As I prepared for the sermon I preached at my church several weeks ago, this notion of loving the enemy stayed fresh in my mind and I joked with the youth group that I’d preach about Steven Universe (some of the kids are fans). Both this series and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic have told us redemptive… Continue reading Loving the Enemy and Building Community in My Little Pony and Steven Universe
Author: Taylor Ramage
3 Writing Lesson from Martial Arts Training
One of the several activities that has kept me busy over the last few months is the kung fu and tai chi classes I’ve been taking. Martial arts is currently my only form of exercise; I train hard and feel physically healthier than I have been my whole life. I had many reasons for deciding… Continue reading 3 Writing Lesson from Martial Arts Training
Movement, Movement, Movement, and Repose: A Sermon
On February 19th, 2017, I had the privilege of preaching at my church. I framed my sermon around the Revised Common Lectionary texts for that week, which included Matthew 5:38-48; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23; and Psalm 119:1-8. The following is the text of the sermon. So, I read an article a couple months ago about… Continue reading Movement, Movement, Movement, and Repose: A Sermon
Tradition vs. Tech? Saving the Internet and Saving the World in Summer Wars
This is an article I wrote that was originally published on The Ontological Geek. Think pieces about the impending dominance of technology over every aspect of our lives abound on the Internet. Data, gadgets, online games, and social media are already integral parts of daily life. The consequences of blending the digital with the real… Continue reading Tradition vs. Tech? Saving the Internet and Saving the World in Summer Wars
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Fusion: Mysterious Unity in Steven Universe
This is an article I wrote that was originally published on The Ontological Geek. Steven Universe follows Steven and his caretakers Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl as they chill in Beach City, saving the world from monsters and aliens who want to destroy Earth. Steven’s guardians are “gems,” an all-female alien race from a planet called Homeworld,… Continue reading In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Fusion: Mysterious Unity in Steven Universe
Antigone in Ferguson
On Saturday 1/21/17, over half a million people gathered in Washington, DC for the Women’s March and hundreds of thousands more gathered in cities across the nation. Several members of my church family went to DC, making it known that whatever version of Christianity that is now in the White House is not in line… Continue reading Antigone in Ferguson
A World Cut From One Cloth: Personal Sin and Systemic Sin in Kill la Kill
Originally published on The Ontological Geek. Ragyo’s grand entrance in Studio Trigger’s Kill la Kill (2013) marks the beginning of a changing tide in the story. Up until this point, Ragyo’s daughter Satsuki is the main villain. Satsuki rules a high school called Honnouji Academy with a similar brilliance to her mother. There, clothing is literally power as… Continue reading A World Cut From One Cloth: Personal Sin and Systemic Sin in Kill la Kill
Your Truth in Music: Honesty and Performance in Your Lie in April
I’m slowly getting around to watching the anime my Internet circles keep talking about and just recently finished Your Lie in April. I particularly enjoyed how the series dramatizes musical performance and the emotions that go into it. Music is the only consistently honest expression in the entire series. By that I mean in just… Continue reading Your Truth in Music: Honesty and Performance in Your Lie in April
Refusing Octavia Butler’s Vision in The Parable of the Sower
My church family has been passing around The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. When I finished it, I closed the book thinking, “Huh, okay then.” I’ve read my fair share of bleak novels all through college and for me, The Parable of the Sower comes in second place in the extremely short list… Continue reading Refusing Octavia Butler’s Vision in The Parable of the Sower
Goodreads Review–Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race
Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race by Debby Irving My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes, members of socially privileged groups will only hear accounts of dismantling oppression from someone who also belongs to that same privileged group. Other times, those members of privileged groups who want to do the… Continue reading Goodreads Review–Waking Up White: And Finding Myself in the Story of Race