The Meaning of Christmas

I love beauty and truth. Those are two things I'm always searching for. That's also why I love Christmas so much – the story of how Jesus Christ came to earth is one of the world's most beautiful stories. What makes it even more beautiful is the fact that I can be sure it is completely true, because it was recorded in the Bible, the infallible Word of God. Here are the Bible passages that tell about the first Christmas, over two thousand years ago...

The birth of Jesus is foretold:   Luke 1:26-38

Jesus is born:   Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2:1-20

The wise men visit Jesus:   Matthew 2:1-12

The Kingdom of Utopialand

        Editor: The Kingdom of Utopialand is currently at war with the Republic of Dystopialand. After a rout of the Royal Utopialandian army, the Kingdom is being overrun by Dystopialandian troops. The foreign army is quickly pressing toward Poohbaville, the capital of Utopialand, where His Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba, Supreme Commander of the Utopialandian Armed Forces and Most High King of Utopialand is in conference with his Ministers and Advisors in his royal palace.


        “Hey, slave boy, bring me some more donuts! And make it quick!” declares His Excellency. “This meeting is now officially and royally declared open.”
        “Your Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba, Supreme Commander of the Utopialandian Armed Forces and Most High King of Utopialand, here are your donuts,” says the slave, bowing.
        “Your Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba, Supreme Commander of the Utopialandian Armed Forces and Most High King of Utopialand, Dystopialandian troops are marching toward Poohbaville this very minute. Their ETA is 1400 hours tomorrow. I propose we blow them all up with our nuclear warheads. This would stop their advance and have the beneficial effect of completely destroying their army, allowing us to invade Dystopialand unopposed!” yells the Right Honourable Sir Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs.
        “Hmm… yes, that does make sense,” says His Excellency, his mouth full of donuts.
        “Your Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba, Supreme Commander of the Utopialandian Armed Forces and Most High King of Utopialand, what the Right Honourable Sir Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs has said is completely ridiculous. We must keep our heads in this situation and act in a civilized manner. I propose that we send a delegation of accomplished diplomats to meet the enemy before it arrives,” says the Right Honourable Sir Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy.
        “Hmm… yes, that does make sense,” says His Excellency, his mouth full of donuts.
        “Your Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba etc., sending a delegation of paper pushers to meet an enemy army is cowardly, foolish, utterly, utterly… foolhardy!” stammers the Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs. “The plan presented by the Right Honourable Sir Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy makes absolutely no military sense!”
        “Hmm… true, true. Well said, Right Honourable Sir Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs,” says His Excellency in between bites of a triple chocolate donut.
        “Your Excellency the Sir Grand Poohba etc., deploying nuclear weapons against armies on our own soil would be disastrous. Many of our own tax-paying citizens would die, and our land would be rendered uninhabitable due to nuclear contamination. In short, your Kingdom would be destroyed. My plan is the only chance we have to save Utopialand,” says the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy.
        “Hmm… I think… I think these are good donuts!” says His Excellency. “Send my compliments to the Royal Chef at once, slave boy.”
        “Your Excellency! This is a matter of great importance! We require your decision at once!” exclaims the Right Honourable Sir Chief Advisor to the King.
        “Oh, right. Well, uh… we certainly don’t want my Kingdom to be destroyed, now, do we?” says His Excellency. “Sir Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy, put your plan into effect immediately.”
        “Marvelous! Marvelous, your Excellency! I will form a committee to pick the diplomats for the delegation at once!” replies the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy.
        “A committee? A committee?” yells the Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs. “We don’t need a committee! We need military action! Your Excellency, I propose—“
        “Now, now, Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs, you heard my decision,” says His Excellency. “We need to keep a civilized head and all that. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy will handle the situation now. You know, I find this all dreadfully boring—I hereby officially and royally declare this meeting adjourned. Say, why don’t you blow up another garden fountain on the palace grounds, like you did last week? My, that was fun!”
        “Your Excellency, that reminds me. For some reason, both the Royal Gardener and the Royal Custodian of the Palace handed me their resignations yesterday…” says the Chief Advisor to the King.
        “Oh, no matter. Hire new ones at once, Right Honourable Sir Chief Advisor,” says His Excellency. “Come along, Minister of Military Affairs and Blowing-Things-Up Affairs. Tell me, what explosives should we use this time?”


