Profundity and the Death of Cynicism

I felt it again last night. A somewhat emotional, but enjoyable appreciation for a gathering crowd, appropriate music and yes…ceremony. It is a feeling I can only blame on maturity and one I would never have admitted only two or three years ago. Alex and I went to a Memorial Day celebration and I really enjoyed it.

I explain it this way because for so long my motto was one of cynicism and (what I thought was) cool. I used to scoff at pomp and circumstance. I explained ceremony as humans’ over-emotional involvement to life events that, in the large scheme of things, were meaningless. I took my mantra so far as to skip graduation ceremonies, (including most of my own) birthdays, funerals and weddings.

When Alex and I decided to marry she put her foot down that we would have a white dress, cathedral and cake-wedding with all the music and ceremony that tradition dictates. I begrudgingly took part muttering when asked for opinions something like “Great, what is that going to cost?”

Something happened to me the day of the wedding however. As I stood in tux and tails in England’s oldest cathedral, trumpet voluntary blasting on the organ and my family around me, Alex appeared looking as beautiful as I had ever seen (in a dress I had never seen.) I stood feeling very proud of all of it. I felt love for my family, excitement for my future with Alex and profoundness at the awesomeness of this tradition and ceremony so many before me had also felt. I got it. Now one year later I have another feeling about that day I never expected to feel; nostalgia.

Last night I had a similar experience; Alex and I and a couple from church sat on the lawn of the WWI memorial with 40,000 other middle-American families to celebrate Memorial Day. The weather was beautiful and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra was there playing American themed music, the last surviving WWI survivor was there to be saluted they even brought in a B-list movie star (Keith David) to read a few patriotic monologues. We celebrated with traditional American food like burgers and fried chicken, corn-on-the-cob and kettle corn. The whole evening was capped off with KC’s largest firework display complete with military cannon salutes all while the orchestra played.

I sat there in my lawn chair watching families of various ethnicities play around me, holding my wife’s hand and really enjoying the weather the music and the show. It hit me again the profoundness of it all. I actually thought in my head how the prayer we all sing and say and probably take for granted has been answered big-time; God really has blessed America. As I felt the emotion and connection to my God, my family and the land I love I couldn’t help but enjoy another thought and say a prayer of thanks; God has blessed me too.

Ramblings on reading and the news today

My Bible study was cancelled this morning, so I took the time to play with Sam in the backyard and catch up on my daily readings. I am reading Jeremiah and still in the first 35 chapters of gloom and doom. It was interesting timing because as I went back upstairs to shower Alex had CNN on and they were talking about a pastor who thinks Jeremiah’s prophecies foretold the holocaust. Alex asked what I think of that…

Well at first I thought it completely ridiculous, I told her I thought that Jesus died for our sins as an intercession, basically buying us time to repent in this life so there would be no need for the punitive action of God until final judgment. Suffering in this life is simply a by-product of the free will we are given mixed with a very real evil force that permeates secular life. Later I wondered if I had been too quick to cast the notion aside. Could Jeremiah have been prophesying about the holocaust and the restoration of the Jews in 1948? Could God not use evil in this life as a vehicle for what could ultimately be good according to His plan?

First let me point out that the whole idea of the Jewish nation needing to be judged and punished and then restored through a process of affliction and agony paints a picture eerily like what Christ did for each of our punishable sins to restore our nature – interesting!

But back to the question: was Jeremiah talking about some historical event that we have already seen (like the assault by the Babylonians or the Nazis in the holocaust) or a future event that still has not fulfilled this prophecy?
If the first is true, as I understand the verses in Jeremiah 30, we are missing some of the finality and incomparability of circumstance described in verse 7. The Jews were enslaved and attacked by Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, the Greeks and the Nazis each one would seemingly disqualify the previous as to any claim of fulfilling the Jeremiah prophecy in chapter 30. If another event as big or bigger happens it will disqualify the last (holocaust) if it isn’t already disqualified by a previous event. We also know of prophecies surrounding the End of Days where Israel will be involved with unifying the nations under some false leader (anti-Christ,) maybe this is what verse 11 refers to.

I am no expert on this and have not made up my mind about what I think. I am sure my soul does not hang in balance over which side of this issue I stand. As for the pastor on CNN, I wish he had been given better context for his statements.

