Coldplay’s single from their new album, which continues to get significant air time, fascinates me. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it, but there are some definite, useful themes on can draw out of it. I’m planning to use it as a discussion point in my Sunday School class either this week or next.

What does it make you think of?

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in.
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries Wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Calvary choirs are singing
Be my mirror my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

From Wednesday Weirdness. Feel free to put your answers in the comments.

1.) Do you think you're approachable?

I think so. I hope so. I don't know, what do y'all think?

2.) Out of the two, would you rather be able to predict things before they happened or be able to read minds whenever you wanted to? Why?

I think I'd go with "predict things before they happened," that would be really helpful. My suspicion is that reading minds could be relatively unpleasant. Although, I could think of a few times that it would have been useful and still would be. The two would work in tandem nicely.

3.) Have you ever kissed, fooled around or slept with an ex significant other AFTER you were already broken up?

No. Two wouldn't be appropriate even before a breakup unless we're talking marriage here, so certainly not after.

4.) Do you believe dreams are your imagination running wild as you sleep, your subconscious showing you what's really on your mind or something else entirely?

A little of each. I think it certainly is a chance for my imagination to run wild, but it also sometimes seems like dreams will remind me of things that may have been under the surface bothering me but I had not (recently) thought directly about. Freud did get some things right.

Dreams can sometimes be quite painful in that respect.

5.) How often do you use cuss words? Does your use of cuss words vary on your moods or situations?

I don't. I gained somewhat of an amusing reputation in the English program at LU because I would "adjust" certain words if I were reading a part in a play. It was a running joke, of sorts, of which my cohorts in the program would kid me about.

I made a clear distinction though concerning appropriate uses of words. For example, I had no problem with saying the word "damn" when used, say, in Doctor Faustus where the context of damnation. This drew some inquiries during those readings, since the fact that I proceeded with those uses stood out more than that which I omitted. That remains my policy, much as it was C.S. Lewis's, as he notes in a footnote in Mere Christianity (he had received complaints over his usage of the term). Some words, I really don't see any appropriate context for and I simply feel it best not to promote.

I'm really sounding puritanical tonight, aren't I? To be clear, I don't have a burden to suggest what language other people should use. Though I find most people ratchet down their use of expletives when the other does not reciprocate, I won't complain if a person chooses not to around me.

6.) Do you ever purposely lead people on so you can get what you want?

No, only to pull their legs. I enjoy giving people a hard time.

7.) When was the last time you did something you told yourself you wouldn't do? What was it?

I told myself I wasn't going to watch On the Record tonight, but when Greta said she had an interview with Gov. Sarah Palin, I couldn't pass it up. I'm a total political news junkie on election years...

I even read the white papers released along side polling data. Yes, I'm a sad case.

8.) If you could​ meet one musician who is no longe​r alive​,​ who would​ it be?

Obviously not Elvis since Elvis lives, right? Right now, I'm thinking Mozart. That's a tough question, though.

A week ago, I passed the quarter century mark. It strikes me as an interesting number. I cannot say I feel any different, but there is something fascinating when I think about the number. Perhaps more than feeling older, I do feel sort of like I should have accomplished more thus far than I have.

Many of the great poets had written their master works by the time they were 25. On the other hand, many of the great poets were dead within ten years of their twenty fifth birthday. Keeping that in mind, perhaps it is quite good that I keep plowing along, slowly but surely.

One has to wonder, why doesn’t this bit of McCain’s nomination speech get plastered everywhere by the McCain campaign? If McCain is going to win this race, this inspiring call is the sort of thing that will do it. Hope, change, all that stuff — it goes right along with this video. Does McCain need a new campaign manager, perhaps? I could free up some time on my schedule…

For the midterm of “Acts and Paul,” we are going to have to write an in-class essay that focused 70% on the message of Acts and 15% each on how that message applies personally and to one’s current place of service. In preparation, I wrote out a tentative draft of the essay. It is closed book exam this Thursday, so this is writing session was more to get the words “embedded” in my hands and processed in my head than a process of preparing a typical first draft. Still, I thought I’d make some sort of use of it, so I I am posting it here. If you read through it, let me know if you think I succeeded on the stated goal.

“A poem should not mean, but be.” So said one of the great poets of the twentieth century, Archibald MacLeish. Meaning is important – direction and description are crucially important to life, but few people are motivated by “meaning” alone. The cliché about actions speaking louder than words gets at the heart of it. Luke seemed to know that quite well and he applied that lesson in the Book of Acts.

