How Act 4
Scene One
More Interviews
(The setting: The same picnic table somewhere on campus, as in Act 3.]
[Mary and Jenny enter, (laughing and chatting) rear stage right and sit at the same picnic table from Act 3.]
Mary
So Jenny, on another subject, why do you think Christian society persecuted women for hundreds of years by not giving them the vote?
Jenny
Well Mary, I look at it a bit differently. From a Christian perspective, the family is supposed to be a real team. For example, there is a wonderful verse from the Bible from Ephesians Chapter 5, verse “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” And you know how Linda was telling you about the congregational model of democracy? Well, a lot of congregational voting was just rubber stamping what the elders of the church recommended as best, based on much prayerful consideration and reference to the constitution; the Bible. (Of course Mary in our modern society, our constitution is based on God given individual human rights, but what sane people wouldn't also want the Biblical ideals of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control also represented there; people everywhere need freedom, informed by ideals.) And the husband just casts the vote for the family. But Mary, in most of the Christian families I know, the wife really runs the show and the husband works.
And Mary, while we are on the subject, here is why I think Christian men make better husbands --- it’s like a King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table thing. But here the King is King Jesus and the men are supposed to lay down their swords of anger and brutishness, at the foot of the King - and they are made better for it. That’s the theory anyway. Of course, among Christians, there are all different levels of maturity, and the ideals that are taught in the Bible are not always followed.
Mary (smiling, re: a play on words from Paul and Linda, (pointing to the air as if to teach a lesson))
That rings a bell aka Paul and Linda. “No husband is constantly good or constantly bad.”
Jenny (laughing)
.... but the odds of a husband being good, are improved, if he at least has learned, the ideals to go for.
Mary
Jenny, as a Christian, are you ever afraid? Or, do you always have answers?
Jenny
I’m afraid lots of times. But when things are out of my control, as well as pray, I have learned to follow a command in the Bible - and it helps - I just purposely and intently love. I begin by loving the little things in the world around me and then I let it broaden out.
Mary
Oh ya. That’s interesting. You know Jenny, somehow I’ve missed asking Paul and Linda the “How to Save the World” question. So Jenny, let me ask you. What’s the agenda that you would recommend to save the starving and desperate.
Jenny (repeating solemnly)
“How to Save the World?” Good ideas must win over bad ideas in the hearts of people everywhere. The people need to be free from excessive government so that they can focus on the really important things in life; the family, the home, education and enterprise --- so that the greatness of the nation will emerge from the greatness of the people, as they follow their highest ideals.
Mary (excitedly)
Hey Jenny, That’s it! To save the world we need FREEDOM INFORMED BY IDEALS. Hey, I like that. (Mary, takes her notebook out of he backpack and writes and reads): “freedom informed by ideals”.
[Just then Richard shows up, cowboy hat and all, stage front right (in front of Mary)]
Richard
Hi Mary. Hi Jenny.
Mary
Oh, Richard. You’re here.
Richard
Yup.
[Just then Susan (President of the Feminist Campus Association) enters front stage right and walks past the front of the picnic table, looking at Mary to recognize her, and at about center stage calls back:
Susan
Hey Mary, are you going to come to the Feminist Campus Association meeting? It’s starting in about 10 minutes. We are going to discus the biography of the guest speaker we are bringing in. It’s all about how Christian society has persecuted gays and lesbians over the centuries.
Mary
Sorry Susan. I’ve got an errand I need to do with Richard here. I need to get him to help me mow the lawn of friends of the family who are away on vacation.
And is that right Richard? Has Christian society persecuted gays and lesbians over the centuries?
Richard
Well, I don’t know about history Mary. But Susan, have you ever seen the movie “Philadelphia Story” with Tom Hanks? It’s the movie about, where the character Tom Hanks played, was a lawyer, and at the end of the movie, he was dying of AIDS and was going to be fired from his job. All I know Susan, is that if I was a friend with the young Tom Hanks character growing up, or any friend experiencing homosexual inclinations, the best advise I could give him would be to abstain for his own well being; for health reasons. And this advise is given with love and respect, and if only it was heard and not ridiculed by the media, thousands of people like the Tom Hanks character, could have been saved. True Christians seek to rescue people Susan, that's what we are taught, And we don't want anyone to be fired from their jobs.
Susan
Mary, let’s go! I’m not going to listen to this garbage.
Mary [Leaves the picnic table and comes over to Susan, centre stage, saying, a bit angrily at Susan and defensive of Richard...]
All groups have some good ideas!
Susan
Oh not that again! Not them! Not the Christians. Mary! Don’t you know the Christians are against a woman’s right to choose when it comes to having an abortion?
Jenny (loudly)
The Christians want to promote Pro-Life as the happiest way of life, because it is! And please don’t ask Christian doctors to perform abortions.
Mary
Susan, do you remember the song that goes “What if God was one of us, just riding in the bus like the rest of us?” Well, maybe it means that the ideals in the Bible are meant for the good of the average common people.
Susan
Mary, what God are you talking about?
Mary
The God.
Susan
Mary, you’re hopeless! [and stomps off stage front left]
Mary
[Going over to Richard and Jenny]
I think she is just having a bad day.
Jenny
Mary, it's not that what Susan is asking is wrong; that we should always show respect to people, no matter their sexual orientation, but rather I think she is asking our whole society to put it's emphasis in the wrong place; we should be emphasizing that sex is meant for marriage, so that as much as possible, children can grow up in a loving home environment.
Well I’ve got to go. My anatomy text book is calling me. It’s saying STAT, learn this stuff by tomorrow morning or fall impossibly behind.
Richard
OK Jenny. See ya.
Mary
Ya Jenny. Thanks again for the coffee. See you.
So Richard, would you drive me in your truck to our friend’s house. They are friends of my parents. They live just south of the university.
