were also allowed to handle the book if we put on gloves, which was neat. And the librarian fully agreed with me (in opposition to several heathens present) that writing in/underlining books is worse than sacrilege.

Kind Actions

2008-01-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

You know, it doesn't take much to help the world feel a little safer.

For example tonight, I got on the bus and a rather mentally disturbed young man started aggressively talking to me while I read my book. The bus driver noticed and pulled over, and went to quite some lengths to get the young man off the bus.
It was just a little thing, but it helped me feel better about taking the bus, and about the Vancouver transit system. It wasn't a big problem, I was on the bus. But it made me feel better about the situation nonetheless.

Thanks Mr. Bus Driver.

There was something else I was planning to tell all you people out in blog land. I was thinking in the afternoon "I gotta blog this", but now I've forgotten the content entirely, and only remember my reminder. How silly is that? Oh well.
More anecdotes to come, hopefully some silly ones (as I know the one I forgot was!)

Back in Vancouver...

2008-01-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back. The new semester is starting and I have a rather strange mix of reactions to it. Partially, I'm excited. Partially, I'm scared. Either way, it is nice to have a regular routine again.

Regent is really good for me. Those of you who know me, will chuckle at this next story.

I got the crap beat out of me this morning in the kindest and most compassionate way. I had gone to talk to one of my professors about one of my papers, because she welcomes the conversation that they begin. It was not about marks, but it was an exploration of why a certain mark was given. This is the first time I've ever walked into an office thinking I'd gotten a relatively low mark, and walked out thinking it was extraordinarily generous. Within the first three minutes I had my tail between my legs and was inwardly groaning in agony at the glaring anachronisms and blatant presuppositions. And what nearly made it worse was that the prof was so nice about it! Saying things like "I was rooting for you" and "all the components of a good paper were there, you simply failed to see your presuppositions" (like the fact that the entire argument was anachronistic!"), or even "you know, I think you just need more practice at this particular kind of paper". All true. All painfully, ego-bustingly true. Yup, I've been humbled quite strongly, especially because I agreed with every thing that was pointed out, and realize just how much grace was extended.

In other news, family dinner at the Phillips' is only once a month now, which means I'll have remarkably less good nutrition, but also far less calories in my diet. That is, after all, my unabashed gluttony fest of the week.

My courses are looking good and challenging, but I'll write about them another time. It's now time for bed.

I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

2007-12-13T17:13:00.000-08:00

"... you make take our lives, but you will never take.. our.... FREEDOM!!!!!"

And with those classic words I rejoice. I'm done. Free. Gone.
My history exam was 18 pages double spaced. Two hours. Horrid.
My final exam was a maze of double negatives (i.e. "What did this insert author you've never heard of not reject of the following 10 statements: insert statements with words like perichoresis, consistendia, obfuscation, teleological, escatological... well you get the point...
A) 1 and 2
B) 2 and 4
C) 1, 2, and 6
D) All of the above
E) What???

Needless to say, most of my answers had something to do with E.

That being said, I'm looking forward to fencing tonight where I will make some people wither before the exhausted fury of my attack. And I'm looking forward to coming home for Christmas! Yeay!

It's been a while.

2007-12-11T22:25:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a while since I wrote, but I feel justified since it is exam week, and I have four finals in three days. (One down, three to go...)

Anyways, I just wanted to mention this. The UK is a magical place to me. Why you ask? It's so... non-North American!!

Take for example the "Britain's Got Talent" first run through. At the end of the first season, we have a dumpy, chubby, middle aged, cell-phone salesman with a broken tooth, who sings opera. Yup, in the finals of "Britain's Got Talent" little Paul Potts with his opera.
Watch his first break here. Believe me, it is worth the watch.

Who is his competition? Some young, good-looking girl with a sweet voice? Well... sort of. Connie Talbot, at 6 years old, came all the way to the final, bewitching crowds with her entirely honest answers and singing "somewhere over the rainbow". See her first moment here. Not as good as Paul, but still fun. (She has the cutest accent ever.)

