Category Archives: culture

February 9, 2014 · 14:32

two Vs

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” today, Putin was a big topic… from the program transcript, David Gregory:

David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker wrote a piece about Vladimir Putin, and he framed it this way, he writes, “Putin, obviously, is no democrat. Not remotely. He is not interested in the contemporary requirements of human rights. He is not interested in empowering a real legislature or ceding true independence to the courts.

“Democracy is not his interest. Stability and development—those are his themes, first and last. And Putin regards any and all attempts from the West, from human-rights organizations, and from the press to call him to account on nearly any issue as acts of anti-Russian self-righteousness and hypocrisy.”

When I heard this I thought about 2 others Vs, both Victors… one Ukrainian (Yanukovych), the other Hungarian (Orban)… go read the quote again and substitute one of their names for Putin and then you’ll see why these guys lean the way they do.

Leave a comment

Filed under culture

February 9, 2014 · 07:42

Bosnia troubles #pray

They are counting the cost of three days of violent protests over lingering social ills.

Leave a comment

Filed under culture, from the Balkans, things Central European

February 7, 2014 · 03:51

Hungary troubles #pray

The other day when speaking with my Ukrainian colleague, I mentioned to him that the is some possible for more trouble in Hungary as well. As we talked I described the deal that the Hungarian PM had made with Putin for $13B worth of nuclear power deal. READ HERE. He expressed surprise that an EU country would engage in such a deal. My analysis was this:not many (any?) in the EU are seen as friends nor philosophical colleagues with the policies of the HU PM. So he looks east and finds a soul mate, if you will, in Vladimir Putin.  Indeed, the more I consider their similarities, policy wise, the more sense it make for Victor to seek out help from Vladimir.

I also told my Ukrainian friend about a Russian dissident interviewed by a USA radio network. This young woman had just returned to Moscow from Kyiv and said something like this: We Russians have just as many problems and there is just as much (or more) to protest, be Russians don’t have it in them. I admire the Ukrainians. Wow.

Will she be admiring the Hungarians after the general election in April?

Leave a comment

Filed under culture, experience

February 6, 2014 · 11:50

Ukraine troubles #pray

For the first time in a pretty long while I got to hear about what is happening in Ukraine from a colleague. It is a very complicated situation to be sure, and uncertainty about the future seems to prevail. He pointed me to this Russian guy’s blog with some AMAZING pics from the January trouble. CLICK HERE to see some telling photos.

Leave a comment

Filed under culture, from the Balkans, photos along the way

Image

Sojourner

image

I took this picture yesterday as I walked across this bridge crossing the Danube river from Croatia to Serbia…

Peter talks about our being sojourners in this world. When I travel I am not a tourist, nor am I a “local.” I am not “just passin thru” with no cares or concerns. But I am also not tied to the places I go to and invest in. Indeed, if my heart is right there are things about each place, things that are compelling that are different than the others. Some places are more comfortable than others, some provoke more thought than others. I have to think about the way I relate to people culturally which is different, perhaps from the last place…

This is what Peter means in his first epistle about the way Christians ought to view this world. Being travelers who know and care but are not from there, we are from and belong to another place, yet as we visit, we care and we invest. How are you investing in the place you are visiting and the people therein?

Leave a comment

January 24, 2014 · 07:21
December 28, 2013 · 13:40

Post-Christmas

Just got home from the Foley-Luper-Penno Christmas, this year at the Penno’s. As we were driving home from mid morning through pretty heavy traffic, I was thinking as I always do about the post Christmas feeling.

For me Advent is an awesome season because it is a time of anticipation of the holiday of Jesus incarnation. It is wonderful to think deeply about the Incarnation itself especially as we consider the helplessness of the baby Jesus. This was especially clear to me this year with a little William present. I was amazed as I was considering the helplessness of our 3 month old and realizing that God became a human, a baby… in a helpless condition.

Indeed this is what humility means, to lower oneself to serve another. In this case Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth to serve us through his birth death and resurrection.

To me the holiday seems to be over but the truth of Jesus’ work for us never ends.

I’m thinking about how we should truly celebrate Christmas by humbling ourselves and serving someone else.

Merry Christmas indeed.

Leave a comment

Filed under culture, definitions, experience, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings