JOSIAH Chapter Five, Van Gogh, Faith, Future

Volume XIV, Issue V

Josiah
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2018, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved

Chapter 5: In Fact It's Cold as Hell

In the darkness of the bunker, Allison and Josiah suspected something terrible had been attempted and thwarted. They now prepared to die. The bunker, however, had been provided with ample oxygen for more crew members than it now held and the two settled in to a routine as they waited for the radiation levels outside to subside. Then they donned pressure suits and pushed open the hatchway. Digging through the rubble they eventually emerged on the cratered surface. That night they watched the Great Northern arc across the Martian sky. “Tomorrow we’ll try to create an’S.O.S.’” Allison said. That night was the last time they saw Great Northern pass overhead.

Allison and Josiah looked hard at the suicide pills. There was a problem, however, as they would have to get into a pressurized space to remove their helmets and take them. Removing the helmets, they correctly surmised, would lead to a painful death if they did it in the rarified Martian atmosphere. The pathway back into the bunker was very unstable. “Let’s see if any greenhouses have survived past the ridge.” Josiah said as they began the long walk out. There might be a place where they could go in, remove the helmets and take the pills. Then they could sit in the gardens as their lives ebbed away.

They walked for most of a day. “I wonder what happened to the tractor?” Allison thought to herself as they trudged on.

Threading through a small crevasse in the ridge, they saw the tractor. A pressurized personnel trailer was attached to it and it sat parked at the airdock of the closest greenhouse. The greenhouses sheltered by the ridge had indeed survived and likely there would be others there. The helmet radios were short range by design so they would have to enter the airlock to find out. They proceeded to do so and soon stepped into a biosphere garden, lush with all forms of edible plant life.

The greenhouses were large, with pathways laid out in a grid and graveled so as not to become mud in the constant irrigation. Up ahead, Allison spotted a maintenance barn and the two colonists decided to investigate. Josiah cautiously opened the door. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw signs of encampment. Bedding and personal spaces seemed to have been established inside. “Hello,” he stammered. “Anybody home?” There was only silence. He and Allison stared at the makeshift living quarters for a long time. Had the survivors actually lived on? Were they able to avoid the radiation and somehow make a way for themselves?

Josiah and Allison stepped outside into the bright Martian sunlight filtering into the biosphere and made a meal of the vegetables growing in raised beds near the barn. The graveled paths did not yield clear or fresh clues as to movement within the biosphere so the two marked the position of the barn and set out in a likely direction.
(to be continued)

Building for Future Generations


Townhouses. Architect Heidi Schweizer, Painting by Bob Kirchman.

Sorting through some old renderings in the archives, I came across a little painting of some townhouses I had done for architect Heidi Schweizer. They had been built near Lexington in Rockbridge County. I had forgotten about them. Looking at the painting, something seemed familiar. Finally it came to me – I had played with my granddaughter in one of those upstairs rooms with the double windows, for that was her room in the townhouse her family briefly occupied when they returned to Virginia from South Carolina.

Little did I know, I was participating in helping to create the home they would occupy one day! At the time I had little children of my own. I simply couldn’t see that far into the future. I was also involved in the renderings for the initial concept of the Virginia Horse Center – a favorite place for my granddaughter as well! Building for the future! The prophet Jeremiah understood it, even in the dark days of exile. He exhorted the exiles: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” – Jeremiah 29:4-7

Building for the future might seem intuitive and yet in Israel’s darkest moment it was necessary to remind the people. In times of trouble it is easy to forget. Add to that the fact that many people today simply do not have children. One criticism often leveled at German Chancellor Angela Merkel is that having no children herself, she is not concerned that runaway immigration is changing the country rapidly. This is not a criticism of immigration, it is a criticism of failing to protect the unique qualities that make a nation people seek to come to. Merkel, while presiding over an expanding economy is simply not seen as adequately protecting and preserving her country’s unique culture. If I were a parent there, I would want that, most of all, to be there for generations to come.

Likewise, it seems that some people in the American Evangelical community, while lamenting the state of American young people are busy railing against the problem – but are we actively building a future for our youth? We are quick to point out how terrible things are, but are we offering creative investment in solutions? Our missionaries understand. They dig clean wells and invest in the future of those they seek to reach for Eternity. Then they build upon that work an Eternal Kingdom! For our own children, I would say that giving them the gift of a Jeremiah 29 vision is an investment, not only in the future of our world, but in the next as well.


Virginia Horse Center, Anderson Arena. 
Charles Wilkerson, Architect, Painting by Bob Kirchman.


Virginia Horse Center Master Plan. 
Michael Leary and Associates, Painting by Bob Kirchman.


