Being the father of two small children affords me the opportunity to see many children and family movies, some are mindless, some are just fun and entertaining, but then there are the rare few that are entertaining, meaningful and instructive.  The Secret of the Cave is one such movie.  It is about a boy who, experiencing some intense family brokenness and pain, is dragged along on a trip to his fathers home town in Ireland begrudgingly.  Yet there he encounters a fantastic mystery that is going on in the town that many think is the work of a kindly old man whom had just passed away; the work of a ghost.  The boy doesn’t buy it and begins to investigate, what he discovers is a lesson that we all lose track of and forget too much of the time…one in which I was encouraged to be reminded.  This movie isn’t fast paced, flashy or anything else, but it is very very good, and a great one for families to watch together.

Source:  Title is “Catholicism” by Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien page 495

“Since the free gift of Gods grace, i.e., God’s self communication, was incorporated into the world from the beginning, the history of the world is really also the history of salvation.  A the point (or points) where we realize that the direction of history is toward the kingdom of God, we can speak of the experience of revelation.  But whether  we realize it or not, i.e., whether we are formally and explicitly religious, even Christian or not, does not change what is in fact going on.  God is always present to the world and to persons within the world as the principle of self-transcendence.  We have the capacity to move beyond ourselves, to become something higher and better than we are, because the “Absolute Beyond” is already in our midst summoning us forward toward the plentitude of the kingdom.”

I like the above quote because it makes sense of more than just a particular theological tradition or perspective.  It reminds us that this is God’s world, humans of every sort are his and he is still at work even in our (supposed) none spiritual human growth.

I have just finished sitting on my back porch while the wind blew as the thunder clouds passed my home.  I love being in the wind, in nature.  The wind speaks volumes and brings a calm with it that not many other experiences do.  When I am standing out in the wind, I feel a strange peace with my world, revitalized and hopeful.  I watched the clouds role by and wondered if this is what the voice of God might sound like; a voice like Elijah heard on the mountain.  

In that wind all my ideas regarding life and faith swirl but have no bearing on where I stand at the moment; its just me bracing and feeling the air wrap around me as I stand there.  I have been reading a book called “Black Elk Speaks” and the thing that stands out to me in that book is the connectivity of a spiritual nature that he experienced in the physical elements of his world.  I am jealous of that sometimes.  We have separated it all out scientifically and can explain (so we think) what’s happening and from whence these elements come.  I feel as though in our scientific understandings, we have lost the grace that is present there for us: God’s breath and his presence.  I am not claiming an anti-scientific stance in these words, just a sense of disconnect.  I suppose that is why I love the mountains like I do.  

Recently I was sitting at the foot of the Cuddy Mountains with only one other friend there.  It was peaceful.  There were no answers but a distinct and clear connectivity and peace with the world in which I live.  I really didn’t want to leave that mountain and I have thought about it so very many moments in the time since I was there.  That peace, that belonging, that restfulness is something that is absent in much of my hurried life.    I long to be up on a mountain somewhere, starting a camp fire, with nothing to do but what I am presently doing.  Unfortunately, that is not the norm of my life but the rare exception.  

Maybe I am born later than my heart and soul, a simpler time might have brought more peace and rest than the life I live.  However, I am not living in such a time, so I think I need to find some ways of making the life I do have reflect that ideal.

Humanity gazing upward,
Where do I belong?
Grasping at the mystery
Of where I come from.

Our history is our movement
To something greater and larger than ourselves.
Yet does this “greater”
Have a grounding in the living that we live?

Matter and Spirit, are they separate?
Or is there a unity beyond what we can see.

“The Word became flesh” is our mysterious ground.
Whether we claim it, or in ignorance live…
it is our horizon, to which me move.

We limit that movement by thinking that we know
Yet still to that upward calling we go.
In hope we seek to understand ourselves
And in the face of the Other we see,
That this living cannot just be about you and me.

Knowing is limited,
Living, open and free.
Pray that in my living I might see
The grace of God at work in me.

