A slightly tangential thread came up from a post Eugene Cho wrote recently about the Spanish basketball team and their slanty-eyed “affectionate” tribute (thank you, Pat Forde at ESPN for calling them out as buffoons not only for doing this in the first place but also for their response in your post-Olympics wrap-up; see #26) about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.
My latest television watching obsession, other than the Olympic coverage of Korean team handball and America’s Best Dance Crew (big ups to SuperCr3w!), has been JCTV.
JCTV (yes, apparently, it’s Jesus’ television) is a channel started up by the folks at TBN (yes, that TBN) to reach the “extreme” generation. Or something like that.
I’m not 100% sure why I keep on watching. It’s not that I enjoy the videos or programming (lots of old school skateboarding, loud music videos and, for some reason, an almost endless loop of something called “Cruise for a Cause”). And it’s not because I’m mocking it, although I do have some skepticism about it. I think it’s because I’m trying to figure out why JCTV exists.
Some of my favorite music comes from the late 80s/early 90s. The whole DC/Dischord movement was highly influential not only for the music, but for the ethic (see an article I wrote with Jason Evans over at the Ecclesia Collective site, What Would Ian Do?).
Indie labels like Merge (current home of Arcade Fire), Caulfield, Simple Machines, Gravity and Touch and Go documented regional scenes from far-flung places across the country — allowing a land-locked Michigander kid, like myself, to be connected in some way to places like Chapel Hill and San Diego in the pre-internet Stone Ages.
For my birthday, I just purchased an old album by seminal Louisville powerhouse Rodan. After all these years, it still sounds amazing! And, I finally picked up that Sonic Youth shirt I’ve had my eye on! Happy mid-90s indie rock birthday to me, indeed!
At the end of August, one of my favorite noise-rock bands from back in the day will be playing in SD — the mighty Polvo has reunited for a short summer tour. While I would like to catch this show, it does make me wonder about all of the reunion shows that are happening.
Coachella has practically become a “Name That Reunion” event [h/t: Brooklyn Vegan for compiling a nice list of Coachella reunions shows here]; the “Don’t Look Back” series from All Tomorrow’s Parties has bands performing entire albums of vintage material. When does one cross the line from nostalgia into blatantly cashing in? And does the Spinal Tap performance from Live Earth count as part of this trend?
With a nod to the good people of Love Light & Melody, our church community will begin a new worship series this week journeying through the book of First John together, titled Love, Light + Life.
Below you can find the graphic I designed for this series:
May the light of Christ break through the fog that so easily settles over our hearts and usher us into the fullness of God’s Shalom.
You can view sdunited.org — “Celebration Sunday” for what should be my final update from Japan before returning back to the States.
Sincere thanks for all of the love and support!
headsparks* 