The Monkey

The United Nothings: the UN's failure in Darfur

2007-10-15T22:09:00.000-06:00

I watched a CBC documentary on Darfur last week, and I was overwhelmed with a feeling of remorse. As a citizen of one of the most powerful nations on earth, I am a part of the problem. We stood by and did nothing while genocide raged in Darfur, because we simply didn’t have the will to change our politics. Because the UN has never set a precedent of sending troops into a country without that country’s government’s consent, they were unwilling to do so in Darfur. Shame on them for not daring to change the status quo. Shame on all of us for not having the balls to invade a country that seems hell-bent on raping and killing its own citizens. And shame on Sudan for committing something as horrible as genocide simply to secure the continued influx of Chinese investment in its burgeoning oil-based economy.

Mia Farrow is a strident activist when it comes to the horrors of Darfur, and in this documentary she points out that what the UN failed to do in Darfur is analogous to going up to Hitler and saying, “Excuse me Mr. Hitler, but could we please have your permission to send our troops into your country in order to liberate the death camps?” And when Hitler gives his inevitable response “No,” all we can do is wring our hands in dismay and do nothing, because we have decided that we won’t send troops into a country without that country’s permission. The United Nations is united all right: they are united in doing nothing of import. They are united in passing resolutions and condemning horrific actions. They are united in spouting the rhetoric of human rights and the necessity to defend such rights. And they have proven, in Rwanda, in Svrebenica, and in Darfur, that their words are ultimately powerless, because they are lies disguised as resolve. “Never again” they say. And they are right. “Never again,” until the next time.

-see Mia Farrow’s campaign to shame China, “Genocide Olympics” http://www.miafarrow.org/editorials.html

What the hell is Jesus doing??

2007-09-20T19:02:00.000-06:00

Perhaps it goes without saying, but this picture is controversial. I believe it was originally printed in a Danish newspaper. I got it off of globeandmail.com. And yet, perhaps it doesn't go without saying, or it shouldn't. Why does this picture of Jesus bother me? I myself am a smoker. So do I actually believe that smoking is wrong? Is that why I'm uncomfortable looking at Jesus smoking? Am I engaged in immoral behavior every time I light my pipe?

The other day my sister gave me the "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" argument in reference to my smoking (the message of the argument being, since your body is the temple, anything that you do to your body that is destructive is somehow sinful, because you are hurting God's temple). There is one main problem with this argument, however. The Bible only uses it in one specific context: sexual sin. Adultery or fornication is wrong because it violates the temple of the Holy Spirit. As much as us Protestants might feel uncomfortable with what I'm about to say, I'm still going to say it: all sin is not created equal. Sexual sin is different than other sin. And that seems to be why the Bible pulls out all the stops by talking about our bodies as temples, as the ultimate residence of God Himself, and sexual sin somehow violates the temple like nothing else.

And if we try and stretch the argument to include things other than sexual sin, we get the following result: if smoking is wrong because it hurts the temple, then what about all the other things we consume that are also not beneficial? Coffee serves no good purpose for the body, in fact it unnecessarily speeds up the heart and dehydrates the body. So drinking coffee is also wrong, it's a sin. Now we're starting to sound like fundamentalist legalistic Mormons.

And remember what the Apostle Paul said: there are some things that are permissible but not beneficial. And now I wonder: would Jesus smoke? What reasons might He have for smoking? Why do I smoke? I'll be honest here. Sometimes I smoke for emotional reasons, to make myself feel good. I use it to cope with my emotional distress, just like I eat comfort food (chocolate, baby, oh yeah!) or drink coffee to feel better. Sometimes I smoke for social reasons. It's a way of connecting with the person or persons I'm with, kind of like breaking bread together. This is the same reason why I really enjoy a pint or two with a good friend at the pub. And sometimes I smoke just because I enjoy it. Are any of these reasons valid? I would posit that social and personal reasons can be entirely legitimate. Smoking in order to cope with emotional problems, not so much. And as I've thought about it, I can see Jesus smoking for social reasons. And I can see Him smoking for enjoyment too. Jesus ain't no killjoy. But He also is not trapped in coping behaviors. My desire is to become more like Him, so that each day brings me closer to His reality, where I no longer rely on anything created to cope with my problems, but bring my problems to Him, and in His light find freedom to be my true self, free from every encumbrance, so that I can say along with Paul, "I have fought the good fight, I have run the race."

Love

2007-08-25T21:22:00.000-06:00

"Love - it is a motherfucker." This eloquent quote is from the movie "Old School," which is a classic in my humble opinion. And the sentiment expressed in those 5 carefully chosen words resonate with the way I often feel. Love, or what I typically think love is, is often a pain-filled exercise in futility. Why is that? I think part of the reason, at least for myself, is that when I fall in love, it involves an attempt by my heart to fill a need that romantic love cannot fill. And so I cling to this object of my love, and in my immaturity I fail to find what I seek. Real love, I am learning, is something different. When I have it all figured out, I will write another post entitled "Love - it's not so bad."

