Culture Archives | Page 5 of 7

Valentine’s Day

March 7, 2022February 8, 2022 by Mark Eckel

Spread the love

Give to others.

Watch our Truth in Two to see love in action, a lesson for us all (full text and afterword follow).

Support MarkEckel.com (here). Find the MarkEckel.com YouTube Channel (here). Mark is President of The Comenius Institute (webs ite). Dr. Eckel spends time with Christian young people in public university (1 minute video), teaching at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, and interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video). Consider becoming a Comenius patron (here).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat

FULL TEXT

It was the tagline that got me: “The bag your children will fight over when you’re dead.” I remember roaring in laughter when I first read that in 2009. I was in the market for a strong, long-lasting leather bag to carry books, papers, and computer for teaching. I stopped my search when I came to Saddleback Leather. That tagline told me I would never have to buy another bag again.

So, this year I had to buy a new wallet. My old one was literally falling apart. It was a no brainer: I went back to Saddleback Leather. But on my digital visit this time there was another tab at the top of the page. It read Love41. I clicked on the tab. I’m glad I did.

There I discovered that Saddleback Leather was supporting a non-profit, Love 41. I encourage everyone to check it out. Ahead of Valentine’s Day I can think of no better demonstration of love than the work begun by two Christian sisters on behalf of others.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide took the lives of over one million men, women and children in less than 90 days. It displaced millions more from their homes almost overnight. The entire population of Rwanda, a little African nation just smaller than Maryland, was nearly wiped out. The world turned a blind eye to Rwanda’s suffering. When the genocide ended, it left the region irreparably damaged.

Like many Americans, sisters Suzette and Tina had heard of the tragedy, but when invited to visit Rwanda by Africa New Life Ministries, nothing could have prepared them for the absolute devastation they experienced. Psalm 41:1-3 became the biblical mission: to care for, preserve and strengthen the poor. Linked with Saddleback Leather, Love41 began a retail business where 100% of the profits go to help Rwandans in vocational schools, free daycare, sponsorship for orphans, and so much more.

Over Christmas, Robin and I purchased gifts from Love41. For Valentine’s Day I can think of no better expression of love, than the ministry of Love41. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally committed to loving others through the work of Love41.

AFTERWORD The overview of Love41 in this Truth in Two is dependent upon the story found here: https://saddlebackleather.com/love41/the-love-41-story/

Black History Month: Jesse Owens

March 7, 2022February 1, 2022 by Mark Eckel

“Tell him how things can be,

Between men on this earth.”

Watch our Truth in Two to discover the little told story of the friendship between Jesse Owens and Luz Long (full text and afterword with pictures below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Getty Images, Wikipedia, By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-G00630 / Unknown author / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5363158, https://predicthistunpredictpast.blogspot.com/2013/08/boycotting-olympics-would-world-have.html

FULL TEXT

The 1936 Olympics was held in Germany. Adolf Hitler was in power. To Hitler, the Olympics were to be a statement about the supremacy of the so-called Aryan race. Every other ethnicity was inferior. But Jesse Owens, of African ancestry, won four gold medals at the 1936 games. Owens beat some of the Hitler’s greatest athletes.

Much could be said about Jesse Owens’ great skill as an athlete. But there is a deeper story, a human story, the friendship between Jesse Owens and Luz Long, a German long jumper. Long and Owens cemented a lifelong friendship in matter of days. Wonderful pictures exist of Owens and Luz talking or walking together arm in arm. As Owens said of Long,

“It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler. You can take all the medals and cups I have won in sport and they would not come close to the 24-karat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment. Hitler must have gone crazy watching us embrace. The sad part of the story is I never saw Long again.”

Luz Long died in 1943 while fighting for Germany in World War II. A final letter he wrote to Jesse Owens reads, in part,

My heart tells me, if I be honest with you, that this is the last letter I shall ever write. If it is so, I ask you something. It is a something so very important to me. Please go to Germany when this war done, find my son Karl, and tell him about his father. Tell him, Jesse, what times were like when we not separated by war. I am saying—tell him how things can be between men on this earth. Your brother, Luz'”

Another picture, this one with Jesse and Karl years after the war, tells the tale of true friendship, a friendship that traversed ethnicity, nationality, and generations; a friendship that should be a lesson to us all.

For Truth in Two this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of The Comenius Institute, celebrating Jesse Owens during Black History Month.

AFTERWORD & PICTURES

The information and quotes for this Truth in Two were predominately taken from Jeremy Schaap, Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, 2007 and Lawrence Reed Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction.

Further notations, including how Owens was treated by Hitler versus Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Jesse was introduced to Adolf Hitler who shook his hand in congratulations for his accomplishments.

“Back home, ticker tape parades feted Owens in New York City and Cleveland. Hundreds of thousands of Americans came out to cheer him. Letters, phone calls, and telegrams streamed in from around the world to congratulate him. From one important man, however, no word of recognition ever came. As Owens later put it, ‘Hitler didn’t snub me; it was our president who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send a telegram.’

Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . . couldn’t bring himself to utter a word of support . . . FDR invited all the white US Olympians to the White House, but not Jesse.

‘It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it’s close,’ Owens once said about athletic competition. He could have taught FDR a few lessons in character, but the president never gave him the chance. Owens wouldn’t be invited to the White House for almost 20 years — not until Dwight Eisenhower named him ‘Ambassador of Sports’ in 1955.” [Lawrence Reed]

PICTURES: Owens and Long walking arm in arm during the 1936 Olympics. Owens saluting the American flag, winner of the long jump competition, Long winning the silver medal, saluting Hitler. Owens and Long smiling, next to each other on the infield. Jesse Owens and Karl (Kai) Long after the war. [Getty Images, noted above]

Olympische Spiele 1936 in Berlin, Siegerehrung im Weitsprung: Mitte Owens (USA) 1., links: Tajima (Japan) 3., rechts Long (Deutschland) 2.,
Zentralbild/Hoffmann

Biblical Business Practices

March 7, 2022January 24, 2022 by Mark Eckel

Kindness is the basis for Hebrew Law on business.

Find out why First Testament law can still be practiced by watching our Truth in Two (full text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat

FULL TEXT

“THIS is how you treat people!” I proclaimed. Just before Christmas, 1995, a textile mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts was destroyed by fire. About 1,400 people worked at Malden Mills. The owner of the mill, Aaron Feuerstein, spoke to the employees’ days after the fire. “I am not throwing people out of work two weeks before Christmas,” was his famous line. Feuerstein then and there declared that he would pay his workers their wages, even though the mill was closed, and they could not work.

It was early in 1996 that an NBC News feature covered the incident. Feuerstein’s reputation as a kind boss soared. Feuerstein continued to pay his workers for months – without a product being produced – while the mill was being rebuilt. I showed that news story to my high school students for years, always ending with my line, “THIS is how you treat people.”

Aaron Feuerstein was a rich man who had made millions from his plant. He could have easily claimed the insurance money and walked away. But he didn’t. Feuerstein not only continued to pay his employees, but he also rebuilt the mill, creating an innovative, cold-weather material.

Something that is missing in all the mainstream reportage of Mr. Feuerstein is the answer to the question, “Why did he do it? Why did he continue to pay his workers when he didn’t have to?” The answer, according to Mr. Feuerstein, is found in Deuteronomy 24:14, “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or a stranger.”

“THIS is how you treat people,” is based on Hebraic law. Everyone should know the story of Aaron Feuerstein and the Hebrew teaching that motivated one man’s care for others. For Truth in Two this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally thankful for the teaching of Scripture applied to business practices.

The Person in the Womb

January 18, 2022 by Mark Eckel

If we are supposed to “Follow the science,”

Science says the baby’s body is not the mother’s body.

Watch our Truth in Two to find out the argument “It’s my body” is not true (full text, afterword follows).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappy Goat

FULL TEXT

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” is a United Nations document that assumes some ideas preexist others. Here’s what I mean. The idea that all people have worth, value, and dignity is a preexisting idea. The idea is in the first line of the U.N. document. Any group or nation which defends the rights of all people begins with the preexisting belief in the preciousness of humanity. But some people who will assume rights for all people think the idea is equal to the phrase “reproductive rights,” used in the abortion industry. Folks unthinkingly accept the polite phrase “reproductive rights” as a preexisting right; and, one that trumps the human rights of the baby in the womb. They will repeat untrue statements about pregnancy saying, “No one can tell me what to do with my body!” But that’s just it. The being in the womb is not your body. It’s the body of another human person in your uterus.

