I don't typically go to the movies. It isn't some political boycott or anything. I just know that if I wait a few months, I'll be able to see anything for a dollar from a Redbox - a price that is more suitable for the produce of most film makers these days. I still pass on the Will Farrell movies. Why waste a dollar?
That being said, my wealth of otherwise worthless knowledge was able to score me two free passes. I knew that the red poppy is the Memorial Day flower and the local radio station thought that the contents of my neurons made me worthy of a night at the moving picture show. They paid for my wife as well. She had a few passes for the kids. After we paid the 3-D fee for all five of us, we got in the doors for $12.50 - a bit steep for most movies, but I wouldn't be writing unless I was pleased or VERY disappointed.
Shrek did not disappoint. And the sounds of Lacuna Coil educating Depeche Mode on the art of performing "Enjoy the Silence" is helping my fingers tap away tonight.
There is a lesson in this...for me and maybe for you. If you hate spoilers, come back to this article after you see the movie. I'll try to keep them to a minimum.
Right out of the gate, I perked up to see Shrek's disillusion with the mundane life he found himself in and the pull to live up to the expectations of all these other people. There are times in all of our lives where we just wish there was more excitement or more "me time" or whatever. You know about that grass on the other side. It was very easy to see that "yeah, I know what he is saying". And like so many of us often do, Shrek did something stupid. "Hey, y'all watch this..."
My ability to relate to the characters continued on through a scene where a short man with incredible head covers is in a grand ballroom surrounded by intriguingly dressed women. I can't say that I have found myself in that situation but it was fun for a short man to dream...
I was feeling rather cozy with myself relating to the depressed dad and the ladies' leprechaun when Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke made me feel like I could crawl up under a door. I felt that way because our big green hero did. And I'm short but not that short.
As the story progressed, Shrek realized that while he was a hero that saved a beautiful princess as well as a kingdom of fans, he had to learn the lesson that living out in that swamp all alone was...well...lonely. The boy came to grips with the fact that he was rescued as much as he was a rescuer.
Eureka!
How could a short man be the least bit distracted by that ballroom, his selfish stupidity or even the throne itself when his "ezer kenegdo" (life-saver) is still standing beside him ready to take on all comers in a battle to the death? Yeah, he can't.
So I'd like to raise a glass of ice-cold sweetened Luzianne to my own Princess, children's movies that teach lessons - even to adults, and the timely revelations that can only come from above, regardless of the delivery method.
Seems like she said something about some more free passes and a date night....
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
The Gospel according to T.J.
People who know me well know that I have a very special place in my heart for Thomas Jefferson. Having been Virginia born and bred, he was one of the first Southerners - a sort of "charter member". I know all of the arguments about Jefferson and his "contradictions" - some of them confuse me and I've been reading about this guy and reading his writings all my life. There are a lot of issues that can boggle your mind.
I have this hair-brained idea about one of them. This idea is a recent development for me but it has a lot to do with where I am at this time in my own life - it's a "walk a mile in a guy's moccasins" sort of thing.
Jefferson is widely viewed as a deist by many scholars. Then there are those that point to his mentions of the Creator in the Declaration of Independence as well as other writings. He wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and other documents that led people to believe that he had an interest in spirituality, theology and religion.
One quote attributed to him seems to cause some disturbance among church folks and, if he did say this, leads me to my theory.
And yes, he also goes on to share some points of contention that would get him branded as a heretic and shunned by most evangelical churches of today. He expressed fears to both Rush and William Short of what might happen if Americans at large were to discover his beliefs and assertions. Even in his day there was grave danger in swimming against the current - the President of the united States was not exempt from this scrutiny. But despite the other "heresies", the above statement, specifically the last statement of it, haunts me....because I say that very thing myself nearly every day of my life to people who are thinking the very same thing.
Jefferson was searching. He was on a quest for God. He was looking for the existence that he was encouraging us to question. He wasn't saying this in a spirit of atheistic evangelism but rather calling us to engage in that new activity of The Enlightenment - thinking for ourselves. Perhaps Jefferson was paraphrasing Philippians 2:12-13 - exhorting us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God seeks our own devotion, our own faith, our own commitment, not that of our pastor or forefathers. He figured God must delight in the person that looks honestly and even skeptically for God and yet, still finds Him. Many Christians, including C.S. Lewis, started off as atheists that set out to disprove the existence of God but found Him to be the only viable option.
Maybe T.J. was on to something
...and maybe I'm a quack...you'll have to seek that out for yourself...
I have this hair-brained idea about one of them. This idea is a recent development for me but it has a lot to do with where I am at this time in my own life - it's a "walk a mile in a guy's moccasins" sort of thing.
Jefferson is widely viewed as a deist by many scholars. Then there are those that point to his mentions of the Creator in the Declaration of Independence as well as other writings. He wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and other documents that led people to believe that he had an interest in spirituality, theology and religion.
One quote attributed to him seems to cause some disturbance among church folks and, if he did say this, leads me to my theory.
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
Questioning the existence of God. Who does he think he is? Must be a deist
Or perhaps, along with being one of the first southerners, Jefferson was one of the first post-Evangelical Christians. Yeah, that sounds crazy and far-fetched. After all, it would be another two centuries before Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Donald Miller, et al showed up on the scene. But give this idea a chance. Weigh it all out.
Jefferson was quite a free thinker whose life was thrown into revolutionary times. He personally set one of the many coffin nails to the time-honored tradition of "Divine right of Kings". He was an inventor of modern gadgets that would change the way many things were done world wide. He was a scientist that experimented with the world around him. He founded a fine institute of higher learning, even to the extent of designing the buildings.
And then there is that one little thing that has kept my theory hidden in a shroud all these years - Jefferson "wrote his own Bible". Turns out, that is a bit of a misstatement - not a Richard Blumenthal misstatement, but a real, honest confusion about the facts. What Jefferson actually did was take out his handy-dandy Bapt...er....King James Version and a sharp pair of scissors. Then he proceeded to edit out everything he saw as supernatural or superfluous. What was the extra stuff he removed? Anything that did not pass between the lips of Jesus Christ - specifically sparing His teachings. He went on to present his edited version to Dr. Benjamin Rush via a letter in which he said.
Jefferson was quite a free thinker whose life was thrown into revolutionary times. He personally set one of the many coffin nails to the time-honored tradition of "Divine right of Kings". He was an inventor of modern gadgets that would change the way many things were done world wide. He was a scientist that experimented with the world around him. He founded a fine institute of higher learning, even to the extent of designing the buildings.
And then there is that one little thing that has kept my theory hidden in a shroud all these years - Jefferson "wrote his own Bible". Turns out, that is a bit of a misstatement - not a Richard Blumenthal misstatement, but a real, honest confusion about the facts. What Jefferson actually did was take out his handy-dandy Bapt...er....King James Version and a sharp pair of scissors. Then he proceeded to edit out everything he saw as supernatural or superfluous. What was the extra stuff he removed? Anything that did not pass between the lips of Jesus Christ - specifically sparing His teachings. He went on to present his edited version to Dr. Benjamin Rush via a letter in which he said.
"In some of the delightful conversations with you in the evenings of 1798-99, and which served as an anodyne to the afflictions of the crisis through which our country was then laboring, the Christian religion was sometimes our topic; and I then promised you that one day or other I would give you my views of it. They are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed, but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself."
And yes, he also goes on to share some points of contention that would get him branded as a heretic and shunned by most evangelical churches of today. He expressed fears to both Rush and William Short of what might happen if Americans at large were to discover his beliefs and assertions. Even in his day there was grave danger in swimming against the current - the President of the united States was not exempt from this scrutiny. But despite the other "heresies", the above statement, specifically the last statement of it, haunts me....because I say that very thing myself nearly every day of my life to people who are thinking the very same thing.
Jefferson was searching. He was on a quest for God. He was looking for the existence that he was encouraging us to question. He wasn't saying this in a spirit of atheistic evangelism but rather calling us to engage in that new activity of The Enlightenment - thinking for ourselves. Perhaps Jefferson was paraphrasing Philippians 2:12-13 - exhorting us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that God seeks our own devotion, our own faith, our own commitment, not that of our pastor or forefathers. He figured God must delight in the person that looks honestly and even skeptically for God and yet, still finds Him. Many Christians, including C.S. Lewis, started off as atheists that set out to disprove the existence of God but found Him to be the only viable option.
Maybe T.J. was on to something
...and maybe I'm a quack...you'll have to seek that out for yourself...
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Lesbian in My Mirror
When you consider that I do not watch Larry King Live and the fact that I do not really keep up with current events as they pertain to the "Christian" music scene (or any music "news" for that matter) it is easy to understand how a scandal that broke back in April would have only today reached my ears. And that is exactly what happened today.
In the past I have broken from the expected position of throwing stones at various people on the basis of moral and behavioral situations. I have spoken out about the desperate need in America today to quit separating out particular sins, transgressions, etc. that we feel are deserving of special attention and punitive actions. Today is no different...well, mostly no different.
