Electronic Enslavement

Monday, June 28, In the year of our Lord 2010
Briercrest College and Seminary, DL Office
Writing a Rant, 5:09 PM
Weather = Warm and Sunny


Yesterday I went out with friends and I saw the strangest thing. A women was willingly subjecting herself to a torturous and merciless electronic force. She had shackled a small silvery thin box to her wrist and had allowed it to put her on a tight leash as well as wire itself into her skull. This insidious device would lay dormant until it saw fit to torment her and would suddenly pull the chain on the leash and send an electric jolt until the woman flipped open the box to see what it wanted. It didn't matter what she had been doing previously, whether it was having fun with friends, eating a family meal, looking after her child, driving on the highway, or even sleeping, the reaction was near instantaneous. The device had trained this woman to obey its every prodding and calling. If she was not quick enough it would begin to berate her with all manner of sounds and alarms, pulling on the leash harder, sending more electric jolt to ensure her compliance. Sometimes it would do this continually for hours, keeping this woman away from her own life as well as those who cared for her.

Perhaps most insidious of all was the wiring which had bored its way into her skull for the device itself could be turned off but, the wiring however, would always remain active. I suspect the wires were made to reprogram her brain for further compliance. The device had gotten into her head and had planted foundational ideas about itself and how necessary it was. I think that it had worked because she enjoyed its inconsiderate domination of her time and became acutely unsettled when the device was turned off for any period of time. I also suspect that these wires may have some indirect control of her motor functions, compelling her to do things and go places that should not be of any high priority.

What sort of twisted and corrupt motivation could this device offer? Why would any person willingly subject themselves to such a burden as the tyranny of the immediate? What sense of fulfillment is bestowed by the continual unquestioned compliance to this inconsiderate, cruel, impatient, unloving, never satisfied master of time and energy?

I had it in my mind to smash this device. I did not though, for if I had then she would have become quite upset with me and would have bought another one to take its place. She would have reattached the shackle to her wrist, the leash to her neck, and the wires to her head. Why would she do all this? Because this is what she has chosen, this is what she wants.



I am talking about Cell Phones and an unhealthy lifestyle that can result. Do you know of people who's lives are dictated by text messages and phone calls from friends, work, or otherwise? Some people respond to their cell phone before they would respond to a fire alarm. Some people consider the unknown text message a higher priority than continuing a one on one conversation, the sanctity of a family meal, or even their own personal safety as well as the safety of others.

Now granted, the younger generation has learned the ability to text and listen and participate in whatever else may be happening all at the same time. This does not make it any less rude, nor does it make the tyranny of the immediate any healthier.

What does anyone gain from a life characterized by the tyranny of the immediate? (except for adverse stress and undesirable heart conditions) What positive effect can result from responding at lightning speed to every text message you ever receive? Sometimes it is necessary, but on average it is not.

Example 1: Hanging out with close friends should not come to sudden halt just because some other person texts you to demand that you do this or that for them. That is a time to just ignore the phone.

Example 2: Family time should not get derailed when someone from work texts you or calls your phone to talk about work stuff. Work should remain at work and not interfere with established family time. If your job takes up all of your time all the time, then I have pity for you and more pity for your neglected family.

Example 3: Driving a vehicle should NEVER become secondary to texting. I don't care how well you think you can drive and text, it is against the law and the equivalent of being drunk at the wheel. (Yes, I'm talking to you, overconfident young kid who thinks you are invincible)

Cell phones should be used as a convenience built to serve humans. They are not intelligent, they do not pose any threat to us, whatever message has been sent will still be there once an appropriate time to read it has presented itself. If the person on the other side of the cell phone does not have the common decency, patience, or understanding that you might be living life at that moment and are unable to / don't want to check your phone right that second, then they are not worth your time and you will never be able to make them happy even if you dedicate all of you time to them all of the time.

You have the choice to throw off the cruel oppressor or be maliciously oppressed.

