LOST: Jacob as Michael; MIB as Samael

NOTE: I have updated my views, after the seeing the May 11 broadcast, "Across the Sea."

Lost is on again tonight. I've decided that Jacob is a figure of the archangel Michael, and MIB is a figure of the archangel Samael. Here's why:

MICHAEL: (from Wikipedia and Lostpedia)

(Hebrew: is an archangel in Hebrew, Christian and Islamic tradition. He is viewed as the field commander of the Army of God. ... Michael is also described(in the book of Daniel) as the advocate of Israel and "great prince who stands up for the children of your [Daniel's] people".

The Talmudic tradition rendered Michael's name as meaning "Who is like El?" ("Who is like God?"). As a question, it is understood as being rhetorical, implying the answer, "No one is like God."

Beth: This would fit, because Jacob is unable to forgive sins or resurrect Isabella. According to the Lospedia article on Jacob, he "appears to command a great respect among the Others who look to him as a leader who is both adored and feared. Both Mikhail and Ben referred to Jacob as a "great", "brilliant", and "magnificent" man. Jacob has also been referred to as "powerful" and "unforgiving." ("Two for the Road") Occasionally members of the Others have been seen to invoke Jacob's name as an excuse for carrying out certain actions. Jacob is sometimes referred to as "Him."

According to rabbinic Jewish tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel, and sometimes had to fight with the princes of the other nations (cf. Daniel 10:13) and particularly with the angel Samael, Israel's accuser. Michael's enmity with Samael dates from the time when the latter was thrown down from heaven. Samael took hold of the wings of Michael, whom he wished to bring down with him in his fall; but Michael was saved by God (Midrash Pirke R. El. xxvi.).

Beth: "Michael's enmity with Samael dates from the time when the latter was thrown down from heaven." Ab aeterno, no?

According to one source, it was Michael who wrestled with Jacob and who afterward blessed him (Targum pseudo-Jonathan to Genesis xxxii. 25; Pirke R. El. xxxvii.).

Beth: Jacob and Richard wrestled on the beach

He is accepted in lore as well as being the special patron of Adam. Supposedly he was the first angel in all of the heavens to bow down before humanity.

Beth: Jacob watches over the young Sawyer and Kate; as well as Locke and Jack.

In the Epistle of Jude St Michael disputes with the Devil over the body of Moses.[ In the Book of Revelation "...there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him."

The motif of Michael and the dragon appears in Michael's fight with Samael in Assumptio Mosis, x.). This legend is not found in Jewish sources except insofar as Samael or Satan is called in the Kabbalah "the primitive serpent".

Beth: MIB as Samael, a dragon or serpent...rather like Smokie; Jacob as Michael, the dragon slayer.

Still more famous are the legends of the springs which St. Michael is said to have drawn from the rock at Colossae (Chonae, on the Lycus). Church tradition tells that the pagans directed a stream against the sanctuary of St. Michael to destroy it, but the custodian of the shrine, named Archippus, prayed to St. Michael, and the archangel appeared and split the rock, opening up a new bed to divert the stream, and forever sanctified the waters which came from the gorge. The Orthodox Church believes that this apparition took place about the middle of the first century and celebrates a feast in commemoration of it on September 6[17] as the "Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae."[18] The Monastery of the Miracle in the Moscow Kremlin, where the Russian Tsars were baptized, was dedicated to the Feast of the Miracle at Chonae (Kona). Hot springs at Pythia in Bithynia and elsewhere in Asia Minor were also dedicated to St Michael.

At Constantinople likewise, Saint Michael was a great heavenly physician. His principal sanctuary, the "Michaelion", was at Sosthenion, some fifty miles south of Constantinople.

Beth: Jacob heals Locke after his fall; he seems to have healed Ilana. In the flashback presented in "Ab Aeterno", Ilana quickly goes from injured and heavily bandaged to unbandaged, apparently healed and sitting upright in bed, implying Jacob healed her between scenes
..
Another famous church was within the walls of [Constantinople] , at the baths of Arcadius; '

St Michael is reputed to have caused a healing spring to flow in the first century at Colossae, and his churches were frequently visited by the sick and lame.

Beth: this reminds me of the spring at the Temple...

In art, St Michael is represented as an angelic warrior, fully armed with helmet, sword, and shield (often the shield bears the Latin inscription: "Quis ut Deus?"), standing over the dragon, whom he sometimes pierces with a lance. He also holds a pair of scales in which he weighs the souls of the departed (cf. Rock, "The Church of Our Fathers", III, 160), or the Book of Life, to show that he takes part in the judgment. Michelangelo depicted this scene on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

In Greek folklore, St Michael also assumed the god Hermes' role as the psychopomp who leads souls to Hades, and in the role of weigher of souls on Judgment Day

Beth: Jacob gave Sayid a sword with which to slay MIB; he has scales in his cave.

