I'm an Evangelical Christian. If you are too, then this post is for you.
What does St. Patrick's Day mean to me?
For me, it's not a day for drinking. Drunkenness is a sin (although drinking is not, and is a matter of personal conviction.) For more on drunkenness in The Bible: Ephesians 5:18, Romans 13:13, 1 Peter 4:3.
For me, it's a day to remember Patrick and his life. He was a Briton captured by the Irish and forced into slavery. Eventually he returned to Britain, became a Christian and then returned to Ireland to share the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ the Son of God. He was a missionary. I remember him for living out the words of Jesus, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-19, NASB)
He lived out his Faith, and in turn it inspires me. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses
surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin
which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against
Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Hebrews 12:1-3 NASB)
One final thought: I said I was an Evangelical Christian. For me, St. Patrick's Day is not a day to pray to a Saint. I only pray
to God as I don't see anywhere in The Bible that we are to pray to
anyone but God.
Previous St. Patrick's Day posts:
Personal Reflections on St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patrick's Day - Bad situations with good results
Note:
NASB = New American Standard Bible
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Sunday, May 5, 2013
A thousand years ago feels like yesterday
I felt like they were my neighbors, my relations, my community, these Icelanders from a thousand years ago.
I think it was the style in which their sagas were written.
Many authors these days take an over-the-shoulder, inside-the-soul, point of view with their characters, telling you exactly what the character is thinking and feeling in every excruciating detail. I like that. However, the sagas were not written that way, they were written in a rather external fashion. Yet I felt close to the people.
They seemed real because the lens through which I saw them was as if I were a part of the community. I am told a bit of what they are feeling, I hear of their actions, I know who is best friends with who and how they are related. Just like in real life. In real life I don't know every thought, every pleasure, every pain that passes through my friends, let alone acquaintances that I see frequently. And so the sagas, by being distant, seem real because I see a community functioning, like my home school co/op, like my extended family, like my Christian community. I see the major events that take place and I hear a little of the inside scoop through those more directly involved.
Additionally the descriptions of people are sometimes vivid, so it's like you can see them. I can see their face and external appearance (physique, clothing), but I can't see their mind. Like real life.
Interestingly, books written in first person or with a very over-the-shoulder view often leave you guessing as to the person's looks.
They were so human, driven by their feelings of greed, anger, ambition, brokenheartedness and by what was acceptable in their culture. The women were not meek sheep in the kitchen. A number had strong characters and were driving forces in the stories as they struggled for revenge. And they often manipulated/strong-armed their husbands into getting their way.
And so the sagas easily bridge the gap between then and now, despite culture and language barriers.
I think it was the style in which their sagas were written.
Many authors these days take an over-the-shoulder, inside-the-soul, point of view with their characters, telling you exactly what the character is thinking and feeling in every excruciating detail. I like that. However, the sagas were not written that way, they were written in a rather external fashion. Yet I felt close to the people.
They seemed real because the lens through which I saw them was as if I were a part of the community. I am told a bit of what they are feeling, I hear of their actions, I know who is best friends with who and how they are related. Just like in real life. In real life I don't know every thought, every pleasure, every pain that passes through my friends, let alone acquaintances that I see frequently. And so the sagas, by being distant, seem real because I see a community functioning, like my home school co/op, like my extended family, like my Christian community. I see the major events that take place and I hear a little of the inside scoop through those more directly involved.
Additionally the descriptions of people are sometimes vivid, so it's like you can see them. I can see their face and external appearance (physique, clothing), but I can't see their mind. Like real life.
Interestingly, books written in first person or with a very over-the-shoulder view often leave you guessing as to the person's looks.
They were so human, driven by their feelings of greed, anger, ambition, brokenheartedness and by what was acceptable in their culture. The women were not meek sheep in the kitchen. A number had strong characters and were driving forces in the stories as they struggled for revenge. And they often manipulated/strong-armed their husbands into getting their way.
And so the sagas easily bridge the gap between then and now, despite culture and language barriers.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Secret of Kells: The Artwork
The artwork in the 2009 film, The Secret of Kells, (director Tom Moore, co-director, Nora Twomy, art director, Ross Stewart,) reflects the beauty of The Book of Kells. The images in both are rich in color, iconic, and play with perspective.
The Book of Kells features "zoomorphic" designs. Basically, animals that are twisted, stretched, and bent into 2-D designs. A bird might be chewing on his foot, his toes and beak woven like a piece of cloth. A dog's neck is stretched longer than a giraffe's and interlaces with those of four other dogs just like it to form a Celtic knot. "Zoo" for "animal." "Morphic" for "formed/morphed/changed."
The film has iconic images, like the book. Some people are lumps or rectangles with heads. Aiden has squared-off fingers. The edge of the forest is very organized: the tallest trees form arches for the ones beneath.
This images are also highly detailed and contain Celtic designs, like The Book of Kells.
The Chi Rho page, (mentioned in the film!): The Book of Kells
Besides Celtic designs, the page of the manuscript contains a zoomorph man, iconic figures, and animals.
See the gallery, it contains the images I was talking about: The Secret of Kells
This is an informative video on The Book of Kells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMvfMVBhUXI
On a side note:
Symbolism is found in the depiction of certain characters. The presence of monks from all over the world (Africa, Asia, Italy, and Ireland) at Kells symbolizes the fact that Ireland was an important center for Christianity during the period. It was a beacon of light in the Dark Ages. (See previous post for more on dark and light).
The Book of Kells features "zoomorphic" designs. Basically, animals that are twisted, stretched, and bent into 2-D designs. A bird might be chewing on his foot, his toes and beak woven like a piece of cloth. A dog's neck is stretched longer than a giraffe's and interlaces with those of four other dogs just like it to form a Celtic knot. "Zoo" for "animal." "Morphic" for "formed/morphed/changed."
And of course, intricate Celtic knots and swirling designs of many colors fill the pages.
The only real zoomorphic design in the film, (although certain creatures morph into other forms) appears when Crom Crรบiagh is chasing Brendan.
This images are also highly detailed and contain Celtic designs, like The Book of Kells.
The film also plays with perspective: A person in the distance will pass behind a tree and suddenly they are much, much closer. This depiction represents the actions going on. It's not meant to be taken literally, it's art. It's similar to changing angles on a film camera, except it all happens in the same frame.
In order to respect copyright laws, I have not put pictures in this post. However, here are some links so you can see the features I discussed:
The Chi Rho page, (mentioned in the film!): The Book of Kells
Besides Celtic designs, the page of the manuscript contains a zoomorph man, iconic figures, and animals.
See the gallery, it contains the images I was talking about: The Secret of Kells
This is an informative video on The Book of Kells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMvfMVBhUXI
On a side note:
Symbolism is found in the depiction of certain characters. The presence of monks from all over the world (Africa, Asia, Italy, and Ireland) at Kells symbolizes the fact that Ireland was an important center for Christianity during the period. It was a beacon of light in the Dark Ages. (See previous post for more on dark and light).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)