“Obama is not the Messiah, but he may cast out some demons in November“ (HT Revolution in Jesusland). Read more

As we all get ready for (or in some cases have already begun trying to cope with) the start of a new semester, it is worth looking at the Chronicle’s list of what “has always been the case” for this year’s incoming college freshmen, born (in most cases) in 1990. To cope with the experience of our encounter with them, most professors will listen to music our students have never heard of… Read more

The character Nathan didn’t last long on LOST. But having pondered the possibility that the Bible is a key influence on and substructure of the plot of LOST, it is worth noting that Nathan in the Bible was a prophet. Could the introduction of the character of Nathan in fact have provided clues about the future of LOST? What we know is that he was in the tail section; he would go off into the jungle for hours at a... Read more

In the episode “What Kate Did”, Mr. Eko makes reference to the “Book of Law” that was found by Josiah in the temple in Jerusalem. He then reveals that he found a book, a Bible, in which was hidden what turned out to be the missing parts of the Dharma Initiative orientation video for the Swan station. Since then, we’ve learned that Richard Alpert brought an old book with “Book of Laws” on the cover when he visited young John... Read more

One of the most striking images early in season 2 of LOST is when Mr. Eko and Jin hide from passing Others. As we see legs go by, all are barefoot, one has muddy bare legs, and one is carrying a teddy bear on a string. Soon after, we learn that a teddy bear was in the possession of one of the children who were abducted by the Others. What are we to make of this? It was a clue... Read more

“If science is the search for answers, creationism is the elimination of questions“ (Daniel Radosh, Rapture Ready! (New York: Scribner, 2008) p.286). Read more

I’ve now watched into season 2 of LOST, up to the first episode I ever saw, if I remember correctly: “The Other 48 Days”. One of the mysteries that becomes more prominent in this season, but has been there from early on, is the whispers. They seem to accompany the movement of the Others, but also the manifestation of the island in the smoke monster or dead and missing individuals. There have been several attempts to decipher the voices, and... Read more

(From Gumby the Cat) Read more

Here’s my son (age 8) playing “You Raise Me Up” (Selah’s arrangement) on the violin, accompanied by me on the piano. The still image during the first 27 seconds is due to “technical difficulties” in that portion of the video, but the sound works throughout, and the video is fine from then on. Read more