        The next morning, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy opens the first meeting of the Royal Emergency Utopialand Diplomatic Defense Committee, a committee put together to select the diplomats to meet the Dystopialandian army.
        “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the first meeting of the Royal Emergency Utopialand Diplomatic Defense Committee (REUDDC for short). I have the privelege of chairing this committee. Dystopialand’s armies are rapidly pushing toward Poohbaville with minimal military resistance, as our military has, er… fallen apart. Let this ever be a reminder of the futility and undependability of military strategy, so that we may fully know that respectable diplomacy is the only—” The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy is interrupted by a loud explosion from outside the palace which shakes the room violently.
        “Slave boy! Please tell His Excellency and the Minister of Blowing-Things-Up to keep it down. Tell them to use lower power explosives or something—we’re trying to have a meeting here!” says the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy.
        Another explosion rocks the room.
        “This is really too much! These explosions are getting out of hand—” the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy is interrupted again, this time by the meeting room door being thrown open and a dozen soldiers in Dystopialandian uniforms rushing in.
        “Everyone put your hands up! I am Colonel Hitlerstein of the Dystopialandian army, and I am taking charge of this palace!” yells a burly soldier with a heavy foreign accent, gun in hand.
        “Who, what, when, where, why, how?” stammers the former Minister of Foregin Affairs and Respectable Diplomacy.
        “That was an excellent demonstration of language proficency—the five W’s and one H. But I am not interested in you—where is the King?” yells the Colonel.
        “I don’t know! I don’t know! You guys weren’t supposed to arrive for another four hours!” replies the former Minister.
        “Hey, you! What are you doing?” the Colonel yells at me.
        “I’m just recording the minutes of the meeting!” I reply.
        “Give me that paper!” he says as he

Editor: The manuscript ends here.

Thoughts on the Occupy Protests

These men have jobs on Wall Street and said they couldn't get to work because of the protests:

     The massive Occupy Wall Street protests have resulted in hundreds of arrests and hundreds of headlines. It has also prompted a very similar Canadian anti-corporation, anti-government movement. However, I don't think these disordered protests will be able to accomplish anything concrete. You want to make a difference in how business and government works? Be involved in politics, NPOs, and lobbying instead of marching around decrying every person more powerful than you.

     Additionally, do these types of protests really belong in Canada? Our economy is much stronger and our distribution of wealth is not nearly as lopsided as in the United States. With a more even distribution of wealth, less people without jobs, less people below the poverty line, a more stable economy, and a government that does more to help the poor, are Occupy Wall Street protests really relevant in our country?

     Or is this a global movement that's more about supporting people in poorer countries? If so, I would be a lot more sympathetic. Visiting the movements' websites, I found many anti-corporation and anti-government slogans but no real answers. There was only one specific, meaningful thing they seemed united around – that corporate money and corporate lobbyists have too much of an influence on government. That, I actually agree with.
     I think there are signs that our society may be slowly turning into a plutocracy (the US may already be an effective plutocracy). However, with the problems in the movement that I mentioned above, I don't feel ready to throw my support behind the Occupy movement.

Related:

Video: Harper on Occupy Wall Street

Gr8 Words

     I've decided to base my life on the Bible (yes, that does mean you have the right to correct me if I say anything contrary to it!). Here are some of my favourite Bible verses. I believe they are particularly relevant to how one should live as a disciple of Christ. This first two verses remind me that everything I do should be done in love and for the glory of God. That's hard. The third verse reminds me that I need to fully surrender to God's plan for my life. That's hard. The fourth eliminates the excuse "I'm just a youth, so I can wait until I'm older to follow God" and lists five things I need to work on continually. That's also hard. The last verse reminds me that it may be hard, but through God I can do it all.


Do everything in love. - 1 Corinthians 16:14

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. – Luke 14:33

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13 (NASB)


These verses are all from the New International Version except for the last one, which is from the New American Standard Bible.

One year of blogging!!!

♬♪♪♩♫

Happy birthday to my blog,

Happy birthday to my blog,

Happy birthday dear Sk8er Boy Blog...

Happy birthday to you!

♩♬♪♫♩♪

What, am I the only person who sings to my blog? :D On November 14, 2010 I published my first blog post. At that time, I had World War II articles as well, but I soon transferred them to The World War II Blog. Now, after more than 60 blog posts and over 4000 pageviews (not including my own thousand or so pageviews, lol), I'm still blogging about some of my favourite subjects, including Canadian federal politics and Christianity. I'm also starting to blog about music too :)

In honour of a successful year of blogging, I have written a special post about the Bible, which is the best book ever written and the guide for my life! :D

Favourite Albums

Portable Sounds by TobyMac

     TobyMac is my favourite artist, and this is my favourite album! TobyMac plays an amazing mix of rock & roll, hip-hop, rap, and pop. This album, released in 2007 and certified gold the next year, has more of a pop sound to it, with great hits like Made to Love (which reached #1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart) and I'm For You. There are also some rockier songs in it, like Ignition, Boomin', and Suddenly. The funky hip hop songs No Ordinary Love and Feelin' So Fly are also among my favourites, as are the slower, more reflective songs All In and Lose My Soul. The whole album has outstanding musicianship and production. It reached the #10 position on the Billboard 200 album chart and #1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart.

