Slumdog Millionaire

"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God." Luke 6:20

Slumdog Millionaire is more than your typical rags-to-riches movie.

This film follows Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a young adult who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, as he wins twenty million rupees on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" But what makes his story unique is that he won the grand prize because of all the things that had happened to him amidst his life of poverty and oppression.

We learn, through flashbacks after each question in the game show, that Jamal lost his mother when militant Hindus ravaged his neighborhood, and that he and his brother Salim (who are both played by several young actors throughout the film as they age) escape into a life of extreme poverty.

We learn that, as children, the two brothers (along with a newfound friend Lakita) were exploited by abusive human traffickers, but subsequently escaped by train, eventually ending up begging and stealing money at the Taj Mahal. We learn that in their early teens, Salim finds and kills the leader of the traffickers, leading to his own devolution into a life of crime - while Jamal ends up serving coffee at an international calling center. Finally, we learn that Jamal was on the show just to give hope to his childhood sweetheart Lakita (Freido Pinto), who is cloistered as one of many young girls at the beckon call of an Indian mobster.

These stories remind us of the unfortunate poverty that sweeps across India and other third-world areas around the globe. If for no other reason than to be made aware of this destitude that occurs beyond our borders, this movie is well worth it.

In the United States, we often forget the millions of people across our planet who live in such deplorable conditions, and a film like Slumdog Millionaire can help us regain that awareness, and challenge us to do more to eradicate poverty, and the conditions that bring it about. As Christians, we are called to give special attention to the poor and helpless, wherever they are.

Jesus told his followers, who were all below the poverty line of their day, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh again." (Luke 6:20-21). In Luke's Gospel, we see a savior whose first mission was to the poor, the outcast, and the unloved.

We see a Jesus (who himself was quite poor) reach out to those who could not help themselves, and give them a confidence and happiness like they never knew before.

In this movie, it was Jamal who gave hope and inspiration to millions around India, as the poor huddled around television sets to watch one of their own move beyond their poverty. And what made it even more special was that Jamal did not go on the show for the money - but rather for the love and compassion of another, namely his friend Lakita.

In our lives, while we may not experience the extreme conditions that we see in the movie, we can get downtrodden by the economy, our jobs, stress and pressure, or the mounting expectations that others hoist upon us. We can focus inward and enter into a time of self-loathing and survival, just to make through one more day. We can go through life like this, throwing up our hands and getting angry at the world for our lot in life.

Jamal Malik should be an inspiration for us, too, if we fall into this trap.

Despite our worst days, Jesus calls us to provide for one another. It is in giving that we receive, and if we look beyond ourselves and our problems to help others around us, we will surely receive that happiness that Christ promised in the Sermon on the Plain in Luke's Gospel.

In addition, Slumdog Millionaire reminds us to be grateful for our life, every minute of it. Because of the events in Jamal's life, he was able to use them to win his twenty million rupees. In our own way, we can use our past to help our future. What happened to us when we were younger that might help us and help others in the here and now?

It's not easy to do this. It requires some self-discipline and humilty of understanding. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, taught his students and companions a way to take stock of our past. He encouraged others to look back at every moment of the day just past, but to do it with a sense of thanksgiving - for everything, both the good and the bad. At the end of a day, he taught, thank God for all the things that occured since you woke up. Doing this day after day creates a discipline of thanksgiving for all that has happened.

In looking back at his life, despite the poverty and ugliness he experienced, Jamal was able to find hope and inspiration for his future.

In doing this, I believe that each of us can better understand Jesus as he says "blessed are the poor... the hungry... the weeping... those who are hated, excluded, insulted, and oppressed." Blessed are they because they have the tools to grow in spirit. They have the tools to help others. And they have the tools to eradicate hopelessness in our world.

Valkyrie

"Our God is slow to anger, yet great in power. The Lord never leaves the guilty unpunished." Nahum 1:3

In the end, history (and Hollywood) seems to have vindicated the righteous. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, leader of the resistance to Adolf Hitler during World War II, was executed for his plot to overthrow the Fuhrer.

But 63 years later, in the movie Valkyrie, Stauffenberg (portrayed by Tom Cruise) seems to finally be given overdue credit for his efforts to bring Germany out from under the brutal regime of the Nazi Party.

In the discussions about war and pacifism, and when resistance goes too far, this movie will give people much to talk about. Theologians and Christian leaders have debated these notions for centuries, and still today we wonder what is the ideal response to hatred, violence, and evil acts.

In Valkyrie, Stauffenberg believes the only way to deal with Hitler is to kill him. Is he right or wrong? Regardless of how history turned out, how is a Christian to look at this situation?

These are the questions I wrestle with myself in the wake of seeing this movie. At first, I am there with Tom Cruise's character, rooting him on to succeed in the assassination attempt. But then I wonder if there could have been alternatives to this plan that did not involve murder.

In the history behind the Hebrew Scriptures, we come to learn that the Assyrian Empire of the Seventh Century B.C.E. was very similar to Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s. The Assyrians believed in expanding their control over the known world of that time, even if it involved killing or torturing anyone that got in their way. The prophet Nahum was sent to prophesy against them for their horrors:

"Woe to the bloody city, all lies, full of plunder, whose looting never stops... I will come against you and I will strip your power from you. I will show your nakedness to the nations, to the kingdoms I will show your shame." (Nahum 3:1,5).

But God did not tell the Jewish people to revolt against them (in fact, when they did, they were themselves destoyed). Instead, it was God's place to level the playing field: "Our God is slow to anger, yet great in power. The Lord never leaves the guilty unpunished" (Nahum 1:3). The people were to trust in their God to bring about justice.

