Burnside Bridge

It's an idyllic setting that belies the violence that occurred there when 450 rebel soldiers held off 14,000 Union troops for several important hours during the Battle of Antietam. There are many leadership lessons to be drawn from this conflict but I'm struck mostly by the way the land has healed from the insult it received back in September of '62 (1862, that is).

Without any thought that God was on either side, the numeric imbalance still evokes the promise, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Rom. 8:31).

I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1867

Population Density

What are your first thoughts when you see this image?  Sure glad I don't live there?  Charming European city; good to visit but better to leave?

What does God see?

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him."  (2 Chr. 16:9).

The whole earth?

Clear Channels

The Roman Aqueduct system is fascinating.  This one, feeding the Spanish city of Segovia, rises to three times this height as it reaches the middle of town.  While the architecture and engineering required of this first century construction project is staggering, I'm struck by its function.

Day after day, this silent structure provided clean, fresh water from the source to the need.  It had to be covered or regularly cleaned to provide a "clear channel."

"Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:"  (2 Thess. 3:1).

Perspective 2

Perspective makes a big difference.  Can you really be sure whether Nelson is above or below me in this frame?  The Proverbs make reference three times to the need for a "multitude of counselors."  I'm thinking the repetition is especially necessary given our tendency not to see--by definition, really--the perspectives of others. 

While we must consider our own vantage point as valid and legitimate in order to function, we can never see it as complete and still find the "safety" Solomon promises.  And further, our plans will be thwarted if we only keep our own counsel.

"Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established." (Prov. 15:22)

Christ, The Foundation

"I now have found the firm foundation
Where evermore my anchor grounds!
It lay there ere the world's creation,
Where else, but in my Saviour's wounds?
Foundation which un-mov'd shall stay,
When earth and heaven pass away."

Truth is, most foundations aren't seen.  Only what we build upon them can be observed.  I was drawn to this wall by its being made of slate.  So much variation yet a wall nevertheless.  And obviously built on top of something sturdy.

"On this foundation I, unshrinking,
Will stand, while I on earth remain;
This shall engage my acting, thinking,
While I the breath of life retain.
Then I will sing eternally
Unfathomed Mercy, still of Thee!"

(Zion's Harp #221, v. 1, 6)

Life's Shadows

This image struck me as how life feels at times.  Some days are "dark", some are "light". As we walk along the "corridor of time", we transition between these stages, as it were.  It can be easy to forget one while experiencing the other.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23:4)

Guapa Chica!

My blogging hiatus after Dad died has me reaching back a few months.  Most of my posts are not "time sensitive" as this is not really a diary or any kind of attempt to chronicle the events of our lives in an organized fashion.  That said, our Julie spent the spring semester studying in Spain and we were blessed to visit her in late March.

Spain is amazing and I look forward to dribbling out some images from the trip over time.  The highlight was our long weekend in Granada, Julie's "home" for almost five months.  The Alhambra is an amazing icon of that once Moorish city.

If you're so inclined, you can read some of her exploits here.

Watch and Pray

With all the goings on of the papal retirement and the occasion of our Julie visiting Rome right now I thought I'd reach back a bit and dust off this image.

Whatever else might be said about it all, the architecture of St. Peter's is amazing.  Though I'm not aware that Peter ever got anywhere near there, you can hear echoes of the disciples as they came out of the Jerusalem temple, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" (Mark 13:1).

Imagine their disbelief at His response, "there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."  Followed by the warnings of great and terrible things yet to come.

The concluding thought, for then and now, "watch and pray."

Ends & Means

How did a "third rate burglary" taken down a presidency?  How could someone who had risen to such a position of power stumble at the most basic moral lessons our parents impart?  Tell the truth.  No little white lies.  No ends justify the means.  Be sure your sins will find you out (Num. 32:23).

Somewhere the big man began to lose his grip with mortality.  Like old King Saul, no longer "little in his own eyes".  Too big and powerful to fail.  No input needed, thank you very much.  Obviously I must know it all if I got to this place. Who would dare suggest otherwise?

We all need truth-tellers in our lives.  Those willing to risk our wrath to remind us we're mortal.  As a good friend of mine says, "Feedback is a gift."

(In case you're wondering, the building is The Watergate. Just a third rate burglary...)

Symmetry

This post is really about asymmetry.  The engineer in me likes symmetry.  There's something about things balancing out that just makes sense. At first.  Until you see that God's creation isn't about straight lines or having everything equal on both sides of the line, real or imagined.  That there's really more beauty in the lack of symmetry.  If you don't believe it, just take an image of the prettiest face you can find and reverse one side and substitute the reversal on the other side--ugly!

Then there's the whole "yin and yang" thing which is really a sick joke played on humankind, right up there with karma.

But to return to the lighter side, the Rule of Thirds in photography is an example of how even our eyes and brains don't really prefer symmetry.  I don't think I did too badly on that here, do you?

His Government

For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor,
The mighty God,
The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it,
and to establish it with judgment
and with justice
from henceforth even for ever.
(Isaiah 9:6-7)

Merry Christmas!

Confirmation Bias

I find that reading about a particular subject can shine light on a completely unrelated area of life.  Not long ago, I enjoyed an article in an aviation magazine that assessed the factors involved when pilots make really stupid (in hindsight) decisions, often in the face of information that makes the choices made seem ridiculous, especially in light of the tragic outcomes that follow.

