The main one that I've been wanting to get up on this break was writing in this blog, but being so conditioned to the lifestyle of a person who's constantly on the run doing something, usually when I find moments like these when it comes to the internet I find myself running to gmail or facebook, but I really want to change things up. Speaking of change, this New Years I spent with my family in my father's room. We were watching the ball drop in NYC and I guess for a moment they went to a commercial. My dad starts flipping through channels and says that it looks like a lot of "Sodom and Gamorrah" in reference to the biblical story in which
'In Genesis 18:2, God sends three men, thought by most commentators to have been angels appearing as men,[1] to Abraham in the plains of Mamre. After receiving the hospitality of Abraham and Sarah, his wife, God reveals to Abraham that he will investigate Sodom and Gomorrah, because their cry is great, "and because their sin is very grievous."[20:21] In response, Abraham reverently inquires of God if he would spare the city if 50 righteous people were found in it, then 45, then 30, then 20, or even ten, with God affirming he would not destroy it after each request, for the sake of the righteous yet dwelling therein. The two angels of God proceed to Sodom and are met by Abraham's righteous nephew Lot, who constrains the angels to lodge with him, and they eat with his family.
Genesis 19:4-5 describes what followed, which confirms the verdict as to the sin of Sodom and its end (RSV):
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; and they called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them (NIV: can have sex with them , NJB: can have intercourse with them)."
In response, Lot refuses to give his guests to the inhabitants of Sodom, and instead offers them his two virgin daughters to "do to them whatever you like."[Gen 19:8]NASB However, they refuse this offer, and threaten to do worse to Lot than they would have done to his guests, and press sore upon him. Lot's angelic guests rescue him, and strike the men with blindness. They then command Lot to gather his family and leave, revealing that they were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. As they make their escape the angels command Lot and his family not to look back under any circumstance. However as Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire and brimstone by God, Lot's wife looks back longingly at the city, and becomes a pillar of salt.'
{wikipedia}
He used this reference to make the parallel to the fact that on the television during the celebration, and on every channel, every bit was oozing with sexually suggestive material and that this was a shame to see. He brought to myself and Michael's attention the question of what the people in times square that evening were really celebrating, and what is the bigger purpose of that thing that they are celebrating? He talked about the worldliness of the people there celebrating and what they should be celebrating should be the continued opportunity to live life and grow in one's love for God and continue to strengthen ones own relationship with him. My father himself said that he feels like a slightly extremist Franciscan in the sense that his devotion to his faith sometimes makes him a bit anti social, but I can understand where he is coming from. It reminds me of this one guy I remember from BRRC named daniel who once said that he doesn't dance at parties because of the lyrics in the songs that are degrading to womyn. It reminds me of that moment because of the fact that in my opinion, that's fine if daniel doesn't want to go to dance at parties because of that fact, but when I heard daniel say that it seemed as if he was jaded towards even attending the parties in the first place, which in my opinion makes him lose out on the other benefits of attending the party, ie social interactions with others and positive memories. Much like in daniel's case, my father's sentiments towards this society and his "anti-socialness" prevent him from interacting with others as much as he has potential to, and he loses out on his social retention. Come to think of it though, my father isn't an anti social person, he still plays on a soccer team, because of getting laid off he's pretty involved in the church community, and a few of his old thai coworkers drove up from fremont to spend christmas day with our family. But I don't really care if I make perfect parallels because this is the circle of tangents blog, my space, and I can take as many mental laps around the race tracks as I want until I feel that I've got a pretty legit mind fuck going on. And to me, that's as beautiful as peeling a fresh orange open with your hands and letting its citrus scents consume your senses.
Wala.
No comments:
Post a Comment