Optimistic

I meant to blog about the tour that Rick I were given of St. John’s Cathedral last week, but I guess I never got around to it. It is a beautiful building. The sad part is, it’s so completely liberal that a lot of the worshippers probably don’t even hold to the Christian faith, yet they are welcomed to worship there. On the ceiling of the cathedral, there are different symbols for various religions to show that “all people are welcome to worship here,” as the tour guide put it. Rick and I exchanged subtly disgusted glances. Really, the Cathedral is beautiful. I have always loved walking inside it. The wonderful thing to remember is that it will still be standing several generations down the road. I’m optimistic enough to believe that someday this beautiful building will be taken over by the faithful, true to God’s word. Someday…

I wonder if little Capezzas will someday worship there.

At Three I entered Hebrew School
Let me go a bit further with what I was saying below on classical education. I don’t have a problem with classical education, in one sense. I don’t have a problem with Latin. I simply doubt it as being the best foundation. I am very glad I learned Latin. I have no problems with one learning Koine. I would rather them learn Hebrew first though. When you learn Koine, you can see it as being very Hebraic. I notice that all the people that are strongly in favor of this are shying away from the conversation. Within the next couple of months, I’m launching an initiative. (Okay that just sounded cool.) In the meantime, read Jordan’s essays (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and Rod Kirby’s dissertation: Homo Adorans: Man as a Worshiping Creature, and Its Implications for a Christian Philosophy of Education

Revision: I might add, since Matt Colvin has written an apology for classical education (that I can’t find), that I don’t have any problem with what he says (However, I only had time to skim it.). In fact, I agree with what I saw. We do need to know a bit (a lot)about the classical/Western ideas. We need it to argue against secularism. However, as I said above, I doubt it as being foundational.

War

I am pretty sure that we’re going to war soon. David Wilcox sums up my thoughts in his unreleased song September 12. These lyrics aren’t on the net anywhere, so unless you’ve heard the song, you’ve probably never seen them.

September 12
Long ago they built this fort of stone above the Hudson
To guard against intruders
There were canons in these walls
But now its just a park where we can come and bring the children
On a clear sunny morning in the fall

The reason for this fortress was the threat of foreign warships
And though these walls were ready no gunboats reached our shores
But you kids can climb the tower
And look out across the harbor
And imagine being lookouts for the enemy at war
But you never see it coming anymore
Now we’re on the frontlines like stepping over land mines
Not beneath our footsteps but never far away
And now the possibility the presence of the enemy

Chorus
It could be any city,
any peaceful day.
It’s a clear sunny morning,
but it’s nothing like before,
‘cause you never see it coming anymore.
It’s a different kind of peace,
‘cause it’s a different kind of war.
And you never see it coming anymore.

These kids have learned some history,
And they know what warfare used to be.
Tanks and guns and soldiers that moved across the land.
With strategies and battle lines converging at a place in time.
And lives were lost for reasons that the world could understand.
On the History channel war can look exactly like before
when you were certain it was over by the ticker tape parade.
They could come back home to safety.
They could celebrate the victory.
And the landmines were all buried ‘cross the ocean far away.
But a different kind of war has reached our shore.
And you never see it coming anymore.”

Now we’re on the frontlines like stepping over land mines
Not beneath this pavement but never far away
But here the possibility the presence of the enemy

Chorus