Monday, December 14, 2015

[We've MOVED!]

If you're reading this, please check us out at upsidedownparadigm.wordpress.com! Nothing's changed except everything. So check out the new site & find new material plus every article here too!

-Joseph & MGB

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

[My Earnest Prayer]

              My soul has been deeply disturbed for some time now. Perhaps the silence of my journal & blog-spot explains as much. In part, I have been rapidly realizing the fractures, schisms, sins, & fundamental evils of this world as if for the first time. The mass slaughtering of innocent lives, murders, beheadings, & inhumane terror around the world has caused my soul to grapple the fear, evil, malice, slander, bigotry, & blasphemy each night as I wrestle the demons of current events. The Paris attacks, San Bernadino shootings, Planned Parenthood shootings, & the Beirut terrorist attacks have consumed my thoughts & prayers.

            Though I have no way made sense of the senseless atrocities, I seek solace in YHWH. I’m reminded that apart form the light darkness abides; where light abides, darkness retreats. Where there is light, darkness cannot be. For if light did not repel the darkness, light would cease to exist. Therefore, virtues such as love & peace exist in this world. However, existing all together the same are evil & violence. Why? Because in order for water to exist in all of its wetness, there must also exist a desert in all of its dryness. But without the wetness of water, the desert’s parched soil would cease to have even its most barren forms of life. For water nourishes dry clay the same as God’s love nourishes our emaciated souls. But if light & water were to exist in all places at all times how could we recognize light or water without first knowing the absence of these? This is the condition of the human soul apart from God: wretched & sinful. But with the nourishment of God's love, we are transformed.

            While our limited intellects see problems with this or prefer it to simply not be the case, I’m reminded of A.W. Tozer’s words of wisdom: “God’s thoughts are not only greater than ours quantitatively, but qualitatively wholly different than ours. God’s thoughts belong to the world of spirit, man’s to the world of intellect, the human intellect can never comprehend spirit. Man’s thoughts cannot cross over into God’s… Many by reason [alone] cannot know God; he can only know about God.”

            Consequently, these tragedies & crises that plague our society raise not only urgent intellectual & pragmatic queries, but it also demands spiritual query & engagement. These events currently happening cannot be comprehended void of spiritual engagement. In the same way that oxygen facilitates human life or the way abstract thought govern human agency, so do spiritual matters drive the course of human events. Often times, things unseen sustain that which is seen. The most rudimentary of examples are our skin cells, which plain to the naked eye, maintains the very fabric of our physical existence. Similarly, our foundation for human happiness lies in our spiritual connectedness & cohesion with God. If we are not connected, our very fabric begins to unravel.

            And so while our human intellect grapple with perplexing questions such as: “Where is God?” or “Why does He allow these atrocities?” or “Why does evil exist if God is good & all powerful?” We must not abandon perhaps the most essential vein of our inquiries: The nature of the Spirit of God [The Holy Spirit]. More importantly, the Spirit of God as it relates to the nature of the spirit of man. It is abundantly clear that mankind is indeed “spirited creatures.”

            In case convincing is needed: Consider quickly humanity’s notion of eternity, ethics, morals, faithfulness, love, government & justice. These attributions remain unique to the human race alone. All of these innate qualities separate us from other animals. Without these, mankind would simply be carnal mammals. Instead, we possess profound notions of eternity. For it is as the book of Ecclesiastes proclaims, “God set eternity in the hearts of man” (3:11). This is, in part, what it means to be made in His image. But if we follow the Scriptural evidence of God’s character as it relates to our own nature we find that apart from the Spirit of God we are “dead in our sins” (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13, Ephesians 2:5, Romans 6:11). But it’s essential to understand what this means.

