I got married the day after Trump’s inauguration, and ironically, boarded a cruise ship to Mexico for an awesome honeymoon. I got back and was shocked to hear about everything that had happened in a week. What was even more shocking (sort of) was how much discord there was between Christians. Facebook itself looked like a war zone with many Right and Left leaning blog posts being lobbed at the other side. What was interesting,...
Democracy is not looking up here in America. It has been a tough election season, and in an unique turn of events, we have two candidates that are, well, tough to vote for. Even after two insane presidential debates, there are most likely a few people who are unsure who they are going to vote for. While most evangelicals have denounced Hillary for being for abortion, a majority of them have also championed the “pro-life”...
Symbols and their usage can be a powerful thing. Within literature, music, and film, symbolism is used to communicate a particular abstract truth by using concrete images. These mediums employ natural objects in order to discuss and explain ideas and truths that resonate deeply with us. Sometimes a symbol can be a building or a geographical location that holds historical significance. At other times, a symbol can even be a song lyric or a quotation....
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.” In our world and in our current political climate, it seems that there are more things that divide us than unite us. Our world is supremely broken up and...
This year has been a bit crazy. American politics are more than ever divided between the right and the left. Terrorism abroad and at home have people in fear and often their neighbors have become a source of that fear. Racial tensions are a powder keg of emotion and pain. It seems that there are divergent viewpoints on almost everything. In the theological world, pastors and scholars are under careful scrutiny for everything they do...
Every year, millions of families flock to the Happiest Place on Earth for its infamously well-rounded, old-fashioned entertainment and rides. So many of these individuals will visit Disneyland a mere handful of times in their lives, some even only once. I have the unique privilege of visiting the park at least 3 times a week… and getting paid for it. Just kidding, I work there, but it’s easy to view an hourly job in a...
I work for a major insurance company known nationwide and which can be found in all states… and no, it is not Nationwide or Allstate. I started working for this company just over eight years ago. I started out in a call center taking calls for our auto insurance policy holders. People called in for various requests or questions, but I spent most of my days amending policies. After about a year I was sought...
Kanye West’s 7th album, The Life of Pablo (TLOP) was released a few weeks ago. On this album, Kanye gives his listeners a window into his life and thoughts. Furthermore, I believe this album gives us a picture of a particular type of Christianity that characterizes our american society. The Atlantic’s review of the album is spot on with its analysis of the individual tracks as it details Kanye’s struggle between family life and the...
I love books. Books have been my faithful companions since childhood. I remember always having a book with me, no matter where I went, even if I was going to a large social gathering, I would take a book in my purse. Actually, especially at large social gatherings, I would take a book with me to avoid talking with people. Yes, I was one of those kids. I’m also second-generation Filipino-American, and my extended family is huge...
In recent years, authenticity has become both an ideal and a polemic. Social media users have labored to capture the mundane in beautiful ways. However, social media users have also distorted and feigned authenticity by staging the mundane. Filters and iconic captions have been used to present a particular style of life that is filled with explorations into nature, scenic mountaintop picnics, urban renewal (and gentrification), and lots and lots of coffee. However, most people...
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