Christian Command and Conquer?

I don't know how I missed this --- Left Behind: Eternal Forces. Released in 2006, LBEF is a RTS videogame based on the popular Left Behind book series. The game takes place in an imagined post-raptured world, loosely based upon controversial interpretations of the book of Revelation. In order to win the single-player mode, you, the leader of the christian remnant, have to convert as many neutrals as possible through evangelism and prayer and kill those who are militantly opposed to your mission -- that is, opinionated non-believers (which makes them, of course, part of the Antichrist's World order). hm. RED FLAG. Initially backing the project were the folks at Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life company, but even they realized the awfulness of the idea and pulled out. But, unsurprisingly, Focus on the Family stayed on the straight and narrow, giving the game high praise upon its release. I only wished I would have known about this game in its heyday --- then, I could have bought my little brother a copy....

Here's the game's two trailers and a game play clips:
Trailer 1
Trailer 2 (much funnier)
Clip (the units are so positive!)

and here's a CNN news clip covering its controversial release:
CNN Clip

Finally, if you're still curious, check out the Wikipedia article:
Eternal Forces Article

(I try not to rag to hard on Christian media, but sometimes its just too easy....Don't get me wrong, the game isn't any more depraved or harmful than most games sold, but it is also no more useful as a "truth-teaching" tool than, let's say, Starcraft or Age of Empires, which is, let's face it, the subliminal claim of these types of "Christian" media to which Christians are often blind)

Excerpts from Kierkegaard's Practice in Christianity

" Can One Come to Know something about Christ from History?

No. Why not? Because one cannot know anything at all about Christ; he is the pradox, the object of faith, exists only for faith. But all historical communication is the communication of knowledge; Consequently one can come to know nothing about Christ from history. For if one comes to know little or much or something about him, he is not the one he in truth is. Thus one comes to know something about him that is different from what he is. One comes to know nothing about him or one comes to know something incorrect about him--one is deceived. History makes Christ into someone else than he is in truth, and thus from history we come to know much about--Christ? No, not about Christ, for about him nothing can be known; he can only be believed." pg 26

" 'History, says faith, "has nothing at all to do with Jesus Christ; with regard to him we have only sacred history (which is qualitatively different from history in general), which relates the story of his life in the state of abasement, also that he claimed to be God. He is the paradox that history can never digest or convert into an ordinary syllogism. He is the same in his abasement as in his loftiness--but the eighteen hundred years, or if it came to be eighteen thousand years, has nothing at all to do with it. These brilliant results in world history, which almost convince even a professor of history that he was God, these brilliant results are certainly not his coming again in glory! But this is just about how one understands it; it shows again that Christ is made into a human being whose coming again in glory cannot be or become anything other than the result of his life in history--whereas Christ's coming again in glory is something entirely different from this, something that is to be believed. He abased himself and was wrapped in rags--he will come again in glory, but the brilliant results, especially on closer inspection, are too shabby a glory, in any case a totally incongruous glory that faith therefore never mentions when it speaks of his glory. He still exists only in his abasement, until he, something that is believed, comes again in glory. History may be an excellent branch of knowledge, but it must not become so conceited that it undertakes what the Father will do, to array Christ in glory, clothing him in the glittering trappings of results, as if this were the second coming. That in his abasement he was God, that he will come again in glory--this goes not a little beyond the understanding of history; this cannot be drawn from history, no matter how matchlessly one regards it, except through a matchless lack of dialectic.'

How strange, and then history is the very thing that people have wanted to use to demonstrate that Christ was God." pg 30-31

Commentary:

These two passages come from the first part of Practice in Christianity in (sections) b and c of the subsection, The Halt. Struck by their relevance to discussions on biblical history, I wanted to share a few thoughts. Although originally written as warnings against the dangers of pro-christian positivist/enlightenment theology, these passages also serve as warnings against those of modern strands of biblical criticism (specifically, the historical-critical method). Take the following passage, "These brilliant results in world history, which almost convince even a professor of history that he [Jesus] was God, these brilliant results are certainly not his coming again in glory!" Here, Kierkegaard is rebuking those who would prove Christ's divinity through history ( He insists that all they really do is prove the divinity of a distorted literary Christ with no actual existence -- his argument is actually quite compelling, too bad Lee Strobel never read it :) . Today, Kierkegaard's rebuke applies to a different group of people who claim the exact opposite: the "brilliant results in world history" -- devious 1st century apostles, powerful censors from Carathage, and inconsistent textual traditions - show clearly that Jesus was most definitely not God.

So, how does Kierkegaard's idea come into play? It is by his definition of knowing. Christ is not known in history, but in experience (which Kierkegaard equates with faith); He is not known in the past, but the present. Therefore, it doesn't matter whether history suggests Christ is or isn't God; history is past, Christ is present -- and it is only experience of what is present that can prove either way. Sounds stupid, but I think he's making a good point (and it serves as a good reminder). According to Christianity, Christ is not dead, but alive. Why is it then that the church so often insists that he can only be known through 2000 year old accounts of His life? Do we come to know much about anyone by their fingerprints (besides identities of criminals)? In the first half of Practice in Christianity , Kierkegaard drives this idea home again and again: Christ must be encountered as a contemporary, a present presence in this world and not a distant figure of history; history is always of secondary importance.

