Yes, I want to talk about a movie now and not when it came out (2006). I know that it wasn’t that long ago, but given the short attention span of our society, it probably feels like 40 years ago to some of my sister’s readers (I’m looking at you Meredith). Anyway, the reason I am bringing up an old(er) movie is because I watched it again the other night and cried like a little boy. Ok I didn’t cry like a little boy, but tears came to my eyes with some force and if I hadn’t held them back I would have definitely blubbered. To be fair, it wasn’t completely because of the movie – for some reason when I haven’t cried in a while (which is the case here, I think the last time was in 8th or 9th grade)….my tears become determined to break me down completely so that I have to really fight to keep from going into full wail while in the fetal position. Maybe I just need a good cry….i should get “the girls” together and we can watch Jerry Maguire and talk about how guys have treated us bad and…….wait, that wouldn’t work….i would have to be….able to watch Tom Cruise without getting angry and breaking something nearby (last time it was a friend’s face…sorry Mandy). Wow I kind of go off subject pretty easily don’t I. Anyway…..the movie was (is) Children of Men. The reason I am writing about it is because after the tears and the time spent wondering why I like this movie so much, I feel like I need to have something to show for it – and a lamely written blog will do just fine. Ok, if you haven’t seen it, see it, but for now – here is a brief synopsis:
The women of the world have been unable to have children for 18 years. Scientists don’t know why. This has caused society to fall apart as they all think mankind will die off slowly and they will be the last generation. England “soldiers on” (as their government says) and has become a totalitarian state where fertility tests are required and immigrants who sneak into England from the rest of the war-torn world are hunted down and treated like animals. The main character, through his ex-wife (an anti-governmental rebel leader), meets a girl who turns out to be pregnant – the first pregnancy on Earth in almost 20 years. He is tasked with getting her to a secret group that is conducting fertility research. The scene that brings tears to my eyes every time I see it is when the woman, her baby (the woman having had the baby the night before), and the main character are trapped in a building in the middle of an immigrant prison. The occupants of the prison (an entire walled city) had risen up against the government and it’s response had been to send the army in to brutally put down the uprising. The building is surrounded by government troops and it is full of desperate immigrants who had come to England to escape atrocities but was greeted by still more at the hands of the English government. When the main character finds the woman and her baby in the building, with the battle raging, he helps them toward the only exit. As they walk down the hall, with the baby crying in her arms, the refugees all stop to stare at the newborn. One woman, bleeding heavily from her stomach, starts crying and reaches out toward the baby. As they near the entrance, the immigrant fighters stop firing to stare and are soon joined in their staring by their enemies, the government troops. When they emerge from the building’s entrance, the attacking troops all stop fighting and stare at the newborn – some kneel and cross themselves. The silence is soon interrupted, though, by an RPG and the battle rages on. The reason why i love this scene so much is because i think it is a chillingly accurate depiction of mankind.
The "character" of the English government and of the illegal immigrants both represent, to me, a picture of our condition as human beings. On the one hand, the English government in the movie is absolutely focused on control - no matter the cost. Even faced with such a miracle as the first birth in 20 years, they would not see a miracle, but a threat to the fear that has given them absolute power. They see desperate immigrants as another threat to their power as these "undesirables" would bring new, unknown cultures and possibly some greater numbers to rebel groups in England which would work to undermine their governing authority. To maintain their power, the government becomes almost "desperate" themselves - they hunt the immigrants down like cockroaches and treat them like pests - beating them, killing them, and deporting them. On the other hand, the illegal immigrants show us what it means to be at rock bottom. They have no control in their lives and are at the mercy of the government - not only are they starving, but they are persecuted, abandoned, hated, ignored, and wounded - body and soul.
In my eyes, the government in Children of Men is what we as humans fight for - complete control over our destiny and our "free" choices. We may not get to the point of desperation as the government in the movie, but we spend most of our lives trying to control all we can in our lives and what influences our lives - from who we help ("be careful, you dont know what they are capable of"), who we love ("who will satisfy my desires?"), what we buy ("how will this make me happy or impress who i want impressed?"), or who we "serve" ("this buffet-style G(g)od suits me - take what i want, leave what i dont").
The immigrants show us what we truly are. Starving, dead or dying. Wounded. Desperate. Unloved. Trapped. Hunted. Like the Supertones said, "Who I am is in between what i want to be and what i am" - we want to be in control, and think we are a lot of the time - but what we truly are is dead.
