92: The One on the Road Pt 2: The Trip

The Class of 92 in the Windy City

My journal account of the senior class trip is pretty sparse, unfortunately.  It's not that I didn't write. I wrote everyday of the trip.  But it was almost entirely the ruminations of angsty teen.  It's really too bad, because it really was a pretty epic trip. And when I wasn't too busy being miserable, I managed to have a great time.  And that's what I tend to remember.  I remember that I was miserable, but those emotions don't come back when I think about the trip.  Our senior class trip has strangely proved to be more fun in memory than when I experienced it.  

Tuesday, April 7, 1992

The Forgotten Day

We arrived in Chicago in the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 7, 1992 (I'm guessing they didn't have strict rules about how many hours bus drivers could be on on the roads in those days). 

I remember being very tired as we set out seven hours or so later, to see the sights Tuesday morning, but that's about all.  The only reason I know what we did is the photos I took.  We went to Brookfield Zoo in the morning and the Art Institute of Chicago in the afternoon. 

Wednesday, April 8, 1992

The Famous People I Didn't See

Wednesday morning we did a river cruise tour of downtown Chicago, and then did some shopping at the Water Tower Mall in the afternoon. It was here that I missed the first of two opportunities to see someone famous. At our 30 year reunion last month, Heather Caplin and Jacque Chamberlain regaled me with their story of running into Axl Rose at the Water Tower Mall.  That's right, the temperamental lead singer of Gun's N Roses!  In 1992, it didn't get much bigger than that.  The songs off their double album Use Your Illusion I & II, ballads like "November Rain" and "Don't Cry" as well the song featured in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, "You Could be Mine" were all over the radio.  Even as the Seattle sound of "alternative" bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam were remaking the rock world, Guns N' Roses was the last triumphant middle finger of 80's style hard rock.  Heather and Jacque can tell the story better than I can, but  I know they were able to exchange a few words ("Do people tell you you look like Axl Rose?" and "Yeah, I get that a lot") and they trailed him through the mall for awhile before his security finally chased them off. 

I didn't take this photo, despite that I had a camera with me on Wednesday, April 8, 1992.  Heather and Jacque didn't take it either as they figured they wouldn't need their cameras for a trip to the mall. This is a Getty Images photo probably not even taken in Chicagol

Heather and Jacque say that when they told their friends who they'd seen, their classmates didn't believe them!  But I believe them. And it's not just because their excitement over the encounter is still there 30 years later. I did a little research and confirmed that it was very likely Axl Rose would have been in Chicago that day. GNR had a show booked at the Rosemont Horizon in the Chicago area for April 9, 1992--the next day.

I can't be too sad about missing Axl. That was a case of being in the right place at the right time and I wasn't.  The second opportunity, though was my own choice.  I had an opportunity--like everyone else in my class--to see the NBA legend Michael Jordan and his equally legendary team the 1992 Chicago Bulls play the Milwaukee Bucks.  On the other hand, I could go see the award-winning, hot-off-broadway, "Hamilton" of the 1990's, play Shear Madness.  Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little.  The audience-involved mystery was not exactly a once a in  life-time experience.  In fact, Shear Madness would turn out to be the second longest running play in American theater and you can still see it today. In fact, you can see it right now at the Kennedy Center.  Honestly, it wasn't memorable. I don't remember "whodunnit" or anything else about the play for that matter.

On the way to Shear Madness instead of on the way to see Michael Jordan. Now that's sheer madness. The "turban" I'm wearing was lent to me by Chandra or Geri, because I'd lost my coat and somehow that translated into me needing a hat.

Ralph Rosenow, Chandra, and Geri on the bus with me on our way to the play.

It was worth $19 in 1992.  Do you know how much that ticket is worth today? (The stub is worthless, but a standard ticket at the Kennedy Center will cost you $58 for a seat at tomorrow's performance)

But it was more than seeing Jordan on the court that I missed. I also missed seeing him after the game. I'm not sure of the details (since I wasn't there. . .grrrr), but I'm told that somehow some of my classmates were able to get down to where the athletes were exiting the arena after the game.  They saw Jordan leave the building, sign a few autographs for select fans, and then get into his high end sports car.  I'm told that Frank Modeste was bold enough to step in front of his car, causing him to stop for a moment while Frank did. . .I'm not sure what, perhaps take a picture? Then they watched Michael Jordan peel away and drive off into the night.  Now that's a story for your grandchildren!

I didn't take this photo either.  Because I wasn't there!

Illicit Activities

Silliness in the hotel room

The other thing I remember from the class trip, which also took place on Wednesday, was a certain amount of rumored partying that went on that night. It was partying that I had decided I was going to join. I can't remember which room or rooms these illicit activities were happening in and I'll never know if they actually happened. Because when I slipped out of my room, ready to break the rules, Dr. Vining happened to be standing right outside the door:

 "Hi, Sean.  What do you need?" She asked.

"Oh! Hi Dr. Vining! I was. . .uh. . well, I was. . .uh. . . Actually, I'm just gonna go back in my room here."

And that was that.  My roommates and I did end up raiding the minibar--poking holes in the bottom of the cans, puffing up the snack bags so they looked full, and refilling the bottles with water, in attempt to hide our theft. As a seasoned trip leader now, I'm appalled that our chaperones didn't think to ask the hotel to clear the minibar in the rooms ahead of our arrival.  There wasn't enough in the bar to make for much, but still.  I'm glad now that my party plans were foiled.  I don't think I'm cut out for that life, and knowing my mindset, I don't think it would have gone well for me.

