The Dark Glass

Mastery and Constraint

Anthony Velez — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:05:49 +0000

Though I have a pretty smashing DSLR camera, I still frequently use the 3.2 megapixel camera that is integrated into my cell phone. Other than convenience, one of the reasons I do this is to foster creativity by intentionally engaging the constraints of such a medium. Well, perhaps in photography it is more accurate to say that the camera is a tool and the medium is light, but regardless of how you look at it, any artist, whatever their chosen medium, is going to come up against constraints in the endeavor to create. In fact, I would like to postulate that the road to artistic mastery in a medium is about learning to effectively negotiate the constraints of a medium in such a way that the artist produces a work that accords with his or her vision.

All this said, my family and I recently went to Los Angeles to visit friends and so I could check out a doctorate program in theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. While there we went to the beach one day, where I decided not to take my DSLR, figuring this would be an opportunity to play with the restraints of my cell phone camera. The following are my results.

Religulous and The Indefensible God

Anthony Velez — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:47:08 +0000

Quiet a few days Paula, our friend Simon Jones, and I were discussing religion and culture during which Simon showed us a clip from the film Religulous in which Bill Maher goes to The Holy Land Experience (A theme park that the proprietors refer to as “a living biblical history museum) to confront Christians with the ridiculousness of their beliefs. As the clip unfolded it was clear that Bill obtained his objective, particularly as he confronted them with the historical problem that many elements of the Gospels are paralleled in other stories of Ancient Near Eastern figures and divinities, as well as the philosophical problem of the tension that exists between evil in the world and belief in God’s goodness and sovereignty.

In watching the clip I must admit that I felt defensive, as I understand the importance of both history and philosophy in relation to the claims of Christianity, and yet I also understand that the verity of Christianity is beyond the scope of either of these fields of inquiry. In discussing this with Simon, however, I made note Mr. Maher’s choice of audience to confront with his supposedly faith damaging arguments. In short, Bill chose the type of Christian one would likely find at Christian theme park. Yes, this is a bit judgmental of me, but I imagine that behind the scenes Bill and his staff did their demographic homework regarding the kind of audience that would provide the most entertainment to be on the receiving end of Bill’s sharp wit. The Christians Mr. Maher confronts are your basic middle class, wage-working types, who don’t find a Christian theme park a bit kitschy, and who very likely don’t read a lot of scholarly articles and books, but who have a faith that emerges from what historian and biblical scholar N.T. Wright refers to as “an existential kicking of the tires.” In other words, they believe for deeply personal reasons that do not rely upon historical evidence or tight philosophical reasons, but rather rely upon the self-authenticating experience of the Gospel that gives them strength to live in a difficult and challenging world (I am aware that this is a deeply pragmatic understanding of faith, but addressing this is best left for another post).

At this point I was ready to call Bill an intellectual bully, but as I did research on the film, I found that he did speak to some intellectuals, as well as what might be referred to as “high level” types of various religious institutions. So, against what I initially thought, it appears that Mr. Maher was even handed in his demographic selection for those who would be on the receiving end of his sardonic wit. Having made this concession, however, it is clear that Religulous is not a sincere documentary about the problem of religious belief in modern society. To begin with, the title is a mash-up of the words “religion” and “ridiculous,” which briefly and powerfully expresses Bill’s convictions about the subject and provides a cue to the audience as to what position they should take in relation to the forthcoming content of the film. And then, without even seeing the documentary, I do know enough about the dynamics of visual and verbal rhetoric that through the process of editing and framing I bet those of a religious persuasion are not genuinely given a chance to appear credible.

As I have further reflected upon this clip and the whole intent of the film, it seems to me that the problem Bill attempts to confront regarding religion and rationality is one that is inherent within his basic disposition toward the world. To illustrate what I mean, if Bill had confronted someone who was able to defend himself, or better still, who was able to persuade Bill that religion is a rationally acceptable response to the complexities of modern existence, though the battle may have been won, the war would have been lost. In short, if the reality of God can be supported and defended within the rationalist presuppositions of Bill’s worldview, then God would not be the kind of reality worthy of the worship and awe that monotheistic religions ascribe to him.

