Let me start with Aliens and outer space... We start with the abstract, the obscure, the ambiguous… we shall start with the unknown, or the unknowable. When allowing our imagination to conceptualize an Alien life form, specifically a more intelligent and advanced alien life form, we assume a number of things… one of which is: That they are superior to us, or possess superior skills/capabilities/technology/intellect. We secede from our absolute (superlative) thinking. Conceding that we are not the be all and end all of the universe, and certainly evidence more than suggests, by observing our placement within said universe, that we are not the proverbial ‘biggest dog in the yard’. In fact our ‘yard’ (solar system/galaxy) is kind of average. We willingly accept the fact that there are things beyond our understanding (in so far as it applies to aliens) – that these would-be aliens would possess things beyond our comprehension. As famed Astrophysicist and cosmologist Neil Degrasse Tyson proposed; to an advanced alien race that had ‘evolved’ by a simple 1 percent (in the same evolutionary direction that we are more advanced than Apes on Earth), that the most intelligent human being would be on a similar intelligence level as an alien toddler. And to think; if God (the supernatural appearing Alien to the natural world), a Creator that created all life as we know it - how much more intelligent is he (who actually invented our intelligence)? Of course, logic follows that he would do things, act in ways beyond our understanding (hence the coined term - mysterious ways). Just like certain elements of a huge plan will not make sense to an individual who hasn't seen the entire picture. So we're willing to entertain the idea of a superior intelligence, but only so far as it is convenient for us. Why is this concept so difficult to grasp? Because of our free will. In the first instance of alien encounters, we as a human race were not subject to them, we were still free to rebel against them and retain our proverbial independence, because their interaction with us was limited (and subjective/proposed/imagined). But in the case of God, we are all suddenly confronted and accountable, we are faced with ultimatums, with consequences and our own mortality… the interaction with a would-be creator is naturally more personal and divisive. You cannot hide behind the collective. You cannot hide at all. The truth is exclusive (hence: specified, unique, absolute - not admitting of other things... so it the truth is by it nature: DIVISIVE). We as people don’t like to be governed. And to acknowledge God or a God-like Creator figure, leads us directly to that dynamic – meaning we are to submit to such a figure… and that usually means making some changes in our lives. So that’s where the line in the sand is, in making the decision: to be or not to be… To acknowledge God, or not. And in our (sometimes) desperation to absolve ourselves from this issue we’ve gone to inordinate lengths to justify ourselves, trying (unsuccessfully) to discredit any and all forms of evidence that would inform our choice, preferring to construct elaborate alternatives to avoid the “God issues” altogether… Simply because it suits our agenda, our yearning for absolute freedom, because in many minds, submitting to God means forfeiting freedom. The truth is though, that you cannot have true freedom without rules. Because no rules, implies no boundaries, no division between good or bad, no restrictions, no accountability, no consequences… because absolute freedom is clinically the definition of chaos. And this is Man’s ultimate goal, to have dominion over himself, to call God a human construct and place him neatly into an imaginary “box” of our own making, and to live in a world where… anything goes. Or at the very least to live in a world abiding by only his own rules. The irony is: we are not so much putting God in a ‘box’, but rather ourselves, attempting to insulate ourselves from any Godly notions.
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The Fall of man - 'Moving in the darkness' - Poem by Steven Benjamin The darkness covers us all the same
