Collaborations

- Get Schooled Dodgeball Tourny (2011)

Model: Brett Taylor

Photographer: Corrie Nakamura

Design and Copy: Reyn Hiskey

Biola University's iTunes U

iTunes U (meaning iTunes University) is a platform within the iTunes store which provides content from universities across the globe in order to promote learning and showcase the wealth of knowledge available at each university.

Our goal for Biola's iTunes U was to create a place wherein the values, principles and core teachings of faith and integration which Biola University has come to stand for can be shared with the world at large. We will accomplish this by providing classes, lectures, chapels, and various outside content for free on our site.

Phoebe, And Other Musings

Phoebe O Phoebe, would that we could all see what you see. Wonderland seems to be a fantasical place. Full of wondrous creatures, full of creative grace.

I reflect on Phoebe in Wonderland and I think of two prominent aspects of the film. The first is of a child lost in her own world, a world not merely made up for her enjoyment but made up as a result of a need she felt in her life. The second is the life of two parents, shut out from their daughters world by the one thing that parents should strive to have above all else, love.

It's interesting that we see Phoebe's sister as the daughter with angst (self proclaimed even) because I believe it gives power to the way that Phoebe distances and differentiates herself. Not even Phoebe knows what is causing her to be so different and in many cases self-harmingly OCD. And when a child acts against his or his wishes, acts without self control and self knowledge, WHAT could be more terrifying for that child? I suspect that having parents who neither understand nor can adequately deal with the problem is the only thing which scares Phoebe more. Her superheroes, her parents, can't help her. Only through escaping into a world where she no longer has to be anything but curious, joyful, insightful of the most magnificently silly things (all that a child dreams to be and do) is she happy. In wonderland, Phoebe finds a place where she does not merely need to survive, she can finally thrive.

Now for those wonderfully loving parents of hers. What is the hardest thing to do when you're in a relationship? Admit to the areas of weakness in that relationship, accept that it is not perfect and that in some cases the two of you alone cannot fix the problems you face. Now multiply that by infinity, take that to the depth of forever, and you still will barely have a glimpse of what I'm talking about. Even I can't fathom the pain one would find at having to struggle with a child who's problems I not only cannot understand, but cannot fix or even sooth. The pain one feels in that situation can even become even more harmful to the child, as seen when Phoebe's father is unable to hold his tongue and asks her why she thinks they'd want another child when they can barely handle her. It's an outrageous moment that should fill most viewers with the righteous anger of the heavens. Only, then you think about it. Would YOU be able to hold your tongue if you were him. Most if not all of us would say we surely would. But the problem is that no one can be sure of that. We all like to think that we would love someone so perfectly that we could never loose our head and hurt our loved ones so badly. But think back to up above, the imperfect relationship we are so afraid to question because we are SO in love. Is that love that stops us from questioning and allows our minds to make excuses for the imperfections in each other. No, love accepts imperfections, love seeks to understand and in understanding loves the imperfections themselves. It is only once the parents are able to let go of their fear of Phoebe's differences that they are able to truly understand and truly love her.

It's not easy getting to know someone completely. People have baggage, secrets, mistake ridden pasts; we're all quite messy underneath whatever outward appearances we possess or create for ourselves. The best part though, is once you get past all the crap. It's like coming upon a wonderful forrest, one that you can't help but explore, as you go deeper however, you realize that it is covered in swamps and crawling with dangerous creatures. Many people return to the beginning and stay there, afraid of the dangers lurking in the depths of that forrest. Some people leave the forrest and never return. Still others, the great ones, press on. They can't always be sure, but somehow they have a gut feeling that will eventually be rewarded. That is because once you get past the dark, dangerous and dreary inner forrest you come upon a clearing. All people have a clearing to find. And in that clearing you find the most beauteous sights. The truest parts of a person, those parts which can no longer be hidden by any means. You press on to that clearing, you have truly loved. And if you've been to that clearing, you know, it is ALWAYS worth the journey.

