Amidst a Facebook newsfeed largely comprised of red equal signs, I saw a phrase that I took some exception to: Str8 Against H8 (Straight Against Hate). On the surface, there's nothing wrong here. I am also straight and am not particularly pro-hate. I understand that equal marriage rights are a huge deal right now. Personally, I don't care if you marry your patio furniture. It doesn't change my marriage in any way.
No, the problem I have is this wholesale appropriation of the word "hate" by the LGBT community to label anyone who doesn't agree with them. It's certainly an effective political tool, and one that I'm certain has rallied more than a few to their cause. I mean, let's be honest - who wants to be viewed as someone who HATES an entire subsection of our society? Anyone? Probably not. From a purely psychological standpoint, I bet there a good number of people who look at this propaganda-esque usage of the word and jumped on board, just to escape the label. Very clever, LGBT community.
However, I'm going to go ahead and cry foul here. I am not a stupid person, and I understand that this "hate" label is largely being leveled at Christians, right-wing-ers, evangelicals, fundamentalists, and whatever other groups are not on board with gay marriage, regardless of reasoning. This lack of concern for the reason of one's opposition is my problem, and I'm going to say this loud and clear:
Religious conviction is not the same thing as hate.
It just isn't - regardless of willy-nilly application of labels. As I've already stated, I'm not a stupid person. I am sadly aware that some (perhaps many) people who oppose gay marriage do hate homosexuals. It's unfortunate that, if these people who do hate - and do so in the name of God - are ignorant and are also, quite frankly, doing it wrong. Scripture tells us to love each other many more times than it condemns homosexuality. Actually, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, amongst the people who are listed as not inheriting the kingdom of God are, yes, homosexuals. Right alongside them are: the sexually immoral (which is a BROAD topic), idolators (anyone who places anything else above God), adulterers, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and swindlers. Certainly, most of us (myself included) fall into one or more of these categories - even the Christians. The only hope any of us have is the salvation as noted in v. 11 - sanctification in Jesus Christ.
Now, where am I going with this? Mostly, I just think it's unfair for everyone who disagrees with a particular issue to have this "hate" label applied to them. For a group (the LGBT community) who is trying so hard to be accepted and normalized in society, this approach seems a bit counter-productive to me. As I've said in other posts - if you're asking for tolerance and acceptance, try practicing a little. Casting anyone who doesn't agree with you as an enemy does not foster acceptance. Instead, it makes people defensive. If you really want walls to come down in relationships, you have to bring yours down, too.
We'll all be better off when we can learn to disagree on principles without personal attacks on those who may be against us. We're all human. We all want to be loved and be free to live our lives in the way that we best see fit. Let's all try to be a little cooler and not create hate where it doesn't exist.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Monkeys And Clay
I'm sure that most of us have certain things that we don't talk about in certain groups. For me, one of those things has been rearing its ugly head lately, and I've been finding myself biting my tongue an awful lot over the last few days. This is particularly troubling because the groups that I've been in have been groups that I should feel free to speak my mind with. The major issue is that the topic in question is one of those hot-button topics that can really set individuals off.
In this case, I am speaking of the debate between evolution and creationism.
Let me lay out the scenarios: In the first, a fellow Christian and good friend of mine brought up people who believe in evolution in a tone that I would expect ordinarily reserved for, say, Michael Vick, immediately following that whole dog-fighting fiasco. The implication was that Christians should not believe in evolution. This was Friday night.
The second happened Sunday morning, during our church service. The pastor was delivering a sermon on hearing the voice of God. Towards the end of the sermon, he made some statements that basically said that, if you believed in evolution, you were essentially unable to hear God, because you were too busy listening to the World (which is a bad thing).
It appears to me that this is one of those things that (like so many things nowadays) has become completely politicized and polarizing. Christians feel that believing in evolution negates God's hand in the creation of, well, everything. Evolutionists feel that believing in God means that you have checked your brain at the door and have become a sheep. Therefore, you must be one or the other, with no room for gray area.