Rich and poor Strong and weak Good and evil. All existing in this same place Distant Removed. living and dying, we share it all, until One Or a few of us, reaches out to where we came from Before we walked Before we breathed Before we saw, and heard, and tasted and felt This world. To act here, in this place of darkness and absence exiled We exist and are forever lost. Until a heart reaches for the light. The light to illuminate our life, our path, our flaws. But we are still painted by the same brush, Moving in the darkness The same abandon that many love to bathe in, That some question, Searching the dim depths, for tenor, to whisper faint philosophy Reasoning in anonymity, As this shade, hides our actions, bolstering confidence, Justifying ignorance, for the lesser mind. All of it, echoes in obscurity. Without the gift of light - to shine on us, until then, once ignited, to shine from within – without this light what are we? shadows, playing, pretending on the dark stage, until the absent curtain falls, ... and time swallows the memory of us. It is the light that colors us, illuminating purpose and path. But in the darkness, all meaning is forsaken. Light needs only light to be… for darkness is merely the absence of it. For we only know what darkness is, because of light. We know the light, we recognize it, the form of our shadows, A hint, We recognize it because we came from it, We were made to reflect it. Once, In a distant memory, half forgotten, a remnant in us, of a garden and a past, swept away. We came from it. Before we learned what darkness was. Before we fell, Before we walked, Before we breathed Before we were born… Once there was a time when it breathed in us, there was a time when we were painted with light. ***** A friend asked this question on Facebook: Why do people thank God/(whichever deity they serve/believe in) for their success, when its clearly as a result of their own hard work? It’s not about us, it’s about God. When we acknowledge Him as our saviour, it is a complete and all encompassing decision that involves every aspect of our lives. --- There’s a scene in the TV Show ‘The Cleaner’ where the protagonist (Benjamin Bratt’s character, known to have ‘conversations’ with God) is asked by drug rehab centre competitor: “if you’re so righteous and are apparently on some mission from God, why is it that you and I have the same success rate with the people we want to get clean?” If all Christians were well off and living a peaceful and successful life with a great job/house/car, wouldn’t the rest of humanity/society recognise this and gravitate toward it, toward the status, that success in a veritable move of “I want me some of that” – It would be a pretty simple and easy choice. But God is more interested in transforming you inwardly first – physical and material wealth will come in their own time. Of course, the common tagline in these situations is that “it’s all a test” which it is, but it’s not a typical pass/fail scenario, because we will all fail – the point is in developing our relationship with God. And it’s in the trials that we experience the most growth; in our lifelong path. But in accepting Jesus, we take on a lot more than physical/material success. We’re also acknowledging an entire spiritual realm – the supernatural. Choosing this path is accepting that there will definitely be challenges, because it’s about Our Relationship with God! The goal here is, not to invest so much into the materialistic and fleeting nature of this world, because it all ultimately ends in death. So, in taking this path we’re undertaking a full spiritual transformation (or just acknowledging spirituality to begin with), which is the ageless struggle – involving things like faith, spirit, soul etc… --- CS Lewis. “We don’t have a soul. We are souls. We have a body” And whilst we do that, we also look at the world around us differently, the natural world, because we see it in an entirely different context (kind of like IT being the tip of the Iceberg, and we’re focussing on the unseen bit). Of course there’s the shorter answer: that when you choose to believe in God and acknowledge his power, you also come to realise that “without him, I would not exist”, and neither would this world. I exist because of him (I am here because of Him). For a God that has created worlds, what am I, who am I, or where do I fit in? I thank him for being my creator, and thank him for the ability to work and achieve, as well as giving me life… whereas others choose not to (thank or acknowledge him). What lies behind the unexpected? When a stranger talks, what will you believe? Short fiction by Steven Benjamin “Where are you?” I share almost everything with her. And she’s looking at me. And when she looks at me with vague concern mixed with curiosity, and her eyes change colour ever so slightly, with her question still hanging in the air; I’m then conscious of the burden weighing on my shoulders. That she sees this strain, means it’s affecting me in more ways than I know. It’s time to tell. I just need to soak it in and make sense of it on my own terms. My thoughts were with that of another man. A man I’d met earlier that day. One who would not change my life in any major distinguishable way, but definitely in the way I looked at things - the world around me. And so I told her of my day, watching her as she listened, to gauge how my words were being received. “He didn’t give me his name. He wore a shirt buttoned up to the neck but didn’t wear a tie. I don’t remember how we started chatting, but there we were; middle aged, I think we were