Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #9: The Incarnation of God: "After viewing 'The Nativity Story', analyzing your chosen Christmas carol, and reading Philippians 2:1-7, reflect on the meaning of Christma..."

Through the years, Christmas has evolved into a fun holiday in which gifts are exchanged, carols are sung, and turkeys are eaten. In the midst of all this, however, we rarely take the time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas - the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. In Philippians 2:1-7 and the Nativity Story, Jesus is depicted as a human being who is the incarnate of God. His humble birth in a stable is extremely significant, for no King or God is born in such conditions. However, Jesus comes into the world as a baby like any other.

This is the second verse of the Christmas carol I chose, 'O Holy Night':

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

In this verse, it talks about the part of Jesus' birth when the Wise Men came, following the Star of David and everyone gathered around Him. The lyrics, "The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger, In all our trials born to be our friend" perfectly captures Jesus' purpose on earth. He is God, but was sent to live among us and be one of us so that He could truly save us. A god that comes to earth as a baby is humble and committed. Christ is both fully divine and fully human, as he confronted all human temptations and sufferings and experiences. It is because He was once that tiny baby lying in a manger that makes Him all the more powerful.

Reflection #8 Islam: Two Perspectives

A fairly recent controversy in the news regarding Islam was the plan to build an Islamic center near the site of the September 11 attacks in 2001. A Western news source (the Boston Globe) questioned whether it was appropriate to place a mosque so close to where the World Trade Center once stood. This article discusses the views of relatives of 9/11 victims and their strong opposition to the plan, calling it "a gross insult to the memory of those who were killed on that terrible day." There is a slightly biased point of view, as many more quotes and examples from people who are against building the mosque at Ground Zero are used. This article does include an interview with a devout Muslim, however this individual is also not in favor of the location of the mosque.
In an article from the Arab News, the same story is addressed in a slightly different way. The same facts are stated, but from the point of view of a Muslim developer in the project. He states that through all the coverage of this issue, reports often fail to mention how the project organizers had engaged with the local community and gained their support before moving ahead. Also, this article discusses the misperceptions people have about Islam and the Muslim people. They are peace-loving Americans who want the same thing that everybody else wants.
The two articles show how the same story can sound completely different when written from different points of view.

Western Article: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/06/06/a_mosque_at_ground_zero/
Islamic View Article: http://arabnews.com/world/article150003.ece

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7

Modern Religious Experience: Personal Commemoration- Reflection #7: "Think of an event in your life- past, present or future. You are going to create a commemorative ritual for this event. First, describe the ..."

One of the most significant events of my life so far was when I left Indonesia in July of 2009 to come to Seoul. I had never moved before and everything I knew and loved was in that country that I had called home for 15 years. Leaving it to go live a foreign land was a very difficult time in my life, but has had a huge impact on me as an individual.

We landed in Seoul on July 15th, so my commemoration would occur annually on that date, all day. When we arrived, I remember being very upset and unwilling to accept this new culture because of how much I missed my old home. That's why for my commemoration I would only eat Korean food all day. This would be a reminder to me of how even though I was hesitant at first, I ended up liking the Korean food and culture once I gave it a chance. It also reminds me that I should embrace change and new experiences.

The hardest part of coming to Seoul was not having any friends here in the beginning. I would spend hours online talking to my friends in Indonesia to try and make the distance between us feel smaller. For the commemoration of this event I would call my family in Indonesia as well as my friends, in remembrance of the nights I spent missing them terribly but knowing that they are only a phone call or 'instant message' away.
 On this day, I would read this quote that my friend showed me: 
"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." - Richard Bach. This quote was very relevant to my life during this time, and made me think more positively and look forward to the next time I would get to see them. I'm very blessed to be able to travel to other countries and visit my family and friends. 

Finally, every year after my graduation I would try to come back to Seoul on this day, or at least during the summer, to remind myself of how this country which was once just a foreign land to me was now another place I could call home.

