Upon My Brother's Grave

Today being memorial day, I took the opportunity in the evening to drive out to San Dimas (or rather Covina Hills) to visit my younger brother's grave at the Forest Lawn cemetery/mortuary. I honestly do not remember my little brother at all--after all, I was only two years old when he was born and he died on the third day of his life. Nevertheless, according to my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I know that one day I will have the opportunity to meet him. Anyhow, when I arrived at his grave I discovered fresh flowers in a vase upon his gravestone. My parents had already arrived earlier in the day. It is a tradition for my parents to cut flowers from their own garden in order to create a bouquet to place upon his grave.
It gave me opportunity to really evaluate my own life as I thought upon what my brother might be doing on the other side of mortality. I also had a profound sense of gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ which makes it possible for all of us to be resurrected--to live again with a perfect body in the life to come.
I should like to include a poem that I had written some time ago when visiting my brother's grave. It is titled "Upon My Brother's Grave" and is in honor of Marc Jeffery Hall (July 20, 1976-July 23, 1976):

There is a quiet hill where thousands sleep
Beneath the grassy waves tossed by the wind,
Where peaceful moments rest in hearts and minds,
Where people rest beneath the azure sky.
There have been days when distant thoughts have fled
And somber reminiscents take their place,
And I, within the valley, turn to look
Upon that green hill, not so far away.
I've glanced upon the beauty of the life
That springs in great abundance from its height
And thought upon my brother and his life
In realms where mortals only dream to dwell.
I've driven, on occasion, to this hill,
And stood, betimes, beside the road where lies
The headstone, and the body there beneath,
Of my dear brother Marc--an infant death.
At times, when young, my parents stood nearby,
And I would watch them with their loving hands,
Place the fresh flowers, from the garden plucked,
Upon the earth in loving memory.
I'd wandered on this hill once unannounced,
Long after all my youthful years were spent,
In search of that dear spot, for what it meant
To my own heart throughout the passing years.
I had not found the spot that summer day,
But gloried in the grand serenity
Upon the grassy hill, beside the trees,
Beneath the clouded sky, within the breeze.
A thousand dead, and my poor memory
Could not recall the spot where in my youth
I held my parents' hands and watched them weep--
I held my parents' hands and watched them smile.
I wandered lonely on that silent hill
Viewing the sculptures and the distant church,
Reading the names and dates of other souls
Who passed breathless silence through the gates,
And pondered briefly on their mortal lives,
I dreaming of the way they might have lived.
Today I have returned to pay respect
And find myself upon this hill alone
With flowers in a jar within my hand
Which I have plucked from the garden of old.
I place them just above the metal plaque
And stare upon my brother's written name,
Then glance upon this glorious of scenes
And ponder on his life and there reflect:
To understand as he would understand.
To view this world with eyes abstained from sin.
To live my life as he would have me live,
Free from the guilt with which I wallow in.
To view my hand, corrupt in mortal spite.
To view his hand long withered in the earth.
To love mankind as he would surely love,
Had more he lived than three days from his birth.
I think upon the life he did not live.
The memories of youth in loving arms--
The blessings of a faithful family.
The pain of suffering a woman's charms.
The joy of simple pleasures in the sun.
The dreams and longings of a youthful mind.
The rapture found within a first love's kiss.
The gratitude that comes with being kind.
He may have been a poet well renowned.
He may have been an artist well revered.
He may have been the dream of all our dreams.
He may have been. . . he may have been. . .
And now his body buried in the grave
And I having been buried in my life,
Live less insightful in daily routines.
Perhaps his spirit watches me this day.
Perhaps he feels my life wasted away.
Perhaps he has a hope unparalleled--
The hope the unseen world keeps in its soul
While we upon this busy mortal plane
Blind all our knowledge with such useless cares,
Living our mortal life yet unaware.
Upon my brother's grave I now reflect
And listen for a whisper to my soul.

A Bad Wind Blowing

If one honestly is looking out on the horizon of the American social scene, one will see a storm arising. There is a bad wind blowing that reeks of the decomposition of America's morality. The traditional family is under attack by special interest groups that wish to redefine what is considered marriage and family. For those who proclaim that legalizing same-sex marriage will not effect society as a whole, they are sadly mistaken. All who know me know that I love all things Scandinavian, so you also know that it is no small matter for me to point out flaws from Scandinavian governments, cultures, or societies. Yet, if we look at Scandinavian society, who legalized same-sex marriage in the 1990s, we see the ramifications of making such a move: the deterioration of the family unit. There is an interesting article concerning this fact by Stanley Kurtz which you may find here. Other warnings are being sounded throughout the United States as is seen in this article by Rick Santorum. There is also a warning voice presented by Dennis Prager found in this article.
Of course, I have written my own views on this matter before. One may find that blog here.
Needless to say, same-sex marriage hasn't destroyed civilization in Scandinavia--it is alive and well the last time that I have checked. But it has changed the face of Scandinavian society and the demographics of the family. Perhaps these countries can handle the out-of-wedlock birth rates, the increased divorce rates, the single parents, and all of the social problems that come along with it, better than can America--after all, they are socialized forms of government with greater taxes to fund such programs that will alleviate such problems. I don't want America to become socialized and I surely don't want my tax dollars being spent on people who made poor decisions and now want me and you to pay for it. I'm not saying that every child who endures these conditions will turn out bad, but they surely are given a handicap compared to the child who has been born and raised in the traditional family unit.
Ultimately, whether or not this issue has a lasting impact on government affairs of our nation, whether or not it has a lasting impact on the social fabric of our nation, it is in direct conflict to the spiritual well-being of our nation.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