Now why does this impress me so much? Look at the American Idols. Kelly Clarkson. Ruben Studdard. Fantasia Barino. (and of course, honourable mention to Clay Aiken in the second season). All young. All good looking. All probably the coolest kid in school. These weren't talent contests, they were people voting for whom they most wanted to be.

Britain had the real "rags to riches story". It is the land of real modern fairy tales.

Winter Walks

2007-11-30T16:17:00.001-08:00

I live in a beautiful place.

About a block from my home there is a path into an old growth forest. Hemlocks, cedars and Douglas firs rise majestically around the small winding paths. Every time I go for a walk (which I try to do every sunny day) I feel like I've been transported into a magical world. The trees have throttled out almost all the undergrowth in the really deep parts of the forest, so you can see the rows upon rows of trunks, surrounding you for as far as you can see. It feels as if you have entered the huge, pillared hall of a European basilica. The sun can't quite peak through all the branches, and so everything is bathed in a warm green light. Moss covers nearly every surface, adding to the feeling of warmth and age.
This is the place where fairy tales happen. This is where the great adventurers find their deeds of courage and love. This is the worship place of the ancient Celts. This is sacred ground.
Then, when you are convinced that the land couldn't be any more beautiful, you come to a clearing at the crest of a hill. Out before you a wide vista arises, displaying snow-capped mountains glittering in the sun, entrancing you with their distant song. Your heart breaks with the beauty, the desire, and the joy of it all.
You pray, you praise, you worship. Not because you intended to, but because it explodes out without warning, bubbling up, flooding over your soul.
Then, inevitably, the moment passes. You remember that paper that you should be writing. You remember the duties of home. You remember the chores that await you there. Slowly, unwillingly, you turn to leave.
But not for long. You will soon return to this place of mystery and wonder.
But that will be another day.

Come Back!

2007-11-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Return! Return ye harbingers of good weather and bright sun!!

The entire week my parents were here, we had the nicest week in terms of weather that I have seen since my first few weeks here. True, it poured on the first Saturday, but since then it was mostly blue skies, sunshine, and wonderfully warm weather.

No sooner did the get on the plane to go home than it started snowing. That's right. Snowing. Not lots, but enough to accumulate into a thin layer of ice everywhere. And it hasn't been even remotely sunny since. In fact, it is so dark and gloomy, I sometimes wonder if the sun has decided to get up behind those clouds at all.

In other news, I'm writing a history paper contrasting St. Bernard of Clairvaux's preaching and ideals of the Second Crusade with what actually happened. I have literally piles of books around me, several web sources, and no ideas. Not than I don't know what to write, I just don't have the slightest clue where one starts with such a complex, massive subject when there are only a few pages in which to contain your ideas. Well, back to work. And more tea. I've had so much tea lately, I pretty certain that I'm rivaling the rainfall here in terms of water-output.

Warning: Don't poke me. Random crusade facts may spill out.

Jack

2007-11-22T14:13:00.001-08:00

There is something about the tortuous delight in reading C. S. Lewis that captivates me every time. The beauty of a phrase, the clarity of thought, the vivid pictures that come to mind.

Even just flipping through a book to find something arouses all the same joy, the same exquisite painfulness that it did the first time through. You are caught in something partway between an adventure and a dull chore. The very monotony of turning pages and moving your eyes becomes tiresome, but you can hardly absorb enough words at any one glance! You want to rush forward to see what will happen, and to experience the new vistas that unfold before you, but you also try to hold back and savour each moment as it passes.

It is thrilling, compelling, heart-wrenching. Desire nearly overwhelms you with its force. It is like driving to see an old friend. The ride can hardly be over fast enough, but the bitter-sweet desire of waiting is itself part of the joy.

It feels like life.

Rents!

2007-11-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

So, my parents are in town.

My dad has a conference, and so my mom, dad, and my mom's best friend are all congregating here in Vancouver for a week. I'm looking forward to a nice week of spoiled eating, etc. etc.

It's also reading week, so I'm studying my bum off, because after this, it'll be straight through to exams.

Work...

2007-11-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, I just had my first shift at my new job: the UBC ropes course.

I basically facilitate groups coming by to do team building, group work, outdoor adventures and so forth. I though that I would get some little kids who wouldn't notice my blunders, or when I really didn't know what I was talking about.