It's not so simple for me. See, I believe both. I have spent many clock cycles puzzling out how these two things can fit together and have reached a point where I feel very confident that God, in creating the Universe, also put everything that falls under the term "Science" into place - including *gasp* evolution. Evolution, physics, chemistry, mathematics, etc. It all works, and I see His glory in all of it.
Sadly, I've been made to feel like a pariah by my "family", because I don't think that Science and Faith have to be mutually exclusive. I love God, but I refuse to be willfully ignorant of the things that I know to be true, just to fit into a mold.
I thought about outlining my personal belief system here, but I'm not sure it would do any good. It might actually do bad, if people are really that vehement about it. Depending on what feedback I get, I may write up another post about it. For now, I just wanted to vent a bit about how I've been feeling.
Update: I was able to talk to one of my other friends today, and he was able to talk me down from the proverbial ledge. Most helpful: I'm not alone in my beliefs, as well as some wise words about how to proceed from here. I'm extra double grateful to have some really grounded Christians to bounce my ideas off of.
In this case, I am speaking of the debate between evolution and creationism.
Let me lay out the scenarios: In the first, a fellow Christian and good friend of mine brought up people who believe in evolution in a tone that I would expect ordinarily reserved for, say, Michael Vick, immediately following that whole dog-fighting fiasco. The implication was that Christians should not believe in evolution. This was Friday night.
The second happened Sunday morning, during our church service. The pastor was delivering a sermon on hearing the voice of God. Towards the end of the sermon, he made some statements that basically said that, if you believed in evolution, you were essentially unable to hear God, because you were too busy listening to the World (which is a bad thing).
It appears to me that this is one of those things that (like so many things nowadays) has become completely politicized and polarizing. Christians feel that believing in evolution negates God's hand in the creation of, well, everything. Evolutionists feel that believing in God means that you have checked your brain at the door and have become a sheep. Therefore, you must be one or the other, with no room for gray area.
It's not so simple for me. See, I believe both. I have spent many clock cycles puzzling out how these two things can fit together and have reached a point where I feel very confident that God, in creating the Universe, also put everything that falls under the term "Science" into place - including *gasp* evolution. Evolution, physics, chemistry, mathematics, etc. It all works, and I see His glory in all of it.
Sadly, I've been made to feel like a pariah by my "family", because I don't think that Science and Faith have to be mutually exclusive. I love God, but I refuse to be willfully ignorant of the things that I know to be true, just to fit into a mold.
I thought about outlining my personal belief system here, but I'm not sure it would do any good. It might actually do bad, if people are really that vehement about it. Depending on what feedback I get, I may write up another post about it. For now, I just wanted to vent a bit about how I've been feeling.
Update: I was able to talk to one of my other friends today, and he was able to talk me down from the proverbial ledge. Most helpful: I'm not alone in my beliefs, as well as some wise words about how to proceed from here. I'm extra double grateful to have some really grounded Christians to bounce my ideas off of.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
New Old Stuff
I just picked up Adele's debut album, 19. By now, I'm sure that most of you have heard some/all of her ground-breaking, chart-topping, Grammy-winning album, 21. You really can't avoid it. I mean, if you haven't heard "Rolling in the Deep", you may need to pack your volleyball friend onto the raft and think about rejoining society.
Aside: if you haven't heard it, 19 is quite good. It seems a bit more immature and more of an attempt to mimic the records she heard growing up, rather than developing her own, unique stamp. There are shades of 21 in there, though. "Make You Feel My Love" would fit nicely onto 21.
Listening to her debut album, I'm struck by a few things. One of them is that this young lady has such command and presence, even at such a young age, that, in my opinion, some of today's "divas" could stand to take some notes. For one, Adele doesn't over-sing everything. She crafts interesting vocal lines, sure, but the vocal acrobatics that are so prevalent today, and seem to be the benchmark for what makes a "good" singer, are completely absent. This is a beautiful, "less is more" approach, and begins to undo some of the damage caused by all of the Whitney Houstons and Mariah Careys of the world.
"But...but..." you stammer. "Whitney could sing!".
You and I will have to disagree there. Well, maybe not entirely. She probably could sing. To me, though, it just seemed like she was yelling on-key most of the time. Tomatoes, to-mah-toes. I really didn't come here to bash Whitney.
