The Main Character

Alright! It's finally here! Enjoy!

 On Thursday, I studied all these books. Every one of them, in one way or another, spoke to the idea that humans have a mind, emotions, and a will.

    The metaphysical aspect of a person- the part that isn’t made up of cells and molecules and subatomic particles- can be split into three distinct, yet vitally interwoven parts. (Well, in theory it can be divided. I don’t know of an actually, feasible way to divide the human psyche.) The mind is the intellectual aspect. The part of a person that stores and sorts information. The emotions determine one’s personal internal posture to information and experiences. Finally, it is with the will, or volition, that one chooses a course of action, and carries it out. The will can override the mind and emotions when necessary. All three of these aspects are important, though some personalities tend to be driven by one in particular.

    Why are we like this? It seems to me, that God built the mind, will, and emotions into us when He made us in His image. You see, God is three in person- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit- and one in essence. Though we can only be said to be one person each, our personhood has a sense of threeness to it.

    Fiction seems to have picked up on this facet of human nature. Our genre, science fiction, has many good examples that personify it. If you read last week’s Top-5 list, you know which one I’m going to talk about.

   

 Yep. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy from Star Trek. The reason I think they make such a good character trio, is that each of them seems to take up the role of one of the three aspects of human nature mentioned above.

   

 Bones is the emotion. He is the heart of the crew. On any given mission, he can be counted on to bring ethics, humanity, and passion into the discussion. Though his insights may not always line up with all the facts, they must always be considered before going forward with a decision.

    

Spock, as I think should be evident to most people, is the mind. In many episodes of  Star Trek, he is compared to a computer. He can recall and analyze information, and with little to no emotional bias, offer up all the possible solutions to the problem.

   

 Captain Kirk is the will. He takes what both Spock and McCoy, (and occasionally other members of the crew like Scotty), have to say, weighs their varying ideas, and makes the best decision possible. Sometimes, he has to override both the emotions and the logic in order to simply do the right thing.

    Therefore,while many may consider Kirk or Spock, or Kirk and Spock, to be the main character of the original series of Star Trek, I contend that the real main character is Kirk, Spock, and McCoy working together.

    
So, next time your emotions go on a rampage, make sure your will and mind hunt them down and get them back in line before they are able to accidentally cause the Nazis to win World War II. And watch out for people name Edith Keeler. If that made no sense, go watch “City on the Edge of Forever” from the first season of Star Trek. It’s a classic.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Sci-fi Trios

    Some of the best characters come in sets of three…

    Now, I suppose I’ve already spoiled the top entry of this list in my sci-fi duos post. However, you don’t know what else I’ve got on here. For example, you don’t know that I’m including another trio from TOS, do you? (Well, now you do). Also, you didn’t know that this list directly ties in to my post for next Wednesday until I just told you.

    Alright, I’d best let you experience the rest of the list for yourselves:

5. Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura (Star Trek):

    These three are probably only on the list because they are my favorite. From the little we get to see of these Enterprise sidekicks in the show, and the little bit more we get to see of them in the movies, we can tell they are not only co-workers, but close friends. Though they may not be very influential on many of the storylines, the diversity they brought to the crew was part of what made Star Trek so influential.

4.  The Eleventh Doctor, Amy, and Rory (Doctor Who):

    The Doctor had the experience (and the time machine), Amy had the adventurous spirit, and Rory had the level-headedness. The three of them were always best together. And, though bizarre, their family relationship was endearing. Yes, I cried watching “The Angels Take Manhattan”. And so did you.

3. Joel, Crow, and Tom Servo (MST3k):

    I need to write about this show on the blog more. It’s pretty great. I picked Joel over Mike for this list, because I love the dynamic between Joel and the robots. And what’s a trio about if  not character dynamics? Joel is the calm, relaxed father-figure, and Crow and Tom Servo are his bickering kids. Knowing their personalities makes it all the more fun to watch them tear apart awful movies.

2. Luke, Han, and Leia (Star Wars):

    The three human protagonists of the original Star Wars trilogy are some of the most iconic fictional characters of the past century. Han is the selfish scoundrel who changes his ways; Luke is the noble hero who grows in power and knowledge, and Leia is the “damsel in distress” who is far more competent than either of them could have expected.

1. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (Star Trek):

    This isn’t a Star Trek blog. I promise. Star Trek is just so full of good sci-fi things that I have to bring it up a lot. Also, I love it. At least I warned you this was coming. You see, together, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy make up the main character of Star Trek. How do they do this? Why is this trio of characters such an interesting study in the nature of humanity? For that, you’ll have to read next week’s post. A cliff-hanger? A cliff-hanger?! Oh NO!!

This may be one of my more controversial lists among sci-fi fans. What do you think? Do these characters make the cut for  you? Explain yourself civilly in the comments. Also, tune in next Wednesday to hear the conclusion of this post!

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Temporally Transcendent

 This weeks post is just a short musing on what I've been learning recently, summarized in rather nerdy terms. I hope you find it encouraging.

