Light-work

Ta-dah: The Beavers

Okay, the holidays are behind us, so the risk of influencing your Christmas shopping should be negligible. Here they are, the 2009 winners of Light-Work Beaver Awards. These are the product offerings that capture the spirit of consumption and acquisition that is so integral to modern life. Just in case someone doesn't understand the literary style called "tongue in cheek," I refuse to offer links to sites where you can purchase this stuff. If you feel the urge to buy something, I will not be an accessory to your crimes against humanity.

 The Flush with Cash Beaver goes to Renova for their "super premium brand" of black toilet paper. Nothing says "you've arrived" like TP that goes for about THREE DOLLARS A ROLL. Here's some sensible sales talk from the producer: Elegant, sophisticated, rebellious and eternally fashionable. Black has become virtually synonymous with chic and style but whilst it is often present in avant-garde creative work, no one has ever dared to use it for toilet paper until now! The idea is definitely different, yet there's something appealingly startling about it. Today's homes are becoming more open, less compartmentalized, more exposed to public view, and considered as places for social contact, sharing and interaction. People now view their houses or apartments as an area in which they can fully express their distinct, individual personalities. Now what could be distinctly more personal than a sign of differentiation in the lavatory? What a great idea! Now I can "express my distinct personality" with black TP! And who knows how much it will improve "sharing and interaction" at home. This is so exciting!

What would you think of someone selling you an air guitar? If you're asking where you can get one, you'll appreciate this year's winner of the Only In Your Dreams Beaver. For sixty bucks plus shipping and handling you can jump rope without, um, jumping rope! It's such a bother when I jump rope with rope - the rope tangles on my foot and stops twirling. If I could eliminate the rope, things would go so much more smoothly. Sure, I could just count while I hop and twirl my wrists. But this device allows me to do the same thing without the counting - ingenious! And there's no misses. It reminds me of a committee report I once heard in a board meeting: "The challenges presented by our calendars prevented my esteemed colleagues and I from meeting to discuss this important issue. But had we met, here is what we would have decided..." The Ropeless Jump Rope offers the same economy: "The challenge of rope jumping has proven greater than my reserves of vigor. But if I had jumped rope, here's how much rope I would have jumped..." Isn't there a story about a woodchuck that sounds kind of familiar?

Consider the lowly staple. I cannot think of anything so important to modern life that is, at the same time, so humble in monetary worth. It takes over thirty basic 1/4" staples to equal the worth of a penny. But I have reams of important documents that would dissemble into clutter without them. So let's give the straight-laced little wires some respect. Easily done with the Morgan Stapler, this year's winner of the You're Worth It Beaver. Let's say you're trailer trash but have just won the lottery. How do you plan to arrive to collect your winnings? Chauffeur driven limousine, baby! For a mere $68, you can do likewise and deliver every staple in style. The smooth full-grain leather will remind you with each document assembly to respect the lowly staple like it made the scene in a Lexus.

Here's my personal favorite, this year's winner of the It's About Time Beaver, the Runaway alarm clock that sells for $59.95 (for the special edition silver). This is so amazing! Before the Runaway you had to choose between two compromises. Put it on the night-stand, and you can enjoy the convenience of setting your alarm clock from your bed. But in the morning, that location might prove to be dangerous. It makes it easy and convenient to silence the alarm and miss an appointment. So, let's say you choose to defy that downside by relocating the alarm clock to a more distant location. Better for your morning, not so nice at night.  Now you have to live with the inconvenience of setting the alarm BEFORE you get in bed. Why, oh why, can't we set our alarms on our nightstands and wake up to find them inconveniently elsewhere. The Runaway has solved this age long conundrum! Here's some advertising hype that explains how: Runaway literally jumps off your nightstand and sprints away - forcing you to get out of bed to silence the alarm. All-terrain wheels let Runaway roam throughout your bedroom on carpet or hardwood - actually changes course if it runs into an obstacle! Lets you choose your snooze time from 0-9 minutes, giving you one last chance to snooze before it makes its move! It's about time someone solved this dilemma.

So, which of our four winners deserves the Grand Beaver? You decide!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Lightwork Announces the "Beaver Awards"

At Light-work lodge we pride ourselves on extolling the virtues of sensible solutions pursued with diligence. No wonder Mr. Beaver is our esteemed mascot. So it seems fitting (indeed, sensible) that we would enjoy a brief beaverian respite from chewing on the weightier issues that constitute our normal fare here at L-W. Let's recognize the all-around good sense of some consumer products by conferring on them a "Beaver."

The fact that we are in the middle of the feeding frenzy we call the holiday shopping season certainly makes our work timely. For example, some find this sentiment perfectly reasonable: "For my birthday, I want everyone to celebrate by gaining weight, going in debt, and acquiring lots of stuff." For them, the Beaver's winners circle will serve as a fine place to locate exceptional stuff worthy of such a celebration. (By the way, if you think there is something flawed in the sentiment above, perhaps you are a good candidate to explore this post.)

