Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Book Review: Johnny Cash - "Man in White"

Man in White by Johnny Cash
(WestBow Press, 8/8/2006)

Johnny Cash is best known as a prolific country artist who recorded in excess of seventy albums over a career spanning more than fifty years. Cash was one of those rare musicians who managed to achieve almost universal popularity. He collaborated with artists running the gamut from Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson to Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson, and somehow managed to seamlessly interweave his unique style with all of theirs. Cash’s mystique was due in large part, no doubt, to his attitude and reputation as “The Man in Black.” That was a moniker he earned early in his career because of his trademark monochromatic black outfits and the dark themes of many of his most popular songs (“Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire” and “I Walk the Line,” to name a few). Moreover, Cash made no secret of the shadowy areas of his personal life, and because of his candor many also knew him as a troubled man embroiled in a lifelong struggle with dependency on methamphetamines and barbiturates, haunted by the specter of his brother’s untimely death at a young age, and later in life suffering from health problems stemming from a neurological disorder and diabetes. Fortunately, Johnny Cash eventually found true comfort and relief from his many demons in “The Man in White”: Jesus Christ. Cash’s addiction and other problems, though, continued to be a thorn in his flesh during the rest of his life, and he was particularly affected by the story of the Apostle Paul who wrote famously of the thorn in his own flesh for which the disciple came to be thankful. This fascination with Paul’s story inspired Cash to author a novel, Man in White, in which he describes the transformation of the former zealous Pharisee who ruthlessly and mercilessly persecuted the earliest Christians before being met with a fateful vision of Jesus Christ along the road to Damascus. This experience transformed Paul into one of the Lord’s most significant and effectual disciples, the founder of countless churches and the author of much of the New Testament.

Cash makes it clear in introducing the novel that he fully understands the danger of extra-Biblical conjecture, and he succeeds in his attempt to illuminate the personality of Paul while largely avoiding those perils. Though fictional by Cash’s own declaration, the novel contains much factual historical information which not only helps readers become immersed in the setting, but ensures that they fully understand the significance of pertinent customs and relevant cultural nuances. The author, through the character he creates in Paul, also subtly offers his own elucidations of a multitude of passages from Scripture along the way.

A great deal of time is spent painting a written picture of Paul as a young Pharisee consumed by his own zeal to live according to the Law and to purify his faith. This depiction is perhaps most disturbing in the fact that we can see a lot of ourselves in this passionate follower of God. But the description is not gratuitous, because we too often gloss over the truly horrid actions committed by Paul. Cash forces us to acknowledge the harsh realities of these before we are shown the wonderful acts of ministry he did later in his life. We are quick to remember the wonderful things that Paul accomplished, but they are only a single part of the “big picture” of Paul’s testimony: he is such an inspiration because of the story of his incredible transformation, a transformation which can only be fully appreciated when we account for his malevolent past. In roughly the first half of the novel, the author grants us a glimpse into the ever-increasing turmoil that Paul feels. He is convinced that he is doing the right thing and following God’s will, and tries to attribute his growing doubts to the meddling of Satan. As Paul begins his persecution of Christians, he is astonished by the “expression of peace and joy out of agony” on the faces of all his victims, and wonders from where that “ecstasy in the agony of suffering for the Lord” comes. They show him love even as he is torturing them and putting them to death, and it is the influence of that love that initially begins to unravel Paul’s malicious convictions and shake his misguided ardor.

We’d do well to find in Paul’s experience a sobering warning against our own fanaticism and zealotry, even if it is limited to something as relatively trivial as allowing ourselves to think that we somehow have a better grasp or understanding of the will of God than any of our brothers or sisters in Christ. We should recall the story of Paul when we are prayerfully seeking to know God’s will, and be careful not to deny the calling of the Spirit from within us in favor of the pursuit of our own desires. Paul’s story teaches us, in a very personal way, the value of learning to submit to God and follow His will.

All of this leads to the climactic meeting along the road to Damascus with the Man in White. But is it truly the experience that is the apex of Paul’s story, or is it the inevitable acceptance of the identity of that man and the conclusion of what he allows the Lord to do with his life after the fated meeting with Jesus Christ on the road… what follows the acceptance of the revelation? Cash verbally weaves the scene in a magnificent depiction. The chapters that follow Paul’s conversion tell briefly the story of some of the arguments and decision-making that occurred in the early days of the Church. It is in the last part of the book that we walk with Paul as he discovers the joy of following Christ, even when it means that we must suffer for him. Many are skeptical of Paul’s conversion, but for his sister the sheer magnitude of Paul’s transformation is enough proof that Jesus is the Christ. Although Paul’s belief stemmed from the very clear and very genuine appearance of Jesus before him, we should not underestimate the power of just our own faith as evidence to the world.

