This morning's newspaper informed me in graphic detail about allegations that a military police officer "aided the enemy" in Iraq. But that's not why I bought a newspaper today. I was looking for something else.
I was looking for a story of heroism.
I paid my twenty-five cents (only the second time I've done so this year) because I wanted to have a printed tribute to a hero whom I've been privileged to know, perhaps even tuck it away for a few years until I can pull it out and show my kids. So I paid my twenty-five cents.
I feel cheated.
I took the time to read the News section from start to finish. There was no report of heroism. Instead I read about the Dean of Admissions at MIT resigning after building a 28-year career based on fraudulent transcripts, Mexico City legalizing abortion, and a new book by a former CIA director claiming the president made him a scapegoat in 2004.
Heroism is gone. Deceased. Nowhere to be found. Not in the News section anyway.
But why was I searching for a story of heroism in today's paper? Actually, the reason is quite simple: because I didn't see one in yesterday's paper. And why does there not being a story in yesterday's paper mean that there should be one in today's? Because the newspaper got the first half of the story right, after Wednesday morning's fire, and I'm still waiting for the second half.
After thumbing through the printed paper, I search the online version. No luck there either.
Fifty cents and two days later, I know plenty about the fact that a child died in a fire on a military base here in Alaska on Wednesday morning, but almost nothing about the child who was saved.
A four-year-old child was flown to the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Wednesday because none of the hospitals in Alaska are equipped to provide advanced burn care. The story of why this child is still alive is what I was hoping to find in today's paper. But it was not to be. Heroism is often silent.
Question: A man died last week, named Liviu Librescu. His webpage is here. He was a Holocaust survivor, an Israeli-American born in Romania. He was an accomplished scientist with a Ph.D. in fluid mechanics. You can see from his webpage that he was an accomplished professional. He died last week at the age of 76. With so many hints, surely you know who I'm talking about and how he died. Right?
Alright, so how did he die?
He died in the line of fire.
He put himself between a murderer and his 23 students, all but one of which escaped. Liviu was shot five times, and died holding the door to his classroom at Virginia Tech. You can read about it at Holding out for a Hero by Scott Crocker and Blocking the Door by Judith Kleinfeld. Personally, I like the parallel Judith draws between Professor Librescu and Horatio at the Bridge:
"...Then out spake brave Horatio,
The captain of the gate:
To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers
And the temple of his gods?"
Kleinfeld also includes the final lines of the poem:
"With weeping and with laughter,
Still was the story told
How well Horatio kept the bridge
In the brave days of old."
But it seems the days of oft recalled deeds of heroism are themselves but a distant memory. The press would much rather focus on psychoanalyzing the killer and discussing who's to blame. If you mean to talk of Liviu....you may need to bring up the topic on your own.
But what of our young child and the fire?
Interestingly enough, after doing a thorough online search, I found one organization taking credit for the rescue. Firehouse Magazine has decided that the firemen performed the rescue.
Actually, the firemen were not the first people to respond. On Wednesday it was the police who were first on scene and notified their firefighting colleagues of the blaze. The rescue took place before the firemen had even arrived.
What the newspaper did not mention is that an off-duty police officer in my unit was driving by, saw the blaze, grabbed a jacket to cover his face, and entered the smoke-filled house despite ridicule. With zero visibility in the house, he found the child and carried him out, and has the burns to prove it.
The line of fire. He walked into it when no one else would or could.
We all had the chance to hear about the military police officer in Iraq today. How about the one in Alaska? Call me biased, but I think we should have read about both stories.
I well remember some of the firefighting training we went through in California as Fire Explorers before I joined the military. I vividly recall one training event in particular that we called "The Smokeroom". The task was simple: navigate the perimeter of a room in which you could see nothing and in which most anything you touched, including the floor, would burn you. I remember it being so hot that it burned you.....even though I was fully suited up and was moving pretty fast through the building.