I won't reveal the winners just yet. First, I want to help you appreciate the rigor with which our judging staff has approached the challenge of identifying products of surpassing value. Let me tell you about a product that didn't make it. The fact that this is an offering of such high and obvious merit ought to illustrate the standards beyond which one must excel to win a coveted Beaver.

The Fish Agility Training Set immediately caught the eye of our ever-vigilant product scouts. What better way to spend your days than in assisting "Goldie" to get more nimble! We found the text that accompanied the ad especially moving:

This complete set of underwater activities allows you to train your pet fish to perform a series of agility maneuvers, including swimming through hoops, pushing a soccer ball, navigating a slalom course, and more. ...With the included soccer goal, basketball hoop, and football goalpost, you can train your pet to practice scoring goals, slam dunks, or field goals.

Naturally, we were skeptical about whether a fish has the "RIGHT STUFF" for slam dunks - but we sought to keep an open mind. We also questioned the amount of time required to achieve this level of agility. I'm not trying to belabor the obvious, but isn't the use of fins a detriment to dunking the ball? If not, why haven't we seen more extensive use of fins in the NBA? Is fin assisted dunking possibly "the next big thing" to shake up the game?

I contacted customer service of the vendor with my inquiries about "how much time will it take before Goldie can slam dunk?" The customer service rep was not able to answer my questions so she conferred with the technical services department. I guess "how long does it take" is more of a technical question. They were unable to locate any answers in their product manuals and guides. I asked if anyone had actually trained a fish using the kit - they answered that this was a product that had been demonstrated, but not actually tested. My bright hopes for Goldie's future as the next Michael Jordan were dimmed.

After watching this clip of "Comet," a dean's list graduate of Fish Agility University, my aspirations for Goldie briefly flickered to life. Alas, Comet was unavailable for comment to the question, "How long did it take you to learn this?" Hence an unassailable cloud of uncertainty hangs over the Fish Agility Training set. If you are going to waste time training a fish in the execution of maneuvers of dubious value, you have a right to know whether hours, days, or months will be the measure of that waste. Who could dwell in joy in the looming shadow of such unmeasured pointlessness? Comet is impressive (especially with the extremely cool music) but his gym is not ready for a Beaver.

Is God the Linchpin of our Message?

Lisa Miller raises questions about the ministry of Joel and Victoria Osteen in "What's God Got to Do With It?", a "Belief Watch" piece in the Oct. 20 issue of Newsweek. Ms. Miller is struck by the irony of the Osteen's considerable popularity compared to their lack of spiritual stature. She views them as spiritual midgets with a thin theology offering platitudes of inane comfort.

On the eve of Victoria Osteen's book release, I find the question - "What's God Got to Do With it? - more than a little provocative. Victoria told Newsweek that religion "is about appreciating what God's given us. He's given us this life, and he wants us to live it to the fullest." If I boil this mantra down to it's core, it would be little more than "live it up!" Lisa Miller rightly questions how essential God is to such a message? Is what we preach a message that falls apart without God? If not, it is unworthy of Him and a dubious candidate for men's allegiance.

Here is good news that robustly depends upon God: Man has a problem (sin) that he cannot fix. God alone has provided the solution (shed blood of His Son) but one He will not force upon any man. So God invites each one to claim for himself the saving grace that is offered in Jesus. Factor God out of such an equation and man is left striving for what doesn't exist. Put God back in the picture and you have the miraculous answer to an otherwise impossible problem. God is in the center of such an accomplishment and His success is occasion for all-out praise and worship.

"Live your life to the fullest" seems like much ado about me. God is little more than a bit player in such a production - so who do you think will get the applause? Hooray for me! To Lisa Miller's question I would answer,"God is not honored by a message that is, at it's core, a celebration of me."

Running With the Big Dogs

I figured I would test the power of the Majesty to awe and inspire. So, here's me and some new friends at the local Harley store just chillin'. I don't get it - my rig is a "Majesty." So why was everyone else so non-plussed?

Expelled & Exemplary

Yesterday, we hit the multiplex for the screening of Expelled, Ben Stein's expose of the bias against anyone daring to question the Darwinian explanation for the origins of life. Regardless of whether you are an unabashed evangelist or staunch critic of evolution, I recommend you give Expelled a fair hearing.

Let me be clear about what the movie is, and what it is not. This is not an evaluation of the scientific evidence that supports or questions the Darwinian thesis; Mr. Stein is not debating the relative merits of evolution or intelligent design. He is identifying a very clear and present danger to free speech - The climate in the halls of the scientific community is hostile, militantly so, to anyone who dares to question the prevailing consensus, ie, all life began from a single living cell which has produced the diversity of life we see today through the process of natural selection. Here is an extended trailer for the movie that gives a good overview of what to expect.

I find it fascinating to talk about the coming "great delusion" (see yesterday's post) and then see a clear, contemporary manifestation of the thing. The bias Ben Stein is exposing in one in which "the evidence which shall not be named" is refused a place at the table. A rigorous and robust examination of the data for and against competing theories of life's origins is disallowed. Unless you can salute the party line, you had best keep your mouth shut. Raise a question, lose your job! Does anyone, evolutionist or otherwise, think this is a good way to do science? Here's one more clip worth watching - it's an interview of Ben Stein by Glenn Beck from last year.