The second thing that struck me was the phenomenon that I've observed upon discovering a new artist, mid-career, and then delving into their back catalog(ue):
The first album you hear from an artist is, in your mind, their sound, regardless of how it may sound with regard to anything else they've done.
Let me clarify. In the instance of Adele, 21 is what Adele's baseline sound is. 19 is a change from that. IN MY HEAD. For fans who started at the beginning, 21 is the departure. If the first Pearl Jam album you heard was Vitalogy, Ten is going to sound strange to you. Have you, readers, noticed this phenomenon as well?
I'd be curious to know what causes this. Perhaps it's just simple familiarity. Maybe there's enough nostalgia-weight with your first experience that you'll always hold a special place for that first taste of an artist.
Could you get around this by digesting a band's entire catalog(ue) in one go, thereby imprinting that nostalgia-weight to their entire works?
What artists have you experienced this with?
Aside: if you haven't heard it, 19 is quite good. It seems a bit more immature and more of an attempt to mimic the records she heard growing up, rather than developing her own, unique stamp. There are shades of 21 in there, though. "Make You Feel My Love" would fit nicely onto 21.
Listening to her debut album, I'm struck by a few things. One of them is that this young lady has such command and presence, even at such a young age, that, in my opinion, some of today's "divas" could stand to take some notes. For one, Adele doesn't over-sing everything. She crafts interesting vocal lines, sure, but the vocal acrobatics that are so prevalent today, and seem to be the benchmark for what makes a "good" singer, are completely absent. This is a beautiful, "less is more" approach, and begins to undo some of the damage caused by all of the Whitney Houstons and Mariah Careys of the world.
"But...but..." you stammer. "Whitney could sing!".
You and I will have to disagree there. Well, maybe not entirely. She probably could sing. To me, though, it just seemed like she was yelling on-key most of the time. Tomatoes, to-mah-toes. I really didn't come here to bash Whitney.
The second thing that struck me was the phenomenon that I've observed upon discovering a new artist, mid-career, and then delving into their back catalog(ue):
The first album you hear from an artist is, in your mind, their sound, regardless of how it may sound with regard to anything else they've done.
Let me clarify. In the instance of Adele, 21 is what Adele's baseline sound is. 19 is a change from that. IN MY HEAD. For fans who started at the beginning, 21 is the departure. If the first Pearl Jam album you heard was Vitalogy, Ten is going to sound strange to you. Have you, readers, noticed this phenomenon as well?
I'd be curious to know what causes this. Perhaps it's just simple familiarity. Maybe there's enough nostalgia-weight with your first experience that you'll always hold a special place for that first taste of an artist.
Could you get around this by digesting a band's entire catalog(ue) in one go, thereby imprinting that nostalgia-weight to their entire works?
What artists have you experienced this with?
Monday, October 8, 2012
Oh, no. I don't buy it for a second.
I'm back! I've had a lot going on, both at work and at home, and just haven't had time (or inspiration) to write anything. I'll be honest: it's been a pretty stressful time for me, which culminated in something of a nervous breakdown this past weekend. In fact, I started a post about that while it was still going on, but it read like a suicide note, so I deleted it. No need to cause anyone any unintentional distress.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful, understanding wife, a fantastic best friend, and a great group of guys at the chapel that I was able to spend some time with, and I got through it. I'm feeling pretty incredible right now, so that's a definite improvement.
However, that's not why I'm writing today. As I stated before, I was going to share my new music with you. I have a couple of new albums to talk about.
Yeasayer are like that band that the cool, art-y kids were listening to in the 80s while you were trying to decide if Boy George would ever top "Karma Chameleon". Sounding like a cross between Art Of Noise and Gary Numan, Yeasayer brings a deliciously retro sound to a modern audience.
Their music is predominantly electronic, but the band eschews the trappings of most modern electronic music. You will not find droning, repetetive beats here. Instead, this is almost pure pop sensibility, but with so much experimentation and lush density that it feels more like prog than something you'd hear on the Top 40. The music shifts and swirls, creating a new soundscape every few bars. By relying on that pop sensibility, though, they keep the music accessible, never making it difficult to listen to. In fact, the entire album is so utterly listenable that I find myself toe-tapping and head-bobbing right along with it.
