Give it All, Give it Now

Photo courtesy of Chrisroll

"One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better."  -- Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

The following is a poem, by yours truly.

Muses

Nine imperceptible trickles, each drawn together by the motherly call of Mnemosyne 

Their gentle voices babble gracefully over the worn, mossy riverock in my mind

Tumbling, falling, and slipping through gaps at the edge of my understanding

Closer now, I recognize the splashing as it cascades through my being

The swelling current is demanding and pulls me into the stream

I wade deeper, and join with the singing - we become a river

A strange mixture of fear and exhilaration overwhelm me

Should I return back to my safe haven on the shore?

I am unable to resist, I dive, responding to the call

Faster, deeper into the roaring, crashing waves

I have lost myself in he abyss, we are one

Dancing together we change everything

Laughter bursts forth like a symphony

The stars above watch in wonder

Writing my story in the sky

Plucking an ageless song

It is a tragic love story

Hidden behind a veil

Muses whisper

"Listen!"

Lying Teachers, Preachers, and Writers

“One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, [and] skimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk, but only that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner. . . [We cannot] simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect man and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.”  --- W.E.B. Dubois

You must be a great reader, if you want to be a great writer. This video is a clip from a lecture of one of my favorite Christian Philosophers, Dallas Willard. He points out that the burden of proof rests on the shoulders of the presenter to tell the story accurately, especially if he intends to persuade people. Whether teaching, preaching, writing, or reading, there is an opportunity to seek the truth.

I am currently reading Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James W. Loewen.  The first chapter has forced me to wrestle with an  issue  he calls  heroification.  Initially, I was resistant to what I perceived as an outright attack on my American heritage.  However, after reviewing his sources and delving deeper into the book, I have concluded that he is correct in his assessment that we have a problem that needs addressed.  Our nation and the textbook manufacturers have an agenda, they only share a one-sided version of history. 

Loewen does not say all our former leaders were evil and cruel, but he does bring attention to the fact that they suffered human shortcomings, and made some tragic mistakes.  These significant pieces of information are blatantly omitted in most of our textbooks.  Telling an accurate version of history, and acknowledging failures does not undermine any good or noble cause they participated in, but we cannot ignore the importance of NOT sweeping racism, murder, lies, and blatant propaganda under the rug.  The best policy is to tell the truth.

This brings me to my real dilemma.  Just as I have been guilty of buying into false ideas such as, Thomas Jefferson thought, “all men are created equal,” (even though he owned black slaves), I have also been guilty of believing other false ideology.  Ignorance about American history may be indicative of additional areas in which I am equally ignorant, like church history.  Did writers with a less than honest bias, whitewash the historical icons of the church?  It is interesting that after doing a little research, Martin Luther and John Calvin exhibited extreme racism, and murdered people that did not convert to their version of Christianity.   Does the church protect the deeds of pastors and other prominent figures with the same veracity that the textbooks defend the brutal assault, rape, and destruction of the Native American's?

In his book Pagan Christianity, Frank Viola explores pagan traditions that have been adopted by most groups that identify with the Christian faith.  Some of his facts may shock you.  The same heroification process that most nations have applied to the forefathers seems to be equally active in religious circles.  It paints a pretty picture, but it’s not based on the truth.  Accurate information is available, but not pleasant to share.  Are we perpetuating a lie, when we do not correct this false viewpoint of history?  These are painful discussions, but I believe that it is imperative that those in the academic community make a concentrated effort to avoid following this pattern that promotes falsehood.  Do you think we place the Christian forefathers on a pedestal, just like other empires have throughout written history?  Is it possible that this kind of deception is still going on today?

Sex, Drunkenness, Violence, and The Bible

“Good artists are not cowards.” ----- Kevin Marshall Chopson

One of the most important components of writing is being honest.  Life has many complexities that are not easily explained away.  Personally, I believe that the writers of both the Old and New Testaments were some of the bravest and talented writers in history.  No matter what religious views you maintain, these authors clearly and meticulously documented detailed accounts of sex, drunkenness, and violence associated with humanity.  It seems ironic that so many religious groups resist discussion of these difficult subjects, when the core stories found in the Bible acutely address uncomfortable topics.  From Genesis to the Revelation we read graphic depictions of “normal” humans participating in unspeakable (pun intended) actions.  These accounts detail perverted, and wanton, sexual activity along with savage, unmentionable depictions of violence, and lastly repeated participation in unrestrained drunkenness. 

