Raise your Steins to Dr. Martin!

I was going to blog some more about Mary, but I've been reminded that it's Reformation Day. Luther was not anti-Mary, by any means, but take this as an affirmation of my protestantness:

The Reformation Polka
to be sung to the tune of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law,
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa,
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, and Augustinian! Oh...

Chorus: Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication.
Nail your theses to the door, let’s start a Reformation.
Papal bulls, indulgences and transubstantiation.

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter’s profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull’tin board:
“You cannot purchase merits, for we’re justified by grace!
Here’s 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face.” Oh…

[Chorus]

They love my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror,
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
“Are these your books? Do you recant?” King Charles did demand.
“I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!” Oh…

[Chorus]

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting ‘Jeorg’ as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin’s model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh…

[Chorus]

Let’s raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that ‘catholic’ is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh…

[Chorus]

HT: Dr. Scott Manetsch via Joel Norman Van Loon.

Tainted Mutual Funds

Following up my earlier post about the Save Darfur campaign, I wanted to report on what I found out about my investments. I was able to use a website run by the Sudan Divestment Taskforce to see whether my mutual funds invest in the companies targeted for divestment.

Irritatingly, about 70% of my retirement money is in "tainted" funds. (I know, it's not as irritating as actually being killed for belonging to the wrong people group, but still.) As a public service announcement, allow me to tell all three of you that the following American Funds mutual funds are invested in corporations that are financing genocide:

• EuroPacific Growth Fund
• New World Fund
• Capital World Growth and Income Fund
• Fundamental Investors

I’ve decided to put my retirement withholdings in some funds that aren’t linked to these “tainted” companies, such as:

• SMALLCAP World Fund
• The Growth Fund of America
• Washington Mutual Investors Fund
• The Income Fund of America
• American Balanced Fund

Unfortunately, by shifting to those funds, my portfolio is becoming less diverse--more tied to American companies at the expense of international companies. (Still, by way of comparison, this is less unfortunate than being raped by mujahedeen.)

So, if you have mutual funds, I hope you can put this info to use. Even if you don't have any, you can still sign a petition.

All I have to say about a certain wizard

China Doll invited comment on certain statements recently made about a certain wizard. I have had no desire to say anything on the topic. But happily, I found much of what I have been thinking conveniently summarized in the New York Times. Unfortunately, since I read the article this morning, it's disappeared behind the Times's registration fence.

Just in Time for Halloween....

My wife asked me to go to a Halloween party as JFK, since she wanted to go as Jackie O. Now, I don't look anything like JFK, but I can throw on a blue suit and a skinny tie. This plan has required me to do something drastic, however.

I am now beardless. And this means I get weird looks from the wife all day long, since she's not used to actually seeing my face.

Hooray!

After months and months of applications, Mrs. Chaka has been offered a job! She's started to get a little stir crazy, so it will be great for her to get out of the apartment. This is the company she's working for; they seem like nice people.

I'm in such a good mood that I won't even respond to China Doll's rude and presumptuous accusations below. Except to say that I am, of course, fascinated by bilingualism and welcome her contributions, however boring she may think they are.

Where Am I?

Since when did this become the blog of Chaka? I thought he had his own blog? A blog which hasn't been updated since my return to the States. Sure, this is an interactive space in which we can all insert our opinions, thoughts and questions. But he's taking over! Whether or not I have anything interesting to say, I will not let you take over this blog Mr. M.W.! If I have to I too can start posting my superbly boring thesis paper bibliography. How much do you want to know about bilingual literacy?

Is Mary My Mother?

Yesterday's extremely bland post made the obvious observation that Mary was a disciple of her son. But is she particularly outstanding among all of Jesus' disciples?

She was a witness of more crucial events in salvation history than most--the only witness to the incarnation, for one thing. Then she also witnessed the crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost. The apostles are outstanding among Jesus' disciples; they are also witnesses of the resurrection--but they received a commission from Jesus for this task. Did Mary receive any commission?