A Biblical Pep Talk

Is The Secret a suitable motivational resource for Christians? Isn't some "positive thinking" valuable for believers facing a challenge? If you are unfamiliar with The Secret, check out the previous two posts. The first examines its core philosophy; the second examines its view of God. Both examinations conclude that, at a fundamental level, The Secret and a biblically informed world-view are polar opposites. In which case, I would look elsewhere for material for my next motivational pep-talk.

There is a very different kind of "we can do it" speech in the Old Testament. Here's some background: The Philistines, Israel's enemy, had the upper hand. To maintain their dominance over Israel, the Philistines maintained a monopoly on blacksmith services. By controlling the manufacture and repair of all metal implements, they kept metal weaponry out of Israel's hands. (How would you like to fight an enemy who decided what weapons you could use against him?)

So when we come to 1 Sam. 14, Israel's army has a total of two iron swords, one for King Saul and one for his son, Jonathan. Jonathan decides one morning to go on a little scouting expedition (along with his armor-bearer). They spy out a Philistine garrison and Jonathan gives "the big speech:" Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6).

Here's what I really like about Jonathan's pep-talk with his armor-bearer. He discerns what they CAN do and what they CAN'T. Jonathan knows that it is his choice about whether to use his sword to fight Philistines or not, and He looks to God for guidance about what choice to make. Jonathan also knows, however, that God will choose the outcome, and His choice will not be constrained by circumstances or numbers.

What happened next? God made it clear that Jonathan should use his sword to battle Philistines. About twenty men fell before his blade. Then God shook things up with an earth-quake. Confusion rippled through the Philistine camp, and everyone with a sword (no shortage of swords in the Philistine camp!) used it against a fellow Philistine. When the dust had settled, "the Lord delivered Israel that day" (1 Sam. 14:23).

Jonathan did not get confused about who does what. He didn't try to psych himself up. He didn't say, "If we just believe in ourselves, we can win." He was quite clear that victory did not depend on his ability to convince himself he had the right stuff. He deferred to and relied on God. Jonathan was bold in the knowledge that if God decides to work, then it doesn't matter who has more swords. It only matters who is following the Lord's direction.

Your ability to psych yourself up is not the key to success. Success is doing what God directs, regardless of how things look. 

Secret Heresy - Pt. 2 of 2

The Secret is no secret! Millions are buying it (literally). What is it's appeal? This life philosophy answers to the natural dispositions of the sin sick heart like hand to glove. If you haven't done so already, check out this series of quotes from the DVD. These statements have a familiar ring to them like something you would have heard in the Garden of Eden where the serpent's mantra was "You will be like God!"

A desire to be like God can be of two types. One is good, the other is bad. It is possible to desire to be like God as children desire to emulate their father. This is exactly the kind of appeal Paul makes in Ephesians 5:1 when he says, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." The bad kind of desire to be like God is the desire of the upstart, the one who longs to become God's equal, His rival, or His replacement. This is what Satan was pitching and The Secret has taken a page from his play-book. I don't care how much you dress up The Secret in biblical terminology or attempt to find points of connection between it and biblical truth, you will not be able to escape this most fundamental difference: The Secret and biblical truth have as much in common as Satan does with God.

It gets worse! When the dust settles on the book of Job, God makes this statement to Job's three "friends:" "For this reason my wrath is kindled against you [Eliphaz] and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me, what is right" (Job 42:7). Do you like it when someone misrepresents you, or makes public statements about you that aren't true? God doesn't either. When we talk about God, who He is and what He is like, we better get it right! It is here that The Secret says what would kindle God's wrath. Let me pinpoint some of these misrepresentations.

1. God is omnipresent, but he is also transcendent. This means that God is everywhere, but that He also dwells OUTSIDE of time and space. The Secret doesn't get this and conceives of "God" as a synonym for the universe.
2. Second, there is a denial of the personhood of God in The Secret. God is presented not as a person, He is a force. (Haven't we heard this somewhere before, Obi-wan?) This is an important issue for the purveyors of The Secret because a force is capable of being manipulated  (like electricity) in ways that a person (who has a will) is not.
3. Third, there is a denial of the sovereignty of God embedded in The Secret. God is the controller of circumstances. He is bound by no man and chooses what He deems best to suit His perfect purposes. "Place the attention on what you want to experience" all you want. In the final analysis, God decides what will happen, not you! Yes, it is true that God can choose to fold our desires into His plan, but "thinking positive thoughts" don't have much to do with it. Praying to the God who is in charge, does.

Now, you would think that with so many strikes against it, The Secret would be something that followers of Jesus view as glaringly flawed and unsuitable for their spiritual growth. Surprise - there are saints who are like Luke Skywalker. "I see the good in The Secret." Let's figure out what's going on here, on Monday.

Secret Heresy - Pt. 1 of 2

GM gave me a copy of a DVD called The Secret. She asked if I had heard about it. Should I? Isn't it supposed to be a secret! (Ba-dum - shhh.) According to the official website for The Secret, the DVD is a companion to the book by the same name. The video has been "seen by millions" and there are over 6 million copies of the book in print. I am not being cynical about it; but if this is a secret, it is one of the worst kept.

Rhonda Byrne is the author of the book, the force behind the DVD, and the one attributed with "discovering" the secret. The website makes no modest claim about it: "The Secret reveals the most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law."

So what is it? Here's my executive summary: The secret is based on the law of attraction, the principle that our thoughts are like magnets attracting what we think about. Think bad and you will attract bad outcomes. Think good (like money, power, and success) and you will attract good outcomes. The universe is like a powerful genie (although not a person) that will bring into your life what you think about.

On the surface, this may seem like just another refrain of the song, "Don't worry, be happy!" But there is something deeper and deeply disturbing going on here. I have compiled a series of quotes from the DVD that you should find illuminating. One of those quotes well captures my concern: "You are eternal life; you're source energy; you are God manifested in human form, made to perfection." Where have I heard something like this before - oh yes, the Garden of Eden!

The serpent said to Eve, "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). Satan drank the Koolaid and believes he can be like God, and here we find him at the dawn of human history trying to sell Eve on the juice. At its heart, the Secret is anything but. It is a lie as old as time - We can be the controllers of our destiny; we can determine what life will give us.

I have more things to say, but I would like you to do a little homework first. Download the series of quotes from the DVD. Then fix Satan's mantra in your mind: "You will be like God." Now read the quotes and see if they don't sound alike. If they do, here's what ought to give you pause. When Satan first introduced his philosophy, he called it a secret. "God has been holding out on you, Eve. But, I am here to dispel his repression by telling you THE SECRET - YOU CAN BE LIKE GOD."

Curse you, Thomas Edison!

Congress passed and President Bush signed a bill that will ban the bulb that Edison built. Here's a brief summary from WorldNet. The majority of light-bulbs in your home are a menace to society and must be eliminated! The invention of the incandescent light bulb is popularly associated with Thomas Edison, although he is probably getting all the credit for something to which others made a significant contribution. The associated Wikipedia article tells the bigger story. Now we are entering a phase where Edison is getting all the blame. His sinister device is wasting electricity and must be banned! Please, oh please, uncle Sam, save me from the evil light bulb.

Not everyone is thrilled at the prospect of this salvation, me among them. Yes, I use fluorescent lights in a few select locations like the garage and attic. But please don't make me put them everywhere. Alas, in six years the light bulb police will have cleared the shelves of Mr. Edison's spawn. Is it because they have seen the light or is there some dark purpose behind it all?

It does make me look forward to heaven. Decent lighting will not be a problem - According to Revelation, we won't need lamplight because we will have Lamb-light!  And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb (Rev. 21:23). This light will actually render the sun irrelevant and unnecessary - talk about good reading light. So whether I am sitting under the warm light of an Edison bulb (aah), or squinting in the irritating flicker of fluorescent lighting (argh), I long for the day when we can REALLY SEE!

What's In Fort Knox?

An advertisement appeared in the Wall Street Journal last week that you need to know about. I realize that not everyone who reads L-W shares my avid interest in economics, so if you just yawned when I said "economics," you have my permission to check out after you read the next sentence. The implications of what is alleged in this ad could destroy your ability to feed your family.

To appreciate the gravity of what is at stake, let's talk about how society functions with and without a "medium of exchange." In our country, we use pieces of paper called "Federal Reserve Notes" as money. Beads, coins, even packs of American cigarettes (post-war Germany), have been used as a medium of exchange. Without such a convenient device, we are reduced to the use of barter and the velocity of the marketplace slows dramatically.

Imagine a society without "money." Let's say you are a farmer who grows corn. And you would like to purchase a shiny new HDTV. Since there is no medium of exchange, you must find an HDTV retailer who is willing to accept corn in exchange for his product. And if you cannot, then you must ask the HDTV guy what he wants, and he says, "I want milk for my children." So you must now find a dairy farmer who needs corn so you can get the milk to exchange for your HDTV. If you cannot find a dairy farmer who wants corn, then you must ask the dairy farmer what he wants, and he says, "I want some diesel fuel for my tractor." Sigh - This is getting time consuming!

Now consider the marvel of money. It eliminates the time and trouble of having to do product match-ups. The corn farmer can concentrate his energies on growing corn. He can sell corn for this medium and KNOW that someone else will receive this medium in exchange for his HDTV. What a tremendous time saver, this thing called money! There is one catch. The thing used as "money" must have perceived value. This is not the same as real value. (Although real or intrinsic value handily solves the challenge of creating "perceived" value.) Those Federal Reserve Notes we use have no intrinsic value. They are just paper. Because they are "notes," they are IOU's from the government. But if you present one to the government for payment, they will pay off this note by giving you - drum roll please - another IOU. If you say, "I would like an equivalent amount of something else, like gold or silver," they will shrug and say, "No dice! I am only authorized to give you another Federal Reserve Note."