Lyrically, the band hits familiar tropes like relationships, etc, but with an artistic flair that makes them more about mood than literal interpretation. The only exception is the surprisingly mean-spirited "Folk Hero Schtick", which seems to be a diss track, specifically aimed at someone (I don't know who). It's a step backward and takes away from the positive vibes that you'd expect from a band called Yeasayer (presumably, the opposite of a naysayer).
Overall, Yeasayer have crafted a fine album. Perhaps it's not quite so memorable as their last effort, Odd Blood, but definitely worth a listen if you enjoy some 80s-sounding synth pop.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful, understanding wife, a fantastic best friend, and a great group of guys at the chapel that I was able to spend some time with, and I got through it. I'm feeling pretty incredible right now, so that's a definite improvement.
However, that's not why I'm writing today. As I stated before, I was going to share my new music with you. I have a couple of new albums to talk about.
Fragrant World
by Yeasayer
Yeasayer are like that band that the cool, art-y kids were listening to in the 80s while you were trying to decide if Boy George would ever top "Karma Chameleon". Sounding like a cross between Art Of Noise and Gary Numan, Yeasayer brings a deliciously retro sound to a modern audience.
Their music is predominantly electronic, but the band eschews the trappings of most modern electronic music. You will not find droning, repetetive beats here. Instead, this is almost pure pop sensibility, but with so much experimentation and lush density that it feels more like prog than something you'd hear on the Top 40. The music shifts and swirls, creating a new soundscape every few bars. By relying on that pop sensibility, though, they keep the music accessible, never making it difficult to listen to. In fact, the entire album is so utterly listenable that I find myself toe-tapping and head-bobbing right along with it.
Lyrically, the band hits familiar tropes like relationships, etc, but with an artistic flair that makes them more about mood than literal interpretation. The only exception is the surprisingly mean-spirited "Folk Hero Schtick", which seems to be a diss track, specifically aimed at someone (I don't know who). It's a step backward and takes away from the positive vibes that you'd expect from a band called Yeasayer (presumably, the opposite of a naysayer).
Overall, Yeasayer have crafted a fine album. Perhaps it's not quite so memorable as their last effort, Odd Blood, but definitely worth a listen if you enjoy some 80s-sounding synth pop.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Tough Love
A couple of days ago, one of my friends posted a question on Facebook, and I thought it was interesting enough to take some time and give it a proper answer. It's a big enough question that I thought it might be worth bringing up here:
Does anyone else out there think like me? Does anyone else think that you can be a Christian and a good person, without having to be a church goer that reads and refers to and lives by the Bible? I think I am a Christian as per my testimony at age 14, however, I have also met so many people in this country alone that are incredible people - Muslims, Buddhists, and even Catholic Strippers! Why is it that I can't be open to their ideas and accepting of them and respect their opinions? Does that make me a bad person or a bad Christian? I will not judge others for their choices in life, its just not for me to say, but instead for me to be nice and open and kind to them, right?
OK, since you asked...
There's really no way to address this without bringing up one of the ugly truths about religion. Almost every religion believes that their way is the right way, and those who are not on board are going to Hell (or some reasonable facsimile). People don't like this. It's harsh. It's black-and-white. It doesn't leave a lot of room for "Gee, can't we all just get along?". I know many non-believers who are really offended by this. It's certainly not something we like to bring up as an icebreaker at parties.
However (and I'll speak from a Christian's point of view), this gets unfairly pinned on the believers. "You're being judgmental!" Well, no, actually. I'm not. I have no authority over where you spend the afterlife. Now, as far as I know, that's the rules, but they're not my rules. I didn't make them up. God did. It's all His, anyway, so...His rules. Would I like it if everyone got a Get Out Of Eternity In Fire card, just for smiling at others and not kicking puppies? Sure. But that's not how it works. The thing is, though. There is a big stack of those cards available. One for each person. The trick is that you have to take it. Faith in Christ is your free pass. You just have to come that far. The rest has been laid out for you.
