MY BRIEF TESTIMONY

BRIEF 5 min. PERSONAL TESTIMONY - BARRY BALLARD

On a warm summer day in Washington D.C., I sat in a small movie theater listening to a re-broadcast of a Billy graham crusade that had been previously given elsewhere. I was attending with a Christian group who ministered on the air force based where I was stationed, "Andrews Air Force Base". At the conclusion of the presentation, there was an invitation given to receive Christ and counselors were standing up front to pray with those who came forward. The house lights went up and I went forward and prayed to receive Jesus Christ into my life. This was not the moment of my true conversion, this was "preparation-of-heart", part one.

On a humid pitch-black night in 1969, my plane touched down on the Saigon airfield that was currently under rocket attack. Black-out conditions were in effect and we were rushed to trucks and then transported to our barracks and its inclusive bunker for protection. I was assigned an m16 rifle, two clips of ammo, and given a helmet and flack-vest. I spent my first night in Saigon standing in the bunker, wondering "why?" I was even here. I understood none of it, except that supposedly it had to do with communism and we were protecting democracy. But, I just felt abandoned to the most bizarre and remote assignment I could imagine. I worked "support", so I do not want to give the false impression that I was "combat"; but I did serve some time in the jungle. Only one man died in our group during the year I was there; and he told me beforehand that he wanted to die and never return home. He had received his divorce papers in the mail about a week before my arrival. He was shot down in a helicopter "one" day before he was to return home. My one year in Saigon was a lesson in the deterioration of the human spirit and soul. Eventually, I also learned to hate myself and "living" and could care less about what might lie ahead. I was returning to the states with a crushed human soul, devoid of all optimism. This was "preparation-of-heart", part two.

On a humid gray-dusk-like-evening, I found myself, in 1970, driving through the main gate of Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. I soon settled into my tasks of working in the 7th bomb wing headquarters, in support roles again as usual. I also served on the honor guard for special occasions for fallen veterans funerals, or award ceremonies. Even though my personal psyche was "wasted“; I was considered an admirable employee and respected for my abilities. My inner life however was an absolute disaster that I did not "share" with anyone. Strangely enough; I was visited by representatives of the "Navigators"; the same Christian organization that had approached me in Washington D.C. I began attending bible studies two nights a week and felt a little better about life by receiving this follow-up. I'll call this "preparation-of-heart", part three.

During my term of service at Carswell, I met my wife to be, Beverly, who invited me to her church in River Oaks, "Trinity Baptist Church". They had a young pastor, John Hatch, who was just finishing his doctorate at Southwestern and the atmosphere attracted me. It was in 1973, “4” years after that initial "preparation-of-heart"; that I made an honest commitment to Jesus Christ and immediately followed that with baptism.

From there, the road did not get any smoother, but my “soul” began a healing process that eventually went from healing to true "Wonder and Discovery". The first thing that was revealed to me was my spiritual gift, which is "Teaching". While at Trinity, I ended up writing three commentaries: James, Colossians, and Philippians. All three helped me grow in my commitment to Jesus Christ.

True conversion was preceded by three moments of "preparation-of-the-heart" in my case. Over a four year stretch of time, God never gave up on me. I think the strength of my testimony must be given to the strength of God's loving patience; to lead me along the final path that would secure my faith. Thank You.
















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Friday, May 9, 2014

LEVINAS' PHENOMENOLOGY FROM "TOTALITY & INFINITY"

click link:  http://www.mediafire.com/listen/4jkdsu5desy7550/levinaspm.mp3

NEW METAPHYSICS OF "UNIVERSAL INCARNATION":

MASTERPIECE: this manuscript is considered essential reading for anyone researching phenomenology or post-modern thought. Derrida found it so significant that he wrote a separate commentary for it that later appeared in his collection of essays. The manuscript is 304 pages and is divided into "4" sections as follows: 1-109: "phenomenology"; 109-187: "auto-affecting interiority"; 187-254: "dokounta threshold of conversation and seeking of FACE; 254-304: "ethics and ambiguity". The first 109 pages are the declarative-phenomenology, and the heart of the essay. The remaining sections are elaborations for the reader, if needed. Depending on your experience with the structure and function of phenomenology and its sub-sections; it is possible to read the primary first section and get all of the necessary content for Levinas' position.

THE UNDERLYING PRESUPPOSITION: fundamental to Levinas' position is his "logic-of-incarnation", which he articulates in "6" moments: IRREVERSIBILITY; RECOVERY OF IDENTITY; PRIMORDIAL RELATION; SOJOURNING; TRANSCENDENCE; & AUTO-CHTHONOUS.

THE CENTRAL IMPORTANCE OF "FACE": "Face", for Levinas, is the metaphorical expression for the "Epekeina-otherness" that lies behind any concrete-form or articulation of "otherness". It is "essence" of the "other. This essence is debated and refined at the conversation-threshold of gathered like-minded individuals who also seek the "site-of-dwelling" that eludes us. This conversation-dialogue leads to an uplifting-epiphany of FACE, a rupture-event.

THE JEWISH TEACHER WHO SAID "ATHEISM": the axis threshold for Levinas' true subjectivity consists of a self who holds in tension "2" fundamental relational concepts: "separation" & "enjoining". Atheist-separation is required by the notion-of-infinity that is absolute transcendence. And the imperative of the quest-for-truth guides the self toward rejoining the "other", in the reciprocal project.

THE TRIAD OF THE LOGOS: Levinas presents the over-arching metaphysic of LOGOS as: INTERIORITY; EXTERIORITY; & COINCIDENCE. "Interiority" is the self-expression of "otherness" as "living-presence". "Exteriority" is the conversation-dialogue of exchanging "behaviors-of-the-other". And finally; "coincidence" is the "language-of-the-eye" that sees the "gesture-of-FACE as "revealed-content" coinciding with "revealer-essence".

ENJOY YOUR RESEARCH: this manuscript is packed with content, logically presented, fully accessible (if read ten pages at a time in small bites), and will create epiphanies of its own. I loved this 5-star manuscript.
Posted by at 11:48 AM

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