In the clip I viewed, Bill brought up the Holocaust to drive home the absurdity of believing that God is all good and all powerful (a typical monotheistic assertion). In response to this, the man Bill accosted (interestingly an actor who portrays Jesus in a dramatic reenactment of the crucifixion) made the assertion that God’s ways are beyond us. As was to be expected, Mr. Maher was visibly unimpressed. All of this reminded me of the first time I read Night, a loosely autobiographical novel about a young man’s experience of surviving a death camp in Nazi Germany. This book was penned by Eli Wiesel, who about the problem of God’s providence and the Holocaust experience once said something to the effect that he did not want to hear an explanation where those two realities can be reconciled. In saying this I don’t think Wiesel was repudiating God’s existence. He was in fact a professor of Religion at Boston University, who taught courses about literature, religion, and memory. Instead, I think Mr. Weisel was committed to breaking all idolatry regarding our notions of God, and an idol is what one would have if one could rationally account for the Holocaust and God’s existence. Likewise, an idol is what Mr. Maher would have if he ever found an account of religious belief that was acceptable to his intellectual framework, for it would be merely a projection of what he already worships: his own powerful mind and likely a belief in the all encompassing sufficiency of reason.

How Great Is Your Mess

Anthony Velez — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 04:29:18 +0000

Because I periodically listen to Christian radio, and because I consistently go to Sunday services, I often have various worship songs on my mind. The thing is, I often end up using the melodies of these songs to sing about the frustrating, and perhaps somewhat mundane, circumstances of my life. For example, I will take Chris Tomlin’s song “How Great is our God” the first two stanzas and chorus of which are:

The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

And, I will convert the lyrics to the following about the mess my four kids often make around the house:

The wrappers on the floor, the crumbs I can’t ignore
your stuff is everywhere
your stuff is everywhere

You can’t put stuff away, and I think that is gay
though that’s not PC to say
though that’s not PC to say

How great is your mess, come sing with me
How great is your mess, and all will see
How great, how great is your mess

I have to confess that when I do this, I am a little concerned that I am being a bit too irreverent. These songs were created by artists to praise God, and here I am taking them to vent my frustrations, and address very ordinary things. On the other hand, God did endow me with all my talents, including this weird one, and I tend to think that God has a sense of humor.

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This video gives both the lyrics and the melody

And this video provides a brief interview with the artist and a nice live version.

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Chris Tomlin’s Website

Me & My Stuff

Anthony Velez — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:55:34 +0000

While recently Stumbling I came across an idea where people would post a picture of themselves and beneath that they posted a picture of the stuff they typically carry around in their backpack, purse, or whatever other else one might use. I liked the idea, and so I am utterly ripping it off, but with one minor modification, I am just going to post the picture of my stuff.

I am not exactly sure why I find this idea so interesting, perhaps there is something voyeuristic about it: stuff generally concealed put out on open display. On a brighter note, maybe it’s just a different avenue for understanding a person. Instead of “you are what you eat” (hey, that might be another post), it’s “you are what you carry with you.” Yes, this may be a bit reductionist, but still, I think there is something to it.

A Power Station Secured

Anthony Velez — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:05:29 +0000

A few days ago, after a long period of thinking, research, desire, and anticipation, I bought a DSLR camera, a Nikon D5000 to be precise, and as I previously mentioned, I thought I would go out for an inaugural run by getting a better picture of the neon cross that I previously took with my cell phone camera. In doing so, I became the embodiment of John Lennon’s lyric “life is what happens to you while your busy making other plans,” which is to say that the neon cross was not lit on this particular evening. Refusing to be a victim of circumstance, I decided to cruise back to a power station that has also been on my agenda as a subject for a few pics. So, without further ado, I give you an impromptu series of photos that I will call “Barbed Wire Nightmare” nahhh, scratch that, hmmmm… how about “A Power Station Secured”

A (Neon) Light Shines in the Darkness

Anthony Velez — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:29:31 +0000

Ya gotta give me a break regarding the quality of this photo as it was done with my cell phone, which is not amenable to taking pictures in low light. It is my plan to go back with a better camera. For now, however, I wanted to post it, as I just plain like it. It evokes a sense of American Christianity with its use of a sacred symbol that borders on kitsch in its use, or perhaps misuse, of technology. Maybe it’s just me, but when I see neon I can’t help but think of a bar or a liquor store, and although I do think beer is one of God’s many blessings, somehow neon and religion just don’t quite fit for me.

