Reflections on State of the Planet

I will admit, I love this poem. I could literally close my eyes and see images of the beauty the author wrote about. He used beautiful grammar and engaged my attention.
There is a particular line that stood out to me "poetry should be able to comprehend the earth", I don't know if I agree with this statement. I do not know if mere words can fully comprehend the beauty the Lord has crafted together. Words all to often fall short, but I can push back and say poetry is our attempt to comprehend the earth.

After reading this poem I was inspired to write a few lines of my own.
There is beauty found in the wind, in the sun and even in the shadows
His reflection can be seen in the sky and in the ripples of the water
The deer pants for such and the trees begin their howls
We the clay and He, the ultimate potter


This man he spoke of, was a roman poet. I imagine that his poetry was the inspiration for our author Robert Hass. He spoke of Venus and things I have never seen but I imagined what such beauty could look like.

The way Robert Hass ends this poem is with more of a reflection on what he is saying. The beginning of the poem is an introduction to beauty and the end is looking back on this beauty and realizing that we will all face the sting of death. Is it really a sting or more and arriving of what is hoped for. For me death is not all that morbid. It is the returning to the place my heart longs for. I suppose that those I leave behind will miss me but the One who awaits me is the One I was created to one day see.

There was not a particular stanza or line that confused me, but the concept was an interesting one to me. I was not familiar with Lucretius's work and this poem was a reflection of his so I had to reread somethings over and over again to fully grasp the main idea.

AFI Reflection

I had to say visiting the adults at AFI was truly a memorable experience. Not just a journal worthy, or blog worthy experience but one that left a deep imprint on my heart. 

I remember Becky, she was must more quiet than I was and I watched as she smiled and laughed as I bombarded her with questions on her favorite past time and I listened as she explained to me the joy and passion she felt for her sowing machine. She wore pearls, which reminded me of Bianca and suddenly this good moment turned into a great and beautiful piece of nostalgia. Bianca, my sister, has a large portion of my heart and that Tuesday afternoon, Becky also stole a piece of my heart. I thought back to the character Sheila in the story. Unlike Sheila, Becky was not fascinated by flowers or in love with someone. Her love was for her friend who was currently on vacation and she longed to see her return. 

I had to say I was trying to compare the characters of The Boys Next Door to the people we met at AFI and I could only categorize it by similar actions. Each person had a different personality and each one had a different story just like the characters in the play. I watched the woman giving us a tour and saw that her heart was clearly with these people. Just like Jack I am sure she has reached moments where she felt frustrated. If not with the people I could tell she was frustrated with the state system and I found myself feeling some frustration as she was talking about the way in which things worked. Instead of empowering these people I felt as if the state was treating them like child. By limiting their funds it is not giving them this freedom but chaining them to waiting on government funding  and in a way I wonder if they at times feel more like a burden than a human. The thought of them feeling this way broke my heart.

I was definitely blessed by this trip in more ways than one. 

I hope I can visit again soon.

The Spirit of God Hovered

The article moved me greatly. I know that is probably the most general I could possibly be but I was touched by this article. I appreciate the raw emotions expressed by a professor that I will one day sit in class with. In the study of ministry we emphasize that the Lord heals, He can completely transform someones life with just one encounter. What happens though when a loving mother receives the news that a seemingly perfect child will have autism. We talk about God's creation being perfect, can we accept that sometimes perfection comes in the form of what we would not expect. Dr. Fettke more than understands that his sons illness is in no way a deformity but a gift in disguise.
His love for his son is beautiful. He has such a passion and desire for his child to not only be accepted in a church but leave his footprints in a same way others do. Not saying that he believes his son is better than others but there needs to be a place for not just his son but others with special needs. Looking at the churches I have attended I have to say I see something similar. However I didn't walk into them with the lenses that Dr. Fettke sees through. I am not a parent of someone with special needs so the lack of involvement for these people was never something that caught my attention. I am ashamed to type these words because I should be more aware and open to see things around me. I can see things such as inappropriate behavior and what is wrong in ones sermon but I neglect the activities that involve people whos only deformity is their lack of voice. This article demands a voice for the silent.
My mother works with a man with special needs and she loves him dearly. He has more faith than any person I have ever known. His personality and demeanor  radiates of Christ love, but yet instead of serving in the ministry that his heart was created for he remains isolated to a pue. Is this not wrong?

The Boys Next Door Part II

As  I continue to explore this play I am learning more and more about what the life of a mentally handicapped person goes through. I think of all of the people who feel uncomfortable by the challenged. I will admit when you see an outburst from a large man in the middle of a store you tend to look. Or perhaps seeing a man carrying large boxes of Wheaties and a single gallon of milk would turn anyone's head. These simple day to day tasks we are able to do with such ease become an all day event to those who are mentally handicapped. Jacks job is not an easy one. I watch as he gets to a point where he is screaming and yelling at these four fully grown men as if they were children and I can see that this pressure is intense. My mother takes care of a man with down syndrome and I watch as she handles him so patiently. However, often times she comes home exhausted, physically and mentally drained and while she loves her job and the man she takes care of it in no way is easy. I can feel for Jack in this aspect and even relate to these moments where he losses his temper. In the same breath his reaction of anger towards these men break my heart when I read it. This part of the play shines light on how a parent of a special needs adult has to deal. Sadly most parents lack not only patience but in a way they seem inconvenienced by their children. I don't know if I am judging their behavior because I know its hard but I cannot imagine being that put out by my child who cannot even function in society by himself. After reading this act I have this weird feeling of sadness and yet understanding. I am trying to walk a mile in Jacks shoes, the four mens shoes, and in the shoes of these parents and I will be honest I am not sure if my journey has taken me a block just yet.

The Boys Next Door

This first act started off very differently. Hearing the title I expected something completely different than what I got. I assumed that it would be about this group of guys that have this tight knit friendship that was a result of living in the same neighborhood since birth. However, that is not what the play is about so far. We are briefly introduced to these characters who seem almost cruel. They get their usual entertainment off of making fun of mentally handicapped people. I have to be honest I have seen show after show make fun of the mentally handicapped but this struck a different cord. I am strating to see the authors writer's style. It is darker than I expected. He is taking this title and unfolding it for me. It proved to me that sometimes I tend to read plays wit hpeconcieved notions and for this very reason I must be able to look at things through a different lense. I am very attached to words on a page so reading these cruel things said to people who could not control their behavior. Some reason I hated reading such cruelty. Not that I enjoy visual seeing such pain because it breaks my heart, but my love for plays caught glimpse of a different scene then what I was used to. I had never seen or read a play where the usual entertainment was making fun of those who could not control their behavior due to their conditions. I had to look back and analyze how many times I have overlooked such behavior in the shows and movies I watched and for me,  The Boys Next Door brought some conviction to my heart. If act I had this effect I am curious to see act II brings me. I will just have to wait and read to see where this play ends up.