Whale Oil, Slave Ships and Burning Martyrs






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FUEL & FAITH

A. FUEL
1. Whale Oil
a. Lamp oil
b. Cosmetics
Lip gloss
c. Mystic Seaport
Slave ships
d. Moby Dick
"Spoken by the minister in the church where Ishmael stops before
setting sail at the beginning of the book. The minister delivers the sermon
to the seafaring congregation from a "crow's nest,” complete with a rope
ladder, which he pulls up after he climbs it…I love it's relevance to
the immigration issues of the day, which arise while capital soars about the
globe with no passport. Melville in 2006.”—H.A.
"Now Jonah’s Captain, shipmates, was one whose discernment detects
crime in any, but whose cupidity exposes it only in the penniless.
In this world, ship mates, sin that pays its way can travel freely, and
without passport; whereas Virtue, if a pauper, is stopped at all
frontiers.”
—Herman Melville, 1851

2. Wood
a. Used to burn Anabaptist Martyrs
Protestant Reformation
b. Charcoal
Fueled the American Industrial Revolution, making possible the smelting
of iron
c. Slave ships

3. Fossil Fuels
a. Coal
Substituted charcoal in the production of iron
"How can you redeem…when you continue to conduct yourself
like a whore? Repent, REPENT!”
—Hiker at site of former blast furnace says to C.T., Scranton, PA
Anna finds this story to be an opening to ask, "What is your faith,
are you a Christian?”
b. Oil
Oily
Tire Lube
Burning tires
Lip gloss
(a gloss) so oleaginous that it could be mistaken for an
oil slick”—N.S.
Hair gel
Lubrication
With rubber
Without rubber
Just cleaned look=Godliness
Just lubed look=Masculine/Feminine lip gloss
c. Oil Recreation
Rv'ing
52% of worldwide RV production occurs in Elkhart County, Indiana
Amish/Mennonite workforce
Jayco owned by Mennonite family
Monster truck extravaganza
Nascar races
Custom plates
"DAS PHAT"
"RU KUTE 2"
Flags of sites of Oil Recreation
Oil change station
Tire shop
Car wash
Gas stations
Car ornamentation
Auto dealer
Decay, on its way to fuel
Trash heaps and land fills
Torches of burning methane
Florals
At roadside crash sites
Perfume
Sympathy
Decorative patterns

4. Wind/ Hydro /Solar/Bio
a. The scavenger is the cleanest energy
Praise the garbage-man to capitalism

B. FAITH
1. Middlebury, Indiana, Elkhart County
a. My truck broke down Exit 107
1994 Toyota
27 miles per gallon, highway
144,000 miles
b. Anna & Ed
Beachy Amish
Evangelical
Caretakers of an Inn
8 children
Proselytize/conversion attempt 7/18
Dinner
Prayer
"Poor man's steak"
String beans
Boiled potatoes
Cottage cheese
Watermelon
Water
"What is your faith, are you Christian?"--Anna to C.T. (see I, A, 3, a♦)
"I don't believe that you are really an atheist."--Anna to C.T.
"I've heard that people like you exist but I've never seen one"
-- Muhammad, vendor at an Indiana flea market
Angels are visible and invisible--Anna
"Our daughters car had a flat tire. A man in a white car pulled over
and changed it for her. When she turned to thank him he had
disappeared."--Anna
"Is it possible for you to consider that we are products of evolution
and that God doesn't exist?"--C.T.
They shake their heads "NO"--Anna and Ed
"Many Christians come to the Inn"--Anna
"What do you talk about?"--C.T.
“Why Jesus of course!” —Anna
“I have good news for you, God thinks you’re a very special person.
Your life will completely change once you accept God into
your heart.”—Anna
“Ok, I’ll give it 24 hours.” —C.T.
“I can’t find my toothbrush. Oh, there it is. God must have put it
there.” —C.T.
“God would you put a cloud between me and the sun, please.”
—C.T.
Anna brings C.T. to the Amish/Mennonite Education Center
“[ to take C.T.] is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”—Anna
At the end of the visit Anna asks C.T., “So, do you have any
questions?”
“Yes. I greatly respect your choices in lifestyle and culture and am
wondering if it’s possible to be both Amish and an atheist?”
—C.T.
Anna shook her head. “No.”
C.T. and Anna hug. Anna sheds a few tears.
“I’ll pray for you.”—Anna
“I know.” —C.T.
“You and I have a very special connection.” —Anna says to C.T.
“I feel the same.” C.T. says feeling mistrust.
(“Am I her special conversion project?”)
Conversion attempt 8/12
Choir and Sermon with Beachy Amish —Anna, Ed, congregation,
M.L. and C.T.
Resting in His Bosom —Sung by choir
“What this song means to me…with all of the events happening...
where is our nation headed? I know that He is in full control
and we can rest in him.” —Choir member comments on songs’
meaning
Lord, I Believe in You —Sung by choir
“With the death of our son, I began to question
[ if he was with the Lord ]. My husband said,
“Honey I think you’re under a Satanic Attack.”
—Choir member comments on songs’ meaning
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less —Sung by choir
“All other ground is sinking sand, is sinking sand,
sinking sand.” —Choir
Where We’ll Never Grow Old —Sung by choir
“If you’ve had a death in the family…or here on earth things go
the other way…..and cells die. When I leave here tonight, I can
look forward to knowing that there is a plan. There is a place
where we never grow old and things always work.”
—Choir member comments on songs’ meaning
“I trust that you’ve been challenged and blessed.
If you’re a believer, you are on the winning side.” —Pastor