Now it is true that by designating the Federal Reserve Note as legal tender, the US government has put itself on record as saying it will accept these IOU's as payment for taxes. If you owe the IRS, you can give the government back an equivalent amount of what it owes you (Federal Reserve Notes) and it will call things square. Isn't that nice of them!

But these Federal Reserve Notes do have "perceived" value. I can present them to all manner of retailers and they are willing to exchange their stuff for these pieces of paper. They do so because they believe that others will give THEM stuff for these pieces of paper, too. Everyone is happy to receive this paper because they know they can get rid of it for what they want because everyone is happy to receive this paper. (A is true because B is true because A is true? Anything seem a little circular, here?) What would happen if the perception of value for this medium of exchange was eroded? What would happen if your HDTV retailer said, "What do I want with that worthless piece of paper?" Would you still be willing to part with your valuable corn for a piece of paper that no one wants? Duh!

The problem that GATA is attempting to get on the public radar has profound implications for the dollar's perception of value. You cannot turn in your Federal Reserve Notes to the government for gold, but there is a public perception that our government ("we the people," by the way) can make good on all its loans because it has a big pile of gold at Fort Knox. What if it became public knowledge that that big pile of gold is not there? What would this do to the PERCEPTION that Federal Reserve Notes have value? 

Here is an example: Let's say that "Sam" owes you a thousand dollars and has given you a slip of paper that says "I owe you $1,000." (This is the same as holding that amount in Federal Reserve Notes.) Because Sam also has a pile of gold in his "secret room," you're not too worried about his ability to pay you back. But what if you discover that the secret room is EMPTY. And what if you also discover that Sam has given a bazillion "notes" to everybody else in town. Now you are worried! Why? Because you have considerable doubt that Sam will ever pay you back. That slip of paper probably doesn't mean a thing. (This example is actually putting a better face on the situation than reality. The real Uncle Sam has no intention of giving you any of the stash from his secret room to pay off his notes. Ever!)

So if it becomes public knowledge that the secret room is empty, this revelation won't improve people's perception of the dollar's value. And since these Federal Reserve Notes have no intrinsic value, perceived value is all they have going for them. When even this is unmasked as fiction, how will our society function?

Some might protest, "The risk is too high. Let's just keep the door to the secret room locked and assume it's all there." GATA is saying, "If it's all there, make it known and allay our fears. If it's not there, then come clean with the citizens of the country to whom you owe an explanation." It is perfectly appropriate for we, the people, to know where we stand, and I am grateful for GATA saying so! If Fort Knox is empty, a lot of people will have reason to wonder about the worth of their IOU's, and when that happens, you might have trouble finding the guy with milk or corn who wants your Federal Reserve Notes.

So why am I going into all this at Light-work? Two reasons: We assign too much value to money and stuff. Money is a marvelous tool - no argument. But it is not capable of providing true security and this ad reminds us of its tenuousness. Second, the GATA ad invites us to prepare for the possibility of a life without the monetary instruments on which we depend. The Book of Revelation makes the same invitation. It describes a future that includes the global destruction of infra-structure and a monetary meltdown. Think post Hurricane Katrina conditions on a world wide basis coupled with the global disappearance of our current economic system. Revelation says this will happen. If GATA's inquiry shows that the secret room is empty, it might happen soon. Stop living as if the good times will just keep rolling.

It's OK to be Lost

The long awaited fourth season of "Lost" has started - we sure didn't get much story development for a two hour investment. Maybe next week. I am intrigued by the fact, however, that this series has shaped our understanding of the term "lost." The term is an apt descriptor for passengers on Oceanic flight 815 before the plane ever went down! As we get to know them (mostly through "flash-backs") we realize they were carrying way more baggage than what's strewn about the crash site.

Take Jack, for example. Prior to being lost on the island, his life was driven by a hopeless quest for an alcoholic father's approval, skewed by an inability to accept his divorce, and crazed by the transfer of his wife's affections to another. But on the island, he is rescued from himself. He gains a sense of purpose, embraces his role as a leader, and rallies the survivors to defy "the others." Jack is FOUND at the one place where he is LOST. In several "flash forward" scenes introduced in the finale of season three, we are teased by Jack's realization of precisely this truth.

It is fascinating that this series is using the term "lost" to describe those whose lives are a mess. The world might take umbrage at being called "lost," but no more. Network television has now endorsed the use of the term "lost" for those who need a fresh start, whose lives need saving. That this salvation is realized as one is lost is an even more stunning revelation. It sounds like something Jesus would say: "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33).

I am definitely NOT saying that "Lost" is preaching the Gospel. But, the popularity of the series opens up GREAT topics for conversation.  Here are some questions you might use:

1. What does the title, "Lost," say about the main characters?  How are they lost?
2. What character do you most identify with? Why?
3. For most of the main characters in the series, they get a fresh start on the island - do you think its possible to get a fresh start in real life? How?
4. Is it possible to lose everything you thought was important and discover what really matters?

