Cold War history and respect for the dead

2007-03-07

I know that I’ve mentioned this before, but if you’re interested in Cold War history, then you should check out the Spione project. There’s a wiki with various espionage-related resources, and there’s a forum for discussing things like the ramifications of the Cold War on our modern day or how our families’ histories have been impacted by these events.

So, for example, the son of one of the engineers who served onboard the Glomar Explorer as part of Project Jennifer posted today, talking about his father’s pride in the fact that they buried the Soviet sailors at sea, giving them full respect as human beings. The footage of this burial, which was recently declassified, can be viewed here. I found it deeply moving that, even in this covert situation, men decided that the dead of a hostile nation still deserved the dignity of a proper burial.

To see the American and Soviet flags, displayed side-by-side, while both anthems are played was deeply moving.

At the same time, I was saddened, as I realized that these rituals were largely empty. How many of the dead belonged to Jesus? For that matter, how many of those doing the burial actually believed the words that were being read?

Categories : Thoughts About My Life
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Our legacy system

2007-03-07

As an IT worker, I’m familiar with legacy systems. These are programs or hardware that have been used by a business for so long that it is cheaper to continue to use them than replace them. Admittedly, this isn’t always a bad thing, as something that was built to last can be a good thing. And yet, at the same time, there is often a sense of “fear and loathing” when discussing legacy systems. Often, there is an increasing disconnect between what the legacy system was designed to do and what the business actually needs. Also, older systems speak different languages than newer systems or do not take advantage of genuine advances in computer technology. As a result, it can be increasingly difficult to integrate a legacy system with newer systems. And, of course, eventually the legacy system will need to be replaced, and the longer you wait, the more difficult and expensive it will be.

The Westminster Standards are Presbyterian legacy systems. Until we understand and acknowledge this, we will make little progress in impacting the world around us.

Categories : Theology and Spirituality
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