Me and Big Mama

2007-08-12T20:38:00.001-06:00

(The date of this post should read August 19, 2007)

This is me and Big Mama (that's the name of my motorcycle). Big Mama and I went on a mini-vacation this past week, camping in Waterton. I've never been there before, it's beautiful. And it was truly an adventure, when my bike fell over and the clutch handle broke off, requiring AMA to take me to a bike shop to get a replacement. Thankfully the shop was able to fix Big Mama, and I was back on the road in no time. I am practicing the art of being alone, of being with myself. I think that the reason why this practice is so important is because it focuses on "being." It is far too easy to fill one's life with "doing," at the expense of our souls. Tonight I am fighting the urge to plop myself down in front of the TV. The diseased part of me is seeking after distraction. But I am more than the sum of my parts, especially the diseased parts. And if Big Mama can fall down and get right back up again, so can I! Here's to Big Mama: may she always ride beautiful and true.

Poetic musings

2007-08-12T14:53:00.000-06:00

I must really be in the writing mood, because I have actually been inspired to write some poetry. This first one is a reflection of the process I've begun in counselling.

Of the founding of things,
of many wounded starts
we seek to understand
how we are the way we are.

Of many faltered steps
is the journey done
and in these footfalls
life finds its mark.

Were I stronger than I am,
would the way be smooth?
Have I left that undone
which cannot be remade?

Or shall I make the rough way mine,
and faltering though I may be
shall I mend the coarse unbroken
and free to found, to create, to begin?

This second poem is a result of me meditating on the nature of the tao. Taoism, like Christianity, is full of beautiful, profound paradoxes, and as someone who feels a leaning towards the mystical, the tao speaks to me of how reality really is. There is a oneness to life, and a great mystery as to the nature of that oneness. And I must confess that at least some of the ideas in this poem can be found in the Book of the Tao (Tao Teh Ching). Like all of us, I stand on the shoulders of giants.

Only the empty vessel can be filled
Only the unfurled sail can catch the wind
Only the open heart can love invade
Only the uncluttered mind can know the tao.

To know the unknowable is to cease from learning
To know the unknowable is to cease from striving
To know her is to flow like water
To know him is to remain like rock.

2007-08-09T10:58:00.000-06:00

Why? As a philosopher, this basic question provides the starting point for a life well-lived. To quote Socrates, the unexamined life is not worth living. The why question starts the examination process, not only of one’s own life, but of the entire universe. Why am I here? Why is life the way it is? There are many questions that spin off of these ones: Who am I? What constitutes true reality? Is it possible to know reality as it is, or is it only possible to know reality as we perceive it to be?

My counselor encouraged me to ask the why question. Why am I suffering from anxiety, fear, depression? Why are those things present in my life? In other words, what is causing them? They are symptoms. So what is the disease? This is, for me, the starting point. If I want to journey further, if I want to get past the roadblocks that seem to continually manifest themselves on the roadway of my life, then I need to attend to myself. I am sick, and sick people need medicine. I have a disease, and diseased people need healing. I am wounded, and wounded people need care. I am broken, and broken people need surgery. It’s time to go under the knife, to excise the cancerous lump, so that the sick parts become healthy and whole. I’ve been under the knife before, and it hurts more than any physical pain I’ve experienced. But after the surgery is done, and the heart has had time to heal, I am much stronger for having gone through it. The only other option is to remain sick, and sick people die sooner. I want to live. Mere existence is not living. To truly live is to be free. I want to be free to be me, because who I am is good.

My first blog

2007-08-06T12:58:00.000-06:00

I don't spend much time on the internet, so as a result I have never blogged before, I am not on Facebook, and I don't view internet pornography. I am interested in possibly pursuing 2 of these 3 internet activities, as many people seem to enjoy them. The third pursuit, although enjoyed by many also, is one that I will pass up, by the continued grace of God.

So here goes, my first blog. I really enjoy journalling, and a large part of that is the physical process of writing with a pen (a fountain pen actually, much more enjoyable than a ball-point). Hence the problem with blogging. It requires mechanical typing, not fluid, organic, fountain-pen scribing. However, I am also aware of the benefits of making oneself available to a wider audience than simply one's private journal. At least, I think there might be benefits. If you know what they are, let me know.

These days I am torn between 2 competing desires: the desire to be alone, and the desire to be with others. Both states of being are beneficial, but I also think that adopting one state to the exclusion of the other is unhealthy. So I have attempted to discipline myself by going out with others, while also finding time to be alone. When alone, however, I have discovered a tendency in myself to seek after distractions. So finding the time to be alone is one thing, but exercising the will to use the time constructively is quite another. Reading a good book has been helpful. Journalling has been helpful. Torturing small animals, a little less helpful. Just kidding about the last one, don't go reporting me.