The Gospel of John seems to narrate a commission for Mary. At the cross, Jesus installs Mary as the mother of the beloved disciple (John 19:25-27). Two fourth-century Church Fathers, Ambrose and Augustine, see more in this episode, however. They interpret it as Jesus installing Mary as the mother of all the atoned. As John is given to Mary as son, so are all who believe.

Mother Mary? This is the part where Protestants are supposed to recoil in horror. It's actually not that much of a stretch. The New Testament calls Abraham the father of all who believe, because believers follow in his footsteps in trusting God (Gal 3:6-7). Like Abraham, Mary believed God, and God blessed the entire world through her seed. If he can be called father, might she not be called mother?

Mary the Disciple

Some passages of Scripture seem to emphasize Mary's lack of understanding and even opposition to Christ's ministry (Mark 3:20-35). But the Gospel narratives as a whole and the Church Fathers understand Mary as one of the disciples. Jesus continually points to his identity outside his human family: son of the God of the temple (Luke 2:49); son and brother of those who do the will of God (Mark 3:35). At the end of his life, however, his physical mother is clearly spiritually related to him as well. The Gospel of John explicitly places the mother of Jesus at the foot of the cross, while the other Gospels seem to indicate she is there, among the women who followed Jesus from Galilee and supported him. The beginning of Acts includes Mary among the disciples of Jesus waiting for the Holy Spirit.

Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing

These lyrics apparently don't exist on the internet, so I'm doing my part to add to the universal knowledge base. A meaningful song to me, from the defunct Minneapolis band Pegtop.

=======

What would I give to be pure in heart
And pure in flesh and bone?
What would I give
To be pure in heart?
I'd give everything I own.

I'd rid my whole house of the demons of lust
And open the windows of trust.
And out of those windows
All fear will have flown,
And I'd give everything I own.

What would I give for the words of God
To come tumbling from the throne?
What would I give
for the words of God?
I'd give everything I own.

I'd open my hand and they'd roll right in.
When I'd open my mouth, they'd roll out again.
They'd uproot the weeds
Of the deeds I have sown,
And I'd give everything I own.

What would I give for my children's strength
On the day they stand alone?
I mean what would I give
For their strength to stand firm?
I'd give everything I own.

I've wasted my live in accomplishing things,
Ignoring the giver of wings.
Lord, teach them to fly
To the foot of your throne
And I'll give everything I own.

All I've accomplished
And the titles I hold
My passions, positions, possessions and gold,
To God they must look like a thimble of foam--
And it's everything I own.
Dirty rags is all I own.

So I stand before God
With my truckload of hay.
He just laughs, but says, "There is still a way."
Because "Father, forgive," are the words Jesus moaned.
He gave everything he owned.
When he gave everything he owned.

What would I give to be pure in heart?
For the known to be unknown?
I mean what would I give to be . . . born again?

Library Geekiness

So Mrs. Chaka and I went to a Librarian's conference yesterday. Quick show of hands: how many of you are surprised? How many books did we come home with? The person who answers closest to the correct number will receive a single kudo.

Most of the books we obtained were for a theological library to be started in Liberia. As part of the conference, we were learning about software that can be used to make an electronic catalog. The goal is to get started cataloging the books here in the States, but to do it in a way that will be helpful as the library grows and presumably integrates with other libraries in Africa. I keep thinking that there ought to be freeware that does this. There are sites that let you build an electronic library (LibraryThing, Google Books) and some fairly cheap software, but none of these options use the standard database fields for real libraries.

I always wondered why Library Science was a master's degree. I'm beginning to get an idea; librarians are plumbing depths of geekiness hitherto unimagined by your very geeky narrator. Database management, that distant shore of nerddom on which I have never desired to land, looms large on the horizon.

I'm most disappointed in Google Books. I mean, two years ago, it wasn't possible for me to read the entire contents of copyright-expired books, scanned and searchable, without any cost to myself. But I'm over the wonder and amazement of that, Google. Now I'm wondering why you haven't included all of the MARC records with all of your books. Let's get the lead out, ok?

Sorry for your service interruption

Sorry there was no post last night. The wife and I had guests until late. I did dream that I was blogging about Jean-Paul Satre still being alive and being a secret Harry Potter fan.

Speaking of HP, I found it amusing that the most recent issue of Books and Culture insisted (in separate reviews) that Harry Potter isn't a Christ figure, but Harry Crick from Stranger than Fiction is. (Yes, I know the character is called Harold in the movie; I did that intentionally to draw the two into comparison. BC, are you reading?)

Since no one seems to be able to say exactly what a Christ figure is, I would say that both characters are Christ-follower figures. Even if they don't match up point-by-point to Jesus, they both follow in the footsteps of Christ by "becoming obedient unto death--and, more significantly, they are both restored to life because of their obedience (not to give the plot away). I found both Harrys very moving presentations of this story, which Paul argues is the normative story for all Christians (Phil 2:1-11).

How often do you think about your death? I've been trying to think about my own more often--or rather, think about it in the right way. In the past, I would sometimes get preoccupied imagining elaborate scenarios in which I was about to be killed. These fits of morbid imagination were always depressing--I wanted to fantasize that I could fight back like the hero in a movie, but for some reason, I knew that doing so would be foolish. I'm no extraordinary fighter; odds are if someone wanted to kill me, they could. Encountering these characters (particularly Harry Potter) who walk to death with calmness, with resolution, has changed the course of these imaginings.

I have always understood cognitively that I have nothing to fear from death. I think it is instructive, however, that it took these works of imagination to convince a part of me that was true. It says something about the value of art as an aid to spiritual growth.

It's Wednesday Night

According to the New York Times, "It is possible to have loathed Amélie and still enjoy Pushing Daisies." And it's possible to hate kittens and like 19th century British novels, but if you're really proud of the fact that you hate kittens, there's just something wrong with you.

Mrs. Chaka and I are enjoying our favorite new show tonight. Not enjoying the ads for Private Practice or for the rest of ABC's shows, but you do what you can. I figured that Linus would like this show, but I'm guessing he's already discovered it.

What does Ditch Digging have to do with Darfur?

A sidebar advertisement asked me, "Are you making a killing on the market?" Its stark, serious typography told me it wasn't for an investment firm. There were no reassuring tones: no soothing blue, prosperity green, or authoritative gold. I clicked the link, wondering what connection would be made between investments and the loss of human life.

I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that I may be one of the people making the killing.

A few months ago, I was happy to see that my tiny retirement account had grown by a few hundred dollars. The account, left over from my days digging ditches, if you can believe that, is my only investment. I've never taken much interest in it--American Funds tells me they're The right choice for the long term (r) and I take their word for it.

I knew that China's state-run oil company was one of the bad guys in the Darfur genocide, funding the Sudanese government in defiance of the international attempt to isolate it. What I didn't put together was that American Funds of course invests in China National Petroleum (and their subsidiary, PetroChina). Activists have encouraged American Funds and other mutual fund firms to divest from these companies. American Funds' website has a link for their "approach to socially responsible investing."

Short version: Sad deal about the murder and rape thing, but we exist to make money, you know. It says so in the prospectus.

I haven't quite figured out yet whether any of my funds own PetroChina stock (like I said, I haven't paid much attention--I don't know exactly where my paperwork is), but I guess I better act on some of the principles I've talked about in this blog and find out.

A friend's status on facebook was recently "wondering how I can practice an ethic of love towards the people who represent, and knowingly benefit from, the very privileges that make my life more difficult?" It's a good question, but it's one that I don't really have to answer for myself. My much, much smaller irritation lies in discovering how easy it is for me to get enmeshed in new privileges that make others' lives difficult.