10 Tuesday May 2016
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NYC is a city of sites and sights. It’s a place you go to, regardless of your age, to visit places that hold deep meaning.
The 9/11 memorial certainly fits into that category.
It’s a city that exudes patriotism.
And it’s a city where even the young have their own pilgrimage sites.
For our sons, the Lego store is the place they love going to. It’s their childhood NYC pilgrimage. No other place that has Lego’s is like this store.
09 Monday May 2016
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What’s the difference between wreckage and junk?
What would you classify this as:
As you can tell from the people standing around it – it’s wreckage. It has value now precisely because it is wreckage. It has value because of the events of one day. It has value because of the cost of human lives associated with it.
The 9/11 museum is one of the most interesting museums by the mere fact that most of the main exhibit area is filled with wreckage.
Under just about any other circumstance, all of this stuff would just be thrown away and forgotten. But we memorialize these items because of specific events. Throwing them away seems sacrilegious.
Blood has been spilled. And going back as far back as anyone can remember, the spilling of blood is associated with war and with sacrifice. And so we commemorate both in our monuments and our museums. We track time by these events and make them holidays, which seems appropriate. A holiday is just a play on words – holy day.
Think about the next thing you throw away. Why is it ok to throw away, instead of memorializing?
06 Friday May 2016
Posted in Travel
We made our way to the 9/11 Museum. The museum is a unique experience – that’s the only words that I can use to describe it.
I’ve been to NYC numerous times. I’ve seen the Twin Towers when they were up. We saw work on the space after the Towers came down. We saw the monument before the museum was completed. We saw the construction of the new World Trade Center building. There is other construction still going on in the area related to the World Trade Center. This has been the progression of 15 years.
Going to the 9/11 Museum is unique in the sense that the current generation witnessed and lived through the horror. I envision it would be the same reaction from those who witnessed the bombing of the Oklahoma City bombing or for those who lived around a concentration camp after it was freed.
I won’t go into too much detail here. The museum has a ton of information, video, items, and history. Like this – pieces of the support structure.
These are pieces of history that under normal circumstances would be tossed aside as junk. But because of the events of that day, these items become more than just metal and stone. They become symbols of so much more.
In a similar way, there is a stairway.
Any other time, any other place, it would have been disposed of as being ruined. Now it is much more. A symbol of survival for those that made it out.
05 Thursday May 2016
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New York City has amazing skyscrapers. They reach up and literally touch the sky. And on days that are bright and beautiful, they provide an amazing and beautiful addition to the skyline.
Yet, I often wonder what our human efforts to reach so high are really all about.
04 Wednesday May 2016
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When you make the trip to the Statue of Liberty, you always end up at Ellis Island – the island that is now a museum. It’s the site of where all immigrants coming to the US by boat through NYC came through.
Every one of them went through this hall when it was in operation:
Over the years, this hall had many transformations, no different than our country has had transformations. There were pictures of what looked like cattle stalls, benches, a stage and music, and finally abandonment.
I can only imagine what the building was like when it was at the height of its use. You can almost hear all the varying languages. You can almost see all the people, jammed in together hoping beyond hope to be able to stay. You can almost smell the worry of people who came with only the shirt on their back not knowing what they would do if they did make it in.
One of the exhibits in he building tells some of the immigrants stories through the materials that came with them. It’s quite fascinating. Here’s one shot from the exhibit.
I chose this one because the copper pot is from Finland and well, Finland holds a special place in my heart.
In the building, there are other things that are marked, but I doubt most people even come close to realizing the significance. Things like this stairway:
On it’s own, you would never know that it is anything special. There’s a marker on the side at the bottom of the steps. It’s called the Stairway of Separation.
Feel the tension from that description.
In many ways, Ellis Island is still a valid analogy for the United States.
03 Tuesday May 2016
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I’ve been to the Statue of Liberty a couple of times before. Once, we even go to go up to the crown. Each time I’ve gone, I can’t help be a little sad feeling that the reality of the nation and culture is different than the ideals set forth in the symbolism of the statue.
But that’s always going to be the challenge – the reality vs. the ideal.
It’s similar to the view of the city from the statue. There is the ideal of the city that we see from afar.
And then there is the reality – the up close view, where we see and experience all the imperfections and sins of the people. And we are left with a choice – what do we focus on? Many spend too much time focusing on the negatives and choose to condemn and divide. That’s a place I cannot go. The message is all doom and gloom.
Instead, I choose to take a different path and cross a different bridge. I’d much rather focus on the ideal while not ignoring the reality that exists. But the ideal is gives us direction and something and somewhere to go. It’s not about reaching the ideal as if it were a destination. No the ideal is a way of life to be lived instead.
02 Monday May 2016
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Just a couple of weekends ago, we were part of a church trip to NYC.
I love NYC. It’s my favorite American city. I’ve been there numerous times (enough times that I can’t remember how many times now). Each time I go, there’s still something new to see, and there are still new things to take in. And familiar things too, like the skyline.
This time we had our entire family with us. The last time we came to visit the city was almost two years ago. We made a trip to NYC so that we could go to the Finnish consulate to do an interview with Finnish authorities, pay fees, etc. – all so we could receive resident permits so we could live in Finland for a year of exchange studies.
Now we were back in the US, and coming to a city that has accepted people from foreign places for a long time. And the statue has become the symbol of welcome to so many.
Yet we find our country in the midst of tearing itself apart over who it is, what it stands for and if the symbols and principles that have guided us for so long will remain. We have one candidate from this noble city running for office that now only sees the markers of the skyline as just familiar landmarks – devoid of meaning. And many throw themselves down in what is essentially worship of him and what he stands for. It’s rather shameful really.
And yet, I can’t help but think about all the people who came here, by boat, and saw this symbol of freedom and pointed and took a sigh of relief – they came somewhere for a better chance at life. I wonder how many more will have the opportunity to do so in the future. I wonder how many will want to come. I wonder if the thin veneer of civility will hold up. Or will our darker sinful desires bring about our own downfall.
In the meantime, we can point to principles that have guided us. They haven’t been easy, but they have made us who we are.
31 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in Finland
Our bags are all packed up. The rest of the stuff is put away in storage. We have 12 suitcases, six carry-on bags and a few “personal” items. Tomorrow morning we’ll be loading up Pappy’s van, and driving up to NYC to JFK airport for our journey to Finland.
I feel pretty good right now. I’m also in a bit of disbelief that it’s really going to happen. Have you ever been focused on something for two years? That’s how long I’ve been thinking and doing things for this trip. Two years ago is when I learned about studying in Finland. After many conversations, lots of paperwork, buying stuff, getting rid of stuff, moving, packing, and who knows what else, it’s finally here.
Beyond the disbelief of the reality of it all, I’m also thrilled that we are going. We leave for the unexpected and unknown and I have nothing but a big smile on my face.
Not sure if I’ll have a chance to post anything before we get to Finland. If not, I’ll post on Friday when I find internet access.
I want to invite us to pray together this Lent.
What do I see in the world?
God is good all the time
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