The author writes in his introduction that his motivation for writing the novel stems from the bond he feels with Paul because of the Apostle’s struggle with a “thorn in the flesh.” The story of Paul’s dramatic turnaround and redemption strikes a universal chord, I think, because if we’re truly honest with ourselves, most of us can identify with his defiance. This is especially true for those of us who were formerly hostile to the Christian worldview. In his epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul wrote that he had repeatedly pleaded with Jesus to remove the “thorn” from his side, but that the Lord had told him that Christ’s strength was “made perfect” in Paul’s weakness (2 Cor 12:9). Paul understood that the love of God was real and that love is the most powerful force the universe has ever known, and although he may not have fully understood at the time what Jesus meant, he accepted it as truth. Like Abraham, our faith is credited to us as righteousness.

In Man in White, Cash gives to the legendary Paul an air of humanity that Scripture does not. The fallibility is more real and the troubles more personal in this work of fiction than reading them in Paul’s own words through his epistles. We have in this novel an insight into Paul’s emotions, including the resentment he feels when his desires go unfulfilled. Paul is presented throughout as a deeply pious follower devoted to God; his transgressions against the followers of Jesus are the result of misdirected passion. This Paul is far more relatable: a Paul who at times is bitterly angry when things don’t seem to go his way, and at other times ignores his calling and instead tries to forge his own path. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is something we can all relate to because we all face our own unique struggles. Like Paul, we must learn to be thankful for these shortcomings. Cash used the example of Paul’s struggles marvelously and, “accepted [his thorns] as his personal burden,” his son John Carter Cash eloquently wrote, “something to rise above, something to sharpen his courage, to define purpose, and to help him remember to stay grateful for his blessings.”

We should likewise learn to cherish the thorns in our flesh because that which does not break us only serves to temper our spirit. Jesus Christ’s strength is made perfect in our weakness, and he promised that he’d be with us always (Mt 28:20), lending his strength to us that we might carry on, and never be truly broken. Let us not pray, then, for an uncomplicated and trouble-free life. Instead, let us pray for the will to grow through times of privation, the wisdom to learn from mistakes and misfortune, and the courage to overcome adversity.

CD Review: Only Crime - "Virulence"

Only Crime - "Virulence"
(Fat Wreck Chords, 1/23/2007)

Only Crime is about as close as you'll probably ever get to a punk rock supergroup. Singer Russ Rankin handled vocals for Good Riddance, drummer Bill Stevenson made a name for himself keeping the beat for Descendents, All, and—for a short time—Black Flag, and the rest of the crew (Aaron Dalbec, and Zach and Donivan Blair) have collective experience playing with Bane, Converge, Hagfish, Armstrong and Gwar. While Only Crime’s brand of melodic hardcore doesn't really break any new ground, it comes awfully close to epitomizing the genre, and that’s quite an accomplishment in its own right.

Only Crime's sophomore release for Fat Wreck Chords entitled "Virulence" is more melodic than their debut (2004's "To The Nines"), but this unfortunately comes at the expense of some of the raw energy that made that record so enjoyable. This album recalls the Fat releases you listened to ten years ago from bands like Good Riddance, Strung Out and No Use For A Name, but you won't get too carried away in reminiscing before Only Crime's melodic riffs and harmonious vocals remind you that their sound is altogether unique. While paying homage to their roots, Only Crime manages to do something new and different, due in part no doubt to the diverse musical experience that the members bring to the table. It's classic melodic hardcore to be sure, but certain songs are decidedly more melodic than you'd expect. Don't despair, though, because other tracks will give you the healthy dose of punk angst and aggression that you’re looking for, while achieving a refreshing level of maturity in a genre that is too often plagued with lyrics replete with ignorant rhetoric.

The album's standout tracks are two friendship anthems, "Just Us" and "Shotgun." The former was the only song from the band's 2003 demo that didn't make it on to their debut, so I was quite happy to hear the final cut appear on "Virulence." This record will appeal, of course, to fans of the members' former bands and other melodic hardcore legends (see the late-1990s Fat and Epitaph catalogs), but the youth-crew hardcore kids out there will probably also find themselves singing/shouting along.

