Capitalism
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Right Now The Best
In his 2022 album American Heartbreak, Zach Bryan (an American multi-award-winning country/rock singer-songwriter) presents a compelling critique of the prevalent ‘what is next’ culture. A culture that is focused on the future and is never satisfied with the present. In this context, people are always looking to and striving for the next thing, whether that be in a person’s career, personal life, social life, or material possessions. Bryan delves into the societal emphasis on the future, revealing how it comes at the expense of the present moment. This is one of the most honest songs that gets at one of the most corrosive effects of the current culture. Bryan (2022)…
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Something must be done, my friend: Reflecting on “I’m Still Here” from a Buddhist view
Mas não vou ficar calado No conforto, acomodado Como tantos por aí É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo[1] (Erasmo Carlos – É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo) Flowing through my mind, these are the words of Erasmo Carlos’ 1971 song “É preciso dar um jeito, meu amigo.”[2] This song is also part of the “I’m Still Here” soundtrack—a Brazilian masterpiece that evokes resistance against military coups and authoritarian regimes. MPB (Música popular brasileira, or Brazilian popular music in English) was an incredible driving force not only in denouncing the horrors of the military dictatorship in Brazil, but also in giving hope…
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Surveillance and the All-Seeing Gaze of God
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3. Whether from the mouths of cautious parents or disgruntled siblings, the ominous words, “God is watching you,” shape the beginning of ethical reflection for many Christians from a young age. At first, it might seem rather obvious what this sentence means. However, a little unraveling of the context, “who said this and how?” or “why is this the way?” reveals rather quickly that this statement is very reductive even if it is not quite false. Much more can and should be said about God’s knowledge than these four words. To use…