No such luck. 8 boys and 2 girls, all grade 12. Mine for 4 hours. Well, I made it! I'm still alive. And it was a beautiful day, so that made things better as well. Time to study!

And my parents are coming out this next week! I am super excited about that.

Somethings should not be allowed...

2007-11-12T14:59:00.001-08:00

Like living in Canada and going for a bike ride in shorts, sandals and a sleeveless shirt in mid-November. It shouldn't be allowed. But here... it seems that all things are possible. When the sun comes out, it is so beautiful.

Hope all of you over in Edmonton are doing well with your snow.

I also had a surprise visit... from "Private Bautista".

Yes, Bautista. I realize you all think her name is Melba Seto, but she has been duping us all... for all these years...

As it turns out, when she had her official "name change", she also changed her last name.

Showing you around!

2007-11-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

So, as promised, I'm finally going to show you around my neck of the woods!
When you get to Vancouver, you want to "stop" at Discovery Street. (Appropriate name eh? I love it!)

Then stop at the house with all the decorations and, (usually) a mob of kids playing outside. Usually playing some variation of "knighthood" or "kingdom". I'd love to join, but would be ashamed to ask. Also, I have a funny feeling that a real sword would not be appreciated by the parents.
This house is the gathering place for all the little kiddies of the neighbourhood.

Finally, when you get to this house, don't go up to the front door. You have to go around the (right) side, past the nice cars (yes, that is a Porsche), through the gate and down to the little side door. You can just see the window and the door frame in this picture.

That is where I live!

Keep checking up, and soon I'll show you the inside, including a special visitor we had...

By the way, happy Remembrance Day. Take a moment and reflect...

Wake me up when November ends

2007-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

Is it November already? Where is the snow? I seriously have no internal calendar here. Everything is green, there are still leaves (or at least some leaves) on most trees, and it rains...rains...rains.
This is the month of papers and studying, so you may not hear from me for a while.

Highlights from this week:
-lunch with a Welsh girl at a cool little coffee place called "The Beanery"
-supper at Phil Long's house with real Tennessee chili and corn bread, followed by apple pie and ice cream!
-a great lecture on medieval art
-finishing research for one of my papers!
-developing my question for my history paper! (How did the second crusade interact with the preaching of St. Bernard)
-finished a book by C.S. Lewis (Prayer: Letters to Malcolm)
-actually took out my journal and wrote in it!
-phoned home
-ordered a book from "Real Live Preacher"

Yup, it's been a productive week. Now I just need to study.

Sometimes...

2007-10-25T22:08:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I feel like writing long and intricate visionary pieces here. Pieces of writing that would inspire and reform... pieces that would bring peace and love... writing that would bring comfort to those who mourn, and encourage those who rejoice... words that would cause people to think in compassionate and just ways...

I usually just surf the net until the feeling goes away.

Old Testament Midterm

2007-10-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I nailed it. I don't really want this to become a forum for me to prematurely access my work, but I think it went over quite well. Which is good, because I was really nervous about it.
Was there guess work? Of course. But most of my guesses were at the 80% mark, and several have been verified in after-exam talk. Always nice.

On to more work. It's great, I came down to the library to look for some books, and the exact book I was looking for (or one of them) was just sitting here on the table with no one around. Love it when that happens!

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

2007-10-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry, it's midterm time. I have that wonderful euphoric/adrenalinic rush going on... all the time... in fact I can hardly sit down to concentrate at anything. After Wednesday, I should be able to breathe again, but there are no guarantees.

The team from Vanguard is here! I saw them on Saturday night! It was lots of fun, relaxing and good. My sister wasn't there though, due to a bad ankle accident.

So, I also had a good rant session tonight. I just found out one of my major papers is supposed to have a 1500 word limit. 1500 words? That's like... an introduction!! Seriously...
Well, I hope they are prepared when I throw a 1500 word paper at them with 3000 words of footnotes... (seriously? 1500 words? at grad school?? And this is supposed to be a rigorous academic institution?!)