Display of Paintings and Photography by Bob Kirchman at Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia. The works celebrate the Monacan heritage of the region surrounding MOHOMONY, as the Monacans called the Natural Bridge. The name means“The Bridge of God.”

The State of the Church Today
By Tony Perkins

[click to read]

Liberals have stuck to a pretty consistent strategy in dealing with American Christianity: If you repeat something often enough, people will start to believe it. With the media's help, they set out to convince the country that evangelicals were dying on the political vine. But, as so often happens, they were proven wrong on the biggest of stages when, in 2016, the church's "withering" influence proved to be anything but. (read more)



U.S. Christianity is Not Shrinking
Harvard Study Says Otherwise, Glenn T. Stanton

[click to read]

Is churchgoing and religious adherence really in ‘widespread decline’ so much so that conservative believers should suffer ‘growing anxiety’? Absolutely not. (read more)


John Wesley.

God is Not Dead
Neither is His Church

I AM not afraid, that the people called Methodists, should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid, lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.” – John Wesley

The Harvard study referenced above notes that Christianity is not in decline, rather in transition. They note that researchers were quick to note the decline in attendance in traditional churches without seeing that Faith has actually remained strong in the church as a whole. Also missed, I believe, is the strength of ‘Confessing Movements’ in these churches. The Confessing Movement, in a nutshell, is “is a lay-led conservative Christian movement that opposes the influence of liberalism and progressivism within several mainline Protestant denominations and seeks to return them to its view of orthodox doctrine. It overlaps with other conservative Christian movements including Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Holiness, and Fundamentalist Christianity. Its members have stated their commitment to work to change their home denominations from within rather than establishing new ones, even if they are unable to regain full control. The Confessing movement places particular weight on the role of evangelism and traditional doctrine concerning the deity of Christ and holds conservative views on sexuality, especially homosexuality.” [1.]

The Confessing Church (also translated Confessional Church) (German: Bekennende Kirche) has its roots in the Christian resistance to the National Socialists and their takeover of German churches to create a ‘pro-Nazi’ state church (if not in the Reformation itself). Today’s Confessing church sees an imposition of secular culture’s views in defiance of Scriptural teaching. Be it the government or the academy, today’s Confessing Church fears what Wesley feared—that the church will indeed become a ‘form without its God-given function!’ Historically this is not new. In recent times the Episcopal Church in our country struggled with this and the Confessing congregations were often evicted from the buildings they had paid for. This because the central denomination held title.

These congregations in many cases put themselves under the umbrella of African leadership, but the statistician will simply see that the church building once full is now not. In the Mennonite Church, as the overall conference pushes ‘social’ issues such as the ordination of homosexual ministers, some local churches have changed affiliation. Others have voted to become independent. Again, statistics show a decline were story points to a desire for reformation (meaning a return to robust adherence to the teaching of Scripture).

Hopefully further study will take this into account and present the true picture of the church today—far from moribund, reaching for its Spiritual roots!


Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

This Sign Could Save Your Life



Every day most of us cross railroad grade crossings without thinking much of it. If our regular travel time does not coincide with a scheduled train, we may never see one. But trains are not always on a particular schedule. An off-schedule freight delivery could easily surprise you. Still, there is a safety feature at each crossing most of us don’t even notice – but we should. The blue sign with a phone number and the unique number of that particular crossing is very important should a vehicle get stuck on the tracks or any problem occur on the crossing. If there is a problem at that particular crossing, CALL THE NUMBER ON THE BLUE SIGN. You will reach a dispatcher with the railroad that operates that particular section of track. Give them the crossing number and tell them the problem. The dispatcher can shut down traffic on that particular section until the problem is resolved.

The movies usually get this wrong. If your car gets stuck on the tracks, the first thing you should do is look to see if a train is already approaching. Remember that trains require a very long distance to stop. Get yourself, and everyone else out of the car and proceed on foot VERY RAPIDLY 45 degrees from the direction the train is coming from. Run if the way is clear. A train can throw an obstruction for a great distance and 45 degrees from the oncoming train is the safest place to go.



If no train is coming, evacuate the car and then call the number on the blue sign. The sign may be on a pole at the crossing or on a switch box for the crossing. Call BEFORE you start trying to rock the car off the crossing or have a tow truck remove it. Make sure the dispatcher has stopped traffic before proceeding.

Should you get ‘caught’ by a closing crossing arm on the tracks, you should drive right through the arm if you can’t go around it. The arms are designed to break away in an emergency like that.

Every year many people are killed needlessly at grade crossings and engineers carry the sorrow for a long time. Knowing what to do in an emergency is a great kindness to them.

