It Wasn't the Play Calling

For decades the Green Bay Packers have been able to count on support from their fans. The teams between Lombardi and Holmgren were, to put it pleasantly, rather mediocre. But, the fans endeared. It would take the Packers 29 years before they would win a Super Bowl following their Super Bowl II victory. Support of the fans is even evident in away games, where some stadiums seemingly have more Packer fans than those for the home team. Fan support has allowed for a major increase in Packer facilities. Lambeau Field just completed another expansion and renovation this year, after having a major expansion and renovation completed in 2003. With its standing room only areas, stadium capacity is apparently second only to New Yorks’ Metlife Stadium for regular season capacity. The Packers are now looking to further increase their presence through acquisition of land to build a more robust full-time entertainment venue—the Ttiletown District. This district will include a large plaza, a four-star hotel, a health care facility; and of course it would not be Wisconsin without an expanded restaurant with its own brewpub. However, the Titletown District becomes meaningless unless the Packer organization can field a competitive team.

Proposed Titletown District
Source:  Google Images

Given the team’s performance over the last three months of the season, having lost six of their last ten games, including three at home, one can wonder if they actually have a competitive team. But for the Hail Mary pass at Detroit, it would be even worse. It is more than play calling as their offensive performance since Head Coach Mike McCarthy took over play calling duties has been lack-luster as well. Since the Lombardi era, the Packers have failed to produce consecutive championships, and only in the 1990’s returned to a consecutive Super Bowl. For over three months we hear the same words: the fundamentals need to be better, the team needs to play better. All generalities which are easier said than done, and if they are easily accomplished why have the issues not been corrected? The unsaid issue is poor player performance, which can be related to several factors. In some cases the players lack the natural ability, some may be playing with nagging injuries, and some after receiving a fat paycheck see their production fade. Yes, Jordy Nelson has been injured all season, but if he is the reason Aaron Rogers should provide his MVP awards to Nelson. The Packers lack the talent in the front office to any longer find the necessary talent to appropriately build the team, whether through the draft or by free agency. The front office has over paid players who a year or two later we find our now rather pedestrian. The team has had its share of injuries, but so too did the last Super Bowl squad. That last Packer Super Bowl team had a mantra of next man up, that mantra no longer works. Heck, even some starters lack proper ability. The head coach claimed at the beginning of the season that the offensive line is the best he has had. With 47 sacks, and a pass protection rank of 23 and even lower for the run game I hope he is no longer making that claim. The play of the line is integrated with play elsewhere. One sports columnist said that without Jordy Nelson, the Packers have the slowest receiving corps in the NFL. No wonder receivers can’t get open. That affects line play.

Lambeau Field
Source:  Google images

With slow receivers, teams now play man-to-man coverage and are able to load along the line of scrimmage with one safety back. This prevents the ability to run the ball, and allows more defenders the opportunity to blitz the quarterback on pass plays. The Packer offense is predicated on receivers being open at the end of the QB drop back, but this year they are not. It is a system, according one analyst, that uses isolation routes meaning the onus is on the receiver to use speed and technique to get open, but that is not occurring. The wide receivers lack the capability to get open. In fact, this season Davante Adams finished as the sixth lowest graded receiver in the NFL!  He is not a second or third string receiver, but a starter.  Of all receivers on the team, only Jones (brought in due to Nelson’s injury) had a positive grade. It is quite apparent that the Packer organization has not fit the players to the scheme, and they continue to run the same scheme.

 Green Bay v. Vikings Jan. 3, 2016
Notice how no receivers are open, and Rogers is almost out of time to throw
Source:  Peter Prisco, NFL Analyst from CBS Sports

Not accustomed to this, Rogers looks at coming pressure and misses the few opportunities available. Defensive pressure then gets to him. Rogers himself was sacked 46 times this past season, thirteen in the last three games, where he lost three fumbles (two for touchdowns) and threw two interceptions. Even the use of a two tightend set during the last Viking fame failed to assist the running game. Use of misdirection and screen or draw plays has also failed to provide suitable offensive production. Their coaching staff must realize this, but yet all we hear is the same old, same old. The Packer defense has never been one of the better units in the NFL for the past few years, and the more the defense is on the field, the more tired they get and production will drop. The three plays and out of the Packers offense has placed the defense on the field with little time to rest. The Packers are pathetic on third down efficiency. For the 2015 regular season the Packers ranked 28 of the 32 teams in third down efficiency. In the last three games their efficiency was even worse.

Packers at Arizona, here a receiver is open but A Rogers misses him
and instead thows an imcomplete pass to the receiver at the top of the image.
Source:  Peter Prisco, NFL Analyst from CBS Sports

Sports media types claim this team, not unlike the 2010 team, can make a run for the Super Bowl. After all, the argument goes, the 2010 team won the Super Bowl at the Jerry Dome (AT&T Stadium) by beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like the 2010 team, this team has to play away in at least two games to advance. The 2010 team was a 6th seed, this team a 5th seed. Both entered the playoffs with 10 wins and 6 losses. Yes, there are some similarities, but there are also glaring differences that the sports media overlooks. In 2010 the six Packer losses were all close games, with the total point difference of those six losses being less than 20 points. My goodness just two weeks ago, Dec 27, the 2015 Packers lost to Arizona by 30 points alone. Total point difference this year for the losses is 72. There are other differences as well. The once much vaunted Packer offense, which ranked 6th in overall offense in the 2014 season ended the 2015 regular season ranked 23rd. In 2010 the offense total rank was 9th—in the top ten as compared to the bottom ten this season. There is an old saying that defense wins championships, and as strong as the Packer offense was in 2010, the defense was even better as it ranked 5th overall. This year while the defense finished better than the offense, it still came in at a middling 15.