The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti and Spearhead

     Michael Franti has been around for a long time, recording since the 80s. However, his most recent album, released in 2010, is definitely his best album. The Sound of Sunshine is a superb blend of lighthearted reggae, hip hop, and rock, and thankfully lacks the conspicuous and controversial political messages of some of his past albums. The best song on the album is... The Sound of Sunshine! The title song has such a cheerful, catchy sound to it, one can't help but like it. The exceptional songs Hey Hey Hey and Anytime You Need Me have a similar sound. The Thing That Helps Me Get Through is more lively and energetic, despite its awkwardly long name. This album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Comatose by Skillet

     Skillet is a Christian metal band well known for its success in symphonic rock, utilizing the piano, violin, and chello in recordings and live performances. Their album Comatose is a quite dramatic album, with amazing songs like Comatose and Rebirthing which feature classical instruments quite prominently. Falling Inside the Black, The Last Night, Better Than Drugs, and Whispers in the Dark are four more outstanding songs. Comatose was released in 2006 and became the band's first certified gold album.

Out of the Woods by David Wilcox

     Great guitar playing transcends time. This album, the debut album of Canadian David Wilcox (not to be confused with the American folk artist with the same name), was released in 1977 and became certified gold after a re-release five years later. To be honest, my dad bought this album off of iTunes, and I initially wasn't too interested in listening to my dad's music from the 70s... but I quickly realized how much talent this man has. The lively, fast-paced tracks Hypnotizin' Boogie and Hot Hot Papa are irresistible. Groovy songs like Bump Up Ahead, Bad Apple, and A Little Chunk of You had me singing along with his crazy lyrics like the 70s are making a comeback. ^_^ This album is jam-packed with dynamic guitar playing, but Wilcox's singing is... kind of quirky.

NewWorldSon (self-titled album)

     The rising Canadian Christian band NewWorldSon plays a unique blend of gospel, reggae, and soul music. This is their newest album, released last year. It features the hit There is a Way (which reached #2 on Billboard's Christian Songs chart), the catchy song In Your Arms, and the vibrant masterpieces You Set the Rhythm and Do You Believe in Love?. Their Jamaican Praise Medley is also fun and unique. Overall, this album has an old-time gospel sound to it, while achieving a fresh and alive feeling.

Tonight by TobyMac

     This is my favourite artist's latest album, released in 2010. It has a modern hip-hop sound, and features many exceptional songs. City On Our Knees and Get Back Up both topped the Billboard Christian songs chart and are now among TobyMac's most successful songs. Other favourites of mine are  Tonight (featuring John Cooper from Skillet!), Funky Jesus Music, Hold On, and Hey Devil. This album delivers thumping bass and sick hooks, with some of TobyMac's famous rap mixed in!

Honourable Mentions:

♩   Diverse City by TobyMac

♪   Call Me Irresponsible by Michael Buble

♫   Awake by Skillet

♬   Born Again by the Newsboys

♩   Outta Space Love by Group 1 Crew

♫   Young Love by Mat Kearney

Note: These are my favourite studio albums. I have not included any compilation albums, live albums or soundtracks.

Royal Proclamation

 His Majesty King Charles William James Philip Toblerone the Eighth, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, LG, CI, DGStJ, PC, etc., hereby brings forth this day a royal proclamation of utmost momentousness regarding the exceptional significance of music:

       Since creation, music has been a central part of society. First allow me to show you the universality of music. As the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes states, there is a time for everything. And there is a song for everything as well. While many songs have been composed for celebration and joyfulness,  many songs have also been written for sad times and mourning. Contrast "Hurt" performed by Johnny Cash, and "The Happy Song" sung by Delirious. The former is mournful and sober, the latter sunny and energetic. One may see this variety even in early literature. Take for example the book of Psalms, which contains many songs both joyous and unhappy.
  Music applies to both work and leisure. The famous song "Whistle While You Work" obviously concerns the former, while dance music concerns the latter. Music is also composed for special occasions and holidays. “Happy Birthday”, “Auld Lang Sang”, and the entire genre of Christmas music are all for special occasions and holidays.
  Wherever one goes, one cannot escape music. It is found in every culture, in every time period, in every place humanity has lived. Astronauts have even played the keyboard, guitar, saxophone, and didgeridoo while floating weightlessly in outer space! Because music is popular anywhere, at any time, for anyone, it has established itself quite firmly as a central part of human society. From North America to Japan and from Greenland to Australia, music continues to be one of the most important elements of culture.
       In modern western society, music accompanies many things. People listen to iPods while exercising and the radio while travelling. Movies, TV shows and commercials, video games, sports, theatrical performances, religious worship, and many other everyday activities all utilize music.
Music has also become big business. Albums, tickets for concerts and musicals, downloadable music online, instruments, sheet music, and music playing devices all sell for billions of dollars each year. Professional musicians earn fame and fortune. The enormous electronics company Apple Inc. has earned a large amount of their income from the 16 billion songs downloaded off of their iTunes store and the 300 million iPods they have sold.
       Why is music so popular? Because of its spiritual, mental, and emotional power. If you have ever put on a good song and just let your spirit sing along, you should know what I mean. Arts such as motivational speaking, drama, and music are unique in the their ability to significantly impact people spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I believe that because music is the most universal of these arts, it is also the most effective and beneficial.
       That is the reason why music is often used in religious worship. It is very emotional, while at the same time structured, systematic, and sensible. The medium is successful at establishing emotional ties to the supernatural while remaining rational and practical about the needs of life.
       While music is great at bringing people together around a common cause such as religion or nationalism, it is also very good at helping people define themselves. The many different types of music often cause people to want to identify with a certain genre, subgenre, or composer. This results in groups of fans united around a certain type of music. Often these groups are informal, but formal fan clubs develop as well. Sometimes entire subcultures and even religions are formed around a genre. The notable Rastafari religious movement owes much of its popularity to reggae music. Other subcultures are also built around music, such as the heavy metal subculture, which has its own symbols and fashions.
       Music is a central part of society because it is universally effective at bringing people together and helping them find their identity. It has intertwined with culture all around the world. Music belongs among the most influential and beneficial of all aspects of society, along with essential components such as religion, government, industry, and the media.

