Why Literature Is Good (And Literalism Not So)

I am not a literalist when it comes to reading the Bible. While I do believe that the Bible was inspired by God-loving (and fearing) people, I feel that since it was ultimately penned by people, whether due to biases or the limiting (and liberating) nature of human expression, the Bible fails to accurately portray God. Even within one’s own language, often people come upon times when they can’t express themselves clearly! On top of this, even with one text, people can draw multiple interpretations. So that’s to say, even people from way back would have confused each other. So that’s why the Bible can mislead people unintentionally.

Another linguistic reason: translations loses original context. Unless your reading the old school Hebrew and/or the Greek Bible, admit it or not, you’re bound to miss the original nuances of the text. For instance, take the note, “Selah,” that appears very often throughout the Psalms. Most people agree that Selah is a musical note, but no one is sure what it actually meant. Others think it has something to do with weighing. What do I think as a college student not yet twenty? My knowledge on Selah includes two factors: 1) it appears throughout the Psalms (as stated before) and 2) there’s an awesome Christian music band named Selah (and the sad fact that I only own three songs by them). But silliness aside, admit it or not, no matter what staunch KJV admirers say, the original context has been lost to us language differences.

On top of these linguistic reasons, cultural differences hinder us further in our quest to literally read the Bible. The differences between ancient Jewish culture (and the surrounding Middle East) and current Jewish culture are great (just as it is with medieval and modern day Asia, Europe, etc.). There are things in the Bible that we just wouldn’t understand no matter how hard we try. For instance, people exchanged sandals to come to an agreement (Ruth 4:7). Here’s another odd thing from back in the day (since Biblegateway.com is super awesome and gives a lot of cross references.) So would you give a sandal to your roommate if you guys agreed on buying pizza instead of Subway? I wouldn’t! I don’t understand what the deal was with sandals and nor do I plan on having a lot of mismatched sandals for the sake of agreement. It’s been more than 2,000 years since the Torah was written (according to Wikipedia biblical scholars think around 539 BCE at the earliest), and since culture changes… we don’t understand the things they did back in the day. Despite everyone’s efforts on being a good student of the Bible, it’s hard for anyone alive to actually comprehend the Bible in all its complexity and the continuous flow of time.

I also believe in the power of literature. While I do believe that the Bible provides valuable instructions, I don’t think everything in it is in the form of the 10 commandments. If this was so, the Book of Job could be condensed to a simple line advising one to be steadfast in God despite calamities. I’m sure there is a plethora of different takes, but that’s what I think it’s about. The Bible is full of allusions, whether in th form of metaphors, allegories or cross references. Still disagree with me? Jesus spoke in allegories, an indirect form of conveying one’s message. Throughout the four gospels, Jesus repeats the phrase that, you have to look harder than just glancing about. (See Mark 4:10 – 12) Another simple way to look at is, if you actually claim to be a literalist, you believe that Jesus was actual dietary food, ultimately suggesting you have a cannibalistic diet. So, if you’re ever around me, let me know in advance that you are a literalist, so I can maintain my safety distance.

On top of cultural, linguistics and literature reasons, literal interpretation limits one’s own take on the Bible. To be closer with God, one needs to form a personal bond rather than just following a watered-down, spoon-fed doctrine that you hear from a church that you go once every two months.

So here’s my opinion in one sentence: literal interpretation of the Bible misleads true followers at best. In no way am I putting down the Bible. Rather, I believe that careful Bible reading can lead to a closer relationship with Jesus Christ the Lord. So read it!

Some people believe that if you don’t take the Bible literally, you’re not a real follower. The thing that eggs me about this belligerent view is that no where in the Bible do I find that condemning and limiting idea. To be a Christian isn’t believing the Bible literally. Following Christ is having a relationship with God through Christ (John 1: 9 – 14) and actually living out life (1 John 3:18) than just being a Bible thumper. It is to respect than to be respectable and to love others (1 John 3:16) than to be accepted by a community of “Brothers and Sisters.”