Titletown Entertainment District site plan
Source:  Google images

The point of all of this is that the personnel of the team is not where it needs to be, and as a result the production of the team is significantly decreased. The Titletown District may all turn out really nice, improve the area, but the Packers need to focus on their core business—football. They cannot enjoy living in the past. The mediocre nature of the team, I believe goes all the way to a front office more focused on brick and mortar development than the team on the field. It is a general manager who has, quite frankly blown the ability of the team to develop through the draft and make proper decisions for extended contracts for veterans. If Ted Thompson is still with the team after the end of the season, the Packer organization will have proved that they are taking their fans for granted. That they do not care about a winning product on the field. Five years ago, with its last Super Bowl win, the press and talking heads were praising Ted T. If he gets the praise for building a team, he should get the scorn for having failed to keep that team competitive. Yes, we Packer fans are resilient, and we are loyal. However, if you are at a game that is a loss you may just want to get home and not have a beer and dinner within the Titletown District. Few fans fork out money for sport apparel for a losing team. The Board of Directors need to focus the energy of the organization on its core product, so that there can be more titles to Titletown, and that the city, team, and fans do not only have to live dreaming of past glory.  After all, if another team surpasses the team in the number of titles, than the Titletown name is a farce.

Anyway, Go Pack Go!

Hail Mary

A few weeks ago the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions on a play commonly referred to as a "Hail Mary."  The last second desperation pass apparently received its name from former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in 1975.  When asked about a last second long pass to Drew Pearson, Staubach, a Roman Catholic, said: "I closed my eyes and said a Hail Mary."  Prior to that point, the play was called an Alley-Oop.  With Staubach's phrase the play now had a different name and one that has entered the lexicon related to last second desperation passes in football.  However, the term may actually derive from Notre Dame, when during a game in 1922 one of the lineman, act who was a Presbyterian, suggested praying the Hail Mary, and what followed was a touchdown against Georgia Tech.  The term Hail Mary is now being used for any last ditch effort.

Magnificat from St John's Bible
Source:  Google images

Mary is perhaps most recognized in Roman Catholicism, but she has more mentions in the Koran than in the Bible.  In the Bible, Mary speaks four times, and the only extended portion of speech is Magnificat uttered in her early pregnancy.  This occurs during Mary's visit to her relative Elizabeth who is pregnant with who would turn out to be John the Baptist.  Today, January 1, Roman Catholics celebrate the Solemnity of the Holy Mother of God.  The Virgin Mary goes by an assortment of names, and a recent article in "National Geographic" (December 2015) began with a list of a variety of names.  She has more monikers, than I have nicknames for my wife.  January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States, although one would not know so by attendance at mass.  It plays second fiddle to the Christmas celebration of the birth of Christ a week earlier. Without Mary would there have been the birth of Christ?  I suppose God could have chosen another woman for the role.  Protestants often think that Catholics revere mary more so than God, but for Catholics it is to her for intercession in prayers.  Get to God through Mary, or the saints, so the thinking goes.

Mural at the Church of the Visitation, where Mary met Elizabeth

If Protestants desire biblical evidence of intercession, one only need to look to the gospel of John where he relates the story of Jesus and his mother at a wedding in Cana.  When the wine runs out a rather embarassing situation for the bride and groom, not to mention the bride's father who was probably footing the bill the story unfolds.  In the account, Mary goes up to Jesus and simply says, "They have no wine."  In a rather curt reply which only a few sons would be able to say to their mother and not get the evil eye (or worse) Jesus responds "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?  My hour has not yet come."  It is here it gets interesting, his mother plays the best of Marie Barone when she then says to the servants "do whatever he tells you."  Jesus cannot simply not do anything, what would his mother say.  She did not ask, she commanded his action.   Jesus tells the servants to fill six large water jugs standing nearby and to fill them with water.  After they are filled, Jesus tells them to draw some out and taste it--it not just wine, but a really good wine.  John makes a point of relating that the guests were perplexed that the best wine was saved for last. If anyone doubts the power of a mother with her son, they only need to read this account, or think of the Ray and Robert Barone.  It is intercession of Mary with Jesus her son that Catholics believe.

Excavated water jug, thought to be the type used at the Wedding in Cana
Photo is of a jug found at the location of the wedding reception

The article in "National Geographic" related various stories of intercession to the Virgin Mary, but I note two.  First, is the story of a man from Boston who was given just months to live, due to cancer engaging much of his body.  At the urging of some friendds he went to Medjugorje, which is in Bosnia and Herzegovnia.  A week after his return to the US a CT scan showed his cancer had shrunk to almost nothing. Since that visit in 2000, the man has returned 13 times.  The second story was the Vatican recognized appearance of Mary to some girls in a small village in Rwanda.  On August 15,  1982 Mary first appeared to one and the two other girls.  The horrible vision imparted to the girls is what they saw during the genocide 12 years later.  The Blessed Virgin's appearance at Medjugorje has not yet been approved by either the local Bishop or the Vatican.  The varied Bishops of Medjugorie, according the article, do not give credence to the reported apparitions.   Of the 2,000 appartions reported since 40 AD, only 28 have been approved by the local Bishop, and even fewer by the Vatican.  The faithful are not required to believe in apparitions.  In the case of the man from Boston, while his doctor noted the disapperance as being rare, it was statistically possible.  In that sense, what happened to Mr. Boyle of Boston will likely never meet the rigourous standards set for a miracle by the Vatican. Yet, that does not mean a miracle did not occur.  In Mr. Boyle's mind one did, and to him that is what is important.