I find it impressive that these talented scribes carefully preserved the vices found throughout their own history.  It appears in most cases, that the reader is intended to identify with the protagonists in these awkward tales.  Just a few of the more base situations to examine:

1)    Lot’s daughters get him drunk on two separate occasions to have an incestuous sexual relationship with him.

2)    After Noah gets drunk his son Ham, appears to have acted on some form of homosexual impulse with his father.  (Scholars disagree on exactly what this refers to, but all acknowledge that someone did something to displease God after the flood.

3)    Though poetic, the story of Oholah and Oholibah found in the book of Ezekiel, is one of the most sexually explicit depictions of carnality in any ancient manuscript.  If it was made into a movie it would be rated XXX.

4)    After slacking as a king, David has sex with another mans wife (causing conception), then proceeds to connive a way to assassinate her husband and keep her to himself. 

5)    A Levite permits men to rape his concubine and then chops her into pieces to send to all twelve of the tribes as a call to arms. 

I could go on and on, since the Bible is full of “normal” people doing really bad things.  Why did these authors focus on such undesirable elements of society?  I am convinced that they wanted us to wrestle with the uncomfortable reality that all of us, suffer from similar desires, addictions, and habits.  The careful reader cannot ignore these challenging subjects, and must discuss them with friends and family.  We must ask the important questions of “why” these particular stories were preserved.  Sharing our problems with others develops a relationship, and we are more likely to resolve both internal and external conflict, which produces a healthy diversity that compels people show what is in the heart.

Practice Your Writing, Like You Practice Music

The 1950 "Trumpet Practice" by Norman Rockwell

Jumping headfirst into the water has always been both a strength, and a weakness for me.  In 1978, I was in the fourth grade.  Following a life long dream, I raised a golden trumpet to my lips, boldly sharing the majestic sounds of the John Williams Orchestra playing the theme to Star Wars.  The old man next door, rudely interrupted my solo, when he yelled over the fence, “Keep it down over there kid, you’re driving me crazy blowin’ on that thing.”

Undeterred I continued on. Surely, the rest of the neighborhood recognized my talent.  Mr. Harris just had no taste.  Besides, I was almost to the best part of the song; you know the part where Darth Vader’s Tie-Fighter gets blown up by the Millennium Falcon?  Interruption struck again, when my mom called me back in the house to clean my room.  I would have to hone my skills another time.

Fast-forward thirty-three years.  Now, my goal is to write literature that is brilliant, complex, and beautiful.  However, learning to write is kind of like playing a musical instrument.  I’m trying to start with a complicated piece and play it perfect.  I forgot about practicing scales, tone, and timing on songs I didn’t even enjoy.  After years of practice I developed my skills enough to play what I wanted, but I didn’t succeed starting with the hard stuff.  Writing is the same way.  You practice on things you don’t really want to do, but these exercises develop your ability.  Soon you will know the craft, and be competent to write what you enjoy. 

No Subject is Taboo - When You Are Honest

Me writing in my backyard.

I enjoy writing, but it is difficult to find time.  I started a blog almost 10 years ago for the purpose of improving both my discipline and my writing skills.  Unfortunately, it only helped for a few months; in less than a year I grew apathetic and lost my focus.  I have had this blog location set up for a couple of years but have waited to use it until I was ready to make a commitment.  I believe I am at that point.

You might ask, “What is the purpose of writing?”  That is a great question with many answers.  These are the three primary motivations for me: 

1)  It’s great therapy and helps me bring all the loose thoughts running through my brain into focus.  This in turn, brings a sense of peace and purpose, once I have put my thoughts down.

2)  It is an important part of rhetoric.  I never knew the true definition of this word until last year.  I want to master the art of rhetoric, and developing my writing is one way to do that.  A person who has mastered the art of rhetoric is valuable at almost all levels.  Career, spirituality, family, entertainment, etc. . . the list goes on and on.

3)  I am glad that someone took the time to write books for me since I love to read.  Sometimes I look for specific kinds of literature, and some has not been written.  That means I have first dibs on writing these novels. 

With these things in mind, I plan on spending a little time on here every week.  What am I going to write about? EVERYTHING!  This blog will probably deal with all the things going on in my life.  No subject is taboo.  You have been warned.