The Morality of Greek Myths - Reflection #6

Cupid and Psyche is the story of a mortal maid, Psyche, whose striking beauty caused even Venus, the goddess of beauty, to be jealous. Venus then sent her son Cupid to cast an evil spell upon the girl. However, upon seeing her face Cupid ends up falling in love with Psyche, and they wed and live together in his castle. Psyche’s jealous sisters cause her to doubt her husband, whom she had never seen in person. Overcome with suspicion, Psyche sneaks into Cupid’s bedchamber to see his monstrous face, but instead finds the most irresistible of all the gods. Overwhelmed by his beauty she accidentally wakes him. Cupid is hurt by Psyche’s betrayal, and so leaves her. Psyche, brokenhearted, is left determined to earn back her husbands trust - whatever it takes. 

There are several morals imbedded in the story, but one that particularly stood out to me was the concept of trust in a relationship. When Cupid finds Psyche by his bedside, he exclaims, “Love can never dwell where there is suspicion”. Because Psyche had doubted her love for Cupid, she ended up losing everything. Trust is an essential part of a relationship, and is required in order for there to be love. Also, Psyche’s act of trying to secretly see Cupid’s face clearly breaks his rules, and she is punished by Cupid leaving her. This story reflects the idea that there are always consequences for disobedience. These examples show that love and obedience are important virtues for the Greeks, and that is what is to be taken away from the story. 

Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

Religion is sought for many different reasons. For some, religion is an answer to all the questions left unexplained by science. It can be used as an acceptable explanation for why things happen the way they do. When something bad occurs, this can be justified in some ways through religion. For example, Hinduism believes in karma - the idea that what goes around comes around. If something bad happens to you, it is only making up for the wrong that you have done in your life. Sometimes people just want an answer to the baffling questions in life and those answers can be provided by religion, whether it be faith in a higher being or just belief in letting things play out the "natural way", a Taoist concept. It's this desire to understand which may prompt humans to dedicate their lives to seek religious truth. 


On the nature walk I realized how rare it is for me to be outdoors simply for the sake of appreciating nature. I believe that it is the beauty of the world, the wonder of how everything on this planet came to be, that lead me to seek religion. In my eyes, there are far too many miracles that occur and amazing creations of life for all of this to have happened on its own. 

Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

This meditation experience was a fun and relaxing way for me to take a break from my regular hectic schedule and just focus on myself for 20 minutes. I had picked a spot in the corner of my room near the window, where the sun shines in and the cool breeze blows through the screen. Sitting cross legged on a cushion I straightened my back and closed my eyes. The first thing that struck me was the sounds in my room - or rather, the lack of them. I never realized how overwhelmingly silent the house was without the muffled voices from the TV, the clacking of keyboards or the shuffle of feet on the wooden floor. The first five minutes were hardest, just trying to clear my mind of all stressful thoughts. I could feel my mind wandering to homework, friends, volleyball and other significant parts of my life. Occasionally I'd open my eyes a peek to glance at the clock, checking to see how much longer of this I had. However, after constantly reminding myself to concentrate on deep breathing, I felt a sense of calmness in my mind and body. This experience made me more aware of what thoughts enter my mind, and helped me keep only the positive ones. I'm sure that each time I meditate is one step closer to reaching life's truths, or at least finding inspiration and peace of mind.

Reflection #3- Gandhi: Hindu and Activist

Mohandas ‘Mahatma’ Gandhi was a highly influential leader who played an extremely key role in the movement for independence in India. He grew up and lived his life as a Hindu, but promoted harmony between people of all faiths. In the movie, when Gandhi leaves his ashram to meet with Mr. Jinnah, men are standing outside shouting at him not to go. In frustration he proclaims “I am a Muslim, and a Hindu, and a Christian, and a Jew, and so are all of you.” His determination to keep peace between the Indians is apparent in this scene. Gandhi was so intent on maintaining the unification of India that he was even willing to turn it over to Muslim control. He asked Jinnah to become the first Prime Minister in order to prevent the creation of a separate Muslim country, Pakistan. However, it was evident to everyone that this option would only lead to civil war and that the division of India was inevitable. 

Gandhi stated that “action expresses priorities”, and this is exactly how he lived his life. Gandhi truly practiced what he preached by always staying true to the beliefs to which he had pledged his life. Upon his return to India he decided that in order to understand his country he must travel throughout India and live a peasant life, despite being born as a Brahman, the highest level in the caste system. He then made drastic changes to his life - everything from making his own clothes to taking a vow of chastity. These actions took a toll on his relationships in his family, which clearly showed where his priorities lay. He was willing to sacrifice his bond between his wife and son in order to stay true to his beliefs.