Statute in courtyard of the Church of the Visitation
Depicts Mary (l) greeting Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist

Fatima, and Lourdes are perhaps the largest shrines celebrating appartions of the Virgin Mary.  In Mexico, Mary appeared to a peasant farmer in December 1531.  The overly skeptical Bishop of the region did not believe Juan Diego when first told and like the doubting Thomas wanted a sign.  Being the good lady that she is, the Virgin Mary instructed Juan to go to the top of the hill and pick roses, even though roses would not grow in that climate during December.  Juan pickes and filled his cloak with roses and when he went back to the Bishop, he opened his cloak.  Roses would stream out, but so to an image of the Virgin Mary on the cloak--the only time she has left tangible evidence.  National Geographic reports that the cloak still is in remarkable shape.  As noted in the National Geographic article, the garment has survived nitric acid that was spilled on part, and went undamaged when a bomb was placed in the flowers below the garment in order to destroy it.  The altar nearby was not so lucky.  Evidence of the divine, to a believer yes, to a nonbeliever or a skeptic no.

Cave where angel purportedly appeared to Mary and Joseph and
ordered them to flee due to the slaughter of the innocents

The article in "National Geographic is titled: "Mary: The Most Powerful Woman in the World." While Mary has the ear and mind of God, and bore the son of God, I do not think of it as power, rather as opportunity.  Mary is a mother to all of humanity and like any mother she sacrifices herself for her children.  What Mary does is give opportunity. We have the free will to decide whether or not to use the opportunity.  It is up to us to determine whether or not we wish to believe.  One of the places I visted in the Holy Land in spring of 2013 was the Milk Grotto.  Located not far from the place of birth of Jesus it is here that the Holy Family took refuge during the slaugther of the innocents, and before heading to Egypt.  Here Mary fed the infant and some of her milk spilled to the limestone floor.  Some believe that the crushed limestone has helped either heal them or allow them to bear a child.  There are many written testaments at the small office to that effect.

Church at Cana recognizing the site of the miracle of turning water to wine

However, as the Friar at the Milk Grotto it is not limestone, it is faith. Sometimes we need a tangible item on which to assist.  While many may like to think that God is on their team's side, that is probably not the case.  The Rogers Hail Mary pass was completed due to practice, the arm strength of Rogers, and quick thinking on the part of a person who was not the intended receiver.  But, there was also faith on both ends of the football. One of the Rwandan women who received that vision in 1982 notes that Mary only asks us to love her as much as she loves us.  Spoken like a true mother.

Photos by the author in Spring 2013

Christ Represented

Images, or representations, play a powerful roll in helping to educate.  There is the old saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words.  The placement of cameras in public places, and on cell phones means that many things can be recorded.  Images also help us to recall past events, and that helps us form and remind us of memories.  A common image in Christian households this time of year may be a Nativity scene.  After all, while Christmas today is becoming more about Santa Claus, the day is reallly about the birth of Christ.  The word Christmas itself comes from Christ's Mass. As I noted in a post two weeks ago, Christmas was not set until after the Emperor Constantine had converted to Christianity; a few years later the Pope declared the date to be Decembert 25.  I recall, as a young child watching as my Mom setup the creche set, and later assisting her in the effort.  The Hummel pieces in the creche were not going to be left to the dropful hands of a young boy.  The creche figurines used in my house today was a wedding gift from my aunt and uncle.   I built the manger out of scaps of dimensional cedar lumber.

Creche set at my house.
Photo by author. 12/ 2015 

Christianity has no qualms about representation of Christ, the son of God, or the prophets or figures of the old or new testament.  Some religions, such as Islam, however, have a different view.  Images were used to help educate the populace.  The United Nations estimates that in the mid-19th century only about 20% of the world's adult population could read or write.  Today, the estimate is at 80%.  Think then, how few would be able to read and write in the early days of Christianity. Therefore, artwork, or images were developed to convey and teach.  Church artwork was to assist the populace in understanding religious events. That was the purpose of the stained glass windows in the Gothic Cathedrals of Europe.   Much of the highly thought of works of art from the Renaissance have a religious theme.  The Church of the Nativity, first constructed in 326 by St Helen, mother of the then Roman Emperor Constantine, was torn down and reconstructed in 530.  When the Ottomans took over control of Jerusalem in 614, it is said they did not destroy the church, as they did most others, because of paintings depicting the Three Wise Men.  Tradition holds that the Maji were from the east and depictions often show them in the dress of a Persian.  We don't know if Christ was born in a stable or a cave, although it was more likely the latter.  In the west, the depiction of a stable seems more common.

Interior of part of Church of the Nativity
Photo by author.  4/2013

The first record of a nativity scene has it being accomplished by Francis of Assissi in the Italian village of Grecio in 1223, nearly 800 years ago.  Having obtained the approval from Pope Honorious III, Francis set up a small scene with Mary, Joseph and the baby child in a cave in that Italian village.  He added an ox and a donkey.  While villagers gathered to gaze upon the depiction, Francis used the representation as a teaching moment, to talk about the story of the birth of Christ.  Over the next couple hundered years nativity scenes would become common--traditional--in European homes.  During that time frame,  shephards and the Maji were added to the representation.

Mosaic  tile floor below current floor in Church of the Nativity.
Mosaic floors were works of art and some often told a story.
Author photo, 4/2013

While the first nativity was not created until the 13th century, artwork or sculpture has been depicting the birth of Christ since before the rise of Constantine as Emperor, although such depictions were likely limited to the catacombs and the sarcophogi of Christians who had passed the bonds of earth.  The depiction of Christ's birth was, and is common, in Byzantine iconography.  Western artists would borrow some Byzantine techniques, but of course would do their own interpretations.  After all, art is meant not to just educate.  It is to inspire.  It is to provide reflection.  It is to challenge. Everyone can be an art critic.   Prior to the printing press, monks in medieval scriptoriums would copy works and duly decorate important writing with artwork, think the bible.