            Again, Tozer provides insight: “’Dead in sin’ is a description not of the body nor yet of the intellect, but of the organ of God-knowledge within the human soul.” In other words, the consequence of the first sin was not death of the flesh, but rather death of spiritual discernment-- mankind’s ability to know right from wrong. The lines were forever blurred by the serpent; the first con job in recorded history. The cunning serpent gilded death with desire, decorated betrayal with glamour, & presented lies shelled with a thin layer of truth. Ever since the fall, our organs have failed at times to recognize the Creator. And while we should think deeply upon current issues, the most salient truth in its simplest form is this: He is Creator & we are created. He is the light & we are called to be children of the light.

            As long as we remain in Him, he remains in us. But if we stray, if we choose forbidden fruit over Him, our light slowly fades. Eventually, the light given by our Creator fades from our bones & darkness consumes us. So if light expels darkness & darkness eradicates light, we must constantly beware of developing a greyish hue. For it is as Revelation 3:16 condemns the lukewarm: “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Pragmatically, we must all beware of lukewarm-ness in such times of crises as this. We must be proactive leaders. Whether that mean standing in solidarity or donating supplies to those affected by tragedy, we all must be on the offensive. Without fervent devotion & preparedness we cannot affect change. Thus we are reminded of the necessity & our dependence upon Christ. Apart from Him our light slowly fades & we become swayed too easily from fighting for what is right despite how hard it gets.

            So I encourage you, the reader, to seek after the character of God. Engage in this world beyond physical & intellectual means, but always allow the guidance & prudence of Scriptures & Godly community. Remember the promise of Christ, the vested power of the faithful saints, & the immanence of the Holy Spirit. My earnest prayer of devotion is that God fulfill His covenant promise to His people. Father, echo throughout the earth, in Your Providence guide Your people. “[May] the Lord bless you & keep you; [may] the Lord make His face shine upon you, & be gracious to you; [may] the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, & give you peace” Numbers 6:24-26.

-MGB

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

[Fleeting Memories & Outdated Chariots]

            Today is November 11, 2015. Two years ago on this date, the second Hunger Games premiered in the UK. Even more importantly, on this date ninety-seven years ago World War I ended. Ninety-seven years ago, the scourge of human carnage known as WWI came to an end. According to some sources, the terrible crisis claimed more than sixty-five million lives. Today, World War I often is less known by the average American then WWII or Vietnam. Yet though many don’t remember or recall the facts or figures, the reality is that WWI still claimed more than sixty-five million lives. That is sixty-five million souls we can never recover.
           
            But the most astonishing part of it for me is the fact that ninety-seven years can seemingly erase the relevance of such a monumental event in human history. Time, truly is fleeting. So fleeting that ninety-seven years after the absolute charring of most of the globe, many people are largely unaware of even the most basic facts that truly dismantle the lives & livelihood of so many across the globe.

            The point of realizing all this is to assert a very sobering reality: The human experience is fleeting & finite. Even more humbling than that thought, is the fact that our individual experiences remain virtually non-existent to much of the world & history. Proof of this is the fact that we must study WWI to truly allow the lives of those involved to impact us today.

            Another example of this truth is found about three miles from my house. The Nixon Library commemorates the birthplace & life of Richard Nixon. I often ride my bike to it. Every time I do, I ride my bike within ten feet of his once private & exclusive helicopter. Every time, I am struck with an incredible sense of awe & wonder.

            What was once the most elegant chariot for the leader of the New World is now a piece of rubble charged with a $12 admittance. Short lived huh? Even more so for Nixon considering Watergate, but I wonder if the most powerful men & women realize in their moments in the sun that their influence has already, in many ways, been stripped from their clutches.




            Perhaps this is what Matthew 6:19 is getting at when it warns us not to store up in our hearts treasures of this earth, for they rust & destroy. Scriptures are endless in their warning of the fleeting pleasure of the world. After all, it wasn’t even a complete lifetime ago that Mr. Richard Nixon was leading the American crusade against communism & shaping the new world as he saw fit. Now, he is in many ways an outcast to most American minds that judge its leaders.