both distracted by the same thing. I do remember asking him why he’d come to the country. He said that he was actually on a return visit. He’d come to see a man with whom he had a special relationship. He said that this man he was going to meet had become quite influential since they’d first met; he’d since gained many unwanted followers. That was months ago by the way. I asked him how they did meet – you know, just advancing the conversation. And then he said that this man he was going to meet was in prison, and that some months ago, he had tried to kill him. I thought I miss-heard him when he said that , but then he said it again “Yes. He tried to kill me.” He said it, almost like he couldn’t believe it himself, or couldn’t believe what he was saying. Anyway. He said this man had changed quite dramatically since they’d last seen each other in court. I asked what made him change, and this man said that he thought the man found God. I asked if he believed him, and he looked at me, straight in the eyes, and said yes. He was nodding when he said that, his voice a little cracked. I asked what made him believe him. And he said that he didn’t know, but that it felt… natural. He said that little would change if their roles were reversed. I don’t know why I asked this, but for some reason I did; I asked him how the man tried to kill him. He looked at me and shook his head; even half smiled. And then he said he was a tourist, actually no, he was working but had taken some time off to roam, and he was in the wrong part of town, trying to do something stupid and illegal. He said this man tried to chop his head off, with a long blade, like a machete.” “What?” “That’s what I said. He nodded to me. Said he almost succeeded. I didn’t understand, or maybe I didn’t completely believe it. We sat there, not talking for a while, just letting his words hang in the air. And then he looks at me again. It feels awkward, you know. His eyes a bit like glass. So he reaches up and undoes his shirt's top button and pulls his collar clear of his neck. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It was a half inch thick scar running across his neck. I couldn’t see where it started or where it stopped. But it cut across his windpipe, and several big veins. He touched it gently with his fingertips. It’s like he was making sure it was still there. And then he nodded and buttoned up again. I thought I was imagining it. I was blinking trying to freeze it in my memory. He said that he wasn’t the first person to be under that blade. But he was quite certain that he was the first, and so far the only person, to get up afterwards, after it had come down. It took some weeks mind you, to get enough strength back just to stand, he said, but still. I asked him how, how he was still alive. He said he didn’t know, but that what he believed, is not what everyone else would believe. He then asked me something. He asked: ‘Does death happen to us? Can death happen? I mean its only the absence of life. So by rights, life happens, death is just what we call it when life is no longer there... absent. When life stops.’ “’All I know is this’ he told me, ‘death was supposed to come. But here I am, sitting beside you.’ He says the man who tried to kill him looked like a ghost when he eventually saw him again, still alive. He said the man started screaming, acting all mad, before he collapsed in shock, and started weeping.” I was thinking about all this when my wife asked me another question. “Do you think he was telling the truth?” “I know it sounds naïve, but there was no reason for him to lie to me. At the very least it is true that it is a story. But whatever… I believed him when he told it to me” And then there’s that scar. So there I was thinking; sitting, and thinking. Mostly I was just thinking about what to think. Was this Pandora holding my hand and smacking me in the face? – sounds like something my Dad would say. Like I said; it didn’t shake up my life in any visible way, but it did something to my mind. Like you’ve spent a lifetime building something with small bricks, one at a time, and here someone comes and shifts something out of place. Now everything looks the same, but it isn’t, you know it isn’t, but you’re not sure where that missing piece is, or how it will affect everything else, or how it’s all still standing. All I know is; it’s very simple, you see, it’s the way he said it. Something was supposed to happen, something expected, something inevitable even… but it didn’t. So. Now... tell me, what happens? I’ll ask you what I asked my wife; what happens, when something that’s supposed to be inevitable, that’s supposed to occur… doesn’t *** A unique creation. From what we know, there is no such thing as gender in heaven, even though all angels mentioned in the Bible are male – in heaven there is no need for different sexes because there’s no