Off to do Greek! It's always the last part of my day. For two reasons. One, I like to procrastinate, and push it as far away as possible. Second, somehow everything makes more sense when I'm overtired and only half-conscious. Not sure why, but it does!

I am being watched....

2007-10-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

I feel a strong sense of peace and calm as I sleep at night. It is like a benevolent force is watching over my slumber, and indeed, all of creation.

I attribute this feeling entirely to my new art. "A mountain, trees, and a midget..." ...that beautiful moment of creation as the Flying Spaghetti Monster reached out his noodly appendage in an act of self-giving charity.

Ramen.

In case you are wondering "What in the world is all this???!!!", check out the original source of this particular heresy at www.venganza.org
The picture was a gift from my artistically inclined brother. (Click on it for the full-size version)

Back in Van...

2007-10-14T13:03:00.001-07:00

So, I'm back after reading week.
I had a great time home, and if I didn't get to see you, I'm sorry. For those I got to see, it was great. It was sad to leave again, but it's good to be back here too. It's weird having two homes.
The flight in was awesome. I was on this little plane that descended quite a bit lower than the bigger ones do, so we can in skirting over the snow-capped mountains, while a beautiful sunset lit the peaks and the ocean on fire. There are those times when you are simply awestruck by the beauty that surrounds us, and this was one of those times.
Today I went to a new church, which I think I'll make my regular place. Kitsilano Community Church is this little congregation with a semi-liturgical, semi-evangelical service. It had great preaching, and lots of young families (children running around everywhere, which I always finds adds to the worship atmosphere). And they meet in this gorgeous Baptist church, which has a high vaulted ceiling and beautiful stained glass windows.
After the service, there was a meal and I got a chance to chat with the pastor, and listen to a group discussion about the church's goals in terms of outreach and community involvement. I liked what I heard.
So, I'll try it again, and possibly (hopefully) just settle right in.

Home!

2007-10-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

I'm coming home for Thanksgiving! Yeay team!

My parents lovingly bought me a plane ticket so that I can come spend reading week and thanksgiving with all you fine folks! So, give me a call if you are around, and we'll hang out!

I'll also try and drop by the college at some point, so those of you there can just hang, and I'll come find you.

And here I am, once again studiously avoiding my Greek homework... I'll be better than last time and actually go do it! See you later!

Schmoozing!!

2007-09-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

You know what I love to do? I love to schmooze. Give me a big room full of people, give me a t-shirt to indicate that I have some reason to actually talk to all these people, and let me go!!
Regent had the library opening/open house this morning. I volunteered. And got put on child care. But then, they had enough people, and one of the greeters was sick, so I took over!
There was just this amazing abundance of incredibly interesting people. They flew board members in from all over North America, and donors came from all over as well. It was wild.
I was really in schmoozing heaven. And then I got put at the back doors, where almost nobody was coming in or going out, so things calmed down a lot. But then, I just happened to see Eugene Peterson walking by, trying to avoid the crowd. So, I shamelessly walked over and bombarded him briefly (well... he didn't have a program and it looked to me like he really needed one...). And then he was off, and I was back to welcoming other random people walking by.
Yup, good morning.
Oh, and it's raining. Those who live here say it probably won't stop until March. Not sure how I feel about it. I'm hoping they are exaggerating. On the other hand, everyone is calling it "cold outside", and if this is the extent of the cold, I'll be just fine, rain or no.

Retreat is finished...

2007-09-26T21:07:00.002-07:00

So, retreat is over. It was great. Of course, the first night I was sooo excited to be there, and be meeting new people and connecting, I didn't really sleep. Mostly sat awake with butterflies in my stomach. It was that same feeling when you were a little kid waiting for Christmas morning, I couldn't wait for the next day to come so I could keep on interacting!!
Yeah... I know how geeky that is. Shut up. Anyhoo, I'm waiting for the pictures my friend took of some of the events, since they are better and more candid than my own. Some highlights were:
Community meals - good food and fun conversation!
A football game with 7 guys and me - The opposing team didn't even cover me until they found out I could catch, for which they paid dearly! Darrell Johnson was our star QB.
Talent Show - lead by none other than the Ozzie's Narida and Narida (NEH-rid-da). The refrain of "Ozzy Ozzy Ozzy, OI! OI! OI!" still reverberates in my mind.
Service and Communion on Sunday - a slow, relaxed communion served by a mixture of students and staff, where each student received personal prayer with communion, while a violin and piano duet played in the back, later accompanied by a choir.