That is why i love it when the baby blows all that away as soon as both sides lay eyes on it. They realize that what they are fighting for is nothing in the face of this miracle - there is now hope for mankind. In much the same way, when both sides of us (the controlling dictatorial state and the desperate starving orphan) lay eyes on Jesus Christ, our world's baby and hope for mankind, we see at least for the moment that what we fight for pales in comparison to what this baby means in eternity - and our place in it. We can quit fighting desperately for control and give in to the only one qualified to lead. We can find salvation from our desperate state in the same way - by turning to this "baby" - the first one born since the foundation of the world, and also the last.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Ok, I Will Blog......
The problem with allowing too much time to pass between blog posts is that I end up with a long list of stuff of which I can vaguely remember thinking "i should bless the world with my knowledge of this". So, when i (i told myself at the beginning of this blog that i would capitalize all the I's - look how far i(I) got) finally write the blog i have to either choose the most recent thought line, try to figure out what would impress the ladies the most, cut up a goat and find the answer in its liver, or list all of them. I (i) have decided to cut up the goat......but i dont have one.....so i will list random crap.....in no particular order.......in English......alphabetically.
1) i am thinking that i am more of a big picture guy than i thought. i say that because i am now obsessed with the ultimate big picture - anything transcendent. That is, all that will last forever. i can think of God, our souls, heaven, hell, and the Devil. well, maybe i shouldnt use the term "obsessed" - i would say that i am preoccupied. I would like to be obsessed because that would mean that i see people's eternity every time i talk to them and actively look for ways to find out where their soul is. But too often i get caught up in mud pies. CS Lewis helped me see myself when he said:
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
b) this may be in the same vein as the above point, but i am a hopeful romantic. In a way things like love and beauty and honor and bravery and1 are all transcendent (except for the last one - it is a clothing brand, although their b-ball crew transcends gravity - what what!) I dont know how others would define it, but i define a romantic as someone who enjoys these things and wants to pursue them. I think there is that romantic in all of us - we just push that part of us aside as pure emotionalism that gets in the way ( i do it....and i also push my romantic notions aside) i think we can use these areas to our advantage when we talk to atheists and secularists - they will try to explain God or religion away as superstitious hogwash, but we can counter by asking them what they believe about love. Can they prove love? Can they explain love? I am sure most of them believe it exists because they have felt it. If they wont concede the point, i wonder what kind of romantic dinner they have with their spouse. would it be something like this?:
Atheist: A chemical reaction in my brain induced me to experience feelings which losers would call "care" or "love" toward you which i then filtered through my immense reason and reached the conclusion that a valentines eve dinner with you would cause a chemical reaction in your brain, which could lead to you doing stuff for me.
Atheist's spouse: You have such a way with words! I am swooning! I am in mid-swoon over here! I am almost all the way swoo......ok i'm done.
Atheist: I remember when i first met you, i thought to myself, i said, "Brilliant atheist, this woman looks like she is fertile and will bear strong offspring for you so that you may have a male heir. So in keeping with Darwin, I, the strongest, picked you, the strongest so that we may have strong kids. You had them and they are strong - but you are no longer strong. So......."
Atheist's spouse: What are you saying? Out with it! I'm going to order some rolls, you want some? Why would you say i am no longer strong? I still cause chemical reactions in your brain right? These shoes go with this jacket right?
Atheist: Ok, i will out with it.....those shoes are ugly and you are weak and of no more use to anyone - therefore the waiter will kill you now (thats why this place is so expensive, they do more than cook food)
Atheist's spouse: WHAT!!!!! I cant believe you dont like my shoes!!! AHHHH!
Wow i kinda went too far with that didnt i - but it was fun, so no apologies! (i'm sorry) Another thing - i had more stuff to write but i expended my energy on the atheistic dinner and the place in which i am sitting is going to kick me out - dang Coffee Beanery or whatever this place is called. I guess i should say quickly why i wrote letter 1 and #b- i think if we get these transcendent themes in our mind, we can touch those areas of thought that everyone has - that there has to be more. The big problem is that it is hard to think about these things because it makes a person increasingly dissatisfied with what we have worked so hard for, so far - these things on earth that pass away. I must and shall end with another Lewis quote!
You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit — immortal horrors or everlasting splendours
1) i am thinking that i am more of a big picture guy than i thought. i say that because i am now obsessed with the ultimate big picture - anything transcendent. That is, all that will last forever. i can think of God, our souls, heaven, hell, and the Devil. well, maybe i shouldnt use the term "obsessed" - i would say that i am preoccupied. I would like to be obsessed because that would mean that i see people's eternity every time i talk to them and actively look for ways to find out where their soul is. But too often i get caught up in mud pies. CS Lewis helped me see myself when he said:
We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.
b) this may be in the same vein as the above point, but i am a hopeful romantic. In a way things like love and beauty and honor and bravery and1 are all transcendent (except for the last one - it is a clothing brand, although their b-ball crew transcends gravity - what what!) I dont know how others would define it, but i define a romantic as someone who enjoys these things and wants to pursue them. I think there is that romantic in all of us - we just push that part of us aside as pure emotionalism that gets in the way ( i do it....and i also push my romantic notions aside) i think we can use these areas to our advantage when we talk to atheists and secularists - they will try to explain God or religion away as superstitious hogwash, but we can counter by asking them what they believe about love. Can they prove love? Can they explain love? I am sure most of them believe it exists because they have felt it. If they wont concede the point, i wonder what kind of romantic dinner they have with their spouse. would it be something like this?:
Atheist: A chemical reaction in my brain induced me to experience feelings which losers would call "care" or "love" toward you which i then filtered through my immense reason and reached the conclusion that a valentines eve dinner with you would cause a chemical reaction in your brain, which could lead to you doing stuff for me.
Atheist's spouse: You have such a way with words! I am swooning! I am in mid-swoon over here! I am almost all the way swoo......ok i'm done.
Atheist: I remember when i first met you, i thought to myself, i said, "Brilliant atheist, this woman looks like she is fertile and will bear strong offspring for you so that you may have a male heir. So in keeping with Darwin, I, the strongest, picked you, the strongest so that we may have strong kids. You had them and they are strong - but you are no longer strong. So......."
Atheist's spouse: What are you saying? Out with it! I'm going to order some rolls, you want some? Why would you say i am no longer strong? I still cause chemical reactions in your brain right? These shoes go with this jacket right?
Atheist: Ok, i will out with it.....those shoes are ugly and you are weak and of no more use to anyone - therefore the waiter will kill you now (thats why this place is so expensive, they do more than cook food)
Atheist's spouse: WHAT!!!!! I cant believe you dont like my shoes!!! AHHHH!
Wow i kinda went too far with that didnt i - but it was fun, so no apologies! (i'm sorry) Another thing - i had more stuff to write but i expended my energy on the atheistic dinner and the place in which i am sitting is going to kick me out - dang Coffee Beanery or whatever this place is called. I guess i should say quickly why i wrote letter 1 and #b- i think if we get these transcendent themes in our mind, we can touch those areas of thought that everyone has - that there has to be more. The big problem is that it is hard to think about these things because it makes a person increasingly dissatisfied with what we have worked so hard for, so far - these things on earth that pass away. I must and shall end with another Lewis quote!
You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations — these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit — immortal horrors or everlasting splendours
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Gather round...
It is time now for a look at one of Josh's (my) pet peeves! I guess it shouldnt be called a "pet peeve" since i dont feed or care for it and it is more serious than "peeves" usually are. I am talking about the maddening habit that a lot of girls have of going out with first class A-holes (mom if you read this, the "A" in the previous word is short for "abacus"). This makes me mad for a number of reasons but i will get the mushiest one out of the way - 100% of the time, every time the girl deserves be to loved and treasured. Too often though, the girl settles for "acknowledged" and "occasionally thought of." Let me go out on a limb here and say this - i cant believe that these girls are not smart enough to see through these guys. I think they know. They just choose to take the guy at his word despite having deep seated doubts and in some cases they tell themselves that the guy really loves (or likes or digs or whatever the lingo is now) them but he is just having problems and their love will triumph. Makes me wonder what love looks like to the world now. This isnt even close to what love is and if the guy truly loved the girl, he would do everything in his power to keep her. I have told my sister a million times and i wish i could get on every radio and tv station to tell girls not to take guys at their word - make them show you that they love you. The dirty secret is that the majority of guys know the right words to say to make the girl feel like she is all there is in the world to him. I do think, however that some girls expect (and in increasingly more instances, look for) this kind of treatment. Maybe it's because of shows like The Hills and One Tree Hill and America's Funniest Home Videos (maybe not so much the last one) that portray all kinds of drama in relationships. I guess the thinking goes that the more drama there is in life, the more interesting it is - always on the phone checking with girlfriend to find out if boyfriend has talked to his last girlfriend or discussing with girlfriends what boyfriend said to see if he may have another girlfriend on the side - kind of a "woe is me" approach.