            So each time I ride by Nixon’s helicopter I wonder about what truly matters. Is it your elegant chariot or perhaps your home? I know for myself I want the answer to be no. The most important things for me are those unseen. I want to love, be generous, be courageous, & be compassionate. Simply put, I’d rather take time investing in my humanity then my worldly status or prestige because the reality is that at some point, we will all die.


            So the next time I ride my bike past fleeting memories, I will continue to marvel at the graveyard of of outdated chariots. That which is fit for a king sooner or later becomes recreation for the common man. Therefore, I choose to invest in that which does not rust or destroy & that which has inherent value: my humanity. It is as Genesis 3:19 so vividly reminds us of: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

-MGB

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

[The Power of Paradoxes]

*The Christian faith cannot be examined solely through an intellectual lens nor solely an emotional lens; rather, a synthesis of the two is essential for it is only through the marriage of intellect & soul that you truly find our humanity & our Maker.

            If you are a Christian then you proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior of your life. He is the ultimate authority. As a believer I truly believe that Christ reigns supreme past, present, & future. The origins for these radical assertions are found in the Old Testament. The ancient Scriptures are chalked full of prophecies proclaiming Christ’s Kingdom: “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, & all the rulers will worship him” [Daniel 7:27].
           
            Jeremiah 23 also proclaims that Christ’s Kingdom will flourish & “execute judgment & justice.” Of course, the New Testament is the fulfilling of these prophecies & the documentation of Christ’s time spent on earth. But to believers & non-believers alike it is perplexing to look around the world today seeing all the evil & atrocities still occurring, while also reconciling the supposed truth of these prophecies. If Christ truly is King, where is His never ending Kingdom? Where is His throne & scepter? Where are His acts of judgment condemning the weak? Where are His acts of mercy to the afflicted? Why do the innocent suffer? In the midst of the refugee crisis, or the terror of ISIS, or the terrible poverty rate… Where is God?

            It is these questions that often serve as roadblocks to believers & non-believers alike. I truly believe that our comfort & reassurance to these complex questions are found in the paradoxes of Scripture. In fact, at its absolute core, Scriptures is a collection of paradoxes, but it is essential to realize that a paradoxical answer to the questions prior are perhaps the only plausible answers. Before I address the infallibility of the Scriptures, allow me to present three “real world” paradoxes that encompass profound truths to build a case for Scriptural supremacy. Only after convincing you of a paradoxical power in non-spiritual matters can I grab your attention to entertain spiritual paradoxes:

1. The paradoxes of a woman’s power. A caring, loving, & gentle woman possesses the most powerful influence over a man. This of course is paradoxical because for a man to exercise power over another man force, violence, & cunning is often the only solution. Yet, women possess a very profound & paradoxical power over a man; it is in her incredibly soft voice that a man’s stubbornness reaches an impasse. A woman’s soothing voice & sound reasoning often persuades a man more effectively than the sword.
2. Another paradox is best summed up in an old Chinese proverb: “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” The gateway to infinite knowledge & wisdom is acknowledging your “foolishness.” This proves to be truly a paradoxical process.
3. The last paradox lies within tragedy, yet is entirely relevant to our discussion. Unfortunately, there is a very tragic paradoxical relationship between wealth & happiness. Countless Hollywood musicians, artists, actors, etc. all lament of the evils of wealth & fame. Being an avid fan of rap I’ve grown up listening to this sad reality. Perhaps the most chilling phrase which has remained in my conscious is from J. Cole’s “Chaining Day” in which he acknowledges his trust in wealth is foolish: “Don’t take this chain [wealth] from me/because I chose this slavery/my guilt as heavy as this piece [jewelry] I wear.” This acknowledgment that wealth can never satisfy is not a new phenomenon. This is an age-old reality lamented by humanity throughout time. Perhaps our happiness, & future generations’ happiness, could be better informed based on the study of the past & the warnings of those with wealth. But here I am progressing down the rabbit hole of another paradox [the study of history] so I digress.