As with all angels' iconography, his wings represent swiftness, his sword means authority or power, and his white raiment stands for his enlightenment.[25] In the Renaissance period, he is shown as young, strong, and handsome, and is most often depicted as a proud, handsome angel in white or magnificent armor or a splendid coat of mail and equipped with sword, shield and spear.

Beth: Jacob always wears white, and he is young and strong,
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SAMAEL: (from Wikipedia and Lostpedia)


Samael is an important archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is accuser, seducer and destroyer, and has been regarded as both good and evil. It is said that he was the guardian angel of Esau...

Beth: This would fit the Jacob/Esau relationship between Jacob and MIB. MIB as "smokie" is also an accuser (demanding, in the form of Yemi, that Eko confess his sins) and a destroyer (he killes Eko, Montand, and others). He "seduces" Claire into believing and is attempting to "seduce" Kate. He seduces Richard into believing the island is hell by taking the form of Isabella. and He is an accuser, claiming that Jacob has trapped him on the island, and want wants to keep the Losties under his finger as well.

Also called Sammael and Samil, he is considered in legend both a member of the heavenly host (with often grim and destructive duties) and a fallen angel, equatable with satan and the chief of the evil spirits. One of Samael's greatest roles in Jewish lore is that of the Angel of Death. In this capacity he is a fallen angel but nevertheless remains one of the Lord's servants.

Well, MIB certainly brings death and destruction: Lostpedia lists 10 individuals, in addition to the crew of the Black Rock and all the inhabitants of the Temple. And indirectly, he kills Jacob and Nikki.

According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Prince of the demons, and an important figure both in Talmudic and in post-Talmudic literature, where he appears as accuser, seducer, and destroyer. His name is etymologized as = "the venom of God," since he is identical with the angel of death (Targ. Yer. to Gen. iii. 6; see also Death, Angel of), who slays men with a drop of poison Read more: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=106&letter=S#ixzz0jguc9h0L Some people think it was MIB who took the shape of the Medusa spider that paralyzed Nikki, "who slays with a drop of poison."

...Samael is Esau's guardian angel, and in the Sayings of Rabbi Eliezer, he is charged with being the one who tempted Eve,

Jacob is constantly tempting people: Ben, Richard, Sawyer.

Thoughts on a memorial service during Holy Week

One of my favorite days of the church year is All Saints Day, and I especially love singing Vaughan Williams' "For All the Saints." But it was especially meaningful to sing it at today's memorial service for CF, a dear saint who now rests in Christ.

CF was C and M's mother. As a young woman, she looked much like Audrey Hepburn, and her dashing young husband could have been a double for George Clooney. Friends and family members recalled her courage, her kindness, and her curiosity. She made a difference in so many people's lives, and though I only was able to know her in her last few years, I too remember her with warmth.

While there is never a good time for death, I was greatly moved by today's service, and the way it fell so perfectly between Palm Sunday and Easter. C and M. thought carefully about it, and chose music, scripture and images that celebrated their mother's life, a life in Christ. It is a powerful thing when mourning is transformed into worship.

This afternoon I realized that "For All the Saints" is an anthem not only for November, but for Holy Week:

"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

"The King of Glory passes on His way..." and it is Palm Sunday.

"Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"

"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"

"Thou, in the darkness drear... And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long..." and it is Good Friday.

"The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"

"soon to faithful warriors comes their rest..." and it is Holy Saturday.

"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"

He has risen, and we shall rise as well: it is Easter!

My mother died on a Valentine's day; my father died on Father's Day. My grandmother died on Mother's Day.

Lord, You knew the number of my days before I was even formed; but if it be Your will, I ask that I might pass into Your presence in the spring, when there are daffodils and tulips and sweet smelling daphne.

But if I might be even bolder, I ask that I might come during Holy Week, so that those who remain might remember that no grave could hold You; and believe that because of that, "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Brace yourself for ugly babies?

Millinerd has a provocative link about church architecture.


A sermon "zinger" used to encourage church plants instead of resuscitating old churches goes like this: "It is easier to have a baby than to raise the dead!" Jesus, however, did only the latter. Evangelism is a bit more complicated than the sound bite conveys, simply because people are. Whether they are consciously aware of it or not, many non-Christians are seeking a deeper, ecclesial reality in their life, not a gospel that caters to their present one. If non-Christians go to church, or back to church, a significant percentage of them want it to look, architecturally, like a traditional church. If you doubt this assertion, look into Lifeway's recent survey that shows it to be true.....

