QUARANTINE BLOG # 477

July 20, 2021

52 years ago today, on Sunday, July 20, 1969, at 10:56:20 p.m.,  Neil Armstrong spoke history’s second most important words: “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Armstrong always said his exact words were, “one small step for a man,” but it is very hard to hear on NASA’s recordings.

The reflection in Buzz Aldrin’s faceplate is the only color photograph of Neil Armstrong on the moon.

And history’s most important statement?  John 19:30 – “When Jesus had tasted the sour wine, he said, ‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  

It is finished!  The actual word John wrote is “tetelestia.”  It is not a word whimpered.  It is the shout of victory, the shout of a Conqueror, the shout of one who is declaring that sin, death, the grave, and hell have been defeated, and salvation has been paid for by the death of God the Son!

👉  Just because:

👉  Some time ago we did a feature on unusual bridges around the world.  Here is the wrap-up of that series.

One of the quirkiest bridges in the world is the Loop Bridge connecting Kawazu and Nanadaru, Japan.  Most uniquely, it bridges two uneven mountainsides, so it requires a 148-foot spiral shape to transport cars up and down.  Since the bridge lies between the mountains, it’s almost hidden until you come up on it when heading south from Tokyo.  It’s a true engineering feat.

The northeastern Catalonia region of Spain is home to this highly suspicious bridge, Ponte Sobre, over the Segre River.  The completely concrete roadway extends at basically just a foot above water levels, and over the course of its existence, numerous floods and other weather events have made it impassable.  No guardrails and its narrow nature don’t help.

A bridge no sane person would ever want to cross is this old, rickety wooden one, Quepos Bridge, connecting Jaco to Quepos, Costa Rica.  The road it’s located on runs along Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, and uniquely, the road, and thus the bridge, only runs in one direction.  The structure is so unstable that it creaks with each passing vehicle.  And though it doesn’t seem to be able to hold a motorcycle, large trucks somehow pass over it every day.

The Eshima Ohashi Bridge connects the cities of Matsue and Sakaiminato, Japan, and scales incredibly high to allow ships to pass below.  It’s a single lane bridge going either direction, and has a steep slope that’s been known to give drivers nausea and vertigo due to its size.

👉  At midnight Saturday, the indoor mask mandate for all people regardless of vaccination status began to be enforced in Los Angeles County because of rising COVID-19 numbers, making Los Angeles County the first major county in the United States to reinstate such a requirement.  The policy – which had been discontinued a month ago – expands beyond the current state standard and the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; both require masks for unvaccinated people but not for those who are fully vaccinated.

👉  Tony Bennett is reuniting with longtime friend and collaborator Lady Gaga for one more performance after revealing earlier this year he has Alzheimer’s disease.  The duo announced Monday they will be taking the stage at Radio City Music Hall for a two night concert titled “One Last Time: An Evening With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga” to celebrate Bennett’s 95th birthday.  Tony’s wife, Susan Crow, said, “[In many ways] he’s not the old Tony anymore.  But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.”

Here is Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga performing “The Lady Is A Tramp,” from Duets II, a celebration of his 85th birthday, and the next clip is Tony doing his signature song, “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

👉  For all of you Texas Hold Em players, a screen capture from the golden days of online poker.  Royalty!

👉  A few visuals to tickle your fancy:

👉  Returning to Praying with the Psalms, by Eugene H. Peterson for our close.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  (Psalm 119:103).

The law of God is true.  Each word is accurate and right.  Each sentence is full of pleasure.  The person who sits down to a banquet of such words knows all the nuances of joy.  Such meals begin in delight and end in wisdom.

Prayer: Praise God!  Your generosity expands each pleasure; your grace puts dimensions that are past understanding into every delight; joy crowns every gladness.  All your words are beatitudes.  Thank you, in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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