There are other reasons (mainly financial, philosophical, and umbilical reasons) for my madness, but on advice from my PR rep i will not disclose them. Ladies, you are on notice - continued damaging relationships with tools within my sphere of influence will net you harsh words and looks from me until you leave the relationship or the aforementioned sphere - be warned the sphere extends 500 nautical miles (roughly 4 feet) from wherever i happen to be.
There are other reasons (mainly financial, philosophical, and umbilical reasons) for my madness, but on advice from my PR rep i will not disclose them. Ladies, you are on notice - continued damaging relationships with tools within my sphere of influence will net you harsh words and looks from me until you leave the relationship or the aforementioned sphere - be warned the sphere extends 500 nautical miles (roughly 4 feet) from wherever i happen to be.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Ridiculous
I cant believe people would do this - are you freaking kidding me? "Haha, you thought you were gonna get your head cut off by the anti-Christ"
"Watch us next week where we kidnap a couple's newborn baby and tell a mother that her son just killed himself! Hilarity (and possible lawsuits) will ensue!"
I seriously had "assault with a deadly weapon" flash through my mind when that guy winks at the camera at the end.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Crazy
Check it, then stayed tuned while i wreck it (not really, i just wanted that to rhyme):
Yeah, i know this wasnt sung in a worshipful manner and the producers or whoever decided to put this song in the show might have just put it in as an example of another genre of music (seems they like to have varied genres - but what do i know, i never watch it). Watching this though made me think about how freakin awesome it would be if this is what our primetime television consisted of on every channel. The whole nation gathering around their tvs for a collective worship service. Yeah i know that this could never happen in our country due to the freedom of religion thing (dang forefathers). The only feasible way this could happen would be in a theocracy. LET'S DO IT!!! Ok, maybe not. Given our times and how we can never agree on what God is saying to us, we would all kill each other and claim God was on our side (He is on mine). Whoa, where did this political commentary come from?...sorry, got carried away - i guess all i am sayin is that for a second it was really cool to think about millions of people watching and worshipping the true God instead of the false gods of success, beauty, and talent.
PS - not saying American Idol is bad, just contrasting it with American God (any good?....maybe God Idol?, American Idol=God?...too obvious?) for dramatic effect
Yeah, i know this wasnt sung in a worshipful manner and the producers or whoever decided to put this song in the show might have just put it in as an example of another genre of music (seems they like to have varied genres - but what do i know, i never watch it). Watching this though made me think about how freakin awesome it would be if this is what our primetime television consisted of on every channel. The whole nation gathering around their tvs for a collective worship service. Yeah i know that this could never happen in our country due to the freedom of religion thing (dang forefathers). The only feasible way this could happen would be in a theocracy. LET'S DO IT!!! Ok, maybe not. Given our times and how we can never agree on what God is saying to us, we would all kill each other and claim God was on our side (He is on mine). Whoa, where did this political commentary come from?...sorry, got carried away - i guess all i am sayin is that for a second it was really cool to think about millions of people watching and worshipping the true God instead of the false gods of success, beauty, and talent.
PS - not saying American Idol is bad, just contrasting it with American God (any good?....maybe God Idol?, American Idol=God?...too obvious?) for dramatic effect
Thursday, April 10, 2008
We've moved!
Yeah, i like blogger better than myspace. For a while i debated about posting a blog at all - i wanted to make sure that my motivation for posting a blog wasnt for validation from people or in hoping people would be impressed by my musings. As i read more and more blogs, however, it seems to me that blogs are like private journals. People arent really trying to influence or impress people so much as interact with them over particular subjects. i like the idea that blogs could be what CS Lewis had with his close friends - a place to get together and talk about the day and what is on their minds. CS Lewis' friends lived close by and they had a pub to get together in, but in my case, a lot of my friends are far away, so this blog could be a means of getting their thoughts on my perspective. I have enjoyed my friends' blogs that are already on here for the same reason. I may not leave a comment (which i am trying to get better at), but i read the blog and think about what they wrote - and i do like knowing what is going on in their lives. Another reason for blogging is that writing gives me an outlet. I intend to do more writing overall - both privately and publicly. Writing privately will help me in remembering my thoughts and prayers and writing publicly helps me get better at communicating with people. John Piper, when asked what advice he would give an aspiring preacher, the first thing he said was "to write". He says that writing helps order your thinking and speaking. Incidentally, the Desiring God blog posted pointers from CS Lewis on writing and speaking that are pretty good
I know this was kind of a rambling post, but expect that in all future posts of mine as i havent really mastered the art of writing, speaking, cooking, or landscaping.
I know this was kind of a rambling post, but expect that in all future posts of mine as i havent really mastered the art of writing, speaking, cooking, or landscaping.
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