Thursday, April 9, 1992

Stuck in the Chicago: The Ordeal

Perhaps my most vivid memory of the class trip was one of abandonment.  I, along with a couple of classmates were left behind by the class at the Museum of Science and Industry.  We waited for hours in the brutal cold before we finally gave up and took a cab to what we knew was the next stop on our itinerary. It's been suggested that it was our own fault, that we were late for the pick-up.  Well, we're not gonna litigate those little details right now.  All I know is we were left behind, and in the days before cell phones there was nothing to be done about it, but wait--which we did for awhile--or set out on our own, which we finally did.  Here's the account from my journal (one of the few class trip events I actually wrote about):

"We left the hotel sometime after 9:30 and were dropped off at the Museum of Science & Industry. Waited around for about half an hour and then Lena, Tonya, Linda and I took off for the Shedd's Aquarium, about a 10 minute drive [on the bus], and thus our adventure began.  We looked around there and met Chris and Carissa who told us that they were going to pick some of us up at the aquarium when it was time to go.  We'd already been notified of the change from pick up at 7 PM to pick up at 4 PM at the Science and Industry Museum.

Anyway, we went over to the Planetarium, ate and saw the sky show. Afterward we went to the Field Museum for a little, and then around 3:40 decided to head back to the Museum of Science & Industry for our pick-up. 10 minute bus ride, remember.  That 10 minute was almost an hour back. We got back about 4:30 and missed our rides. 

Now Dr. Vining had said that in case some people didn't hear about the four o'clock pick up, they'd send a bus back at 7 to get them. So we figured we'd stay and wait for that bus.  We ended up waiting 2 and a half hours, and the bus never showed.  It wasn't bad. Lena was really mad and Linda was quite cheerful and Tonya and I just made the best of it.  It was cold, though.  We about froze.  Finally, just after seven we decided to take a cab to Hard Rock Cafe where the class was supposed to go next.  They weren't there so we took another taxi to the Sears Tower where we found everyone. 

I can't believe they let this happen.  The sponsors are so irresponsible. Went to Hard Rock, then left. That's all."

Friday, April 10, 1992

Jennifer E and Chandra on the bus ride to North Carolina, Friday, April 10, 1992

Me and Jenny Burrill getting ready to raft

Greg Wedel, Captain of our ship (or our raft anyway)

Rafting

On Friday we began the long journey home, with two days of stops along the way.  The first stop, after an all night drive, was in North Carolina for white water rafting.  Even thought it was my first experience rafting, I don't remember much about it at all.  The most memorable rafting trip I've been on so far was an all day excursion with  my 8th graders in tropical North Queensland, Australia in 2008.  Our senior rafting trip just didn't stand out for me like that. I did, however, take quite a few pictures.

After rafting, we hopped back on the bus and continued on to Cohutta Springs, Georgia where we'd spend the Sabbath hours at the Adventist camp there.

Saturday, Apri1 11-Sunday, April 12, 1992

Greg and I at the Braves game, Saturday evening, April 11, 1992, Atlanta, Georgia

Mae Williams and Rachel Berlus enjoying the game.

After a quiet Sabbath at Cohutta Springs we continued on to Atlanta.  We spent the evening watching an Atlanta Braves game.  Afterwards, my roommates--Chris Cotta, Greg Wedel, Jeff O'Connor--and I stayed up all night being hyper and crazy.  Sunday morning, we continued on and by Sunday afternoon we were back home again.

I have to applaud our sponsors who planned the trip for us-"Captain" Coolidge, Mrs. Kovalski, Mr. Pomeroy and Dr. Vining.  They planned a full and complete class trip with a variety of experiences for us.  I admire their' courage in leading two coachfuls of seniors on this trip. I personally am quite happy taking 8th graders on trips--they can't get into the kind of trouble high school seniors can! I wish I hadn't been so morose during the trip, but I'm glad my memories are positive at least. It's quite possible that my recollections of that trip helped shape the kind of trips that I plan for my students today.  At the end of May I'll be taking 20 8th graders and seven chaperones on an epic trip to Oahu, Hawaii.  Hopefully they'll have a great time in the moment and in memory as well.

The One Year Bible: Rock N' Roll Bible

 

The reading for the past two weeks finished out the second half of Joshua--which was mostly a rather dull recounting of how the Promised Land was divvied up among the people of Israel-- and ended with the charming story of Ruth and the prelude to the story of the prophet Samuel. In between was the book of Judges.  And wow, what a book! Cinematic, violent, and full of tough guys and even tougher women.  If it were a movie, it would be rated R, for sure.  And the soundtrack? It would have to rock n' roll.  I can just see the trailer--Ehud running King Eglon through with a sword (Judges 3:12-30), Jael handling business with Sisera (Judges 4:17-22), Gideon, Samson and his antics and you can totally hear Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle"  or Queen's "We Will Rock You" playing in the background.

I'm guessing I'm not supposed to suggest such a thing about the stories of the Holy Bible, but Judges just doesn't have that "Biblical" feel.  It feels like an action flick or a comic book film.  These judges are larger than life and there's never a dull moment in this book. It's not surprising that the only children's stories to come out of the book of Judges are Gideon and Samson (and even Samson is really pretty PG-13).  The rest of the stories don't go well with a Sabbath morning children's story.

On closer inspection, though, it's clear to me that most of the judges, even Samson with his storied strength, aren't very strong. They are fearful (Barak and Gideon), impulsive (Jephthah), petty and selfish (Samson), and just plain sick (The unnamed Levite who allowed his wife to be sexually assaulted and murdered).  None of them seem particularly bright, certainly not fit to be well. . .judging anyone.  I'm trying to think if there was even one judge who was actually a solid, decent man. 

The women of Judges, on the other hand, mean business. Whether it's the leadership of the prophetess Deborah, the fearlessness of Jael, the resolve of Jephthah's daughter, or even the savvy Delilah, who even if she wasn't exactly "good" was at least intelligent.  Certainly there are women in this book who suffer at the hands of awful men--the aforementioned Levite's concubine and the poor women of Shiloh--but I do appreciate the stories of the strong women of Judges.