is an interesting warning that has been issued to the inhabitants of the world by modern prophets. Believe it or not, that is up to you. You are free to take whatever position that you like on this matter, but I am just as free to take mine. So please spare me the hate-mongering titles of bigot or homophobe. I am neither--I am simply stating my position on the matter just as freely as the opposition is allowed to freely state their own. Think upon it and decide for yourself.

Countdown to Syttende Mai--Fjords

Alright, so the fjords of Norway are not really a part of the "culture" but they certainly are a part of the Norwegian landscape that leaves any visitor to the country in awe of the beauty and splendor that Nature provides us. Anyone who does not take the opportunity to visit the Norwegian fjords at some point in their lifetime is truly missing out on one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Whether you are hiking above the sea, looking down into the fjord, taking a cruise through the fjord, or enjoying one of the towns beside a fjord, you are bound to be both content and awe-inspired as you absorb the atmosphere of near-perfection. If you love mountains, the sea, forests, waterfalls, small towns, or even large cities, there is a fjord for you to enjoy. Here are some pictures so that you may see of what I am speaking.

Countdown to Syttende Mai--Stavekirke (Stave Church)

Among the Norwegian culture is one unique form of architecture that dates back to the viking age, or rather, the end of the viking age and the advent of Christianity in Norway. Stavekirker (Stave Churches) were built in the 11th and 12th centuries. Supposedly there were close to a thousand of them scattered throughout Norway immediately following the viking age and some thirty of them have survived through today. Upon visiting Norway, one may visit this old structures that oftentimes contain both Christian and Pagan elements. If you look closely at the photographs you will see both the cross (Christian) and dragons, as well as other animal figures carved into the church (Pagan). When transforming a pagan culture into a Christian one, it was helpful to use pagan elements to attract individuals, hence pagan symbols alongside Christian symbols on the churches in order to attract those who had not fully converted.
Anyhow, it is an interesting style of architecture along with interesting artwork carved into the structures. You may wish to research more in order to see the details. In the meantime, enjoy these photographs.

Countdown to Syttende Mai--Rosemaling

Please visit www.rosemaling.com (some of the pictures below are from this site).





Rosmaling is a Norwegian folk painting style that has been passed down through the generations. One may find examples of Rosmaling dating back into the 1700s within houses and on artifacts that have been preserved over time. Rosemaling continues to be a popular art form in Norway and in countries such as the United States where there are Norwegian immigrants who have adopted the style. Often times, just as in the traditional costumes of the Norwegian people, the design may be traced to a particular region of the country. However, most designs are either universal or unique. There are plenty of books and websites that will teach both the history and the technique of the art form. This website will give you several links to different Rosemaling sites. It is interesting to learn about, view, and try one's own hand at Rosemaling. Some artists are really good (and when you try your own, you quickly realize that it is much more difficult than it looks--anyone who has been to my apartment can see an attempt I made on one of my grandparent's old barn windows, which is sitting in the entry way).

Countdown to Syttende Mai--Edvard Munch

Perhaps the most famous artist to come out of Norway is Edvard Munch. While many people do not recognize the name, there is truly no more famous painting in all the world than what Munch has produced. Not even the "Mona Lisa" is more recognizable than Munch's most famous work. Love it or hate it, all are familiar with Munch's "The Scream."
Munch certainly had a troubled life, which is certainly reflected in his paintings. Many of his works are seemingly neophyte, but when one considers that Munch is an expressionist painter--one who is more concerned with the feeling and emotion that is associated with a work of art than the aesthetic beauty of the art itself--one then begins to recognize the genius of the artist. There is much to learn of Edvard Munch, but you may do that through your own research. I shall simply post a few of his paintings and let them speak for themselves.
While "The Scream" is the most popular work, I really like such paintings as: "Melancholy," "Girls," "Ashes," and "The Sick Child." They are all posted here--take a guess as to which is which, and enjoy the emotions that they evoke within you!

