Oct 26, 2020

34. A Man and a Woman


Dance at Bougival, 1883
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, France


  Notice)  This was written by my own "personal" viewpoint, hence can "never" be an "absolute" criterion to say about. Plus it is not that I intentionally pen to define what it is a man and woman, its definition. 

* Quoted the Bible: esv version

🌻  Lately, I'm drifting(falling) into the thought of what a man and woman are, and what love is between them...

That said, it sounds like an ambiguous(equivocal), unanswered, and a needless question like these query;  e.g. what life is, what death is, what love is, who I am... and so on.

Thus I have struggled not to recount(express) about that issue "at all ", for it looks tremendously convoluted(intricate) issue, which looks unanswerable...forevermore...

Nevertheless, what I made a decision to write about that issue is, on the one hand, I might have felt a suffocating and painful sentiment that I have struggled not to write about that, on the other hand, I might want to put my scattering and complicate ideas in order, and express (not define) its mind and heart through writing... 

Most importantly, my personal thought can never be an "enforcement(coercion)" that you should think it the same as the way I assume.  Hope no one is brainwashed by my personal(subjective) standpoint...

Besides, hope readers don't judge regarding my " personal viewpoint ";  just hope they know that "someone" has such a mind and heart regarding the issue of man and woman and what love is between them...

 Wedding Rings


Another reason that I had to think about the issue was caused by the news article in my country, the headline was, this: " To live alone is a fantasy."  

What do you think about that? ...

In any case, I was personally faced with that issue as well.  Lots of comments were added concerning the issue, and the news article looked like a subjective fiction a little bit.

I read some of their comments, these are samples that they wrote comments on the news comment section; I partly translated some comments. 

When I read it again so as to post, I spotted(discovered) that most people supported(advocated) an unmarried life, I could not even find many positive comments about a married life. This is their comments:

Initial ID,  false names

B : Oct 10, 2020.  Time: 14:29

Becoming a couple per se is a fantasy!  Just "money" is the best. 

B: 14:06

If the "euthanasia" 🚑 (assisted suicide) is legitimately accepted, to live alone is the best of the best, when I'm sick and aged.

23gram: 13:57

Taking comfort from other people was already gone. Can we be really consoled from other people? In my case, never...

Love? friendship? family? They have never consoled my deep heartache, on the contrary, I might be exploited from them.

People are getting more and more wicked and selfish, whereas should I become an unselfish person alone? If so, will they like me?

Never, I will be treated as an idiot. It is possible to debate an " ideal desk theory" as many as one likes!

In short, the more people live with others, the more we are suffered by.

W: 13:56

Wedding is the very fantasy, we were all fooled by that marriage custom, so that we were bound by husbands or wives or families, losing our work experience.

P: 14:46

To quietly live alone is the best and then to die like so is the best.

H:  

Who said like this? ; Sharing one's sadness is to be a half, sharing one's pleasure is to be a double? Never! Sharing one's sadness is to be a "sore point", and sharing one's joy is to be a "jealousy." 

P: 15:38

A manifold(unmarried or married) lives might have to coexist. 

H: 15:38

No one has loved me.

There was labeled as the three opinions about an unmarried life in their midst.

1)  Few negative opinions  about unmarried life

2)  Many positive opinions about unmarried life

3)  Sit on the fence: both negative and positive opinions about unmarried life

In conclusion:  They advocated an unmarried life like this;  To live alone is the best.

In My Personal View 

To begin with, when I have mused (pondered over) about this issue, I had to search for the Bible of what it was recorded.  But yet, the Bible looks provocative, paradoxical(contradictory), and obscure, etc. in my eyes...

- Summing up, the Bible, as far as I know;

(1) Genesis 

1:27:  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

1:28:  And God blessed them. And God said to them. " Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heaven and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

2:18  ..." It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

2:21~23 : ... So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh ; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

24:  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

In this passage, personally I wonder why it was not recorded in advance about this passage; "a helper fit for him (Adam)"-2:18 in place of this phrase; " Be fruitful and multiply..." -1:28 

If a human has to be fruitful and multiply, then there must exist an opposite gender first.  If so, I think that this phrase, "a helper fit for him", should have recorded ahead of time in order to be fruitful and multiply between a man and woman. Thus the meaning of "helper fit for him(Adam)" might simply not mean a "sex partner" like the apostle Paul stated

1 Corinthians 7: 1~2 : ..." It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Well, even so, God already created a male and femaleã…¡the Bible was recorded like this; 1:27 "God created manã…¡why was it written like this? 

It looks incomprehensible(strange) in my eyes, this is not "a" man, nor is "men", but was recorded that God "created man."  In other words, it seems that God is man is him is; male and female become themã…¡ they are God Himself.

Does it mean that God has an intersexuality?... So, is it the reason that was recorded that way?

Beyond that, when God said, " Be fruitful and multiply... -1:28, It seems that this word was not to be spoken to a visible Adam and Eve directly and practically, but seems to be spoken to an invisible(nominal, conceptual) male and female in the image of God; 

1:27:  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

1:28:  And God blessed them. And God said to them. " Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heaven and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Along those lines, it seems that God already created a male and female in the image of God.  But the Bible said, God created Adam and Eve later again, further, a woman was created later than a man as below;

2:7  Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 

2:22  And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

It looks conceptual that God already created the male and female in the image of God. 

Then, who are they really, which was recorded 1:27ã…¡In the image of God he created him; male and femaleã…¡" him; male and female" in the image of God? Does it mean that God Himself is the male and female?

Was it simply a conceptual(nominal) sex-division, but didn't they exist in practice like a visible(earthen) Adam and Eve?

The Bible stated; male and female in the image of Godã…¡ as we see, it was recorded; "male and female", whereas when the Bible described Adam and Eve, it was differently written like this; man and woman.

What is different from between a man/woman and a male/female? I think that it is the same meaning in English, isn't it ?...

If it mentions just a conceptual gender, then God might have an intersexuality in Him; male and female simultaneously...

(2) 1 Corinthians 7:1~40 

The apostle Paul states;

1~2 : ..." It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

10~11:  To the married I give this charge(not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband.  (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

To The Unmarried and the Widowed : 26 : I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is.

28: But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

39: A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

40:  Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

(3) The relationship of the Groom and the Bride-esv 

 The Eternal Covenant of Peace: Isaiah 54:5  For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.

2 Corinthians 11: 2  For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ 

Walk in Love: Ephesians 5: 23  : For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body(His people), and is himself its Savior.

24:  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 

25:  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Revelation 19:9  ...."Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."....

 And in this section, Ephesians 5:24~25

24:  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 

25:  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

In honest, no one might be able to submit in "everything" for one's husband, and love one's wife to give himself up for her like that...

So, in my eyes, this might be figuratively emphasized on " the being of Christ" as the head of the Church(His People) rather than a bodily husband and wife word for word.  

Besides this, it looks that we people cannot submit in everything to Christ, nor can we people love Christ to give ourself up for Christ either. Instead, Christ might have to let us be submitted or let us  give ourself up for Christ.

The book of Genesis describes that; "It is not good that the man should be alone", so that God created the helper(woman) fit for him(Adam).