Highlights from Joshua, 12:7 through the end of the book,  Judges, Ruth and 1 Samuel 1:1-8 (with selections from 1 Chronicles 2:9-55 and 1 Chronicles 4:1-23)

• Choose Today Whom You Will Serve: Joshua's Final Words to Israel

• Deborah Schools Barak, Jael Strikes Sisera

• 300: Gideon and His Men

• Jephthah Sacrifices His Daughter

• Samson: The World's Strongest Weakling

• The Horrifying Tale of the Levite and His Concubine

• Ruth: A Breath of Fresh Air

• The Prayer of Jabez

• An Introduction to the Parents of the Prophet Samuel

Fun Facts

• Do you know who really conquered Jerusalem? It's not clear at all.  The Bible gives contradictory accounts of the conquest of this most important city, sometimes in the same chapter! In the first chapter of Judges it appears Judah conquered Jerusalem in vs. 8, only for it be described in vs. 21 as remaining under the control of the Jebusites "to this day". There is at least one other account of Jerusalem being conquered (or not) before David is described as taking it later in the Bible.  In the research I did online, it appears there's some disagreement as to when exactly Jerusalem was conquered and by whom.  To me it seems possible that it might have been conquered and reconquered by the both the Jebusites and the people of Israel over the years.  That's a pattern of conquest of Jerusalem that has continued to the present.

• Did you know what happened to Gideon after his well-known victory over the Midianites with only 300 men? It's not pretty.  There are some atrocities committed by Gideon against some towns that refused to provide him and his men with food as he was concluding his defeat of the Midianites. Then there's some idol worship as Gideon creates an ephod which becomes an object of worship. Here Gideon humbly declines to lead the people of Israel, declaring "The LORD will rule over you", but then leads the people astray by making the ephod. Finally, after Gideon's death there is a violent conflict between seventy of his sons and his bastard child, named Abimelech for control of Shechem.  It's all very sad. Read about it in Judges 9.

• Do you know what would happen if you couldn't pronounce "shibboleth" correctly?  You got killed, that's what happened. This came about after the judge Jephthah had defeated the Ammonites. He got into a ridiculous fight with the tribe of Ephraim, who were angry because Jephthah hadn't called them to join the battle against the Ammonites (even though Jephthah had asked for their help and they had refused. Now that the victory is won, Ephraim wants to conveniently rewrite history and literally go to war over their version of events!). In the ensuing civil war, the word "shibboleth" was used a test to determine whether escaping fugitives from the battle were Ephraimites or not.  The men of Ephraim pronounced it "sibboleth" and got killed on the spot.  A pretty sitty deal for the men of Ephraim who couldn't manage that "sh" sound.

• Do you know whether this quote comes from a movie or the Bible?  "Watch what you say! There are some short-tempered men around here who might get angry and kill you and your family." You can totally hear some mob boss murmuring those words in a not so thinly veiled threat. But no this isn't Goodfellas.  This would be the men of Dan in Judges 18 who were in the process of stealing an idol and a priest from the family of a guy named Micah.  When Micah chased after these guys and protested the theft, this was the men of Dan's reply.  Micah, just like a guy in a mafia film, got the hint and turned around and went home, helplessly accepting the theft.

• Do you know who Jabez' father is?  It's not clear in 1 Chronicles 4:9, the passage that launched a best-selling book and thousand Bible studies.  In the midst of the genealogy of Judah, where each man is listed as father of this person or that, we read "There was a man named Jabez" with no mention of who is father is (or for that matter who he might have fathered). This despite the fact that he is noted as being "more honorable than any of his brothers." We do have mention of his mother though because she gave him his name because of the pain she suffered during his birth. (Apparently Bruce Wilkinson, who started the Jabez craze, interpreted this as her "cursing" him, which is not at all obvious to me from the passage.  And there are people who take strong exception to Wilkinson's interpretation).  Back when "The Prayer of Jabez" was all the rage, I was never a big fan.  Something felt a little too convenient, a little too pat, with a whiff of prosperity gospel about the whole thing. It just seems like there's too much context missing to build a whole Bible study around this one guy, without cluttering it with your own biases.

What Stood Out To Me

The Violence

The violence in the book of Judges is graphic, constant and brutal.  It begins in the very first chapter with the relatively mild maiming of Adoni-bezek, a Canaanite king conquered by the tribe of Judah,  who had his thumbs and big toes cut off.  At least he lives. By the end of Judges we will see a woman sexually assaulted and murdered, and then her body cut into twelve pieces and sent to each of the twelve tribes of Israel. In between there is Ehud who coolly stabbed the corpulent King Eglon, with the sword literally getting lost in Eglon's rolls of fat. It's a scene that would fit comfortably in The Game of Thrones.  There is Shamgar, who's main claim to fame is that he killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.  There is Jael, the woman who lured the general of the Israel's enemies into her tent under a pretense of protection (their families had been tight so Sisera had reason to trust her) only to drive a tent stake through his head while he slept.  Jael, is later described in a victory song in Judges 5 as "most blessed among women" a phrase I associate with the milder and less violent Virgin Mary. This song also takes cruel joy in imagining the experience of Sisera's mother as she waits expectantly--and in vain--for him return from battle. Rough stuff!) 

Then there's Samson who used violence his whole life to get what he wanted and to express his frustration. No one ever taught this man-child to use his words.  Samson's violence could be so casual, almost incidental, as in the case of killing the lion and then the murder of 30 men to pay off the Philistines who were tipped off on his riddle about the dead lion.  Whether destroying property or killing people, none of it was a big deal to Samson. He was a petty, small man, inclined to act impulsively and to think with his "small head" rather than the long-haired one on his shoulders.  Right up to the day of his death, violence was the answer to every question for Samson.

We also read about the poor people of Laish,  who were minding their own business not bothering anybody.  They were massacred by the tribe of Dan, who, having failed to conquer the land allotted to them when they arrived in Canaan, decided to go after the easy pickings of Laish instead. The town was inhabited by Sidonians who were too far from their countrymen to get any help.  The tribe of Dan were straight up bullies. 

And finally we have the Levite and his concubine, a gory story of the brutal gang rape and murder of a woman and then her subsequent dismemberment by her husband.  This eventually led to the tribe of Benjamin being almost entirely wiped out (Benjamites were responsible for the woman's grisly death), and the murder of the people of Jabesh-Gilead.