The Long-Gun Registry

Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press - Photo from CBC

    The RCMP said the long-gun registry was important, effective, and efficient. They stated in a report last year that "the program, as a whole, is an important tool for law enforcement. It also serves to increase the accountability of firearm owners for their firearms." (CBC article)

    The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police also endorsed the long-gun registry last year.

    The executive director of the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, an organization which strives to eliminate violence against women in their province, got right to the heart of the matter: "The rate of spousal homicide by gun has gone down 69 per cent and we attribute most of that to the impact of the gun registry. Without question we need it in Canada." (CBC article)

    Another organization that supports the long-gun registry is YWCA Canada. This organization told Harper: "As the nation’s largest single provider of shelter to women and children fleeing violence, YWCA Canada knows the long gun registry is a public safety tool that makes women’s lives safer." (YWCA press release)

    What does the Conservative Party of Canada say? "Since created, the long-gun registry has wasted taxpayers dollars." (Conservative Party news release) Wow. Are you serious?

    The Conservatives often quote "two billion dollars!" as how much the registry has cost. But the real number that matters is the 1.1 to 3.5 million dollars per year that takes to run it now that it's in effect. That's cheap. And it's worth it.
    I usually support you, Harper, but you've got it wrong this time.

Thoughts

"Do you know what I mean when I say I don't wanna be alone? I have no fear of drowning, it's the breathing that's taking all this work."

- Lyrics from the gr8 song Work by Jars of Clay

    I'm not scared of the future. Perhaps I'm just naive, but I'm not actually scared of failing my life. If I live and accomplish little for good, at least I've accomplished something. If I die tomorrow, I'm fine with that – God's will be done.
    But I don't really want to fail – who does? I don't wanna live my life without standing out and making a difference. I don't wanna live a boring, uneventful life in the background of everything going on around me, and end up not making a difference in anyone's life.
    I want to succeed. I want to stand up and stand out. When I die, I know I'll have many regrets – that's just the way I am, a perfectionist – but I want to know that some part of the world is better because I lived. I want to be active and do lots of work for God's kingdom during my life. That's the way I am.
    Life is good – very good at times. But sometimes it does get hard. Instead of feeling peace and freedom, I sometimes feel bogged down with life's business. I hate letting my life get stagnant and boring – I think a very key aspect of freedom is change. On the other hand, I hate it when my life gets really busy and it feels like everything's getting out of control.
    So I try to try to live life to the fullest – not by partying and getting wild with friends, but in my own introverted, quiet way. I read the Bible, I read the classics, I write (like I'm doing right now), and I soul search. I pick out what to stand for, and do my best to stand for that – whether it be Jesus, the Bible, open-mindedness, and truth, or just my favourite clothes brand (Quiksilver!) or hockey team (Oilers!). I search for beauty – in stories, in nature, in music, in people.
    And I prepare for the future – prepare to face the enormous world out there. For now I'm just a homeschooled kid in a small farming town, but some day I'll be so much more than that, God willing. And I really don't know where I'm going with this...
    I guess I'm just trying to sort out my thoughts. I'm the kinda guy who sorts out his thoughts by writing... and then posting them on my blog for the entire world to see! Hahahahaha! :) Oh well, at least I'm honest. Very honest. I'll be a lousy politician.

Thanksgiving

 I will praise God’s name in song
   and glorify him with thanksgiving.
 This will please the LORD more than an ox,
   more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
 The poor will see and be glad—
   you who seek God, may your hearts live!

- Psalm 69:30-32

The Ship of Fools

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  The Ship of Fools by Hieronymus Bosch is an interesting, intellectually stimulating painting. It's sober colours set the atmosphere nicely for the fools, who are drifting off to some place unknown, perhaps, even to them. Bosch does a good job of filling the boat with crowded chaos until it looks like it may topple over with the sheer absurdity of its load.
  The best word to describe this painting is "foolish", and for the first time I mean this as a compliment. Bosch was a master of the bizarre – his paintings The Temptation of St. Anthony and The Garden of Earthly Delights are proof of that. His works, however, are more than just bizarre. They have a purpose. Bosch's purpose in The Ship of Fools was to point out the foolishness of the church (this is why he portrayed the nun and friar front and centre, while the professions of the others are not evident). Foolishness he achieved.
  Bosch tells a story with this painting – a story of the foolish and frivolous. He depicts this story very effectively. Everything in the painting revolves around the trivial – food, drink, and making merry. No attention is paid to the direction of the boat nor to the poor souls in the water below. In fact, none of the empty-headed nit-wits in the boat are paying attention to anything that isn't edible, intoxicating, or silly and fun, except perhaps for the person in the back who is vomiting. But we know that he will probably soon join the others in their folly.