Column with artwork in Church of the Nativity
Author photo, 4/2013

The Saint John's Bible, the first handwritten bible in over 500 years to be commissoned by a Benedictine abbey, was completed a few years ago. The frontispiece for the Gospel of Luke contains a modern day interpretation of the birth of Christ. With the assistance of a work by Susan Sink, let us walk through the nativity scene frontispiece, which is shown below.

Nativity Frontispiece to Gospel of Luke, Saint John's Bible.
See source below.

The eye is first drawn to the gold shaft emanating from the manger.  This shaft of gold, at least to me, is a dissonance to the overall piece. It is abrupt, and it dominates the image.  While the Christ child is not visible, one knows simply of his presence by use of the gold, which is commonly used throughout that bible to represent the presence of the divine.  Gold angels to either side of the shaft form a cross of gold, hinting at the fate which awaits the child born to a mother and foster father.  What I find interesting is that the gold shaft looks like a person with their hands raised up, like the touchdown signal.  Notice the + symbol between the two "arms" which represents the star of Bethlehem.  To one side of the manger is Mary, who is the only person to be in colored garments, she gently leans to the manger and quietly gazes into the crib to see the face of God the son.  Behind Mary is one of the three Maji.  The opposite side the gaze into the make-shift crib is held by shepherds.  What is interesting in this piece is that the oldest shepherd is a women, not a man as most manger scenes depict.  It is thought that mainly women and children were the likely shepherds tending the flock.  Also of interest are the three animals guarding the entrance to the stable or cave.  The donkey and ram can easily be placed in a biblical context, as noted by Sink, yet the third large animal is an ox. Sink notes that the depiction of the ox is based on one of the Neolithic cave paintings at Lascaux, France.  (The cave paintings are estimated to be up to 20,000 years old.)  The movement of the ox, she says, reminds of the "Little Drummer Boy." where the ox and lamb kept time."  Yet, she also notes that the four evangelists are represented in many medieval manuscripts by a symbol--in the caes of Luke it is an ox.  To me, the ox also represents the first nativity scene created by St. Francis.  The manger, Sink notes, almost looks like a book, and she attributes that to its having been drawn in "reverse perspective" style, which is a common technique in Byzantine Icons. The use of some Byzantine style makes me think of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which marks the site of birth of Christ.

Cover of Gospels and Acts of the St. John's Bible
From Google images.

What is powerful about the image is how it connects.  It connects to early humans by imaging an ox original to a Neolithic painting.  It connects to our  present day culture by the ox keeping time, as in the "Little Drummer Boy."  It connects to the Byzantine Church of the Nativity by marking the location of the birth of Christ.  Such is the power of the represenations of the Nativity.  This is the power of art.  Yet, there is more.  While the gold draws the eye, and at the same disrupts our view of this work of art, it also directs the eye to the large-sized letters done in gold at the bottom rendered over varied colors.  These words harken, as noted by Susan Sink, to Zechariah (the father of John the Baptist in presaging John's preaching) when he says, "By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in the darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79).

Location of birth of Christ
Photo by author,  4/2013

The work by Donald Jackson in the Luke frontispiece of the Saint John's Bible, is one representation of Christ. In our mind many of us will have our own view of Christ. Our represenation is derived from our experiences, our culture and our prayer life. For some, the image is ever changing as one experiences new facets in life.  The irony of the Nativity is that its power is in the humble essence of that moment. Christ was not born among the powerful, rather he was born to ordinary persons from a small town, and born well south of his hometown.  He was not even born in a building, but a cave with animals around. He was even to be a refugee due to the slaughter of the innocents. One commentator abbreviated Pope Francis' remarks on the Nativity saying "Christ uses humility and love to save the world, not impressive force or a magic wand."   Christmas is not just about Christ coming to us, but we being brought closer to Christ.  In so doing, it should also bring us closer to each other. As we celebrate Christmas this year, perhaps this post will add to your mental picture of Christ. Artwork of the Nativity informs, and reminds us of the birth of Christ, but in the end its meaning is much more.

Merry Christmas!

Sources:  

Image of Nativity scene found at:  http://archive.artsmia.org/illuminating-the-word/selected-pages.cfm

Sink, Susan.  2013. The Art of the Saint John's Bible.   A Saint John's Bible Book. Liturgical Press, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN.

The Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, MN.  2005 Gospels and Acts, The Saint John's Bible. Liturgical Press



  

Drums of War, Drums of Peace

 This morning’s newspaper, the “Wisconsin State Journal” listed television specials that would be available over the next week. In scanning the list, I took note of some that I have never seen, such as “Santa Run Over by a Reindeer” among those that are now customary.  One has been made note of this year as it is celebrating its 50th season which involves the hapless boy and his wondrous dog—“A Charlie Brown’s Christmas”. Some will be on for at least the second time within the month. It is not unusual for a television special to be adapted from a popular songs, such is the case with the former. Indicative of how times have changed, one such television special that was made out of a popular song is not now in the listing. As a child it was my mother’s favorite Christmas television special, one she would make a point of wanting to watch. “The Little Drummer Boy” was adapted from a song first written in 1941, and first recorded by the Trapp Family singers in the mid-1950’s. Originally known as Carole of the Drum, it was retitled and popularized by Harry Simeon in a group called the Harry Simeon Chorale, in 1958. The television special premiered in 1968. It was a different time from today. The older baby boomers, who are now retired, would be just graduating from high school, and the largest year of the baby boom cohort would not even have reached teenage years. The large child cohort likely added to the popularity in the creation of the childhood-based television specials.

