Obsession

Well, school has been done for almost a week. More, if you consider that my last final was ridiculously easy. I'm at home for another couple days, and then it's off to Florida for RUF Summer Conference. And then back home for a few days, then off to Austin for a wedding. Then back home for a few days, then off to Virginia for a weekend at the lake. Then back home for a few days, then camp! But in spite of all the summer preparations, packing up and moving from Raleigh, and working for Dad the past three days, I have been able to get some reading done.

David James Duncan is definitely in my top five of favorite authors. God Laughs and Plays, a collection of his essays, articles, and speeches (maybe?) was wonderful. Lots of good quotes, lots of good thoughts. And most importantly, even though it is clear that he is passionate about what he believes, he doesn't cram it down your throat or become overly preachy. He is well-versed in the art of rhetoric.

River Teeth was highly enjoyable. I still remember the beach trip where I read the whole thing on the way, and then went back and reread my favorite short stories over the course of the week. In fact, just the other day I was having coffee with a friend, and somehow conversation turned to children's books, and I made the comment that Are You My Mother? always reminds me of the first story in that collection (I can't remember what it's called, but it's about that childhood experience we all have of grabbing the wrong 'mom's' hand or mistaking a stranger for Daddy). Coincidentally, she's the one that recommended The Master and Margarita, and out of gratitude for me actually reading it, she's supposed to be working on The Brothers K this summer.

The Brothers K was ... fantastic. Outstanding. Phenomenal. (Great segue, huh?) Baseball, Russian Literature, Hindu metaphysics, Vietnam, draft-dodgers, and so much more. I highly recommend it. (It's fiction, by the way.)

But I digress. The book I'm currently working on is The River Why. It's 'about' fishing. But not really. It's about Augustine 'Gus' Orviston, the son of a father who is a fly-fishing legend and a mother who is a staunch, unwavering, 'plunker': a bait fisher...woman. He is highly accomplished at both. His little brother, Bill-Bob (his mother names him that mainly to irk his father), in stark contrast to the rest of the family, doesn't care for fishing at all. So fishing is the medium through which Gus evaluates his relationship with his father and mother, their relationship with each other, and most importantly (I think) the medium he must shed and leave behind in order to relate to and love his brother.

One of the things that's struck me on this reading (I read it 4 years ago, my senior year of high school) is what obsession does to a person. With Gus, it's fishing. It starts out as a passion, but quickly turns against him. He hears water even when he's sleeping. He talks to, and weeps over, his pet fish. But most importantly, he looses the ability to talk to people about anything but fishing. That's what obsession does to people: it makes them so preoccupied with one thing that anything else (even good things) loose their flavor.

Darwin complained about this late in his life. As a younger man, he enjoyed the arts, especially good literature. But as he looked back, after much of his research on natural selection, he realized that he had lost all love for Shakespeare. Poetry became dry and boring. And, I would guess, in all of his conversations with others, natural selection, if not the topic, was at the front of his mind. I think to some extent, this can happen with anyone. Hyper-Calvinists, environmentalists, overly-politically minded people, people that get drawn into sports or their jobs, anyone.

The worst kind of obsession, I think, is self-obsession. Pride. I know that you've met someone who wants to talk about nothing but themselves. It gets old fast. Not only is it annoying, I firmly believe that it is idolatry. It's putting yourself before God.

But for most faults, there is a positive side. If we're obsessed with the right things, if our preoccupations are in the right place, they can be for the benefit of others. If service for others is at the front of our minds, even if it's not the center of our conversation, it will flavor our interactions. As always, love for God and love for others should take first place. If it does, our obsession turns to infatuation. What better place to be?

The Devil Went Down to Moscow

I finished a book Saturday! Just in time for me to start a new one for the summer. Just for you curious readers out there, the books I have on my list for the summer are The River Why by David James Duncan, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and maybe some short stories by Graham Greene in between. And that's just the fiction!

Anyway, the book I've been reading for the past couple months was... interesting. I'm sure I'm missing something about it: some social context, some other literary allusion, or something. All the same, I enjoyed it. Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita is set in Moscow during Stalin's reign. How it was able to be published (mid 1960's) without heavy censure is a mystery to me.