More specifically, of history, he states,

History may be an excellent branch of knowledge, but it must not become so conceited that it undertakes what the Father will do, to array Christ in glory, clothing him in the glittering trappings of results, as if this were the second coming.

Modern biblical scholarship is devoted to the task of uncovering Christianity and Judaism's human roots. Personally, like Kierkegaard, I find this task praise worthy. Its findings help to remove unnecessary theological complexities and reduce unhealthy emphases on the supernatural. But its useful work often come with unwanted baggage -- the uncovering of the great humanness of the bible covers over its equally present divinity via divine inspiration. As a result, we should render the above passage as, "but it [History] must not become so conceited that it undertakes what Satan seeks to do, to disrobe Christ on the cross, clothing him in the blood and glistening sweat of man, stripped of everything divine, as if this was his one and bitter end." I am in constant need of reminder that the Christ I encounter is not the Christ of history -- a weak ideological Christ trapped in the pages of an ancient text -- but a Christ of the Present and the Now, a Christ who continually reminds me to come, tired and burdened by sin and strife, and find rest. Biblical scholarship, whether it affirm or deny the divinity of Christ, should never replace the living and present Lord we worship with a dead and mythic historical conception.

Cheese

"I have no doubt that in reality the future will be vastly more surprising than anything I can imagine. Now my own suspicion is that the Universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose."
-J.B.S. Haldane

Today during an oddball dinner conversation with my mom and sister, my faith in reality's utter bizarreness strengthened. I learned, among other things, that Human Breast Cheese is produced as a commercial product in France (check it out here). As a resolute Terrencian, my heart warmed with this new revelation -- I am now more human.

Peace, be still

The Scriptures in hand

beneath the spout of human knowledge,

I stand watching

The Holy Pages soak.

Till the words no longer speak

and a familiar asphyxiation takes hold.

When in a panic,

an image of a

BOY in a

Green and brown and trees

Kneeled before a

White  tree and CROSS

becomes a New Word

The Chicken is My Youth, the Blood My Twenties

I am a chicken, sin cabeza,
running 'round the lawn;
a fountain of blood bathes the children
who scream wildly
tossing my head back and forth
covered in October sunset.

Beautiful

I rediscovered this song yesterday evening in my car within the stack of unmarked Memorax, 80 min CD-Rs. The whole album is worth a listen. A mixture of a sermon, personal testimony and powerful musical performance, its difficult not to be moved -- that's not to say there aren't duds on the record, a few of the songs I can't listen to for more than a minute. Nonetheless, the above song as well as Mystery of Iniquity and War in the Mind is undeniably powerful. Worth a look.

The Conquering Lion is incredibly simple - two couplets repeated over a single chord progression (C-F-Em-Dm) with slight rhythmic and melodic variations. What distinguishes the song is the passion and confidence with which its sung. If it wasn't for Lauryn's personal commentary found before and after the song on the record, one might view these characteristics is simply part of a good performance, but in the context of the record, these words are sung as a unashamed declaration - Hill believes what she is saying and is declaring it to the audience in a very direct, confrontational manner. Of course, its done in a good spirit, so, as far as I can tell, people aren't generally offended by it, which is interesting. I think they should be. If one really wants to encounter this song, an response to Hills declaration is necessary. Within the inner chambers of being, an emphatic Yes or No should arise. (Although, I suppose there is also the response of indifferent curiosity, "hm" or "huh").

Memories

My sister's choir concert concluded with this piece. Brought back memories from High school, when we used to sing it. I remember really enjoying it. Not terribly complicated or obscure -- from what I gather from the youtube message boards, every high school choir in the south seems to have sung it at one time or another --, its played-out, simplicity does not detract from its beauty.

Home brings out the strongest feelings of consciously acknowledged disdain and pride. I noticed it yesterday sitting in my old high-school cafeteria, listening to my sister sing. Strong revulsion at the homeliness of my surroundings overtook me; the sight of a bunch of middle-class, country folk, watching their mediocre sons and daughters preform was too much. I felt indignation that God had placed me here again.

And what could I do? Those were my thoughts. I knew they were wrong, but I couldn't stop them. I felt ashamed, my base emotions and unconscious thoughts gave me away. Who am I anyway? Do I really think that just because I received an Ivy League education, I am no longer part of a broader humanity - one that my Ivy League personality spits upon, seeing it as homily, embarrassing and laughable? Similar emotions sweep over me at the audit classes. If the people in the room knew what I thought of them as they bumble over seemingly easy material, they would kick me out of the room.