From television special, Little Drummer Boy
Source:  Google Images

It is not like Little Drummer Boy is not still popular. While it has been parodied, it is nonetheless being sung by groups more popular to the current millennial and X generations—with names such as Pentatonix. Even Justin Bieber has sung this tune. Yet, the original television special has fallen out of date. It may be its marionette style characters within a cartoon background, or it could be that its scenes of the Three Kings and a nativity scene are not as in vogue as they were in a more religious time. One popular takeoff of the song was in a Bing Crosby Christmas special, in the year that he passed, where he sang The Little Drummer Boy while David Bowie sang a tune particularly written for the occasion Peace on Earth. The story goes that Bowie only appeared on the show because his mother liked Bing Crosby. However, because he despised The Little Drummer Boy, song writers developed the words to be sung in accompaniment. That arrangement is now known as “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy.”

Little Drummer Boy
Source:Google images

The two stories in that arrangement go well together. And the stories continue to have meaning in the world today. The Middle East is awash with strife. ISIS is ruling significant parts of Syria and Iraq, not to mention its attacks in the west. Christians are being forced to convert, be killed, or made to pay gold in accord with Islamic tradition. Muslims kill Muslims. In Israel, settlements continue on Palestinian land holdings, and more and more Christian Palestinians are forced out of a homeland they have known for over 2000 years and a land that gave birth to Christianity. But, the hate expands beyond the Middle East. Hindus are killing Christians in India, and in Africa Boko Harem, a group aligned with ISIS, continues to terrorize and kidnap Christians. Christians are being harassed by the Chinese government, well beyond church crosses being removed by the authorities. The drums of war, led by jihadists, are enveloping the world.

Israeli Settlement on land confiscated from Palestinians
Near  Bethlehem
Source: 2013 photo by author

In the television special of “The Little Drummer Boy,” a boy is orphaned when thieves kill his parents and torch his house. He escapes, but yet the event he experienced leads to his being misanthropic. Aaron become a refugee in the chaotic world of the Middle East during a time of a Roman census. What Aaron experienced in that Christmas special is similar to the actions taking place in the Middle East in current time. ISIS executes and enslaves not only Christians, but even Muslims.  There is one main difference, few children escape the capture of ISIS and instead are sold into slavery or made, against their will, to become soldiers in their jihad. ISIS is one of the main reasons for the Syrian refugee crisis. Aaron, with carnival troupe in which he hooked with in the desert, would come across the three Magi as they travel to Bethlehem to see the Christ child. While performing with the inept performers in Jerusalem, Aaron lets out a tirade of hate. He does not see kindness and caring, and if he did his hardened heart and soul would not fully recognize those actions. After the Paris attacks, and the thought-to-be lone wolf attack in San Bernardino, refugees from the Mid-East are facing a hardened heart of other nations concerned with the risk if not a terrorist entering, then the potential for radicalization once on their soil.

Steeple of the Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine
Source:  2013 photo by author

Aaron’s pet sheep is run over by a Roman charioteer as they attempt to reunite with a camel sold against Aaron’s wishes to the Magi. Knowing of their intellect and power Aaron assumes the kings can heal his pet sheep. But, the kind king bends down and tells Aaron only one other can heal his pet and points to the babe lying in a manger. Aaron possessed little. He had no gold, frankincense or myrrh. But, he did have a talent of playing his drum.  So that is what he does. The light of Christ shines on Aaron and Babaa. His heart and soul softens upon seeing that baby boy lying in a manger. Christ brought peace to Aaron’s heart. Near the end of their Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy rendition both Crosby and Bowie together sing:

Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can

Manger Square with Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem
Source: 2013 photo by author

The story of The Little Drummer Boy is about an orphaned refugee  of Middle-Eastern descent trying to find his place in what he views as a cruel and sinister world, but in the end it is about the gift of his kindness in sharing his talent by playing his drum.  But, more importantly, it is about the gift the light of Christ which leads to Aaron’s redemption. The mercy of God, in this Holy Year of Mercy. The world could still learn from the parable of The Little Drummer Boy. My mom would be disappointed that the show no longer plays. She would be disheartened about the strife in the world.  But, she would also have hope for days of glory brought on by the drums of peace.

O Christmas Tree

I have some fond memories are of putting up and decorating our Christmas tree.  I still recall, even over 35 years after her death, my mom being the one to put up the last ornament on the tree.  It was her favorite ornament--a peach.  I also recall some overly large blue spruce trees.  One was over eight feet high in a room with a ceiling just over seven feet.  That tree made innumberable pricks in my hands from putting on the lights.  Some memories are not so fond; we all have our own struggles over Christmas tree lights.  The Christmas tree is one recognized symbol of the Christmas season, and it is becoming one of the more controversial symbols as well. Its origns, however, predate the rise of Christianity.   Some have taken to calling them Holiday trees. Two years ago I wrote a post about Christmas cookies, and today turn attention to Christmas Trees.

Hovel Family Christmas Tree, about 1960
 A true traditional Hovel tree, as wide as it is tall

While the controversy over what is more "green" a real tree or an artificial (fake) tree still goes on, the new controversy is whether or not such trees should continued to be allowed in the public square.  An alderperson in a New Jersey community resigned after that community's Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  The mayor of the community noted that what ever one calls it, it is still a Christmas tree.  Our increasing secular culture desires to remove aspects or symbols with religious undertones, even resorting to euphemism.  Yet, a tree continues to be installed in Capitol buildings, in city halls and other public buildings.  There is even one on the lawn of the White House.  Is a Christmas tree a recognition of a religion?  Many different persons will have a different interpretation of that aspect.  As the nation becomes less and less religious will we find this symbol of Christmas fading away?Or, will remain and be repurposed.  Some non-Christians put of a tree at this tiime of year.  Some nones have made a sitcom-created idea part of their holiday celebration.  Christmas is big money in the nation, but it represents a gathering of family and friends for those who practice Christianity, for those who are agnostic, or those who are among the inceasing "Nones."  December 25, is becoming less about the day in which the birth of Christ is celebrated and more about celebration.  What is being celebrated?  That is left to the individual.