I’m not one big on labels, but one of the few labels I do accept is the mark of being Christian. When I say that I am Christian, I do not mean to say that I belong to one of the world’s largest religions; I do not mean I am better than you are; I do not mean that your religion is wrong (I simply disagree with your views. Respectful disagreement is a beautiful thing.). I simply wish to convey the message that I follow the One Saviour, Jesus Christ; that I am forgiven despite my sins; and that I believe in a forgiving God. A Christian imitates Christ (Eph 5:1), and that is what I wish to do. I believe Christ loves, accepts and heals others. So, if you take nothing away from this (too) long post, please at least consider this not so radical idea. Rather than being busy condemning others for whatever the reason may be (a.k.a. scrutinizing other Siblings in Christ for different beliefs not only Bible interpretation styles, but also denomination, backgrounds, et. al.), why not take a step back, raise it up to God and then try to understand from another point of view?

From the Windy City

After twelve grueling hours, through a torrential rain (and getting most of my luggage soaked) and without food for a while, I finally returned to the US. Currently, I write in the Windy City, also known officially as The City of Chicago. The 67 degrees Fahrenheit hardly even qualifies as late spring weather. Let’s just say that upon coming to Chicago, I have acquired:

• a cough
• a need to dig through my wet luggage to bust out the slightly soggy jeans over shorts
• inclination to hide under the covers (during the summer, you hide on top of the covers. The mere fact that you are in bed shields you from the world.)
• craving for long sleeves (not available from my luggage)
• lethargy
• ORGANIC ALMONDS, STRAWBERRIES AND CHERRIES (I had strawberries and cherries for dinner – how pleasant!)
• … and the list goes on.

Surprisingly, I think I’m OK with jet lag. I have a mild headache, but I’m alert enough. I’ve read up to page three-hundred-something in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, but I left The Silmarillion at home. I wonder how much time I’m going to have to actually read at my own leisure (that means, text books aren’t counted as relaxed reading.)

An interesting note related to reading is what I’ve been using as bookmarks (They magically disappear, do they not?). I’ve been using the friendship bracelets I’ve made. When well made, friendship bracelets end up being sturdy but not too voluminous, so it’s a perfect substitute to the paper ones that I seem to always end up losing. (This summer, I tragically lost my Die Muik by Klimt bookmark. :() I advocate the making of friendship bracelets because a) it’s fun, b) it’s cheap to do, c) repetitive hand motion not only enhances brain function (especially good for the elderly) and d) de-stresses your brain e) it’s pretty! and f) quick project. So, instead of buying bookmarks, you can make your own!

We’re staying at Naperville right now, and I do believe it’s quite a pretty and quaint little place. I, of course, checked out the library, the little stores and the cafés. While I’m not entirely sure of their food selection (which translates to I didn’t find any exciting gelaterias), but the library is quite pleasant. They had a eclectic nonfiction section (I didn’t get as far as the fiction section.) and seemed to have a nice audio selection as well. A little complaint I had, though not only on Nichols Library, was the amount of AC that was on. First off, going from a hot weather to extreme cold isn’t healthy for your body (everyone catches a cold during autumn). Secondly, it’s a waste of money and energy to just have the AC on as much. Thirdly, it’s summer. Why does everyone complain about the cold and when summer starts, everyone reverts to the cold? I know it’s nice to have a rest from extreme heat, but it’s not even eighty degrees. Take a nap with your cat on the lawn and just enjoy the warmth while it lasts.

Tomorrow we head down to school. Let’s just say that Indiana isn’t known for cute little shops, but corn and, uh, more corn… at least, corn’s readily available for Thanksgiving.

Because I’m So Tangled Up

… in threads.

Gotcha. hah!

I have long been enamoured of the simplicity but intricate flow of the intertwining friendship bracelets. The basic girl scouts one seemed too dull (though cute, too repetitive), and then I decided that crocheting and knitting sufficed.