 

Did you know that God is temporally transcendent? That only means that He is outside of time, but it sounds cooler and geekier. Time does not bind Him like it does us. He does not travel through it. He is outside it and above it. Also, He knows everything. Also, He never changes, which means that He always knows everything. It makes sense, because where time does not have effect, there is no change.

Are you catching my drift? Let me elaborate a little more, because this is really cool. God knows every moment of your entire life. Always. Before the second world war, before Julius Caesar declared himself dictator of Rome, before Abraham settled the land that would be Israel, before the Pharaohs ruled over Egypt, before the universe was created, God knew your story.

Your life is precious. Your story is important. It is a mysterious, ancient legend told by the Master Author. Remember that, and I’ll try to remember it too. The things that happen to you and I aren't just random inconsequential; they are part of an epic, historical narrative.

But also keep in mind that though God is temporally transcendent, we are not. We don’t know everything that is going to happen. Our Author is good, and vast, and full of surprises. After all, He created subatomic particles. So don’t lose heart.

There are always possibilities.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Fictional Planets

So, you’re in space. What are you looking for? The stars are nice. Comets are interesting. You may even see some interstellar junk floating around. But you aren't really looking for all those things. You want to explore strange, new worlds, right? I thought so. So, here are five of the best and most interesting sci-fi planets for you to visit.

5. Naboo (Star Wars)-

Say what you will about the Star Wars prequels, but they have some pretty cool planets. Naboo was unique for its two separate cultures- underwater and on land- lush scenery, and hints of an epic history.

4.  Vulcan (Star Trek)-

A rather mysterious member of Star Trek’s United Federation of Planets, Vulcan is famous for its emotionless, highly intellectual people who have a bizarre sense of spirituality. It is a beautiful desert planet whose moons are of...questionable existence.

3. Krypton (DC Comics)-

This planet first appeared in fiction in the year 1939 as the birthplace of Superman. The many different forms it has taken over the years, as well as its destruction early on in the Superman story give it a mysterious flare, like Vulcan. In fact, the name “Krypton” actually comes from the Greek word Κρύπτός, which means “hidden one”. Bits and pieces of Krypton always seem to be popping up everywhere and causing trouble. You've probably said that something or other was your “kryptonite” before.

2. Bradbury’s Mars (The Mars Chronicles)-

One moment, it is an ancient and glorious empire, and the next, a quaint American town. Sci-fi giant Ray Bradbury paints Mars as a planet of paradoxes: the old alongside the new, hope alongside horror. Mars seems to be a character of its own in this memorable fictional portrait of the red planet.

1. Coruscant (Star Wars)-

Though its not nearly as classic or iconic as some on this list, Coruscant is definitely another thing the prequels did right. It employs the intriguing concept of a planet-sized city and displays it with stunning visuals. Though it may not be the ideal place to live, it certainly captures the imagination.

So, what are some of your favorite fictional planets? Where have you always wanted to visit? Let me know in the comments!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Utopia Reaches for Us (Part 2 of 2)

  

 So, the last Wednesday post left us in a pretty bleak place. Humanity is always looking for a perfect society that deep inside we know we were built for. In and of ourselves, however, we just can’t find it. There’s the recap of the bad news.

    Here’s the good news.  God, who authored the ultimate and only utopia, desired to restore us to that utopia. His own Son died for this rescue, and then came supernaturally back to life to complete it.

    You see, when we were striving vainly for a perfect world, and trying to be our own gods, the true God was reaching down to us to fulfill our need for utopia.

    When we allow Him to take hold of our lives, (however that happens to work. I don’t know. Please don’t debate Calvinism with me right now. Maybe later.), We are transferred from the broken tyranny of sin that we sold ourselves into at the fall.

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,  in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14, NKJV).

    Christ brings us into His restored utopia. Someday, all of us who receive Him will dwell in the  sheer and unbounded perfection of that Kingdom for all eternity. Let me tell you a bit about it:

It will be perfect-

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."  Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’” (Revelation 21:3-4).

    That’s right, perfect. All the problems and pain we’ve accumulated since we left Eden will be done away with .

It will fulfill us completely-

“ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:3-4).

    It will satisfy all the desires we were originally created to have, and our true life will be revealed!

It  will be all of us-

“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it” (Revelation 21:24).

    Members of every culture will be a part of this heavenly community-male and female. Our favorite humanist sci-fi authors so often long for this. What they don’t realize is that only in God can the best in every culture, and both genders, be brought together. He is the one who created them, after all.

It goes into eternity, and we are part of it right now-

“ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).

    We really don’t belong to this messed up world anymore. We were rescued in a time-transcending rescue plan, remember, remember? So, now, we are aliens on earth- members of a truly perfect world trying to spread the truth to other humans. That is cool. In fact, I don’t think there’s anything that can make a geeky heart, (or any heart), happier.

    This all sounds like the ultimate utopia to me. God does it way better than we do. And by His grace, utopia reaches down to us.

Be encouraged! I'd love to hear any questions or comments (other than Calvinism debates), down in the comment section!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 5 Tuesday- Iconic Things That Didn't Happen Until the Second Season

They say good things come to those who wait... And it definitely applies to those who follow a show into its second season...

