Je Suis "Nun"!

First, let me say that I am appalled at what happened in Paris last Wednesday.  Second, let me say that I am not surprised.  Greater atrocities have been happening across the Mid East and Africa for much longer, but for some reason those events fly under most of the Media's radar.  ISIS and Boko Haram have created far more carnage than anything that happened in Paris or with Charlie Hebdo.

ISIS has been going door to door in Syria and other areas of its extended control and systematically killing, raping, crucifying and torturing anyone who is Christian.  Labeling their doors with the Arabic letter "Nun" which is the first letter of Nasrani--ie, Nazarene, as in a follower of Jesus the Nazarene.  In Nigeria Boko Haran has been conducting a campaign of terror and horror against anyone in the country who is Christian--especially anyone who is Christian.  The kidnapping of a couple hundred of school girls made a brief splash across the media last year (with its #hashtag campaign) before its significance faded from Western thought.

ISIS: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/09/24/this-is-not-a-one-eyed-smiley-face-its-a-symbol-of-frightening-things-happening-to-middle-east-christians/

Boko Haran: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582
            http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/nigeria-other-terror-attack-why-no-one-talking-about-boko-haram

Our society cannot hold a collective thought long enough to act on it unless the pervasive media tells us that we need to act on it.  In fact, most of what passes for breaking news might be more of a ploy to divert our attention from the previous atrocity that horrified us.

Thus our cause célèbre of the moment is Charlie Hebdo.  Tragic as it is, I cannot say that "I am Charlie."  I do sorrow with the loss of life.  I do deplore the despicable carnage that the Muslim terrorist inflicted.  I do shudder at the loss of free speech.  But I can't help but wonder at the blatant hypocrisy within the media itself.

First, surviving staff of Charlie Hebdo scoff and disdain the new-found friends:

First: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jan/13/charlie-hebdo-cartoonist-we-vomit-on-those-who-sud/  "Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Bernard Holtrop says surviving employees of the Paris-based magazine “vomit” on those who suddenly support them in the wake of last week’s terror attack that wiped out a third of its staff.  We vomit on all these people who suddenly say they are our friends,” he told the Dutch daily de Volkskrant in an interview published Saturday.

Not exactly a warm way of welcoming support.

Second: where were all these supporter of "free speech" when Brendan Eich was ousted from Mozilla because he contributed a few bucks to a campaign to keep marriage defined as "one man, one wife"?  I personally think that anyone who applauded that ouster should be barred from holding a "Je Suis Charlie" sign.  Period.  End of subject.

Third, there is no real "free speech" allowed in the media.
MSNBC immediately blurred and obfuscated the cover of the new Charlie Hebdo magazine.  Afraid of angering Islamists worldwide.  See: http://dailycaller.com/2015/01/13/msnbc-blurs-charlie-hebdo-cover-during-interview-with-magazine-contributor-video/
The NY Times refuses to print any of the "offending cartoons" http://liberallogic101.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/B7MmThZIIAEbEW8-500x667.jpg
CNN says that it refuses to show news that is offensive to religions, yet was very glad and foreright to show a disgustingly offensive "art" piece called piss christ.  http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/01/07/cnn-policy-charlie-hebdo-muhammad-cartoons-forbidden-piss-christ-okay/
As one twitter user said, "CNN’s long, ugly history of anti-Christian bigotry is well-documented."

Thus, I cannot say that I am Charlie Hebdo.  I grieve with the loss of life and the loss of innocence and the loss of freedom, but I am not Charlie Hebdo.  Bernard Holtrop, a surviving employee, cast vitriolic dispersion on all who would so associate themselves.

Nor can I align myself with Charlie Hebdo because of the gross hypocrisy in applying the badge of "Free Speech"--Free Speech is "free speech" or it isn't.  There are not some brands that are okay and some that are not unless you have set up a judging station.  And then, I ask, by what standards judge ye?

But mostly, I cannot say that I am Charlie Hebdo because my brothers and my sisters are in peril and at the point of sword and death throughout the Middle East and Africa--yet the Western World is strangely silent.  Ominously silent.  Pathetically silent.  Cowardly silent and beaten into a quiet submission by another agenda that raises its head against all that would speak against it.

But, I'm not cowering in fright of that.  I am Nun.  Je Suis Nasrani.  I am Christian.  And these are my brothers and sisters.

