Isaac is the son of Abraham, they had a very close relationship, Abraham cherished Isaac deeply because Sarah, Abraham's wife, had been sterile and God gave them a child when she was 90: a miracle. God wanted to test the loyalty of Abraham so he made a request of him, to sacrifice his miracle son. Abraham proved to be very loyal; he hiked up a mountain with his son and bound him to an alter. Just as Abraham was bringing down his knife to make the sacrifice, an angel of the lord appeared and stopped him right before he did anything. Abraham was then presented a lamb caught in nearby bushed, which he made his sacrifice instead.
People make sacrifices for many reasons, whether its love, ambitions, or beliefs. The idea of making a "true sacrifice" is a concept up to interpretation. I believe that when a sacrifice is made with good intentions and for higher beneficiary purposes than it is a true or pure sacrifice. To me an instance of sacrifice where you give up something for someone you care about, anywhere from a sandwich to your life, is the purest form of a pure sacrifice.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Jason and the Golden Fleece Ryan Collins
In order to regain his birth right of the throne of Iolcus from his uncle Pelias, Jason must retrieve the Golden Fleece, which is held on an island in the distant land of Colchis, heavily guarded by some terrible mythological monstrosity. Due to the quest's adverse conditions, Jason organizes a team of 50 of the most well renowned heroes of that time, and then sets sail for Colchis on his prophecy giving ship called the Argus. They sail around and get in all sorts of wild shenanigans while traversing the perilous Black Sea, but eventually get to the island of Colchis only to be met by King Aeetes, who tells Jason and his Argo-pals that he will voluntarily give Jason the Golden Fleece he so desperately seeks if he successfully completes three (seemingly impossible) tasks like tilling a field using fire breathing oxen, and defeating the fire breathing dragon that defends the Fleece. Jason completes the tasks with the help of the King's daughter, Medea, and sails back home with her and the Fleece, and takes his uncle's throne.
As a child, I loved Gundam Wing action figures. My father would always bring them home from business ventures, an event that merited a whole day of assembling and playing with the newest addition to my vast collection. On one beautiful summer evening, my parents had a few friends over from work who brought with them their children, who all played in my room with me. In fear of something happening to them, I hid the Gundams in my closet, where they would be safe from the prepubescent rage of one of the kids. After all the guests had left, i eagerly returned to my room to play with my toys, only to realize my closet had been ransacked and my toys left disfigured. I have not had my vengeance yet, but when I finally track down the person who committed such a cruel crime, I will be sure to destroy everything they have ever loved.
As a child, I loved Gundam Wing action figures. My father would always bring them home from business ventures, an event that merited a whole day of assembling and playing with the newest addition to my vast collection. On one beautiful summer evening, my parents had a few friends over from work who brought with them their children, who all played in my room with me. In fear of something happening to them, I hid the Gundams in my closet, where they would be safe from the prepubescent rage of one of the kids. After all the guests had left, i eagerly returned to my room to play with my toys, only to realize my closet had been ransacked and my toys left disfigured. I have not had my vengeance yet, but when I finally track down the person who committed such a cruel crime, I will be sure to destroy everything they have ever loved.
Abraham and Isaac- Chelsea Southworth
God decided to test Abraham, ordering him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on a mountain. Abraham dutifully cut all the wood for the offering and took his son up the mountain. Isaac wondered where the lamb for the sacrifice was; his father told him that God would provide the lamb. Abraham bound Isaac to the wood and lifted his knife to kill the boy, but before he could, an angel of the Lord came down to them. The angel said to stop, and praised him for his fear of God. A ram suddenly appeared to take Isaac's place as a sacrifice. The angel came back down and told Abraham that, as a reward for his willingness to sacrifice his son, his descendants will be as plentiful as the stars and that they will bless all nations.
True sacrifice, ultimately, depends on the individual; it's giving up what you love and cherish the most. For Abraham, it was his dearly beloved son. True sacrifice could be giving up something physical, like a person, a job, or a hobby, or it could be something less tangible, like a belief, passion, or even love itself. Another key factor of sacrifice is knowing that it can't be undone: true sacrifice is permanent. If I gave up reading for a day, that would be a temporary sacrifice; it would be made more real if I gave up reading for life. Just like beauty, true sacrifice is ultimately in the eye of the beholder.
