On Easter Sunday I watched the movie I Am Legend with some of my family. The story has a messianic theme in which one man dedicates his life to finding the cure to a virus that has devastated the entire human population - creating creatures called the "dark seekers." Themes of butterflies and Bob Marley culminate in a message from God in the end with the epitaph of "light up the darkness." The world is quieter now, all you need to do is listen. You can hear God.
This past year I've watched a few movies with the similar virus causing cannibalistic hunger
theme including 28 Days Later and the three Resident Evil. The novel "I am Legend" was made into two previous movies: The Last Man on Earth in 1964 and The Omega Man in 1971. This post-apocalyptic fiction proposes a vampire/zombie existence caused by a virus. The protagonist, Robert Neville, comes to the conclusion at the end of the book that he is the extinct form of humanity and must surrender his life so that the new society of vampire existence may become what it must. The 2007 movie has a more optimistic ending with a possible cure in sight. Apocalyptic novels have existed since the days of Shelley in the 19th century but grew in popularity around World War II. I've always been a fan of these doomsday novels and films. The possiblity of what could happen...unless, has a prophetic nature to it. Whether it is atomic or viral warfare, ecological destruction, or political fascism, these movies and novels remind us of our sinful nature. There is a depth to evil that is not going away no matter how pretty we try to keep things.
I'm writing a sermon for this weekend and speaking of God being in our midst. Often in these apocalyptic stories God is just as vacant as the dead world. There is this sense that the survivors have been abandoned by God. Yet somehow, there is hope in the midst of all this tragedy and loss. Many of these stories deal with the question of what "makes us human?" It is the qualities of God that we are the image of that are our distinction, though this may not be named as the "image of God." God is still in our midst...that was a final message of "I am Legend" and Easter turned out to be the perfect day to watch this movie.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Jane Austen and me
For the past month or so I have been watching movies based on Jane Austen's 6 books or watching movies about Jane Austen or the fans of Jane Austen. It started with a curious independent film called "The Jane Austen Book Club" then I saw "Becoming Jane"a movie about young Jane Austen's life. A friend loaned me "Pride and Prejudice" the 1995 mini-series version with Colin Firth is my favorite but there is plenty of debate about its best production. This past weekend I treated myself to "Mansfield Park" the 1999 independent film version.
Jane Austen is a romantic, to say the least. I am studying religious history of the 17th century to present day and am struck by the fact that Austen's stories take place during some tumultuous times in world history and religion, yet her stories generally focus on 3 to 5 families. Austen was the daughter of a clergyman with two brothers who became clergymen. Half of her novels has a hero who is a clergyman. She is Anglican and so are her heroes. I agree with the article in A Journal of Religion about Jane Austen, Public Theologian.
Mansfield Park displays her most theological contribution. She explores the idea of "individualism" - a new concept in the late 1700s. A distinction is made between "vocation"- being who you are called to be and "acting". The characters of Mansfield Park follow a "vocation" or act a vocation. The heroine, Fanny Price, guides us through these characters with wit and amazing discernment.
At the end of the story Edmond finally confesses his love for Fanny "as a man would love a woman" and through the soap opera peek into this little 1806 country nook you feel the resolute happiness of everything being the way it is supposed to be.
Does Jane Austen provide much theological reflection and insight? maybe a little. Mostly it is a treat to escape into another time, another story, and experience as Jane Austen intended "every story has a happy ending." For in the real world of love and romance, family and culture it is rarely so simple and well-mannered.
Jane Austen is a romantic, to say the least. I am studying religious history of the 17th century to present day and am struck by the fact that Austen's stories take place during some tumultuous times in world history and religion, yet her stories generally focus on 3 to 5 families. Austen was the daughter of a clergyman with two brothers who became clergymen. Half of her novels has a hero who is a clergyman. She is Anglican and so are her heroes. I agree with the article in A Journal of Religion about Jane Austen, Public Theologian.
Mansfield Park displays her most theological contribution. She explores the idea of "individualism" - a new concept in the late 1700s. A distinction is made between "vocation"- being who you are called to be and "acting". The characters of Mansfield Park follow a "vocation" or act a vocation. The heroine, Fanny Price, guides us through these characters with wit and amazing discernment.
At the end of the story Edmond finally confesses his love for Fanny "as a man would love a woman" and through the soap opera peek into this little 1806 country nook you feel the resolute happiness of everything being the way it is supposed to be.
Does Jane Austen provide much theological reflection and insight? maybe a little. Mostly it is a treat to escape into another time, another story, and experience as Jane Austen intended "every story has a happy ending." For in the real world of love and romance, family and culture it is rarely so simple and well-mannered.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
New Sins
Did you hear the list of sins the Pope announced on Monday? I just gave a sermon Sunday on our ecological sins. Presently Spirit Garage is planning a Watershed Clean up on April 19 at Loring Park. We've spent the Lenten Journey looking at eco-stewardship and taking steps to be "less timid" as a Christian community in relationship to the environment. We talk about caring for the poor - Nature is the New Poor.