Rant over
Greg out

The Greatest Journey

Tuesday, June 22, In the year of our Lord 2010

My House, Caronport Saskatchewan

Contemplating Reality, 10:38 PM

Weather = Calm

The Greatest Journey, the True Adventure.

Some things are Sacred.

Some things have been revealed that were kept secret since the creation of the world.

All of these things, all that is good and true, all our hope, and all our strength is in Jesus.

We are sojourners. We are secret agents. We are explorers and we are conquerors.

Sometimes when I look out at the sky and see the sunset or a mighty storm or the beauty of the night I am reminded that we are here for a greater purpose. The True Adventure, the Greatest Journey, to have God alive in us by the Holy Spirit and to be empowered to live out his will. Sometimes, when I hear music from a great adventure story I am reminded that such stories are only either an imitation or retelling of the true adventure. We do not try to imitate movies, but movies try to imitate that which we sometimes don't recognize. Christ before us, Christ behind us, Christ above us, Christ below us, Christ within us, Christ outside us, Christ to our left, and Christ to our right. All of us living and moving with the chance to enter into what He is doing in the world.

There is an immeasurable web bright as gold and sparkling as diamond that stretches from the beginning of time to the end of time. Our lives are strands, interwoven with the lives of others. Our heritage is the great heritage of true faith, spanning from Adam and Eve to Abraham to David to all the prophets, to all godly men and women of faith, to Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and thankfully, to many of my own ancestors. The line of faith, rescued by God according to his eternal purpose, continues past my own life unto the end of time, and then beyond even that. This is the promise God made to Abraham.

"Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be."

We are the true adventurers. Every day is another opportunity to do something for the Kingdom. We serve the true King who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We read about and watch movies about kings and lords and valiant knights but anything inspiring in them is a mere reflection of reality. Our efforts do not evaporate at the end of the story, nor can they be undone, they are eternal and inspired by the sovereign of the universe. We fight real battles, far more real than the great battles of history where men fought against men. Our battles extend to the spiritual realm where a true arch-villain and true legions of darkness fight against us. When we move to put a plan into action, whether that plan be to be a friend, spread God's Word, or do an exorcism, and especially to pray, it is the true picture that spy movies and war-films base their reflections off of.

True valor is being faithful in the mundane, not just during extraordinary times or for extraordinary deeds. True courage is not for fairy-tales and video games, it is for us, now, living day by day in the armor of faith standing firm against the powers of darkness.

The images of Gandalf's charge against the forces of Isengaard, Thaodin's glorious charge against the legions of Mordor, the righteous anger in the march of the Ents, and the final destruction of the dark lord Sauron are mere reflections of the battle that has been won by Christ and the end of all things which is eternally secured. I think that is why I like the Lord of the Rings movies so much. They reflect the true glory of the eternal realities and remind my heart of what has come, what is now, and what will be. We do not live in a dualism, we live in the reality of the Risen Christ!

And now may Christ Himself bless you and keep you.

Amen

"Spicy" Fast Food

Friday, June 18, in the year of our Lord 2010
Briercrest College and Seminary, Distance Learning Office.
Writing before returning to work, 12:51PM
Weather = Rainy...


Spicy fast food. I'm not sure it actually exists.

I went to Burger King and saw a special for the "Angry Whopper," with a picture of a giant 3 layer burger wreathed in flames and the wording had iconic devil horns with red fading into black... or something like that. It looked impressive to say the least. I ordered one. When it arrived I realized that it was worthy of the Whopper title, but I didn't feel much angry. There were maybe two bites I had where I got lots of 'angry sauce' and I thought to myself "yeah, there we go, it's finally starting to heat up now..." only to find that it was a very short experience.

The so called 'Angry Whopper' is a misnomer. I think 'Slightly Disgruntled Whopper' or 'Passive Whopper that has become Frustrated' would be better names for it. A step up from that might be 'Teenage Angst Whopper' or 'Got up on the wrong side of the bed Whopper.' Angry Whopper should be reserved for something that might actually hurt your mouth on the way down.


