Thursday, July 2, 2009
If it seems odd that one of the most Christianized nations in the world is South Korea, consider the peninsula's crisis.
I used to wonder, how and why did South Korea become so strongly Christian? This goes back to my teens, when I went to church with one of my best friends. The kal bi was excellent! But it was much more than that. It was my first real experience being around Christians young, old and in between.
I always wondered later, how Christ came to be such a focal point in a part of the world that is otherwise Buddhist, Shinto and, further south and southwest, Hindu. The how part isn't on my mind these days. The why part, though, is clear now. The faith required to help North Koreans escape the tumult of Kim Il-Jong's regime is enormously deep. Nobody else but missionaries are willing to risk their lives to help North Koreans get across the Tumen River, then through China, all the way down to Thailand, before they can reach freedom in South Korea.
It's something I'm watching on a recent episode of Wide Angle on PBS. Crossing Heaven's Border is a mirror of the reality, the risk, the sacrifice that continues on. While some people get their kicks watching a bunch of spoiled brats act stupid on programs like The Real World, folks in places like North Korea simply want freedom so bad they'll risk being killed. It's enough to make a cynic want to cheer for the underdogs again.
Showing posts with label PBS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PBS. Show all posts
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Al-Andalus
I've always been fascinated with Islamic Spain of yesteryear, when people of different faiths and cultures prospered together.
I'd read quite a while back that Jews had lived in Spain and that their descendants intermarried into Spanish and even Portuguese families. The same could be true of the Muslims, or Moors, who lived in Al-Andalus for centuries. Jews and Muslims were in Spain for 1,500 years until explusion by Catholic rulers.
These aren't the kind of things you learn in high school, but wouldn't most students find this compelling? In Hawaii, we've been heavily influenced by Portuguese culture and people. But nobody teaches these things.
The series on PBS is worth a watch, no question.
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 1
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 2
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 3
The images are so vivid and the history is so rich. I feel like traveling to Spain to see Al-Andalus and the other places where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together, then escaped to as civil war broke out. It amazes me, particularly how some Muslims migrated from Baghdad to North Africa and to Spain.
The Alcazar of Seville, Granada. Artistry and craftsmanship of Muslim hands.
I'd read quite a while back that Jews had lived in Spain and that their descendants intermarried into Spanish and even Portuguese families. The same could be true of the Muslims, or Moors, who lived in Al-Andalus for centuries. Jews and Muslims were in Spain for 1,500 years until explusion by Catholic rulers. These aren't the kind of things you learn in high school, but wouldn't most students find this compelling? In Hawaii, we've been heavily influenced by Portuguese culture and people. But nobody teaches these things.
The series on PBS is worth a watch, no question.
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 1
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 2
Islam: Empire of Faith: Part 3
The images are so vivid and the history is so rich. I feel like traveling to Spain to see Al-Andalus and the other places where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together, then escaped to as civil war broke out. It amazes me, particularly how some Muslims migrated from Baghdad to North Africa and to Spain.
The Alcazar of Seville, Granada. Artistry and craftsmanship of Muslim hands.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Rosia Montana, Romania: Power to the People
A slight deviation from the norm here. Rosia Montana is a peaceful country village in Romania that is at risk of immense upheaval. Gold Corporation plans to mine the entire mountainside of the village, which is considered the oldest settlement in the country.
The skepticism of residents is understandable, as PBS' Wide Angle documentary revealed. There have been other gold mining disasters due to the use of cyanide. This site, nodirtygold.org, goes into some detail about the conflict.
The town was once ruled by Rome, hence the name of the country, and ancient caves were the work of the invaders. Or rather, the work was done under their thumb. Now, corporate greed has arrived from Australia and Canada.
Some things never seem to change.
The skepticism of residents is understandable, as PBS' Wide Angle documentary revealed. There have been other gold mining disasters due to the use of cyanide. This site, nodirtygold.org, goes into some detail about the conflict.
The town was once ruled by Rome, hence the name of the country, and ancient caves were the work of the invaders. Or rather, the work was done under their thumb. Now, corporate greed has arrived from Australia and Canada.
Some things never seem to change.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Guns, Germs & Steel
One of the best series I've ever enjoyed, on any network, was Guns, Germs & Steel on PBS. Jared Diamond's book turned into a documentary regarding native cultures and their doomed futures as Western power and greed arrived.
Though migration of peoples was a necessity driven by overpopulation, war, poverty and other common elements throughout time, the existence of conflict and conquest just as pervasive. The winners occupy. Losers have to leave. True in pre-contact era. True today.
Diamond's ability to weave history and simplify the power of Western weaponry — guns, germs and steel — makes for a fascinating watch. I wish we had this to watch when I was back in school.
Guns, Germs & Steel at youtube.com
Though migration of peoples was a necessity driven by overpopulation, war, poverty and other common elements throughout time, the existence of conflict and conquest just as pervasive. The winners occupy. Losers have to leave. True in pre-contact era. True today.
Diamond's ability to weave history and simplify the power of Western weaponry — guns, germs and steel — makes for a fascinating watch. I wish we had this to watch when I was back in school.
Guns, Germs & Steel at youtube.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)