On Thursday night around 11:55 p.m., just five minutes before the Iranian New Year, Norwuz, the White House release a video wishing Iranians around the world, especially those in Iran, a happy new year. The message is conciliatory and groundbreaking, with Obama asking Iran to pursue a new day of engagement and dialog with the U.S.

Will the Iranian government respond in kind? I really hope so. The White House’s message (see the full text of the message here) is calculated and strategic. The fact that the White House released the video before Nowruz and utilized the theme of the new year signals the administration is sensitive to the context of the Iranian people. This approach postures an attitude of sensitivity and mutuality, acknowledging the richness and valuable contribution of Iranian culture to the world all the while maintaining there exists serious differences between the two governments. This is a smart move, a move that signals the realization that the U.S. can no longer operate on the geopolitical stage without bringing other views to the table of the “community of nations.” The challenge for the U.S. is whether we can demonstrate leadership on the world stage and to move from estrangement to engagement. Global issues demand global engagement, and this message to Iran signals the start of an engaging posture toward the world.

There’s an alarming story floating around the blogsphere for the past week about the death of evangelicalism. This story first originated on Michael Spencer’s blog and then was picked up by The Christian Science Monitor. Spencer’s predictions are dire and portentous. Simply put, evangelicalism, as we know it here in the West, is “on the verge… of a major collapse” and will cease to exist within 10 years. This doomsday prediction is partly based on the simple premise that evangelicals are slow to understand, exegete, and adapt to the changing social and cultural landscape and have failed to pass on the fundamentals of Christian faith and spirituality to the next generation. Added to this mix is the encroaching pressure of secularism, and evangelicalism, in Spencer’s view, will not survive such onslaught. In its place, Pentecostal, Catholic, and Orthodox churches will thrive, and Western evangelism would benefit to receive missions from Global South churches. [....]

I picked up this little book at the 2008 annual Evangelical Theological Society meeting last November in Providence, Rhode Island. Francis Beckwith, who was the former ETS president in 2007, narrates his return to the Roman Catholic church. This fine book is divided into two parts: personal narrative and theological reflection. I found the latter part to be quite insightful since Beckwith provides his raison d’être for becoming a Catholic again (he was baptized as an infant in the Catholic church). Beckwith’s reflection focuses on the Reformers’ notion of imputation versus Catholic’s infusion of righteousness and grace. This reflection, not surprisingly, is based on several Patristic readings, which, I believe, today’s evangelicals could greatly benefit from. I’ve always found the idea of “forensic” imputation to be arbitrary and stilted. [....]

So it begins: this blog was set to launch at the start of 2009 when procrastination took over the better of me. Although this first post dates back to January, it took some three months to get this project off the ground. I’m still putting this blog through its paces — there are a number of content and technical issues being worked out. Instead of having semaphoric launch in entire completeness, I’m planning to fill in the space as the blog progresses. For the most part, semaphoric is off and running.

What is semaphoric? From the Greek word sema for signs, semaphoric simply refers to semaphores, a system of visual signs designed to convey a message. Used primarily on ships and railroads, semaphore is the simplest way to signal and transmit messages.

Why semaphoric? From the obvious — billboards, traffic lights, spam ads, trademarks, to the less obvious —  maps, metaphors, hip-hop artists, a peacock’s plumes, signs are all around us. We make and utilize signs to interact with the world, and in turn, signs influence how we see and understand the world.

semaphoric examines signs of culture and faith and considers how both influence the way we understand ourselves, shape our theology, and how we perceive the world. For the most part, semaphoric is like any blog with its contents reflecting the thoughts and musings of its author.

Who is semaphoric? Entirely conceived by me and one else. I hope you enjoy the great-taste-and-no-filling flavor of semaphoric!

I’ve done my part, and now you can do yours:

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