The Ill-Considered Vows

Jephthah was a rough man from a rough background.  But he was a judge who delivered Israel.  When challenging the Ammonites, he laid down this dare: " You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the LORD our God gives us" (Judges 11:24).  If only Jephthah could have followed his own advice.  He spoke boldly about how God would give them victory, but he didn't entirely trust God.  Just to be sure, he vowed to sacrifice as a burnt offering the first thing that came out of his home to greet him if God gave him a win. Now there was no precedent for this type of sacrifice or this type of vow in Mosaic law. God had pretty strict rules on what, when and where a burnt offering was to be made. Jephthah wasn't following any of that.   And the worst  part is, when his daughter came rushing out of the house, rejoicing in her dad's triumph, Jephthah kept the vow!  This despite, specific instructions from God on how to get out of an ill-considered vow.  His daughter stoically accepted her fate, only asking for some time to mourn with her friends the life she would have had before allowing herself to sacrificed. 

 Another ill-considered vow arrives at the sordid end of the book of Judges. Eleven of the twelve tribes of Judah have banded together to virtually erase the tribe of Benjamin for their role in the assault and murder of the Levite's concubine. This civil war was won at great cost, as the united tribes were repulsed three times before finally defeating Benjamin.  This suggests to me that the Levite wasn't exactly innocent either as he was the one who stood by and allowed his wife to be cast to the Benjamite wolves.  There was a price to be paid for his sin too. 

Anyway, Israel vowed that they would not give any of their daughters in marriage to the tribe of Benjamin.  Once the bloodletting was over and Israel realized they'd almost wiped out their brother, remorse set in.  But the they were bound by their oath. Their horrific solution was a fitting end to a blood soaked book.  They found the men of one town--Jabesh-Gilead--who had not joined them in the war, and massacred everyone in that town except for the virgin girls.  These girls were given out to the men of Benjamin that remained.  However, they were still short on girls for the tattered remnants of Benjamin.  So they had these last men hide out in the fields near Shiloh where a festival was going on.  When the young women came out to dance, the men were instructed to rush in and grab a woman they liked and make her his wife.  When the fathers and brothers of these girls came to complain they were encouraged to hush up and let it go.  After all, this way, the tribe of Benjamin survived, and yet the people of Israel kept their vow since the men of Shiloh didn't technically "give" their daughters in marriage.  They were taken. (Liam Neeson would not have done well in the town of Shiloh).

In the concubine, the women of Jabesh-Gilead, and the girls of Shiloh we once again see women paying the price for men's boneheaded decisions.

"Every man did what was right in his own eyes"  

This phrase appears a number of times throughout the book of Judges.  It's a statement that this was a kind of "Wild West" period for Israel. Every man was a law unto himself, with glory for the strong (and "going down in a blaze of glory" if you weren't careful).  People did what they wanted.  You could have your own priest apparently, as revealed in the story of Micah, who hired himself a priest and set up his own private system of worship of the Lord, complete with a sacred ephod and some idols (Never mind that none of this was according to God's instructions).  This lasted until both idols and priest were usurped by ruffians from the tribe of Dan.  That's the thing about everyone doing what they want.  Such an approach favors the strong.

We tend to read the statement "all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes" as a statement of the moral environment at the time. But that's not what the author of Judges seems to be saying.  It seems to be more on a commentary on the lack of king, as the phrase is often paired with the statement that Israel had no king. It's about a lack of order, a lack of consistency rather than a lack of moral fiber.  But when Israel shifted to a monarchy, it's fundamental moral and spiritual problems weren't solved. Israel was simply more uniform in it's abandoning of God, following the leadership of the king in doing so rather than their own inclinations. I just think it's worth noting this is a statement about the disorganization of Israel rather than a condemnation of following individual conscience.

Ruth

After the machismo of Judges, Ruth comes as a breath of fresh air. Finally, we meet in Ruth and Boaz people of integrity, humility, and courage. The book of Judges is populated by men with rock star egos, the type who sleep with lots of women and are likely to trash hotel rooms (or rip the gates off a city or burn down someone's farmland).  The book of Ruth is a departure from all that.  It's a beautiful, quiet story of loyalty, compassion, and love in the wake of tragedy.  There are still the cultural practices that seem a bit strange to modern readers, but the spirit is different.  The rock n' roll ethos of Judges is exciting and entertaining for sure, but in the end these guys don't have staying power.  They are not built for the long term, and they don't represent what God is about. Ruth's quiet commitment to Naomi and her God, her hard work gleaning in the fields to provide for her mother-in-law, Boaz's generosity, care and appreciation for Ruth don't get the adrenaline pumping. But they are the values that are close to the heart of God and they come as a welcome relief.

92: The One On the Road Pt 1: The College

 

After Senior Survival, probably the biggest event of the year for our class was the Senior Class Trip.  I could never have guessed, at the age of 18, that this would be the first of many class trips I would take.  Granted, this would be the only one as a student--the rest would be as a teacher and trip leader--but seven years later, I'd take my first class of 8th graders on a trip to Bali. I have been doing class trips ever since.  I even revisited some of my senior class destinations over the years--Chicago in 2016, Atlanta in 2019 and white water rafting in North Carolina in 2021.

But the spring of 1992, was my first trip.  

In 2018, I added a second trip to my students' school year--an annual social studies trip to either Washington D.C. or Philadelphia.  For our first few trips, we tied the excursion to the date of Pine Forge Academy Days so our 8th graders could participate.  In the same way, Forest Lake Academy kicked off our class trip with College Days at what was then known as Southern College.

Southern was the considered the flagship college for the Florida Conference and the Southern Union.  (The Southern Union is also home to Oakwood College, as it was then known, but only Southern was considered for a visit) and it was hoped and expected that many of us would attend there.

To be honest, I had a very negative attitude towards Southern.  I had never even visited the campus but arrived with a sneering, arrogant attitude towards the school. I never gave the place a chance. I expected I would hate it, and so of course I did.  Even the very things that should have made Southern a selling point, such as the friendly students and staff were a turn off to me.  I declared the "Southern hospitality" fake and the people on campus boring and "generic."  I was kind of a jerk frankly.