procreation. So when God made Eve he capped off his creation by delivering to the world a different side of himself, and bestowing man with the ‘mimicking’ creating ability, to bear children. Angels were made by God, and so was the first man (Adam), but every son and daughter of Adam (a son of God) thereafter would then be referred to as ‘son of man’ and ‘daughter of man’, born into this world. Procreation as we know it is unique to this world, and thence so is woman. It says a great deal doesn’t it? Man was created in God’s image, but in women he endowed some of his more intricate and complex characteristics (still in his image). He instilled more of his raw beauty. I like the description that draws from the design of a rib (when God took Adam’s rib – this is also the first wound spoken of in the Bible – and there is no mention of pain or scars; the healing was instantaneous because it was divinely imposed). It says that women are equally strong (protecting the man’s heart) and fragile/delicate – the bone will break first to protect what's on the inside - the heart. What also makes more sense is why Satan (serpent) approached Eve first - before Eve, God and Adam had spent time together. He created her last - She is God’s crowning creation. This does put a few other things into perspective as well – because just as Satan first targeted Eve, he also targeted all her daughters as well. Why is there so much gender inequality? Why are women such a prime commodity in the sex industry, or human trafficking? Since the fall of man, God’s crowning creation has found herself under increased focus from the devil. She is his number one target. In essence when analysing history in this context, its easy to see that Satan has launched a personal war on women. It's why they are wrongly referred to (by many men) as the ‘weaker’ sex and why in many cultures of the world, there seems to be this want to literally cover or ‘hide’ women from public life. Man at his worst sees women (or all people) simply as lumps of flesh to be bartered and exploited; as sub-human… to be owned, to have dominion over. Now think of a strong woman, and what she is capable of. Think of how every good man has a strong woman at his side; and If women are ‘taken down’, then men will be too. “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist” – this may be a popular movie quote (The Usual Suspects), but it remains a general quote that rings very true (Rev 12:9 – the deceiver). What many people are often guilty of (after acknowledging God) is underestimating the power of Satan and his role in this world/our lives. From this we can also surmise that the devil is indeed intelligent and cunning by his use of stealth, and this world is his playground of sin. So the prime target he chooses, is your mind… of course acknowledging his presence is a battle even in itself, but once you do, you then have to decide what to make of that knowledge, and whether or not you’re willing to engage with him (in conflict). This is a battle you cannot fight, and win, without Jesus. This is the world we live in. God created many beautiful things, gracing this world with his beauty, wrapping a different side of himself in the female form – illustrating his strength embedded in some of his softer more vulnerable and complex forms within this poem of creation called Woman. So it makes sense that Satan would take this unique creation and make it the focus of his war on mankind – to take down the crown jewel of creation - the bearer of life. Women “replaced” Lucifer, in a sense, as God’s most beautiful creation: “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty,” God describing Satan – it completely opposes the devil with horns and a pitch fork portrayed in the media. “…and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.” [Ezekiel 28:12-16] From here we see the tussle of beauty. I’ve mentioned before on this blog that beauty is fascinating and multi dimensional – can we imagine a world without it? How it nurtures and uplifts, possesses the ability to manipulate, in good ways and bad. It beguiles and captivates and reveals another breathtaking side of God. And yet, this is only the natural world. To delve into the spiritual is indeed frightening and not something our human minds were made to comprehend – our human eyes would not be able to handle such a simple thing as the blinding light that comes from heavenly beings in all their splendour. That is why when reading the Bible – taking Ezekiel and his visions for instance, I interpret it in the sense that though he often attaches earthly symbolism to heavenly beings – wings of an eagle, the face of a man, the face of a lion… he’s simply quantifying his visions in a way that he/we could understand (as I read once, can you imagine how frightened Ezekiel was at this point). So likening his visions to animals he was simply