Hovel family tree, about 1983

The continuing controversy over Christmas, and its symbols, including the Christmas tree is part of an overall cultural revolution.  Christmas is celebrated on December 25, not because it is known as the actual day of the birth of Christ, but because the Roman Emporer Constantine celebrated it in about 336 AD.  This point in the year was also the Roman festival of Saturnalia.  A few years later Pope Julius I proclaimed that date as the celebratory date of Christ's birth.  This time of the year was chosen to coincide, not unlike All Saints day, with a pagan festival celebrations.  At about this same time of year, Dec 21 or 22, the winter solstice occurs and this feast was celebrated by pagan and druids as recognizing the death of the sun and their prayer for the sun to return.  The celestrial body we know as the sun, that medium sized star, plays an important role in our life on earth, and hence it was an important aspect of pagan celebrations.  One can think of the Eygptian sun god, Ra.  It is possible that Constantine and Julius had their own reasons for setting the date.  After all, Jesus was refugee of Jewish heritage born in Bethlehem, and December is the month of the Jewish Hanukkah celebration.

Our tree for 2015, after being set in the stand

Christians took to celebrating their religious holidays in relation to pagan feast days.  Christmas was no different.  In the same manner the Christmas tree has its roots in pre-Christian times.  Evergreen branches were brought into German homes during the solstice and were decorated with apples.  Winter in the latitude of Germany, and points north, means very short days, and one has to think that evergreen branches gave some semblance of life and hope for the future.  The Germans continued this custom as they embraced Christianity.  It became only a short leap for them to start bringing in a tree to further define and enhance this custom.  However, one report has the first Christmas Tree having been put up in Riga, Latvia 505 years ago.  Whereever the first tree appeared today we still recognize it more as an import from Germany.  Christmas trees took on a more widespread custom thanks to the Queen of England who had her husband, who was of German heritage, decorate a tree for their children to recognize the custom of his homeland.  Just as we have Anglophiles in this nation who follow Kate, followed Diana, and their children, so too this act spurred a whole industry of Christmas trees.  Well to do would try to out do the other with their decoration on the Christmas trees.  At first candles were used, and than an associate of Thomas Edison would devleop the first lights for the Christmas tree in 1882.  It did not take long for well decorated glass ornaments to make their way from Germany to other countries.

A Christmas Swag I handcraft every year with all natural materials
Branches cut from the tree, dried home-grown flowers and pine cones

A new industry has spawned, and it was more than just electic lights.  Christmas tree farms started to be established at the end of the 19th century.  It would only take a few decades for the first fake tree to come about.  I have a certain disdain for fake trees and my hope is that I can continue to put up a real tree for many years to come.  I have often referred to fake trees as oversized toilet brushes.  Much to my amazement, in doing reserach for this post, I found that the first fake Christmas tree was made by the Addis Brush Company, a company known for their toilet brushes.  So, yes, fake trees evolved from an oversized green colored toilet brush.  In some locations real trees are discouraged by insurance companies as fire risk.  Just as they limit wall, door and ceiling decorations in schools, so to fake trees.  After many years of having placed a real tree in its Great Hall, one university this year succumb to continued constant pressure from its insurance provider to use a fake tree.  To get to the size of the real tree, it has to be one massive toilet brush.

2015 Decorated Christmas Tree

One Christmas tree association, affiliated I am almost sure with the fake tree side, say their studies show that 79% of households in the US will put up a Christmas tree, and of that number 80% will be fake trees.  At work this week I did my own, nonscientific poll.  Survey says...of the 51 persons asked if they put up a tree in their home will it be real or fake, 25 said real, 22 said fake and 4 will not put up a tree.  Perhaps my place of work tends to be more associated with homeowners, and able bodied workers who have the capability to put up a real tree.  Showing a continued evolution in the industry, of those who put up a real tree, 12 have or will put up a frasier fir, with the next highest being Balsam at three.  Four did not know what type of tree they put up.  One new tree entering popularity is the Canaan, which combines the smell of the balsam and the less needle drop of the frasier.

Upclose Photo of the Tree

The Germanic tradition of Christmas trees endures.  Some call it a Christmas tree, others a holiday tree, and while it seems to have become yet another controversial symbol, it is nontheless part of our common culture. It is a custom handed down from its original pagan roots of evergreen boughs, rebadged with a tree for Christmas.  I know not what the future holds for the Christmas tree.  Yet, through all the years since the first pagans placed boughs in their dwelling one aspect, whether literal or figurative, comes through from the pagan celebrations, Jewish Hanukkah, to Christianity--light.  the early pagans saw the sun as having died and celebrated its new birth.  Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights.  In a similar way we Christians celebrate the birth of the savior during the dark days of winter in the northern hemisphere.  He turns darkness to light.  The candles we light,the lights we put up to decorate our home and tree all are to show that light can overcome darkness. Symbols are important to our cultural celebrations, and in the formation of our memories. The Christmas tree is a symbol of light over darkness, and a symbol of hope.  Traditions, symbols and the memories formed, become part of our culture.  These traditions remind us of our past and help form our future. In any event, without a Christmas tree where would Santa put the toys for good little girls and boys?