I suspect that when we unlock the secret of this island, the good news of salvation in Jesus will NOT be the focus. But, between now and then it's OK to talk about what makes a man lost, and how sometimes  losing your self is the best way to find a life worth living. Your conversation might open a door to sharing the Gospel, the story of the greatest rescue mission of all human history.

Is faith just the product of computers made of meat?

Once again, science is asserting its supremacy. We are being told that our religious sensibilities are just biology. Are they? We asked one of our esteemed Light-work partners, Dr. Doug Matthews of Baylor University, to help us cut through the fluff.

LW - Give us an overview of what is going on here.

Dr. D - The perception that love, religion and morality are artifacts of biology is a conclusion that mainstream science and the popular press consistently promote. News conferences featuring scientists in starched, white lab coats are frequently used to advocate the belief that naturalistic mechanisms explain what appears to make a person uniquely different; that is, our ability to love, our ability to worship God and our ability to discern right from wrong. They conclude that human cognition, consciousness, and religious beliefs are due to natural biological mechanisms and are not due to some non-natural, external factors.

LW - Can you give us a couple examples of this kind of thinking?

Dr. D - Eric Kandel, a prominent neuroscientist, is the lead editor of an influential textbook titled Principles of Neural Science.  Kandel writes the opening chapter and therein outlines a strategy by which science, particularly neuroscience, might explain the human mind, what I might think of as the human soul. Kandel writes: “The next and even more challenging step in this unifying process within biology, which we outline in this book, will be the unification of the study of behavior - the science of the mind - and neural science, the science of the brain. This last step will allow us to achieve a unified scientific approach to the study of behavior. Such a comprehensive approach depends on the view that all behavior is the result of brain function.”

Kandel concludes this opening chapter by exclaiming, “Indeed, the excitement evident in neural science today is based on the conviction that at last we have in hand the proper tools to explore the extraordinary organ of the mind, so that we can eventually fathom the biological principles that underlie human cognition”.

LW - So check me to see if I understand what's going on here. A biblically informed understanding of man sees him as both material ("body") and immaterial ("spirit"). Kandel is proposing that the immaterial (the "mind" in his terminology) can be reduced to mere matters of brain function. So we are nothing more than computers made of meat.

Dr. D - Bingo! I find the two quotations disheartening but also informative as to why many scientists use naturalistic causes to explain all things human. In the second statement, Kandel restates the principle that the mind can by explained solely by naturalistic causes; to completely understand the mind we have to believe that all behavior is dependent on brain function.

LW - What is your critique of this approach?

Dr. D - For me as a scientist who believes that God infused something different into people (Genesis 1:26), the conclusion that everything “human” can be explained by the laws of science seems very simplistic. I also find this type of science arrogant. First, the conclusion that naturalism can explain the human mind and (by extension) love, religion and morality, is predetermined by the initial premise. It's circular logic. Second, the initial premise is a statement of faith; the scientist is saying, "I believe that ONLY naturalistic causes explain the human mind." The faith required for this statement is greater than my faith in a God who created the human mind. Finally, such an initial premise raises the specter of an agenda in science, that its interests lie only in conclusions that support its beliefs—that the mind is nothing but an artifact of biology.

Prior to the enlightment period, scientists believed science was a tool to investigate God’s creation. I suggest that science return to its foundations and accept the fact that we are investigating a world created by an Agent beyond our comprehension. Love, religion and morality likely exist in ways science will not completely understand. These moments of scientific wonder should be opportunities to glorify God and not make simplistic faith statements such as “we’ve yet to develop the scientific tools to explain the phenomenon”.   

Scientists who buy into Kandel’s framework only see naturalistic explanations for “the soul” of humans because they’ve filtered out all the data that leads toward any other conclusion. This might be a great recipe for popular press conferences and sound bites that are served up on the evening news, but it does not make for authentic or robust science that seeks to explore the grandeur and breadth of creation.

The Positive Power of Self-Loathing, Pt. 1 of 2

Someone loaned me a copy of The Secret. Why haven't I heard about this before? (I guess it's a secret!) This DVD has a companion book by the same title. The associated website heralds nothing less than a new era for humankind. Wow - a new era! This is SO exciting!

I won't get into a full-scale critique here, but I am struck by a poignant contrast between the message of "the secret" and a biblically informed appreciation of the power of self-loathing. Basically, "the secret," according to Rhonda Byrne's book and video is "the law of attraction," the idea that "the universe" gives you what you think about. Think negative thoughts, and the universe gives you negative stuff. But if you will ditch all that negativity and think about money and success, the universe will give you money and success. To harness the power of the "secret," dwell on the positive.

Kinda' makes me wonder about math scores in the US. When you measure the mathematical competency of American students, they are near the bottom among developed or developing nations. But when polled about how they FEEL about their math ability, these same students "feel really good" about themselves. Lots of positive thought here. So why isn't "the universe" giving them the great scores their positive self-view is attracting?