grasping the various characteristics of what he saw. For instance the Bible has a number of different descriptions of Lucifer, but each of them merely alludes to his characteristics and the various shapes he takes on in the natural world – a serpentine-like nature, but then later Jesus describes him as a prowling and roaring Lion looking to devour (1 Peter 5). I, like any man, am fascinated by women, and started writing this in an attempt at capturing or understanding something more whilst it also extended a theme that I've have over the past weeks on this blog regarding women. Perhaps it was also inspired by something Pastor Joseph Prince mentioned in his sermon I posted on the ‘Real story of Noah’, regarding the Bible making no mention of female angels. But, as I found out, as I explored the creation of woman, it delved deeper and further back into the supernatural realm and thence returned to modern earthly times bringing things into context and perspective. I hope it enlightened you as it did me. Sometimes we already have the knowledge before us, but its simply the way we arrange it that may allow us to see something new and fresh… "There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." "Pleasure is to a woman what the sun is to the flower: if moderately enjoyed, it beautifies, it refreshes, and it improves; if immoderately, it withers, deteriorates, and destroys. But the duties of domestic life, exercised as they must be in retirement, and calling forth all the sensibilities of the female, are perhaps as necessary to the full development of her charms, as the shade and the shower are to the rose, confirming its beauty, and increasing its fragrance." "Daughters of the attitude that produced them, certain women will not appeal to us without the double bed in which we find peace by their side, while others, to be caressed with a more secret intention, require leaves blown by the wind, water rippling in the dark, things as light and fleeting as they are." [Image Credits: flickr.com, tumblr.com, pinterest, lecontainer.blogspot.com, 500px.com, fashiongonerogue.com, liekerromeijn.nl, republicofyou.com.au, everythingfab.com] "All is possible to woman, for woman alone may make herself impossible." Related posts: 'Captivating: Unveiling the mystery of a women's soul' - Book Review Bible - Book Review God's message to women Beauty & the Bullets, guns & war Ugly Beautiful The Bible vs the Blockbuster. Do we really know the story of Noah? Or what do we think we know; have we been reading the Bible correctly? For those still curious, here’s a look at what the Bible actually says about the man from the Bible called Noah, famous for the Ark and the Great flood. Hollywood is infamous for their inaccurate adaptations of any and all stories/books/plays etc, so there was no surprise when Darren Aronofsky’s film started rumblings of controversy – though to be honest, there hasn’t been that much really, not as much as there could’ve been. Perhaps my Review on Inthekan lends some light as to why, but when you compare this to the reception of Mel Gibson’s bloodied Passion of the Christ which was wildly successful because it went further than all others before it in its graphic depiction of the crucifixion, its reception has been almost tame. It begs the question of, do we really know the real story of the Bible, because there are a number of details to this story that even Christians are divided on. What's certain though, is that if you believe this story to be true, one must acknowledge the supernatural elements; in fact, this Bible story is driven by the supernatural. But alas you can’t please everyone, whilst you can piss off very many. This though is an objective look (as objective as I – a Christian – can be). Needless to say it would of course help if you’ve seen the film – and I would recommend it, even if all it does is spark a conversation. Here then is a rendition of events delivered by noted Pastor Joseph Prince - he presents the Real story of Noah as its portrayed in the Bible - but he tells it in a way I, or probably you, have never heard it before. He paints a picture that you've probably never heard in Sunday school... and yes, it would make for a cool but disturbing movie. Interesting further reading: - FACTS on Noah's Ark and the Flood - (this alludes to some interesting notes on the design of the Ark) - Thinking Outside the Box - Explorers claim to have found Noah's Ark - 101 Reasons why Noah's story doesn't float (for a non believer Dr. Justin Long's take on things) Relevant links from this site: - Bible Book Review Female soldiers of the world A few weeks back I did a post called “Ugly Beautiful” focusing on finding beauty within unlikely places, or seeing a different side of something usually perceived as ugly, that one can interpret as beautiful. Or perhaps just unveiling or uncovering some beauty by