My Last Great Meal

I was relieved, as a chef, to find a really decent place to get a gourmet “fix” nearby KC in Lawrence. This is not to say we don’t have good restaurants in Kansas City, we do, but once in a while as a chef you really want the good stuff; truffles and foie gras and offal all expertly prepared, ingredients flown in from opposite coasts served remarkably fresh in the same meal, even mundane vegetables prepared in a new and exciting manner can all play a part in this special foodie “jones” we get. Find a place that does a couple of those things well and few foodies can resist spending a lot of hard earned foodie-dollars on the “goods.”

The relief came when I was introduced to Chef Robert Krause and family who operate an exclusive little high-end eatery out of their house!! Yes, depending on the week Robert and one sous chef will prepare a meal for one seating of up to 30 people on specific chosen nights in the Krause family home. Call ahead and grab a spot and you can (for $80) eat a pretty terrific 6 course meal. Another $50 and Robert will pair each course with a wine from what proved to be an excellent cellar.

My first experience there went something like this;

1st course - Smoked Muscles and Oysters mixed with Dungeness Crab and Micro-Greens, topped with a Blue Point Prawn
served with a Pinot Grigio
2nd Course - Corn Meal dusted, first of the season Soft Shell Crab served on Carrots and Radishes with a Moroccan Spiced Aioli and Turmeric Sauce
served with a Gewurztraminer
3rd Course - Risotto of Mushrooms made with White Truffle Butter topped with a Parmesan Crisp and surrounded by a Garlic Nage and Balsamic Gastrique
served with a Pinot Nero (I think)
4th Course - Lamb Chop with Rhubarb Demi Glace served with housemade Gnocchi and Pistachio Pesto
served with Rock Block Syrah
5th Course - Rhubarb Soup with Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and Goat Cheese Cream
served with Prosecco Spumante
6th Course - Chocolate Soufflé with Chocolate Ganache and Chantilly Cream
served with Vintage Sherry

The picky eaters need not apply as there is one menu served per night and you find out what it is when it is served to you. I won’t be making “midnight-flights” to Lawrence often but it is nice to know it is there for long stretches off the road. If you want a serious meal experience I do recommend: http://www.krausedining.com/

No apologies...

I host a men’s bible study every Friday at 6:30 am (yes A.M.,) this week’s was fun with great discussion. Sam made some small barking noises when Mike arrived which gave me hope that he is getting comfortable and “owning” his home. He is going to be a great guard dog yet!
I also introduced the guys to a new study series we may start called “Foundations of Apologetics” by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. The 1st volume (of 12) is Introduction to Apologetics: Conversations that Count. It is presented by Michael Ramsden, a passionate evangelist and apologist who in this first volume examines the biblical call to give an apologetic and considers the method and manner in which we should strive to give a defense for the Christian faith.
Both the guys there this morning verbalized interest in this series once we are finished with our current study of the book of Acts. This will give me a chance to go through the first one or two volumes and determine the best way to adapt the study to our morning meetings.

If you are not familiar with apologetics it is not what it sounds like in word or definition. To give an apologetic is to give a defense of what you believe and has nothing to do with apologizing. Those that are familiar know what I mean. The word “Apologetics” is a branch of Christian theology which upholds Christ’s charge to every follower to be prepared to defend what they believe;
1 Peter 3:15
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
From this text the Greek word for defense is “apologia” thus the theology becomes “Apologetics.”

I have encountered some Christians who are wary of this line of thinking as they fear it somehow “cheapens” their faith; that they don’t need to “prove” what they believe and that faith is not an intellectual exercise. I understand that faith is the main component of salvation but I still live in the very real secular world where that faith is challenged constantly from many angles including my own questioning mind. In order for me to fuel my faith I must be able to make sense in my head what it is I believe in my heart. Apologetics is a way to answer not only your own doubts but to be able to engage others when they question you. I have also encountered those that accuse apologetic thinkers as proselytizers or that their goal or motive is to “convert” non-Christians. It is not about conversion (or coercion) but how to respond to questions in a purposeful way and engage in meaningful discussions where one can share what it is they believe and why.

Not the only one to notice...