Images from author, and family archives

High Sea

 Two of the most famous shipwrecks most easily recalled by most in the US are the Titanic and the Edmund Fitzgerald. Both occurred under different circumstances, and in different bodies of water-- one in the Atlantic, and the other in Lake Superior. Many bodies of water are homes to lives and ships lost due to actions of other persons, or acts of nature. Even with all of our modern weather technology ships still sink. The sinking this past fall of the El Faro, which was lost during a hurricane in the Atlantic is proof of that point. Ships may face other fates, such as mutiny, but by and large sinking today is usually due to weather. Yet, there is a lesser known ship that saw a different fate, and what occurred is still being debated today. The ship did not sink, but its crew and passengers were nowhere to be found.

Photo of the Mary Celeste

It was on or about this date in 1872 that Dei Gratia, a ship sailing under the British flag, found an American brig erratically moving about the Atlantic, about 400 miles east of the Azores. (I say “on or about this date” since some reports has it being Dec 4, and others Dec 5.) The Dei Gratia noticed that the ship was the Mary Celeste. The Captain of the Dei Gratia, David Morehouse, found it odd since the Celeste had departed New York City on November 7, or eight days before his departure and should have reached its port in Genoa, Italy. Morehouse made preparations to alter course and move to the Celeste in order to offer assistance. The boarding party would come across an eerie scene. The lifeboat was missing, but all provisions were intact—a six month supply. The pumps for the ship were disassembled, but there was about three to four feet of water at the bottom of the ship. The sails were slightly damaged. The cargo of the ship was over 1700 barrels of industrial alcohol, but the cargo was found relatively undisturbed. An odd sight, but the ship was still able to sail.

Captain Briggs

What was not present were people. The boat had been occupied by the Captain, Benjamin Briggs, his wife and their two year old daughter with a crew of seven. The ships last log entry occurred at 5 am on November 25 with the ship placed about 500 miles west of where it was located by the Dei Gratia. The ship was taken to Gibralter, and a British admiralty court hearing was convened to determine disposition of the cargo. A three month investigation, however, delayed the cargo disposition since thoughts of mutiny or bad crew actors had led to the fate of the ship and its crew. Lack of hard facts led to a wide variety of theories—mutiny, pirates, and even sea monsters, were all within the minds of those who heard about the fate of the crew. It may have been more understandable if the ship had sunk, but the ship was found in generally sound condition with no crew. The winds of fate had pushed it east roughly following its intended course to Genoa. However, not unlike the Edmund Fitzgerald or the Titanic, the Mary Celeste would obtain some level of fame. Titanic has a movie, the Fitzgerald a song. Yet, the Mary Celeste had a documentary film (partly funded by Smithsonian).  However, the real conjecture over the story started with the publication in Britain of an article titled “J Habakuk Jephson’s Statement” in Cornhill Magazine, written by one of the great detective writers—Arthur Conan Doyle. This piece led to a 1935 film with the famous actor Bela Lugosi The magazine story even led the Attorney General, who had competed the original investigation, to reopen the case, proving, not unlike Dan Brown novels, that fiction produces fact in the minds of some.

Poster of the 1935 Movie

A few months after its location east of the Azores, a Boston Post article indicated that Pirates had killed those aboard the ship and then abandoned the ship. The article points to a splatter of blood on the sword of Captain Briggs. This seemed counter to the original investigation and is hard to square with the fact that the provisions were left untouched, and the bulk of the cargo intact. The documentary film threw ice water upon the portrayal of a maniac sailor as portrayed by Lugosi.  The Lugosi character is thought to be based on two brothers who arrived on teh ship with few personal belongings, but the reason they had few provisions was not due to their idea of taking over the ship, but because they had lost their gear in a previous voyage. Yes, a few barrels of the alcohol were disturbed, but those had been contained in red oak, not white oak, and red oak is thought to have a higher leakage rate. The pumps may have been torn apart in order to get them to function. A previous voyage hauled coal, and the thought is coal dust affected the pumps ability to function—meaning they had to be cleaned to function correctly. In the end, the thought is that in rough seas they could not tell how high the water was in the cargo deck and with their last known position it is thought land, the Azore island of Santa Maria, was in sight, the group abandoned ship. Why they did not take more provisions or some of the charts and navigation equipment is not known. They likely thought the conditions on board were worse than they actually were. The ship is thought to have been off course by about 120 miles, probably due to broken equipment. The Captain knew he should have spotted land three days earlier than he had. In the end, the Captain and his family, and the crew were never located. Maybe, they found some small uninhabited island, not unlike the Minnow with the Skipper, Gilligan, Mary Ann Ginger the Professor, and the Howell’s. More likely, the life boat went down in rough seas.

Chart of the Route of the Mary Celeste

The curious case of the Mary Celeste shows the dangers of life on the high seas. This ship did not meet a watery grave.  Nor was there clear evidence of piracy or mutiny.  The answers to the fate of the those aboard likely rests at the bottom of Atlantic.  And, the ghost ship sailed the high seas.

Images from Google Images

Priorities

Americans have become a populace driven by sound bites, desire for instant gratification, and an impatience only increased by the connected age in which we now live.  Thanksgiving a unique United States holiday.  It recognizes a meal between pilgrim settlers and Native Americans. Yet, this American holiday is undergoing a fundamental change in the way it is celebrated. Its changing status says a slew about our common national priorities. The day is becoming more and more about the start of the Christmas shopping season than about spending time with family and friends.  Although, people at work say you can have it both ways, the males stay home and watch football, and the females go out shopping.  Have these attributes become so commonplace ther are now inherent in our DNA?

Thanksgiving is a day to celebrate with family and friends and to give thanks for what we have been given. Yet it should be more than our thanks for the material goods, or our financial well-being. Having sufficient resources to purchase required goods is important. After all, few make the clothes they wear, the food they eat or the shelter in which they live. Specialization is a product of civilization. Yet, this special American holiday is being transformed.  Our common culture continually changes, and Thanksgiving presents just one case.