In truth, I think I was having a real crisis of identity in the second half of my senior year.  There were a lot of reasons--and none of them were anyone else's fault.  I was just on my own journey of figuring out who I was. And I had come to the conclusion that I was someone who did not "belong" in the Forest Lake Academy milieu.  And because Southern was presented as the obvious next step for Forest Lake Academy students, I knew it was not for me.  

Looking back, I think I was maybe unfair to FLA, and certainly to Southern in my harsh judgements.  But I do think I was right to elect not to go to Southern for college. I did need a fresh start, a chance to reinvent myself.  I don't think I could have done that at Southern College.

I've left out quite a bit from my journal entries.  There was a lot of emotion I chose not to share here.  A girl I was hoping to start something with (It didn't work out, leading me to be in a very foul mood for much of the class trip); another girl I was hopelessly in love with--all of this took up many pages.  And then there was the griping about how horrible Southern was.  I've left much of that out too.  What's left is actually a pretty decent weekend, hanging out with my buddy Jeremy Partlo, shooting guns, and whatnot before the College Days festivities kicked off on Sunday, April 5.  

Some selections from my journal:

Friday, April 3, 1992, Southern College, Collegedale TN

3:01 PM On the road to Southern College--Still in Florida. I'm sitting in this packed van on my way up to SC-every generic person's dream.  This is the prelude to our senior class trip.  Me and the others with me are going up early for various reasons.  Some are taking tests or being in competitions, others are only under the pretense of doing so and are actually going up  to go off campus with friends or relatives.  I fall in the latter category.  I'm going to see Jeremy who's living up there to be near his fiancée. I'm sitting near the front of the van with Matthew and Vladimir.  Behind me are Susan, Tonya. . .Verlene, Steve & Jenny, Geri, Chandra, and Jeff.  Coach Fulbright and Claudia are the mandatory sponsors.

We've been on the road for about 4 hours.  A little less, since 11:30. It's been pretty cool.  I'm listening to Carissa's U2 tape for the second time. I really like it. The music is very poetic. . .

11:52 PM We are here. Not much else to say.  Steve, Jeff, and I are staying in this crap room and I gotta sleep on the floor.  Saw Jeremy and had supper at his house.  A nice little mobile home about five minutes from the college.  I'm going over there again tomorrow. It's not bad. The trip up here was pretty decent.

The class trip was where I began my relationship with the band U2. It started with Achtung Baby, their most recent release which had just come out the previous fall.  I was familiar with some of the songs from the radio--tunes like "Mysterious Ways" and "One."  I liked what I heard from Carissa's cassette and was hungry for more.  A couple of days later, once we were on the road to Chicago, someone tipped me off that Tony Exon had a tape of The Joshua Tree. I borrowed the tape and the rest is history. I was all in for U2 and have been ever since. Fourteen years later, I'd hear "Where the Streets Have No Name" live and in person for the very first time (You can read my account here) in Tokyo, Japan. Ten concerts later you won't find a bigger U2 fan. And it all started with Carissa and Tony.

Sabbath, April 4, 1992, Southern College

10:04 PM  I'm at at Jeremy's again. We're just hanging out here jammin' to Beatles and Guns N' Roses. . .Hung out with Jeremy all day pretty much.  We went to church in Ooltewah.  The sermon was pretty good--what I heard of it.  I kept falling asleep. I was so tired. I have been dead tired all day and I feel kind of bad because I was probably kind a drag, always dozing off on Jeremy.

We ate at the cafe and then hung out at our room with Jeff, Geri, and Chandra until Coach came and chased the girls out.  After that Jeremy and I went shooting. We shot his and Michelle's two .22 pistols and his riot version pistol grip 12 gauge shotgun like the one Linda Hamilton used in Terminator 2.  That was awesome.  After that we went out to Lookout Mountain and drove to the top.  That was great. The view was breathtaking.

Tonight we just cruised around and went to the mall for awhile before we came back here. It's been nice to talk to Jeremy again and catch up on things.  He's really looking forward to getting married (naturally) but he's still pretty much the same old Jeremy I've always known.

Out shooting again on Sunday afternoon, April 5 after the main group of seniors had arrived. In the photo are Rees Franklin, Earl Gensolin (I think), and Brandon Wiley.

Mark Reams flanked by a person I can't quite make out on the left and I think Steve Gensolin on the right

Jeremy

J 

Me

Rees and Greg Wedel horsing around (Do not try this at home)

Sunday, April 5, 1992, Southern College

11:47 PM  Today wasn't too bad. I can't complain, really. I'm staying in this guy Kelly's room at the boys dorm.  He's a pretty decent guy. Not arrogant or fake like a lot of the people here.  Les is supposed to be staying here too but I haven't seen him yet. 

Not a lot say about today. I got up late--at least for being away from home--around 10:30.  Just hung out this morning.  The rest of our school got here about 11:30 accompanied by much fanfare, fire engines, and all that. . .Our school has basically dominated since we got here.

This afternoon, J, Rees, Greg, Brandon and myself went off campus with Jeremy and went shooting again.  It was a lot of fun.  We met Earl and Steve Gensolin and Mark Reams and this other guy out there.

Tonight we had some gym show. It was okay. I hate this place.

Heather Dunkel, Chris Cotta, and Mark Reams. I think they are on the fire engine during the "welcome procession" when our school arrived at Southern.  I don't recall being on the fire engine myself, since I was already there, so I don't know where I got this photo from.  Maybe it was when they arrived.

Lori Beall disembarking from the bus at Southern for College Days.  I think that might be Kelly Hendershot behind her.

Vincent VanBoekhout and Linda Park

Tangie Cox looking very much in charge of something.