I don't want to spoil it, but I can say a few things about it. Basically, it's about the chaos that ensues when Satan and a few demons come to Moscow. They set-up shop in a recently deceased author's apartment, and proceed to haunt, terrorize, confuse, and disorient... Moscow. Their focus is on the literary community, and it's because of this that I think Satan and his retinue must represent the communist regime of the early 1900's.

The other plot of the book is the events surrounding Christ's crucifixion. Special detail is given to Pontius Pilate and his Inquisition of Christ before the crucifixion, a conversation with Matthew Levi about the book he is writing (presumably our Gospel of Matthew), and his involvement in the murder of Judas. This narrative is written by one of the authors that get sent to a mental institution after their interaction with Moscow's visitors.

The two story lines are mixed together with little apparent overlap. However, there is one parallel I see between the two stories. In the whole book, Caesar and Stalin are conspicuously absent. Their presence is undeniable: in Moscow, there is a general fear of the political machine that controls the country. In the same way, the strong hand of Caesar seems to always be on Pilate's mind. Their goals of cultural unity and civil peace at the cost of individuality and freedom seem to go hand in hand.

Again, I highly enjoyed this book. It was at times profound, hilarious, confusing, and absurd. But, as I said, I feel like I'm missing something. Maybe this one just takes a little time to sink in.

Sunday Hymn - Before the Throne of God Above

It's been a great week. I had some exams, some homework, but mostly just some relaxing and good bonding time with people I won't see over the summer. We hung out on the front porch the last two nights (the weather has been beautiful this week), had a fire in the backyard earlier this week, and have really enjoyed the 'exam week chill.' I've had good times of reading and contemplation, conversation and fellowship. Again, it's been a great week.
This song is, for me, a great culmination to a great week. As good as my week has been, the good news of the Gospel makes it even better. Christ is risen: this is not just a happy ending to the Easter story, but a radical new beginning.

Before the throne of God above,
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest whose name is "Love,"
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there! the risen Lamb,
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
The great, unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.
With Christ, my Savior and my God.

Sunday Hymn - Come, Ye Sinners

Two of the most common accusations I hear against Christianity are that it is a religion of guilt and that it is an exclusive religion. This song, I think, addressed both of those points. "Come, ye sinners" is not an accusation of those outside the church: it is an invitation to the world. Christianity recognizes that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." All who are saved are saved by grace alone, and therefore, because no one contributes to their salvation, all are on equal footing. Admittedly, this is frustrating for me. I confess that I want, more than almost anything in the world, to be able to contribute to the work of Christ. My pride gets in the way and it takes all of my effort (and I'd suspect more than a little bit of grace) to humble myself, throw my hands up and fall on my knees in worship, and praise God that the work is His.

As to the accusation of the fact that Christianity is a religion of guilt, you kinda have to hear the song. The tone is joyful, not mourning. This great salvation is free! "Without money, without money, come to Jesus Christ and buy" is the call. Our sins are a reality, but when we participate in Christ's death, we are a new creation, no longer enslaved to sin. Finally, even us sinners, are free to pursue righteousness. We become slaves of God.

Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus, ready, stands to save you,
Full of pity, joined with power.
He is able, He is able;
He is willing; doubt no more.

Come, ye needy, come, and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Without money, without money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and broken by the fall;
If you tarry 'til you're better,
You will never come at all.
Not the righteous, not the righteous,
Sinners Jesus came to call.

Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requires
Is to feel your need of Him.
This He gives you, this He gives you,
'Tis the Spirit's rising beam.

Lo! The Incarnate God ascended;
Pleads the merit of His blood.
Venture on Him; venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
None but Jesus, none but Jesus,
Can do helpless sinners good.