The Vatican seems to think so as well. Following a week-long training seminar for priests in Rome, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti has announced that the seven new mortal sins are to be ...
The Vatican seems to think so as well. Following a week-long training seminar for priests in Rome, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti has announced that the seven new mortal sins are to be ...
· Environmental pollution;
· Genetic manipulation;
· Accumulating excessive wealth;
· Inflicting poverty;
· Drug trafficking and consumption;
· Morally debatable experiments;
· Violation of fundamental rights of human nature.
"We are losing the notion of sin," said Pope Benedict, in support of the move. "If people do not confess regularly, they risk slowing their spiritual rhythm."
Check out Ethical Living blog "Have you sinned lately?"
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Homework Woes
One of my homework assignments is to watch TV or a series of movies. You would think this would be so easy. Trouble is we're not talking about vegging in front of the tube. Rather it's looking for theological insight within a television series or movie genre. I haven't been home before 9pm in weeks and I'm to cheap to buy dvr right now. So I've been looking into this thing called webisodes. It started by accident. I checked out the new series quarterlife during its short lived premeire. The show has been cancelled by NBC. It seems that its 20-something specific scenario is not connecting with the 30-50 age group and therefore not sustainable. I have to admit I felt too old watching it myself.
Jenny McCarthy has a webisode hit heading into year two called In the Motherhood
Today show interviewed her on March 5. Check out some of these webisodes. Internet Television Series.
A note about quarterlife - from an article on The Star
Jenny McCarthy has a webisode hit heading into year two called In the Motherhood
Today show interviewed her on March 5. Check out some of these webisodes. Internet Television Series.
A note about quarterlife - from an article on The Star
Another problem: quarterlife's fictional story is not nearly as intriguing as its real-life backstory. There's no question television is running from its past. But, sadly, nobody knows where to find the future.
What is the wave of the future? Technology is a very fast-paced world of fads and changes. It is about trial and error. I work for a church eager to utilize technology in evangelism. What does that look like? Forget TV Evangelists. Is the next wave that of 8 minute Webvangelism? HighSpeed Jesus Connections? Just a thought....
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Broken Halleluiah
I'm having a Leonard Cohen night. I'm listening to Jeff Buckley's interpretation of Halleluiah
This is one of those songs I heard in the car and had to pull over to listen fully. This has been a stressful week of constant action - school-work-meetings-homework-little rest. I preach at Spirit Garage this Sunday on the Lord's Prayer and putting what we've learned about eco-stewardship into action - no small task.
The last two verses always get me in this song:
Well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when I moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well maybe there's a god above
but all I've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
We live in a broken world. We are capable of toxic relationships with each other and the earth. To juxtapose brokenness with hallelujah is what pierces my heart. I still sing hallelujah. I cannot not sing hallelujah. Yet there is mourning in this joy, death in living, brokenness in loving.
This song became a hit in the movie Shrek when Rufus Wainright sang it. I still love the Jeff Buckley version but k.d. lang gives it a female voice. Thank you Leonard.
This is one of those songs I heard in the car and had to pull over to listen fully. This has been a stressful week of constant action - school-work-meetings-homework-little rest. I preach at Spirit Garage this Sunday on the Lord's Prayer and putting what we've learned about eco-stewardship into action - no small task.
The last two verses always get me in this song:
Well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when I moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Well maybe there's a god above
but all I've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
We live in a broken world. We are capable of toxic relationships with each other and the earth. To juxtapose brokenness with hallelujah is what pierces my heart. I still sing hallelujah. I cannot not sing hallelujah. Yet there is mourning in this joy, death in living, brokenness in loving.
This song became a hit in the movie Shrek when Rufus Wainright sang it. I still love the Jeff Buckley version but k.d. lang gives it a female voice. Thank you Leonard.
Monday, March 3, 2008
What I've Done
Linkin Park in their lead single, What I've Done, from the album Minutes to Midnight tells of the ironies of human existence. In their video they highlight the sins against each other and our environment that are committed every day. This is more than a good soundtrack tune from transformers. This song soared in the charts when it came out. They've tapped a pulse somewhere. Check it out:
quarterlife conspiracy
On the quarterlife official website there is a forum discussing the "conspiracy" of another good show canceled before it starts. Bravo will have a quarterlife marathon on March 9 at 8am. Like one blogger wrote "what 25 year old is up watching tv at 8am?" Whatever happens with this show, it is fascinating to see the community it has developed discussing everything from art to health and activism. Is there something to be said about the future of media as the web becomes as much as source of information and entertainment as tv? hmmm
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