Richard
Sure, sounds like fun. Boots and Saddles, Mary, let’s go.
Mary [Explains further as they exit stage front right.]
They asked me if I could mow the lawn for them while they were on vacation. But I just have not gotten around to taking the bus there yet. And now I’m worried the grass will be so long, it will take forever to cut it.
[Mary and Richard exit front stage right]
Curtain.
How to Save the World
Act Four
Scene Two
[The Setting: Richard and Mary are sitting in a truck, (the one major prop for the play). The truck is parked center stage, with the head lights facing the audience.]
Mary
Richard, thanks for helping me mow the lawn and thanks for the pizza.
Richard
Your welcome Mary. I just like being with you and I would cut a hay field
for you if you wanted me to.
Mary
If I had let that grass grow any longer it would have turned into a hey field, right?
Richard
Pretty darn close!
[Richard puts his arm around Mary’s shoulder.]
Mary
This is a nice place to stop for coffee. [Mary smiles at the audience.] Nice view. So Richard, tell me about your family.
Richard
Well, I have three brothers and two sisters and we live on a farm near Lacombe, that goes back to homestead days.
Mary
Have you ever talked to your grand parents or great grand parents about homesteading?
Richard
Well not too much. Mostly we are talking about the future. But I’ve always found it interesting to learn how the original land was surveyed into homesteads.
Mary
Oh ya! I find it fascinating too Richard. Tell me how homesteading works.
Richard
Well, OK, let’s see... the Alberta / Saskatchewan border is 110 degrees longitude west and by the Dominion land Survey of 1871, this North / South line is called the fourth meridian. Moving west, the meridians are spaced 4 degrees of longitude apart, so that the 5th meridian is at 114 degrees longitude west. At the Canada / U.S. border, the distance between the fourth and fifth meridian is about 180 miles and this range is divided into townships, six miles square. So between the fourth and fifth meridian, you have enough land for 30 townships. And the (six mile square) townships are numbered by range 1 to 30 as you go west of the 4th meridian. And the (six mile square) townships are stacked on top of each other as you go north and numbered from 1 to 126 as you go from the US border (which is the 49th parallel to 60 degrees latitude north, which is the northern border of Alberta.
Now all these six mile square townships are divided into 36, 1 mile square sections. And finally, homesteads were given out by 1/2 mile square quarter sections, of 160 acres each. So Mary, my guess is that we are parked in the NE quarter of section 36, township 55, range 28, west of the 4th meridian.
Mary
Richard, why don’t they have homesteading in Africa or other countries?
Richard
I don’t know Mary. That’s a good question. Maybe they don’t even have a legal land titles system. [Richard moves a little closer to Mary, but Mary already has another subject on her mind.]
Mary
Hey Richard I see you have a CD player in your truck.
Richard
Ya, it’s one of those 4 CD changer deals. It’s pretty good.
Mary
So what CD’s do you have in it?
Richard
Well, I’ve got two contemporary Christian CD’s and two country CD’s and one classical.
Mary
What’s the classical one you got?
Richard
It’s a best of Bach CD my Dad gave to me.
Mary
Oh ya. I like Bach ... Brandenburg Concertos and Sheep May Safely Graze and stuff.
Richard
So Mary, listen to this one... It’s Bach’s Preludium in E or something like that. But first close your eyes ... and imagine you are in the blackness of outer space... and then out of the emptiness and darkness comes this [Richard hits the button for the music to begin to play]...
Richard (in time with the music)
... as the music builds I imagine I see light... then stars .... then galaxies ... all shooting past me ... till finally we arrive at our own solar system... and earth.
Mary
Richard, that was really beautiful. You surprise me. You have an interests in more than just the “top 40”, and that’s good.
What’s you favorite song?
Richard
Well, my all time favorite is Steve Bell’s rendition of Jim Croegaert’s “Here by the Water”. The words aren't that much or anything; it’s just about a guy walking by a mountain stream at night and building a simple cairn of rocks in praise to God. But the music is so great. Especially the drums. I’m always drumming the air every time I hear the song. Here, let me play it for you.
[Richard, hit’s the button to play Steve Bell’s “Here by the Water”, (see www.signpostmusic.com, eg. “the Beyond a Shadow CD”) As the music plays Richard starts drumming the air along with the music and Mary has fun following along. As the music continues, Richard motions to Mary to follow him out of the truck and they both drum the air and dance around the truck to the music.]
Mary
Hey, that was a good song Richard. Great drums. And Richard, I see you have a guitar in the back seat of the truck. Play me a song will you?
Richard
Well, just like I was telling you before, most of my theology was from the Bible verses of Sunday School songs, it so happens, most of the songs I know on the guitar are Sunday School songs too.
Mary
Oh, that’s all right. Do one for me, please.
[Richard gets the guitar from the back seat of the truck.]
Richard
OK, here’s one I made up called “The Promised Land”
Verse 1
C G E Major
God the Son
F Em Dm
Taught us all a good song.
F Em Dm
Taught us all a good song.
C Em Dm C
When he taught us all to love every one.
Verse 2
C G E Major
Take my hand.
F Em Dm
Lead me to the prom ised.
F Em Dm
Lead me to the prom ised.
C Em Dm C
Lead me to the prom ised land.
Verse 3
C G E Major
Take our hand.
F Em Dm
Lead us to the prom ised.
F Em Dm
Lead us to the prom ised.
C Em Dm C
Lead us to the prom ised land.
Mary [clapping]
Brovo Richard. That was great. But its getting chilly out here. Let’s get back in the truck.
[Richard puts away the guitar and Mary and Richard get back inside the truck. Richard puts his arm around Mary’s shoulder.]
Mary (Smiling at the audience...)
Ya,... nice view from up here.
Richard
Mary, can I give you a kiss?
Mary
O.K. ... but I won’t go too far... It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that sex is for marriage to give children, a loving home environment.
Richard (choked up)
I know.
Lights out. Curtain.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
How Act 5
How Act 5
How to Save the World
Narrator reads stage right:
It was December in Alberta. By this time of year a blanket of snow usually covers the ground. From then on, any weather can come through, and usually does. The most challenging is the week of -30 degrees below zero, where everything creaks through the hand numbing, piercing, even painfull cold. It isn’t much fun. In this weather, the beauty of Alberta’s snow covered forests, under crystal clear blue skys, can best be appreciated from indoors; where its warmer.
Fortunately the deep freeze doesn’t stay very long and average winter temperatures, of about -10, usually return in a few days. Then it is much more fun to be outside, especially for the kids, enjoying tobogganing, sking or hockey. (By the way, did you know, Calgary, Alberta’s more southerly city, has fewer outdoor hockey rinks than Edmonton.) Sometimes, even warm chinook-type winds come through, turning a perfectly good winter day into a slushy mess everywhere.
The weather this night was great. It was a warm winter evening and the clouds hung very low in the sky. There was no wind, everything was quiet. A few inches of new snow lay everywhere. And the light from the street lights reflected from the ground to the sky and back again giving everything a glow, like in a dream - a Canadian dream.
It was Christmas in Alberta and here as everywhere the message of glad tidings of great joy is told, the beautiful music of Christmas, filled the air. We are on the campus of the University of Alberta where first semester final exams are on. We’re at a coffee shop in the Students Union building, not too far from the Butterdome ... as we continue with Act 5, the final and concluding act of our play, “How to save the World”.
End of narration.
Mary and Richard enter stage right and walk to a small round table carrying their backpacks and a coffee each. And sitting down Mary says:
“Thanks for the coffee Richard.” “Oh your welcome” says Rrichard. “So Richard, what time to do have to leave for your exam?” asks Mary. Richard, looking at his watch says, “Well taking account of walking time to the lecture theatre, in about fiveteen minutes.”
Mary says, “Just enough time for coffee. I’ve got some exciting news, well for me it’s exciting, I’ve finally finished my essay “How to save the world. I know its crazy but I’ve been working on it for the last few years and finally, I finished it. Now I figure I can post it on the internet somewhere and just go on and get a life.
“That’s great” says Richard, “how about after my exam I take you out for pizza and you let me read your essay?”
“Sure” says Mary and adds “You know something else Richard, I finally finished reading the entire Bible.”
“Wow, you have been busy.” says Richard.
Mary: “Yup, I figure I’ve come a long way since the first positive note I ever had of what happened two thousand years ago was when I saw on TV “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas”
.
Richard: O ya I remember that, It’s a great show.
Mary: Ya, I can still see Linus up on the stage, you say it for me Richard, the quote from Matthew.
Richard: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, for unto you is born in the City of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Mary: Ya that was great, and you know Richard I really loved it when you were telling me that most of your theology was from the Bible verses from Kids Sunday school songs. I love those songs, How does this one go?
Mary sings:
Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you, doot do, do do do do, Ephesians 4:32
Richard: Ya you got it!
Mary: Richard, do that other one for me, 1 John 5 vs 3.
Ricard: OK
Richard sings:
And this is love for God
That you do his commands
and His commands are not burdensome
In fact the Lord teaches you what is best for you
Shows you the way you should go
Teaches us what is best for us
Shows us the way we should go
Look in the Bible and see, 1 john 5 vs 3 Isaiah 48 vs. 17.
Mary: Very good, you know, If I have kids some day I would want to teach them those songs.
OK Richard, I’ll walk over with you to the exam hall now.
Richard: OK lets go.
Richard and Mary start walking to the exam hall (stage left).
Richard: I guess writing an exam is like driving a car, you’ve just got to respond to the exam agenda, and there isn’t a lot of flexibility.
Mary: Well you’ve just got to think laterally Richard.
Richard: Ya but you can’t drive laterally.
Mary: Well for us women its called peripheral vision.
Richard: No kidding.
They arrive stage left.
Richard: Where can I meet you Mary after my exam, It shouldn’t take long, they are giving us 45 minutes but say it will probably take half an hour.
Mary: Hey I’ve got some books to read, Mary opens a door to a lecture hall (center stage) and finds it is empty. I’m just going to sit in this empty lecture hall and you can come and get me when you are finished.
Richard: OK sure Mary, see you later.
Mary sat down on the floor in the front of the lecture hall and unloaded her backpack.
Mary:
Well it’s done. I’ve written my essay on How to save the World. I’ve done what I could. I’ll post it on the internet and maybe somebody will even read it. It’s done, at least revision#38 - but I think this is it - so maybe I can go on and get a life - maybe even get married - maybe even have kids. That cowboy out there is a likely candidate, although he doesn't know it yet. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell him though, perhaps he should figure this one out on his own. Ah, the vagaries of life.
Well, let me do it from start to finish, just once. I can even pretend that it will receive an enthusiastic reception.
Mary got up off the floor and slowly walked to the podium (center stage) of the empty lecture hall and placing her notes on the lectern, she began:
How to Save the World, by Mary Stewart.
How far can a few ideas about how to save the world go. Well, maybe not very far. But for what its worth, here they are anyway. I know all of us have been deeply impacted by seeing the pictures on television of starving children in Africa. What’s going on? Why all the problems? I know all groups have some good ideas to help out and I wanted to look at them all to see which ones I wanted to support more or emphasize more. Perhaps then all of the good ideas working together could actually change things.