By Kelley Mata ©
July 11, 2009
Reading Rahner and Marion

Dr. Francis Collins was appointed by President Obama to head up the national institute for health yesterday.  This man is a good and faithful man whose work in science has helped us understand our own design better.  He is not afraid of truth, whether it be spiritual or science.  His book “The Language Of God”  Is a very helpful book for thinking Christians who are tired of the science –  faith wars.  Maybe this very Christian and very scientifically savvy man will help us to leave the narrowness that has been inherent to both sides of the discussion behind us.  To me this just shows, once again, the wisdom and foresight of our new president and makes me even more certain and pleased with the job he is doing.

I know that there are many in the Christian camps who aren’t pleased with this appointment but those people are also not asking fundamental questions regarding science and origins because they believe that they already have the “correct” answer regarding science, faith and our origins.  However, such are a diminishing crowd and many younger Christians are not content with some of the traditional answers offered by their own faith, or rather the answers offered by the dominant and recent conservative groups within American Christianity.  For them this will be a move that brings much hope for an open and thinking Christian faith.  I, for one, am excited!

If we are not willing to question our own faith and belief systems, we then are truly stuck and are closed to much that might make sense of our very old faith in a very different modern world.  Bravo President Obama!

I watched the movie “Doubt” last night.  I must say that this movie is appropriately titled.  Out of the four other people who joined me in watching this movie, we were somewhat split in our responses.

Some felt that the makers of the movie seeded it with things that made the priest look guilty of an inappropriate relationship with the male student at the school.  Others felt that there was not enough evidence to make that statement.

The movie is one that is hard to keep objectivity because of all of the abuses committed in the last few years by Roman Catholic Priests.   I think it is a good discussion starter.  I recommend it.

I recently wrote a blog article on the right to bear arms on this blog site (see below).  I forwarded a shortened version of that blog article to the Idaho Statesman news paper as an opinion piece (http://www.idahostatesman.com/readersopinion/story/808821.html.  Living in Idaho, my piece was not the most popular or well received in a state that has more licensed gun dealers that it does gas stations.  You can read some of the “knee jerk” responses that my opinion received on the newspaper web site.

I was just surfing a bit on the NBC news website and found an interesting new article that relates to the previous legal cases mentioned in my articles.  It seems that not only do some folks have no appreciation for any kind of gun control, but now some think advocating for gun control, or in this case ruling in favor of it, is an offense that should be worthy of death.  It seems that a white supremacist (whom we already know are not the most stable kind of people or the brightest) living in Maryland has called for the killing of the three federal judges who ruled in favor of the handgun ban in Chicago: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31532924/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/.  

Not the brightest fellow to encourage readers of his blog “to ‘take up arms” against the lawmakers and that government officials should “obey the Constitution or die.’”   While it is disturbing but  no surprise that people with such extreme views live in our nation and that many of them dream of overthrowing the government, replacing it with one of their invention, at least, if these types intend an insurrection, we can expect plenty of advanced notice.

My wife and I just watched the movie “Yess Man” tonight.  And I have to say that I really liked it.  It is an existential test case of sorts.  Do we find meaning through existence…in this story its life that happens through adventure, exploration, risk with totally new experiences and people.  I found it fun and I found myself remembering days in my past where I might have operated in a similar fashion, mind you much more recklessly and in unhealthy ways, but nonetheless lived.  

In this movie Carey’s character who is closed off to the world, people and himself finds life and others and a bunch of fun through saying yes to everything.  He even finds love.  While saying yes to everything is probably a little over the top, I think finding ways to extend past our comfort zones, embrace life, others. new thoughts and experiences is probably a healthy activity to work into our living.  Ultimately there is meaning in existence, pain too (even thought that is minimal in this movie), but in all those things there is life, breath, color and, yes, meaning to be had.

I would recommend this movie…it is a kick.