Bit of a digression. Back to the question. "Can you be a Christian and a good person, without having to be a church goer that reads and refers to and lives by the Bible?" A good person? Sure, no problem. A Christian? Not so much. Without the Bible, what does it even mean to be a Christian? How do you know what Christianity is, or what it looks like? I suspect that you like to call yourself a Christian, but don't want to have to deal with any of those difficult parts of it, so you adopt the label and then live your life how you see fit. That way, when someone asks, you can say, "Yes, I am", but you're really not. When you create the religion to suit what you think God should be like, you're really worshipping yourself. If this is the case, and if you're really honest with yourself, you should probably stop calling yourself a Christian (unless your name is Chris or Christie - even then, it's unnecessarily misleading).
Self-identifying as a Christian because you said you were when you were 14, and then not doing anything since is like me saying, "I'm an airline pilot".
"You're not an airline pilot.", you say, "You've never even studied aviation, much less flown a plane".
"True", I reply, "But, when I was a five years old, I got to go in the cockpit and the pilot gave me pilot's wings. I'm totally an airline pilot".
Maybe I've got this all wrong. I just don't understand how you're calling yourself a thing that you are not, just because you were at one time. You are not an eighth-grader, are you? Even though you were one when you were 14? Why? Because you don't attend classes in a middle school anymore. Why don't you also call yourself an eighth-grader?
For the other part - can you be a Christian and not a church goer? Yes, but you're not going to be as effective and uplifted. The Bible tells us:
Does anyone else out there think like me? Does anyone else think that you can be a Christian and a good person, without having to be a church goer that reads and refers to and lives by the Bible? I think I am a Christian as per my testimony at age 14, however, I have also met so many people in this country alone that are incredible people - Muslims, Buddhists, and even Catholic Strippers! Why is it that I can't be open to their ideas and accepting of them and respect their opinions? Does that make me a bad person or a bad Christian? I will not judge others for their choices in life, its just not for me to say, but instead for me to be nice and open and kind to them, right?
OK, since you asked...
There's really no way to address this without bringing up one of the ugly truths about religion. Almost every religion believes that their way is the right way, and those who are not on board are going to Hell (or some reasonable facsimile). People don't like this. It's harsh. It's black-and-white. It doesn't leave a lot of room for "Gee, can't we all just get along?". I know many non-believers who are really offended by this. It's certainly not something we like to bring up as an icebreaker at parties.
However (and I'll speak from a Christian's point of view), this gets unfairly pinned on the believers. "You're being judgmental!" Well, no, actually. I'm not. I have no authority over where you spend the afterlife. Now, as far as I know, that's the rules, but they're not my rules. I didn't make them up. God did. It's all His, anyway, so...His rules. Would I like it if everyone got a Get Out Of Eternity In Fire card, just for smiling at others and not kicking puppies? Sure. But that's not how it works. The thing is, though. There is a big stack of those cards available. One for each person. The trick is that you have to take it. Faith in Christ is your free pass. You just have to come that far. The rest has been laid out for you.
Bit of a digression. Back to the question. "Can you be a Christian and a good person, without having to be a church goer that reads and refers to and lives by the Bible?" A good person? Sure, no problem. A Christian? Not so much. Without the Bible, what does it even mean to be a Christian? How do you know what Christianity is, or what it looks like? I suspect that you like to call yourself a Christian, but don't want to have to deal with any of those difficult parts of it, so you adopt the label and then live your life how you see fit. That way, when someone asks, you can say, "Yes, I am", but you're really not. When you create the religion to suit what you think God should be like, you're really worshipping yourself. If this is the case, and if you're really honest with yourself, you should probably stop calling yourself a Christian (unless your name is Chris or Christie - even then, it's unnecessarily misleading).
Self-identifying as a Christian because you said you were when you were 14, and then not doing anything since is like me saying, "I'm an airline pilot".
"You're not an airline pilot.", you say, "You've never even studied aviation, much less flown a plane".
"True", I reply, "But, when I was a five years old, I got to go in the cockpit and the pilot gave me pilot's wings. I'm totally an airline pilot".
Maybe I've got this all wrong. I just don't understand how you're calling yourself a thing that you are not, just because you were at one time. You are not an eighth-grader, are you? Even though you were one when you were 14? Why? Because you don't attend classes in a middle school anymore. Why don't you also call yourself an eighth-grader?
For the other part - can you be a Christian and not a church goer? Yes, but you're not going to be as effective and uplifted. The Bible tells us:
Hebrews 10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
1 Corinthians 12:12
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
Now, can you be open to others' ideas and accepting of them and respect their opinions without judging them? Again, yes. Yes, you can. There is only one Judge, and you are not Him. But if you really are a Christian, that is, a follower of Christ, well:
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me".
Take a moment and let that sink in. The Muslims and Buddhists and Atheists and Wiccans (etc.) are all going to be apart from God for eternity. Straight from Christ's mouth. Uncomfortable? You bet. If you care about these people, you should want them to be with you in Heaven. At the very least, pray for them, fervently, daily. Pray that they will accept Christ. Because saying, "Hey, your way is as good as my way", is a death sentence.
Again, that's only if you believe what you say you believe. If you don't, and you think everyone's just cool the way they are, you should probably look into Universalism.
To my friend who asked the question: We've been friends for a long time. You know we're still friends. I'm just concerned for you and really would like you to think about why you believe what you believe.
To my friend who asked the question: We've been friends for a long time. You know we're still friends. I'm just concerned for you and really would like you to think about why you believe what you believe.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Out Come The Knives
I love music. I also have a huge appetite for new music. I mean, of course, "new to me", and not, "recently recorded". Amazon has a delicious mp3 store that frequently has albums on sale for $5 (or less). This allows me to indulge my large appetite on the cheap, and I thank them for it.
I listen to many genres of music. Mostly rock-based (of many stripes), but also jazz, folk, rap, swing, pop, avant garde, and whatever else may find its way onto my iPod.
So, I had this crazy idea that, in order to keep myself writing, I'd start doing reviews (for lack of a better word) of the new music I was picking up. I don't plan on necessarily going into the back catalog, but we'll see what your feedback and my whims lead to.
Luckily, this idea coincided with a purchase from one of my favorite bands - one that I've mentioned on this blog and also on FB several times - The Paper Chase.
Hide the Kitchen Knives
by The Paper Chase
I started listening to The Paper Chase based on a recommendation from a like-minded, music afficionado, friend of mine. The album that I heard first was their third, God Bless Your Black Heart. I have since collected all of their albums. Hide the Kitchen Knives was their second album and the fifth for me.
Musically, HTKK fits right in with the rest of their work, and is a step forward from their debut album, Young Bodies Heal Quickly, You Know. The production is more refined, and the band is once again led by mastermind/vocalist ("singer" might be a stretch)/guitarist/songwriter/producer, John Congleton.
Describing The Paper Chase in words is liked trying to describe the feeling of your first kiss or, more accurately, your first fistfight. The music is an experimental combination of guitar, bass, drums, piano, and samples. The band is very tight, but never sounds that way, because their music is so discordant. It sounds as if the musicians might all be playing the same song, but aren't sure what key they're supposed to be playing in. I can't tell if Congleton's just such a genius that he can bludgeon these disparate sounds into an overall vision, or if each part being wrong ends up sounding all right in the end.
The songs are arranged in such a way that they move from positively bludgeoning, to quiet and almost-beautiful. The listener is never allowed to rest, though. Something will keep upsetting any attempt to just float along with the music, whether it's an intentional, "bad" note, or the theme of the lyrics. The Paper Chase are also not afraid to let various band members rest for a bit. Instruments drop in and out of the music to suit the arrangements. Songs blend together, making the work seem like a concept album, even when it isn't. Samples are not loops of music bits or sound effects, for the most part, but snippets of voice recordings. Most appear to be recordings of surviving relatives of crime victims. They add a creepy layer to the proceedings, boosting the unease created by the music.
Lyrically, the Paper Chase craft an ugly world, giving the impression of a run-down Texas trailer park in mid-August, populated entirely by dysfunctional families whose members have nothing but utter contempt for each other. Surprisingly, though, the lyrics are quite literate and contain some clever wordplay and dark humor.
All of these elements are in play on HTKK. The Paper Chase defintely have a sound, and they stick with it. The vocals lean toward the raw delivery that would fade a bit on subsequent albums. The lyrics continue their penchant for dark wordplay, and are still painting a dirty, sweaty world. The music is just as experimental and unsettling. Basically, I got exactly what I wanted/expected from the album. The band is in fine form, and the production sounds better than that on Young Bodies.
The highest compliment I can pay to The Paper Chase is that they don’t sound like anyone else. At least, no one that I’ve heard of. Most of the time, when you listen to a new band, I will compare the band to another band (or bands). “They sound like X, but with the vocals of Y”. I honestly cannot draw any meaningful comparison. For me, finding a band that has a wholly unique sound is automatically worth a listen. Hide the Kitchen Knives, while not necessarily my favorite album by TPC, is certainly a great example of their sound for someone who would like to give them a try.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A Dream of the End
I had an incredibly vivid dream this morning. Ordinarily, I wouldn't share, but this one was very powerful and is really sticking with me. Please understand, as I describe this, that it was a dream, and didn't necessarily make entire sense with the world as we know it. I'm just telling it like it happened.
It was The End. Like, the end of everything. God was preparing to enact the final reckoning, and all of the believers of the world were gathered together in one place. It was many different faiths, too. I don't know exactly which ones were represented, but it wasn't just Baptists, for example. The place was a very large, very flat place, all well-manicured grass and trees. It called to mind the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but, as I said, all grass, like a golf course. All of the people were there, and yet, it wasn't crowded at all. That's not a snarky way to say that there weren't that many believers. It just defied logic, to have so many there and not be crowded. The people clustered together in small groups, talking and sharing stories and ideas about their lives and what was to come.
A small handful of people were then chosen to take on specific tasks. I was chosen to give prayer/last rites for the children in attendance. When I explained that I wasn't Catholic, and didn't believe in last rites, I was told that it was OK. It was to comfort the children and their parents, and my prayer was more than sufficient for what was needed. I agreed, honored to be chosen. Simultaneously, my wife was made the spirit of Death.
Now, before you start evaluating my thoughts about the Missus, you should understand a few things. First, the Bible states that we should strive for the greater gifts when it comes to gifts of the Spirit. My wife has been a Christian for longer than I have and is more mature in her faith than I am. Secondly, she wasn't kitted out with a black robe and scythe. It was just her, and she had a very important job to do. My job was important - I mean, I was singled out - but she was really elevated. It was pretty awe-inspiring.
So, at a given time, we understood that some of the gathered were ready to pass on to...whatever came after. My wife and I moved through the assembled. As I prayed, she would reach out her hand and, whoever she touched, died. It wasn't a normal death. They would freeze up and the color would drain out of them and they just weren't there anymore. Some of them were nervous as she approached, but no one was really afraid. As we passed, some of the remaining people would thank me for the prayers/last rites. When enough people were...I don't know..."taken", we would go back to just being ourselves and waiting for the next time we were needed. This happened a few times.
In the last part of the dream, we were all just waiting again. Suddenly, I heard a quiet commotion behind me. People were talking excitedly, gasping, etc. I knew that God was among us. Without turning to look, I dropped to my knees and pressed my face to the grass. I whispered that I was done waiting and was ready to go. I felt a weight on my back, as if someone were standing over me. He asked me if I was sure that I was ready to examine my life, to be judged. I said, "I've been made holy. I'm ready".
Instantly, there was a table on the grass in front of me. He started gathering the actions, thoughts, relationships, everything from my life and setting them on the table in front of me, like tokens. They were a sort of smoky-white color, and were diferent sizes - some small, like a penny, up to roughly two inches across. He said, "Let's start with the people in your life - those who are important to you". The tokens lined up North-to-South, in the center of the table. As I thought of the people that I cared about, the line of tokens grew. I knew that we were going to go through absolutely everything that I had ever seen, done, thought, felt. I was nervous, but never afraid. I felt Love. Even knowing that my existence would be laid bare, I was never ashamed. I knew that this was just something that must be done before I moved on.