Jonah

Jonah has been coming up quite a lot in my life the last few months. In July I finally went back to my calling of serving in my church's high school group as a leader at the annual Party at Pedros. That weekend is always an amazing experience, as proven by my time there in high school as a camper, and my 3 different occasions to be a leader. That trip itself is ground for an entire blog post, so I will say only that the story our speaker choose happened to be that of Jonah. Then 3 weeks ago the high school pastor began a series on Jonah. And last night I sat in the main church service and listen to a man who i've had the utmost respect for since I met him my freshman year of high school give an very poignant sermon on Jonah. It just so happens that this man is the high school pastor at my church and was my small group leader for about 3 years of my high school experience. Funny, this was the third time i'd encountered Jonah with (if memory serves, 3 weeks in between each encounter) and all of them were with Jay (pastor). Now I won't claim to have paid perfect attention at the camp's sermons (I fell asleep during the first night's due to having to take some Nyquil) and maybe not even the second time during the high school service (I didn't fall asleep, but I was somewhat distracted by checking to see that the kids were respectfully paying attention) but I would be remiss to have missed that there was obviously something important God wanted to teach me through Jonah's tale.

Jonah's time in the giant fish was a prophetic instance which foreshadowed the 3 days and 3 nights Jesus would spend in his tomb. I have known that for quite a while, so once I started noticing all the triplets surrounding this sermon and my life for the past few months (I understand if you think I am stretching the significance of the number 3, but after all, this is about how God spoke to me and I think it was quite purposeful on his part. I tend to pay more attention to silly things like this.) So, this in mind, I sat forward in my seat and began to listen to what God was trying to tell me. The following is what I got:

"I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars [closed] behind me forever; Yet you have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God.When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD. And my prayer went [up] to You, into Your Holy Temple" Jonah 2:7

I have so much I have typed out and tried to say about his passage, but it keeps coming out wrong so I am going to start where I ended and try to explain that. Sometimes it is the case that God does not seek to solve our problems, but seeks to use our problems to solve us. Jonah's time in the belly of the whale allowed him to realize his err in fleeing from God and had Jonah not been spit up it would have been sufficient that his time in the whale had returned him to a path of righteousness and rightness with God. Here's the deal, I think that this was God giving me a reminder that even when life is going horribly, you are struggling with things you cannot understand the meaning for, you are ready to give up, He is there. He wants us to learn from our struggles and grow from them. Learn about ourselves, and about Him. Become wiser and more patient, compassionate and more understanding, loving and more giving. Jonah's psalm is similar to that of David's in Psalm 22. Even in the darkest hour the LORD is a great God and his love is always apparent.

I am struggling to find a job right now, I have been for almost 3 months. I haven't given up hope yet. I don't even feel angry at God or blame Him that I somehow being smitten by Him. So in the end I don't really know if this journey with Jonah has been just a loving reminder that I am doing well to remember to still praise Him for the great things I'm experiencing while I struggle with a job search (and let me be perfectly honest, even dirt poor, my life is more joyous than many could hope for, and it's getting better every day), or if it is an encouragement to me for the future. Either way, this was a message from God to me, and even if it's not special for anyone else, I will cherish it. It's like putting a John Deer hat on your grandpa when he leaves your house for on Thanksgiving with his arms full of left overs. When you think about it, it's just an average moment, but sometimes, with the right circumstances, that average moment can come to mean everything.

Raw and Random Thoughts

There is some quality of clouds that allows them to be two completely different things without changing their nature. In the light of day clouds are beautifully billowing emblems of the heavens. The clouds of a sunny day inspire the artful minds of man to create images overflowing with hope, incite the hands of the poet to bleed their ink wells dry with sonnets unrivaled by history's greatest poetic genius'. Yet those same magnificent clouds are able to strike almost the opposite feelings into the heart of those that behold them. The amassed clouds of the brooding storm carry no joy with tempestuous winds. Those self same clouds which only hours before were unleashing their beauteous forms among the sky have become harbingers of the frigid and damp dismality that weakens the soul and bears down upon the spirit. Clouds are a truly wondrous thing!