In this passage, I don't know the meaning of "helper" of what it manifestly means if a woman is simply a sex partner or not, like the apostle's perspective. 

According to English dictionary that I have refers to a 

" helper"  like this; 

1) a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose. 

2) a person who helps people or institutions(esp. with financial help)

Anyway, the apostle Paul states that; " It is good for a person to remain as he is."  like Paul himself. 

For why? ....above all, God said that " It is not good that the man should be alone." 

I don't fully understand this statement that the apostle Paul proclaimed like that..." It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."

If so, what about women? Is it good for a woman to have sexual relations with a man?  Because, a woman is not a man?

Even it looks nonsensical(unmet) in my eyes... , since it is different from what God said; " It is not good that the man should be alone." 

Doesn't he, the apostle Paul, have a sexual desire at all? How is it possible to be, If he is also a human and male ? 

I guess that the apostle Paul would have been announced its proclamation to the unmarried because of "his own sexual temptation." (sexual immortality)  For he was none other than an unmarried man. 

Hence, he might have been only obsessed the sexual desire all the time than any one else, so he might have been confined the definition of a marriage like this; But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

If so, he should have not proclaimed like this; " It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." , which looks like his "self-contradiction" and "self-righteousness."

And it seems to be his(Paul's) own pride by which he can abstain from a sexual immorality unlike the married people who have a sexual desire in them, and who are likely to do sexual immorality by the sexual desire unlike unmarried  Paul himself, in fact, everyone seems to have an intrinsic sexual desire.

Even so, "everybody" seems not to transgress a sexual immorality(e.g. sex crimes) in practice, even if they don't get married...

I wonder about the "specific meaning" of the "sexual immorality" that the apostle Paul proclaimed. Does it mean an adultery?...

Well, if so, Jesus already responded about that; 

Matthew 5: 27~28  " You have heard that it was said, " You shall not commit adultery. "  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Then what good is it to mention about the sexual immorality that the apostle Paul stated?ã…¡"It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." , which looks like a rigid ascetic...

Because, everybody is already adulterers. It's meaningless to mention it to the married or unmarried...

In addition, if the apostle Paul didn't feel the sexual temptation at all, then he would not have been able to express "the temptation to sexual immorality "  itself, in other words, he might have felt the lustful desire as an ordinary people. 

The apostle Paul seems to simply confine the definition of marriage is, ''because of the temptation to sexual immortality'', so to speak, for fulfilling a lust for sex through a bondage of marriage. Is it really true like the apostle Paul said?... Humm...

If it is true, then all human beings must not have(desire) a lustful mind any longer by means of marriage, or must not commit adultery, whereas have been committing adultery...  

Because it looks that a humanity can never be satisfied with such a sexual desire by a married life "only between husband and wife."

Plus, the apostle Paul said to the unmarried; wedding is not sinned; 

28: But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that.

38:  So then he who marries his betrothed (engaged) does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

 Why is said that; " if you do marry,  you have not sinnedand if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned." ?

 But yet, as far as I know, everything humans do is to be sinned...

And the apostle Paul seems to hint at the thing, saying this:

7: 7   I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God , one of one kind and one of another.

7: 17  Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.

Namely, it seems to mean that; " Do live as God only leads,  if it is married or unmarried."  By the way, humanly speaking, a married life looks impossible to be "one flesh" like below;

 Genesis 2: 24:  Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

And we people seems not to know this expressionã…¡ "become one flesh" of what it actually means... Does it  simply mean a sexual relationship? If not, what does it mean really ?...

In fact, even people say that wedding is a crazy thing. 

According to the Bible, it seems to state that  husband and wife are married (or exist) for symbolizing the relationship of Christ and His people "as a husband and wife", so that a customary marriage might not be able to attest one's "love result" and one's " sexual relation."

But rather, we people might have to realize that a bodily husband and wife can never be united through a bondage of marriage vice versa, thus God might have allowed such a marriage custom to human to realize the very fact that we people can never be achieved the thing that God wants as a means of marriage between a bodily husband and wife.

In that context, a marriage might be matched up with a false image, beyond that, might not exist for the sake of human, such as : honeymoon, happy married life, childbirth, family, sexual life, overcoming loneliness, getting over dying alone, etc.

Even God exterminates one's family behind, such as: murder case, divorce, bankruptcy, adultery, husband's or wife's early death, children's death, incest, disease, etc.,  even if the apostle Paul said that do not divorce, giving its charge;

10~11:  To the married I give this charge(not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband. (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

 The apostle Paul said, "To the married I give this charge(not I, but the Lord)" , which means that it was not said by Paul himself, but was said by the Lord.  But God Himself seems to let it(everything )happen behind...

Even the concept of "adultery" might be different from a human's(including Paul's) perspective; 

Jesus said: Matthew 5: 27~28  " You have heard that it was said, " You shall not commit adultery. "  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

In this passage, the adultery that Jesus said looks it was only recorded for men, but it will correspond to women, tooã…¡women will also have a lustful mind(intent), looking at men...

Accordingly, we, everybody, are already all adulterers, if so, what good is it to get married, or to literally mention "do not divorce" , which the apostle Paul stated based on the intention of the Lord?....

The Bible's statement looks confusing, paradoxical, provocative, and fickle, etc. in my eyes...

Nevertheless, why should we people get married , or should not get a divorce, despite we people are already all adulterers like Jesus said?

Well, in the bigger picture, it might be the same with this status and question; ultimately we human live in order to die, despite why do we have to live?... True be told, to live is meaningless... Moreover, we human are "only sinned" day by day. Regardless, we human might have to live until the day we die... For God seems to want it, which also looks contradictory...

Why do we human  have to live sinning? It might as well die, or it is better not to be born from the beginning...  But according to the Bible, being sinners and  sinning as sinners are for the "Salvation" by Christ's atonement... It seems that His creature(humans) must be intentionally and forcibly(unilaterally) sinners for it.

God created His people(creature) to be His sinners(enemies), slaves(generally, people know it as servants, but as far as I know, it is right to originally interpret/translate as slavesã…¡ " Doulos "), sons, brides(women), bodies, children, friends, fishermen...etc.  How many do we humans have to play the multiple roles at the same time like that...? Who are we among them really?

 ...No, if His people become (another) Christ in Him, playing the multiple roles for Him, then Christ Himself will have to do the same thing for His people. Because His people are to be Christ Himself.

So, God might have been a human;  as the sinners, as the slave(servant) of man, as the son of man, as the fisherman who only catches His people in the world, as the groom, as the sheep(sacrifice) for the atonement, as the Father, as the friend of man...etc.  According to the Bible, God did its every roles in person not as God, but as a human, putting on a man's flesh in order to be same with humans(His people). If so, His creature(His people) will have to become Christ Himself, too, putting on His flesh, and letting His blood circulate, and being only His woman with His own rib...

In short, if God became a human, then His people will have to be Christ Himself in Him in order to be the same with Him; not I, but Christ, so they are "we." And if God already set it up to play the multiple roles to His people, then it will have to be done...like God all did it.

In general, regardless of the notion of the Bible, I think that either married life or unmarried life, both are distressed by worldly troubles... Beyond that, to live alone is also selfish to avoid worldly troubles and relationships between husband and wife, or among other people. 