Rating: 4/5

Only Crime (official site)Only Crime on MySpace

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Earth Crisis Reunion Show

yesterday i was lucky enough to get to go to the Earth Crisis reunion show in baltimore. i've been into the hardcore/punk rock scene here in maryland for a little bit, but sadly have never been able to go and see Earth Crisis. as you may or may not know, Earth Crisis is probably one of the most influential Straightedge/Animal Rights bands...EVER. barring Minor Threat, Earth Crisis has been responsible for helping more kids either overcome addiction, or shun chemical dependency completely. this is a good thing. Earth Crisis is also one of the most politically active bands in the animal rights arena. devout vegans and vegetarians, a large portion of their songs are directly related to animal rights and the movement therein.

so, we waited all day and finally Earth Crisis was due to play. but before they played, two speakers came up and each gave their "Testimonials". the first guy was talking about animal rights and activism. he made mention of his involvement with Sea Shepherd, a non-profit animal rights group whose main goal is to protect sea animals from cruel treatment and/or illegal hunting practices. this guy in particular had spent time on a Sea Shepherd boat in the Antarctic, protecting Minke, Humpback and Fin whales from illegal poaching by Japanese ships. i was struck at his willingness to go to the Antarctic in the first place, much less to put his life on the line by preventing whaling ships from illegally harvesting whale, thus damaging the fragile ecosystem in that particular area. all of this for whales?

the second speaker spoke of how when he was 12 years old he had left his house after a very loud and physical altercation with his father. black-eyed, bleeding and apparently shoeless, he walked down the road in the snow just trying to get away for a while. while he was walking a van pulled over and offered him a ride. the van contained the members of Earth Crisis. well, they took this kid wherever he happened to be going, but while on way they talked to the kid and made such an impression upon him that he has ever since been Straightedge and an animal activist. all because they showed this kid a little compassion in his time of need. all of this for a 12 year old kid?

finally...Earth Crisis. the sound was incredible, the crowd was awesome and the energy of the room was amazing. but one thing in particular struck me during the show. Earth Crisis was playing one of their most famous songs, "Firestorm". As soon as they started that particular song, the crowd expanded outwards, creating a huge pit in the middle. immediately after the expansion i saw 75% of the room just start moving towards the stage to sing along. i have NEVER seen such a pile-on as i did just then. i was seriously awestruck. but its funny, a particular thought came to me when i saw all these kids singing along..."if anyone could somehow unite all of these kids into some type of movement, it would be scary to say the least".

some time during their set, Karl Crisis, the lead singer, was talking about Straightedge/Veganism. he said that a lot of people that are into the hardcore/punk rock scene are merely there for social status or to be tough guys. he stated that he believed that there was a lot of fakeness going on these days and that if people would spend less time with the material side of hardcore and actually unite to try and accomplish something then nothing could stop us. interesting idea, laying down one's pride and sense of self so that the movement as a whole might prevail? great minds think alike huh?

while i am neither vegetarian nor Straightedge, i cant argue with anything that Earth Crisis says. I think they're on the right path, but maybe just a little off target. as i am a Christian and this is a Christian-centered blog, if you cant see the direct correlation, i will draw it out.

Straightedge is all about personal purity and that is to be applauded, but to be pure in a physical sense is easy, it's maintaining our spiritual purity that is the real struggle. while its becoming harder and harder to avoid falling into the trap of chemical dependency with the advent of so many addictive prescription drugs, the easy access to marijuana and other "Gateway" drugs, the prevalence of alcohol consumption and tobacco use in our society its understandable the appeal that these things have. it's even harder to keep from falling into the trap of self-righteousness or pride. from another angle, how does one maintain a pure lifestyle when they still have negative impulses or physical lusts? Matthew 23:24-26 touches on this, and I hope this isn't taken as being accusatory or rude, but if read in context, i believe this verse could prove to be very helpful in understanding where i am coming from: "25Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean."

Another famous hardcore band, this one being Christian, "No Innocent Victim" manages to sum all of this up in their song "Whitewashed Tomb":

"You're nothing but a whitewashed tomb
clean on the outside
but full of dead man's bones
your soul knows no life
but you say no one should question you
no on can talk to you
there's just no getting through
full of your altar ego
spiritual fashion show
you're a whitewashed tomb
the Spirit's like the wind blows
how could you know which way He goes
pretending that you have control
of a God you barely know
You're a whitewashed tomb
You're a whitewashed tomb"

from a biblical point of view, it is impossible for us to live completely pure lifestyles. we can do everything right, but even though we may not physically act it out we still sin in our hearts. we are inherently evil and no matter how hard we try to change for the better, unless we change our hearts and accept Christ, all of our efforts have been made in vain. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". no matter how hard we try, without salvation we're wasting our time.

i guess that's what bothers me the most. there are so many good people out there desperately trying to better themselves and live a life of purity...but to what avail? it reminds me of Luke 9:25, which normally is related to materialism but can be applied here: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?".

it just seems to me that Straightedge and Animal Rights are both noble endeavors to get involved with, but to do so without God on your side, what the point? you're basically spinning your wheels. Maybe one day when we're able to give up our pride and self-righteousness and turn our lives to Christ we might be able to finally accomplish those things that sound so nice.

for those of us that are Christians, we should take note of what some of our secular brothers and sisters are accomplishing. its inspiring to see people doing so much with so little. its my prayer that we can all come together in Christ and that's when the real changes will start.