There is a dramatic contrast between The Secret and The Bible. In the Bible, there is great power in the kind of self-loathing that gasps, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24). The Apostle Paul was a devoted student of the Law and his studies showed him a glaring contrast. He could affirm that the Law outlines a way of life that is good. But he saw in himself a  persistent inability to live it out. This gap and the corresponding anguish of soul it produced was precisely what Paul needed (and we need). Teetering precariously on the edge of this chasm makes the truth crystal clear - We are beyond saving ourselves; we need to be rescued. No amount of positive thought to the contrary will change a sober reality, we need some ONE (not a universe) to help us in spite of who we are, what we do, and what we think! Praise God for Jesus who helps all such wretched men become what only He could make us - holy!

The "Fifth Gospel" of Jesus - Revealed!

Bring the dramatic music up and under, show ancient Christian art and symbols, and cue the narrator (with deep voice) to say, "100% of light-work personnel and resources (pictured at left) have recently been devoted to the controversial fifth gospel project. Compelling evidence has been painstakingly assembled in the light-work information vault pertaining to the existence of an authentic 'fifth gospel.' Below are key excerpts from the full report filed by DJ, 'The Light Beaver.'

NOTE:  Before we cut to the Beave, let me issue a disclaimer! I am sick of all the "much ado about nothing" baloney served up on TV "documentaries" and books heralding "startling new discoveries" concerning Jesus and the Gospels.  National Geographic is touting The Gospel of Judas as the "lost gospel. Then there is all the fawning over the Gospel of Thomas, which some have dubbed the fifth gospel. Enough already! The audacious claims are just about creating buzz and getting viewers.  (Maybe you are reading this post because of "fifth gospel" in the title! So I guess it works!!) 

The tripe actually seems convincing, leaving people uneasy about their faith. But it's dependent on style over substance. So, let me adopt the same approach, and note what happens. We have a REALLY LIMITED BUDGET here at light-work, so you will have to "screen" our production in your imagination.  The narration for the first segment is in the four paragraphs below where the "Light-Beaver" logos are bookends. So go ahead and cue up your favorite "solve the mystery" music, cut to the "Light-Beaver" logo, and let's head to the catacombs where "Beave" is taking a break from his candlelit manuscript to look directly at the viewer and say...

In a seemingly enigmatic statement made scant hours before His death, Jesus declared to His inner circle, "I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12).  This was the first "bread crumb" that light-work staff spotted and thus began our amazing journey. Did Jesus communicate these "many more things." When? How? And what was it about the disciples that rendered them unsuitable as recipients of this information? The stubborn persistence of these questions would not release us. We took the bait, picked up the trail, and soon found ourselves on the beach of western Asia Minor.  (Note from the Producers:  Now picture a nice Mediterranean beach resort.)

A second bread crumb was snatched from the carpet at a meeting place in a second-rate ancient seaport called Miletus.  Here the first century history-buff named Luke recorded a speech by the Apostle Paul.  And in the transcript of this speech, Paul quotes Jesus as saying, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." To the untrained eye, this might not pique any interest. But light beavers are trained professionals and our interest was REALLY piqued! This was one of those "eureka" moments. There would have been plenty of high-fives all around if our staff were not one less than ten (in binary)! Now we knew the bread crumbs were not just, well, bread crumbs. They were actually taking us somewhere.

Paul's quotation is not found ANYWHERE in the four gospels.  This means that there is MORE that Jesus said than what is recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Now we knew without doubt that the fifth gospel exists. Now that our sinews were charged with such invigorating certainty, a trail of occasional bread crumbs became a tumbling cascade of data dominoes leading to places like Athens and Rome.   (From the Producers:  Picture cool scenes from Athens and Rome.  Then picture the stacks of an ancient and dusty library.)

In the ancient preface to a book compiled for an unknown Roman, we hit pay dirt. The book in question is the concluding volume of a two-part historical account. It was written for one "Theophilus," presumably a high ranking government official and patron with an interest in the origins of Christianity. In the preface we read, "The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach" (Acts 1:1). The author of this account, as it turns out, is none other than our doctor who digs history, Luke! And the implications of his statement are PROFOUND! The Gospel of Luke is his "first account." It recounts what Jesus BEGAN to do and teach. Hence, his second volume, the book of Acts, is about what Jesus CONTINUED to do and teach. Yes, of course. This makes perfect sense! But what does it mean? How could Jesus continue to teach when He was not physically present on planet earth?  What possible alteration of the space/time continuum could make this possible. Is everything we ever believed about anything all a hoax??  More questions with a perfectly reasonable answer that we will TOTALLY IGNORE . . . after the break!

Then the screen goes black as we cut to commercial, having hooked you with unanswered and seemingly disturbing questions.

(Sigh! Sooooo much ado about nothing!)  There is an elegantly simple and perfectly obvious solution to this BIG PROBLEM. I will tell you about it next week. Death to the light-beaver!

Narnia for Atheists? Pt. 2 of 2

The brouhaha over the movie, The Golden Compass, is more about the trilogy written by Philip Pullman titled His Dark Materials.  Several elements to the story in the third volume, The Amber Spyglass, will be starkly out of step with a biblically defined theism.  The two main characters, Lyra and Will, fulfill their destiny "to help all the ghosts out of the land of the dead forever" (p. 309).  As this is accomplished and the dead escape, Lyra explains, "All the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart ...you'll be out in the open, part of everything alive again" (p. 319).  So Lyra "saves" the dead by assisting them to dissolve into the cosmic consciousness.

The "bad guy" who's power is broken when Lyra and Will work their magic in the land of the dead is  called "the Authority" and the "ancient of days."  At one point in the story, angels reveal a great secret to an African king who recounts, "It shocked some of us, too, to learn that the Authority is not the creator.  There may have been a creator, or there may not:  we don't know.  All we know is that at some point the Authority took charge" (p. 210).  Near the book's end, Lyra and Will extricate the ancient of days from a crystal litter only to watch him loosen and dissolve.  Here is what follows:  "Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes, blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief" (pp. 410-411).  Perhaps the author is suggesting that the Authority was actually relieved to resign his position of supremacy and grateful to Will and Lyra for assisting him to join the cosmic consciousness.

Mr. Pullman's trilogy does not depict the God, hell, and salvation I know about.  So, how then should we respond?  There's plenty of internet invective out there calling us to avoid the movie like the plaque.  That advice should be heeded by anyone who is going to simply take the family to the movie, buy the books, and devour them unchecked.  But are the only two alternatives "avoid it" and "swallow it?"  How about "examine it" or "refute it?"

We are sheltering kids when we should be equipping them!  The best response to this trilogy is to train your children to discern and evaluate different viewpoints and competing truth claims.  I have every confidence that the truth about God, hell, and salvation are not in jeopardy.  But, men's right belief in these things is always at risk when they are ill-prepared to defend them.

Don't let your heresy meters go berserk when I say this, but we need to contemplate what life would be like without God.  This is precisely what "the Preacher" does in the book of Ecclesiastes.  "Life under the sun," which is life-with-God-factored-out-of-the-equation, is therein manipulated like a Rubik's Cube and examined from every angle.  The beauty of life with God in the center is made more evident by measuring its opposite.   Solomon would tell us, "The best way to appreciate what you have in God is to take some time to think like an atheist!" 

This might not work for small children.  But if your children are older, what if you were to draw them into an examination of the world-view represented in the trilogy?  Could their interest be piqued toward preparing a reasonable defense?  Could they come up with good reasons for a Christian theism?  We need not cower because some men profess to prefer a world without God.  But it ought to sober us that men who know better can't convincingly explain why.  Why not use The Golden Compass as a provocation to make your family members (and yourself) an exception?

Narnia for Atheists? Pt. 1 of 2

In December, the first of the three books in the trilogy, "His Dark Materials," will show itself on the big screen.  The movie trailer shows high production values, acclaimed acting, and an epic scale that transcends worlds - the stuff of Harry Potter, Narnia, and Middle-Earth.  The book, "The Golden Compass," on which the movie is based, is the creation of Philip Pullman and this first installment looks like a holiday blockbuster in the making.  Alas, there is a brouhaha afoot.

Bill Donahue at the Catholic League has a few words for you, It's a ploy to market atheism to kids!  He sees the softening of the film's more offensive elements as a means to cancel parent's objections and get kids to buy the book.  He warns that this is a descent down a path that, by volume three, has the readers celebrating the defeat of the church and the death of God.  That doesn't sound too good.

Philip Pullman's religious views are not in the same catalog as C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and should make us wary.  Here's what he says on his website:  "I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say. I think it's perfectly possible to explain how the universe came about without bringing God into it, but I don't know everything, and there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away.  Actually, if he is keeping out of sight, it's because he's ashamed of his followers and all the cruelty and ignorance they're responsible for promoting in his name. If I were him, I'd want nothing to do with them."

This summer I read all three books in the trilogy.  I did not then know a movie was coming.  But the popularity of the books suggested my need to "stay in tune" with what's affecting people.  I am not decrying Mr. Pullman's right to write what he chooses.  But parents have a right and responsibility to  choose what serves the best interests of their children.  In my next post, allow me to spare you the trouble of reading (and buying) the books, share with you a few excerpts, and help you make a wise choice.

Fractures in the Franchise

During our recent extended vacation, we attended church #3 on the 2006 CR list of most influential churches.  (By the way, notice that former Collierville Bible Church youth pastor, Tim Lundy, is leading church #26 on the list - way to go, Tim!) We also attended several other mega-churches that are following the paradigm pioneered by churches like Willow and Saddleback, the trend setters emulated by thousands of contemporary churches across the globe.  Because so many churches draw from this model, it is significant that an important Willow insider like Greg Hawkins has uncovered a disturbing truth.  Hawkin's report, according to Bill Hybels, is a shocker and capable of producing sleepless nights for pastors, including himself.

I applaud Willow Creek for being willing to ask tough questions of themselves.  The book which captures insights from the study, titled Reveal, Where are You?, promises to send shock-waves of paradigm shift throughout the franchise.  I find Reveal interesting as an explanation for the numbers of mega-church refugees who come to Collierville Bible Church longing to go deeper with God.  I wonder if it will also become for thousands of churches the "next big thing."