            Now that we can all agree that some of the most profound realities in this world exist in the form of paradoxes & in the most unlikely ways, I will now present three incredibly monumental [& relevant] paradoxes of the Christian faith. It is important to note that although the following three are spiritual at its core, there are pragmatic, moral truths in here that transcend to good citizenship, regardless of your religious convictions:

1. The most effective leader is the selfless servant. Jesus Christ the full embodiment of this. As the Son of God, the one with absolute dominion over the earth, Jesus humbled Himself to the most humiliating execution of His day [crucifixion]. It was such an awful death that it was reserved only for the most despicable of criminals, & it was so gruesome that the Roman government condemned executions within its city walls because of the nature of the death. It was pure torcher. The Son of Man who was present at creation decided in those moments to subject Himself to our death sentence. He committed the ultimate act of servant-hood & humility. This is the charge given to us. Therefore another paradox emerges for Christians: In order to effectively lead others, you must first learn what it means to follow Christ.
2. That which is perceived as earthly weakness is actually heavenly power. Again, I will use the example of Christ: While He was whipped & lashed & put on a cross; Christ could have called down twelve legions of angels to rescue Him & destroy His enemies [Matthew 26:53]. In other words, His act of mercy & meekness is perceived as weak or even stupid by human standards, but within the confines of Christianity, understanding Christ’s sacrifice for us, it is the most powerful & profound action ever recorded in human history. This coincides with Matthew 5:5. It also helps explain why love always triumphs. Though you can take advantage of love, beat up love, attack love, even physically kill a loving person; love always triumphs- it always wins. Is it coincidence that every Hollywood movie plays out this way? No, the incredible power of Christian virtue [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.] is engrained in the very DNA of humanity- that is why we see it in Hollywood films & children’s bedtime stories alike. It is a paradoxical truth we were born understanding. Some of us simply need to regain this knowledge.
3. To find stability & peace we must stop trying to control events in our lives & let go & give it to Christ. It is only once we acquiesce to a God more powerful than us that we are able to receive His aid & blessing. This difficult practice is always the wiser decision. One of my favorite rappers [Andy Mineo] sums it up perfectly: “You [God] wanna put treasures inside my hands but you cease/because they’re clamped, holding onto sins I won’t release.”

            In closing, I hope that this begins a conversation. The profundity of the Christian faith & its complexities runs much deeper than two pages. But I pray that this begins to show us the fallibility of human reason & thought. In the midst of terrible atrocity & pain I can’t help but hear Christ whisper to us to draw near to him.


            Paradoxes are so perplexing because they often go against “logic” or “the way things work,” but when you live on a globe that travels around a flaming ball of fire at roughly 66,600 miles per hour… nothing is “logical.” This is a peculiar world- it’s time that we cease to allow the peculiarities of God to limit our faith & trust in Him. 

-MGB

Monday, November 2, 2015

[The Proof of God]

Proof (noun): evidence or argument establishing or helping to establish a fact or the truth of a statement.

*This article is not an exhaustive examination of the matters considered; rather it is designed to begin an honest, humble discussion pursuing truth.

            I frequently have conversations with people about the existence of God. In the midst of those conversations I frequently hear the argument, “Well there just isn’t any proof- you can’t definitively prove the existence of God.” While this statement is true in one sense, it is completely false in another. It is correct in the sense that I cannot rub my magic bottle & have the God of Israel come puffing out like a genie. So in that sense, yes you are correct I do not have physical, tangible proof. But it’s also peculiar to point out that the contrary, scientific argument is the Big Bang theory.

            It is interesting to note that the concept of a big bang is just as much elusive as definitively proving the existence of the God of Israel. For example, while humans share more than 98% similarity in DNA with chimpanzees, humans also share about 50% similarity in DNA makeup with a banana. Furthermore, the probability of a big bang occurring is about the same chance that these letters randomly combusted & fell onto this paper in order to form this cohesive, intelligent thought (excuse the self-flattery). Clearly, the loopholes & ambiguities persist for the belief in a cosmic explosion creating such intelligence & complexities. This distinction is important because this is the foundational platform from which modern science begins. But this is a whole different article to write to fully explore these depths. So I digress.

