Channing’s Week 11 Blog
1076 words by cmguidry
I appreciate the comments of the individuals who took the time to read about my project. I wish that more people would’ve commented so I could get more feedback, but I’m appreciative for the comments I did receive. These people were Jamie Harmon and Tracy Daniel.
Jamie Harmon – Thank you very much for your comments, I’m glad that you recognize racism as being alive and well because so many people do not. My project is probably not progressing as well as it should, however I hope that in the future it will be as successful as I have planned for it to be, and maybe you can participate. I can see you being a very good person to help with this project, I think you have a lot to bring to the table. In the future, I would ask specific people to be part of the group that goes around to different schools speaking with the children. Thank you again for your commentary.
Tracy Daniel – Thank you very much for your comments. I did not necessarily get my idea from watching Tyra, but she does address many important issues on her show. I agree with you very much that the group that talks with the students should be a diverse group. For now, the group will be comprised of most, if not all, black students. However, I agree that there should be some Asians, Hispanics, etc. This will demonstrate the message we are trying to construe which will make the children pay attention even more. Especially in a city like New Orleans, diversity is not something that is really present. At least not culturally, and the other diversity is basic: rich and poor. My project is progressing along slowly, but surely. I hope that in the future, you might consider being part of my project, or something like this. Thank you again for your commentary.
Tobit is a story about a man who basically digs graves for a living. He is not supposed to because it is against the King’s orders, but nonetheless he continues. He falls asleep one night and when he wakes up, he realizes that birds have been defecating in his eyes all night, which causes him to go blind. Because he can no longer see, he would rather die. However before he can commit suicide he realizes someone still owes him money, and he wants to collect it before he dies. Thus, he sends his beloved son Tobias to collect his money from a man in a nearby town.
In the nearby town is a girl named Sarah. She is miserable and wishes to commit suicide just like Tobit. The reason for unhappiness is that she has been married seven times, and each time on her wedding night before the marriage can be consummated, a demon comes and kills the groom.
God hears both Sarah and Tobit’s prayers, and send the angel Raphael (angel of healing) to travel with Tobias on his journey in the form of an old man. On the way a huge fish tries to swallow Tobias alive, but Raphael and Tobias end up killing it and eating all of the fish. They eat everything except the heart, liver, and the gall bladder.
Tobias and Raphael stay at the house of Sarah’s family. Sarah and Tobias fall in love, and they marry. No one has hopes that Tobias will survive the wedding night, however Raphael tells Tobias to burn the fish heart and liver. This drives the demon away, and Tobias survives the wedding night. Tobias collects his father’s debt, and both him and Sarah travel back home where they rub the fish’s gall bladder in his father’s eyes (at the urging of Raphael), and magically his eyesight returns to him! The End.
I really do not understand what the lesson of this story is, as I’m sure most people do not. The story is really all over the place to be honest. It’s a little to supernatural for my tastes. First of all, I’ve never heard of people going blind from a bird defecating in your eye, though I’m sure it is a very unpleasant sensation. And if he was sleeping when this was supposedly taking place, why was he sleeping with his eyes open? I don’t think that Sarah and Tobit’s situations relate at all. I’m wondering how Tobias even knew Sarah’s family enough to stay at their home while on his journey. Not to mention, if Tobit wanted to kill himself why did he really care if the man who owed him money paid him back. Money is no good if you are dead so that doesn’t make any sense. Fish don’t generally jump out of water and eat people, but in this story they apparently do. Plus, why was the demon purposely targeting Sarah, what did she do that she didn’t deserve to be able to consummate her marriage? That was never explained. I know I’m being extremely cynical, but I’ve read many other stories in the bible that actually seem plausible, and at least make sense. I can only speculate that this story has something to do with having faith in God, and that he will always answer your prayers. Thus, satisfying the saying “God may not come when you want him to, but he’s always on time.” And another thing is certain, Tobit was a man in the Bible who got a book named after him, so the story must make sense to somebody.
Some people consider the Maccabees to be heroic because they basically show how great and strong the Jews were. In the Maccabees there is the story of a revolt, Alexander the Great’s reign, the great Seleucid Empire, a Jewish dynasty, etc. It demonstrates Rome’s strong influence, which was said to be the one, if not the most powerful great empires of all time. Romans were strong leaders, warriors, extremely devoted to God, and exemplified the “perfect” religious heroes. Whether or not the Maccabees were heroic is questionable, and objective just as most information taken from the Bible. However, I can see the sentiment.