Just when I hope we would finally begin to heal a little as a nation from our racist history by electing an African-American man president (by a pretty large margin) comes another cowardly and senseless act violence from someone whose whole world view is dimmed by its narcissism.  

Racism in particular is ugly and shortsited in every form of it I have ever seen.  It stems from a small intellect and generally ignorant people; he is not only sick but weak.  It is a weak man who resorts to violence.  The idiocy of his beliefs and hate prevent his statements from accomplishing what his sick mind wants to see, he then engages his rage and acts out in this sick and weak way.  I have no tolerance for these types of people, none whatsoever!  My hope is that he dies from his wounds and that he is not remembered in any way by anybody!

This holocaust shooting, the murder of the abortion doctor and the killing of the Army Private in the south all point to the same narrowness and sickness; weak, ignorant cowards who choose to do this type of thing.

Now, I should start this entry with a few facts about me.  First, I am a citizen of the United States, native born.  Secondly, I hunt and I own firearms.  Thirdly, I am not now, nor to I intend to ever, be a member of the NRA.  I am writing this entry about the recent appeal by the NRA to the United States Supreme Court to have them rule on a case that is from Illinois where there are “ordinances barring the ownership of handguns in most cases in Chicago and suburban Oak Park, Ill.”  

Now I am, obviously, not in favor of law prohibiting the ownership of any firearms, which I also feel there is no threat of in our country, especially considering the last 2nd Amendment decision from the Supreme Court declaring that the 2nd Amendment gives American’s the right to personally own firearms for personal protection.  This article is about a recent filing by the NRA, on the heals of the previous decision, attempting to strike down any state or local laws of limitation in owning firearms, in this case hand guns.  

Does the right to bear arms mean any and all firearms or is there room for gun control and 2nd Amendment rights?  Now the NRA and those who follow their line of thinking will immediately say that limitation and freedom are antithetical, like water and oil.  But I am not so sure that is the case, at least in my opinion.  As I said previously that I never have been, am not and will not be a member of the NRA.  One of the major reason is because I do not follow nor respond to the rhetoric that issues forth from their ranks.  The gist of the thought is give an inch, lose a mile.  First of all, that idea is based out of fear and I don’t like to live my life responding to fear.  Secondly, it indicates that there is only all or nothing, which is also a flawed idea to me.  I have learned that there is very little that is truly black or white, if for no other reason than the fact that in human culture objectivity is not completely possible and our dependence upon it is greatly over-estimated.  

Why can’t there be reasonable gun control laws that fit the context of a particular place?  Are the people of the above cities legally prohibited from owning any kind of firearm?  I don’t think so.  So really they are all still able to bear arms in defense of their own homes (i.e. shotguns, which are truly the best home defense weapon of which I am aware or small caliber rifles if one prefers).  Maybe crime, gangs and other local issues makes this a reasonable law, giving the local law enforcement the opportunity to arrest and detain these criminal elements, whose activities make this law necessary and reasonable.  If these people want to protect themselves against these concerns (crime, gangs) then they are free to purchase a different type of firearm and thereby fulfilling their constitutional rights yet supporting reasonable gun control.  

I myself would have no difficulty in supporting laws of  reasonable gun control like the previous assault rifle weapons ban that president Clinton signed into law.  As I said, I hunt every year and I would prefer to not have AK-47’s and AR-15’s in the field.  I personally feel that they are not hunting weapons.  I know the logic of some that assert most of our hunting weapons started out as military weapons therefore logically these weapons should or could be seen as hunting weapons. While I see the line of reasoning, these rifles are not designed for longer range shots, but close range fighting so I don’t buy it.  

I for one do not believe that universal maxims (or in this case national) are the best way to govern in all circumstances.  I think that there needs to be flexibility in how we view the extent of our rights, what room there is for diversity of application and appropriate allowance given to our local, state and federal governments to limit these rights while still allowing for appropriate expression of those same rights.

I hope the Supreme court upholds the appeals court decision.  The right to bear arms doesn’t necessarily mean all firearms!