Will you be silent too?

Upon the Sabbath Rest

After reading someone's joy at finishing their college term, I began thinking about how God gives us 6 days to complete our normal tasks; then a seventh day to enjoy as rest. I then thought how sullied and empty that Rest is if we still have work that needs to be done, hanging over our heads. Let us then make sure to complete the work of the week and so prepare our souls for deeper enjoyment of His Sweet Rest.

This is but a pale analogy of that great Sabbath Rest which He bids us to partake of. So how much more we should work hard and diligently make sure that we do enter into His Sweet Rest having done all--all that the Master requires! Then we will enter into His Rest with the sweet happiness of accomplishment--yet fully aware that all accomplishment is but because He accomplished it all for us with His great "It is Finished!"


Ah, sweet joy of blessed rest and accomplishment,
hebdomadal habituation heralding Heavenly hope,
irenic icon of idealized incentive,
perfect peace procured by pardon and partaken of by privileged permission,
sweet happiness of labors done and victories won.....

Christmas

Part of my work time is spent in the Lab.  In the Lab they play the Radio.  The only station that the Radio receives is a Pop-music station and from Thanksgiving to Christmas it ONLY plays "Christmas" music.

I have a lot of time to think about the lyrics.

All I can say is that modern Christmas songs are so devoid of deep content, focusing solely on emotions and feelings and warm, fuzzy "feel-goods" without anything to substantiate those feelings.

It reminded me of this poem that I wrote a long while back.

I see the twinkle in the sky, the spark-

    ling diamonds in a tree—‘tis shining bright

    against the dark: vivid colors of light.

I hear the sounds of people’s voices—Hark!

The glad carols peal across the cold night sky,

    proclaiming loud the News, the Gospel fair.

    I feel the crisp-fresh air, the crunching where

The shoes meet frozen turf—I know God is nigh!

‘Tis Christmas time and no silver bells could

    ever tell the gratitude of mine:

   My Jesus—my Lord God—though still divine

did take the form of man and for me stood

       to bear my punishment. My Lord, my King,

       of You my soul and Christmas shout and sing!

David Benning, 24 Dec 1981

Storm Beauty

UC Davis, December 2014, © D. Benning

GLORY be to God for stormy days—
   For skies of sodden-color as of foggy air;
     For roiling clouds all bunched up, jostling forth in flight;
Fresh rainfall, water-fall on sidewalk plays;
  Landscaped tossed and mottled—dank, drippy, misty snare;
    And all winds, their force and bluster and might.

All things showery, soggy, wet, dank;
  Whatever is blowing, blusterous (who knows how?)
    With swift, wild, dark, light; flashy, dim;
God fathers-forth—His glory without rank:
            Praise him.

- D. Benning
Originally written in Oct 2009
 

UC Davis, December 2014, © D. Benning

A Carpet of Lights

Looking out the window on the long, trans-Atlantic, night flight home, I was taken with how beautiful all the lights were: lights of the big dipper high above the wing to the north, lights of at least two thunder storms over Naples and the north coast of Spain, but especially the lights of civilization far below.  Sometimes the cluster of lights was quite small, sometimes huge.  But even at 40,000 feet elevation, the individual lights were discernible.  And that's when I thought about how God can see us and even more clearly discern each of us.  This poem came as a result.

A Carpet of Lights

David Benning, 13-Sep-2014

Glittering,
   Sparkling,
      Carpet of tiny lights.
Dazzling,
   Twinkling,
      Strewn under velvet night.

Mesmerizing grove,
   Trimmed and cropped short,
      Placed between earth and sky;
Variegated textures
   Stippled down below—
      Multi-hued points capture the eye.

Through the window
   Downward I peer,
      Ensconced in night and metal jet.
High overhead
   Lone eye looks down,
      Spreading on water, land and cloud a silver net.

Tiny light underneath,
   Numerous lights below,
      Patterns unfolding, cities to reveal;
Coiling around,
   Radiating outward,
      Imprint of culture can be seen still.

Haze now obscuring,
   Clouds blocking the view,
      Lights twinkle then fade from the sight.
Moon far above,
   Pale tenuous light,
      Cannot find hint of the carpet of light.

All lies uncovered,
   Though hidden by cloud,
      Under the sight of our Father in Heaven.
Though He seem distant
   And far from our gaze,
      To Him a record and account must be given.