There is a phrase somewhere “that the poor will always be with us”, but those pictures we see on television of the starving children; that’s not poor, that’s crises, that shouldn’t be always with us, but it is, after all these years; its still there and that hurts me, it hurts all of us - deeply. And so in this situation, finding and supporting a few good ideas for how to make things better is the least I can do. And for any of us individually, in a practical way, I know, its probably the most we can do to.
It says somewhere that the poor will always be with us; and so part of the nature of the battle we are up against to save the world involves arguing that values are more important than wealth.
If we mean by the poor, and I think we do, that by working hard every day, we can provide a safe and plentiful home for ourselves and our families - then that’s OK. We all know there are a lot more important things in life than wealth. We know that’s true, that that’s for sure. All the world’s greatest poets, painters and composers tell us that. ASWS, as Shakespeare would say, “Here’s flowers for you, hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram, the marigold that goes to bed wi’ the sun and with him rises weeping: these are flowers of middle summer.”
To be able to appreciate the beauty of nature, music and friendships is an endowment all of us are given beyond compare; that costs us so little and gives us, so much. And these values, even though we are poor, and most of us are poor, are more important to us, than wealth.
So here it is, my essay on How to save the world.
First, lets look more closely at the nature of the battle we are up against.
Most of us have probably seen the famous sketch by Leonardo de Vinci of a man standing inside a circle with his feet placed at 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock and his arms stretched out at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock- like this. The caption that has usually been ascribed to the sketch is “Man is the measure of all things.” But what is the measure of a man? Is it not the ideals he will commit his life too?
There is a famous quote from the philosopher Jean Jacque Rosseau that goes something like “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains?” But isn’t it true that man is born into the chains of selfishness, bullying, sexual predation and abandonment, trapped in a cycle of greed, revenge and violence? And that it is only by the highest ideals; ideals such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control, that he has ever been set free? (Colossians 4:15). I think so.
So lets make no mistake about it. The nature of the battle we are up against, to save the world, is not just a battle against the forces of nature, but rather it is a battle to win the human heart to the highest ideals; to recognize that the beauty of life and truth is more important than wealth. And how do we accomplish that? Especially considering, as my friend Paul would say, that the equations of quantum electrodynamics, notwithstanding how wonderful they are, won’t ever output for us, justice and happiness.
Well, we could start by taking our highest ideals off the bookshelf and reading them, responding to them and celebrating them, because, and this may shock you as it has me, maybe God did reveal Himself in the Bible. And besides, the ideals there are great and good. Ideals such as Matthew Ch. 7, vs. 12 “Always act towards others the way you would want others to act towards you.” and Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ, has forgiven you.”
The violence and cruelty of world history are evidence of a great battle going on. And in this war against humanity there was one battle that was a turning point. It was when Christ lay down His life for his friends, defeating the evil one, paying off the debts we owe each other and God, redeeming us, and teaching us high ideals... to set us free. And you know, I’m honored to live in a country that at least tries to celebrate this at Christmas and Easter and still measures its time by His birth.
I have read now the books about the Son of God showing up today in dreams and visions; Joel Rosenberg, One For Israel etc. But perhaps, you like I have wondered why, especially when life appears so hard, why God doesn't show up more often. Well, for what it's worth, here is what I've thought.
If God exists why does he not make himself more readily known?
The Freedom Principle
With Thanksgiving for our freedom, for all those who love freedom, for the sake of our freedom, perhaps God needs to be sought, to be found. And perhaps God made it this way, for the sake of our freedom.
Perhaps the designer, who gives us awesome hints from the coordinated complexity of life and nature, as to his existence, intentionally keeps us guessing, for the sake of our freedom.
Although the kind and dear writers of the Old Testament and the New Testament actually teach what is really good, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, (Galatians 5:22), perhaps God knows that we can not actually prove their accounts, except for the corroborating evidence from world history. Perhaps then faith is a choice based on reasonable evidence and based on what is good. And perhaps God not only knows that it is this way but also wants it this way, for the sake of our freedom.
With Thanksgiving for our freedom and with great respect for the freedom of others, we are happy to share with gentleness, " In God, whose word we praise, In God we trust. "
Notwithstanding what you believe, we need in Canada and the world, a new ideals agenda, freedom informed by ideals. We need freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion; the wellspring and source of our highest ideals. We need to win again the great principles of denominational freedom and voluntary self support. We need to win for all the world, the freedom of the church, within the state.
And as my friend Paul says, we need to realize that the great lesson from History is that no group or denomination is constantly good or constantly bad, the only constant is the high ideals in the scriptures.
In this equation, the high ideals from the scriptures are the constant and we; our generation, are the variables. And as a generation, let’s not miss our chance to respond to these ideals and be as great and good as we can be.
The world needs a new agenda, because... well... with the secular agenda... there are problems. Humanity's knowledge of good and evil combined with selfishness and cruelty is s recipe for disaster.
To save the world we need “An Ideals Agenda”. And so I would like to support two ideals as treasures with which the world can buy its freedom and prosperity.
The first ideal I would like to support is that of homestead rights.
Oh to have my own homestead, where the value of my labour and hard work would produce the food and home my family needs. Oh, this would be a great reward, that the value of my own labour and hard work would provide a safe and plentiful home for my family. And Oh that all the world would recognize the value of our labour and hard work as the basis of our right to our homestead and home.
So the idea here is to promote for the poorest countries of the world a dominion land survey similar to the one we had in Canada. So the people there could earn their own homesteads like the people in Canada and America had the opportunity to earn theirs.
I know it won’t be as easy as that. And for the millions of orphaned African children it will take a lot more than that. It will take orphanages with a title for a homestead to give to every child when they grow up. And lots of missionaries and volunteers to take care of the children until they can take care of themselves. And they will all need honest governments administering an honest land titles system.
And then there is the problem, especially in Latin and South America, of a relatively few aristocrats owning huge tracts of land. And what do you do about that? Well you don’t take someone else’s homestead no matter how big it is. You have to fight for ideals with ideals, like Martin Luther King Jr. did. Maybe some foundations could buy some homestead land from the aristocrats? Even aristocrats could become great and good. Or maybe some foundations could buy some land for homesteads in Canada for immigrants that can’t get homesteads in their own country. And what would we have on new huge tracts of land for homesteads in Canada? Why we would have children growing up in a loving home environment - the greatest ideal ever - our dream - our Canadian dream.
And yet the reality is, that in many countries of the world today, including Canada, the population is declining; people are afraid to have children. And we have forgotten another great lesson from history; on a comparative economic basis worldwide, it is family values and not family size, that has produced prosperity.
Well, not surprisingly, the second ideal I want to support for saving the world is that we promote for ourselves, our children and the world the ideal of loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage. Because it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know, that sex is for marriage, to give children, a loving home environment.
They say that love is eternal, friendship is forever, and there is no such thing as divorce. However, we all know some marriages don’t work out. However, I’m convinced, that most marriages can be saved and when we do, we are saving the world, one small part of it, at a time.
ASWS, as Shakespeare would say,
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments
Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds
or bends with the remover to remove
Oh no! it is an ever-fixed mark
that looks on tempests and is never shaken”
And promoting the ideals of loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage won’t embarrass anyone in their second marriage. Ideals are all about the direction we are heading. Ideals aren't about where we are or where we came from, but where we’re going. And one of the greatest ideals is redemption and second chances; that’s what love does for us, that’s what the King does for us; the King, unlike any other; the King worthy to be praised.
And actually, after reading it, the Bible is like a manual for how to save marriages. There is a verse in Ephesians 5 that goes: “ Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that he might sanctify... her.”
I like that part.
And so, here is my conclusion.
As CS WS - as Carl Swartz would say “ Ideals are like stars, if we choose to follow them, even though the way may be difficult, they will become our destiny”.
These ideals - a home for everyone and homestead rights, - loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage; children growing up in a loving home environment - this is our Canadian heritage of freedom informed by ideals. This is Canada’s and the world’s - do you see it? - the bright and morning star! This is the promise, of a new morning, of a better day, for us all. And maybe, perhaps, probably, these are God's ideals too.
Just then, Richard opens the lecture hall door to see Mary finishing her speech. And he calls out to her in surprise and affection: “Hey Mary, there’s nobody there!”
Mary called out through her tears and relief and joy, “I know, I know ... ASWS, as Shakespeare
would say ... I’m just reaching out from the deep dark abysm of time - ( Mary sweeps her hand over the “empty” auditorium and adds) - ... to the future.”
“OK OK but boots and saddles Mary” says Richard “we gotta go”.
OK Richard, help me gather up these books and lets go.
Mary pauses to think and then says, Richard, hold my backpack for me will you, I just need to say one more thing.
Mary goes to center stage and looks out at the "empty" lecture hall.
As Thomas and Dr. David Menton would say, never forget that we can be encouraged that the designer of hearing, can hear, and the designer of sight, can see and the author of our highest ideals of true love, a love that is eternal, loves us, truly.
So come with me on this will you,
"in God, whose word we praise, in God we trust."
OK Richard, let's go. How was your exam?”
EXIT
How to Save the World
Narrator reads stage right:
It was December in Alberta. By this time of year a blanket of snow usually covers the ground. From then on, any weather can come through, and usually does. The most challenging is the week of -30 degrees below zero, where everything creaks through the hand numbing, piercing, even painfull cold. It isn’t much fun. In this weather, the beauty of Alberta’s snow covered forests, under crystal clear blue skys, can best be appreciated from indoors; where its warmer.
Fortunately the deep freeze doesn’t stay very long and average winter temperatures, of about -10, usually return in a few days. Then it is much more fun to be outside, especially for the kids, enjoying tobogganing, sking or hockey. (By the way, did you know, Calgary, Alberta’s more southerly city, has fewer outdoor hockey rinks than Edmonton.) Sometimes, even warm chinook-type winds come through, turning a perfectly good winter day into a slushy mess everywhere.
The weather this night was great. It was a warm winter evening and the clouds hung very low in the sky. There was no wind, everything was quiet. A few inches of new snow lay everywhere. And the light from the street lights reflected from the ground to the sky and back again giving everything a glow, like in a dream - a Canadian dream.
It was Christmas in Alberta and here as everywhere the message of glad tidings of great joy is told, the beautiful music of Christmas, filled the air. We are on the campus of the University of Alberta where first semester final exams are on. We’re at a coffee shop in the Students Union building, not too far from the Butterdome ... as we continue with Act 5, the final and concluding act of our play, “How to save the World”.
End of narration.
Mary and Richard enter stage right and walk to a small round table carrying their backpacks and a coffee each. And sitting down Mary says:
“Thanks for the coffee Richard.” “Oh your welcome” says Rrichard. “So Richard, what time to do have to leave for your exam?” asks Mary. Richard, looking at his watch says, “Well taking account of walking time to the lecture theatre, in about fiveteen minutes.”
Mary says, “Just enough time for coffee. I’ve got some exciting news, well for me it’s exciting, I’ve finally finished my essay “How to save the world. I know its crazy but I’ve been working on it for the last few years and finally, I finished it. Now I figure I can post it on the internet somewhere and just go on and get a life.
“That’s great” says Richard, “how about after my exam I take you out for pizza and you let me read your essay?”
“Sure” says Mary and adds “You know something else Richard, I finally finished reading the entire Bible.”
“Wow, you have been busy.” says Richard.
Mary: “Yup, I figure I’ve come a long way since the first positive note I ever had of what happened two thousand years ago was when I saw on TV “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas”
.
Richard: O ya I remember that, It’s a great show.
Mary: Ya, I can still see Linus up on the stage, you say it for me Richard, the quote from Matthew.
Richard: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, for unto you is born in the City of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Mary: Ya that was great, and you know Richard I really loved it when you were telling me that most of your theology was from the Bible verses from Kids Sunday school songs. I love those songs, How does this one go?
Mary sings:
Be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven you, doot do, do do do do, Ephesians 4:32
Richard: Ya you got it!
Mary: Richard, do that other one for me, 1 John 5 vs 3.
Ricard: OK
Richard sings:
And this is love for God
That you do his commands
and His commands are not burdensome
In fact the Lord teaches you what is best for you
Shows you the way you should go
Teaches us what is best for us
Shows us the way we should go
Look in the Bible and see, 1 john 5 vs 3 Isaiah 48 vs. 17.
Mary: Very good, you know, If I have kids some day I would want to teach them those songs.
OK Richard, I’ll walk over with you to the exam hall now.
Richard: OK lets go.
Richard and Mary start walking to the exam hall (stage left).
Richard: I guess writing an exam is like driving a car, you’ve just got to respond to the exam agenda, and there isn’t a lot of flexibility.
Mary: Well you’ve just got to think laterally Richard.
Richard: Ya but you can’t drive laterally.
Mary: Well for us women its called peripheral vision.
Richard: No kidding.
They arrive stage left.
Richard: Where can I meet you Mary after my exam, It shouldn’t take long, they are giving us 45 minutes but say it will probably take half an hour.
Mary: Hey I’ve got some books to read, Mary opens a door to a lecture hall (center stage) and finds it is empty. I’m just going to sit in this empty lecture hall and you can come and get me when you are finished.
Richard: OK sure Mary, see you later.
Mary sat down on the floor in the front of the lecture hall and unloaded her backpack.
Mary:
Well it’s done. I’ve written my essay on How to save the World. I’ve done what I could. I’ll post it on the internet and maybe somebody will even read it. It’s done, at least revision#38 - but I think this is it - so maybe I can go on and get a life - maybe even get married - maybe even have kids. That cowboy out there is a likely candidate, although he doesn't know it yet. Perhaps I shouldn’t tell him though, perhaps he should figure this one out on his own. Ah, the vagaries of life.
Well, let me do it from start to finish, just once. I can even pretend that it will receive an enthusiastic reception.
Mary got up off the floor and slowly walked to the podium (center stage) of the empty lecture hall and placing her notes on the lectern, she began:
How to Save the World, by Mary Stewart.
How far can a few ideas about how to save the world go. Well, maybe not very far. But for what its worth, here they are anyway. I know all of us have been deeply impacted by seeing the pictures on television of starving children in Africa. What’s going on? Why all the problems? I know all groups have some good ideas to help out and I wanted to look at them all to see which ones I wanted to support more or emphasize more. Perhaps then all of the good ideas working together could actually change things.
There is a phrase somewhere “that the poor will always be with us”, but those pictures we see on television of the starving children; that’s not poor, that’s crises, that shouldn’t be always with us, but it is, after all these years; its still there and that hurts me, it hurts all of us - deeply. And so in this situation, finding and supporting a few good ideas for how to make things better is the least I can do. And for any of us individually, in a practical way, I know, its probably the most we can do to.
It says somewhere that the poor will always be with us; and so part of the nature of the battle we are up against to save the world involves arguing that values are more important than wealth.
If we mean by the poor, and I think we do, that by working hard every day, we can provide a safe and plentiful home for ourselves and our families - then that’s OK. We all know there are a lot more important things in life than wealth. We know that’s true, that that’s for sure. All the world’s greatest poets, painters and composers tell us that. ASWS, as Shakespeare would say, “Here’s flowers for you, hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram, the marigold that goes to bed wi’ the sun and with him rises weeping: these are flowers of middle summer.”
To be able to appreciate the beauty of nature, music and friendships is an endowment all of us are given beyond compare; that costs us so little and gives us, so much. And these values, even though we are poor, and most of us are poor, are more important to us, than wealth.
So here it is, my essay on How to save the world.
First, lets look more closely at the nature of the battle we are up against.
Most of us have probably seen the famous sketch by Leonardo de Vinci of a man standing inside a circle with his feet placed at 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock and his arms stretched out at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock- like this. The caption that has usually been ascribed to the sketch is “Man is the measure of all things.” But what is the measure of a man? Is it not the ideals he will commit his life too?
There is a famous quote from the philosopher Jean Jacque Rosseau that goes something like “Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains?” But isn’t it true that man is born into the chains of selfishness, bullying, sexual predation and abandonment, trapped in a cycle of greed, revenge and violence? And that it is only by the highest ideals; ideals such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control, that he has ever been set free? (Colossians 4:15). I think so.
So lets make no mistake about it. The nature of the battle we are up against, to save the world, is not just a battle against the forces of nature, but rather it is a battle to win the human heart to the highest ideals; to recognize that the beauty of life and truth is more important than wealth. And how do we accomplish that? Especially considering, as my friend Paul would say, that the equations of quantum electrodynamics, notwithstanding how wonderful they are, won’t ever output for us, justice and happiness.
Well, we could start by taking our highest ideals off the bookshelf and reading them, responding to them and celebrating them, because, and this may shock you as it has me, maybe God did reveal Himself in the Bible. And besides, the ideals there are great and good. Ideals such as Matthew Ch. 7, vs. 12 “Always act towards others the way you would want others to act towards you.” and Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ, has forgiven you.”
