About Me

Name: peripheral
Biography
Loading...

Create Your Own Blog Find Other Townhall Blogs

Comments

Blog Roll

 

The Final Exit

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, July 23, 2009 6:55:37 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Death can many times be gruesome but always a reminder to all of the temporary characteristic of life. Death is the common denominator for all. A word that has been used in news items recently is “pandemic” when the prospect of Swine Flu is being discussed. A “pandemic” is: “An epidemic that spreads over a very wide area, such as an entire country or continent.” Examples are: "The deathly horrors of the 14th century such as recurring famines; the Hundred Years' War in France; and, most of all, the Black Death, were culturally digested throughout Europe. The omnipresent possibility of sudden and painful death increased the religious desire for penitence…"

"The Black Death was one of the deadliest “pandemics” in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It is widely thought to have been an outbreak of bubonic plague… The Black Death was, according to chronicles, characterized by buboes (swellings in lymph nodes), like the late eighteenth-century Asian bubonic plague. Usually thought to have started in Central Asia, it had reached the Crimea by 1346 and from there…it spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe. The Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe's population, reducing the world's population from an estimated 450 million to between 350 and 375 million in 1400…The plague returned at various times, resulting in a larger number of deaths, until it left Europe in the nineteenth century."

Some music that was evoked in The Black Death period is similar to the Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) – a Symphonic Poem by Saint-Saëns (1874). “It is based on a poem by Henri Cazalis in which Death the Fiddler summons skeletons from their graves at midnight to dance...It consists of the personified death leading a row of dancing figures from all walks of life to the grave, typically with an emperor, king, youngster, and beautiful girl—all skeletal. They were produced to remind people of how fragile their lives and how vain the glories of earthly life were. The dance-with-death allegory was originally a didactic play to remind people of the inevitability of death and to advise them strongly to be prepared all times for death.” 

A grim reminder of The Black Death “pandemic” is a Rhyme often sung by children: “Ring around the rosy; A pocketful of posies’; Ashes, Ashes’; We all fall down!” Historically, “The words to the Ring Around The Rosy children's ring game have their origin in English history. The historical period dates back to the Great Plague of London in 1665 (bubonic plague) or even before when the first outbreak of the Plague hit England in the 1300's. The symptoms of the plague included a rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin (Ring around the rosy). Pockets and pouches were filled with sweet smelling herbs (or posies) which were carried due to the belief that the disease was transmitted by bad smells. The term "Ashes Ashes" refers to the cremation of the dead bodies; We all fall down refers to people who were dropping dead! The plague was only halted by the Great Fire of London in 1666 which killed the rats which carried the disease which was transmitted via water sources…or violent sneezing…”

In the news today, we read about the loneliness of death, and the concern about a new “pandemic” possibility: (1) "The poor economy is taking a toll even on the dead, with an increasing number of bodies in Los Angeles County going unclaimed by families who cannot afford to bury or cremate their loved ones. At the county coroner's office…36% more cremations were done at taxpayers' expense in the last fiscal year over the previous year, from 525 to 712", and (2) "Swine flu has spurred the Church of England to revive a rule drawn up more than 450 years ago when bubonic plague swept the land. As concern mounts about the spread of the virus…some Anglican churches have begun to allow “intinction” or dipping bread in communion wine rather than sharing the chalice, while others have stopped offering wine…” An obvious conclusion is: Life is temporary – Death is a certainty. In James 4:14 the question is posed: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” And in Psalm 90:10-12, “The length of our days is seventy years, or eighty, if we have the strength…Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Are you prepared for Death and Eternity? Consider these things with me.
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive

CHANGE? NEVER!! MAYBE?!

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, November 06, 2008 5:57:53 AM

From My Perspective - - -

The basic hew and cry of Senator Obama has been constant – we Need “Change”! Wherever he went, and whenever he spoke, he was always on message. The people were stirred to respond to his rhetoric. We he stated: “We Can Change!” – the crowds would chant “Yes, We Can!” The New York Times Online had an article by US Editor Gerard Baker that stated: “In electing Barack Obama president by a solid margin, accompanied by a congress with the biggest Democratic majority since the 1970s, Americans have signaled a dramatic change in the direction of the world’s sole superpower. The country regarded…by many Europeans as hopelessly racist and irredeemably right wing has voted to be ruled by a black man, at the head of a party committed to economic redistribution and a foreign policy rooted in peaceful diplomatic engagement. Two years ago Mr. Obama correctly identified that the overwhelming sentiment in this presidential election would be a desire for change.” Obviously, a candidacy of “Change” will be allowed the latitude to effect some changes – and – some change is sorely needed (if it is done correctly).

A large percentage of the citizenry indicate they are “Christian”, and Evangelical, and Conservative. This will be a difficult time for a group that has more or less “had its way” in terms of political influence, and who have always wanted “Change” their way. In the midst of “political change”, there are certain things that will Never Change! A relative has sent the following Prayer shared with him by a friend - - - “Praise you Lord. You have given me the chance to remember:

  • You are the same yesterday, today and forever.
  • You are King of kings, Lord of lords, The Mighty One - there is no changing with You!
  • You have given Jesus a name that is above every name so that one day every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ Is Lord, to the glory of the Father
  • None of your promises have changed.
  • You are still with me always.
  • Your steadfast love endures forever.
  • I will spend eternity with You in a perfect place.
  • I should cloth myself with humility under your mighty hand.
  • I may cast all my anxieties on You because You care for me.
  • I can still know Christ and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings and become like Him in his death.”
Consider these things with me - - - and remember that some change is basic and vital. In the Christian Life, the “change” is: “Old things pass away, all things become new!” In the place of the “deeds of the flesh”, there is replacement with “the fruit of the Spirit”, A Change of Attitude is necessary if progress and development is to occur. A guideline on Leadership from a business perspective insists a key part of a Leader’s Role is to bring about Change Acceptance… To get people to move - - - (1) From "Why?" to "What new opportunities will this provide?" (2) From "How will this affect me?" to "What problems will this solve?" (3) From "We do not do it this way." to "What would it look like?" (4) From "When will this change be over so we can get back to work?" to "What can I do to help?" (5) From "Who is doing this to us?" to "Who can help us?" The idea is to encourage and motivate – to enable one to stretch toward ones full potential, and loftier goals, The Lord’s message through Jeremiah (7:3-7) is: This is what the Lord Almighty…says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words…If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place…for ever and ever.” May this be the “Change” sought and implemented in our nation – and – individually, in our lives! Let’s try God’s Change!
Email ItEmail It | Print ItPrint It | CommentsComments (0) | TrackbacksTrackbacks (0) | Flag as offensiveFlag as Offensive
« Previous1Next »