True sacrifice, ultimately, depends on the individual; it's giving up what you love and cherish the most. For Abraham, it was his dearly beloved son. True sacrifice could be giving up something physical, like a person, a job, or a hobby, or it could be something less tangible, like a belief, passion, or even love itself. Another key factor of sacrifice is knowing that it can't be undone: true sacrifice is permanent. If I gave up reading for a day, that would be a temporary sacrifice; it would be made more real if I gave up reading for life. Just like beauty, true sacrifice is ultimately in the eye of the beholder.
Abraham and Isaac - Jonathan Tungate
This story is about god telling Abraham to sacrifice his only son on a mountain as a burnt offering. He set off on the journey and told his servants to stay with the donkeys while Abraham and his son would go worship on the mountain. Isaac was confused as to why there was no lamb to sacrifice and Abraham told him the lord would provide the lamb. Abraham then bound his son in ropes on the altar and rose the knife to kill him. Then an angel appeared and told Abraham to spare his son because it was obvious he fear the lord, and that is good. He looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket of thorns, so that could be the sacrifice instead of Isaac. Then god called out to Abraham telling him he's happy he would kill his son for him, so he blesses Abraham and tells him he will have a very large family line.
Everyone makes sacrifices every day, and these are usually not that big a deal, and don't have a huge impact on your life. This could include, letting someone take the last milk carton, or lending someone your coat. Which is nice, but this is not a true sacrifice. A true sacrifice is one that will change you, and you lose something that is more important to you than anything. This change will impact the rest of your life. Obviously this is something we don't see very often, but it does happen. Think of Harry Potter's mother, giving her life for her child to save him, that is a true sacrifice. Or, given you're stranded on a desert island, letting the person(s) stranded with you permission to eat you first, that is a true sacrifice, and I respect this variety of sacrifices most of all.
Everyone makes sacrifices every day, and these are usually not that big a deal, and don't have a huge impact on your life. This could include, letting someone take the last milk carton, or lending someone your coat. Which is nice, but this is not a true sacrifice. A true sacrifice is one that will change you, and you lose something that is more important to you than anything. This change will impact the rest of your life. Obviously this is something we don't see very often, but it does happen. Think of Harry Potter's mother, giving her life for her child to save him, that is a true sacrifice. Or, given you're stranded on a desert island, letting the person(s) stranded with you permission to eat you first, that is a true sacrifice, and I respect this variety of sacrifices most of all.
Abraham and Isaac -- David Stevens
The
story of Abraham and Isaac is central to the origins of three of the world’s
major religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. It illustrates that the
Lord’s people must be willing to make great sacrifices to Him to show their
faith. The story begins when God explicitly commands Abraham to sacrifice his
only son Isaac on a mountain. Abraham, Isaac and a few servants travel by
donkey for three days until they find a suitable mountain. Abraham is forced to
lie to his inquisitive son, who notices that they have brought no animal to
offer to God. Abraham tells Isaac that “God will provide himself a lamb” for
the ritual burning. On the mountain peak, Abraham prepares a pyre and is about
to slay his son when God stops him. The Lord rewards Abraham for his
faithfulness by decreeing that his descendants will “multiply . . . as the
stars of the heaven” and inhabit all the nations of the earth.
TRUE
SACRIFICE
True
sacrifice is not a common phenomenon in today’s world. Most people are not
willing to give up everything for a greater purpose. Perhaps this is
reasonable; it is much easier to live a comfortable life than it is to channel
all your efforts into one cause. However, the most important events in modern
history have come only as the result of great personal sacrifice. The founding
fathers risked treason against the British Empire to fight for their high-minded
ideals. Over the centuries, countless soldiers and martyrs have given their “last full measure of
devotion” to fight for those same ideals. True sacrifice is a quality that we
should all respect for its power and importance in the human story.
Abraham and Isaac - Gibbs
One day God instructed Abraham to kill his son Isaac as a sacrifice to him. Though he loved his son, Abraham knew he had to obey God. He therefore went up a mountain and prepared to sacrifice Isaac. At the last moment, however, God prevented Isaac from taking his son's life. He instead provided a great ram as a substitute and praised Abraham for being loyal and obeying even the most terrible demands.
Life is overflowing with sacrifice; every relationship involves sacrifice, whether it be between parents and their children or simply friends. Time, money, happiness-we give all of these things for people we love. Genesis 22 insinuates that Abraham loves God more than his own son when he is willing to kill him as sacrifice. When parents relinquish thousands of dollars and a many years of their life to care for their children, they are showing that they care more for their offspring than for money or time. Sacrifice is a display of loyalty and love that we use nearly every day of our lives.