See if you can find any application for these human factors revealed in research and aviation experience:

• We tend to "seek out and trust information that confirms what we already think or believe or want to believe, and avoid or discount information that goes against what we believe or want to believe."
• We "are more likely to notice information that we agree with or consider positive rather than focusing in on information that is contrary to our beliefs or goals."
• We "will ask questions so that an affirmative answer supports what (we) want to do."
• We "tend to give a lot more weight to the information that we receive early in a communication over information that is received later."
• The costs of proceeding in our desired course, in the face of more careful alternatives, are often unknown while the costs of not pressing on are often more certain.

I'm pretty sure we are all subject to this form of blindness. As the author says, the first line of defense is being aware of that.  Then we had better work to help our brain jump out of its rut and consider information that just might save us from a world of hurt.  Having people around us we can trust to tell us what we need to hear, not just what we want to hear is an important part of doing this.

Prov. 11:14.

(Quotes taken from "Looking for Confirmation" by Jay Hopkins, Flying, April 2012 pp. 26-28.)

Union II

There are a lot of reasons that we'd want to honor our 16th President. He was very wise.  He freed the slaves. He was from Illinois. :)

Truth is, however, the size and scope of his memorial on the National Mall is due to one thing.  He kept the union together.  I pondered that awhile back (here) after visiting Springfield and it's on my mind again after being in DC and also because I'm thinking of the difficulty we seem to have in churches sometimes.  Where so much more is at stake.

Jesus made at least two statements that define how the world would see Christians when our light is shining as it should.  The first is known as the New Commandment--to love one another as He loved us.  He said the world would see that and know we are His (John 13:34-35).  I just have to believe that a noticeable (by the world) love is one that will stay together through thick and thin, working out our difficulties, loving each other even, and especially, when it's hard.

The second is when Jesus prayed for us in John 17.  Seems we are to be "one" as He and the Father are one (v. 21).  And, again, the world will take note...and believe.  Yes, a lot's at stake.  Maybe even especially the hearts of those who don't yet believe.  They are watching.

Simplicity

In pondering the sights we saw in and around this famous church in Rome, a friend noted that it seems rather far from "the simplicity that is in Christ" (II Cor. 11:3).  It seems we have a tendency to add embellishments and adornments to the gospel.

As one who enjoys and works with church architecture, I can appreciate the art and creativity in a variety of expressions.  But I'm often taken back to the admonition in Isaiah 66:

"Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."

Cut and Paste

I've been to DC often but it wasn't until we visited Rome last fall that I could appreciate the extent to which certain architecture had been "borrowed".  In the case of the National Gallery of Art, you might say "cut and pasted".  All the way down to the lower ceiling height on the front porch which we were told in Rome was due to a column fabrication error.

We feel a certain safety in building on what's already been done and there can be great wisdom in that.  But I wonder if the degree to which Microsoft has made the cut (or copy) and paste function so easy hasn't also shut down our ability to question whether those patterns can really be "pasted" into the current situation without thought.

"The children of Issachar....had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." (I Chr 12:32)

Perspective

If this was the only impression you'd ever had of these familiar landmarks, what do you suppose your opinion would be about their proximity to each other?  Would you affirm strenuously that they were close neighbors?  Perhaps argue forcefully if someone suggested a two-mile distance between their extremes?

Often a simple change of perspective, perhaps offered by another whose view of the same thing is from a little different angle than ours, can fill out detail that we never imagined.  We should probably ask for that kind of help more often than we do.  Or at least temper our responses to each other against the very real possibility that our vision just might be limited.

"In the multitude of counsellors there is safety." (Prov. 11:14)

DC

I guess it's no secret that I love visiting our nation's capital.  This past weekend we had the opportunity to take our turn there for minister rotation at our DC church.  We had heard that the mild winter might have moved up the cherry blossom schedule but that didn't quite pan out.  The magnolias were a pretty good stand-in, don't you think?

Coliseum

You stand outside the Roman Coliseum and imagine the crowds jostling to get inside.  Inside you gaze at the playing field, mostly gone now, trying to imagine the gladiators, the spectators...the lions.  No doubt they cheered, they shouted, some gloried in the outcome, some were let down, some were horrified, some came just to be with those who were interested, or because it was the thing to do, and so on...

This past Sunday over a third of all Americans sat down and watched a game "together".  They cheered, they shouted...

You tell me; any difference?

(Yes, I know, no one gets killed...usually.)

Use Your Head

I've pondered what title to use for this shot of the Erechtheion porch atop the Acropolis and all I could ever come up with is the one shown.  For some reason which I won't try to remember, these women (the Caryatids) are holding up the canopy with their heads.  Quite the engineering feat, actually, to render such a detailed and beautiful yet structurally sound support.

Thinking of using one's head brings to mind the old "Ready-Aim-Fire" sequence.  It seems a lack of thought often leads to "Fire-Ready-Aim" or at best "Ready-Fire-Aim".  On the other hand, over-thinking or analysis-paralysis ends up being "Ready-Aim-Aim-Aim..." Some good extremes to avoid, I think.