Aileen Lopez, Heather Caplin, Michelle Robinson, and Jacque Chamberlain

Chris Cotta and Rees hanging out on campus Sunday afternoon

Eugene Armstead

Me with Chandra and her cousin Jessica Hamilton, who I assume was also there for College Days

Gym show Sunday night, April 5, 1992

My room mate for College Days, "Fresh Les" Les LeBrun

Frank Modeste, Angelo Pearson, Les, and Shimon Taylor. I think this might have been of the College Days events Monday morning, April 6, 1992

Carissa Berard and Chris Cotta

The One Year Bible: Wrecking Ball

 

"I see this hurting world of humanity
Your beloved ones
I see the construction crews, principalities
We've been overrun
I see the walls going up like towers
Hiding our bleeding hearts
From Your healing love and Your power
I'm on my knees in prayer, volunteering
And I can't wait

For You to send your demolition
Down from the sky
These walls have got to fall
I'll be your Joshua
Swing me back and let me fly
I'll ride Your wrecking ball, oh...
I'll ride Your wrecking ball"

                           --4 Him, "Wrecking Ball"

Israel is on the cusp of conquest.  They've already dispatched the kings of the Amorites and Bashan, east of the Jordan and the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, are settling in to their new home (although the warriors of these tribes are honoring their vow to help the rest of Israel conquer the rest of Canaan before returning home).  They've crossed the Jordan by miraculous means and are now getting ready to mount their first attack, on the walled city of Jericho.  Their leader, Joshua is doing some scouting near Jericho when he encounters a mighty warrior. Joshua issues the challenge, "Are you friend or foe?"  The answer might surprise you.

"Neither," the angel replies. "I am the commander of the Lord's armies."

That reply stunned me at first.  Wait a second. I thought, Israel was God's Chosen People.  Surely the answer should have been "friend"?  But in the angelic warrior's refusal to "take sides" is the key to the conundrum of conquest.  Even as I write this entry, Russia is seeking to conquer Ukraine as the world looks on in horror and disapproval. It's a story as old as time.  Our own nation was built on conquest--taking over a land occupied by others and claiming it as our own.  And yet, conquest doesn't seem to fit with the character of Christ, who claimed "My Kingdom is not of this world."  How we do we square Jesus' position with that of the Israelites wiping out kingdom after kingdom as they take the Promised Land by violence?

The answer is in the angelic commander's words.  God wasn't on Israel's "side".  God doesn't take sides.  What was happening to the Canaanite people could just easily happen to the people of Israel (and eventually did).  The Canaanites had sown evil, violence, and destruction and that is what they were now reaping.  If Israel strayed from the path of safety they would fare no better.  God wasn't going to play favorites, either in dispensing His mercy (ask Rahab) or His justice.  This is the difference between the Israelite conquest and all the others in history.  For most conquering armies, the assumption is that "God is on our side." It is our "Manifest Destiny" you might say, to have this land. It never occurs to the conquerors that they themselves could just as easily lose their "right" to that land.  For most colonizing powers, the convenient motto is "Might Makes Right."  Our ability to dominate you is proof that we are God's Chosen.  But God operates under a different standard.  His Motto is "Right Makes Might" and those being displaced are a cautionary tale for the winners, not proof of their superiority. 

The destruction of human life is not something that ever goes down easily.  It shouldn't.  But if it's hard for us to accept a whole tribe wiped out, imagine how hard it is for their Creator, their Father. 

Today, we rightly frown on any attempt by one nation to take another's territory or sovereignty.  The world's pretty much divided up amongst us all.  But it's worth noting, that the world as it is, is not fit for eternity.  One more pretty significant change in who runs the world--call it a conquest, if you will--must take place before we can truly enjoy Paradise.  Evil, hatred, violence, selfishness and death itself must be wiped out. Light drives out darkness.  Good drives out evil. Love conquers all.

"To see this evil scheme
Of the underworld in dire straits
Smashing to smithereens
All the barriers that hide Your face
To watch Your children in surprise
Fall to their knees
Open their eyes"

                  -4 Him, "Wrecking Ball"

Highlights of Deuteronomy 26-Joshua 12:6 

• Moses' Last Words
• Israel Crosses the Jordan
• Rahab: The Original Hooker With a Heart of Gold
• Joshua Fights the Battle of Jericho
• The Ai/ Achan Debacle
• The Gibeonites Hoodwink Israel

Fun Facts

• Did you know what happened to Circumcision for the past few books? Right before the Israelites attacked Jericho, all the men of Israel were circumcised. I just find it interesting that this sign of belonging to God wasn't mentioned throughout the Exodus or in the many instructions to the people of Israel in Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It seems to disappear after Genesis and then reappears in Joshua.  Maybe it was there and I missed it?

• Did you know that a group of Canaanite kings attacked the wimpy Gibeonites instead of attacking Israel?  The Canaanite kings were terrified by the encroaching scourge of Israel's supernaturally aided armies.  Rather than attack Israel, they decided to attack the people that had made peace with Israel.  The Gibeonites ask Israel for help and they provide it, utterly defeating the Canaanite kings. I think it's kind of remarkable that Israel was willing to help Gibeon after their trickery.

What Stood out to Me

"And the coal trucks come a-runnin'
With their bellies full of coal
And their big wheels a-hummin'
Down this road that lies open like the soul of a woman
Who hid the spies who were lookin'
For the land of the milk and the honey"

                                              --Rich Mullins, "Land of My Sojourn"

Rahab

Rahab is one of my favorite Bible characters.  While much of Joshua is about the conquering of the Canaanites, here is the story of one Canaanite--and not a "good" one by any stretch, who found grace and mercy, simply by choosing to side with Israel--to extend their spies grace and mercy, in the hopes they--and their God--would do the same for her.  Rahab was a prostitute and a foreigner, and on those two counts alone, according to everything we've read so far in the Old Testament, she should have been marked for destruction.  It's a reminder that God looks at the heart.

Interestingly Rahab's motives were perhaps mainly self-interested. She knew destruction was coming and wanted to avoid that fate for herself and her family.  Rahab decided it was better to place herself and her family at the mercy this scary-sounding God than to fight against Him.  It was her decision to trust Him that is noteworthy.  And when I think about it, I realize that as harsh and wrathful as the God of the Old Testament might be, I cannot think of a single story where someone surrendered to God and placed themselves at His mercy, trusting Him in a moment of complete vulnerability, only for God to reject them and destroy them.  Rahab asked the spies--and through them God--to save her and her family.  And He did.