Then yesterday I got a 'Flamethrower' from Dairy Queen. I had heard that this was a spicier experience than Burger King, and had seen commercials of some guy eating a flamethrower and his face turning bright red and dumping a blizzard on his head to cool off. When it arrived I thought that they might have given me the wrong burger. Unfortunately this was not the case. By the end I had to concentrate to feel that there was indeed something attempting to tickle the bottom of my throat.

'Flamethrower' might be a name that has meaning for people who think mushroom soup is spicy. Personally, I think 'Pea Shooter' or 'Extra Mild' might be more appropriate names.

Rain, Rain, and more Rain...

Friday, June 11, In the year of our Lord 2010

Caronport Saskatchewan, My House.

Lamenting the rain, 5:58PM

Weather = Raining

What can I say? It's been raining every day for the past two weeks and I'm sick of it. If it keeps raining then the farmers might as well start planting rice. Gah!

Rain rain go away, come again some other day!

It's supposed to be summer. Summer does not equal 'the rainy season,' like they have in other parts of the world, summer in Saskatchewan is sunny and hot. Summer is for playing Frisbee, reading a book outside, swimming in a lake, going for bike rides, not sitting at home waiting for the flood gates of heaven to stop leaking. It's starting to affect my mood.

If I wanted weather like this I would move to BC, why can't the weather behave like it's supposed to? Gah and Fliberty-gibbet! I bite my thumb at you rain!

Well... that kinda makes me feel a little bit better.

Ever have those times in your life when everything gets dragged down and monotonous with no end or hope of change in sight. It passes eventually, but I suppose that its in those times, the muddy monotony of day to day life that our mettle is proven. I think our culture has really lost the value of things like long-suffering, stick-to-it-ivness, persistence, and steadfastness. If life becomes monotonous or boring we just switch the channel, play with a new hair style, buy a new game, go online with our i-phones, listen to some music, do anything and everything at our disposal to make ourselves comfortable. We are comfort whores, moving from one sensation to the next. Why are useless things like video-games, fashion, and electric do-dads the main driving force in our continent's economy?

So until we suffer an even bigger economic catastrophe, I'm going to make the most out of the current weather and choose to actually live life and not hide from it.

Greg Out.

Iran, Israel, and an "Aid Ship"

Tuesday, June 1, In the year of our Lord 2010

My House, Caronport Saskatchewan

7:59 PM, Just came in from a walk

Weather = Sunny, Warm (in the sun) Cold (not in the sun) with lots of mosquitoes.

My boss told me about an interesting interview between Peter Mansbridge and the Prime Minister of Israel along with the incident of the mob ship that Israel captured. In regards to my previous post about not watching the news I should have specified that I will investigate situations that people tell me I should look at.

I looked into it and basically shook my head saying "what a mess." I saw some footage of the Israeli marines landing on a ship and then the people on board going berserk, beating the marines with clubs and poles and throwing one overboard. Then I saw the 'International Reaction' on CBC's website, it was a group of Islamic men holding up signs that it was an aid ship and that Israel is evil for attacking or something to that effect.

Good grief! What sort of aid ship attempts to fight with navy marines!? Generally humanitarian aid vessels are crewed by people who don't want to fight. It struck me as utterly strange that this was the International Reaction.

Then there's Iran which is being accused of not only having a military nuclear program but also that they are directly affiliated with and supporting Hamas and Hezbollah. It sounds like everyone's looking at Iran but nobody wants to do anything after Iraq and Afghanistan.

But enough personal venting. I thought Psalm 33 was appropriate in this situation.

¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

² Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

³ Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.

⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars
he puts the deep into storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.

⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.

¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.

¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;

¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth-

¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.

¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.

¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.

¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.

²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.

²² May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.