Let’s be very clear. When a child is conceived in the womb, the baby has a totally different DNA structure than that of the mother. In 21^st century science, we can identify a human person by their DNA. Just watch any kind of crime drama. Science tells us that the person in the womb of the mother is distinctive, different, a whole ‘nother person. And that person has preexisting worth. Now you can reframe arguments by changing words or their definitions.

But let’s be honest. When you say “reproductive rights” you are talking about “abortion.” If you refer to the “fetus” in the womb, you’re talking about a “person” with distinctive DNA. The preexisting rights of every human person are rights also given to children in the womb. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally affirming that human rights can only be given by God.

AFTERWORD Abortion does not promote equality for women.

Is Science Fiction Literature Hopeful?

January 10, 2022January 4, 2022 by Mark Eckel

When you read futuristic books or watch science fiction movies, ask yourself,

“What hope do the writers offer?”

Watch our Truth in Two to see why we need to look elsewhere for “hope” (full text and afterword below).

Subscribe to MarkEckel.com (here). Find the MarkEckel.com YouTube Channel (here). Mark is President of The Comenius Institute (webs ite). Dr. Eckel spends time with Christian young people in public university (1 minute video), teaching at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, and interprets culture from a Christian vantage point (1 minute video). Consider becoming a Comenius patron (here).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, aideal-hwa-OYzbqk2y26c-unsplash, jeremy-thomas-rMmibFe4czY-unsplash

FULL TEXT

Sometimes people will ask, “What do you think will happen in the future?” My general response is, “Have you read any good science fiction lately?”

I remember years ago reading H.G. Wells novel The Time Machine. Toward the end of the book, the time traveler fast-forwards himself thousands of years into earth’s future. He finds himself on a planet which has become nothing more than a cold ball spinning in space. The reader will find similar themes in books such as 1984, Animal Farm, The Road, or Fahrenheit 451. Any classic or modern dystopian literature explains the future the same way: look at how awful the world could be, we better do something about it now.

And we better do something quick, because it’s now 2022. Harry Harrison’s novel from 1966 Make Room! Make Room! makes the point that overpopulation, pollution, poverty and environmental destruction have consumed the earth in the year 2022. In the novel, one-world government elites have created a way to feed the masses, with something called “Soylent Green.” Based on Harrison’s book, the movie Soylent Green makes us wonder what kind of future earth may have. Like all dystopian literature and movies, the basic line is the same: the awfulness of our destructive future should drive us to do something about those problems now.

But wait. Dystopian literature about the future does not give us an answer to the question in the present, “Why should I care?” Fantastic writers like Orwell, Bradbury, McCarthy, Wells, or Huxley show us an awful future, with little help toward a solution.

But, Acts 3:21 says that Jesus IS the solution, who will someday “restore all things” to their original order. So, after a discussion about dismal, futuristic literature, I point people to Jesus, the hope of all the earth in 2022, and beyond. For Truth in Two this is Dr. Mark Eckel, personally committed to looking for the blessed hope – Jesus.

AFTERWORD The ending of the movie Soylent Green with Charlton Heston is one of the great finales in science fiction film. No spoilers here. If you have not seen the movie be ready for the difference of movie making over 50 years. But the concept of utopian societies which protect the elite and profit from the poor are ubiquitous.

Give Thanks for Freedom at Thanksgiving

January 10, 2022November 23, 2021 by Mark Eckel

If you give thanks for one thing, make it this:

Watch our Truth in Two to find out why (full text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappygoat.com

The movie Braveheart is a fictional account of the historic Scot, William Wallace. Wallace is legendary as a freedom fighter against English rule in the 13^th and 14^th centuries. The Hollywood version of the story notwithstanding, the theme of the movie for all people is the same. Having been betrayed and led to his execution, Mel Gibson, playing the part of William Wallace, is told to ask for “mercy” in order to relieve his suffering. The crowd is crying out on his behalf, “Mercy! Mercy!” When Gibson gains control of his ability to speak, the executioner quiets the people, saying, “The prisoner wishes to say a word.” All expect him to ask for mercy, to give in to the pain of his execution. Instead, to the astonishment of the quieted crowd, Gibson cries the one word that everyone wants, in one long yell, “Freedom!”

Freedom. It is what the citizens of Hong Kong long for. It is what the peoples of Afghanistan have fought for. It is the cry of every woman who is held in sexual slavery by abusers and human traffickers. It is the wish of every person on the planet who lives under the boot of some local or national tyrant.