For a major exam on Thursday, I need to be prepared to outline the book of Acts, noting a major theme for each chapter. To prepare, while keeping everything straight, I thought I’d take advantage of a very basic tool for keeping the chapters in the right order: the alphabet. I did have to get a little creative, switching to numbers, for the last two chapters, since Acts has 28 chapters and English only has 26 letters. For your amusement, I present my list:

1 Away from here — go spread the word to the ends of the earth.
2 Broadcasting Pentecost Peter does.
3 Crippled is healed by Peter
4 Denounced, the Gospel is/Apostles are, by the Sanhedrin,
5 Errors in accounting end Ananias and Sapphira’s lives.
6 Finding seven to care for the widows
7 Gospel boldly given by Stephen, Stephen killed.
8 Here and there w/ Philip (Samaria and conversation with Ethiopian)
9 “I was wrong,” says Paul.
10 Judge not Gentiles, Peter is told, goes to Cornelius.
11 “Kill and Eat” was what I was told, Peter tells disciples in Jerusalem.
12 Lapse in judgment of his own worth kills Herod.
13 Missionary journey one for Paul, Barnabas; they go to Cyprus, Antioch (Antioch is Barrs’s Evangelism Style Sample #1)
14 “No, we aren’t gods,” Paul and Barnabus to Lystrans (Lystra is Barrs’s Evangelism Style Sample #2)
15 Only a few requirements are sent out from Jerusalem Counsel.
16 Prison for Paul (Timothy is now along for the journey with Paul and Silas)
17 Queries from philosophers in Athens.
18 Rhyme Priscilla & Aquilla (in Corinth)
19 Silversmith, Demetrius, in Ephesus.
20 Trying departure from Ephesus (a very sad goodbye)
21 Unquenchable anger at Paul in Jerusalem.
22 Value of citizenship in escaping said anger.
23 Wise dividing of Sanhedrin by Paul (“I am accused because of the resurrection”)
24 feli(X) questions Paul.
25 “You have appealed to Caesar,” says Festus.
26 Zero guilt, Aggripa assesses, but Paul must be sent to Caesar.
27 1 big storm = 1 big shipwreck = no 1 harmed.
28 2 years Paul preaches in Rome unhindered.

I too often come onto my blog sounding melancholic, if not downright depressed. I don’t want to convey the image that I’m just a perpetual rain cloud, I’m not. It just seems on issues such as my last post, my blog is such an inviting canvas on which to paint that I can’t resist. And, really, troubling issues are often the ones I need to dwell on in writing, for better or worse.

But, tonight I’ll share a joy I had over the last few days: I’ve translated my first little Hebrew sentences. Sure, they aren’t much more complex than “See Spot run, run Spot run,” but to just to get that beachhead feels marvelous with as intimidating as Hebrew appears. Especially since one sentence was even a little snippet from Genesis. I know the language is going to do its best to kill me in the coming months, but for the moment, I’ll bask in the joy of what is past.

September 19, 2005 was one of the worst days of my life. I am reminded of that day today, partly because it was 3 years ago today and partly because like that day, I've been fighting a cold (or allergy attack) for the last few days.

I keep coming back to the issue of time on my blog. Time fascinates me. Three years ago seems like such a long time ago, and yet I can picture September 19 almost as if it were yesterday. Perhaps in part that is because that which became unsettled on September 19 remains unsettled -- more so than I expected, then -- even to this day. In some ways, perhaps time's distance is not so much about the amount of minutes that have passed by; rather, it is about how relevant and active a given time is to the present time.

September 19 is still quite relevant.

One of the things I like about blogging, especially when I am on an active posting spree, is that it leaves markers of days like today. Looking back to the post I linked to above, I received a snapshot of what I felt by my own words then and not by three years of framing things in my mind. That's rather interesting.

Blogging will certainly change the way we remember things in the decades ahead, I suspect.

Not all that long ago, I often blogged every day of the month. These days, it seems like this or that always keeps me from blogging, which is frustrating, because I always find blogging helpful — both as a sort of kartharsis in writing things and as an enjoyable way to interact with my friends in the blogosphere.

I’m going to try to write something several times a week again… or bust.

I’m going to fight for my cause every day as your president. I’m going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I’m an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what’s right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children’s future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We’re Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God bless you.

John McCain is not a guy known for his stunning speeches, but somehow he managed to do a pretty amazing follow up to Sarah Palin’s excellent example of oratory. His acceptance speech, I think, will be remembered as one of the most sincere and well crafted in recent decades. Key to the speech was that it moved up to its climax slowly and patiently, reaching its pinnacle in his war story, which came later rather than (as I had expected) earlier. The fact that he used his POW story as an explanation for how he went from a egotistical fly boy to a “Country First” presidential candidate was powerful and gave a strong push down the slope of conclusion to his speech, so that he was able to end with the masterful crescendo above, which he shouted out over thunderous applause.

For a man whose preferred venue is the town hall, this was nearly magical.

The speech came across as humble, confident and connected. His critiquing of his own party — which delegates did not seem to know what to do with — was fitting and, I believe, will ultimately be effective. He presented a case for a return to more sensibly conservative Republicanism, and I think that is a brand far more attractive than the “compassionate conservatism” that the party had rebranded to in recent years. McCain was like the CEO of the Coca-Cola Co. announcing the return of Coca-Cola Classic after months of New Coke.

I’m excited. Let’s win this election, shall we?