The heart similarly is wondrous. I speak not of the ventricles, arteries and valves of the organic heart - though in fairness that organ is incredible - but instead of the heart of mankind that lives within the chest yet functions on the flow of emotions, and circulation of love. I compare the heart to the clouds because the heart does not change in nature when the winds of change blow and one's hope is worn down by the cool neglection of another's heart. I am no scientist but I do remember something about cold and hot pressure creating the different types of clouds, causing clear and stormy weather. As this is true - or at least as much as what is true is aligned with what I remember - it seems obvious that the soaringly hopeful heart belongs in the illuminated light of sunshine, while the beleaguered and life-leached heart is one found in the woes of a storm.

This analogy seems to be taking root in my mind and growing with a rapidity that causes me to think two things. First, the truth in the analogy is clearly recognized by me and thus I am able to quickly move further up and further into the analogy. Second, the analogy, if it has any truth at all in it, has long since lost any meaning and the majority of my above thoughts are without meaning beyond their singular words. WELL HANG IT ALL TO HIGH HELL SAY I! I am not only an optimist, but a romantic, and therefore I shall carry on with my thoughts, or rather let my thoughts carry me on. I should note that when I say analogy I could very well mean correlation, I am quite tired and not every word chosen is perfect.

Now, I know that above I claimed to let my thoughts carry me on, and I did fully intend to. The funny thing with intentions however is how they can easily be turned astray. I am sorry to say that my thoughts have now led me to only one place. My mind must rest. I must sleep. Though the rest of a night which I recently had is not available to me, I shall rest my best and see if I cannot re-board that train of thought which I seem to have gotten off of at the wrong station.

Back In Action: Jumping In

So this is probably only going to be some quick thoughts as I have a job interview in the morning (hopefully leading to a job finally) but here on some recent thoughts on people and my relationship with them.

Lets start with this quote: "What man is a man, who does not make the world a better place?"

I am noticing that my feelings and relationships with people are much less dependent on who particular people are (character, personality etc.) and more dependent on who they want to be; this is only sufficient insofar as they are moving towards and capable of becoming who they wish to be. This may not be a typical way of thinking, but I do think the world could use more of it. It has allowed me to be a less judgmental and more loving person.

I do not know the actual quote but someone once said something along the lines of "I was so consumed with trying to do the right thing, that I forgot what the right thing was." I think that extends fully into the realm of the way we treat people. It is easy to get caught up in wanting to love people but it is equally easy to fall into the temptation of looking for people who are "worthy" of our love. This leads us to become blind to the people who actually NEED our love.

Most of my above thoughts stem from my time contemplating my desire(?) to go to law school which I think is a result of my feelings on loving the people of this world. I do not wish to sit idly by and read about the injustice of this world while swelling with anger (even if it is righteous anger, not sure if it is necessarily). I feel that I have been given the ability and the heart to make a difference and maybe even change people's views on justice and its execution. In the end maybe that's what this post is all about. I want to go to law school and I want to fight the evil deeds of evil people. I have a hero complex, what of it? I don't have the heart to fight physically, but I have the passion to fight to the death for the love of the people of this world.

God's Great Earth

This is just a few videos just show how awesome our earth and things animals that inhabit it are. Simply, amazing.

Why Wash

I just realized that I have not yet related why I chose to call my blog the wash. So I am going to try to get through this quickly and concisely. First off, everyone knows and will not argue that regular washing of almost anything is effective at showing it's true nature. A car's color is most vivid when clean, a mirror is most reflective when free of gunk and junk, etc. My meaning and purpose in creating this blog - though it was for a class - was to be able to take some free time to discourse of things which confuse me or in the very least consume my thoughts. So I will now do my best - being free from class obligations - to relate thoughts and ideas through this blog for the enjoyment of you. Thank you for joining me as I attempt to wash through the muddles of my brain and the things I see around me.