Countdown to Syttende Mai--Henrik Ibsen

If you haven't figured out what in the world my blogging address alludes to then tonight (or today, depending upon when you read blogs) it shall be revealed. Henrik Ibsen is my all-time favorite playwright. He is known as the father of modern drama and outside of Shakespeare is probably one of the most recognized playwrights the world over. My favorite plays by ibsen include: An Enemy of the People, Ghosts, A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Rosmersholm, Pillars of Society, The Master Builder, and When We Dead Awaken. Admittedly, his plays are a bit heavy and dark, but there is always thought-provoking material that is presented in such a way as not to preach a moral, yet to allow oneself to teach oneself a moral based upon the observation of the play.
I also appreciate Ibsen's candidness. He was once invited to speak at an awards ceremony for a woman's group who was honoring Ibsen for his views advancing women's rights. During his speech he said something to the effect: I could care less about women's rights. What I am for is human rights and if it happens to be a woman whose rights are being violated, then I am for her cause (of course, I am paraphrasing--these are not his exact words, but essentially the same message was given).
The following are some quotes that either Ibsen made directly or that are presented through the voice of one of his characters (most of these quotes come directly from one of his plays):

“A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.”

“Do not use that foreign word ‘ideals.’ We have that excellent native word ‘lies.’”

“It is inexcusable for scientists to torture animals; let them make their experiments on journalists and politicians.”

“Look into any man’s heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.”

“Marriage! Nothing else demands so much of a man.”

“One of the qualities of liberty is that, as long as it is being striven after, it goes on expanding. Therefore, the man who stands in the midst of the struggle and says, ‘I have it,’ merely shows by doing so that he has just lost it.”

“People who don’t know how to keep themselves healthy ought to have the decency to get themselves buried, and not waste time about it.”

“The devil is compromise.”

“The spectacles of experience; through them you will see clearly a second time.”

“The worst enemy of truth and freedom in our society is the compact majority.”

"Life is a battle with the trolls!"

"Victory is impossible for any cause that's rooted in guilt."

"Any cause that aims to win a lasting victory--needs a leader who's free of guilt and full of joy."

"No, it is the small losses in life that cut one to the heart--the loss of all that other people look upon as almost nothing."

". . . All the sources of our moral life are poisoned and that the whole fabric of our civic community is founded on the pestiferous soil of falsehood. . . And so, with my eyes blinded to the real facts, I reveled in happiness. But yesterday afternoon--the eyes of my mind were opened wide, and the first thing I realized was the colossal stupidity of the authorities. . . I can't stand leading men at any price!--I have had enough of such people in my time. They are like billy-goats in a young plantation; they do mischief everywhere. They stand in a free man's way, whichever way he turns, and what I should like best would be to see them exterminated like any other vermin-- . . . Nor is it folk of that kind who constitute the most pressing danger to the community. It is not they who are most instrumental in poisoning the sources of our moral life and infecting the ground on which we stand. It is not they who are the most dangerous enemies of truth and freedom amongst us. . . the most dangerous enemy of truth and freedom amongst us is the compact liberal majority. . . The majority never has right on its side. Never I say! That is one of these social lies against which an independent, intelligent man must wage war. Who is it that constitute the majority of the population in a country? Is it the clever folk or the stupid? I don't imagine you will dispute the fact that at present the stupid people are in an absolutely overwhelming majority all the world over. But, good lord!-- You can never pretend that it is right that the stupid folk should govern the clever ones! . . . The minority is always in the right. . . I propose to raise a revolution against the lie that the majority has the monopoly of the truth. . . these 'majority truths' are like last year's cured meat--like rancid, tainted ham; and they are the origin of the moral scurvy that is rampant in our communities. . . It is the masses, the majority--this infernal compact majority--that poisons the sources of our moral life and infects the ground we stand on. . . That the common people, the crowd, the masses are the real essence of the people. That is only a newspaper lie, I tell you! The common people are nothing more than the raw material of which a people is made. . . The kind of common people I mean are not only to be found low down in the social scale; they crawl and swarm all around us--even in the highest social positions. . . It is ignorance, poverty, ugly conditions of life that do the devil's work! In a house that does not get aired and swept every day--my wife Katherine maintains that the floor ought to be scrubbed as well, but that is a debatable question--in such a house, let me tell you, people will lose within two or three years the power of thinking or acting in a moral manner. Lack of oxygen weakens the conscience. And there must be a plentiful lack of oxygen in very many houses in this town, I should think, judging from the fact that the whole compact majority can be unconscientious enough to wish to build the town's prosperity on a quagmire of falsehood and deceit. . . What does the destruction of a community matter, if it lives on lies! It ought to be razed to the ground, I tell you! All who live by lies ought to be exterminated like vermin! You will end by infecting the whole country; you will bring about such a state of things that the whole country will deserve to be ruined. And if things come to that pass, I shall say from the bottom of my heart: let the whole country parish, let all these people be exterminated!"

And on that happy note, pick up a copy of one or more of Ibsen's plays or find one that is being performed and attend it. You will not regret it! As a matter of fact, any performance of Ibsen that I learn of (within driving distance) I purchase tickets to. . . and never once have I been disappointed!