But the apostle Paul stated not to get married to the unmarried and the widowed owing to the present distress and worldly troubles; 

" I think that in view of the present distress it is good for a person to remain as he is."

"Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. "

Is it not selfish, either? 

If so, what about unmarried men or widowers(single fathers)? Is it okay that they get married or remarried unlike unmarried women or widowed women?.... Why would the apostle Paul say it to "only" unmarried women and the widowed? It looks unfathomable, too...

Well, even some say that "Do not be logical before God", believers(I don't even know if I'm a believer or not) must believe in God without any questions, rebellions, etc. 

If so, why did God give a thinking power to human? Is it possible to believe in God without any questions like those who boldly address in that manner?...

Such a mindset looks like an eyeless faith(blind loyalty) and the factor that they are likely to be brainwashed by pastors or the theology of Christianity vice versa like they are a "yes-man" who is a person of unquestioning obedience, which I was fooled by...

On the other hand, the Bible says: 

 Acts 17:10~11 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

In other words, it might be meant that people(these Jews) in Berea examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so in the Jewish synagogue, when Paul and Silas preached their words(the words) in.

If so, why don't they examine the Bible to see if these things are so in churches, when preachers(pastors) preach their words? 

Because, they are a yes-man who don't like to think itself... They might want to believe 

invisible pastors to be their God... The way looks more easy than intricately(complexly) think what it is, even if it seems not to be solved such questions, thus it might be a futile waste of time in some ways...

But rather, even thinking, expressing(speaking), communicating, something like that, all these things might be sinned...

For the Bible states; 

 James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire be hell.

But it looks impossible people are not to express something by the tongueã…¡including music, writing, dance, painting, movie, book, letter, etc., all the things.  Such mediums and  expressions are like the tongue, but indirect tongues(languages). 

In contrast, people are not a "log" and "machine", they have each of their own mind and heart, but all is sinful, which will be a common point. Namely, expressing itself is to be sinned by our(human's) inherited sinful nature, further the tongue is set our members; 

James 3:6 The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, which might be meant the one of our members(sinful flesh). 

If we people are sinned by the tongue, then it might as well become a log or machine per se, however, it looks that God doesn't want people to be such a log and machine, although He seems to want people to be His Cyborg (robot: programmed-machine) as if His slaves who must not have their own volition, desire, hope, mind, heart, etc. as they wish, but as God only wishes and programs.  What a contradictory it is!

A Cyborg
Image source: Google

Even God might want to disclose(express) Himself among His creature and to communicate with them... So that, the Bible might have been repeatedly recorded this expression; " Thus says the Lord..." ã…¡Isaiah 43:16

In one sense, God might want His people(creature) to think and express through the tongue (or indirect tongues: every expressions, such as: art, literature, music, etc.) like God Himself is the Word itself; 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

To return, everybody might as well become the blind, the deaf, and the mute not to be sinned, expressing something by their tongue... But God made the tongue to speak as well...  The tongue is this; 

James 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness....omitted...and set on fire be hell.

8: But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

Of course, what the focus that the book of James stated in this passage is, might be meant that "do not become teachers" who will be judged with greater strictness (with the flaming tongue, which is very small among our bodies, but is deadly destructive...)

James 3:1  Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

Such a flaming tongue might brainwash other people... that's why the tongue turns out a tinder to make fire... thus, in my eyes, in a manner of speaking, not only Christians under Christianity, but also all believers under their religions seem to be brainwashed by the tongue that sets on fire be hell.

Further, I wonder why many pastors boldly(without fear) teach(preach) the Bible unlike the statement of the book of James; 
James 3: 1 Not many of you should become teachers. 

If they pastors were not crazy by something invisible power, then they would not have been able to boldly teach(preach)the Bible, drawing other people thereby... Well, in fact, both pastors and followers(believers) might have been drawn to do like that "by God" as well...

Just they look crazy through the teaching of the Bible and listening its sermons by pastors.... I don't even know whether my perspective(as above) is right or not...

Actually, we everybody looks crazy because of our(man's) sinful nature...

 Sometimes, I understand unbelievers' condemnation against them; they write comments on the news comments section due to believers' "face to face worship" (its infection) in churches amid coronavirus pandemic; they wrote; 

In short, "All pastors are impostors who don't want to do hard work as common people, instead, they are only crazy for money(offering), and their believers are crazy to go into heaven receiving the eternal life, all they are crazy people!"

From time to time, unbelievers seem that they know what the truth is than pastors and believers... In contrast, believers seem to condemn such unbelievers who will go into Hades(hell) unlike believers themselves..., which is said by believers...

Anyway, a pastor whom I know in my country answered against such unbelievers' insistence  through his church homepage like this;

" Never mind, what they are barking, they are possessed by the devil, and have no Jesus' spirit in them like we are, so they are like dogs, pigs, and the dead bodies that have no Jesus' spirit in, thus we believers who received the Holy Spirit may ignore their objection and presence as many as one likes(without limit). We believers must cling to meet in church at any cost( like grim death).  In a way manner, believers must be crazy only for the gospel and Christ. If we believers don't congregate in churches, then we are the same as such unbelievers who are afraid of dying by coronavirus, and we are those who are afraid of dying before the Cross."

But the pastor answered, using his church's nameã…¡it was not his real name, but was a hidden name...

For why?

He seemed fear as to his answer, if he would be attacked by others(not his tame church members) or not,  is it not the fear of death without the Cross, which he proclaimed that way?...

He, the pastor, was well known for the one who only preaches the very "gospel of the Cross"ã…¡they are called it like this, and who teaches the so-called non-religious items;

 e.g.) Do not contribute money(offering, tithe), the religious building of church must be destroyed, all kind of religious deeds can never be saved, believers must be thoroughly dead their sinful nature in Christ...etc.

Above all, he receives money(offering) through his followers(or church members), whenever he preaches the so-called gospel. And he has his own church(building), and preaches the Bible messages in there. Plus, he has been inviting to deliver sermons to many gathering amid this crisis of coronavirus pandemic, and even he used to be invited from his followers who have lived in abroad.

.... I don't even know what it is the very truth... only God will know it...

To return, that said, I think that it is not only the tongue, but also every human's bodies(members)are sinned with their brain, eyes, ears, fingers, hands, and legs...etc. These are a restless evil, full of deadly poison, too... like I have been blogged with my fingers(my indirect tongue), brain, and eyes..., which is a restless evil, full of deadly poison...

But God created a man's brain to think, eyes to see, ears to listen, mouth(tongue) to speak, fingers to do something, legs to move... the whole body to do work for...  Along those lines, everything looks paradoxical(conflicting) what God wants...

By the way, how can we people know something without thinking, questioning, and expressing?...

Anyway, the question about God(including the Bible)looks like an endless and unfathomable riddle and mystery... The Almighty God is different from humans who are all sinners, so we people cannot even know God as such sinners... Just many things look unfathomable with much recondite(abstruse) conflicts, paradox, and dilemma in the Bible and in our lives... Therein lies too much contradicting dilemma(conflicts or controversies)... 

