The River

Megan
Christians in the World-6
October 30, 2012

The River

1987: "To cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us," referred to page 6, when the preacher said you would be washed away of your pain in the river. Pain could be a symbol of sin, which is being washed away by the river, just like grace from the holy spirit cleanse our sins.

1988: "Being born to a new life," referred to page 8, when the preacher said, "You count now, you didn't even count before." Before Bevel "didn't count" but after being baptized, he was counted, or born into a new life, he was created.

1989: "Conversion" occurred when the woman says, "I know from it that this preacher can heal. My eyes have been opened! I testify to Jesus!" when the preacher asked her to testify to either Jesus or the devil.(page 7) The boy was also converted when he was baptized because he wanted to find the kingdom of God in the river, which caused him to drown himself.

1990: "Purifies his heart from sin, detaches man from sin," is present on page 7, when the preacher says, "if i Baptize you, you will be able to go to the Kingdom of Christ. You'll be washed in the river of suffering  son, and you'll go by the deep river of life." Being in the river to purify one's heart is kind of an on going theme.

1991:"Acceptance of God's righteousness" was on the last page, when the author talked about the Kingdom of Christ in the river. Bevel wanted to be one with God, and had accepted this, so he went to the river to find the kingdom.

1992:""blood has become the instrument of atonement for all the sins of man," is talked about when the preacher says that the river is the river of life made of Jesus's blood

1993:"establishes cooperation between God's grace and mans freedom," happens at the end of the story when God pulled Bevel into the river, and he gave up his freedom to go to God.

1994:"Wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth; the most excellent work of God's love," was shown when the preacher said something about how if you haven't come to river for Jesus, you haven't come for him. meaning you have to come for the grace of God, not just to be healed, which in essence is being wicked.

1995: "Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life," which for me was best shown when the author said Bevel was overcome with surprise at the coming of the Kingdom of Christ.

1996:"Grace is favor," was best shown when Mrs. Connin taking Bevel to babysit as a favor to his mother, and then takes him to be baptized and then prayer for his mother.

1997:"Grace is the participation in the Life of God," happens when Mrs. Connin gives Bevel the book "the life of Jesus Christ for readers under twelve." He entered in the participation of of the life of God with this book.

1998:"vocation to eternal life is supernatural." This occurs when Bevel come up for air the first time, could have been a sign that he was not ready for eternal life, but he showed his devotion and was eventually accepted in to the Kingdom of Christ

1999:"grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us his own life." this was kind of hard. I said it was when Bevel find out he was "made" by a carpenter named Jesus. Meaning that God Made us himself.

2000:"Gods intervention" This occurs when Bevel come up for air the first time, could have been a sign that he was not ready for eternal life, but God still wanted him in the Kingdom of Christ, so he intervened.

2001:"God brings to completion in us what he has begun." This is repeated when the preacher says, "All the rivers come from one River and go back to it like the ocean sea." it is like everything come full circle.

2002:"created man in his image by conferring on him," goes back to this idea of Bevel finding the Kingdom of Christ in the river.

2003: "Sacramental graces, gifts proper to the different sacraments." Baptism is the theme in the short story, and Bevel received sacramental graces with Baptism

2004:"Responsibilities of the Christian life and ministries within the church." Being baptized is part of the ministries 

2005:"we can not rely on feelings or our words to conclude that we are justified and saved." On page 5, the preacher says you have to come to the healing for Jesus, you can't just come to see. You can't rely on what you see in order to know that you are going to be saved in the end.

Man With No Face

Megan
Christians in the world- 6
October 14, 2012

Man With no Face Essay

Charles is a young boy who has a desire of going to boarding school. Just like any true desire, when he does not get into the boarding school of his choice because he failed the test, his mother gave up hope, almost gladly, because it meant Charles was not going anywhere. However, this made Charles more determined than ever to fulfill his desire. Because of this, he seeks out the help of a teacher, one who is not the most popular in the town. It is not until Chuck really gets to know McLeod, Mel Gibson’s character, that certainty of his love that Chuck actually lets McLeod tech him fully, not just in preparation for the exam, but about friendship and acceptance.

            I think the first time Chuck is really uncertain of McLeod was when McLeod asked him to dig holes for him. The first was in a shape of a cube, the other was a triangle. McLeod had no real reason for this, other than the fact that he wanted to build his work ethic and also to build his trust. However, these little things were the building blocks of their relationship. The next time was when McLeod asked him to write an essay on anything he wanted, and Charles plagiarized taking the easy way out. Eventually, Charles complies with McLeod, learning his way of teaching. However, I think the most important moment was when McLeod yelled at Charles because he was staring at his scars, which scared Charles. This was the breaking point in their relationship that cracked the fear and doubts that Charles had about McLeod. Shortly after this scene, McLeod showed Charles his artwork and talent, which opened the door for Charles to ask the all-important question about what really happened to make McLeod’s face and body the way it was. This was the beginning of their friendship, which never diminished.

            It was when Charles’s sister told him what really happened to his father, that he killed himself in a mental hospital, that their friendship is tested by those around them. Charles’s mother finds out that McLeod is teaching Charles, she interrogates him, asking questions like ‘did he ever touch you,’ which launched a full blows interrogation about McLeod’s past with the accident he was in. Because of this, the two were never allowed to see each other again. However, the movie ends happily, when Charles graduates from the boarding school, and McLeod is seen walking away, and just before he disappears, he turns around and waves.

            Charles’s certainty grows in McLeod, despite his fear and doubts because of the strength in their friendship. He knows the truth about McLeod, and I think McLeod appreciated the fact that someone finally took the time to get to know him, and was actually able to look past his mistakes, like the car accident. Charles specifically says on a car ride home from flying a plane that he could no longer see the scares on his face a body. He was able to look past them and see the beautiful that is inside him. This is what allows Charles to grow despite the doubts and fear he has.

Definitions.

Megan
Christians in the world-6
October 6, 2012

Science: the study of anything. Studying anything at all; analyzing different fields.
Evidance: facts that make a truth valid; proof of something.
Fact: something that has been proven true. Can't be proven false once it's a fact.
Truth: conformity with fact or reality? The being of something.
Opinion: the idea you have that can't be taken away.
Truth value: how able something can be correct or right, or truthful lol
Logic: the proven idea that something can be right.

Knowledge

Megan

Christians in the World-6

October 2, 2012

We know what we know

            Knowledge is a really hard word to describe. The harder question is what it means to know something... In class when you asked us what we knew for a fact and the class responded that some of them knew their mother loved them. In my head, I knew where the discussion was going. But I thought of something that I knew to be true, I did not make myself, I cannot make myself happy, My desires are limitless, while my abilities are limited. I thought it was kind of funny that all this tied back to the fundamental thing we learned at the beginning of the year, the 4 truths of the “I.”

            For me, to know something is to have scientific, emotional, and stable proof of something. The example of my classmates knowing their mothers love them is a terrible example. There is not proof that their mom loves them. She could be lying, or be a really really good actor. To know something, we must be able to describe all of its factors, and have proof that it exists. One of my teachers last year taught a lesson on knowledge; we know what we know; however we don’t know what we don’t know either. Knowing something, like me knowing I exist, but I did not create myself, is true knowledge. I know the scientific and emotional proof to back up my knowledge. I don’t exactly know how to answer this question. Knowledge is really hard to describe, and I don’t think it has an actual definition.