Loving Vincent
A Film Hand-Painted Frame by Frame





Why Beauty Matters
[click to read]

It all started with a very nice request from the White House. They asked the Guggenheim Museum in New York if they could have on loan Vincent Van Gogh’s “Landscape with Snow.” It was a request like the president’s house had made many times before and a request gladly honored by many a curator. (read more)


Landscape with Snow, Vincent Van Gogh, 1888

Masters of 'Imagineering' III

JOSIAH Chapter Four, Masters of 'Imagineering'

Volume XIV, Issue IV

Josiah
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2018, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved

Chapter 4: Mars Ain't the Kind of Place to Raise Your Kids

At Mission Control Commander West listened and watched intently. The whole conversation was being recorded and Josiah began: “Hello Earth! I suppose you are wondering what we are doing here?”

West asked Josiah to tell his story.

Let us start with that moment so long ago when our distress signal missile was fired at the starship Great Northern. I am sure you want to know what transpired here on Mars. As you know, APOLLONIUS had his ‘inner circle’ on this mission and they had smuggled aboard a number of Iranian nuclear devices. As near as we can tell, they planned to demonstrate what they had and hold Earth hostage. As you probably know, the missile was aborted and a ‘return command’ initiated, basically the quickest way to save the starship involved bringing the missile back where it came from in a ‘hard turn’ maneuver.”

So,” West asked, “Who aborted the missile?”

I did, sir,” said Josiah. He related the story of how he and his colleague had remained after their shift and noticed unusual activity. Upon investigation they saw the launch of the missile from the blockhouse and though at the time they thought it was a malfunction, they stepped in to stop it.

They expected it to fall to Mars without much trouble. When the world was rocked by an explosion and everything went dark, Josiah and Allison knew it was something worse. They had initially signed on to the voyage because they were political/ideological prisoners and had lost everything. They thought the Mars colony would offer them a new life. Soon, however, it was clear that APOLLONIUS was creating a dark kingdom. The colonists were required to forsake their names for numbers and APOLLONIUS expected unquestioned loyalty. Josiah and Allison simply played along and kept their suspicions to themselves.

How many survivors are there then?” West asked.

Initially there were thirty-seven.” Josiah said. “Four of those died from injuries and other causes in the time that followed.”

The colony was destroyed. How did you all make it?” Exclaimed West.

That’s the really strange part.” Returned Josiah, “You see, we normally would have been in the colony proper at the time but in an odd sort of way, many hands became needed in one of the more remote greenhouses. Even stranger, those greenhouses were in an area sheltered by this interesting rock ridge you see behind me. After the radiation subsided, Allison and I made our way over to the surviving greenhouses. It was just a hunch, but we thought those greenhouses might still be functioning if the blast had been stopped by the intervening ridge. We were not at all surprised to find the greenhouses intact, but we were happily surprised to find so many of our fellow settlers still alive!”

West interrupted, “So, I have to ask you, as a matter of necessity, what is your colony’s stance toward those of us on Earth?”

Personally, Allison and I have no animus toward AAR or Israel. I have to say that I cannot speak for the ones who were more loyal to APOLLONIUS. For decades we simply haven’t thought about it. We determined that you were above us scanning for survivors but could detect none. When we no longer saw the ship in the sky, we assumed you had given up and the Great Northern had returned to Earth. Our communications were totally destroyed so there was no way for us to tell you otherwise.

I assumed command of the colony because no one knew what to do. We managed to create a village in the remaining greenhouses where we live today. They are pretty much simple mud houses but they serve us well. We grow our own food and have been able to hold on for some time now.”

West asked, “So, there are thirty-three of you still on Mars?” He did the math. It would be impossible to evacuate thirty-three souls from Mars in the single lander. He awaited Josiah’s answer.

Oh no, there are now 122 of us.” Came back the answer from Josiah
(to be continued)

Natural Bridge in the Snow
Virginia's Mohonomy, Photos by Bob Kirchman







The Natural Bridge, the most sublime of Nature's works, . . . is on the ascent of a great hill, which seems to have been cloven through its length by some great convulsion. The fissure, just at the bridge, is by some admeasurements, 270 feet deep, by others only 205. It is about 45 feet wide at the bottom and 90 feet at the top; this of course determines the length of the bridge, and its height from the water. Its breadth in the middle is about sixty feet, but more at the ends, and the thickness of the mass, at the summit of the arch, about forty feet. A part of this thickness is constituted by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large trees. The residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of lime-stone. The arch approaches the Semi-elliptical form; but the larger axis of the ellipsis, which would be the cord of the arch, is many times longer than the transverse. Though the sides of the bridge are provided in some parts with a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them and look over into the abyss. You involuntarily fall on your hands and feet, creep to the parapet and peep over it. Looking down from this height about a minute gave me a violent headache. If the view from the top be painful and intolerable, that from below is delightful in an equal extreme. It is impossible for the emotions, arising from the sublime, to be felt beyond what they are here: so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing, as it were, up to heaven. The rapture of the Spectator is really indescribable! The fissure continuing narrow, deep, and straight, for a considerable distance above and below the bridge, opens a short but very pleasing view of the North mountain on one side and the Blue Ridge on the other, at the distance each of them of about five miles. The bridge is in the county of Rockbridge, to which it has given name, and affords a public and commodious passage over a valley which cannot be crossed elsewhere for a considerable distance. The stream passing under it is called Cedar creek. It is a water of James' river, and sufficient in the driest seasons to turn a grist-mill, thought its fountain is not more than two miles above.”