I was in full gear, with a Scott on my back at the time. The soldier? He was wearing only his fatigues after coming off graveyard shift on Wednesday morning. And he had no air pack.
I thought my experience was hard.
Praise God for those standing in the line of fire on our behalf. Their stories are worthy of our attention.
"...That others might live."
Thursday, January 1, 2009
There is no Gene for the Human Spirit
I finally was able to introduce my best friend to Andrew Niccol's film Gattaca last night, and I now have two friends who count it among their all-time favorites :)
I had sort of casually mentioned it oh....a bunch of times, but I haven't been able to actually share it with anyone in awhile. Fortunately, I still have my used-VHS copy from the West Point bookstore, which I've had the pleasure of introducing to others many times (and that alone already says quite a bit about the movie since I tend to only watch truly exceptional films more than once). That said however, the VHS copy stayed on my shelf last night and the DVD came out instead.
The film itself was well worth experiencing again, in and of itself. However, the deleted scenes on the DVD were a special treat since it was my first time seeing 'em. The producer calls them "Lost Scenes" rather than deleted, and I well understand the difference. They were never deleted. Something tells me he wouldn't have permitted it.
In fact, even though they didn't appear in the original, they were still there :)
What I mean is simply that, as with any good screenplay, the messages they convey were not lost to the film because of their absence. I found myself thinking a number of times, "wait...I already knew that scene and message were right there in the story the whole time." To an admirer of the themes in the film, each of the lost scenes fit in quite naturally. Art often both obliges and permits you to "fill in the gaps" yourself, as a member of the audience, and I had already pictured most of the deleted scenes long before I actually saw 'em :D
If you haven't seen it, Gattaca is a beautiful film. And part of the beauty is its timelessness. As you have no doubt already gathered, it is a rather different film than most. Truly exceptional. Though it takes place in the future, when brilliant minds are intent on personally exploring and possibly colonizing other planets, there is a 1950's era motif throughout the entire story. The effect is a sense not only of timelessness, in keeping with the timelessness of the film's message, but also of what I will simply call "unchronology." The age of the characters is not so very important in the film. And neither is the year, or the country, in which it takes place.
Through a masterful screenplay, nationality, and even race and ethnicity, are lost to the actors as well. These, and a number of other carefully selected features, serve to focus your attention on the message of the film, if you care to see it. And how can you not. It is about life. More to the point perhaps, it tells the story of alternative life, one that we have not (yet) known or experienced.*
Perhaps the unchronology of the film is reflected most acutely in the very existence of the story itself. This is a story that should never have taken place. The world was not made to turn like this. Amidst themes of beauty, elegance, and perfection, there is also interwoven an inescapable parallel; a disharmony that leaves the audience with a feeling of angst in the most profound sense of that word. I say the film is characterized in part by unchronology because of this underlying incongruity. There is a sense in which this story simply "doesn't fit". It doesn't fit in time. It was never meant to be. And yet, it is. Unlike some films, the incongruity does not take away from the realism of the film, or render the story more difficult to believe. It is an incongruity that coexists with reality. And that is at the same time the most beautiful part, as well as the most terrible. Some will watch the film and go away saying to themselves, "surely it will never happen". But as Joe Nichols sings in "The Impossible", sometimes the things you think would never happen, happen just like that...
* [As I write this, I'm reminded again of times back at West Point. One of my projects at the Academy was to follow in the footsteps of another Honor Rep (Wynne), and put together a weekly Ethics Movie Night for plebes (freshmen). On Friday nights I, or one of the other honor reps, would occasionally show a film and follow it up with a discussion afterwards. I think I collected a list of about twenty films to be shown throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, Gattaca was #1 on my list, followed by such other favorites as A Man for All Seasons, Shawshank Redemption, Mercury Rising, and Taps.]
** [The link above will take you to an audio clip of the first few lines of the song's refrain, published courtesy of CD-Universe. You can also find quotes from the film here.]