I was not a genius in High School. There were other kids smarter than me, and I could admit without a problem. Now, after four years of elite education, I've forgotten myself. Ivy League education didn't make me smarter. Sure, I'm a bit more knowledgeable, a bit more refined, but that doesn't make me more intelligent. Part of me, a part I can't seem to access, a part that needs a good wake-the-hell-up kick in the ass, thinks going to Princeton made me genius. If anything, Princeton made me a fool. Life is a gift. Intelligence is a gift. Strength is a gift. Looks are a gift. They are not to be used to "lord" over others, but to serve them. Thus,

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothin, taking the form of a servant, being born inth e likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself be becomeing obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Many of these thoughts drifted through my head while watching my sister preform. The music was beautiful, and I realized I preferred high school choir's rendition of classic pieces because you hear a paradox: the beauty of the music shines forth in spite of and through the imperfect harmonies, faulty rhythm and unpolished voices as does the Glory of the Lord in each one of his children.

Today at the Record Store

Every time I walk into a record, I start to feel uncomfortable, like I'm in the presence of someone with a terminal illness. Its simply depressing to watch these stores die. The shelves full of ~5x5 polygons, which once seemed worthy of my hard earned twenty dollar bills, now appear pathetic, almost like the sight of high priced handmade goods in street markets begging to be bargained down.

Now, I've had two distinct consumer soft-spots in my life - DVDs and CDs. I've forked out thousands of dollars accumulating hundreds of little, shiny discs and skimpy booklets. With the shift to digital, my goods have lost their value. Bummer. The internet is the new printing press, and the seemingly endless repercussions of this powerful invention terrify me.

The Everyman

The young father knelt

beside his wife

who was dying of cancer

and prayed, "Lord, please heal her."

The Theologian

While thinking on
A FUTURE,

ever elusive,

A REDEMPTION,

ever postponed,

A FULFILLMENT,

ever absent,

A LORD,
ever hidden,
A REDACTOR,
ever disguised,
A TRUTH,
ever plural,
the young man prayed,
HOLY GOD,
ever obscured,
HOLY AND STRONG,
ever secret,
HOLY AND MIGHTY,
ever invisible,
HAVE MERCY,
every helpless,
ON US,
ever confused.

Pale Fire Quote

"I was the shadow of the waxwing slain
By the false azure in the windowpane;
I was the smudge of ashen fluff -- and I
Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky."

I first read these lines in high school, but they are still stuck in my brain. There's such an elegant simplicity here -- I've never been able to put my finger on it, but its power moves me. Unfortunately for anyone that reads these four lines here in this post, their effect will probably be lost. For some reason, the magic of the written word is reduced when found quoted online, especially in a blog, detached from the whole.

Genderless Poetry

A down-on-your-luck moment,
it´ll pass,
just like the wheat
in fields becomes
Mrs. Barid's 100 percent
whole grain bread.

Blue sky blushes as wind sweeps across his face;
the psalmist said, "that´s you, buddy," in Hebrew,
and I took my friends word for it:
"its hard to translate things like that."

Quote

"I bet a man invented the glass shower"
- my sis

Preface: Get Over Yourself; Reflection: The Miracle of Birth

(Preface: I have a problem posting. I write something, then self-consciousness kicks in, and I file it away as a draft. Worse, sometimes I put it in a word document. It lengthens, usually to about 2500 words, and is left, forgotten.

So, Zach, what's the lesson here?

Don't take yourself so seriously. )

Two weeks ago, a couple [S&M] with whom I'm friends had a child. I visited them in the hospital the day after and was struck by two events. The first occurred upon seeing the child for the first time -- I felt my spirit swell with delight as when seeing a friend for the first time in months. I can't explain why. My emotional state on my way to the hospital was flat; I looked forward to seeing S, M and A, but didn't expect to be spiritually moved. So, yes, that was the first memorable moment. Lesson learned: the sight of a child awakens within the soul a "yes" to life -- my soul saw what was made and spoke, "it [she] is good".

The second notable moment happened later in the afternoon. When I'm at home, I spend most sunday evenings with S&M participating in their small house liturgy -- a fresh break from the mega-church service I attend in the morning. Since this afternoon happened to fall on a Sunday, we held liturgy in the hospital room; only this time, it was a special service: a ritual blessing for A. We, the grandparents, parents, relatives and visitors, about 12 in all, each read part of the blessing. Now, if you've gone to church dedication services before, this blessing might not seem particularly moving or interesting, but there was a uniqueness to it this moment. There was no place for spectacle, the necessary distance for 'pure' observation could not be found - everyone simply knew each other. Furthermore, there was no pomp or pretense. There was no church. There wasn't even a minister. There was only a small group of people, believing fully that the Christ stood in their midst, dwelt in their hearts, watched over the child and blessed him -- either embarrassing foolery or profound reality, the experience was memorable.

Lesson learned: Ritual Blessings (naming, included) have value; they play important parts in spiritual expression and are a derivative of the broader category of prayer and worship. Therefore, we should take them seriously.