For the last few weeks, I have been combing through my own life, my own circumstances, my own problems. Without going into a lot of details, it is safe for me to say that I am not writing this article to announce that I am a lesbian, so if that is what you were looking for from the title, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
What happened today is that I learned of the recent announcement by Jennifer Knapp that she is involved in a long-term relationship with another woman. Knapp is known in music circles as a Christian artist, which is to say that she sings "Jesus music". For some reason, people involved in artistic endeavors that are also followers of Jesus Christ are expected to only use their art for sacred purposes while Christian plumbers, engineers, taxi drivers, bankers and salesmen are allowed to work in the secular realm - another argument for another day.
What I want to do is take my own recent time of reflection, which had nothing to do with sexuality or mainstream ideas of morality in general, as an opportunity to stand in Ms. Knapp's shoes and look at the face in the mirror and see how it feels. I have to tell you, it looks pretty frightening. I can't imagine looking to one side and seeing the smiling faces of Melissa Ethridge, Sara McLaughlin and the Indigo Girls willing to accept her in a world that she has been taught was darkness while on the other hand seeing the likes of Bob Botsford and Fred Phelps waiting with baited breath to tear her to shreds and make a name for themselves as righteous holy warriors. Who are the good guys in this scenario? Where is the safe haven, peace and love coming from?
And we see hear the arguments of what Scripture says about homosexuality but never from Luke 15. You see, the prodigal son knew he was far from home. He knew he was going to starve out there and was just willing to clean toliets for something to eat. His father didn't hurl insults at him and point out all the places where he screwed up and make up a list of punishments for him. He didn't ridicule him in public and cause a scene where everyone could see. He restored him, and reached out to the son he loved.
How is the response of the parable's representation of God the Father any different from the attitude that God holds toward Jennifer Knapp right now? Isn't understanding that the whole point of the parable?
I'm not making excuses for people and I know that there are times when people have to make judgement calls based on thier own morality and conscience. What I want to say is if Ms. Knapp's announcement makes her music less enjoyable to you, don't listen to it. Just please don't treat her like many treated Ellen DeGeneres, deriding her and even making asinine cliches out of her name. Please don't attach the name of Jesus to crude, hateful, self-righteous attempts to police morality.
If you have a problem with Jennifer....drop her a line and let her know. Something about "if your brother offends you" comes to mind...
In the past I have broken from the expected position of throwing stones at various people on the basis of moral and behavioral situations. I have spoken out about the desperate need in America today to quit separating out particular sins, transgressions, etc. that we feel are deserving of special attention and punitive actions. Today is no different...well, mostly no different.
For the last few weeks, I have been combing through my own life, my own circumstances, my own problems. Without going into a lot of details, it is safe for me to say that I am not writing this article to announce that I am a lesbian, so if that is what you were looking for from the title, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
What happened today is that I learned of the recent announcement by Jennifer Knapp that she is involved in a long-term relationship with another woman. Knapp is known in music circles as a Christian artist, which is to say that she sings "Jesus music". For some reason, people involved in artistic endeavors that are also followers of Jesus Christ are expected to only use their art for sacred purposes while Christian plumbers, engineers, taxi drivers, bankers and salesmen are allowed to work in the secular realm - another argument for another day.
What I want to do is take my own recent time of reflection, which had nothing to do with sexuality or mainstream ideas of morality in general, as an opportunity to stand in Ms. Knapp's shoes and look at the face in the mirror and see how it feels. I have to tell you, it looks pretty frightening. I can't imagine looking to one side and seeing the smiling faces of Melissa Ethridge, Sara McLaughlin and the Indigo Girls willing to accept her in a world that she has been taught was darkness while on the other hand seeing the likes of Bob Botsford and Fred Phelps waiting with baited breath to tear her to shreds and make a name for themselves as righteous holy warriors. Who are the good guys in this scenario? Where is the safe haven, peace and love coming from?
And we see hear the arguments of what Scripture says about homosexuality but never from Luke 15. You see, the prodigal son knew he was far from home. He knew he was going to starve out there and was just willing to clean toliets for something to eat. His father didn't hurl insults at him and point out all the places where he screwed up and make up a list of punishments for him. He didn't ridicule him in public and cause a scene where everyone could see. He restored him, and reached out to the son he loved.
How is the response of the parable's representation of God the Father any different from the attitude that God holds toward Jennifer Knapp right now? Isn't understanding that the whole point of the parable?
I'm not making excuses for people and I know that there are times when people have to make judgement calls based on thier own morality and conscience. What I want to say is if Ms. Knapp's announcement makes her music less enjoyable to you, don't listen to it. Just please don't treat her like many treated Ellen DeGeneres, deriding her and even making asinine cliches out of her name. Please don't attach the name of Jesus to crude, hateful, self-righteous attempts to police morality.
If you have a problem with Jennifer....drop her a line and let her know. Something about "if your brother offends you" comes to mind...
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