This summer I found myself both hook-less and needle-less. Though I have been enjoying myself with work, reading and spending time with family, my hands literally twitched with boredom. I guess this was the main reason why I decided to try it.

Well, seems like I’m tangled up now in this mess! (Bad pun, I know!)

Here are three bracelets I finished a week or two ago:

Bracelet #1 – Embossed

I modified an already existing pattern to my tastes. I’m sure someone has already made it, but since I did do it myself, I claim it to be mine!

On the right is a picture that shows the pattern a little better:

I ran out of thread because I totally miscalculated how much black I needed – I suppose I could have substituted extra thread, but I was already bored with the simple lattice pattern and decided that it was time to move on.

I named this bracelet Embossed. The black diamonds seem to pop out of the silky red background, and I am fond of this effect.

An important thing to note is the thread I used: for the black I used a standard embroidery thread (6 strand), but for the red, I used some left over crochet thread I had (4s). I wouldn’t recommend since crochet thread often comes mercerised, meaning that the thread is shiny and very slippery, making it harder to knot. On the up side, it was thinner, and it did achieve an interesting effect!

Over all, I’m content with this 1st knotting, and probably will sew it on to my pencil case, since it needs some jazzing up. (On pencil cases, I’ve had that thing since 7th grade! And now I’m a sophomore in college! As usual, good to buy something that lasts than buy a lot of stuff and throw it away. Minimize waste!)

Bracelet #2 – The Slopes of Rohan

I saw the pattern and I fell in love with it. Since the first bracelet wasn’t really much of a challenge, I decided that I wanted to do something a little harder. Anyways, this seemingly celtic-inspired beautiful bracelet grabbed my gaze. I really liked this blocked pattern method (Heather from Heather’s Friendship Bracelets: go to eighth set to see what I mean.) because it gave an overall feeling about the colourway. On top of that, I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to read it.

I’m naming this The Slopes of Rohan mostly because the colours I chose to use – earth tones and the black striking through seems to be forceful, but not without harmony to the overall product. Though I do like the bracelet, I do feel like there should be a rearrangement of colours: the black takes away to much from the green too much. The green spirals was the main point for me, but while I was knotting, it seemed that the black was the main point. Also, for the side panels and for the diamonds, one colour should be used. Though it does give some flair to the colourway, I feel that it increases the feeling of disorganisation in the bracelet. But, in my defense, I didn’t really see a good reason to go out and by floss when I had some. This arrangement was the best I could do with the available resources. I think I may try this with a different set later to achieve better harmony.

And since we’re talking about the Lord of the Rings anyways… (More like since I like this picture.)

Unfinished, but pretty

Though this hardly worthy of mentioning, but I did a good deed. Around a year or two ago, I rescued a cross-stitch kit that was being thrown out. I didn’t do the pattern because it was hideous and too large (and x-stitching is so monotonous!) and kept it for future use – though I didn’t know what for. Crocheting would not do unless for a small motif, so I just kept it aside. Good, aye?

Bracelet # 3 – The Pain of Martyrs

The colours come off a little more harsher than I had thought it would, but it achieves the effect I desired: blood on innocence. In the picture, it is a small figurine of Mother Theresa of Calcutta – the Albanian-born Roman Catholic nun that did many humanitarian works in India. Though she isn’t necessarily a martyr, I thought it showed the sacrifice she had to go through to carry out her dreams.

But this bracelet isn’t only honouring religious martyrs (not that I’m forgetting them.) – rather, it’s about anyone and everyone who had to sacrifice much to see their dreams unfold to better the world. In other words, scientist are martyrs too, and I’m not even only talking about those scientist who opposed the world is a tabernacle view and the church run a stake through them. I’m talking also about scientists like Marie Curie, though later honoured, had to toil much. (Marie Curie encountered some xenophobia due to her Polish background, etc.)