<3
rumbaugh

ps- moshing is still fun.

(funny, my itunes has been playing this whole time and just as i finish this, Earth Crisis' - Constrict comes on...weeeirrd)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Snow

So, I've been really taking time to learn, grow, and be a role model for these two boys from my church. I love these guys to death man. However, they are young, but the church doesn't "get" them, that's because they aren't your typical "youth group kids", they love hardcore and metal music and they ride skateboards. Well, I went to their house yesterday after work to hang out with them and go hear some speakers, just as i got to there house, it began to snow. The funny thing is Loyal and Mollie and I had lunch at there house Sunday, it snowed then too. Well it started coming down, it made a light dusting just enough to cover the ground, two things occurred. First, their parents were like "Jordan, you know every time you come here it seems to snow." So as the snow was falling, I began to think about some things. You see snow, when it falls, is some of the purest things you'll ever see, it falls, patiently and calmly, moving at its chosen pace. When the moment is right, it will completely cover the ground and everything around it in its wholeness. In that moment, that short little moment, the world is clothed in this pure white blanket, as the Bible says, it is as pure as a new snowfall. So i began to think of our lives...its just like that, you see the world in its fresh snow fall is pure, completely wrapped in this white blanket...then what happens, we human beings rise and in a matter of seconds, minutes, hours, we destroy it, removing it, staining it with dirt and filth that comes from us and its no longer white as snow. To me that explains our lives so perfectly, you see we except Christ, and he comes down, wraps us in His light, which is pure, for a moment in our time we are clothed in perfection and pureness, don't get me wrong I'm not saying we lose this, we will always have it. However, like the snow, our flesh, who we are as humans, quickly we mess it up, we fall and get captured in something that totally just stains this new "freshly fallen pureness" within ourselves. You know what else is so great about watching a new snowfall....grace...yep there's grace in a snowfall. When we cover it and ruin it guess what, when the times right, a new snowfall comes and covers all the dirt again, without question, and its pure again. That's how it is with us in Christ, when we stain our new pureness, when the moments right, and we choose to go before the Lord, and put ourselves out there, no matter what we've done as human beings, His grace is sufficient, and He lets it snow with forgiveness for our souls...we are again...white as snow.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

New Ink

Recently my beautiful, loving wife and I gave birth to our darling daughter Liora. We feel that we've been blessed every step of the way, through the entire pregnancy, the birth and delivery, and the first few months of our baby girl's life with us. Her name is Hebrew, and it means "God's gift of Light to me", for without The Light, I personally would be as good as dead.

Tattoos are nothing new to my beloved wife, she's been inked to commemorate our marriage, to honor her mother and her father, and to show her love to me. So its only natural for her to mark this milestone in our lives with some new art. Almost all of her work has been done at Little Vinnies', at either thier Finksburg or Liberty Roads shops. You can check them out on MySpace.

I'm editing this post to add the fact that this tattoo was done by "Uncle Pauly" at Little Vinnies. My wife and I have been going to him for years, and he's always treated us right. He's extremely talented and his prices are good. On tuesday he'll be sketching for our friend Jen's new back piece, and he also did Mollie's new tattoo last week.

Welcome to the Hope Blog


Welcome the the "Hope's Anchor" Blogzine. Our staff is working hard to provide great editorials and essays in the next couple of months. We invite our readers to share this blog with others, and submit your own articles to be published here. We have one of the best photographers of hardcore/punk/metal/emo bands in Maryland , and we'll be providing coverage and reviews of shows in the Baltimore/D.C. region.



Monday, January 01, 2007

About "Hope's Anchor"

Hope's Anchor was founded by several members of Hope For The Rejected for the purpose of sharing our experiences as subcultural Christians for the purpose of lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ. This blog will include our thoughts on a variety of topics, mostly centered around what it's like to live out our faith daily: the triumphs and the troubles we face, the questions that arise, good books we've read and sermons we've heard, etc. We'll also be blogging about other subjects of interest such as tattoos, shows, and music (including non-Christian stuff).

Hope's Anchor will feature regular content from members of our group, as well as periodic articles from guest contributors. We wish to keep this as open as possible and allow for the candor of our writers, so please understand that the views expressed by those written here are not necessarily the views of the members of Hope For The Rejected as a whole.

Above all else, we want this to be a helpful resource to our brothers and sisters in Christ, so please get in touch and let us know what you would like to see. God bless!