     The story of the person climbing the mast is clear – he wants the roasted goose! However, why a roast is up the mast in the first place is not clear. According to What Great Paintings Say, Volume 2 by Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen, the roast has a purpose, as does the ridiculous tree also tied on to the mast. The book says that the tree is a parody of the Tree of Knowledge in the Bible, and that instead of life-changing fruit there is a fattening roast. For the average viewer, this meaning is too thickly disguised to be guessed at. I, for one, could never have penetrated this symbolism.
  However, I think that Bosch found a new use for symbolism. He used it as a way to enhance the bizarreness of his paintings. This keeps the viewer’s attention and piques his or her curiosity, making the paintings more intellectually engaging. So though many of Bosch’s symbols may be too complicated to the average viewer, they do serve a purpose and add a different dimension to his work.
  In this painting Bosch does a very good job conveying his theme and his purpose. He does this through evident symbolism and an atmosphere of disorder. His less straightforward symbolism also adds to the atmosphere of disorder and foolishness and makes the viewer think.

King Henry VII - Portrait

I wrote this for an assignment in my writing class to describe a work of art. My teacher said to use lots of descriptive adjectives ^_^ 

    Henry VIII is famous for his six wives. Hans Holbein the Younger made a portrait of this infamous king in 1540, when Henry VIII was on wife number four. In the background of the portrait are the words “anno etats svae xlix”, written in small golden letters, signifying that Henry VIII was fourty nine years old at the time. By then, his size had grown considerably.
    This portrait is entirely filled up with Henry VIII and his enormous, exquisitely ornamented, and finely detailed attire. Gold embroidery criss-crosses the front of his outfit and embellishes the mighty sleeves. An uncompromising velvet lays underneath the flashy gold. Set into the suit are opulent, dark jewels, large and numerous. Resting on his chest is a grand, thick, golden necklace, inlaid with pearls and the same dark jewels. A royal black fur vest doesn't get in the way of the details at all, rather, it brings out the colour of the rest.
    All of this attire simply magnifies the obvious power of King Henry VIII. He stands with commanding confidence. In the bottom right of the portrait hangs an ornamental sword. It is really not for practical use - just for show, but by the king's expression of determination and the way he clenches that glove in hand, you know that he wouldn't hesitate to send you to the executioner, who would do the dirty work for him, if you got in the way of one of his royal schemes.
    Yes, you can see it in his large, square figure and in his large, square face - this is a man who rules England! By his resolute countenance you know that he will have as many wives as he pleases.
    He has slight, fine, almost keen features - small, unassuming eyes, a tight little mouth, and eyebrows that are barely there, except near the end, above the ordinary nose, where they frown at you. Calm boldness is written across his face. Above is a long black hat decorated with three jewels and four strings of pearls, all inlaid with gold embroidery, and topped with a tufty, yellowish-grey crest running along the top and whirling down the left side. Below is a dark beard making his face square. The background consists of a mere solid, dark, rich green colour, so as to not attract attention away from the magnificent king.
    Everything portrayed in this portrait shows that Henry VIII is the opposite of timid. He will get his way, come whatever may.