The God Delusion, Part 5: Survey

As promised, here's a quick overview of The God Delusion with basic chapter descriptions and some basic opinions of mine that result. I'm done with the book, by the way. Maybe there will be another post, but I kinda doubt it. The last few chapters don't really rub me the wrong way like some of the others did. As I said for the first post about this book, I'd much rather talk to people individually about this, rather than send these posts out to everybody (and consequently, nobody). Tim Keller's The Reason for God is next on my list. It should be a refreshing read after this one.

Chapter 1: A Deeply Religious Non-Believer
The t-shirt issue/topic was in this chapter. Basically, it's just his introduction to the book. He points out some of his observations that go into the book (irrationality of treating religion and more 'gingerly' than other topics) and defines some terms that he uses throughout the book. Nothing too controversial here.

Chapter 2: The God Hypothesis
This chapter starts out as a laundry list of basic world-views: Polytheism, Monotheism, and Agnosticism. He points out basic characteristics of each, and some initial impressions that he has of them. He talks about the religious views of America's founding fathers, as well as other notable scientists. Probably most relevant to me, is that this chapter started me realizing that this book wasn't quite written in opposition to my beliefs. Overall, this chapter is a little scattered.

Chapter 3: Arguments for God's Existence
This is a meaty chapter, and a good one to read if you're interested in seeing what others offer as proof for God's existence. He doesn't pull the 'straw man' tactic too much (setting up an argument in such a way that it is easy to dispute, often by simply misrepresenting what it claims), and does a good job of surveying the teleological argument, ontological argument, argument from scripture, as well as other proofs that are offered. One point I appreciated from this chapter was the fact that we must distinguish between what we'd like to be true and what is true (hence, the title of the book). Obviously I disagree with him in the implications of this statement. To me, it means that we must take a serious look at scripture before we claim divine approval of our actions. In addition, it means that we take seriously the things is prescribes (I'm thinking of Sabbath rest: the present we don't want).

Chapter 4: Why There Almost Certainly is No God
This is Dawkins's forte: evolution and natural selection. Most frustrating for me through this chapter was his repeated frustration with people who misrepresent the theory (ie, claiming randomness, statistical impossibility, etc), followed by his own misrepresentation of Biblically sound beliefs. Most often, it's the suggestion that if we're having difficulty scientifically explaining something, that we throw up our hands, chalk it up to God's mystery, and move on. Rather, it is my conviction that we are to use all of our intellectual powers to investigate and appreciate creation so that we might, with an increasingly great sense of awe, worship God.

Chapter 5: The Roots of Religion
Here, Dawkins tries to explain why we have religion using evolutionary theory. I think that it's a pretty weak argument, not to mention disappointing in the way it treats human creativity. Whether you view humanity as made in the image of God or the way that secular humanists do, this view of religion negates the imagination that is inherent to humanity.

Chapter 6: The Roots of Morality: Why Are We Good?
This chapter tried to explain why we are 'good' in evolutionary terms. It works to some extent, but there are some pretty big gaps. He talks about Kant a little, as well as some Bentham and Mill, but trying to explain ethics has always been a difficult pursuit (whether you include God or not) and I don't see this argument holding too much weight with philosophers in the future.

Chapter 7: The 'Good' Book and the Changing Moral Zeitgeist
This is the chapter that angered me the most, and is easily the most densely 'margin noted' section of the book. I already put up one post about it, and could put up many more explaining why I don't agree with this chapter at all. In addition to his misunderstanding of Biblical history and morality, Dawkins offers an argument for why Hitler and Stalin are not proof that Atheism leads to immorality. I'd agree with that, as well as his comments about the tragedy of the fact that religion leads some people to commit heinous crimes in the name of God (bombing abortion clinics, segregation, etc).

Chapter 8: What's Wrong With Religion? Why Be So Hostile?
Homosexuality and abortion are in his sights here, and as usual, he only deals with them to the extent that mainstream evangelical Christianity deals with them. The biggest disagreement I have here is his claim that Christians teach that faith in inherently good, and the more illogical the belief, the more admirable the faith is. I firmly believe that we are to employ both reason and faith in pursuit of truth (and that everyone does it to varying degrees of success).

Chapter 9: Childhood, Abuse, and the Escape From Religion
In this chapter, Dawkins bemoans the practice of labeling children as members of a particular religion. He says that they should be taught how to think, not what to think. Educated, not indoctrinated. I agree that children should be taught how to think, but I'm still undecided on the whole 'Christian children' thing. I need to put more thought into that, specifically in understanding God's covenant promises as applying to 'you and your children.'

Chapter 10: A Much Needed Gap?
I really liked this chapter. Dawkins details how we are creatures of Middle World: there are things too small or too vast for us to comprehend. There are sounds too low or too high for us to hear. There are waves too long or to narrow for us to view. But. With advances in science, the window through which we view the world has been thrown open wider and wider. His conclusion is that we toss the unnecessary, limiting belief in God out the window in light of our own achievements. Mine is that we fall on our knees and worship God for the beauty and majesty and mystery of His creation.

Total Randomness

Thankfully, this week has been much more relaxed than last week. Instead of three tests, normal reading and homework levels, and a major project (our final report was 50 pages long), all I've had this week is a short group presentation and three canceled classes. Needless to say, I'm in a much better mood. Exams are next week (and a little the week after), but I exempt one, some are papers, and others are non-comprehensive, so I'm not stressing too much.

As I was paging back through my blog, I realized that people may have completely the wrong impression of me. Hymns and The God Delusion are not the only two things I think about or spend time on. There is so much more to this blogger than what is involved here on these posts. So, to give you a little taste, a little window into the complex labyrinth that is Andrew Shank, here are some of my other pursuits.

My favorite website of all time is the hilarious, ridiculous, classic, and infamous (?) HomeStar Runner. Specifically, the Strong Bad e-mails slay me. Some of the best are Virus, Kids' Book, and from way way back, Guitar. Marzipan's answering machine is worth checking out, as well as the numerous toons, shorts, and music videos. So much of my humor comes from this website. Seriously (sewiouswy), if you're planning on spending any length of time in my presence, familiarize yourself with this glorious website.

I play the guitar. Much of the time I spend playing is spent in worship (leading at RUF, back-up at church, and privately in my room), but I do enjoy finger-picking every once and again. Iron and Wine is one of my new favorite bands, and quite a few of their songs are very playable. Check out some of their music: it's on the chill side, and great for falling asleep to on a warm Spring afternoon. Not that it's boring. It just puts you in that kind of mood. I play a Takamine G10, and it sounds just as beautiful as it looks.

The house that we started over Spring Break (check this out, if you need a refresher) is coming along quite nicely. (I told you this would be random.) There have been lots of teams working on it, and it's looking great. Fuller progress is on Lagniappe's website (check-out the side bar for a link), but here's a update all the same. Also, one of the graduating RUFers is going to be interning there this summer. Yay Allison! Good luck, and drink plenty of water.

In addition to my philosophizing, harmonizing, and time-wasting on HSR, I am also a nerd. I am well versed in both Middle-Earth and Star Wars lore. I am a fan of 'dorky board games' such as Risk, Go, and the less-well-known, Settlers of Catan and A Game of Thrones (the last is also a book series I thoroughly enjoy). Real-time strategy games (RTS for short) are awesome, my favorite being Starcraft. Along those lines, I have been very excited about the pending release of Starcraft II: I've waited for almost 10 years, and it's finally come.

I feel like that's enough for now. I did do some good reading in The God Delusion this week (lots of free time, remember?), so there might be an update on that in the next couple days. There is one thing in this post that, to many of you, will be conspicuous by its absence: Camp. That's right, with a capital 'C'. I'm missing it and looking forward to it, but I know that plenty of my posts this summer will deal with days and people at camp, so I'll save that topic for a time when I can do it more justice.

Sunday Songs - Bonus Track

It's Little Brudder's birthday today, and thought a little birthday song was in order (he's only turning 20, so it's not really that big of a deal). Next year, though. Next year.

For he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good fellow,
For he's a jolly good felloooooooooow,
Which nobody can deny!

Which nobody can deny,
Which nobody can deny,
For he's a jolly good felloooooooooow,
Which nobody can deny!

Happy Birthday Dan.