changing perspective. In this post though, it’s more of a misplaced beauty – beauty within unforgiving environs, or in places most would see as un-befitting. But, people are people and often something we see as odd or divisive, is more a reflection of ourselves than the actual state of the way things are. Female soldiers, specifically, Special Forces; They’re rare and a part of our world that most in society don’t want to acknowledge, because on some level, it violates some moral code, or a puristic ideal and goes against what most believe being a woman is all about. This is perhaps harking back to traditionalists; where women are the nurturers and care givers, and men are the protectors and providers. However, women have immense strength, and besides, what happens when the man falls (as he so often does) – and let’s not forget that men usually go to women to glean strength and support. But really, this is just a slight demonstration of the strength of women, because they can be the best protectors and are already providers, but they can do it without forfeiting their nurturing and softer sides. I was going to get all philosophical about this and delve into the inequality issues and the fight that many women have been fighting for ages, but instead I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves because these ladies are simply badass – if that’s not too crude. I could've also gone into the various roles they'd played over the ages and still do today, from assassins (often in the vein of the John Le Carre coined term; honey-traps), freedom fighters or even bodyguards - the late Muammar Gaddafi was one leader known to be partial-to/fascinated-with female (virgin) bodyguards. And then there's the world's most famous (and perhaps the most beautiful and glamorous) female bodyguard: Anna Loginova. She had a successful modelling career alongside her other profession, including work for Chanel. She died in 2008 in Moscow, at the age of 29, from head injuries sustained in what authorities believed to be a random carjacking. Loginova studied martial arts and in 2005 founded an agency called Stilet (Dagger) dedicated to female bodyguards (trained by ex-KGB operatives) to provide discreet protection for Russian billionaires . We know that women in this profession are in high demand the world over. I'm also only handing a passing mention to past female leader's, known for their unshakeable stance when it came to conflict, strong women in history like Cleopatra, St Joan of Arc - the sword carrying saint, Queen Elizabeth I, Mbande Nzinga Angolan Queen, 1582-1663 - who organized a powerful guerilla army to repel the Portugese settlers (eventually negotiating a peace treaty but refusing to bow to their then King), Queen Victoria, Golda Meir and the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher. If you’re curious, there are other reasons behind my decision to post this – it’s simply because I am actually writing about it – perhaps not women soldiers in general, but my book does contain a central character which happens to be a highly qualified female operative. The fictional character's name is Ayalah Karmin, an ex-IDF paratrooper and Sayaret Matkal vet who is working freelance after a term in Mossad. Of course when I researched this, I did not look into gender battles, but simply looked into the army, the units and disciplines, since all who achieve these exceptional feats need to meet the same exceptional standards. And then of course Israel is known for its equality in the military – with such a small country they can't afford to be stingy on who defends their country… ALL Israeli citizens are conscripted by law at the age of 18, for a mandatory 2 years of service. Anyway, on to the gallery, (Respect): [Image Credits: rediff.com, pinterest.com, alo.rs, yeeeeee.com, warfare.ru, moddb.com, desura.com, beautifulrus.com, news.xinhuanet.com, IDFblog.com, businessinsider.com, izismile.com, userfriendlyetc.blogspot.com, theatlantic.com] "Daughters of the attitude that produced them, certain women will not appeal to us without the double bed in which we find peace by their side, while others, to be caressed with a more secret intention, require leaves blown by the wind, water rippling in the dark, things as light and fleeting as they are." --- MARCEL PROUST, The Guermantes Way "The fear of women is the beginning of knowledge." "For the female of the species is more deadly than the male." Some links from the web: 8 Female soldiers who shattered barriers in 2013 (IDFBlog) Women in the Armies of the World, 70 pictures Most Impressive women in the military 2013 (businessinsider) Related links from this site: Captivating - Unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul - Book Review God's Message to Women |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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