Freedom is a precious commodity. Freedom is won with blood. Freedom is kept through vigilance. But freedom can be taken for granted. Freedom can devolve into license, a desire to do whatever one wants without responsibility. Freedom can be easily replaced by authorities who care more for their status and bank account than for the people they are to serve.

During this Thanksgiving week, I implore everyone hearing my voice, reading my words, to say the word “freedom” during your celebration. I would ask that you recount for those around your dinner table a story about someone who has died so that others might live in freedom. And when you go around the table to declare what you are thankful for, I wish that you would finish by mustering your brave-hearts to utter that word in unison. Freedom. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, thankful every day that I am free.

Veteran’s Day Tribute to Americans who Served

January 10, 2022November 9, 2021 by Mark Eckel

Thank a veteran on Veteran’s Day.

Watch our Truth in Two (full text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappygoat.com

FULL TEXT

Ahead of Veterans Day I want to make a declaration: I love my country just as anyone who may take pride in their land of birth. I stand in respect when our national anthem is sung. By doing so I give honor to those who died in service of America. I get a lump in my throat when I hear The Star-Spangled Banner sung. Tears fill my eyes when I see the flag saluted by those in uniform, when I see the flag at half-staff to remember someone’s death, or when I see a folded flag handed to the spouse whose mate gave the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

The American flag is important, the colors and construction are significant. That field of blue symbolizes vigilance, fairness, perseverance. The red focuses on valor and resilience. The white imagines purity and goodness. 50 stars – one for each state – are combined, representing e pluribus unum “out of the many, one.” Thirteen stripes remember the original thirteen colonies whose stand against injustice from an authoritarian leader began the nation’s history.

That flag was fought for, by the one laid to rest in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. His sacrifice stands as representation for the sacrifice of tens of thousands; warriors who have given me my freedom. My freedom comes with responsibility. Liberty lives through sacrifice. I never take my inalienable rights for granted and I never forget those who have sacrificed to make liberty possible.

I am acquainted with enough military history to know of the great sacrifices of our armed forces. Men and women have bled and died on foreign soil so that our enemies could be stopped there, before they come here. The American soldier can be the best friend to the oppressed and the worst nightmare to the oppressor. “These colors don’t run” is the best way to express the red, white, and blue. And we are grateful. The few have given the many the safety of military security, standing against America’s enemies so we can sleep peacefully in our beds. And we are grateful.

For all its faults, we live in the most peaceful, prosperous nation in human history. When I look around the world and see the wonderful cultural heritage of many nations, I revel in the beautiful backgrounds and marvelous people groups around the globe. People from those countries still want to come here, to America. Why? This country is seen as the land of opportunity, where dreams can become reality.

And it is in that same spirit that I can say I am proud to be an American. Land of the brave. Home of the free. A Republic, if we can keep it. The future of this nation for our children and grandchildren is up to us. For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally grateful to all our veterans, every day.

Segments of this Truth in Two taken from my Ode to America, 2 July 2020

Bread and Circuses

January 10, 2022November 2, 2021 by Mark Eckel

Why would the powerful want to placate the population?

Watch our Truth in Two to find out why (full text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappygoat.com

FULL TEXT

The movie Gladiator gives snapshots of social life during the Roman Empire. Whether in Rome or around its territories, Roman leaders would organize games for the entertainment of the local population. It is recorded that ahead of gladiatorial fights, bread would be tossed into the crowds. Feeding hunger for food and hunger for entertainment, Roman governors and emperors would use the games to pacify the populace. Governance of a nation would be so much easier if leaders gave people what they wanted, satisfying their bellies and their bloodlust. The Roman poet Juvenal blamed the Roman people for giving up their civic duty for what he called “free bread and circus games.” The phrase “bread and circuses” became a way to explain how governments placate any population, taking the public’s mind off public policy decisions.

“Bread and circuses” is an ongoing economic ploy in American politics: give people what they want, to divert their attention away from government actions. Sure, leaders bear responsibility for their governing practices. But beware. Proverbs 28 is clear,

“To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong. A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know what poverty will come upon him.”