I had sort of casually mentioned it oh....a bunch of times, but I haven't been able to actually share it with anyone in awhile. Fortunately, I still have my used-VHS copy from the West Point bookstore, which I've had the pleasure of introducing to others many times (and that alone already says quite a bit about the movie since I tend to only watch truly exceptional films more than once). That said however, the VHS copy stayed on my shelf last night and the DVD came out instead.
The film itself was well worth experiencing again, in and of itself. However, the deleted scenes on the DVD were a special treat since it was my first time seeing 'em. The producer calls them "Lost Scenes" rather than deleted, and I well understand the difference. They were never deleted. Something tells me he wouldn't have permitted it.
In fact, even though they didn't appear in the original, they were still there :)
What I mean is simply that, as with any good screenplay, the messages they convey were not lost to the film because of their absence. I found myself thinking a number of times, "wait...I already knew that scene and message were right there in the story the whole time." To an admirer of the themes in the film, each of the lost scenes fit in quite naturally. Art often both obliges and permits you to "fill in the gaps" yourself, as a member of the audience, and I had already pictured most of the deleted scenes long before I actually saw 'em :D
If you haven't seen it, Gattaca is a beautiful film. And part of the beauty is its timelessness. As you have no doubt already gathered, it is a rather different film than most. Truly exceptional. Though it takes place in the future, when brilliant minds are intent on personally exploring and possibly colonizing other planets, there is a 1950's era motif throughout the entire story. The effect is a sense not only of timelessness, in keeping with the timelessness of the film's message, but also of what I will simply call "unchronology." The age of the characters is not so very important in the film. And neither is the year, or the country, in which it takes place.
Through a masterful screenplay, nationality, and even race and ethnicity, are lost to the actors as well. These, and a number of other carefully selected features, serve to focus your attention on the message of the film, if you care to see it. And how can you not. It is about life. More to the point perhaps, it tells the story of alternative life, one that we have not (yet) known or experienced.*
Perhaps the unchronology of the film is reflected most acutely in the very existence of the story itself. This is a story that should never have taken place. The world was not made to turn like this. Amidst themes of beauty, elegance, and perfection, there is also interwoven an inescapable parallel; a disharmony that leaves the audience with a feeling of angst in the most profound sense of that word. I say the film is characterized in part by unchronology because of this underlying incongruity. There is a sense in which this story simply "doesn't fit". It doesn't fit in time. It was never meant to be. And yet, it is. Unlike some films, the incongruity does not take away from the realism of the film, or render the story more difficult to believe. It is an incongruity that coexists with reality. And that is at the same time the most beautiful part, as well as the most terrible. Some will watch the film and go away saying to themselves, "surely it will never happen". But as Joe Nichols sings in "The Impossible", sometimes the things you think would never happen, happen just like that...
* [As I write this, I'm reminded again of times back at West Point. One of my projects at the Academy was to follow in the footsteps of another Honor Rep (Wynne), and put together a weekly Ethics Movie Night for plebes (freshmen). On Friday nights I, or one of the other honor reps, would occasionally show a film and follow it up with a discussion afterwards. I think I collected a list of about twenty films to be shown throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, Gattaca was #1 on my list, followed by such other favorites as A Man for All Seasons, Shawshank Redemption, Mercury Rising, and Taps.]
** [The link above will take you to an audio clip of the first few lines of the song's refrain, published courtesy of CD-Universe. You can also find quotes from the film here.]
An Officer, A widow, and an American Flag
I presented my first American Flag to a military widow on Saturday. It was a moving experience.
These were the words I shared:
Mrs. xxx,
This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your husband’s honorable and faithful service. God bless you and your family, and God bless the United States of America.
These were the words I shared:
Mrs. xxx,
This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Army as a token of appreciation for your husband’s honorable and faithful service. God bless you and your family, and God bless the United States of America.
A One-Way Religion
There is a one-way religion in our land.
How should we respond to such a religion?