Unfortunately, before I could see what happened next, wind blew through the house, causing the bathroom door to creak and wake me up. I tried to ignore the creaking but, by the third or fourth creak, I was awake. Quite disappointing. I really wanted to see what would happen next.
I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this. I'm not one of those "visions" people. I realized, as soon as I woke, that it was a dream. I don't feel like I saw the future or anything. It was just a very powerful experience for me. If anything, I think it provides a clear idea of how I view God. That alone makes it worthwhile for me.
P.S. I just put my iPod on Shuffle, and the first song it chose was "These Dreams", by Heart.
It was The End. Like, the end of everything. God was preparing to enact the final reckoning, and all of the believers of the world were gathered together in one place. It was many different faiths, too. I don't know exactly which ones were represented, but it wasn't just Baptists, for example. The place was a very large, very flat place, all well-manicured grass and trees. It called to mind the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but, as I said, all grass, like a golf course. All of the people were there, and yet, it wasn't crowded at all. That's not a snarky way to say that there weren't that many believers. It just defied logic, to have so many there and not be crowded. The people clustered together in small groups, talking and sharing stories and ideas about their lives and what was to come.
A small handful of people were then chosen to take on specific tasks. I was chosen to give prayer/last rites for the children in attendance. When I explained that I wasn't Catholic, and didn't believe in last rites, I was told that it was OK. It was to comfort the children and their parents, and my prayer was more than sufficient for what was needed. I agreed, honored to be chosen. Simultaneously, my wife was made the spirit of Death.
Now, before you start evaluating my thoughts about the Missus, you should understand a few things. First, the Bible states that we should strive for the greater gifts when it comes to gifts of the Spirit. My wife has been a Christian for longer than I have and is more mature in her faith than I am. Secondly, she wasn't kitted out with a black robe and scythe. It was just her, and she had a very important job to do. My job was important - I mean, I was singled out - but she was really elevated. It was pretty awe-inspiring.
So, at a given time, we understood that some of the gathered were ready to pass on to...whatever came after. My wife and I moved through the assembled. As I prayed, she would reach out her hand and, whoever she touched, died. It wasn't a normal death. They would freeze up and the color would drain out of them and they just weren't there anymore. Some of them were nervous as she approached, but no one was really afraid. As we passed, some of the remaining people would thank me for the prayers/last rites. When enough people were...I don't know..."taken", we would go back to just being ourselves and waiting for the next time we were needed. This happened a few times.
In the last part of the dream, we were all just waiting again. Suddenly, I heard a quiet commotion behind me. People were talking excitedly, gasping, etc. I knew that God was among us. Without turning to look, I dropped to my knees and pressed my face to the grass. I whispered that I was done waiting and was ready to go. I felt a weight on my back, as if someone were standing over me. He asked me if I was sure that I was ready to examine my life, to be judged. I said, "I've been made holy. I'm ready".
Instantly, there was a table on the grass in front of me. He started gathering the actions, thoughts, relationships, everything from my life and setting them on the table in front of me, like tokens. They were a sort of smoky-white color, and were diferent sizes - some small, like a penny, up to roughly two inches across. He said, "Let's start with the people in your life - those who are important to you". The tokens lined up North-to-South, in the center of the table. As I thought of the people that I cared about, the line of tokens grew. I knew that we were going to go through absolutely everything that I had ever seen, done, thought, felt. I was nervous, but never afraid. I felt Love. Even knowing that my existence would be laid bare, I was never ashamed. I knew that this was just something that must be done before I moved on.
Unfortunately, before I could see what happened next, wind blew through the house, causing the bathroom door to creak and wake me up. I tried to ignore the creaking but, by the third or fourth creak, I was awake. Quite disappointing. I really wanted to see what would happen next.
I'm not really sure why I'm sharing this. I'm not one of those "visions" people. I realized, as soon as I woke, that it was a dream. I don't feel like I saw the future or anything. It was just a very powerful experience for me. If anything, I think it provides a clear idea of how I view God. That alone makes it worthwhile for me.
P.S. I just put my iPod on Shuffle, and the first song it chose was "These Dreams", by Heart.
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