In reference to my previous post Alex pointed out a couple of articles to me.

Here is an interesting excerpt from the Dallas Morning News where Jeffrey Weiss says;

"Tony Stark, wealthy hedonist is nearly killed and gets a "new heart" (more physically obvious in the movie than in the comic) by someone who sacrifices his life so that Tony can live. Tony takes the power of his "new heart" and transforms his values and the way he lives his life and becomes a true hero. Does that resonate with any other story you can think of?
Many Christians put particular emphasis on Ezekiel 36:26: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
The creators of the Stark/Iron Man character, and whose origin story is broadly tracked by the movie just about scene for scene, were writer Stan Lee, a mostly secular Jew, and artist Jack Kirby, also Jewish and more religious than Stan. I can't imagine, though, that either of 'em was thinking about Ezekiel at the time.
And having interviewed Stan a couple of times, I am tee-totally sure he had zero intent to make any explicitly religious point. OTOH, mythmakers draw from the culture where they live. So who knows what corner of the zeitgeist inspired Kirby and Lee back then?
Bonus tip: Stan, who is still very much alive, has had cameos in the Spider-Man and Fantastic Four movies. He's here, too, for a nanosecond. Keep your eyes peeled for "Hef."

Iron Man a must see (and think!)

Alex and I saw Iron Man Monday night = AWESOME!! I think second to Batman Begins this is the best comic-based movie that I’ve seen.

As is usual with storylines written by or influenced by Stan Lee (the chairman emeritus of Marvel Comics and Exec. Producer on the film,) there are some very thought-provoking themes of purpose and ethics evident in this movie’s story; Midway through the movie after he has survived several life-threatening situations Tony Stark tells his assistant, Pepper, that he feels he is still alive for a reason; “I have a purpose…in my heart I know it is right.”

What I really love about this is the underlying tenets of the character’s statement;
· He acknowledges a greater plan and purpose for himself thus acknowledging a higher power or authority above his own relative desires.
· He acknowledges a sense of what is right and wrong thus acknowledging a moral law above his own relative preferences.
· He also determines that his purpose (to do “right”) is somehow related to his continued living thus inferring said higher power has intervened in order to see said plan/purpose carried out and further, it seems, he gained a moral compass or basis for said values “in his heart.”

I don’t know about you but I find it really cool when someone (even a fictional character) expresses the very real evidence of God’s influence and moral law. It is a powerful idea to have subtly communicated in such a popular medium.

Spicy Beef Layover

So I sat in the Chicago airport for a couple of hours tonight on my way back from Toronto. I managed to dodge a bullet from a previous flight; I was originally scheduled through Washington but my instincts kicked in to change flights the minute a mechanical check had been announced. I was the only one who stood up and changed flights when the lady at the check-in counter announced a “slight delay due to a nut that needed tightening on the hydraulics.” I watched the departure board from the security of my new departing gate as my previous flight’s “slight delay” went to 30 minutes, then an hour, then two and eventually the flight was cancelled. I later learned the connection in DC also had problems and was cancelled; chalk one up to travel experience.

Knowing a two hour layover in Chicago was immanent my mouth was already watering for one of my favorite Chicago foods; the Italian beef sandwich. Tell my wife that I was in the Chicago airport for an hour and she will tell you what I had to eat. If you are ever in the Chicago airport and have some time and a desire for a great food experience it is not to be missed. Look for Billy Goat’s Tavern in the food court of concourse C. Order an Italian beef either “sweet” or “spicy” depending on your pepper preference. What you will get is a tasty Chicago classic. As with many culinary greats there are only a few components to this sandwich but together they make one great big flavor experience. The sandwich consists of thinly shaved beef heated in au jus and then slapped on a hoagie. The hoagie is then partially dunked into the au jus to soak the bread with beef flavor. Finally either sweet peppers or spicy giardinera (hot peppers and spicy pickled vegetables) are placed on the shaved beef. The sandwich will require a lot of napkins and if one is familiar with the “Philly stoop,” the stooped over position in which you eat a real Philly cheese steak so as not to get the cheese whiz all over you, you can implement that technique also. Good hot beef, great au jus flavor and really nice spicy peppers and vegetables never went together so well. I wish I had one right now. There is always next time…