It asserts that it is the one, true religion. All others are false.
It travels across borders and is practiced in a number of different countries.
Like many others, this religion preaches that if you reject it, you will lose your salvation. (surprised?)
How should we respond to such a claim?
It advocates a new and higher law, for all adherents.
It earnestly evangelizes potential converts, declaring its genuine truth.
How ought we to respect such a religious faith?
Oh...did I mention it is a one-way religion?
You can convert at any time.
However, if ever you leave it, not only do you lose your salvation, but just to make sure you get the point...you also lose your life.
The law that this religion propagates declares that all who convert away from this religion -- must be killed.
Alright.
Hey, everybody can choose their own religion right? And every religion can make up its own particular law, right?
And every law can have its own particular penalty, right?
So what's the problem?
Hey -- it's a free country. Treat every religion the same.
Every religion deserves to be respected equally.
But if this religion exists in your country. Can you really say "it's a free country" anymore?
Why bother?
Don't look now, but an Iron Curtain is descending on Europe once again
United Kingdom now acknowledges Sharia Law Courts operating in Britain
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
LONDON, ENGLAND -- Twenty-year old girl raped and murdered at her own home by members of her own family. They claimed it was a justified "Honor Killing".
http://www.reuters.com/art
No-Bible Zone in England
http://islaminaction08.blo
Are all supporters of any part of Sharia murderers? No.
Is there a reason honor killings predominate in regions under Sharia Law? Yes.
Are people really executed according to Sharia Law for simply "leaving the faith"? Yes. Daily.
Should this concern you? You decide.
US Congressman Writes Legislation to Stop Sharia Law in America
http://www.worldnetdaily.c
Texas Man Currently Sought for Honor Killing of his two daughters
http://www.amw.com/fugitiv
http://righttruth.typepad.
Wait you say - Here? In America? Sure. Why not? We believe in diversity.
Just remember...Muslim groups in Britain are currently demanding that ALL children in public school be forced to study Islam. They also demand that ALL Muslim children be permitted to opt-out of learning about Judaism, Christianity or any other religion.*
It's a one-way religion. Get it? It's their way or the highway. Better get used to it.
* American Thinker: They'll Never Stop Demanding Sharia
http://www.americanthinker
How should we respond to such a religion?
It asserts that it is the one, true religion. All others are false.
It travels across borders and is practiced in a number of different countries.
Like many others, this religion preaches that if you reject it, you will lose your salvation. (surprised?)
How should we respond to such a claim?
It advocates a new and higher law, for all adherents.
It earnestly evangelizes potential converts, declaring its genuine truth.
How ought we to respect such a religious faith?
Oh...did I mention it is a one-way religion?
You can convert at any time.
However, if ever you leave it, not only do you lose your salvation, but just to make sure you get the point...you also lose your life.
The law that this religion propagates declares that all who convert away from this religion -- must be killed.
Alright.
Hey, everybody can choose their own religion right? And every religion can make up its own particular law, right?
And every law can have its own particular penalty, right?
So what's the problem?
Hey -- it's a free country. Treat every religion the same.
Every religion deserves to be respected equally.
But if this religion exists in your country. Can you really say "it's a free country" anymore?
Why bother?
Don't look now, but an Iron Curtain is descending on Europe once again
United Kingdom now acknowledges Sharia Law Courts operating in Britain
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
LONDON, ENGLAND -- Twenty-year old girl raped and murdered at her own home by members of her own family. They claimed it was a justified "Honor Killing".
http://www.reuters.com/art
No-Bible Zone in England
http://islaminaction08.blo
Are all supporters of any part of Sharia murderers? No.
Is there a reason honor killings predominate in regions under Sharia Law? Yes.
Are people really executed according to Sharia Law for simply "leaving the faith"? Yes. Daily.
Should this concern you? You decide.