Blog 3: Interview of a Professional

Tim Treager has worked as the editor at the Whittier Daily News since 2007. Before that his work experience had ranged from shooting pictures of the Dodgers and Los Angeles Raiders for a sports page in Burbank, to covering the 1992 L.A. riots from the site of Rodney King's beating. When Sonny Bono, the famous solo career singer and more famous for his duet career with Cher, skied into a tree at the Heavenly Resort in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Tim Treager was the first person to break the story and was on Larry King the next morning. In summation, his career as a journalist has been variant and exciting. When I asked him what his philosophy of journalism was he quickly responded that it was "always changing," but the constants for him were his beliefs that what he did as a journalist always came back to a journalists role as "the fourth estate," and the "gatekeepers." Treager says that what is important to realize about journalists now is that they need to become producers of "value." What he means by this is that when roughly fifteen years ago newspapers began to publish stories online people still paid for the printed paper. Now almost all content can be reached online for free, causing papers to loose money and jobs to suddenly disappear. "If it's free, it has no value," Treager says, "we need to shut down the website today, and bring it back online tomorrow and charge a monthly fee for it." Treager realizes that once you put a price on something, it has value, its worth something. Noting interestingly, Treager said, "cities with no news papers have less volunteers." This fact shows that newspapers have an obligation to make changes so that they can avoid continual job cuts, as well as a need to be aware of their impact on their communities.

This leads me to my next point, Tim Treager's views on religion in his experience as a journalist. Treager says that he is not what he would call a religious person per se, but that regardless of his feelings towards the subject he knows it is important. This is because of his audience. Whittier, California is a city founded by Quakers and comprised still of many Christians and other religious sects. It reminds me of the joke about a Starbucks being on every corner, in Whittier, their is a church on almost every corner. Their is a Masonic Temple next to the Daily News headquarters even. Now to digress, due to the overwhelming amount of religious - mainly Christian - readers of the Daily News, they run a weekly page devoted entirely to religion. You have to "play to your audience," Treager tells me. And since he knows the affect the newspaper can have on the involvement of it's community in service, Treager says that it is one of his main goals to constantly be "beefing up" the religion page in order give them the coverage they deserve.

Journo Under Siege: Where is the Justice

I am living in a world where the boundaries of justice and freedom seem to blur with an ease which reminiscent of the silver screen's ability to blur boundaries of the possible and impossible. Journalists are a unique breed of people; they are the citizens who speak for truth, fight for it, and reveal its amorphous face to the world. It seems however, that people do not always appreciate the lengths journalists go to, to do their job and the fact that at the end of the day journalists are still people who have moral boundaries and ethics to uphold.

In October of 2001, Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper were asked to present evidence in the court case investigating the revelation of Valerie Plame as a member of the CIA. In order to present the evidence, both journalists would have to retract promises of confidence given to their sources and reveal those sources names. "Courts should not be able to 'just willy nilly extract information from reporters,' U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton of Washington told an American Bar Association panel on proposed shield legislation" (www.firstamendmentcenter.org). The mentioned shield legislation is a bill that states the rights journalists have to withhold information they have sworn to privacy in court. The bills leave room for instances in which national security or public safety is at risk but in general would have given protection to Journalists like Miller and Cooper. As a result of their initial refusal, both Miller and Cooper declined the demands of the court, an action that led to their being held in contempt. Miller eventually gave in to the court's wishes thanks to a discussion between his lawyer and his source’s that led to an agreement of disclosure. However, with no such agreement given to her, Miller refused to give the name of her source and was sentenced to 18 months in jail on July 6 2005 after months of appeals.

This is not the only instance of a journalist being oppressed by courts though, Claire O'Brien is a reporter in Kansas who in regards to her situation with the court said, "I feel profoundly betrayed. I have been prepared to take one of the most difficult steps a citizen can take and I haven't been given the dignity of representation ... to facilitate my choice, I have been told that I have to betray my sources in order to get legal help" (www.firstamendmentcenter.org). However, this case seems to fall all the other side of the issues because, "prosecutors want her notes from a jailhouse interview with a suspect in a shooting that left one man dead and another wounded. They also want to know the identity of confidential sources who alluded that the suspect might be in danger" (www.firstamendmentcenter.org).

While the argument can be made that it is the safety of the people the court pursues, the journalist pursues the safety of their source and in so doing practices ethical journalism. Aren’t ethical journalists what we desire?