The problem with cheap food and entertainment is that government money will run out and someone will always pay. Government checks that pay more than a full-time job, keep people happy. Government forgiving student loans with taxpayer dollars, keep people happy. Government financial loopholes for corporations, keep people happy. Cheap subscriptions to streaming services via Prime, Netflix, or Hulu, keep people entertained. Cultural celebrities and sporting events popping first into news feeds keep people entertained. Appeasing people with bread and circuses did not just exist in the Roman empire; the practice of pacifying the population continues in America today.

For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, personally committed to my civic duty of saying what I see.

The Boogeyman at Halloween

November 3, 2021October 26, 2021 by Mark Eckel

Halloween dress up should really mean

“Come as you are.”

Why do I say that? Watch our Truth in Two to find out (full text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, Snappygoat.com

FULL TEXT

He served in the British Navy during World War II. Before the war, William Golding was a humanist, assured that people are perfectible, that humans can bring into being some future utopia. In Golding’s words, [quote], “All you had to do was to remove certain inequities and provide practical sociological solutions, and man would have a perfect paradise on earth” [end quote].

After the war, Golding wrote a novel, the theme of which was about what he called “the defects of human nature.” William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies tells the story of military schoolboys left to themselves on a desert island after a nuclear holocaust. Apart from any adult supervision, the boys devolve into a state of savagery, falling from modern to primitive. Split into two groups the boys vie for power. One group, fighting an island beast, erects a pig’s head on a pole which is soon surrounded by flies. The title of the novel, Lord of the Flies, reveals the true nature of the beast – the monster is not the pig but the boys themselves.

Monster costumes around Halloween are related to Lord of the Flies. The word “insect” comes from the original word for “bug,” later, boogeyman. Movie titles with the words “ghost,” “specter,” “goblin,” or “scarecrow” come from a fear of some beast, some Lord of the Flies. But as Golding and his novel teach us, the real monster, the real beast, is us.

We may be haunted by supernatural entities – which do indeed, exist – but our first problem is the problem of our nature. Just like the boys on the island, left to ourselves, we will always be the monster. So, dressing up for Halloween as our favorite monster might be easiest if we just go as ourselves.

For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, who believes everyone should read Lord of the Flies.

Everyone Worships Something: 7 Steps Down the Aisle of Toleration’s Church

November 3, 2021October 12, 2021 by Mark Eckel

Membership is demanded in the church of toleration.

Excommunication awaits those who don’t believe.

Find out why worship is not confined to a mosque, temple, or cathedral by watching our Truth in Two (text below).

Picture Credit: Luke Renoe, davide-ragusa-gcDwzUGuUoI-unsplash, gian-cescon-N0g-deioHO4-unsplash

“Tolerance” is a doctrine. In theology or education or everyday life, “doctrine” is ever present. Everyone has doctrine since everyone has beliefs. We subscribe to a teaching, dogma, or creed to explain what we believe. Our commitment to that set of teachings limits our acceptance of contrary or adversarial claims. It does not matter if you are a feminist, committed to LGBTQ+, Baptist preacher, or conservative talk show host; you have doctrine.

Everyone everywhere has doctrine. But in our current cultural moment, identity, ethnic, sexual, and gender politics demand our belief in the doctrine of tolerance.

I will use the metaphors of religious ideas and icons to communicate the cultural doctrine of “tolerance.”

First toleration demands “understanding,” then “acceptance,” then “allegiance,” then “obeisance,” then “conformity,” and ultimately “evangelism.” The ordered steps down the cathedral aisle do not matter as much as the baptismal outcome. Hollywood’s hymnal sings both obvious and subtle references to accepted and rejected points of view.

Celebrities must bow before the altar of imposed speech codes. News outlets preach from their pulpits against the latest outrage. The plight of those suffering worldwide is reported only if their death reinforces the common book of party prayer.

Catechismal teaching reinforces the moment-by-moment commitment to membership in the church of toleration. Excommunication is swift for any who would sin against accepted authority. Reputational ruin comes to anyone daring to cross the received cultural commandments.

Toleration’s heaven accepts the culturally righteous who are the tolerant saints wearing white robes of social purity. Toleration’s hell awaits anyone who has rejected salvation offered by the cultural gods of the day.

Let me be perfectly clear. I am tolerant, kind, generous, respectful and gracious to people, no matter who they are or what they believe. But I will always speak out against ideas – the doctrine of tolerance included – which stand against the doctrines of God’s Word.

For Truth in Two, this is Dr. Mark Eckel, president of the Comenius Institute, intentionally repeating Jesus’ words, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”