And everything seems to have a double-sideness in, even time has the dilemma; as a killer and healer, which is quoted from other author.

What if it is possible that humans don't sin, then trying not to be sinned is, might also be sinned, because we humans must be sinners in the presence of God, God saves such sinners only. Phew....

Just pigs cannot eat the pearl, but rather, "trample" it like "me"... 

Matthew 7:6  ...Do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.

I am none other than the dirty pig that tramples the precious and holy pearl in the dungheap... despite I might be still alive by the Mercy of God...  What if I lived in the age of the Old Testament, I would have been already killed by God...

A  Black Hog In The Dungheap...
Image : Pixabay 

At any rate, if it is unmarried or married, both are also selfish, because those who want to be unmarried want to avoid the suffering of relationships, and those who want to be married want to exploit a husband or wife based on money and other various benefits under the bondage of marriage.

Contrariwise, to live alone is suffered by worldly troubles, and to live together is also distressed by earthly troubles until the day we people die...

For example, whether I blog or not, both let me be suffered...

What God created a man and woman is, He might want to reveal Himself through the opposite gender, so that theyã…¡a man and woman, or husband and wifeã…¡seem not to be fully satisfied through such relations with the opposite gender, including lust for sex, like a thirsty sugared water.  For people usually say that;

 "We are lonely, even if we love a beloved. We miss a beloved, even though we are looking at them."

 Above all, willingly or unwillingly, people might have to be married or unmarried, not for their happiness,  as God wishes, seemingly it looks that they are agreed to get married together, or someone decided to live alone, but it will be their predestined fate through which God leads that way...

To sum up my personal view, according to the Bible, God created man; male and female, in the image of God Himself, before Adam and Eve was created. Such a God seems to symbolize as a man(Groom), and His creature(people) are to be His woman(bride).

So, a bodily man and woman might not exist for the sake of themselvesã…¡ it will not be for satisfying sexual desire through a different gender under a marriage, or for being fruitful and multiply word for word like those who gave birth their twelve children more than that... In one sense, they might regard it as God's blessing...

What is more important is, to be united with Christ again as one flesh like this;  so to speak, " It is my flesh and blood and rib."

The bodily Adam might symbolize Jesus Christ Himself will be a new spiritual Adam, so that Adam(Christ) might have needed a woman(Eve) who is His People... Anyway, God, as a male, created a female(His People) to be united with Himself. Therefore, it would be this; 

Spiritually speaking, there is only a man and woman, two persons(not the population of 7 billion) in this world; they are Adam and Eve are Christ and His people. And they are one flesh. There is no other men and women or husbands and wives in this world.

Well a long time ago, I watched this movieã…¡The Bridges of Madison County , was screened based on a real love story(roman a clef).  But now I don't clearly remember, I think that this movie might be proper to exemplify our(human's) lives, its situation: the dilemma, the conflicts...something like that...

I would like to briefly tell the synopsis, for it is not a focus that I want to describe on this page.

The Movie: The Bridges of Madison County
Image: Google

There was a married woman who could not receive an affection from her current husband and children.  As we see above, she was not a charming young woman and was just a nobody...  

One day, an attractive photographer(actor: Clint Eastwood, USA) was accidentally appeared in her humdrum and lonely life, oddly they were infatuated with, and then fell in love with little by little... In other words, they were entangled in the relation not as a husband and wife. 

The invisible magnetic attraction drew them into the relationshipã…¡even we people might not be able to define the magnetic attraction of what it is...Just people usually define it, love... 

The photographer was vastly different from her current husband was very indifferent(nonchalant) and unkind person... Her husband seemed to feel apathy toward her. She didn't seem to love him either, just it looked that they have mechanically lived under a bondage of marriage... 

Besides, her husband used to despise her presence, and her children seemed not to revere her as their mother.

At last, when the photographer was about to leave that village(nearby the bridge of Madison County, the state of Iowas, USA), she was vehemently swayed by the desire that would follow him, turning away her husband and childrenã…¡who would want to reject the moment ?... Even her children were not babies who needed to be cared by their mother.

Everybody will want to follow their beloved on behalf of their unloved husbands, or their unsatisfied married lives, instead, will want to love their beloved, and receive love from them... Yet, she could not do that in practice... 

Following the attractive photographer was like an uncertain adventure to herã…¡ who can make sure that such a love will go on or unchangeable?...  The harsh reality of life let her keep up her family just as it is...  Having said that, she was very conflicted by the dilemma between love and the reality of (her) life... Fortunately, the photographer also seemed to love her, which was not an one-sided(unrequited) love.

Similarly, we people seem to distrust an invisible(impractical) love itself, instead, might want to choose the very visible(practical) reality of life. Perhaps people may know that love is not everything in our lives...

Just she and the photographer might have been faced with the situation by God's will.  Accordingly, they might have been a victim(sacrifice) for the sake of God Himself, not for the sake of them.  Perhaps, they would have been suffered by such a complicated sentiment(conflict, dilemma), which looked love...
They will not even know why they had to be accidentally faced with the moment that they fell in love with.

And they might not be able to know the reason until they die... if not, someday they might be able to sense something through the happening that they experienced...

Having a family, following a beloved, loving a beloved, being alone, and divorcing from a beloved (or husband and wife) etc., all theses things just turn out a life-suffering after all... either unmarried life, or married life, or remarried life, or divorced life...  We human might have to be a victim like this way and that(thus and thus) by God...

In conclusion:

I would like to think about "a man and woman " and "their love" like this; 

True be told, I assume that we people cannot truly love other people, for the so-called love might be supposed to only focus on " I ", not " You", is a self-centered love, an egoistic love...

Despite what if we people love him or her, even if it becomes a self-centered love or lustful desire, then its love would not come from our mind and heartã…¡even a hate would not come from our mind and heart.  But God might stir up all the mind and heart like we are possessed by something invisible spirits for every single moment.

A man and woman, the different gender, might only exist for God's purpose as He only needs and wants, thus they might simply be an instrumentality(carrier, vehicle) to only reveal something God's will.

Just it looks like when God leads a man and woman to be married, then they have to get married, if not, they have to live alone.

Regardless of unmarried, or married, or divorced, or remarried, whatever it is, if God leads someone to fall in love(the definition of love by which is generally called by people), then he or she will have to be done... and if God wants them to be separated from, then they will have to be done at any time, on that day God wishes.

All it looks like a blowing wind...

Dust cannot blow on their own, but when the wind blows, it only reacts by the power of the wind... 

And someday such a dust might have to be gone like the movie title: "Gone With The Wind..." , in other words, what they have to do after faced with the situation is, might be forsaken from the wind like a nonessential shell...

Because, God might only take something His needs(substance, essence) from them... that's all... perhaps...

Dust is not this, nor is that... that's why they are called a dust...

The author Virginia woolf  also expressed it like this;  " We are nothing,  I said,  and fell.ã…¡The  waves. "

And there might not exist a specific aim and reward like blowing dusts in the wind... Instead, they might have to be victimized by that situation which is like the marks(signs) of wind;  either broken, or disappeared, or  fallen, or drift, or ...

In the movie, only the memories of their love might have  remained in their heart with much heart-pang..., which looks like they were a victim by the situation that God deliberately stage-managed behind...

