blogs 11 12 and 13
1067 words by kmoses
My project has been making great progress I have been able to talk to other agencies in New Orleans who are providing services for students who are struggling in certain areas of school. I have still been going into schools, tutoring at their after school programs. Although I have been making some process, I don’t know if I will have enough time to fully implement my program. I haven’t found a building for my program, and I learn that before I can fully get started that there was a legal process that I am going to have to go through. So for now until I am able to fully to my project I will continue to do what I have been doing, making a difference one child at a time. When telling my mom about my dilemma, she pointed out to me that by going in to the schools and tutoring these kids is probably the best thing for my project. If I am able to reach just one or two students, they will let there other classmates now about the program. So that when I am able to fully commit to finding the building and filing the necessary paperwork. I will already have students wiling and eager to participate. Also she says that its always best to start something off small. This way I will be able to learn all the ropes, when it comes to something like this.
Textual criticism examines various authors and the words that they used in writing the biblical text, it examines the actual texts themselves that are recorded in the bible. Source criticism attempts to discover the original source of the bible. Source critics try to decipher as much as they van about the original sources and the authors who wrote them.
The story of Tobit is about an Israelite man exiled to the city of Nineveh by Assyrians, who has been banned for given murdered Israelite’s a proper burial. That night, he slept in the open and was blinded by bird droppings that fell in his eyes, which puts a strain on his marriage, and prays for his death. Meanwhile a lady by the name of Sarah is also praying for her own death. She has lost seven of her husbands before she can consummate her marriage. Before she can lose her virginity a demon kills them. God sends down the angel of healing, Raphael, to help answer Tobit and Sarah’s prayers’. Tobit sends his son, Tobiah to collect money that is owed to him from a man in the city of Media. Along the way, Tobias is attacked by a giant fish, both he and Raphael slay the fish and use it heart, liver and gall bladder are removed to make medicines. Upon arriving in Media, Raphael tells Tobias of the beautiful Sarah, whom Tobias has the right to marry, because she is related to his tribe. He instructs the young man to burn the fish’s liver and heart to drive away the demon when he attacks on the wedding night. The two are married, and the fumes of the burning organs drive the demon away. Meanwhile, Sarah’s father has been digging a grave to secretly bury Tobias because he assumed that he would be dead. Surprised to find his son-in-law alive and well, he orders a double-length wedding feast and has the grave secretly filled. Since he cannot leave because of the feast, Tobias sends Raphael to recover his father’s money. After the feast, Tobias and Sarah return to Nineveh. There, Raphael tells the youth to use the fish’s gall to cure his father’s blindness. Raphael then reveals his true identity and returns to heaven. Tobit sings a hymn of praise. He tells his son to leave Nineveh before God destroys it according to prophecy.
The Maccabees are considered to be heroic, because they led the revolt against Antiochus issued decrees in Judea forbidding Jewish religious practice. He also banned circumcision, traditional Jewish sacrifices, and the reading of the Law of Moses. This sparked the revolt against the Greek empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods. The Maccabees founded the revolt helped established Jewish independence in the Land of Israel for about one hundred years, from 164 BCE to 63 BCE.
How was Jesus counter cultural? This question had me stomped for a while. When I looked it, I found this definition which is a culture with lifestyles and values opposed to those of the established culture. When applying this definition to Jesus we see that he was all about counter culturalism. With Jesus’ platform of love vs. hate he was able to go against the many Jewish norms. Instead of an eye for and eye he preached in turning the other cheek. He walked with those that were less fortunate, whom many would have though was unworthy of being in his presence, he also let women become disciples, in a society were women were treated less than man. Jesus was able to always do what was right among a society that was always doing wrong. He gives us the perfect example in how being yourself and staying truthfully to your spiritual beliefs is always the right way to go. I don’t think that my project could be considered to be counter cultural because there are many who are trying to do what I am, in helping the kids in New Orleans reach their highest educational potential.
Jesus was crucified because the authorities were upset that he preached that he was the son of God. There were also in a sense scared of him because the saw that many Jews were worshipping him. He was crucified because He was seen as a threat to the powers in charge of Jerusalem. Jesus stirred up the people of Jerusalem and helped to empower the poor. So the leaders of that time arrested Jesus on the charge of blasphemy. In the time of Jesus when someone said that they were king, and were not was considered to be a crime. Though it was the leaders of the time who crucified Jesus, many Christians believe that it was actually pre-ordained beforehand, as part of a divine plan in which Jesus had to suffer and die as a sacrifice to pay for everyone’s sins.