The violence and cruelty of world history are evidence of a great battle going on. And in this war against humanity there was one battle that was a turning point. It was when Christ lay down His life for his friends, defeating the evil one, paying off the debts we owe each other and God, redeeming us, and teaching us high ideals... to set us free. And you know, I’m honored to live in a country that at least tries to celebrate this at Christmas and Easter and still measures its time by His birth.
I have read now the books about the Son of God showing up today in dreams and visions; Joel Rosenberg, One For Israel etc. But perhaps, you like I have wondered why, especially when life appears so hard, why God doesn't show up more often. Well, for what it's worth, here is what I've thought.
If God exists why does he not make himself more readily known?
The Freedom Principle
With Thanksgiving for our freedom, for all those who love freedom, for the sake of our freedom, perhaps God needs to be sought, to be found. And perhaps God made it this way, for the sake of our freedom.
Perhaps the designer, who gives us awesome hints from the coordinated complexity of life and nature, as to his existence, intentionally keeps us guessing, for the sake of our freedom.
Although the kind and dear writers of the Old Testament and the New Testament actually teach what is really good, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control, (Galatians 5:22), perhaps God knows that we can not actually prove their accounts, except for the corroborating evidence from world history. Perhaps then faith is a choice based on reasonable evidence and based on what is good. And perhaps God not only knows that it is this way but also wants it this way, for the sake of our freedom.
With Thanksgiving for our freedom and with great respect for the freedom of others, we are happy to share with gentleness, " In God, whose word we praise, In God we trust. "
Notwithstanding what you believe, we need in Canada and the world, a new ideals agenda, freedom informed by ideals. We need freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion; the wellspring and source of our highest ideals. We need to win again the great principles of denominational freedom and voluntary self support. We need to win for all the world, the freedom of the church, within the state.
And as my friend Paul says, we need to realize that the great lesson from History is that no group or denomination is constantly good or constantly bad, the only constant is the high ideals in the scriptures.
In this equation, the high ideals from the scriptures are the constant and we; our generation, are the variables. And as a generation, let’s not miss our chance to respond to these ideals and be as great and good as we can be.
The world needs a new agenda, because... well... with the secular agenda... there are problems. Humanity's knowledge of good and evil combined with selfishness and cruelty is s recipe for disaster.
To save the world we need “An Ideals Agenda”. And so I would like to support two ideals as treasures with which the world can buy its freedom and prosperity.
The first ideal I would like to support is that of homestead rights.
Oh to have my own homestead, where the value of my labour and hard work would produce the food and home my family needs. Oh, this would be a great reward, that the value of my own labour and hard work would provide a safe and plentiful home for my family. And Oh that all the world would recognize the value of our labour and hard work as the basis of our right to our homestead and home.
So the idea here is to promote for the poorest countries of the world a dominion land survey similar to the one we had in Canada. So the people there could earn their own homesteads like the people in Canada and America had the opportunity to earn theirs.
I know it won’t be as easy as that. And for the millions of orphaned African children it will take a lot more than that. It will take orphanages with a title for a homestead to give to every child when they grow up. And lots of missionaries and volunteers to take care of the children until they can take care of themselves. And they will all need honest governments administering an honest land titles system.
And then there is the problem, especially in Latin and South America, of a relatively few aristocrats owning huge tracts of land. And what do you do about that? Well you don’t take someone else’s homestead no matter how big it is. You have to fight for ideals with ideals, like Martin Luther King Jr. did. Maybe some foundations could buy some homestead land from the aristocrats? Even aristocrats could become great and good. Or maybe some foundations could buy some land for homesteads in Canada for immigrants that can’t get homesteads in their own country. And what would we have on new huge tracts of land for homesteads in Canada? Why we would have children growing up in a loving home environment - the greatest ideal ever - our dream - our Canadian dream.
And yet the reality is, that in many countries of the world today, including Canada, the population is declining; people are afraid to have children. And we have forgotten another great lesson from history; on a comparative economic basis worldwide, it is family values and not family size, that has produced prosperity.
Well, not surprisingly, the second ideal I want to support for saving the world is that we promote for ourselves, our children and the world the ideal of loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage. Because it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know, that sex is for marriage, to give children, a loving home environment.
They say that love is eternal, friendship is forever, and there is no such thing as divorce. However, we all know some marriages don’t work out. However, I’m convinced, that most marriages can be saved and when we do, we are saving the world, one small part of it, at a time.
ASWS, as Shakespeare would say,
“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments
Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds
or bends with the remover to remove
Oh no! it is an ever-fixed mark
that looks on tempests and is never shaken”
And promoting the ideals of loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage won’t embarrass anyone in their second marriage. Ideals are all about the direction we are heading. Ideals aren't about where we are or where we came from, but where we’re going. And one of the greatest ideals is redemption and second chances; that’s what love does for us, that’s what the King does for us; the King, unlike any other; the King worthy to be praised.
And actually, after reading it, the Bible is like a manual for how to save marriages. There is a verse in Ephesians 5 that goes: “ Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that he might sanctify... her.”
I like that part.
And so, here is my conclusion.
As CS WS - as Carl Swartz would say “ Ideals are like stars, if we choose to follow them, even though the way may be difficult, they will become our destiny”.
These ideals - a home for everyone and homestead rights, - loyalty and friendship in a lifetime marriage; children growing up in a loving home environment - this is our Canadian heritage of freedom informed by ideals. This is Canada’s and the world’s - do you see it? - the bright and morning star! This is the promise, of a new morning, of a better day, for us all. And maybe, perhaps, probably, these are God's ideals too.
Just then, Richard opens the lecture hall door to see Mary finishing her speech. And he calls out to her in surprise and affection: “Hey Mary, there’s nobody there!”
Mary called out through her tears and relief and joy, “I know, I know ... ASWS, as Shakespeare
would say ... I’m just reaching out from the deep dark abysm of time - ( Mary sweeps her hand over the “empty” auditorium and adds) - ... to the future.”
“OK OK but boots and saddles Mary” says Richard “we gotta go”.
OK Richard, help me gather up these books and lets go.
Mary pauses to think and then says, Richard, hold my backpack for me will you, I just need to say one more thing.
Mary goes to center stage and looks out at the "empty" lecture hall.
As Thomas and Dr. David Menton would say, never forget that we can be encouraged that the designer of hearing, can hear, and the designer of sight, can see and the author of our highest ideals of true love, a love that is eternal, loves us, truly.
So come with me on this will you,
"in God, whose word we praise, in God we trust."
OK Richard, let's go. How was your exam?”
EXIT
Sunday, 10 April 2011
The Freedom Principle
The Freedom Principle:
Intelligent Design and The Bible
What is the evidence for the existence of God?
Modern analysis of the relationship between biology and computer programming has surprisingly given us new evidence for the existence of God. In biology, the genetic instructions that tells the cell how to prepare a particular part is called a gene. In computer programming the code instructions that tells a computer how to perform a specific task is often called an object. There are two ideas here. The first is that a gene in biology is similar in function to a code object in computer programming. The second idea is that in biology, a gene is meant to be used over and over again, not only in the same cell, but in different types of cells as well. For example, you can take the gene that codes for insulin out of human pancreatic cells and insert it into bacteria, and the bacteria will produce insulin. In fact, this is how the world gets it's supply of insulin today.
In computer programming, code objects are meant to be used over and over again not only in the same program, but in different types of programs as well. For example, the publishers of the operating system for iPhones will sell to app developers a programming package that contains lots and lots of code objects to handle the routine tasks of any program. So for example the Done button on different iPhone apps will often look exactly the same because it is coded for by the same Done button code object. Guess what? If you compare the program code of any two different iPhone apps they will probably be over 90% exactly the same because they contain many of the same code objects to handle the routine tasks of any program. The surprising conclusion of this modern analysis is that the similarity of the genome between species is probably not evidence for evolution or common descent, but rather it is probably evidence for a style of programming we use ourselves; object oriented programming, and that's evidence for intelligent design.
Also there is new evidence for the existence of God from from the modern analysis in peer reviewed papers of genetic mutation rates. See Professor John Sanford's book Genetic Entropy. It turns out that the vast majority of genetic mutations are near neutral, deleterious information loss, copying errors. Near neutral mutations are problematic for the theory of evolution because they do not show up at the level of the phenome (the whole organism) and therefor there is nothing for natural selection to select for. However it can be shown that these near neutral mutations are accumulating and that no amount of natural or even artificial selection can filter them out; the genome is deteriating over time. If mutation / selection (the theory of evolution), cannot even maintain the existing information content of the genome, then it cannot be credited with the current information content of the genome or with providing any significant new information to the genome. This genetic entropy is of course very controversial because it stands to overturn what many have taught for a long time; the theory of evolution.
Entropy, meaning information loss and disorder, was a term first used in modern physics, which tells us that the universe itself is also winding down. However, this is not a dismal science because it is encouraging that this evidence also suggests that there is a source of
intelligence and creativity in the universe, (anti-entropy) that has no parent - God. And that therefore, what is made, speaks of it's maker.
If God exists why does he not make himself more readily known?
Intelligent Design and The Bible
What is the evidence for the existence of God?
Modern analysis of the relationship between biology and computer programming has surprisingly given us new evidence for the existence of God. In biology, the genetic instructions that tells the cell how to prepare a particular part is called a gene. In computer programming the code instructions that tells a computer how to perform a specific task is often called an object. There are two ideas here. The first is that a gene in biology is similar in function to a code object in computer programming. The second idea is that in biology, a gene is meant to be used over and over again, not only in the same cell, but in different types of cells as well. For example, you can take the gene that codes for insulin out of human pancreatic cells and insert it into bacteria, and the bacteria will produce insulin. In fact, this is how the world gets it's supply of insulin today.
In computer programming, code objects are meant to be used over and over again not only in the same program, but in different types of programs as well. For example, the publishers of the operating system for iPhones will sell to app developers a programming package that contains lots and lots of code objects to handle the routine tasks of any program. So for example the Done button on different iPhone apps will often look exactly the same because it is coded for by the same Done button code object. Guess what? If you compare the program code of any two different iPhone apps they will probably be over 90% exactly the same because they contain many of the same code objects to handle the routine tasks of any program. The surprising conclusion of this modern analysis is that the similarity of the genome between species is probably not evidence for evolution or common descent, but rather it is probably evidence for a style of programming we use ourselves; object oriented programming, and that's evidence for intelligent design.
Also there is new evidence for the existence of God from from the modern analysis in peer reviewed papers of genetic mutation rates. See Professor John Sanford's book Genetic Entropy. It turns out that the vast majority of genetic mutations are near neutral, deleterious information loss, copying errors. Near neutral mutations are problematic for the theory of evolution because they do not show up at the level of the phenome (the whole organism) and therefor there is nothing for natural selection to select for. However it can be shown that these near neutral mutations are accumulating and that no amount of natural or even artificial selection can filter them out; the genome is deteriating over time. If mutation / selection (the theory of evolution), cannot even maintain the existing information content of the genome, then it cannot be credited with the current information content of the genome or with providing any significant new information to the genome. This genetic entropy is of course very controversial because it stands to overturn what many have taught for a long time; the theory of evolution.
Entropy, meaning information loss and disorder, was a term first used in modern physics, which tells us that the universe itself is also winding down. However, this is not a dismal science because it is encouraging that this evidence also suggests that there is a source of
intelligence and creativity in the universe, (anti-entropy) that has no parent - God. And that therefore, what is made, speaks of it's maker.
If God exists why does he not make himself more readily known?
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