– Thomas Jefferson, , “The Natural Bridge,” from Notes on Virginia (1784-85). The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson, eds. Adrienne Koch and William Peden (NY: Modern Library, 1944).





Japanese Maple in Winter


Japanese Maple in Morning Light, 01/23/2018. Photo by Bob Kirchman.

Masters of 'Imagineering' II



Overcoming Real Oppression

Science fiction isn’t just thinking about the world out there. It’s also thinking about how that world might be—a particularly important exercise for those who are oppressed, because if they’re going to change the world we live in, they—and all of us—have to be able to think about a world that works differently.”
– Samuel Delaney

In recent years, we’ve been hearing that Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world - that sounds right to us,”
–Open Doors France director Michel Varton

50 Countries Where It’s Dangerous to Follow Jesus
[click to read]

Most Christians in the West understand that brothers and sisters around the world are persecuted for their faith. But often, it can be difficult to understand what reality is like on the ground for these oppressed Christians. What kinds of challenges do they face? What is day-to-day life like? And how can Christians in the United States stand with believers around the world in prayer and support?

Each year, the World Watch List provides a searing glimpse into the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian. In some countries, familial and social pressure make it terribly difficult to follow Jesus, while in other places, faith in Christ is threatened by daily risk of violence and physical oppression.

The full, in-depth report is available to download above—you’ll see each country’s persecution profile, along with a glimpse at the context in which these persecuted believers live. And most importantly, you’ll see a list of prayer requests that will help you stand with Christians worldwide.

1 Corinthians 12:26 says “If one part [of the Body of Christ] suffers, every part suffers with it.” We invite you to explore the 2018 World Watch List and learn how the Body of Christ is hurting—and invite you to stand with God’s one, global Family.


Sunrise through an Old Barn. Photo by Sandra Barlow Powell.

JOSIAH Chapter Three, Rockbridge Paintings

Volume XIV, Issue III

Josiah
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2018, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved

Chapter 3: Survivors!

Survivors,” Ben-Gurion repeated thoughtfully. “How should we reach them?”

Indeed the presence of survivors presented an obligation to those who pondered it. Simply doing nothing seemed immoral at best but what to do seemed not so cut and dried. An unmanned landing might be best as there would be the ability to send a message without risking more lives. The initial lander could be configured to take back survivors if necessary. “How fast could we prepare a lander mission?” Hannah asked. Theoretically it could be ‘pulled from the shelf’ and launched within the month. It would take nine months to get to Mars. In the event it were necessary, Great Northern could be taken from its defense position and flown with additional landers to evacuate more people.

What if they don’t want to come ‘home?’” Abiyah asked. “Should we be prepared to resupply them?”

That is a good question.” said Hannah. “Since our last contact was aggressive on the colonist’s part, we need to think about this.”

Some of Cape Lisbon Space Center’s best minds were brought to bear to hash out the proper thing to do. There at Cape Lisbon’s linear induction launch canon, they called themselves the “Baltimore Gun Club,” since their device seemed similar to the one Jules Verne first wrote about in From the Earth to the Moon.

It was not a columbiad, as Verne predicted, but rather a linear induction track similar to the high speed transportation system being built to link the world via vacuum tubes. Massive use of fossil fuels was now replaced by electromagnetism. That electromagnetism was produced by tapping the geothermal energy of the earth itself. It was clean, efficient, did nothing to harm the environment and it was cheap!

Some sections of HYPERLOOP between large cities were already in operation and the entire system was going to open by 2059. It was going to usher in new economy in world transportation. The launch canon used the same electromagnetic propulsion as well and it presented the most economical means of sending a craft to Mars.

In the end, a hastily prepared lander was dispatched and flown remotely to the planet’s surface. A ‘rover’ was on board to move about and survey the colony. A message was composed to offer the surviving colonists an olive branch and a radio/video communication device was included. The ‘rover’ carried standard pressure suits and breathing packs. Every effort was made to offer the survivors a remotely piloted ‘ride home.’ The biggest problem was that they had to guess how many there might be.