US Congressman Writes Legislation to Stop Sharia Law in America
http://www.worldnetdaily.c
Texas Man Currently Sought for Honor Killing of his two daughters
http://www.amw.com/fugitiv
http://righttruth.typepad.
Wait you say - Here? In America? Sure. Why not? We believe in diversity.
Just remember...Muslim groups in Britain are currently demanding that ALL children in public school be forced to study Islam. They also demand that ALL Muslim children be permitted to opt-out of learning about Judaism, Christianity or any other religion.*
It's a one-way religion. Get it? It's their way or the highway. Better get used to it.
* American Thinker: They'll Never Stop Demanding Sharia
http://www.americanthinker
To Know
"Only love has eyes. To understand the world of things, you need science and suspicion and the method of doubt; accept nothing until proved. Every idea is guilty until proved innocent. But to know people, you need the opposite method: trust, love, openness. Persons are innocent until proved guilty. You cannot bear them unless that is your attitude. Suspicion never reaches the other's heart."
~Dr. Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Human Life, 119.
~Dr. Peter Kreeft, Three Philosophies of Human Life, 119.
God's Workshop
Some quotations have an unmistakable ring of truth. This is one:
"God's truth is most effectively learned and lived in relationships. Friendships hold the promise of grace!" - R. Kent Hughes
Gee...Something tells me he didn't read that in a book ;)
And while his focus at the time was directed towards friendships, is what he is saying not similarly true concerning all relationships with others? Relationships are perhaps His most effective tool to teach us how to live; not only in relationship to Him, or to our chosen friends only, but also in relationships with our enemies, family members, peers, coworkers, and neighbors. Each kind of relationship is distinct, and yet we both learn and experience God's truth as we work to honor Him in each one. As we move ever closer to having, with each person, the kind of relationship that He obliges us to seek, we see Scripture and the old stories come alive in ways we would never have been able to see otherwise.
There are not many books that I have read more than twice, but C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves is one such book. Storge στοργη, Philia φιλια, Eros έρως, Agapē αγαπη; so many different words describing distinctly different manifestations of love. Yet each, in their proper place, are beautiful. When I was in California last year I picked up The Four Loves on CD. It was a very good pick, if I may say so myself. It turns out that The Four Loves is the only professional recording of C.S. Lewis' voice. To read the book is one thing; to hear him read it in his own words is altogether another.
In the end, I would propose that, in like manner, Christianity is not the sort of thing that can be understood simply from the reading of a book. Yes, we are to be men and women of the Book. And yet, it seems there are truths that He would have for us to discover that do not fit within the pages of any book, even His own.
"God's truth is most effectively learned and lived in relationships. Friendships hold the promise of grace!" - R. Kent Hughes
Gee...Something tells me he didn't read that in a book ;)
And while his focus at the time was directed towards friendships, is what he is saying not similarly true concerning all relationships with others? Relationships are perhaps His most effective tool to teach us how to live; not only in relationship to Him, or to our chosen friends only, but also in relationships with our enemies, family members, peers, coworkers, and neighbors. Each kind of relationship is distinct, and yet we both learn and experience God's truth as we work to honor Him in each one. As we move ever closer to having, with each person, the kind of relationship that He obliges us to seek, we see Scripture and the old stories come alive in ways we would never have been able to see otherwise.
There are not many books that I have read more than twice, but C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves is one such book. Storge στοργη, Philia φιλια, Eros έρως, Agapē αγαπη; so many different words describing distinctly different manifestations of love. Yet each, in their proper place, are beautiful. When I was in California last year I picked up The Four Loves on CD. It was a very good pick, if I may say so myself. It turns out that The Four Loves is the only professional recording of C.S. Lewis' voice. To read the book is one thing; to hear him read it in his own words is altogether another.
In the end, I would propose that, in like manner, Christianity is not the sort of thing that can be understood simply from the reading of a book. Yes, we are to be men and women of the Book. And yet, it seems there are truths that He would have for us to discover that do not fit within the pages of any book, even His own.
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