The day after Thanksgiving became known as Black Friday, because that is said to be the day of the year in which stores begin to actually make a profit. The Friday after Thanksgiving is, or was, the champion shopping day for the year. The term Black Friday, however, is thought to have begun as a derisive term from the 1950’s or early 1960’s and was used by police in Philadelphia in dealing with large amount of shoppers. At that time, many workers called in sick in order to get Friday off work, and that likely led to the four day long holiday for many corporations and businesses—at least non-retail. The kids were off school, and the parents wanted to be home.  The day before Thanksgiving is also the peak travel time of the year. It beats out Christmas, likely because Christmas travel is spread over more days. Time off of work led to more shoppers, which led to retail success in one day, this led to competition to start even earlier than a normal retail time of 9 or 10 am. It did not take a genius to figure out the next move—stores opening on Thanksgiving.  At some point in the past generation it seems this has become a reality. Some stores such as drug, gas stations, and grocery stores have long been open on Thanksgiving, but clothing, electronic retailers and the like were closed. In the past several years the stores began opening on Thanksgiving in the mid to late evening, but now that has turned to afternoon. Gordmann's advertises a 2 pm opening.  Perhaps next year it will be noon. Retailers would not be open, however, if there was not such a demand.  At some point, if trends continue, perhaps stores will be open all day on Thanksgiving. And, if it ultimately replaces Black Friday as the choice shopping day of the year, it would be with a certain irony, as Black Thursday in American history is associated with the large stock market drop in 1928 which is what helped precipitate the Great Depression.

Consumer culture has helped drive American growth. In a past blog, I wrote about how this affects both our built and social environments.  Our purchase of plastic toys from China, or clothes from Malaysia help drive the economy.  Although, not as much as when we bought toys or clothes made in the United States. The economic principle of the multiplier effect would grant more money to the US economy when the added value of goods occurs in the United States. In that sense, the nation help support itself. The Wisconsin farmer who bought overalls made in the mills of South Carolina helped the factory and cotton workers in the US, and the merchants in all those local communities. Likewise, a car made by GM in Janesville, helped not only the GM worker, but the local suppliers that provided parts to GM, and others who would benefit by their spending. Spending is important to the economy, but so too is strong support. Workers are often the strength of a business and a happy worker is likely a more productive worker. When a business decides to require their workers to work a shift on Thanksgiving in the hopes of increased sales they may negatively affect their personnel who may actually prefer time with their family than being forced to work on a national holiday. The large retailers may have an upper hand over the local merchant who chooses to stay home with his or her family.

Times in our nation have changed as we have moved from downtowns with many local merchants to power centers and big boxes dominated by national chains. The nation is often considered to have been settled by persons with a strong individualistic streak. The thinking goes that the democratic-capitalist system best supports those who support themselves. Yet, Alexis de Tocqueville commented in his seminal work Democracy in America about the importance of social groups to the development of the United States.  These societies or groups offered support to members. Local grange and farm groups would offer support to local farmers.  Church groups would offer support in non-rural areas. Sewing and quilting circles have been rebadged as scrapbook and stamping groups.  While the sense of individualism runs strong in the nation, the paradox is that in a good many cases the ability to draw on support from family, local clubs and societies helped to make the individual successful. Community and family support was essential to success for many persons.

The Pilgrims are often thought to be the first to set the theme of individualism for the nation. However, these early settlers were dependent upon their group, and ulitmately the sharing from the Indians during that first Thanksgiving celebration. While Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for what we have, it is also about thanking those who have supported us. Support is manifested in a variety of ways. It is accomplished when one offers prayers for another. It is accomplished when a person is there to listen. It is there when encouragement or advice is provided. It is also there in promoting success for a family member or friend. It is also present when giving monetarily to a cause in which you believe. A few examples can be used to indicate the importance of support. Some persons create non-profit charities to help gain a tax advantage, while some are created out of pure genorisity to assist others. The Triumph Fund, created to assist with advancing cancer treatment and cures at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is an example of the latter. Family members who passed away in the past few years due to cancer benefitted by prayers—their cancer may not have been healed, but they both enjoyed a level of travel even with a debilitating disease.  Also important is the way their struggles helped benefit the healthy. Yet, support does not always have to be about such heavy matters.  It is in a level of commitment to encourage success for an individual. This was shown by family support to one young member who came up with a recommendation for a beer.  That beer would have to earn first among many submitted types to be commercially produced. His idea was so supported by family members, and friends that his beer was not only successful in becoming the top beer, but it had one of the largest differentials between first and second place beer for the MobCraft Brewery. Support and care is what Thanksgiving is all about.

We should be thankful for what we have been given, but also for the support and care provided to us. Yet, I think it also then demands us to be use our talents and gifts to support others. There is always someone in need of support. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is noted as saying that whenever you do to the least of my brothers you have done unto me. Thanksgiving is not about the kickoff to the Packer-Bear game, or the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season, or Black Friday, or even Cyber Monday.  It is a day in which we should reflect on what we have done to help and care for others, and to thank those who have supported and cared for us.  Fr. Eric Hollis, OSB concluded a recent blog post by saying: “God creates us all to be gifts to one another.”  What a wonderful definition of humanity.  That is what being human is all about.  Thanksgiving is a reminder that as much as our action may be due to our individual talents, there were others who provided support, care and encouragement. But, also remember to enrich yourself by providing care and support to others in need.  As the consumer culture starts to take over yet another holiday, let us recall what is of importance, and that it is practiced on a regular basis. And if you do go shopping on Thanksgiving, please remember the workers who are there serving you and perhaps would rather be watching the Packers at Lambeau Field, if not having pumpkin pie with their family.

Images found through Google Images