But, some might ask, Isn't the pragmatic modern style of architecture more conducive to pragmatic evangelicalism? Not by a longshot. In An Architecture of Immanence, Mark Torgerson demonstrated the alliance of Protestant liberalism (to which evangelicalism is traditionally opposed) and architectural modernism. His diligently researched book concludes that flat, immanent modern architecture is uniquely suited to mid-century liberal Protestant denial of the supernatural, both of which (he seems to subtly imply) have been outmoded. Before evangelicals build in the modern, pragmatic style, therefore, they might want to consider whether or not the architecture they worship in will be counteracting the sermons preached therein for decades to come. It is impossible for architecture to be neutral.

Still, I'm not too hopeful about the possibilities for an evangelical recovery of traditional architecture. Having spurned the superior resources of Christendom, evangelicals have great difficulty detaching themselves from the dominant culture, and architecture is no exception. In addition, our economic downturn will do much to regenerate that ancient argument (John 12:5) against extravagance in worship, as if the poor were not ministered to by beauty as well. God, needless to say, does not require exquisite buildings, and "wherever two or three or gathered" still, of course, holds true. But as the "easier to have a baby than raise the dead!" dictum catches on, we best brace ourselves for Chick-fil-A church plants (available on Sundays!), or some really ugly babies.

Wright on Christianity and genocide

Bradley Wright is associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut. After receiving tenure, Brad switched his academic focus from crime to religion in order to research American Christianity. He received his PhD in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, the topranked sociology graduate program in the country.

I look forward to reading his upcoming book, Christians are Hate-Filled Hypocrites....and Other Lies You've Been Told which will be available in July.

Here he counters the critics in his blog post:

Enough of the Inquisition! Christianity and genocide

Some time ago, I was having lunch with a good friend. The conversation turned to Christianity, and he asked me what I thought of it. I mumbled though my sandwich some generally affirmative answer, and he responded with utter conviction: "But what about the Inquisition?" In his mind, this Christian-based atrocity (which executed three to thirty thousand people) constituted sure proof against the validity of Christianity.

Ugh... This fellow is a good friend, and he's very bright, but what a knuckleheaded thing to say.

The logic of this church-morality argument goes like this: The Christian Church should be perfect, and the Christian faith is invalid if the church displays a grievous moral failure, which it has done many, many times. This argument is inconsistent with Christian beliefs, let alone common sense, both of which hold that the Church is not perfect.

This argument is not apostasy, it's bad social science.

If one wanted to judge Christianity by participation in atrocities, one should compare the Church's participation in atrocities versus that of other religious and secular institutions. As data for this comparison, here's a list of the worst genocides of the last 100 years:

China (1960s, 1970s), 30 million dead
USSR (1920s, 1930s, 1940s), 2 0 million dead
Germany (1930s, 1940s), 11.4 million dead
Japan (1930s, 1940s), 10 million dead
Pakistan (1970s), 3.1 million dead
Sudan (1960s, present day), 2.8 million dead
Nigeria (1960s), 2 million dead
Afghanistan (1980s), 1.8 million dead
Cambodia (1970s), 1.7 million dead
Turkey (1910s, 1920s), 1.5 million dead
Indonesia (1970s, 1980s), 1.2 million dead
Rwanda (1990s), 1 million dead
India (1940s), 1 million dead
(Source: Barbara Harff, National Geographic, Jan 2006, p. 30)

Okay, I don't think that counting up atrocities is a useful way to judge religions, but if one is going to do so, at least do it accurately. From the above list, it appears that most of these terrible atrocities have been committed by governments or institutions rooted in belief systems other than Christianity. By the logic of this argument, then, Christianity is supported.

Substitute "God" for "Mommy"

Is this what we sound like to God?

Oscar Romero: "We are Ministers, not Messiahs"

via friend Cindy Hoover, Covenant missionary/pediatrician in Mexico

A Future Not Our Own: In memory of Oscar Romero (1917–1980) borrowed from today's Lenten Journey posted by Missy Lawson

It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession
brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one
day will grow. We water the seeds already planted
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of
liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's
grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

From Xavarian Missionaries

Can tithing trigger an IRS audit?

Apparently so...


5 tax moves that may trigger an audit

by Kelly Phillips Erb

Disproportionately high charitable deductions. Charitable deductions are one of the most common deductions claimed on a personal income tax return. In fact, more than 90% of taxpayers who opt to itemize claim charitable deductions.

But just because everyone takes the deduction doesn't mean the IRS won't take a second look. The IRS will review returns that include charitable donations that appear disproportionately high as a percentage of income.

What qualifies as high? Taxpayers who claim the charitable deduction donate, on average, about 3% of their income. Anything above that may start raising some eyebrows.