In Defence of Mourning

      Faith in Christ brings hope and joy. Often music is the best reflection of a worldview (i.e. culture, mindset, and/or religion) so take a look at the Christian music out there. Most of the well known Christian songs are joyful – "just be happy and everything's going to be fine! Don't be sad, praise God!"
     But life isn't always like that. There is hatred, mourning, loneliness, shame, and despair, all enhanced by deep divisions between people. These things can even be found in the best of churches. Sin's consequences are ugly. There are times for mourning and sadness. But where does Christ fit into these times?
     Christians love to celebrate the joyful parts of the Bible - for example, we love our big Christmas festivities. But not everything's all fine and dandy in the Bible. The book of Job is about a man in the depths of despair, who lost everything he had and even began to think that God had deserted him. Ever read the book of Jeremiah? It predicts many calamities and can be depressing at times.
     God knows all about suffering. Jesus spent 40 days in a desert with no food and the devil for company. He sweated blood in anticipation of his crucifixion, which is known to be one of the most brutal ways to die. And It wasn't just any ordinary crucifixion - He also took upon himself the weight of the world's sin, with God's wrath attached.
     Most people celebrate Christmas, but not nearly as many people commemorate Good Friday, the anniversary of Jesus's brutal death. I also fall into the trap of concerning myself only with happy things – I often try to ignore sadness. Sometimes it's like I'm trying to deny the fact that there even is sorrow, though in my own life I hit rock bottom all too often, writhing in the grip of dark depression. I've said to myself, "I'll just publish the happy half of my writing and keep the bitter parts to myself."
     And perhaps that's one of the reasons people dislike Christianity – we come across as do-gooders with our heads in the clouds, showing off our shiny hope and joy, without the simplest acknowledgment that we're still broken sinners who still feel pain.
     Love, hope, and joy is great of course. But sometimes we don't leave any room for Christian mourning and Christian sorrow. Sometimes we present to the world an image that seems to trivialize the bad times of life. At least I do.
     So what should we do? We can't throw away our love, hope, and joy. But I think we could acknowledge sadness more – recognize that there is a time and place for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:4). For example, the well-known Christian song Tears of the Saints by Leeland expresses sadness for the lost, and the lesser-known Lament by the Christian band NewWorldSon is downright mournful. Why? Because sometimes hope seems bleak and instead of joy there is misery.
     We should also get involved in ministries that reach out to people who are broken and in misery. Some good organizations that do this are Love is Louder, Gospel For Asia, and the International Justice Mission.
     Of course, there needs to be a balance. Most of the sad Psalms in the Bible end with a reminder that God is in control and He will redeem us. The book of Job ends with the protagonist getting back twice of what he lost, and also shows us how his suffering was part of a much bigger picture. God will always pull through (Isaiah 40:28-31). We may not understand, may not see any hope in our future, and may not even be delivered until after death. But still God will never fail. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. - Matthew 5:4

     We live in a broken world. Mourning is a fact of life. Don't ignore it, gloss over it, or trivialize it. Feel free to be sad without thinking that you're putting God aside. But always keep in mind that one day there won't be any mourning - in heaven. God is in control, and God is good.

Libya, the new Afghanistan?

Photo from Operation MOBILE website

    Today John Baird said that Canadian troops may stay in Libya longer than originally planned. The first thing I thought when I saw this in the news was, "Oh great. We just left Afghanistan and now we may be starting it all over again in a different country."
    But is it really that bad? No Canadians have died in the operation yet. I guess that as long as our troops aren't getting blown up by improvised explosives, we might as well assist a country in their pursuit of peace and democracy. Just my thoughts. What do you think?

Without Jack

Photo from the CBC

    Jack Layton carried the NDP a long way. It used to be that Canada's democratic socialist party was relatively weak and powerless in the big scene of Canadian federal politics - I used to laugh at Jack when he said he was running for Prime Minister. But in this year's federal election he launched his party into their greatest success ever, winning over a hundred seats and the Official Opposition status. It wasn't because of the NDP's policies - their campaign practically stated, "Forget our party's policies - vote for Jack Layton, our wonderful leader!" It wasn't because their individual candidates were politically savvy or even particularly qualified to be MPs. It was all because of Jack Layton that they did so well. Canadians greatly admired him, saw his sincerity, and just plain liked him.
    And now the NDP's saviour is gone. Perhaps in the short term Canadians will want to support the party Jack left behind, sort of as a way of keeping his legacy alive. But in the long run - for example, four years from now, when Canada goes back to the polls - Jack won't be able to help them. It'll be tough, unforgiving Canadian politics as usual. When the NDP's inexperienced MPs make mistakes, Canadians won't simply ignore the errors because, "Oh, Jack used to be part of their party." When Canadians compare the parties' platforms, they'll still vote for the party they agree with the most. When the leaders debates rage and voters look for the best leaders, deceased leaders won't come into play.
    So how well will the NDP fare without Jack? He was the main reason Canadians voted orange, so the NDP better find a new reason, and fast. The obvious solution seems to be finding another good leader. Having many inexperienced MPs also makes strong leadership essential. But Jack Laytons don't grow on trees. Perhaps their best bet would be to turn all of Jack's big fans into big fans of socialism. That's also easier said than done.
    There's no doubt about it - the NDP is heading into rough times. But with strong leadership, sound policies, and effective campaigning, they may be able to hold on to their position as "one of Canada's three major parties".

    I've written a lot about the NDP on my blog recently, because they became they broke into the predictable pattern of Liberals 1st, Conservatives 2nd, then Conservatives 1st, Liberals 2nd. They made history, made politics more interesting and dynamic, and are now an great subject of speculation. But how are all these other parties doing? Let's take a look...
    Ok, the Conservatives are really pushing their arctic thing. Harper must really like it up there or something. Well, my advice to him is this: "Keep away from the US. We really have to distance ourselves from their crazy recession-causing economy!" Actually, maybe that's why he likes it up in the arctic... it must be so peaceful thousands of kilometers away from the States.
    The Liberals have been trying to remind Canadians of everything they've done for our country in the past. I say, "Bring me a good leader, here in the present, and then we'll talk." I personally haven't heard much about their search for a new leader, but there's no need to rush - they've got years until the next campaign, and I'm guessing that Bob Rae is enjoying his little chance to finally be in charge of his party.
    The Bloc Québécois has been rather silent of late. Their grand total of 4 MPs must still be in shock over their party's major crash in support. In my opinion, four separatist MPs is still four too many.
    Elizabeth May doesn't seem to realize she's a caucus of only one, throwing her proverbial weight around like a major party leader. Good strategy. But fortunately she's still only got the practical power of a mere independent MP in the House of Commons.
    Things will be interesting in politics these next couple of years - three major leadership races, parties soul searching and trying to determine their new directions, new MPs in office... Good thing the Conservatives have a majority - they can run Canada without interference while all the other parties rebuild.

R.I.P. Jack Layton

Photo credit

Jack Layton is dead... Jack Layton is dead... those words still don't sound right, even though they've been true for two days now. During the recent election he was bursting with energy and inspiring the nation. Only a month a ago I wrote about the NDP's "temporary loss" and talked about Layton retiring some time "a long way down the road". Then one morning I woke up and he was dead.

He sure had me fooled. Now his energy and determination during the election seems doubly admirable. I didn't agree with everything he stood for, but I respected him because he had vision, he had tenacity, and he had honour, even while he was dying.

This may not be theologically correct, and this may be cliché, but Rest In Peace, Jack Layton.

Vs.

Joy

is

Love

Understanding

Unselfishness

Compassion

Kindness

Empathy

Affection

Concern

Passion

Feeling

Care

and

Peace

Contentment

Confidence

Satisfaction

Untroubled

Tranquility

Harmony

Safety

Hope

Calm

Rest

------------------------------

Despair

is

Loneliness

Friendlessness

Abandonment

A lack of love

Unneeded

Unwanted

Forsaken

Unloved

Isolated

Outcast

Solitary

and

Shame

Self-condemnation

Disappointment

Remorse

Disgrace

Distress

Sorrow

Regret

Failure

Grief

Guilt

Bad News For the NDP

Picture from the CBC

    Nycole Turmel, the NDP's new rookie interim leader, is taking a lot of heat over her recent support of two separatist parties - both the Bloc Québécois and the provincial party Québec Solidaire. She was a member of the Bloc until last January, and only this week gave up her party membership in the Solidaire.

"I am a strong federalist, working for Canadians all over Canada," - Turmel

    She stated that she never agreed with her parties' separatist views, only their social policies. However, I don't think a "strong federalist" would have joined the Bloc, an anti-Canadian party who's number one goal is to break up our great country. It's clear that the NDP is now catering strongly to Quebec, and having a leader who has supported separatist parties recently is very bad for the NDP's image across Canada. It may even put their belief in Canadian federalism in doubt.

    What can I say? The NDP will be in rough shape until they can get their beloved Jack Layton back.

Reflecting God

This beautiful picture of a mirror I got from ikea.com!

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:18  NIV

    As a son of God, there are two main things I should do - reflect the Lord's glory, and be transformed into his likeness. I'm like a mirror... sadly, an imperfect mirror. But I'm always striving to be able to reflect God better, by getting rid of the sin and imperfection in my life that gets in the way of God's reflection. Reflecting God (which includes witnessing and missions) and becoming more like God are my two main jobs, which I can only accomplish through God and with his grace and power working in my life.
    But I always forget. I'm always am putting myself first, both consciously, when I blatantly sin, and unconsciously, when I pretend to be doing things for God but my motives are more self-centred. Of course, I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13, my baptism verse), but I also cannot "bear good fruit" without Him (John 15:4). This reminds me of a great quote: "Don't try harder, trust God more!" I usually just try harder and try harder, and then get frustrated at myself when I don't achieve all my goals and don't live up to all my expectations. From now on I'll try to just trust God, and let Him transform me, because I know I can't transform myself.
    Which brings me to my final point - humility is very important. It's important because without God I'm nothing, and without humbleness I won't be able to reflect God well. I know that, but often live like it's not true - I often live like I'm number one, not God. Humbleness is not my strong point, but while I merely try to reflect God and become more like Him, hopefully I will improve in my personal humility.

Layton

Picture from www.facebook.com/JackLayton

    The NDP's temporary loss of Jack Layton has led to much contemplation and speculation. Where would the party be without him? When he eventually has to step down as their leader permanently, will the NDP even be able to survive? When will that be - within a year or not for another ten years?

    First of all, Canadians on the most part didn't vote for the NDP candidates themselves. A good example of that is Ruth Brosseau, who was obviously only elected because she was the NDP candidate in her riding. She had never been to her riding before, didn't speak her constituents' language, and was in Vegas during the election.
    So were Canadians voting for the New Democratic Party and their socialist principles, or just the guy with the cool mustache leading the party? Personally, I think Canadians wanted the man with the 'stache.  The NDP campaign was very good, and focussed almost completely on Jack Layton instead of the party itself. The ironic thing was that he got a lot of support from young Canadians, even though he's in his 60s and was even walking with the help of a cane for a while.
    Anyways, I think that when Layton steps down permanently, the party will really need to find another charismatic and likable leader if they want to maintain their current success. That's going to be a tough job. But I think it's also going to be a long way down the road.
    In the short term, the NDP should find and develop new leaders from their rookie staff, to both help Jack and prepare for his inevitable departure. They also need to start indoctrinating Layton-fans in democratic socialism, or else people may start leaving the party as quickly as they jumped on the smiling and charismatic 'stache-bandwagon.