Those Crafty Gibeonites

Even though the Gibeonites deceived Israel, I've always kind of liked them and their story.  It echoes the story of Rahab in a way.  They knew they were doomed, and figured, "Rather than trying to fight a losing battle, lets see if we can make peace."  Basically, they pretended to be representatives of some faraway nation that is definitely not any kingdom found in Canaan.  They even brought along moldy bread and worn clothes to "prove" how far they'd traveled.  Joshua and the leaders of Israel are even suspicious of the very trickery the Gibeonites are attempting, but they don't consult the Lord and are swayed by the "proofs" of the Gibeonite's long journey.  They make a covenant of peace with the Gibeonites.  Three days later Israel rolls up on the city of Gibeon and realize they've been had.  The Israelites are bound by their vow before God and have no choice but to spare the Gibeonites. 

Joshua demands to know why the Gibeonites deceived them, saying they were from a far off land when in fact they were living right there in Canaan.  To me the answer is obvious--they wanted to avoid destruction!  What I find interesting is the Gibeonite's humble response: "And now behold we are in your hands. Do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."  Their punishment was that they would be woodcutters and water carriers for the nation of Israel.  I guess the Gibeonites never got the manly memo that "It's better to die on your feet, than live on your knees."   I suppose their mindset was it's better to be a servant among God's people, than a warrior in a losing battle against them.

The One Year Bible: Say It Again for the People in the Back

 Deuteronomy, which makes the bulk of this weeks reading, is basically a recap. It's a recap of the highlights (and lowlights) of Israel's 40 years in the wilderness.  It is a summary of God's law--the rules, procedures, and policies if you will, of the world's first monotheistic theocracy.  The whole book is essentially Moses's final sermon to His people before they go on to glorious conquest and he goes on to Glory. If there's anything new in it, at 25 chapters in, I haven't seen it.

Moses repeats himself--a lot. As I read through Deuteronomy, Moses kind of reminded me of myself when I get on my soapbox in my classroom. I even joke with the students that I have a "library" of sermons that I draw from.  Sermon #361--"If you don't get your behavior on point you will not be able to go on the field trip!"  I think the kids get tired of hearing me say the same thing over and over again.  But I can't help it. I repeat myself because I desperately want the message to get through their fevered middle-school brains. I don't ever want a student of mine to say, "Hey, wait a minute, I didn't know that's what you meant."  I get that same sense of urgency from Moses:

"Come on guys, don't forget how God has led you in the wilderness all these years.  Don't forget God's commands.  Don't forget!  Here, let me lay it out for you again. . ."

Another way in which Moses reminds me of my teacher self, is his constant noting that when a harsh punishment is handed down, "All Israel" or the the surrounding nations, "Will hear and be afraid."  Fear is ultimately not the best tool for developing a relationship either with learning or with God.  But having students know you don't play is crucial tool for a teacher.  My students know that if they misbehave in my classes, there are clear and consistent consequences. Over the years, my reputation precedes me and students arrive in my class knowing I'm serious.  

While Deuteronomy isn't exactly new, there are plenty of twists on the same old message, making for an extra long list of Fun Facts this week:

Fun Facts (Though honestly, a lot of them are anything but fun).

• Did you know Sabbath is a memorial of the Exodus?  In Deuteronomy 5:6-21 the Ten Commandments are repeated, with one notable twist. In the fourth commandment, the reason for resting on the Sabbath changes. Instead of saying "For in six days God created the world but rested on the seventh day," it says "Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with His strong hand and powerful arm.  That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day."  Sabbath serves not only as a memorial to Creation, but also a reminder to God's people that they are free.  They once lived in a place where they had no choice but to work seven days a week. Each Sabbath is a celebration of freedom to stop working.

• Did you know God's plan for dealing with manslaughter? Let's say you're out chopping wood and the ax head flies off the handle and hits your neighbor in the head, killing him (this is an actual example used later in Deuteronomy).  This is manslaughter, not murder.  You took a life but it was not intentional. You can escape vigilante justice at the hands of your neighbor's family--which was smiled upon in the Israelite theocracy, by the way--by escaping to your nearest city of refuge.  Once within the borders of that city, you would be safe from harm.

• Did you know how God's homicide detectives handled cold cases?  If someone is found murdered in a field and no one knows who committed the murder,  those investigating the murder were to measure the distance from crime scene to nearby towns.  The town that is found to be closest is assumed to be where the murderer came from.  Then begins the investigation right?. . .Well, not quite.  There is no investigation.  Instead a heifer that has never been broken for farm work is led down to valley that has not been plowed or planted and has a stream running through it. The animal's neck is broken and the elders of the town must wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken.  They must say "Our hands did not shed this person blood, nor did we see it happen."  They ask the Lord to forgive them and to not hold the innocent victim's blood against them.  And with that, the case is closed. 

• Did you know that while the Bible might permit slavery, God is definitely okay with slaves running away?  I find it interesting that all a slave has to do is run away and they are in the clear.  The people of Israel are not to return runaway slaves to their owners (Deuteronomy 23:15).  I get the feeling the assumption is that if a slave is inclined to run away, it's because their master was probably a bad dude.  Good masters = slaves who stay.

What we need is to get back to the Biblical plan for marriage. . .Are we sure about that?

• Did you know the Biblical definition of rape is based on the marital status of the woman and not consent?  In Deuteronomy 22:23-29 we find a definition of rape that is totally foreign to our modern understanding of the crime.  Basically, if a woman is engaged and man has sex with her where others are nearby, it is presumed to be adultery because the woman didn't scream for help.  Both man and woman are stoned to death. If the engaged woman is out in country side where no one can hear her scream, it is assumed that she cried for help and that she was raped and she is spared. Presumably the rapist is executed, though the Bible doesn't say.  But here's the key--this all has to do with engaged women. If a woman is not engaged and a man has sex with her, he has to pay her father fifty pieces of silver and then he has to marry the woman and he can never divorce her! Rape in the Biblical sense appears to only happen to engaged women. Consent is almost beside the point.  After all, a guy who wants a girl that isn't in to him, has only to force himself on her (as long as she's not already promised to someone else and as long as he's got required fifty pieces of silver) and he's got her for life!  Horrible!

