Summer's breeze

There is a breeze in the air that delights
All the senses both touch and sight
It smells of spring and winter’s farewell
And a stirring to find where adventures dwell

The colors of the wind mesmerize me
They seduce my soul and lead me
To the forest where the trees dance in the wind
They sway hoping to touch each others limb

Then the breeze suddenly passes on
Silence descends like mist on a pond
It leaves you frozen surrounded by trees
Afraid and in love simultaneously unable to flee

Silence comes as a woman, one who is despised today
Despised for peering into your soul, evil and good she weighs
She opens the doors of your darkest chambers
Mocking and judging your prideful arrogance

Can you hear it? The sound of Pan’s echo
His voice has seduced many a friend and foe
He calls those by their names and commands the wind
Winds with a purpose, a specific destination and origin

Oh mighty wind, your calls make me ache
Take me with you to be wild and never wake
Call my name and lead me to where trees speak
And that woman silence with me to dwell will seek

why care?

I was thinking today about why we care. Maybe a better way to ask, and really the question that i asked was why do I care. This question can include a lot of different things. Why do i care about what people think about me? Why do i care about how people feel? Why do I care about getting to know other people when they don't care to get to know me? We uphold the great people of history that put others before themselves. Jesus spoke of being a servant and encouraged putting others first. Gandhi and Mother Teresa cared for those in who society left to die. But why? Why do we want to be like them?
The reality is that our lives revolve around ourselves. I have come to realize how terribly self-centered i am. I want to come and people to ask me how i am doing and care about my story and my life. This is not a bad desire, perhaps there is nothing more human than to be wanted and to desire to be loved. But why do we think that it is necessity for us to care for others? Why do we ask how people are and ask people about their lives when most of those people we completely do not think about and care about when we are not in their company. Maybe our conscience requires feeling like it has caused us to step outside of our comfort zone in order to make someone else feel better.
I guess I don't understand why we care...why does the need to make other people feel better cause us such great concern? Most people dont care about others. Humanity is beautiful...we truly are beautiful creatures capable of the most wonderful acts of kindness and love. But why...

Disgusted

It takes a lot of guts to speak up against something in today's society. The only thing that is safe to criticize are christians and the church. Say something negative about Jews, gays, blacks, muslims, and polish and you get shocked gasps of how could you and calls of bigot. We see it in our political world as well. Everything is sacred except when one acts on the foundation of christian rights.
For some reason we have come to a place where we think that peace is the only way to go. The only way for us to behave is peaceful. What makes this even more interesting is that this "peaceful" movement is led by young people. College students and young professionals. People that have never known true war, devastation and hardship. They go about speaking about how war is evil and destructive. They weep when speaking about aggressive policies that lead to suffering. This comes from people that have never gone hungry, never held a victim of war, and never suffered the consequences of violence. I am disgusted with this. We have become desperately passive.
How i envy those who have the passion to die for what they believe! How i envy those who are willing to fight for their cause! People are stupid enough to think that peace is good always. Why do we just sit and do nothing? The heroes that we admire throughout history shook the world because they fought. Jesus included. How i long to be part of a crusade! Yes i know that evil word. There has been a castration of youth and i dont want to be part of it anymore.

Postmodernism and Arabic

We are always somewhere and we are always going somewhere. Thats the story of our lives. Thats the story of history. What is amazing to me though is how we as the Christians always seem to be a step behind where the now is, and clueless on where the next stop is. Maybe this is because we hold to traditions that are long lasting and timeless. Maybe because we serve a god "who is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore." Maybe it is because we have lost the touch of the prophetic that can see clearly what the signs of the times are and what lies ahead. Jeremiah had this. He saw what was coming. He saw that destruction was coming and spoke honestly to a nation that didnt believe him. But he saw even beyond that, which is why he obeyed when God told him to buy land. He knew that down the road there would peace and therefore he got something that would benefit his family decades later.
I was talking to my dad yesterday and he was telling me about some of our family friends who are studying Arabic in College. They are doing this because they have a heart for the Middle East. It is obvious and doesnt take a rocket scientist or deep spiritual knowledge to state that the Middle East is the center of attention in our world today. But can we say that that will be the case 10-15 years from now? 20 years ago College students were studying Russian because the eyes of the world were focused on the confrontation of the Soviet Union and America. Now we focus on a new world. My point in this is that statistically there are only a few dozen American Soldiers stationed in Baghdad that can understand ANY Arabic. So if we had anticipated that the Middle East would be something important and had learned to speak it 20 years ago, we would be able to communicate far better.
The same goes for postmodernism. Now it is a hot word that people want to study and talk about. But its day is just about to pass and we are not part of the process of understanding what is coming next or better yet of creating what is coming next. My point in all this is that we should be those who understand the times yes. We should study Arabic and postmodernism because that is where our world is RIGHT NOW. BUt why not understand where our world is going and prepare for it, so that when it comes we are completely ready and can speak before Kings and Princes.

Coming out of the dark
Shelter in the cold
Jesting for a tender kiss
Wanting peace
Picking fights with bystanders to be silent
Hiding in the ocean
Blue, vast, and a riddle
Awed by colors of the wind
Greeted by sunny rays of light
Lost and restless
Hearts mystery a game of cards
Prisoner in cavernous immense

Dies Irae recording

There is a very fascinating link here. It is about the Dies Irae, meaning "day of wrath." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dies_Irae)The theme has been used many many times throughout the history of music, including a piece that i am writing now... BUt anyway it is very fascinating. Take the time to listen to this: http://alanbarnes.net/music/Podies_Irae.mp3

NO Speak, NO see, NO touch...

"Sing to me muse...sing to me of glimpses of true beauty and song of true harmony"
I have decided to do something. I will take three days and try three experiements in order for me to not only appreciate them more but also to better understand the power behind them...
Day 1: I will not be able to speak for 24 hours. This will show me the power in the simple act of being able to speak. I will not write either.
Day 2: I will blind-fold myself for 24 hours. This will show me the power in the simple act of being able to see.
Day 3: I will not be able to touch anyone for 24 hours. This will show me the power in the simple sense of touch. Nor will i allow anyone to touch me for that time.