Despite they might have to be grateful of such a God's intervention... Sometimes it looks good to be one's slave who must not have their own volition, endeavor, decision etc.,  instead, just everything is to be done by his owner... the freedom out of somethings by which he has to do on his own... and the lightness of existence like dusts blowing in the wind...

A human's life might be the same with a fiction, which looks real and something similar seems to happen like so, but is not true in our lives as if a phantom...

This morning, I remember the movie title: " The English Patient" ( winner 9 academy awards, 1996 ), but I don't know well about the movie, for I just partly watched it a long time ago.

As I expressed the blowing wind and the dust, the movie, " The English Patient" came into my mind; The English patient, main character, seemed not to forget the moment that he and she fell in love..., even if it has been a long, long, long...time..., which his love looks like a phantom... 

Well, Jesus answered about "be born again",

" The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ã…¡ John 3:8

Just everything might be done...

Not to do, but be done...


A wild chrysanthemum
beside the untraveled railroad...
Image: pixabay


Isourblog  Shalom








Oct 1, 2020

12 Years A Slave Movie Review





The Movie Poster  12 Years A Slave
The Movie Poster 
12 Years A Slave


Contents

  1.  Preface

  2.  Synopsis

  3.  Personal Review



 1.  Preface 

      Probably, 1~2 years ago, I got to watch this movie with a suffocating inequity that prevailed during the era of slavery in America. Further, I was driven by the inhuman vocabulary, slave

Because that time of day,  I was reflected on what slaves were and who slaves were, regarding myself as a slave of God, which means that I must be victimized by Him as He only wishes only for the sake of Himself.

And there should not remonstrate about my right before Him, for this reason, I have felt severe anguish in my life... Yes, it is still going on... thus, I have been feeling the suffocating heartache deep in my heart... because I can never do what I wish in my life... Having said that, everybody will be the same as my stuck situation...

Who would want to be one's slave...? But rather, everybody will want to live as they only wish... 

But "personally", I sense that God is the very Master who dominates everything in the world, whatever it happens so that everything in the world must be "surrendered" in the presence of God, although He is invisible... 

For it looks that everything is only carried out what God wants, in other words, God-centeredness is never Human-centeredness(humanism)... 

Oddly, such an undeniable thought is being etched in my heart more and more, far more as I get older...  On this account, I might have been willingly watched this movie...

I realized that how treasurable "freedom" was, to which I don't live as a slave today, and that how thankful we people have lived with freedom unlike the rampant era of slavery, and that what heinously evil humans are, and that who will be the very Savior in this hellish world through this movie ...

 2.  Synopsis

This movie was screened based on "the real story" in the era of cruel slavery in America, the male protagonist was a black man named " Solomon", who lived as the high-class or middle-class people in America, perhaps. ã…¡I cannot expressly remember where he lived in the movie, now my memory is unsure...

But it looked like a certain American movie. Some top actors took part in the movie such as Brad Pitt(USA),  Benedict Cumberbatch(UK), etc.

Yes... it was a very rare case that Solomon lived such a revered social standing, for he was none other than an expert "violinist", even though he was the one among black people who had to be bullied and enslaved back then...

By the way, who would want to intentionally disparage such a violinist?  People would not be, but rather, would admire and envy their talents... 

Violin
violin
 
Solomon had a happy family and was also an ordinary father. Most importantly, he and his family were never slaves like other slaves. Maybe, no one would want them to enslave due to their enough social position, like below: 

Movie Scene-1
Movie Scene-1

By the way, one day, Solomon was accidentally entangled by the sweet decoy that some white people(Caucasians) lured him like fishermen, so to speak, such white people run a supreme and famous "circus" in America so that they offered Solomon to "make lots of money" through his outstanding violin performances on their circus stage for the flourish of the circus and the audiences of the circus in near future! 

In doing so, the circus managers practically gave a "plump moneybag"  to Solomon on the spot, humanly speaking, who would doubt it if someone was not a paranoid patient? And who would distrust every situation or every person every single moment?  

In other words, the circus managers gave Solomon his payment "in advance", drinking a toast (celebratory drink) along with Solomon. 

Solomon also looked very happy with "the rosy dream" ðŸŒ¸ðŸŒ¸ðŸŒ¸... that he would be able to scoop up money for his life and his family in such a delightful and jaunty situation... 

After this, they fell into a heavy slumber by drinking like so, in the meantime, the circus managers "sold" Solomon as a slave in a single night, receiving the plump money from merchants for slaves! Of course, the hefty moneybag that was given to Solomon was a fake decoy!!! 💰

The next morning when Solomon woke up and sobered up, he was tightly chained by round shackles in a cold and somber behind bars.

The Chain for Slaves
The Chain for Slaves


Accordingly, Solomon was no longer an ordinary freeman, but became a tied slave " in one night! " Who would be able to foresee this happening?... For a similar reason, no one knows what will happen tomorrow in our lives...

All his "human rights" were thoroughly forfeited, instead, the dreadful and inequitable tortures were merely waiting for Solomon, which will penetrate into him to the bone and to the marrow...  

Yes, Solomon was no longer an expert violinist, who is admired by people... Instead, the inexorable tortures that he had to be trampled and victimized began.

The whipped back of black slaves...

 Solomon's back was also scourged with the bloody scars and the ragged and jagged skin...  Every time he was whipped by white owners, his back was ripped apart and its blood was dried up on the wound, as below:

Slave
Slave 

Slaves must submit themselves to what their masters only want, there was only an "absolute obedience", no matter what it is.  If their masters kill them, they must die without any disobedience! That is a relentless slave life...

Tears, wails, desperation, resentment, even suicides... etc., all these things will be a "pointless" meaning to slaves only for the sake of their masters, not for their "escape" from the tortures... 

Instead, the cruel and unilateral inequity will be only allowed to them, and then, it will be reiterated in their lives again... and... again... like a squirrel has to make round its wheel in the "stuck cage"... 

In one sense, in fact, everybody cannot help but become an addict to do something, because life itself iterates over and over so that if we people do something for, whatever we do, it will "automatically" become an addict who has to do it, willingly or unwillingly...  Positively speaking, it will be an expert(veteran) for doing something, negatively speaking, it will be an addict for...

Moreover, everybody will know this saying; "There is nothing new under the sun", despite we people might have to produce a newie in the circle of repetition to make money for a living...  For no one will like the old(outdated) things...

Well, what if slaves want to kill themselves caused by their suffocating and unbearable anguishes, nonetheless, they might not be able to do it for the ultimate sake of their masters, so then what should they do for this...? Can't they even kill themselves...? How unfair it is! ...

Regardless, perhaps the only way might be this; they must be victimized by their masters... In other words, their masters must kill them in person on their behalf... Sadly, it looks there are no other ways except for it...

Similarly, God's slaves(sacrifices) might have to be victimized by God Himself...  Along the way, if His slaves already killed themselves, then God would have allowed it to them that way... 

But ultimately whether we people live or die, we might have to be victimized this way and that, either life or death, by God, probably our lives might have to be a sacrifice for Godã…¡not only death but also life. Living might be more painful than dying...  Well, death might not even be an important matter in the eyes of God, although we people are vastly struggling to live against death...

Whenever I read news articles, death accidents news is always shown, lots of people unexpectedly die like flies, which means that a human's life looks unnoted too much... 

When such flies or small ants are dead, we people are never mindful of their deaths, God might do as same as we humans do. That fly's (or ant's) death is insignificant, likewise, our(man's) deaths will be the same in God's eyes.

In addition, if everything in this world is like a phony reality by which God temporarily sets up, then even a human's death(including suicide) will become a false reality, hence a human's suicide in this world will be counterfeit too... By contrast, our lives in this world might also be all phony... If so, where will be the very real world if this current world is false?... It might be the invisible world..., contrariwise, this seen world will be all fake in the eyes of God, even if we people say that the invisible world will be very false... Either way, when we people access a cyber world(web sites), no one will say that it is a true reality, but the cyber world is not a fake reality either, for there is a really visible owner behind the curtain... Likewise, the invisible world God has built might be the same as a cyber world..., which cannot say either true or false...


Anyway, whenever Solomon could not ingratiate himself with his master, Solomon's white master threatened him with a knife or gun around his neck, clenching his teeth. It seemed likely to kill Solomon right away therewith! How fearful it is every time!...

Solomon had to do hard works along with other slaves every day, plus had to witness the deaths of other slaves were killed day by day... Even so, Solomon could not do anything as a bound slave, he was just on the same boat endlesslyã…¡back then, who would have predicted that that brutal slavery would be abolished by epic Abraham Lincoln(16th the US President), who was tragically victimized by an assassin...?

Nevertheless, black slaves always sang the peculiar hymn, black spiritual, praying for their salvation. Only Jesus [Christ] was their sole Savior amid that inhuman slavery... 

Because Jesus [Christ] was also like a slave; He was sold and whipped from people... His sweat, His blood, His tears,  and His death..., all these things might have been overlapped in black slaves' souls...  However, God Himself might have also allowed the slavery in those days in purpose in order to stage-managed who He wasã…¡ not only as the real master of all things but also as the victimized slave(sacrifice), which might be meant as the proud white people and as the victimized slave, that is, God would have played the double role simultaneously; the paradoxical double-sidedness like a lion and lamb!

I think that the Bible itself shows the double-sidedness; cruel genocides, murders, rapes, incest, inequities, suicides, tragedies, treachery, jealousy, violence, wars, slaves, in short, all kind of sins is bloodthirsty events God, the ruthless King(tyrant), has implemented deliberately...  On the other hand, the Bible represents Salvation by Jesus' sacrifice. How contradicting it is!...

Ultimately, God might have stage-managed the slavery(its all circumstances) in purpose so as to make known Himself through. So God might be the sole director and protagonist in our lives only for the sake of God Himself. 

Accordingly, other characters must be surrendered whatever God stage-manages. In fact, it might be a monodrama that He must be highlighted alone on the stage. And every happening might have to be predestined to carry out only His plans.  So, various cruel happenings might have to occur in this world, too... For example, the experiment on a living human body amid world war II, slavery, wars, murders, crimes, plagues, disasters...etc., all kinds of cruel happenings and sins cannot help touching off the same as the era of the Bible.


There was slavery under Egypt in the age of Exodus as well, I watched the animated film that was "The Prince Of Egypt " who was Moses...  I was impressed by the song(OST) "Deliver US."  This is the lyric:

Deliver Us

(Slaves)
Mud!
Sand!
Water!
Straw!

(Inspector)
Faster!

(Slaves)
Mud and lift !!
Sand and pull !!
Water and raise up!!
Straw!!!

(Inspector)
Faster!

(Slaves)
With the sting of the whip on my shoulder 

With the salt of my sweat on my brow
Elohim, Adonai
Can you hear your people cry?

Help us now
This dark hour
Deliver us
Out of bondage, and
Deliver us to the Promised Land

(Omitted Yocheved and Miriam's songsã…¡Moses' real mother and his sister)

Hear our call, deliver us
Lord of all, remember us
Here in this burning sand
Deliver us
There's land you promised us
Deliver us to the Promised Land

Deliver us
Hear our prayer
Deliver us from despair

These years of slavery grow too cruel to stand
Deliver us
There's a land you promised us

Deliver us 
Send a shepherd to shepherd us
And deliver us to the Promised Land
Deliver us to the Promise Land.

After I watched it, I wrote my poem(heart) with the same title " Deliver us" in 2019. This is the poem that I recorded:

Deliver Us

Lord...
Deliver us.

The rotting lepers,
The bleeding women,
The paralyzeds,
The lame men,
The bent bodies,
The weeping orphans,
The unable widows,
The blind and deaf
The slaves...
We are.

We are the dead...

Deliver us from this land of death
with your powerful right hand,
listening our groans...

Lord,
Deliver us

Deliver us...

Poem:  ISOURBLOG. 

To return, after burying other slaves' dead bodies, other slaves sang this hymn; across the River Jordan(I don't exactly remember, maybe it would be), in other words, they prayed for the dead would go into heaven across the river that might be symbolized the boundary between life and death...

Meanwhile, the white masters of such slaves were almost all rigorous and so-called devout Christians in the movie. They have never been forgotten God's word, the Bible, further, they directly taught God's word(the Bible) to slaves, whereas they enslaved black people, doing all kinds of evil doings to slaves; rapes, murders, exploitations... etc. 

Because that white Christians were none other than God Himself.  They themselves were God's words... They did everything as they only wished, so every authorities and supremacy were up to their own hands that were the reason they were like God Himself.

The white masters of those slaves professed like this: 

" We bought slaves, paid the cost, so slaves are our own property, no matter who dies or lives, slaves must be obeyed everything what we want, it's deserved."

Their conscience must have been hardened, as a consequence, they would have been able to enslave other people, in other words, they must have been possessed by the Devil. Plus, the Bible states in Matthew 7:3~5. Jesus said: 

" Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, ' Let me take the speck out of your eye.' when there is the log in your own eye? You "hypocrite", first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

Christ is saying, "You hypocrite, first...", so the "keyword" will be " You hypocrite, first... "... namely, "Do it you, hypocrite, first..."  That said, everybody will be a hypocrite... For we humans are all sinners... However, among them, there will be labeled as the two: 

One is those who live as a real sinner, and the other is those who live as the hypocrite, saying "I'm a real sinner.", but they behave and say as if a righteous person... Especially, they may be pastors and Christians who are such pastors' followers... Such Christians might be brainwashed by pastor's words(not God's words), so that they become another pastor, mirroring the same spirit pastors have. 

Anyhow, it seems that there is no righteousness in this depraved world, every laws and policy are rotten...
Because, it was produced from human sinful nature... thus, unfairness, absurdity, and evil might only have to swirl like the "slave market"...

Well, to return to our subject, there was a young and healthy black woman among slaves, she was frequently raped by the white master, in fact, every time he wanted to do it, he did it like a dog like below: 

Movie Scene-2
Movie Scene-2

For this reason, that the master's real wife also detested the black woman than anyone else among slaves due to her jealousy, and deliberately bullied the black woman...  The black woman was victimized by double harassment; one was the white master, the other was the white master's wife...