So if you start climbing too far above that number, you might turn some heads. Does that mean taxpayers who donate more are automatically in trouble? Of course not. Many taxpayers routinely donate higher percentages due to religious or other charitable reasons. Just be sure and document your donations properly -- and make sure the values of non-cash donations make sense.

Sold on ceramic

For my birthday, I was given a lovely Kyocera knife and peeler set. I am over the moon with them!

Steve brought his Chicago Cutlery to our marriage, and has been faithfully sharpening them with a steel now for over 30 years. Kyocera ceramic knives are second only to diamonds in hardness, so they hardly ever need to be sharpened! This is a big plus for me, as I do not dare ruin the metal blades by trying to sharpen them, so I am always depending on Steve to wield the steel.

According to one source,

The hardness of the blades is measured on a scale called Mohs hardness scale. Kyocera blades are 8.2 on the Mohs hardness scale compared to steel that is 5-6 Mohs, and diamond is 10 Mohs. Under normal household circumstances, your Kyocera may take 3-5 years or more before it needs sharpening.

My ceramic knife is extremely lightweight--it's like cutting a tomato with a feather. It also allows me to shear tomatoes so that they are impossibly thin! Another plus: because it is so sharp, it does not "crush" the cells of the onion, and so it doesn't elicit the tears! This was a delight to discover, as I have suffered from onionitis for years using metal knives.

Finally, here is a most remarkable feature: you can cut an apple with a ceramic knife, and it will not brown! I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true.

Ceramic knives are not meant to replace metal knives, because they can chip, break, or shatter if twisted, pressed, or dropped. You must always use a wood cutting surface; you can't use them to cut bones or frozen foods or anything that might require flexibility from the blade. They must be carefully stored, so that their edges are protected from chipping against other utensils.

But consider how knights treated their swords. My Kyocera is my weapon of choice as I do battle daily in the kitchen!

Birthday blessings

I turned 56 last Monday, and it has been one of my best birthdays ever. And now I finally have a chance to blog about it.





Saturday D. gave Joanna her Mandarin lesson and then the two of them prepared this incredible meal:

Beijing Duck
Fried Rice with Taiwanese Sausage
Green onion bing with beef
Chinese chicken salad
Asperagas
Fresh pineapple

Later D. and I had another great long discussion about "Lost," thinking who we most identified with as a character.

Then Sunday, after church, L. and D. and Joanna rushed back to our house and prepared a delicious whole pork loin stuffed with apples, apricots and raisins, and glazed with with thickened apple juice. They also roasted chunks of parsnips, carrots, turnips and sweet potatoes, and complemented it with rosemary bread. Finally, J. brought two cakes--one chocolate, one lemon, and an unbelievably rich chocolate brownie torte with lovely ruffles of whipped cream.

B and K gave me a huge bunch of daphne in an antique vase; its scent perfumed the whole first floor as we dined. There were 13 of us around the table, laughing, discussing, wondering what the future would hold. And it felt just like birthdays when I was a kid on Theiss Road. This time, though, instead of only blood relatives, I was surrounded by family and friends in the Blood.

What a wonderful gift that is! I am humbled and so grateful to have had this foretaste of heaven for my birthday.

Sent: MY Letter to Glenn Beck

I sent the Sojourners letter, with my own modifications. We are told to pray for our enemies. So please join me.


Dear Mr. Beck,

Jeremiah 5:26-29 says: “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?

The word of God contradicts what you have been saying, Mr. Beck! And whenever that happens, I must choose God over man.

I am praying for you, and your audience,that the power of Christ's Holy Spirit will touch you all. He made the scales fall from Saul's eyes and gave him a new start and calling. He sent Phillip to the Ethiopian eunuch and helped him intepret the scriptures. May he do the same for you, so that your pride will not get in the way of His truth, and so you might be open to learning what the Bible has to say about justice.

You see, Mr. Beck, I stand in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets and the teachings of Jesus that demonstrate God's will for justice in every aspect of our individual, social, and economic lives. Moreover, God not only cares about justice, he cares about truth. He will judge us for missing the mark for them both, and he will hold us responsible if what we teach about them is contrary to His word.

I hereby "report" myself to you, and promise to report myself to the appropriate church authorities. I hope you'll be hearing from them as well. But most of all, I pray you'll hear the Lord!

In Him,

Beth Bilynskyj

Intercepted: God's letter to Glenn Beck

click here to see the occasion for this letter

Dear Glenn,

Please read your Bible more carefully. Underline the following verse:

Jeremiah 5:26-29 “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?"

And pay special attention to what else I've said, highlighted at these sites:

http://www.ncrlc.com/new_site/ScriptureJustice.html


http://www.intervarsity.org/mx/item/4817/download/

Sincerely,

God