Where The World Is In Pain

Anthony Velez — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:45:13 +0000

I am finishing N.T. Wright’s The Challenge of Jesus, which is an excellent and accessible book wherein Wright, doing the work of an historian, renders a provocative portrait of Jesus that is at once familiar and unfamiliar. The Jesus that Wright portrays is one who is firmly rooted in, and responsive to, the conditions of first century Palestine, and yet it is as such a figure that Wright effectively demonstrates Jesus’ relevance for us in this day and age.

All this said, a quote I would like to share from the book is not so much about Jesus, but rather about the vocation of Christians, and yet it is about Jesus, because Christian vocation is intimately bound to the person and work of Jesus. And so, without further ado, I give you the following:

The Christian vocation is to be in prayer, in the Spirit, at the place where the world is in pain, and as we embrace that vocation, we discover it to be the way of following Christ, shaped according to his messianic vocation to the cross, with arms outstretched, holding simultaneously to the pain of the world and to the love of God.

At A Swim Meet

Anthony Velez — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 22:43:52 +0000

It was 4:15 pm, and I had napped for about a half hour longer than I planned, and had about 15 minutes to get Joel ready, the appropriate stuff together, and google the directions for a swim meet in Dinuba, which was about 45 minutes south towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. All day it had been my slightly more than half-hearted plan to take him. I did not relish the idea facing the crowds, of standing in line to register Joel, and of sitting around (hopefully in some shade) and waiting for Joel’s competition class to be called for competition. Be that as it may, a little over an hour later Joel and I made it to the swim complex right on time, and, as it turned out, the whole affair was quite cool. In fact, I decided to take along my daughter’s compact digital Nikon and have some fun taking pictures.

My Two Feet

Anthony Velez — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:03:08 +0000

I bought a new cell phone recently, which has a 3.2 megapixel camera, which in my mind is a kind of precursor to a DSLR camera that I hope to get in the near future. Yes, photography is on my mind.

When I was a lad, I used to go on photo jaunts with my Aunt Ruth, who was a world traveler and an avid photographer. In fact, I remember on one occasion entering a few photos into a kind of contest sponsored by the photography club that she belonged to. No, I did not win anything, but I think I got a number of positive remarks, and more importantly some feedback. Regardless of what happened, however, I remember the thrill of seeing one of my photographs “up there” on display, for others to bear witness to. In short, thrilling.

All this said, the purpose of this post is not primarily to talk about my plans to recover a passion lost along the way. It’s about my attempt to break this brief period of blogging silence. As I have said elsewhere, I love and hate writing. When I am looking at the blank page, I hate writing because I am overwhelmed by possibilities, and I hate being overwhelmed. Once I have gotten a few words down, however, and once the meaning and rhythm of those words begin to take shape, I begin to truly enjoy writing. So, this blog is about getting a few words down, and perhaps it is about giving the bird to the critical part of myself that tends to squelch my desire to write (or do anything for that matter).

So, here it is. A picture and a few words. The picture is my two feet, connected to my crossed legs, which are connected to my seated body, on top of which is my thinking head. I am thinking about life, the human condition, and the salvation of my soul. I am also thinking about good food, good movies, good books, and some ideas I might pursue to create some good pictures, as well as the inspiration I feel when I look at good photography, hear good music, or participate in good conversation. Perhaps, in the end, my two feet just represent my need to get off butt and take a few steps. Whatever the case may be, my silence is now broken.

Vocalizer

Anthony Velez — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:16:29 +0000

What is commonly called the voice box, and technically called the larynx, but was the term Alfalfa used when he felt the need to practice his singing prior to crooning Darla, as in “I need to warm-up my vocalizer.”

Isn’t it funny what pops into your head just prior to waking up?!?