5. Beaker was created for The Muppet Show

  

 

What would the Muppet Labs sketches have been like without the hapless, meeping, undefinable orange thing, Beaker? Well, they would have been a lot like season one Muppet Labs sketches, where Dr. Bunsen Honeydew had to test his exploding neckties and earmuffs on himself. (Beaker is my favorite Muppet, and when I realized he was also a second-season stroke-of-genius, I was inspired to write this list.)

4. David Tennant became the tenth Doctor on Doctor Who

He wasn’t the first Doctor of the series, or even of the relaunch, (technically, the series two he came in on was actually season 28). However, David Tennant’s iteration of everyone’s favorite Time-Lord is definitely a fan-favourite. Doctor Who picked up many new audience members during the tenth Doctor’s run. Which is good.

3. The theme music for The Twilight Zone

Because you know you whistle it whenever something even vaguely eerie or bizarre happens. The first season theme is a lot harder to whistle if you ask me, and it’s just not as memorable. (But it is still good. Go listen to it on YouTube or something).

2. Chekov!

(I’ll admit, if this was a list of my favorite things that happened in the second season, Chekov would be number one. He’s one of my favorite fictional characters ever.) For the second season of their popular space show, Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry and company decided they needed a character on the bridge of the Enterprise who would appeal to a young adult audience. Noting the popularity of The Monkees, they decided to style their new navigator after Davy Jones. The character was almost British, but for some reason or other (exactly what this reason was is debated), Roddenberry came to the conclusion that the character needed to be a Russian, since the U.S.S.R. sent the first human into space. So, Chekov joined the crew of the Enterprise, and his zealous patriotism, proclivity toward switching the letter v with the letter w, and his youth and excitement have been a staple of the legendary group ever since. Oh, and they did decide to keep the Davy Jones hairstyle, but since Walter Koenig’s hair wasn’t long enough when he first came on the show, he wore a really terrible wig.

1. The Vulcan salute

People know the Vulcan salute. People who have no idea who Chekov or Sulu are know the Vulcan salute. People who think Star Trek is Star Wars know the Vulcan salute. People who don’t know what a Vulcan is know the Vulcan salute. And it wasn’t used until the second season of Star Trek. It’s use on the show originated with Leonard Nimoy.He based it off of a blessing he saw the priests do in synagogue as a young boy when he wasn’t supposed to be watching. The salute was first used in season 2, episode 1- "Amok Time".

So, what do you think? Do you have any other examples? More pieces to these stories? Did I include too many Star Trek examples? I'd love to hear from you! 

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

We Reach for Utopia (Part 1 of 2)

 

My window looks out over a sprawling city. It seems like every ten minutes, some sort of emergency vehicle speeds past, the wail of its siren growing louder, until it echoes eerily off the walls of my room, then fades into the distance.

There is something desperately wrong with society. We as humans know this to be true on a fundamental level. We want to fix it. We want to build a perfect civilization.

Thousands of years ago, the people of the world convened together, and decided to build a tower in celebration of the ideal society they’d thought they’d formed, marked by a single ambition, and united by a single language. This tower would be the crowning achievement of their humanist utopia. They thought that by their own power, by their own greatness, they could make their world perfect. They were wrong. (If you aren't catching my drift, read Genesis 11).

Ever since the failure at Babel, the diverse peoples of earth have continued to strive for such a world, one they could take hold of and make perfect. We seem to think there’s something inherent in our race that makes us great, that makes us conquerors, that makes us world-builders, and that if we can only tap into that something, everything will go right for us.

Don’t believe me? Look at our history. Dictators have gone to extremes to bring out the parts of the human race that they think will lead to a golden future. Look at our philosophy. Great thinkers have theorized on the flaws of society, and what people can do to cure them. Look at our stories. Authors dream up utopian cities, and worlds, and federations, quite similar to the dreams of Babel, where human intuition and goodness has solved all our problems. (Sci-fi fans. You know what I mean.)

But like Babel, all our ambitions lie there unfinished. Why? Why would we long so deeply for a perfect world if we can never achieve it?

You see, humanity lived in a perfect world once. The original man and woman were completely united with one another, and fulfilled to the core of their being. And it all centered around their Creator and Sustainer, God.

God was was the author of this original utopia. As His creations enjoyed, walked with, and came to know Him, they achieved the purpose of their existence. They lived in the only truly perfect society.

Then, as we are now too painfully aware of, they fell for the ruse we have been falling for ever since. They believed the lie that they could have perfection based on their own power, knowledge, and nature, apart from God. They were wrong. (This account is in Genesis 1-3).

So, now, here our race is. Delving further into the myth that we are the key to flawless existence. That if we only try hard enough, we can do anything. All the while, we are only one step away from the true answer to all humanity’s problems: our Creator and our Lord.

We reach for utopia in every direction but up.

Yeah, I know it's more depressing than my usual fare, but this is only the first part to the story. Tune in for my next Wednesday post, two Wednesdays from today, and I'll continue with the same theme, but with a more hopeful ending. In the meantime, there will be a top 5 Tuesday article that will probably just consist of geeky fluff. I hope you enjoyed. I hope I made you think. I'd love to hear from you!

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora