The World is Upside Down

I just read this article at the blog, "Right on Red"; and found myself wishing I'd written something along these lines with the same clarity. I recommend it to you.

Ideological Warfare: Christianity vs. Islam

Today began simply enough; and then I stumbled on a link to an article by M. Zuhdi Jasser, a physician in the Phoenix area who writes on a regular basis for the "Plugged In" feature at azcentral.com. Dr. Jasser, a veteran of eleven years of service with the U.S. Navy, is also a Muslim. From his article, and some links provided therein, I have spent many hours today watching an incredible video series, entitled, "The American Campaign to Suppress Islam."

Dr. Jasser's article, headlined "Eye on the Enemy," begins,

We are fighting a global war against an ideology that seeks to defeat secular democracies. There are a few websites and associated organizations that came to my attention recently that should be mandatory reading for all those who doubt that the stakes of the war are ideological at the core and not just global anti-American hate or fanatical "terror".

It is difficult for me to organize my thoughts at this moment, as there is so much that needs to be said. Instead, I will resist the temptation to simply "jump in"; and will try to complete an initial review of some of these websites, and organize my thoughts, and then post them here. But I strongly encourage my readers to follow the link above, and read Dr. Jasser's brief article; and then follow the links he's given, and explore the information presented there.

One more thought for today: Let no one doubt that we are in the midst of a struggle between two contradictory ideologies (a major theme of the videos I am reviewing; except there the conflict is not between Christianity and Islam, but "Capitalism"); and only one of these world-views can prevail. This has remarkable parallels to the Cold War, and more so: and extends to many levels in our lives, including the election of our leadership in November. So, here's a question: Does the candidate you support understand the dimensions of this ideological struggle? If not, why not? And, if not -- why are you giving your support?

Please stay tuned...

The Gulag Collection

The works of artist Nikolai Getman, based upon his experiences as a prisoner in the infamous Soviet GULAG from 1946 through 1954, are available on-line at the Jamestown Foundation. The interplay of natural beauty and human suffering is amazingly captured in these paintings. I found myself recalling portions of Solzhenitsyn's The GULAG Archipelago and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch. In particular, look for the painting depicting the Japanese-Russian (Buddhist-Orthodox) funeral. I think there may be a lesson for us in the circumstances experienced there. (No, I'm not an ecumenist!)

My thanks to the folks at Samizdata.net; where I first ran across the story and link to the Jamestown Foundation.

Ivan Returns!

Once again, I'm in heavy-duty work avoidance mode... (You should see -- well, actually, it's probably better that you can't see my desk!)

What an amazing, even mystical, weather cycle is playing out right now in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico! Four different major weather systems operating at the same time. There's Hurricane Karl, which, thanks be to God, has not struck land, and appears to be a threat only to shipping; and Tropical Storm Lisa, in the eastern Atlantic, tangling with yet another (unnamed) tropical depression, and so a bit disorganized. (Maybe TS Lisa has seen my desk! Maybe TS Lisa is my desk!)

Then there's Hurricane Jeanne. This weather system devastated the country of Haiti, killing over 1,000 people as a result of flooding and mudslides; and many thousands more people in what is one of the poorest nations on Earth are homeless. The pictures and descriptions don't begin to convey the suffering; yet even these are hard to bear. No official appeal for help for Haiti has come from the Church, as far as I know; but I'm sure that anyone who'd like to send something to help the Orthodox parishes there can contact Fr. Gregory Williams at the St. John of Kronstadt Press.

Jeanne was weakened by her encounter with the island of Hispaniola, and left as a tropical storm. As she wandered in the Atlantic, moving north by northeast, the system strengthened once more, and became a hurricane again; and traveled in a loop, until she crossed over her path, and is now moving slowly to the west, threatening the Bahamas, and perhaps even the East Coast of the United States. Some predictions suggest the storm will resume moving to the northeast, and so away from land; but others predict a landfall anywhere from southeast Florida to Maryland.

And then there's Ivan. I think my first blog about Ivan was on September 9th, as Ivan moved towards Jamaica. This storm moved into the Gulf of Mexico, came ashore in the region of the Alabama-Florida panhandle region of the Gulf Coast, and them moved slowly up the Appalachian Mountains, with winds that damaged buildings and brought down trees and power lines, and heavy rains that caused serious flooding in many states. The storm, having weakened to a tropical depression, moved offshore. It is what happened next that I find incredibly remarkable. Instead of dissipating, or moving into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Ivan moved to the southwest, strengthening again as it was over the water; then moved across the Florida peninsula and back into the Gulf of Mexico; where it grew stronger still. As of about an hour ago, there are tropical storm warnings along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana into Texas, where Ivan is expected to move, once more, onshore, with strong winds and heavy rains!

I can't help but wonder what God intends for us to discern from these two incredibly rare occurrences -- the strange movements of Jeanne, and the even more astonishing return of Ivan. Certainly, it is humbling (I wanted to say, "incredibly humbling," but I fear I've already overworked that adjective) to see how little an impact we have on so much of life, especially when compared to the power of just one of these four active storms. We think ourselves to be so smart, so wise, so strong and mighty -- the lords of the universe! -- and yet how helpless we are before the power of Nature, also nothing more than a servant of the will of God.

Lord, have mercy; and spare all those in the path of these storms, and help us, and save us!

Rumblings from a Desert Cave

Rumblings from a Desert Cave is a new blog I've just started. I'm going to post my sermons there; at least, those that have actually been written (either before or after the fact). It's an idea I've stolen from Fr. David Moser of St. Seraphim of Sarov Orthodox Church in Boise, Idaho. His sermons are regularly posted at his site; but you have to log into Yahoo's groups in order to read them; plus, I think you have to be a member of the group (which is easily arranged). Me? Being lazy, I can just put the sermons on the blog site; and you can read them there, as well, and make comments, and everything!

Check it out! (If you would be so kind...)