The unmanned emissary was launched within the month. For nine months the controllers in Cape Lisbon and on SS/AC005 waited.
__________

The lander fired it’s descent engine and arced down to the Martian surface. The engine slowed it as it touched down next to the remains of the Martian colony. The rover was deployed and began its survey of the colony. It approached a door on one of the greenhouses and showed the controllers on Earth a lot of space-booted footprints coming in and out. The rover reduced power and waited.

Discovery was not long in coming. Two figures in space suits emerged from the greenhouse door and seemed to be in quite animated hand-gesture concerning the new ‘visitor.’ In the end they pulled the rover into a bay with a tractor for further examination. The bay was pressurized and the two figures removed their helmets, examining the rover further. They read the message of peace and discovered the camera/radio.

They said nothing loud enough to be heard, however and eventually one of them disappeared for a time. He returned with a third man who deliberately positioned himself in front of the camera and activated the communication device. Controllers on Earth held their breath as he began to speak.

My name is JOSIAH.”
(to be continued)

Rockbridge Paintings
By Bob Kirchman


Mohomony 5.


Mohomony 2, The Bridge of G-d.


Mohomony 3.


Mohomony 1, Remembering the Battle Between the Monacans and the Powhatans.


Mohomony 4.

The Natural Bridge of Virginia is not only a natural marvel, it is a sacred site of the Monacan Nation. Monacans are an Eastern Siouan Native American nation that has occupied Virginia for thousands of years.

There is an old Monacan story about the bridge formation. The Monacan men, women and children ran desperately through the forest, chased by a much larger band of enemy warriors, possibly Powhatans. Suddenly they came to a deep, wide chasm. There was no way across, and the enemy was closing in. All seemed lost. They closed their eyes and prayed.

The Monacans opened their eyes to a narrow bridge of rock across the gorge. The braves quickly coaxed the women and children across, then turned to face the enemy. The warriors fought with newfound hope and courage, and the enemy couldn't at all attack at once on the narrow bridge. The Monacans were victorious. They survived. Because this story has been handed down through several generations, the Natural Bridge has been a sacred place for the Monacan people. They call it "Mohomony" meaning "Great Mystery" or the "Bridge of God"


'She's Coming Alive,' Morning Light on House Mountain.

When You Are Jostled, What Comes Out?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22, 23

Here is a really great illustration of a great life principle. It was given by Amanda, my lead teacher at the home school coop where I teach art. It was the students’ morning devotion. She asked for volunteers, warning “you might get wet.” Of course kids don’t really mind a little water so with some eager participants she handed out two cups. One was labeled ‘Coffee,’ the other ‘Tea.’ “Now, what happens when the cup is jostled?” she asked. “What’s inside spills out!” The students now participated in a physical demonstration of just that! (Don’t worry, the cups only contained water).

Now Amanda handed the students a cup labeled with the various fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians. “What happens when WE’RE jostled?” she asked. “What’s inside spills out.” Ouch! That was a very effective demonstration of what should be filling our lives and how it should overflow in our own turbulent moments. I have to confess that sometimes, being ‘jostled’ in traffic, I need to be filled with something other than myself. H/T Amanda Riley



Master of 'Imagineering'
The Vision of Walt Disney



The bedrock of what we do in the future will be shaped by storytelling.” – Allison Perkins

JOSIAH Chapter Two

Volume XIV, Issue II

Josiah
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2018, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved

Chapter 2: Unto All Nations

On the campus on Big Diomede, young Josiah Zimmerman, Rupert’s grandson, walked with Jonathan Greene, the president of the college and Josiah’s favorite professor. They were discussing Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

What constitutes a nation in the eyes of the Divine?” Josiah asked.

The dictionary says, ‘a large aggregate of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.’ Not too helpful in determining the mind of the Master. The rebirth of freedom in the North has come with a rebirth of fervor to reach the nations, as is evidenced by your presence at this institution. Still, I think we can identify such groups around us with some certainty and we are putting the Bible in their hands. The upcoming World’s Fair in Fairgate, Alaska will no doubt mark a point where we’ve pretty much put the Holy Scriptures in every human language there is. We correspond with believers in every part of the world. I think at this point the burden is on us to identify any particular place of occupation that has NOT been reached. That is where I think our Master’s focus would be.”

That is my frustration, sir. I feel like the work is going to be done before I get there. I read about the Moravians going out into the wilds and reaching the Cherokee and the joy of shining the Gospel where it has never shone before… and I look at the situation today. Even the Middle East is opening up to the message. With the demise of APOLLONIUS, the academy and the media have found new faith quite without our help. They started looking for truth and beauty again. Guess where it led them?”

Is it wrong, Dr. Greene, to be jealous to do a great work for God?”