Tonight, I watched Babette's Feast as part of my Christian Thought and Culture course. It totally sucker-punched me. You are captured by this beautiful view of humanity, the high potential for truth and beauty, for mercy and love. You are so enraptured by this sacrificial wholesomeness that you are lost in wonder. You want to love. You want to hug someone. Then the lights turn on, and you realize that you are far from family and friends, and all that awaits you is a long bus ride home in the dark. And all that is waiting at home is a sleeping roommate and Greek nouns that need parsing. So much for inspiration! Shiloh and I exchanged these thoughts on the bus until I got off, after my 3 minute bus ride. And now instead of doing my Greek homework (it is sitting beside me) I am writing to you fine folks, and contemplating making tea to further procrastinate. Sigh. Life goes on.

(Speaking of which... I just went back to add more to the retreat section... all the highlights... and now I am here, writing this... seriously I need to do my Greek... it's a privilege... yes a privilege... one that I desperately wanted for many years.... go do your Greek Beth.....)

Retreat!

2007-09-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

It has been some time, faithful reader, since I last posted. I have been busy. Indeed, the honeymoon stage of awe and beauty is over. The reality of loads of work and hours of library time is starting to come into focus.

Thus, it is indeed high time to spurn responsibility and diligence and instead to head out to the Regent Community Retreat! We are going down to Warm Beach Conference Centre, outside of Seattle. I am told it is neither warm, nor a beach, but that it is a conference centre. I am excited for a less formal interaction with my fellow students, the professors, their spouses, and so on and so forth. It will also be nice to escape the spiders.

Oh, did I tell you my apartment is infested with spiders. Yeah, my only phobia. Thanks Jesus. There are literally hundreds of spiders, everywhere. I've stopped looking up. I've stopped looking down. In fact, I try not to look anywhere at all. There come in all shapes and sizes. The tiny "dot" ones, I'm OK with. The little grey ones that blend right into the carpet I've similarly come to peace with. The middle sized ones that live in the bathroom I ignore. But the huge (5 inches across) leggy, icky ones still invoke terror in my heart, and my roommate lovingly catches them in plastic containers and escorts them outside (ecologist that she is). Yes, I'm looking forward to retreat. Tell you more when I get back!

Camp!

2007-09-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

Somehow, no matter where I go, I end up at camps. Vancouver is no exception.

Through my roommate, I've gotten involved with the UBC ropes course. Not only is it a gorgeous facility, built right into 400 year old hemlocks, it also pays relatively well.

Anyhoo, the camp coordinator was going out to do some training and wanted to see my ropes course abilities, and wanted me to come along to see me in action. So it was that I got up at 5:30 to take the bus all the way to the opposite side of Vancouver to meet her to take a boat to a water-access-only camp near "Deep Cove".

I got there about 10 minutes before pick up, and as I was waiting at the dock, this HUGE jellyfish went bobbing by. And then his friend. And then a little baby one. I felt like I'd just stepped into "Finding Nemo". It was crazy! So, we had a boat ride out to this gorgeous camp, and then ran around all day, rescuing imaginary kids and playing on the course. And these kids kept pointing out how much I (supposedly) sound like Ellen Degeneres. OK. The Finding Nemo thing came back into play.

It was a great day, with an equally exciting boat ride home, and then the long bus ride.

Today, I went to Regent and ended up participating in the luncheon for those from South-East Asia (and by "participate", I mean "mooched food from with a couple of Mandarin phrases"). It was great. Then I came home and Sarah and I and some friends watched "Jesus Camp". Now I feel like poking my own eye out, because I know that I have promoted that same insanity. God have mercy on us all, we misrepresent him so often.

I still don't think the war analogy is appropriate for Christians, but I'll save that for another time. Now it is time for bed. Good night!

Yay!