Anyways, back to the actual bracelet.This was a very good learning experience. I attempted to do a little round clasp, but failed miserably. I didn’t realize how much thread it would take and added maybe 10 cm to the other’s lengths… well, let’s just say that I later read somewhere that you need DOUBLE the length.

Also, being the frugal (or froogal? ;)) person I am, I decided that I would just cut the minimum length necessary. Well, you know, this doesn’t work like knitting or crocheting where a recommended length fits all. I ran out of the scarlet thread when I was almost done. So, I had to substitute that in (which, I might add is a painful, agonizing process), and then I had to wrestle with the super short remaining white thread to add two rows. [side note: I added two white rows on each end so that the actual lattice pattern would show up without being disturbed by the ends.]

Here is a picture of the pattern:

I actually like how the end turned out to be. It was the perfect length for my wrist, and I like how the serpentine curves it can make. I’m going to work on this type of ending to see what I can make it into, though I do really like the standard braided ends as well. We’ll see!

Here are the boo-boo’s on the back:

The bracelet is a little flabbier than I would like. I miserably failed again at getting the knots tight enough. Another thing I don’t like is that I did the tail-thing in all scarlet. It would have been more amiable looking if I had used white thread also to wrap it around. Like I said before, the scarlet punctuates through the white background a lot. Maybe I should have tried a lighter colour, but then, it might have seemed whiter and then would have lost the effect I initially aimed for.

Overall, I’m content with these three bracelets. I think I might take a break from these criss-crossing lattice-y, pseudo-Celtic renderings of mine. I’ll probably work on some easier things on and off through school to unwind! I have decided on my next knotting endeavours, so we’ll see how those turn out.

Obama: Inflate Your Tires

While I do praise McCain for being more environmentally aware than his Republican predecessors, he still has a far way to go. It’s at least good that he recognizes that there is something called Global Warming and that at least part of the effect is caused by man. But he still remains true to his ruthless capitalist roots. In three words, the oil business.

McCain suggests to drill more so that supply would increase. While to the short-sighted drilling may temporarily seem to lower oil prices, this idea is far from the truth. Albeit the increased amount of oil supply, the remaining oil lessens. So more drilling equals less oil available, and ultimately, the price of oil will sky rocket in the coming years. Who wants that? The best solution, not only to protect the customers’ pocket, but also to protect the earth, is to develop or make efficient alternative energy.

McCain & Co. had ridiculed Obama throughout the campaign season to serve voters to his favour: nothing new. Mud-slinging has been practiced of old and McCain chose to degenerate to that lowly level. (See this article from The Boston Globe.)

Most recently, he derided Obama for his statement: inflate your tires. This process can save up to 4% of current oil spendings. On top of that, it’s safer for the driver and better for the environment. Obama made this statement to someone who asked “What can I do?” I think it to be an appropriate answer, but the Republican party had to obviously descend to lowly levels. Watch this video for Obama’s response.

I understand that different people have different views, and I respect that. However, why people have to descend to such a level (even the educated), I know not. I neither understand why people blindly refuse to see the effects of such destructive works. To me, this hating almost equates to science-bashing of the past. I’m not an industrialisation-hater, heck, I really like my computer and my refrigerator. But this world of ours isn’t only ours; we co-exist with other organisms of many levels and there still are generations of people to come. Why should we be wreck the world like a fool fumbling in the light?

That said, environmental conservation doesn’t have to be huge projects; it can start from small steps from turning off the lights to, well, inflating your tires.

Today’s punchline: “It’s like these people take pride in being ignorant!”
Need I say more?

Easy Green Household Tips: WATER

Not everyone wants to mix their own cleaning agents or make their own compost. As there are more and more households moving into apartments and to big cities, options such as shopping at the local farmers’ market aren’t always easy. So here are some easy tips. I’ve seen a few sites and often there is too much information on too many categories! So here’s my attempt specifically on water. Having grown up in a frugal family, some of the things I am about to say feel rather redundant. Regardless of my feelings, heed these tips! They require little energy, save you money and help the planet. Give them a try!