So the black woman made a big decision to kill herself after purloining the master's wife valuable(it looked like a piece of jewelry), for she was going to give it to Solomon in return for killing her... Sadly, people have to pay for dying, namely money needs. Money!💰  If someone has no money, his dead body cannot even be conducted a funeral!, the dead body...

She desperately asked Solomon, weeping, and weeping...  Her thorny tears were dropping and dropping from her big and sorrowful eyes that usually the blacks have big eyes.

One day, she said, giving the stolen valuable to Solomon:

" Solomon...Would you do me a favor? I really... really... want to die just as it is, but I'm afraid of dying, please...Solomon...please kill me, this is your reward in retrun for killing me... Our Lord is gracious, so He will understand me and forgive me, I desperatlely want to kill myself... Dying is the only way to escape from this awful suffering, resentment, and unfairness... Solomon, would you kill me?... please kill me... please kill me..." (expressed my speech, for I cannot remember all the speeches precisely..., but it is not off the point what she said) 

At the very moment, I was weeping with her, feeling her thorny sentiment like I was her...  Frankly, everybody will be faced with a drastic moment, craving to escape from anguishes in our lives, even once...

Still, Solomon could never accept her pitiful favor because he didn't want to be a killer... Even so, Solomon was almost insane with all the "agonies" that he had to live as a "slave" until his death... It was inevitable... The escape way is nowhere is to be seen! Nowhere... nowhere...nowhere...  How hopeless it is to live as a slave under....!

He also struggled to flee from the bondage of slavery every which way, but yet all his endeavors turned out a fool's errand (vain effort). Just there was only dire desperation...  It is not [Only Jesus] but is only desperation... In other words,  Jesus never seemed to let Solomon be free and let other slaves be free amid the abysmal desperation.  

The only resolution was this: someone had to issue " the certificate of a free man" that could attest Solomon was not a slave ab origine, but was an ordinary free man. In other words, someone had to attest to the fact that he was not an original slave birth to the white owner... But Solomon could never keep in touch with his acquaintances to ask for his help, that was an escape from the chain of slavery. 

One day, Solomon asked his favor, which was to send his letter via the post office for escaping from the bondage of slavery, to a certain white inspector who was an alcohol addict and had no regular occupation.

Solomon gave all his pocket money that he was able to earn by playing the violin as a slave to the white inspector, then the inspector seemingly said, "Okey, I will surely do it for you." But he betrayed Solomon, rather reported the fact of Solomon's escape plan to Solomon's white owner, accordingly Solomon had to be afflicted by his master more than before...

Movie Scene-3
Movie Scene-3

Humanly speaking, it seems that we people cannot trust other people, nor can we depend on other people... For everybody is so selfish... that is why we people cannot help but feel lonely in a sense... Everybody seems to have a "thorn" as if a hedgehog has.  That invisible thorns people have pierce other people not to come up close to self, although people want to socialize with other people on the other hand... Because no one will want to suffer a loss in interpersonal relationships, so candidly everybody is thoroughly alone. In general, we people might be calling it, "the loneliness in the crowd." ...

Stay Away From Me! Go Away! Hedgehog
Stay Away From Me! Go Away!
Hedgehog

Moreover, we people might not be able to love other people, that might be our(human's) inborn and incurable sinful nature... God might also let humans be self-seeking like this so as to reveal His sole righteousness among sinners...

Likewise, Solomon seemed likely to be dead under the irresistible oppression, whatever he did, there was only an "absolutely hopeless" so that his heart and body were utterly exhausted therewith. Only the "extreme" anguish was being reached at the peak in his life...

If I were him, what would I do?....
What would you do?..
What would we do?...


Movie Scene-4
Movie Scene-4


Even Solomon burned his letter, which he might have been rescued with that, not to be revealed in the face of his devilish master, and also smashed and burned the violin that was given him from his ex-master.

What good is it to play the violin, and what is the use of becoming a violinist as a slave?...  Yes, as a slave...  He was no longer a violinist who looks like a flowery peacock on the stage...

Well, there was Niccolo Paganini (1782~1896, violinist, Italy).  As far as I know, he was called "a fiendish violinist ", for he played the violin tremendously well like the one who seems to be possessed by the Devil, namely his talent seemed marvelous and transcendental as if the Devil bestowed him the supernatural and alluring power to play the violin.  Thus, people would have called him like so...  By the way, my tacky violin( about $30) brand is also "Paganini"... LOL 😆

Painting Paganini
Painting Paganini

 
At one time, the violin let Solomon dream a dream, but now the violin was smashed and burned like all his dream turned out a handful of ash. I know a certain violinist who studied it in Austria and Russia, and she seemed to be proud of herself all the time, moreover, she was a concertmaster of many orchestras as an outstanding first violinist.  

There are two violin positions in the orchestra; one is the first violin position that usually leads a primary melody part, the other is the second violin position that assists the abundant chords, so if someone plays the violin very well among orchestra members and has confidence or an extroverted character, then he typically plays the violin as the first violinist or the first violin position in the orchestra. 

Even she was married to a competent orchestra conductor and gave birth to two sons who are all musicians; one is, now he studies the violin to be a noticeable violinist like his mother, and the other is, now he also studies the piano to be a successful pianist, the two are still in Germany or Austria... But I don't know what happened to them after coronavirus spread globally...

Anyway, oddly her husband who was a distinguished orchestra conductor early died due to his intrinsic sicknessã…¡ I don't know the exact name of a disease, personally, I assume the disease would be a lifestyle disease(adult disease)...  For this reason, she has to make money for a living, and almost all her income must have been sent to her two sons in Germany or Austria(probably, it will be Austria, where she also studied there, so she will know about the country's information to some degrees, and will be able to guide how her two sons should live in there, minimizing the risks of their lives that is why...)

She opened a private violin class for a living in the city in which I live, and used to work as a part-time lecturer in the college or university of music, and used to play the violin in a church for Sunday worship service. 

A few years ago, she organized an orchestra to perform her orchestra members' talent on the stage, but as soon as coronavirus spread, her orchestra doesn't seem to perform any longer.  She even made her own orchestra homepage so that I know it a little bit... Her homepage is no longer updated on what they do... Plus as far as I know, the expense of establishing a homepage is known very expensive! I heard that it would be over $1,000!  Laypeople, , like me, cannot even make any kind of homepage! I'm a blockhead of using a computer so I cannot help but make a loss thus and thus...  Anyway, all her efforts for a living looked abortive...

Nowadays, students seldom apply for studying music in colleges or universities to be classical musicians. But rather, lots of colleges of music are being shut down in my country.


Lately, she suddenly moved out to another city after selling her own house, which seems to be, instead, she moved out a small multi-housing... I got to know about her new address through her church homepage.  That house address indicates a small multi-housing in my country, even so, she lived in a good apartment alone.

She has invited her church pastor to listen to his sermons at her own home for nearly 20 years! Whenever the pastor visited her home, her church members have also visited her home along with the pastor. Moreover, she seemed to pay all the cost for dinner for the sake of her pastor and her church members for nearly 20 years too!  What if I were her, I would not be able to do it for them at all... Similarly, she looked very lonely as a widow... and thereby her pastor would have made money... She would have paid the cost that the pastor sermonizes at her home $100 an hour at least...  