That is a good one, young friend, and it deserves a thoughtful answer.” The good doctor was silent for a moment, then he continued, “Remember our discussion last week, and how for an artist like Sandro Botticelli the recognition of beauty led to transcendent truth. When he painted ‘The Birth of Venus’ it is evident that his sense of desire has been guided Heavenward. So it shall be with your ambitions to do great works. Think of Ransom in the college maintenance shops. He likes to work with his hands. Building a door gives him great pleasure… but I pray one day he will see who he’s building the door for! He’s an old special forces guy… mind and conscience pretty much seared, but get a planer in his hands and his eyes light up. God does not despise us for our aspirations. He meets us there. But, mind you, He will lead us upward. He has no desire to leave us playing in the mud when he’s planned for us a holiday at the beach! (I’m paraphrasing Lewis here).”

But, why should I feel such a passion to reach the nations if they have already been reached? I mean, should I not be able to find contentment and purpose in a simple task like Brother Lawrence who served most nobly working in the kitchen? Still, if I deny the drive inside me, I feel that I am lying.”

Passion is good, but true knowledge must define it. Remember the 2033 eclipse over Alaska. There was an author who wrote a book about the eclipse signaling the end of the world… nothing new here. The Millerites did it in the 19th Century. They were still waiting after their ‘appointed’ date and refigured it. Then they were still waiting after that. I think the Divine holds his cards close for a reason. We need to serve him like this will be our last day on Earth, but we need to build our works to last for 100 years. Some see contradiction there but it is clear that the tension between the two holds us in place to serve Him. I’m rambling, but I feel like the Lord will inform your passion and make it most profitable. You will indeed hear Him say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ one day. That is enough.”
(to be continued)


Epiphany II.

A Repeat of One of Our Favorite Issues

The Epiphany, It is Important

The traditional celebration of Christmas lasts for twelve days. It begins on Christmas Day with the celebration of the birth of the Redeemer and ends on Epiphany, which celebrates Christ's revelation to the gentiles. The MAGI, or the Wise Men came from Persia seeking a prophesied King. It is very likely that these were men who had studied the writings of Daniel and now saw the signs of the fulfillment of things he had written: "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." -- Daniel 7: 27

The revelation of Christ to the Gentiles also fulfills a promise made to Abraham: "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." -- Genesis 22:16-18

JOSIAH Chapter One, C. S. Lewis, The Giver

Volume XIV, Issue I

Josiah
By Bob Kirchman
Copyright © 2018, The Kirchman Studio, all rights reserved

Chapter 1: A Mystery Appears

You wanted to see me right away?” Abiyah Ben-Gurion said as he walked into the Zimmerman offices in Wales, Alaska. Elizabeth O’Malley’s assistant Hannah replied, “Yes, I did! I just received this communication from our office on Space Station/Assembly Center 005. It seems they’ve observed something you need to look at on Mars.”

She continued: “As you know, we’ve done periodic flyovers of the abandoned colony ruins… sort of a chance to observe decay in the Martian environment… and, Oh, I am so sorry. I recall how painful that was for you, but please indulge me. There is a mystery here we need you to weigh in on. Let me bring up the images.”

Hannah’s deskpad displayed two views of the colony ruins taken from orbit. The first was a photo Abiyah’s wife Sarah had taken several decades ago. The second was freshly processed from an unmanned probe that was orbiting Mars as they spoke.

See those surviving greenhouses in the shadow of that rock mass. That was all that remained of the APOLLONIUS Colony when you returned to Earth after it had been tragically destroyed by the missile. Look at the footprint carefully. Now look at the view from our probe as it flew over yesterday. See the difference?”

Abiyah’s keen eye caught it at once, “The footprint is different!” he exclaimed. “How can that be?”

We’re perplexed as well. It is BIGGER! We wondered if blast sand had covered some greenhouses and now has blown off, but Sarah’s images of the colony before destruction show no greenhouses there!”

Well, I’m stymied,” said Abiyah, “we scanned repeatedly for signs of life and you know how thorough Sarah is!”

The 3D printers we sent up then were pretty primitive by today’s standards. There was not the AI to self-duplicate anything. As I recall, the greenhouses involved a fair amount of human manipulation to construct. They could manufacture the struts and clear panels from local soils heated in the kiln, but that too required a lot of human oversight.”

So, obviously we have someone… or someTHING adding on to the remains of the colony!”

That’s it sir, we have a riddle on our hands.”

Well, Hannah, let’s use Occam's Razor to begin with. Someone has been adding greenhouses to our colony… or what’s left of it. Who would be the simplest to suspect. We have not tracked any ships from other nations going out to Mars. Space Aliens are always invoked in a case like this… but we’ve never actually seen one… EVER! I would have to say that someone survived the blast that destroyed the colony, incredible as that may sound. The reason we didn’t detect them was that they remained in an underground bunker… perhaps aware of the radiation danger outside. They had no communication ability as that was totally destroyed.”