            On the other hand, while I can’t prove the existence of God directly, there is irrefutable, undeniable proof in another sense. I can indirectly prove His existence. I will offer three examples:

1). There is an overwhelming consensus amongst mankind that the things of this world never fully satisfy. Countless examples are found through the tragic, endless pursuits of men after money, drugs, & satisfaction. So many people such as Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston, & Heath Ledger are examples. This is because we were built & designed for a very specific purpose: To commune with God.
2). Gravity. While an astronaut may explore space, the moon, or Mars free from the gravitational laws of earth, it does not mean that gravity ceases to exist. In fact, on the moon or Mars gravity does exist, just simply in a different capacity. Human beings are fallible beings. I mean it in this sense: We are limited to time & space. I cannot be in New York City & California at once. I cannot endure the sunshine of California while simultaneously enduring the rain of New York. Yet, in spite of these limitations, both continue to exist & operate within the laws of the universe simultaneously without our conscious thoughts/efforts. This is proof that someone somewhere is orchestrating the complexities of the earth without us. It is to this end that the astronaut standing on Mars may irrefutably know that though gravity may be relative in the present moment, there are still irrefutable laws of existence that endure without us. Therefore, the relativity of gravity depends upon location, but the metanarrative of gravity's holistic properties endures. This is another complex proof of God.


3). Morality. Humanity, though we don’t always do what is right, we all inexplicably know that good and evil exist simultaneously. Each day we are tasked with the choices of what is good and what is wrong. Sometimes we choose honesty over lies, kindness instead of spite, & generosity over greed. But we do not always choose what is good. This is because we are broken- defective when apart from our Maker. Undeniably though, we can all assert that there is a sense of morality- of right and wrong. It is all engrained in us that virtue exists. This is the third proof.

Ultimately though, the proof of God can be summed up as simply as C.S. Lewis put it, “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.”

-MGB

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Ski Boats

I love the nature of this blog because nothing is off limits. I can pick a topic I love and write about it.

Today, I am talking about boats. I acknowledge that I don't have the most vast or detailed knowledge about them, but let me tell you, I love boats. And more specifically, old ski boats.

There is something special about sitting behind the wheel of an old ski boat and letting the engine warm up early in the morning. The motor growls and progressively gets louder as you push down on the throttle. It settles into a steady rhythm and if you listen long enough, you can tell where the needle sits on the tachometer just by listening to the engine's tone. Most of my experience comes from driving Ski Nautiques from 1978-1999 with Lightning towers or Skylon high poles. The newer models have direct fuel injection, but nothing beats the growl of an old Ford 351 or Chevy 350.

There are two boats that I love the most to drive. The first is a Ski Nautique from 1985. It is the boat I spent the majority of my time in when learning how to pull skiers, kneeboarders, wakeboarders, and banana boaters. The boat features a wrap around passenger seat that flips up and a different paint design than the 1984 model. The boat throws a very nice wake for wakeboarding, especially when you have the back weighted down. For some reason, I feel the safest when driving this boat. She is big boned and I love it. Her deep hull slices through the water so nicely and she turns on a dime. Call me a big fan of the '85 Ski Nautique

The other boat I love to drive is a Ski Nautique from 1982. It differs from the '85 slightly. Its 3 years older so the paint design on the outside is different. This boat had the option for a Chevy 350 and I absolutely love the way she sounds. The driving experience is a little different, but not by much. She throws an even wake and drives through chop pretty well. The passenger seat is a two person bench but you could squeeze three if you really wanted. The hull design is pretty much the same as the '85; they are both dubbed the "2001 model." The 2001 hull design debuted in 1982 and was kept until 1989.

I consider myself fortunate to have the experience of driving these awesome boats.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

A Week in Music 9/28

The Japanese House.

Listening to them on spotify at the moment. Will come back later this week with thoughts and opinions.

Cheers!

Joseph