1. No leaky facets. Unless it’s an old house, most facets made nowadays aren’t even leaky. Just make sure that you turn it all the way to lock it. It doesn’t even take a millisecond once you get used to checking.
2. Reuse Water. I know there’s a lot of stuff on gray water, black water, refining water, blah blah, but some people can afford all the purifying systems or really want to spend that much money on it. My parents live in an apartment where they can’t fix things up, so some people are just stuck.
   So here’s my idea. Reuse water. The water you use to wash your greens often or boil your eggs is reusable. Perhaps not as drinking water, but you can use it to clean your house or water your plants (after they cool!). You can also get a bucket and store water there until you need it!
3. Cooking Try to do two things at once. For instance, you can boil your eggs and steam your veggies over the pot (I seem to boil a lot of eggs!). Old kitchen rules stand true here. Don’t wander off when you’re boiling. If you’re multi-tasking, keep an eye on it. This way you can a) prevent a fire b) prevent water boiling off and burning your eggs c) save energy d) prevent over cooking, and the list goes on. Oh, also try to boil with the lid on! It’ll save a lot of energy and whatever you’re boiling, it’ll boil quicker since the lid will retain the heat.
4. Laundry Try not to use bleach. Bleach is often very toxic, non-biodegradable and can go a LONG way. Lemon and citric acid products usually can do the job. I hear that eucalyptus oil is a miracle worker.
   Do your laundry only when you have a full load. Saves money, time and the environment! As a college student, when that two weeks wheels around, I know how much I hate it when I have drag down my laundry bag to the basement… I mean, who likes dumping clothes and fishing them out anyways?
   Wash your clothes in cold water. There’s really no need to wash in hot. As technology progresses, washers get better, so our lifestyle should reflect this change. If you have to wash a few clothes, try to hand wash. That way, it’ll be quicker, cheaper and energy efficient.
5. Dishes That sticky stuff on the bottom of your favourite saucer, you swear it won’t come off? Try mixing some liquid soap (how about biodegradable? ;D) and water and letting the saucer, cup or whatever sit a while. This will not only accelerate the process of getting it out, but also save you some furious scrubbing. You can also do this with all your dishes: plug your basin with your rubber stopper, fill it with warm water and add some soap. Do some swishing around, and let it sit for around 5 minutes. Ultimately, it’ll be easier for you to do the rinsing out, and in the meanwhile, you can wipe your table with the water you saved from cooking! ;)
   Use a dish washer? Some say that dish waters can actually save water. Skip the pre-rinsing, it really doesn’t help much. Don’t use the drying function either. After the machines done washing, just open it. The heat itself should help the water evaporate. This way you can save water, your electricity bill and mother Earth!
6. Put a brick in your cistern. While many new apartments offer options of two different flush systems (at least in Korea), this option might not be available for some. However, by putting a brick in your cistern, the toilet will be able to give out less water. Hence, you save money with each flush, and create less black water that goes to sewage!
7. Beauty Requirements?: This is a really easy way to do it and make you water bill less. Take navy showers. Like luxurious showers? If you’re one of those people that hogs up the bathroom for 3 hours, consider taking short showers during the week and a luxurious warm shower/bath for the weekends as a treat. Hot water does more harm to the hair and scalp, so lukewarm water is both better for you and the environment. Need to open up your pores? Take a towel and immerse it in hot water. With the towel you can manage where the heat goes more easily and for a longer duration. Don’t just splash all that water around. Also, don’t let the water run when you’re brushing your teeth.

Methinks these tips are easy, practical, but also can leave a huge impact in the long run if each and every family do them. Remember that there are people not as privileged to have such water readily at disposal; so many people die from thirst itself yearly. And even if not for them, it will give you a smaller bill and a heavier wallet, while making a difference for the world!