But now the pastor doesn't visit her home after she moved out to another city. I don't know what happened to them...  At any rate, when I saw her photo through her church homepage, where she was listening to her pastor's sermons, but oddly at the very moment, I felt something was that she seemed to have loved her pastor because the expression of her eyes was quite different from her church members on the photo... That kind of eye is shown when people fall in love... I have watched the expression of one's eyes in romance movies...

And I don't know why she had to move out to another city suddenly... probably, she might have needed a large sum of money, so might have sold her own house... Now she is in her early 60's ... Who would want to employ an old woman as a violinist?... Even her two sons seem not to marry yet, they only seem to study music endlessly in Europe... Her two sons might want to permanently live there...

To return, and then one day the miracle came to Solomon...  While Solomon was working to build a house, he met a white Canadian architect who opposed the cruel slavery in America, yes the architect was not an American but was a third party. Thus, Solomon desperately asked the Canadian architect to save Solomon himself from this enslaved life... 

The Canadian therefore determined to deliver Solomon, accepting his peril. Because the Canadian could be arrested so that the Canadian sent Solomon's letter to his acquaintances who knew Solomon was never a slave.

At last, one of Solomon's acquaintances visited the white owner, bring the certificate for freedom, and attested it to the fiendish white master, and then the white master unwillingly released Solomon from his ownership. 

Meanwhile, the black woman who asked Solomon to kill herself was not able to be freed from the white owner, for no one could help her like Solomon's case... Unfortunately, it was her destiny...so she only looked at Solomon who was riding in a carriage, which will run toward freedom.  She was left in there with the inexorable slave life under the white owner..., which looked like a very hell...

 At the exact moment, I felt the irresistible power of fate, watching her remanent tragedy... For Solomon was saved from slavery, whereas she was not, but they were the same slaves. It scared me and I felt an urgent situation, thinking over who I am..., and which one I will be subject to between the two...

At last, Solomon left from there, since then he came back to his family after 12 years...  In doing so, he said to his family, hugging them with hot tears... :

" I'm very sorry for everything that I've done..."
(adjusted in a way of my speech, but it is not off the point)

3.  Personal Review


We people might be the same as Solomon, who was tempted by what this world wants that is the pursuit of more money,  more success, more ambition, more wealth, and more happiness, etc. ã…¡essentially, who would be possible to be happy without money?...

And we people will want to live, peacocking our achievements, talents, efforts, abilities, something like that... Who would want to be slighted by other people like Solomon was a slave...?  

But Solomon would have realized that all these things were really useless after he was enslaved... Finally, Solomon smashed and burned his violin, which might have symbolized the thing that we people deadly crave...

Most importantly, Solomon might have realized that how precious freedom was to the bone... In fact, the invisible bondage of slaves will be our(man's) greed, ambition, money, success, happiness, and fame, etc. that Solomon was tempted by the white.

In that regard, everybody might be selling their spirits to the Devil (Mephistopheles) like the fiction Faust(author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749~1832, Germany).

According to this movie, oddly it seems to me that this movie describes Christianity impliedly like this: along the way, only Jesus[Christ] will redeem His people like Solomon was only rescued amongst other slaves. The Canadian, as the third party, seems to stand for Jesus [Christ]. Because the Canadian gave proof that Solomon was not a slave, namely, Jesus' blood will be the certificate for freedom under slavery... In this respect, everybody might be the same as a slave in this world. Some might be left in this hellish world like the tragedy of a black woman who was not saved from... 

In addition, we people might be tantamount to the black woman as well.  Since she had to feel the impulsion to kill herself under the inexorable anguish of slavery. Practically, loads of people have been killing themselves due to manifold sufferings in their lives, which looks like the bondage of slaves the black woman underwent exhaustively... Hence the only way of escaping from the suffering of life in this world is to die as if the black woman was eager to kill herself from the dire slavery...  That is why people have killed themselves again today... What is more, there is nothing is to be done as we people merely wish...whatsoever it is... Aren't we slaves?... Aren't we slaves who cannot have freedom?

When we people are victimized by oppression such as inequity, etc. in our lives, then everybody will want to kill themselves with boiling wrath, desperation, heartache, and so on...  On the contrary to this, we people desperately want to survive on the other hand..., which is like the double-sidedness of the novel "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde(author: Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850~1894, UK)."

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, they were the same person, but Dr. Jekyll transformed into Mr. Hyde in the midnight. Mr. Hyde was like a brutal beast, a wolf!  So whenever the moon comes out, the werewolf howls, exposing the brutal nature... Such a double-sidedness is also represented in the Bible: 

KJV) Roman 7:21 ...omitted... when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Well, we humans might have to be God's sacrifice like a tied lamb. The Bible states: 

Romans 8:36 ESV) As it is written, "For Your(Lord's) sake we are being killed all day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. "

 

A  Tied Sheep
A  Tied Sheep


Perhaps, God might love that His sacrificial offering(sheep). For this reason, Romans 8:35 says:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?... Romans 8: 37  "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

That said, we people might only want to receive Jesus's love without any sacrifice, while the Bible says; His people were regarded as sheep to be slaughteredã…¡"For your(Lord's) sake we are being killed all day long."

It will be not meant that there is no tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword in those who God loves.  But God's love will conquer all the things in them. Because His people are like His own sacrificial offerings to be slaughtered as if the sheep were slaughtered only for the sake of God Himself... No one will be able to slaughter God's sacrificial offerings on behalf of God Himself, that might be God's love toward His sacrificial offerings whose life must be killed by God's own hands... 
On the sacrificial offerings, as if the tied sheep, the zealous God's love will never be extinguished... Because it is God's. 
That said, how ironic it is that Jesus [Chirst] died on our behalf! If Jesus[Chirst] already died as a sacrifice(sheep) on our behalf, then why would God want to take other sacrificial offerings, which means humans who are incomplete and undefiled sacrificial offerings, again like the apostle Paul wrote? Of course, the expression the apostle Paul wrote would be one of the metaphors, despite it hits at the death that God's people must be killed as sacrificial offerings for the sake of God. Jesus already died for it, nevertheless, why should God's people be sacrificed for the sake of God again that way? It doesn't seem to make sense!
... 

Anyway,

Across the River Jordan,
Across the River Jordan,
Such a pathetic black spirit hymn,
The wail of Jesus on the cross,
And His people painful tears... 


But, its sound might be "one melody", which will not only be the mourning but might be the song of love in them... as well... These trioã…¡alto, mezzo, sopranoã…¡ might still be echoing all together again today...

We people might have to listen to the trio, but it is one melody, which is not a cacophony... Because it might be the song of love among them...; black slaves, Jesus, and His people...

Everybody might want to happen some miracles in our lives like Solomon was saved from slavery...  However, miracles might already have happened in our lives... Do you know what it is?.... Hope you think about that too...

And we people might have to confess like Solomon confessed: "I'm very sorry for everything that I've done..." 

There were no resentments against his enslaved life for 12 years!, instead, Solomon only said,
 
" I'm very sorry for everything that
I've done." 

  


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