Spiritual Warfare

     I recently visited the house of a man of God for a delicious supper and dangerous prayer meeting. I say "dangerous" because God was really to be found there and one's life could be changed by it. It soon became obvious that he had an uncommon amount of faith in God. But every time someone said something about how inspiring his testimony or his faith was, he would point them back to God. He knew that he himself wasn't great, but the One he had put his faith in was all-great.
    After sharing his testimony, he began to talk about how Islam is harmful and threatening and reminded us that we are in a spiritual war against the powers of darkness, to which Islam belongs. Here my mind started to rebel.
    "War? Really? That's a strong word. We need to be accepting of Muslims and love them, not wage war against them," I thought. "Doesn't this go against everything that I think about open-mindedness and multiculturalism?"
    I struggled internally with this for a while, then found myself thinking about a previous testimony I had heard - from a former Muslim who gave his life to Jesus and now reaches out to his own people with the good news. He talked about God's unconditional love and about how Muslims need Jesus.
    Then something clicked inside of my mind. Love. As found in 1 Corinthians 13 and 16:14, 1 John 4:7-21, Matthew 5:42-44 and 22:39, and hundreds of other verses across the Bible. We don't kill and destroy - we forgive and build up. Ours is different kind of war, not a crusade to "kill the infidel". Our war is a war of love. Our weapons are peace, hope, and love (but the greatest of these is love). We don't fight against flesh and blood. In our fight against the darkness, only the Fruit of the Spirit will be effective and only God will conquer.

"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:4-5  NIV

    We tear down the walls that divide us - walls of race, colour, ethnic origin, prejudice, pride, hedonism, sorrow, bitterness, anger - and let all men know that God loves them and wants to know them. We replace hatred with divine love. We replace mediocracy and complacency with a passion for Jesus.
    That's our war.
    On a side note, killing nearly a hundred innocent people in an attempt to protest against Muslims is obviously grossly wrong, and I have no doubts when I say that the terrorist who did this, Mr. Breivik, is not a born-again Christian (in fact, he himself admitted to not having a personal relationship with Christ). Hatred and murder is about as nonChristian as one can get. You shall not murder, says Exodus 20:13. Jesus said to love both our neighbours and our enemies (Matthew 5:43-44). It is my opinion that multiculturalism is the best way to accomplish this, because then people can keep their identities while co-existing with other people in peace. Then when they come to Jesus, they can worship in their own culturally comfortable ways.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20  NIV

    Now go. Jesus didn't say, "Sit at home and hope someone comes to you to ask you about your faith." He commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. Whether that means going to the ends of the earth or just reaching out with love to the people in your own town or city, go!
    Canada is a multicultural country and embraces all cultures and people from across the world, which adds another dimension to evangelicalism. We have the chance to reach out to people from around the world here in our own country and in our own cities.
    So go, and serve in whatever way God wants you to serve. If you are only a teen, know that being a youth is no excuse - read 1 Timothy 4:12 for proof of that. If you are poor, know that God will provide. If you are scared, know that Jesus is with you always, to the very end of the age. If you think that you aren't qualified enough, know that being a child of God is qualification enough.
    I've finally reached the point of faith in my life when I can truly say, "Lord, just point me in the right direction. Make it clear where you want me to be, and I promise to do your will."
    God is calling you. Will you follow him?

Thinking Outloud

    Several things can bring out the worst in me. One of those things is math. When combined with depression, it can be disastrous. It's kinda weird that I dislike math, because I've always thought of myself as the scientific, analytical, rational type...

    When I was younger, I wanted to be a scientist. I wanted to get a whole bunch of diplomas and become a learned scholar. I wanted a desk job with a computer and lots of important papers and stamps and stuff like that.

    I even started playing chess. Actually, I still do play chess a little bit, but now I realise that I see the game more as a form of art than a science. And I like science (specifically biology) because it's great to explore and learn about God's wonderful creation - the ultimate art. I really love music - just listening to a good song and letting my spirit sing along. I love books... not so much the textbook-kind anymore, but the books which are written by great authors, in which the words flow and weave together in marvelous synthesis, the plot unfolds in beautiful harmony and majesty, and feelings are unlocked and released.

    It's interesting... I'd always thought myself the scientific, analytical, rational type, but when caught up in the arts, instead of thinking with my mind, I can just feel with my whole being instead. Which is better? They both have their strengths and weaknesses. I don't think either one is better per se, but the latter is definitely more enjoyable. Which is why I hate math.