Life is overflowing with sacrifice; every relationship involves sacrifice, whether it be between parents and their children or simply friends. Time, money, happiness-we give all of these things for people we love. Genesis 22 insinuates that Abraham loves God more than his own son when he is willing to kill him as sacrifice. When parents relinquish thousands of dollars and a many years of their life to care for their children, they are showing that they care more for their offspring than for money or time. Sacrifice is a display of loyalty and love that we use nearly every day of our lives.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Jason and the Golden Fleece--Angela Maske
In the time before the Trojan War, Jason, the son of Aeson, would set off on a journey with a seemingly impossible goal.
Pelias, half-brother of Aeson, locked Aeson up and claimed the throne of Ioclus for himself. An oracle told Pelias that one of Aeson's descendants would seek revenge on him. Aeson had a son while in the dungeon named Jason, and so naturally Pelias believed that Jason was the subject of the prophecy. So, he commanded that Jason pursue an impossible mission that Pelias hoped would kill the boy.
So, without a choice, Jason recruited fifty of the most important heroes in Greece to accompany him on the Argo and set off for the land of Colchis. Once he arrived, Jason asked King Aeetes for the fleece, and while Aeetes agreed to his face, he secretly was planning to make sure that Jason would fail. He told Jason to plow the land and sow the teeth of a dragon. This created an army of warriors that attacked Jason and his squad.
Luckily, Medea, Aeetes' daughter, was smitten with the heroic Jason and decided to help him. In order to escape Colchis, Medea captures her brother, kills him, and spreads his body parts throughout the sea so that King Aeetes will have to spend time looking for all the pieces. Ultimately, the Argonauts were able to make their way back home, and Jason completed his quest.
"Jason and the Legendary Golden Fleece." Ancient Origins. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Warning: House of Cards Season 1 and 2 Spoilers ahead
The political arena, especially as portrayed by fictional media, is known for its shady deals and backstabbing. In the Netflix series House of Cards, Francis Underwood makes a deal with journalist Zoe Barnes to provide inside political information in exchange for strategic press. They strike up a relationship that is simultaneously political and sexual. And for a while, it works...both parties get what they want. But when Zoe begins asking for too much and pushing too far in her investigations, Frank must get rid of her. In this instance, Zoe had too strong an allegiance to her career, and was ultimately far too trusting of Frank. Despite his relationship with Zoe, Frank knew what he had to do to advance his own career and prevent Zoe from finding out the dark secrets that were hidden.
Pelias, half-brother of Aeson, locked Aeson up and claimed the throne of Ioclus for himself. An oracle told Pelias that one of Aeson's descendants would seek revenge on him. Aeson had a son while in the dungeon named Jason, and so naturally Pelias believed that Jason was the subject of the prophecy. So, he commanded that Jason pursue an impossible mission that Pelias hoped would kill the boy.
So, without a choice, Jason recruited fifty of the most important heroes in Greece to accompany him on the Argo and set off for the land of Colchis. Once he arrived, Jason asked King Aeetes for the fleece, and while Aeetes agreed to his face, he secretly was planning to make sure that Jason would fail. He told Jason to plow the land and sow the teeth of a dragon. This created an army of warriors that attacked Jason and his squad.
Luckily, Medea, Aeetes' daughter, was smitten with the heroic Jason and decided to help him. In order to escape Colchis, Medea captures her brother, kills him, and spreads his body parts throughout the sea so that King Aeetes will have to spend time looking for all the pieces. Ultimately, the Argonauts were able to make their way back home, and Jason completed his quest.
"Jason and the Legendary Golden Fleece." Ancient Origins. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Warning: House of Cards Season 1 and 2 Spoilers ahead
The political arena, especially as portrayed by fictional media, is known for its shady deals and backstabbing. In the Netflix series House of Cards, Francis Underwood makes a deal with journalist Zoe Barnes to provide inside political information in exchange for strategic press. They strike up a relationship that is simultaneously political and sexual. And for a while, it works...both parties get what they want. But when Zoe begins asking for too much and pushing too far in her investigations, Frank must get rid of her. In this instance, Zoe had too strong an allegiance to her career, and was ultimately far too trusting of Frank. Despite his relationship with Zoe, Frank knew what he had to do to advance his own career and prevent Zoe from finding out the dark secrets that were hidden.
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