Freedom of Press Demands Responsible Readers

Many people believe that there are many images, stories, videos – basically all forms of media and news are considered – that should not be shown to the general public or even made available for there use because of their violent or disturbing content. Examples which come to mind immediately are images of people jumping out of the twin towers on September 11,2001 when they were bombed; the people decided that suicide from the fall was better than death from the fires. Other examples include photos of students from the Virginia Tech shooting being carried injured out of buildings. These images are just examples of the content available to those who read the news and surf the Internet. There are a good deal of people find them to be considered as over the top and too graphic for public viewing due to those peoples assumptions and opinions that such images are not beneficial to the public in the retelling of such already unfortunate and distressing stories. There are others who hold the opinion which I hold; the public has a right to know the truth, and be informed in a way that paints no false images or expectations.

In many situations the truth, when revealed through photography and video and other media, can be alarmingly terrifying. People have tend to live in their own little world and live a self sheltered light in my experience and as a result of this, they feel betrayed by humankind when they are presented with a story that shows just how depraved the human soul can become. And while it is not necessarily always the case that people are self sheltered – some people are sheltered due to outside influence – the sheltering itself is something that I see as hugely problematic. In a world where a man can gain entry to a plane with a bomb in his underpants, can we afford to think that real people are not forced to decide weather to jump out of a burning building to their death or stay and lose their life in the fires blazing around them? Surely, no one will disagree that both the bombing of the World Trade Center and the attempted underwear bombing are not both acts of depraved humankind. Religion aside, to commit such acts shows a complete lack of respect for human life. The depraved acts of the world’s most misguided, lost, and insane must be made known to the public so that the public can act and live appropriately in light of the world they live.

So, what does it look like for people to view and treat these images correctly? Firstly, people must be aware of their maturity and if they are not mature enough to understand the purpose of such images and stories, it may be best that they be made aware by others who are able to explain them in ways which make it easier to take but not less powerful in meaning. The consumption of news requires reader maturity.

Thoughts on Christian Evangelizing through Merchandise

I see a mixture of both good and bad things stemming from current and possible future examples of Christian advertising and merchandising.  This is because as Stephen Bates wrote in a December 12, 2002 issue of the Weekly Standard, “The new godly merchandise, I figured, represented the quarantine at work. Instead of protesting obscene gangsta rap, Christians were listening to Gospel Gangstaz and Lil' Raskull. Instead of trying to transfigure the mass culture, they were building a cloistered subculture, a gated community of faith. Jesus' Great Commission--"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations"--was giving way to the Great Escape.” (http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/988ovwyu.asp) I could not agree more with Bates’ opinion.  There is far too much attention by evangelicals to things, which are trivial, and ineffective towards the commission of Jesus that they cannot afford to continue fooling themselves into thinking they are doing a great service.  Erasmus’ used Folly to write an entire essay explaining how foolish Christians were by playing into the hands of the modern world around them, and he could easily do the same thing today.  Christians print a t-shirt that says Jesus is my homeboy and another that has the “John Deer” logo switched to say Jesus Saves, then go home at the end of the day, and say to themselves, well done.  This is horrific! How can the honestly say that they are producing anything other than an elementary level witticism that serves only to heighten the level of jokes aimed at the only religion bringing the light of truth into a dark and deceptive world?  Christian merchandise does the same thing that Christian Music, Entertainment, and periodicals do; they are doing a pathetic and lazy job of merely reflecting an uninteresting and unnecessary product that can be found produced better and more intelligently with originality in secular culture.  If the purpose of Christianity is to spread across the lands and become fishers of men who, in a unified church seek to love one another and lift each other up towards the great end of an eternal communion with God, should not Christians produce things that cater to that end?  If that is indeed the biggest problem or at least the base problem facing Christian merchandising and media at large, the answer is then simple, if only in theory.  Christian merchandise needs to aim to be more original and produce high quality products that do two possible things at least.  The first and more basic goal should be that Christian merchandise seeks to be a creation that enables Christians and non-Christians alike to use them for simple purposes.  Whether it is a calendar or a note pad, creating simple every-day object seems to bridge the gap between customers.  The second goal should be for Christian merchandise to target specific consumer groups.  If they want to reach Christians for evangelical purpose, create original products for that end.  If they want to reach non-Christians with a positive loving message, do so originally and with intention.

Blog #3

Dr. Dave White spoke Thursday October 23, 2008 at the Biola Torrey Bible Conference on the subject of what he calls, “Dateology, or Hitchology.”  He talked about the ways in which the Bible can be used to reference relationships and character but not as a reference for actual dating.  He stressed the importance that dating and marriage is for adults, in the sense that you must be a mature and whole person before you attempt to find the man or woman of your dreams.  What he meant by whole person is that the people dating should not be unable to live with themselves alone; they need to be mature, self-functioning members of society.  He used the analogy that one times one is one, and one times on half does not measure up that equation.  Dr. White also included that idea that couple date for the strength of themselves, and not out of a weakness sought to be compensated for in the other person.  There was a strong sense of certainty that the true problem with dating is not in fact dating itself, but the level of maturity in the people who are in a particular relationship at any given time.  The most essential factor in dating is in fact to recognize that you must look, not for a perfect person, but a person who has the essentials for a good relationship.  Essentials can range from honesty to limitations such as the physical boundaries of a relationship to the idea that you expect each other to be punctual for important events.  Basically, Dr. White wanted to get this idea across; dating is terrific if you guard your heart and are wise and follow the Bible more than anything other tool for your relationship.

            I think that Dr. White had some very important points to make and that his overall message was well reasoned and well produced.  I think his ideas of relationships are reflected in a strange way in mainstream media.  The television show, Desperate Housewives, showed on a new episode Sunday night on ABC a character who had just gotten a divorce jumping into bed with a house painter because there was a void she needed filled.  This character did the exact opposite of Dr. White’s advice, she pushed physical limits, tried to multiply one by one half, and ended up breaking the heart of the man she slept with.  The importance of Dr. White’s message seems to be most effective when compared with the generally acceptable choices non-Christians make regarding their relationships in life.  It seems very important that the basis of a relationship be a strong relationship with Christ first so that they are a complete person and can most effectively build a relationship with another like minded and like believing person.  I only regret that he did not touch on teenaged dating because I feel that there is an appropriate place for dating amongst teenagers but only for the experience gained, not the emotional baggage it creates.

Thoughts On Teen Marriage

The New York Times writer Sarah Kershaw claimed in a September Fourth issue of the Newspaper that the acceptable age of marriage is steadily increasing, causing the marriage of younger couples: those seventeen to twenty-four roughly, to seem unacceptable and foolish in the eye of the general public.  Kershaw reports that only one percent of teens around the age of fifteen are getting married these days, and the percentage rises only slightly up to the ages of roughly twenty-five.  The article even begins with the news of the engagement of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol, to her boyfriend due to an untimely pregnancy.  The entire spread paints an entirely negative view of “teen marriage”, and uses divorce rate statistics to strengthen its arguments.  And while supportive statistics are helpful in boosting the strength of an argument, the reader must find relevance in the supportive material if it is to be effective in any way.  Here in lies my problem with this article, I do not believe that marriage can be proven so easily with mere statistics and percentages.

            I view marriage as a binding contract, a promise, a commitment between two people and God, and also a sign of supposed maturity.   Categorizing marriage makes idea behind the institution of marriage and produce pre-mature notions of the chances that a marriage is headed for success and a lifetime of joy and love and growth (for marriage is not always easy and many tough challenges will inevitably bring couples closer if they are able to love selflessly and remember to rely on God) or if it is headed towards disaster, pain and ultimately divorce.  I believe that marriage is a testament to the individuals acceptance that they will be entering into something that will not be perfect and will only be as good as the effort they put into it.  Now of course this belief stems from a few things, first and foremost I am a romantic and marriage is something I aspire to above all else in my life, second my belief stems and relies on optimism in that it is a best case scenario, and lastly my belief stems from an understanding that marriage for each person is dependant on the timing and the couple getting married.  In one of Dorothy L. Sayers books in the Lord Peter Whimsey series, her main character Lord Peter and his love interest discuss marriage and come to the conclusion that they must wait until they are both ready for the commitment.  Both characters are well above the ages of twenty-five, so I find this idea of waiting not to be proof that you must be older, but simply ready and at the same stage in life.  MTV has recently begun airing a show titled “Engaged and Underage”, and I think that it speaks to the times. Your age at the time of marriage is not nearly as important as the state of your heart, your maturity, and your financial stability.