The lecture on Art in Harvard from Rey

This is link of the lectuer

Miss Another Home...

It quite bothers me the log in problem since i came back from the States. The systems, the people and what the society is seeking... It seems the culture shock lasts far longer than the time I flew away from home. Miss the parents there even more~ I saw their faces in dreams....

I've promised myself to have that unforgettable and also unbeliebally miraculous experience written down into a book and have it as a testimony...but till now, nothing put down till my memory and thankfulness gradually fade away..

It should not be like that...
Several days I ago, to make a speech in the orentation of winter trimester, I went over the pictures and videoes I've taken during the past year...I miss them all...Chaemi, Seungwon, Yina, Hongmin,Kyong & Bobby, Timmy& Cherry...none of them less...
Though I am enjoying the unlimited tender care and love from my husband-to-be...

Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. This is the verse given to me by Kyong before I left...Yes, I should be cheerful and offer thankfulness all the time for Him who has offered me all these grace and experience...I love God and I should ask and complaint about nothing from now on...

The Awakening---speech contest script

Spring, it is the best time of the year. It is a season of sunshine and flowers and joy. After the longest winter I’ve ever had of my life, I finally see a tint of verdure popping out the ground. All the life here is enjoying the spring awakening. Time flies. It's time again to say goodbye.

Clearly I remember 9 months ago when I first stepped on this land, I stood in the crowd in the Minneapolis airport, excited to have breathed the first breath of fresh air of this country. “Welcome to Heaven.” I got the message from my friend. The scene had already been played in my dreams time and time again and the excitement overwhelmed all the fear. Here I am, America, a country that bears the name of freedom, advance and power.

Also I remember 8 months ago, for the first time I heard the serious argument about politics over the radio hot-line program. For the first time, I saw the Christian fellowship be part of the school activity so explicitly; for the first time I joined a church with over 100 people and for the first time I experienced a retreat of thousands of people shouting Jesus and Hallelujah. This is a country not afraid of speaking about politics, parties and God.

Then 4 months ago, standing in the crossroad of Time square, New York, I watched people passing by, with or without facial expression, some with the shining mink coat and some with dirty cloth that narrowly covered their body. I was shocked by my familiarity to this scene, as if I was standing on the street of Shanghai. Suddenly I was awakened from my dream: America is not heaven. I started to wonder: among them how many knows where they are from and where they are going? How many still hold a rest place of their spirit and soul? How many of them value the words carved on the money more than the money? And how many still have the courage and confidence declaring that “in God we trust” as they did hundreds years ago when this nation of power was established?

I was fully awakened from my dream: America is not heaven and no country on this earth can be heaven. As a result, between here and the place I come from there seems no difference to be excited about.

Just several hours ago, I rested my body on the sofa of the Williams Library with books on my lap. The sun comes out after a brief drizzle. The sky was dyed by the Great Creator. I know that’s the very thing I will definitely miss when I go back.

However, when I found myself more than reconciled to this placidity, I asked myself: If you can enjoy these beautiful painting everyday, are you still be touched by heart every time, standing in awe of the greatness of the creator? If you can see the Milky Way everyday, are you still moved to tears and gain more awe and gratefulness of the wonder and beauty of God? And you see recent catastrophe stoke again and again in other parts of the world, are you still be able to kneel down to pray for God’s mercy though it seem so far away from this peaceful place. If one of the answers to these questions could be no, I would rather go back and stay away from this beautiful home for me, in case the evil part of me turns a blind eye to all the things God has done. I’d rather be awakening, for it’s already spring.

On Memorial Religious Seeing in Judaism

On Memorial Religious Seeing in Judaism

Idolatry, as discussed in the article, is either “an improper form of worship” or “the improper god being worshiped”. Icon is a medium bridging the past and the present while idol is the object for worship.  [1](Plate, 240) In that sense, I can see the three memorials not as memory itself but as medium that remind people of the past memories, though they are somewhat somehow created intentionally to resemble the real objects of the past---like the poet carved on the railcar, the special smell of oil, which might mislead people to believe them to be the real “idol” thus generating the practice of worship. 

For the three memorials, these artworks express certain personal or cultural values of artists but whether the interpretation is religious or not can be determined by the viewers through their personal values and whether they see them as icons to reminisce or idols to worship. Thus to make some religious, for one thing, the displayed should be the real object and for another, the viewers t should take it as generator for worship---the religious practice. For example, the three memorials invoke the heavy memory of the past and the call for peace and love from the Judaism. However, if the viewers take the displayed railcar as the real ones used during war time, acknowledge all they see to be part of the history and stand in awe at them---which could be the practice of worship, then the “seeing” becomes religious seeing and the act becomes idolatry.

To answer the last question, art, as I see it, is something of aesthetic and various cultural values which could embody religious value. In Judaism, to worship, or rather say---to be in awe of anything else more than God can be idolatry. That could be part of the contradiction brought by those art forms related to Judaism.

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[1] Plate, S. Religion, Art and Visual Culture. 1st ed. NYC,N.Y.: Palgrave, 2002. 240. Print.

On Eusebius' Church History

What makes this book interesting most for me is the identity of the author of this book. As a historian as well as a Christian---not only a Christian but also an important one), the role he was playing is interestingly shown in his history book. He is recording the history while being part of the history; he is studying the group while being one member of the group; he was praying for the power of God to assist in writing the history work of God. His illustration reads very attractive.

Besides,  it becomes even more interesting to read the comment of the later historians' comments on the old while reading the old. Now spirit moving and brain working, we, as the latest or newest at this time this moment, come up with the latest thoughts and ideas. It's just interesting to compare these three.

On the value of Hinduism

I agree with what Rebekah has said---Hindu art focus on pleasing their gods. As they believe the actual presence of gods/goddesses, every time the appearance of a certain god, though of artistic form, is sacred as a real presence and because of the frequent presence of gods, the sacred worship becomes part of their daily life. Thus I think the value of Hinduism lies in the truthfulness. Beside, this kind of value is expressed by seeing. They values the truthfulness of seeing---which is related to Dashan.


Related link: http://theideasofart.blogspot.com/2011/04/values-of-hinduism.html

On the film Baraka

There was a plethora of images, locations, and religions presented throughout. My questions are: What was the film about? What is the message? Why was there no talking? What does the film say about religion? What does it convey concerning value in religion?

The film is a documentary without story and even talks, but it is also one with abundant stories that can hardly be described by words. These are stories of the present and also the past. These are the common and the difference of the ancient and the modern. These are question marks of development or recession of the human species.

About the theme,I'd rather conclude it as Time.They find something in common in the less developed area and developed areas and connected the scenes---like the repetition work in beating drums and raising chickens.  

About religion, I think the director is also finding the way to show some common practice of worship shared by different religions and also their similar ultimate goal----to find out how and why to live and to die.

I believe the director wants to show us just pictures and music and encourages us to find the anwer of our own. To avoid the intervene of the external guidance might be another reason that the film has no words in it.