He continued, “It would have had to have been one of the more technically inclined colonists, to be sure -- Someone who could keep the oxygenation going in the greenhouses and run the 3D printers. I daresay there is more than one survivor.”

So, what do we do next?” Hannah mused.

We need to make contact, if we can. Remember they launched the missile to destroy our ship in orbit. It fell back to Mars and exploded on the colony… we thought it exploded destroying everyone. We don’t know if they are so poisoned by the leadership of APOLLONIUS that they believe we are tainted and they are the enlightened ones.”

Hannah looked up at the painting of Rupert Zimmerman, the mind behind the enterprises that now required their oversight and wondered what Mr. Z would have said at this moment, but it had been some time since Rupert passed after taking pneumonia following the ceremonies to commence construction on the St. Lawrence Island Crossing. Rupert had always been somewhat of an enigma to those closest to him in life, and his painted eyes gazed down at Hannah giving nothing away.
(to be continued)


The Island in Sherando Lake. Photo by Bob kirchman.

C. S. Lewis on Free Will

God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they've got to be free.

Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently, He thought it worth the risk. (...) If God thinks this state of war in the universe a price worth paying for free will -that is, for making a real world in which creatures can do real good or harm and something of real importance can happen, instead of a toy world which only moves when He pulls the strings- then we may take it it is worth paying.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

The 2014 movie adaptation of Lois Lowery’s The Giver[1.] is a very instructive portrayal of what Lewis is saying. If you are not familiar with this novel, it is the story of a future world where security and freedom from want is secured by an enforced sameness. Gone are the joys of color and music. People see in black and white. Art is decorative but uninspired. Climate is regulated and people live in a community reminiscent of the ideal New Deal City, Greenbelt, Maryland.[2.] Greenbelt was Eleanor Roosevelt’s experiment in creating a ‘garden city’ to replace the hodgepodge of sometimes chaotic architecture of the time. Americans living in the Depression and Dust Bowl days were quick to embrace such a vision. Down the road from Greenbelt was the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Modern chemical-dependent farming and methods were being developed there.[3.]

In The Giver, emotion is carefully suppressed with drugs and ‘precision of language’ is used to eliminate Love, Anger and any sort of emotion.

But as the film unfolds, the elimination of pain and struggle has come at a cost. Elimination of Love also comes with the elimination of Faith and Hope. Mankind is deprived of those three qualities that Scripture says are the three things that last! Though the book and the film adaptation are classified as ‘young adult’ dystopian fiction the film adaptation is worth note on a higher level. I do not think Lowery set out to write a book about deep truth (she herself says that it is simply an idea that came to her visiting her father in a nursing home – that memories are important) but that makes it all the more intriguing as it explores the value of life and the question of what gives life value. The movie ending is less confusing than that of the original novel in that it suggests that Lewis’s thoughts on what is really important are worth the risk and suggests a remedy. It is a thoughtful message for all.

Ravi Zacharias [click to read] explores the subject further.
Zach Dawes  Explores Love, Human Choice and C. S. Lewis [click to read]

The references to free will in Lewis’s books are one of the most prominent features the reader encounters. Indeed, even a cursory reading of a number of his works would reveal his belief in God’s gift to humanity of a free will to choose between two equally available choices. That is, to choose between good and evil, right and wrong.” – Zach Dawes


'Seeing color' in The Giver.


Future 'sameness.'


Greenbelt, Maryland.

Abortion, From Controversy to Civility
by Stephanie Gray



Stephanie Gray, internationally renowned speaker and author, [4.] applies the Socratic method and storytelling to the debate surrounding abortion. She invites the audience to be "pro-conversation" on a topic that can be one of the most divisive, and demonstrates that it is possible to be gracious and respectful when encountering different ideas.

This talk draws on her experiences of traveling across the world and dialoguing with college students, hearing personal stories of poverty and sexual abuse, and sitting down for coffee to have friendly conversation with debate opponents; it reflects on the United Nations' policies on human rights and examines the insights of psychiatrist and Holocaust-survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl.

Stephanie Gray is a Canadian who has spent more than 15 years giving over 800 talks and debates, as well as hundreds of media interviews, on abortion to diverse audiences in the United States, Canada, Austria, Latvia, England, Ireland, Costa Rica and Guatemala. In university settings she has debated Dr. Fraser Fellows, a late-term abortionist, Ron Fitzsimmons, then-executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, Elizabeth Cavendish, then-legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Dr. Malcolm Potts, the first medical director for International Planned Parenthood Federation. She is author of "Love Unleashes Life: Abortion and the Art of Communicating Truth.”