• Did you know the rules for marrying a woman you've captured in war (like perhaps that Midianite girl you've recently come into the possession of?)  First, you have to take her home and have her shave her head, cut her nails and change her clothes.  Second, you need to allow her a month to mourn her parents (who you and your fellow soldiers likely had a hand in slaughtering). Third, you get to marry her.  Fourth, if you find she doesn't make you happy, you have to just let her go--no selling your wife or turning her into a slave. You've already humiliated her enough (Deuteronomy 21: 10-14). 

• Did you know God frowns on you punishing your kid because you don't like his mom? Let's say you find yourself in a Jacob type situation.  You've got two wives--one you love, the other not so much.  And let's say that the wife you're not so hyped about has your firstborn son.  You're not allowed to pass on his birthright to the son of the wife you're fond of. It's not your kids fault you don't like his mom. The first born inheritance is his due. (Unless of course the other son can figure a way to hoodwink you into giving it to him. See Jacob).

• Did you know what happens if you believe you "weren't the first" with your new bride?  Your wife's parents will bring out her bed sheet to offer as proof. . .you know what, I'm so out of my depth with this one.  There is so much I'm sure I'm not understanding.  I have so many questions here.  I don't know.  Read it for yourself (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).  Maybe you'll have some insights I missed.  All I see is, either way the woman loses. If it turns out that the husband's accusations were false, he must remain married to her and can never divorce her.  And who wants to be stuck for life with a guy like that?  Of course, if it can be proved that he's telling the truth.  Well, then the woman gets stoned. Ugh

• Did you know how to poop the Biblical way?  It's pretty straightforward. Have designated place outside the camp.  Have a shovel. Dig a hole, do your business, cover it up. (Deuteronomy 23: 12)  Finally, something that makes sense!

Honestly, I think I'm going to have a hard time hearing anyone wax eloquent about the "Biblical  model of marriage."  If Deuteronomy tells us anything, it's that marriage was a very different proposition during Biblical times than it is today.

What Stood Out to Me

God's Economic System Isn't Exactly Capitalist

God seemed to be intent on creating an economic system that made it virtually impossible for anyone to become a billionaire.  Many of the tools of the super wealthy for gaining that wealth weren't available to the Israelites.  They couldn't loan money at interest--at least to their fellow Israelites. Debts had to be forgiven every seven years, so you might actually lose money on your investment. And the Bible warns against being stingy about loaning money because you know you're close to the seventh year (It's not seven years from the day of the loan, but the Sabbath year).  Loan probably isn't the right word for it. You were basically gifting money to your neighbor in need. 

When it came to harvests, farmers were expected to leave some grapes on the vine, olives on the tree, and wheat in the field for the poor to glean.  Efficiency was not the goal--taking what you need, of your own property, and leaving something behind was the rule.  And of course we've already talked about the returning of property you've bought in the year of jubilee.  So much for going into real estate.  It just doesn't seem like the Lord is very pro-business, you know.

God's Concern over Idolatry

If there's one thing, God seemed to be concerned about perhaps above all else, it was His people worshiping other gods.  It's a topic that's returned to over and over in Deuteronomy. It was the cardinal sin, and if anything some of the other sins, were sins because they were connected to idol worship. If it makes God seem jealous and possessive. . .well, I don't think He'd argue with that.  In our modern, pluralistic culture, demanding such absolute loyalty seems harsh. There doesn't seem to be a value of "freedom of religion" in the books of Moses. But then, we're assuming that all religions are benign.  That religion, in and of itself, is a social good. It doesn't really matter which one; as long as you believe in something, right?  To make believing something different than I do a crime just seems wrong.  

But even a casual review of the way religion--including even the faith of Abraham, Jacob , and Moses--was practiced in Old Testament times reveals a very different way of thinking about religion.  Religion was a whole lot less about "beliefs" and a lot more about practice. Religion was what you did, not what you thought.  And the way many of the surrounding religions practiced their faith--including the practice of burning your children to death to appease the gods--was completely incompatible with this brand new faith God was introducing to the world.  The fiery God of Moses might still seem barbaric to our western sensibilities, but He was by no means the same as all the other gods.

Here's another way to think about it.  You've got a table filled with delicious looking food.  But all the dishes are poisoned except one.  If you're told you can only eat the one safe dish, you wouldn't say that such an instruction is overly harsh.  It only makes sense.  I think that's what God was trying to say with His strong prohibitions against worshiping other gods.  Idolatry is not merely a difference of belief; it is consuming poison.

Missing Context

Some of the commands in the Books of Moses can seem so random and arbitrary.  It makes me suspect that we are missing context.  Here's an example from Deuteronomy 22--three commands, that don't seem to connect to each other or anything else:  "A woman must not wear a man's clothes" and vice versa.  "Don't plant two different kinds of seeds in your vineyard."  And here's one more: "Don't wear clothes made of wool and linen together."  There are other commands too.  Some kind of seem to make sense; others it's not so clear. It's all too easy to play a game of "One of these obviously applies to our lives today while the two others obviously do not. Hmmm, I wonder which one that is?"   I think we have to be careful when it's too "easy" to draw the "obvious" conclusion.

Everything I Needed

 I close with my one of my favorite Bible verses. One that came to have special meaning for me the year I turned forty:

"The Lord your God has blessed everything you have done. He has protected you traveled through this large desert.  The Lord has been with you for those 40 years. You have had everything you needed."

                                                                                                                     -Deuteronomy 2:7

That's pretty much the story of my life. And it's why, despite the many questions, I still believe.  God has been real to me. He has not let me down..