2007-09-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

While trying not to sound too propagandizing (is that a word?), we found out today that one of the courses I am taking just won an award from Yale for integration of thought, faith and culture. The course is called "Christian Thought and Culture", and looks at how our theology and thinking has been shaped since the time of the early church. Anyhoo, the link to the Yale award page is here, where you can also click on Ian's name and see the course syllabus.

Ummm... so, as promised, a couple of pictures!
To the right you can see the first chapel of 2007! This, of course, was about 10 minutes before chapel started. It turns out, if you are not there early, you won't get a seat at all. In fact, behind me is a glass wall looking onto the atrium, and it has chairs and a live-feed TV for overflow people. It was full.

All in all, it was an incredible experience, and I enjoyed it.

The next picture is from the community lunch after chapel. Much like Vanguard, we have chapels on Tuesday, and a lunch, which is after. The preparation of lunch rotates through the community groups, but since they haven't been created yet, and I was in early that day, I got pulled into the prep of about 350 sandwiches. As you can see, everyone just sorta sits out on the lawn. And yes, that is blue sky. In fact, that has been the sky for the last week and a bit. Brilliant blue, no clouds and bright sunshine all day. I'm told to enjoy it while it lasts.

Anyways, I plan to add to these pictures some pictures of where I live, my roommate, etc. The other one I've been tempted to take is one of JI. Packer's office, mostly just to prove to myself that I really have been there. Of course, I REALLY don't want anyone to see me taking the picture, so I'll have to wait and be sneaky.

Other than that, I've been enjoying the incredible lectures, the long hours reading, and the relaxed early-September atmosphere. I am also happy because I demolished my first Greek quiz. Yay!

After my own heart...

2007-09-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

My heart was just made exceedingly joyful. I was waiting for my coffee to be made at The Well (the coffee shop at Regent) and I started looking around me. Imagine my unbridled joy as I found that the second most important bookcase (after the textbook case) was called "The Inklings". It is none other than the writings of all of those from those most famous of all literary clubs.

The Inklings, if you're not sure, was a group of people who came together to discuss literature, and specifically Christian literature. They met in a pub called "The Eagle and Child" (though they called it "the bird and the baby"), and the group included C.S. Lewis (my personal hero), J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and several others.

To have a bookcase called "The Inklings" is pretty much my dream. They did add a couple of authors in who were technically not Inklings (like George MacDonald, who was C.S. Lewis' personal hero), but were closely linked in other ways.

I like it here. I think I am going to like it here. I'm going to go read now... and sip on my mocha. Actually, the book I am reading is by one of the Inklings... Charles Williams. "Descent of the Dove". If you can, give it a read, it is fabulous.

Church! And Ultimate!

2007-09-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

So, this was my first full Sunday in Vancouver. Luckily, I met a guy at Regent over the week who offered me a ride to his church (Grace International Baptist Church). It was a lot of fun, with a strong Filipino congregation and a good German preacher, it was an interesting visit. I'm not sure if I should keep looking around, or settle in. I really liked it, the only problem is that it is pretty far away from where I live, so I'd be dependent on rides. I dunno, but I'll keep you updated!

Then, I got home and my roomie Sarah had invited me to play a game of ultimate just across the street at the park. So, I changed and went. Turned out, it wasn't just a church game, it was a full-on league. Needless to say, I can't throw a frisbee at the best of times, let alone when there are people blocking you and yelling the 10-second count in your ear. And you actually are supposed to hit a moving target.
So, the first game we lost pretty bad. I definitely helped in that outcome, because although I made a couple of catches, my throws were pretty wild. Eventually, we lost and got ready for our second game. I had a chance to practice throwing a bit, and was able to actually contribute a little to the next game. Lots of fun!

In other news, my first class will be on Tuesday. Should be crazy. GREEK!! AHHH!! Sorry, freak out. I'm ok with my other classes since I've already done equivalent classes at Vanguard. I could actually be exempt from taking them, but I'm thinking that Regent will have a different perspective, which will be helpful, and I'd also rather not bite off more than I can chew in my first semester. Review is good...

Keep sending me e-mails and comments! I always read them and cherish them!