Epiphany.

A Repeat of One of Our Favorite Issues

Epiphany, Another Forgotten Season

Celebrated by the Western Church on January 6th, Epiphany celebrates the revelation of Christ to the Nations, as pictured by the visitation of the Magi. Portrayed as three Eastern kings astride camels, they follow the Christmas star to worship the newborn King. Here is a profound telling of truth that is often lost in its cultural wrappings. If ever there was a celebration needed for today, it is Epiphany!

The biblical identification for these pilgrims is Magi. The Magi are an interesting group in themselves, originating in a hereditary priesthood of the Medes (the ancestors of modern day Kurds). They were installed as religious leaders and policy advisors to the Persian court by Darius and here they actually make their first appearance in Holy Writ. Daniel, carried into exile from the fallen kingdom of Judea, is assigned to this group when he surpasses the rest of them in his service to the king. Daniel correctly fortold the return of the exiles seventy years in the future.

Though he served a secular king and kingdom, Daniel never lost his connection to G-d and Jerusalem. His quarters had a window facing Jerusalem and he was 'busted' for praying when the king decreed that all his citizens bow only to him. Daniel's deliverance from this decree's punishment, by a Divine intervention, is an often told story by people of Faith. What must be conjectured, however, is the influence this man of Faith might have had on his fellow wizards.

Daniel never returned to Jerusalem, though he never forgot her. He grew old and died as a stranger in a strange land. Though he walked the halls of power in Persia, his citizenship remained in the Land of Promise. His book ends with descriptions of things far into the future, and is silent about the later life of Daniel himself. One might safely assume that he remained in the company of the Magi and continued to serve the Persian court.

A young spiritually minded person would have sought out men like Daniel as mentors. Thus it is highly likely that the hope of the coming King was wrapped into the fabric of Daniel's life and work in such a way that his apprentices would preserve it. Many years later it propelled some of them on a long and perilous journey to find that King. There is no Scriptural reference saying there were only three. That may be an assumption based on the mention of three specific gifts they brought; Gold Frankincense and Myrr.

And what did they find? A Child and his mother, ordinary in their appearance perhaps, but marked by Heavenly purpose! Picture the scene, if you will, of mighty clerics, who direct the affairs of empire by their counsel bowing before a woman and an infant!

Epiphany compels us to wrap our minds and hearts around ancient truth and promise. Epiphany compels us to fight the myopia of contemporary culture and look for the Hand of the Divine! Epiphany compels us to awaken from our slumber and if we hear the voice of G-d, to LISTEN! Epiphany is that discovery so wonderful it is a sin to conceal it. It is a truth that carries a blessing for ALL who will hear it and heed it.

So, as the world around us marks the beginning of a new year and marks down the merchandise of Christmas past, it is really time to continue unwrapping the wonder of G-d's redemptive relationship with His children. Old truths must be pondered, but the promise we find there demands action. The voice of G-d must be answered. History, you see, is not some endless cycle. It leads us on a journey to find a specific destination. The voice of the Divine speaks of far more than some warm feeling of self-actualization. It calls us to participate in the ushering in of a Greater Kingdom!

C. S. Lewis captured the hope and the message so well in this thought from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:"

When Adam’s flesh and Adam’s bone,

Sit at Cair Paravel in throne,

The evil time will be over and done."

Spoken to four rather ordinary children, the extraordinary hope of Aslan's rule creates a feeling of thrilled anticipation. Does the knowledge of the unfulfilled prophecies of G-d's Eternal Kingdom create in us today that feeling as well?

Epiphany's Meaning for Today

Around the world, the hope of Christ's Eternal Kingdom fires the passion of Christians in diverse and difficult situations. Coptic Christians in Egypt share this hope with hidden house church groups in China and North Korea. In Nigeria the faithful watch their churches destroyed, knowing that an Eternal Jerusalem awaits them.

Twelve men hiding in an upper room were propelled outward one Pentecost long ago to share that hope. These reluctant witnesses found themselves empowered by the Holy Spirit as they went. At first glance, history seems to tell us that the church eventually divided into many factions... today many at the tips of these branches hold tight to their distinctives, but miss the branching and rooting of a great tree. Today there are many distinctive groups within Christianity, but the essential message has survived. Essential truth has indeed flowed like the lifeblood of this great tree.
(to be continued)

Our First Blog Entry from 2008

The Catechism says that the chief end of man is "...to glorify G-d and enjoy Him forever." Clearly there is more to life than the things that seem intent on filling it up. Here I plan to share some thoughts on life's subtler side. Enjoy the trip!


Indeed, 2008 began as a period of great uncertainty and our first photo was of Spring Crocus emerging, a statement of hope for the future. Photo by Bob Kirchman.