(and for Colonel Stauffenberg, I suppose history is on his side since Hitler was severely punished in the minds and consciences of the generations after him and probably for many generations yet to come; God has not left the guilty unpunished, so it seems)

That does not mean that we are to stand idly by while injustice occurs.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells the followers of Christ to "put on the armor of God that you may be able to resist evil on the last days and hold your ground" (Eph. 6:13). But we must resist with compassion befitting a Christian, as Jesus told us also to "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Mt. 5:44).

In my understanding of the gospel, it seems that the dialogue between pacificism and just resistance needs to continue. It's never a cut-and-dry issue. A well-made movie like Valkyrie is a great way to start that conversation. Let us pray that, through such discernment, we might find the will of God so that we can do our part to resist what is evil in our world in the most Christian way possible.

Frost/Nixon

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Yoda (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace)

The movie Frost/Nixon is a captivating piece of political history, and warning for all of us on the dangers of fear, which lead to a life of deception, pride, and arrogance.

First some background: In the years following the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon escaped public accountability for his actions by getting a full pardon from Gerald Ford. In fact, Nixon was even planning a comeback to the political scene after the dust settled on Watergate. This film, Frost/Nixon, shows how, over the course of several interviews with British talk-show host David Frost (Michael Sheen), the former president (played here by Frank Langella) - who hoped these interviews woudl bring about his exoneration - was actually brought to justice.

At the core, the biggest flaw of Richard Nixon was an overwhelming sense of fear. Throughout his life, Nixon feared losing control to others who might have been more talented, gifted, or charasmatic than he. Fear was the basis of the Watergate break-in, and it was fear that further fueled the corrupt cover-up in the years to come.

Like Yoda predicted, fear led to anger and anger led to hate and hate led to suffering. For Nixon, this meant not trusting anyone and hating nearly everyone. And because of the political deception and corruption that resulted from his paralyzing fear, the nation suffered immensely and lost all faith in institutions (a lack of trust that still remains with many Americans today). And when Ford pardoned Nixon, it closed a chapter, but still left unanswered questions and unresolved justice.

In the years following, Nixon took David Frost up on his offer for over twenty hours worth of interviews out of a lingering sense of fear - fear that he might never be liked or beloved again in the minds and hearts of the American people. He felt these interviews would give him a new image, and would also pave the way for his comeback.

David Frost also seemed to suffer from fear - fear of being labeled forever a funny talk-show host and eventually falling into obscurity once the popularity from his talk shows faded away. His fear led him to care more about getting sponsors for the telecast and looking good for the camera than believing in himself as a serious investigative reporter. And because of this fear, his first few interviews with the former president went poorly (in large part, since Nixon was more skilled at manipulation than Frost cared to admit).

But in a late night phone call between Frost and Nixon, as depicted in the movie, the British interviewer finally realized what kept him and Nixon from achieving their respective dreams: they were both overwhelmed with fear. When Frost made this realization, he got down to work, put aside the fear, and believed in himself.

When Frost got past his fear, he succeeded. Sadly for Nixon, he never got past his insecurity and failed to get the comeback that he always dreamed of having.

The reality is that, no matter if we are politicians or talk-show hosts, or if we are everyday men and women in regular jobs, we all can fall prey equally to our fears. Fear often keeps us from getting to our life goals and fear, if unchecked, leads to mistrust, anger, deception, corruption, manipulation, pride, and selfish arrogance (as it did for Richard Nixon).

Fear is something that each of us - no matter how famous or average we perceive ourselves to be - has to deal with. What will make us infamous in God's eyes is how we handle that fear.

I find it interesting that one of the most common phrases in Scripture (if not the most common) is the admonition: "Be not afraid." If something appears over and over again in the Bible, it's a sure bet that this is important.

Yoda, too, was right. Fear is the first step towards "the dark side" (or in our Christian terminology, "sin"). If we can overcome our fear, we can not only avoid doing sinful acts, but we can experience life more fully. Jesus and the multitude of other biblical figures who tell us "be not afraid" understood how abundant life could be, if only we get past our fears.

So let us pray for ourselves, that we might overcome our fears and insecurities in life, or at the very least, learn to manage and live with them. Then let us pray for those who are trapped by fear all their lives, that they, too, might find ways to manage or vanquish their anxieties and worries and embrace the confidence God has in store for them (and for all of us).

Our Favorites of 2008

What was your favorite movie of the year?

On New Years, we take a moment to look back and what was - and look forward to what is yet to come. As we stand on the treshold between two years, we pause in the doorway to reflect on what was great about the year and what wasn't.

I asked a few friends to do the same - to think about their favorite films of 2008. Not the best film, the most Oscar-worthy, or the most critically acclaimed, but their favorite movies.

Tony and Karen loved the year's biggest blockbuster, The Dark Knight. Liz liked Horton Hears a Who. Lisa enjoyed The Boy in Striped Pajamas. Jeff appreciated Slumdog Millionaire. Becky remembers 27 Dresses since she saw it the day before her daughter was born. Sr. Christine really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. Heidi liked Iron Man. DeDee said Milk was her favorite, while Janet preferred The Duchess. Jeff can quote Step Brothers. Maria and Janice both couldn't chose just one; between the two of them, they liked 21, Mamma Mia, Twight, and Four Christmases, respectively. And my wife Sarah thinks everyone should see Kung Fu Panda, her favorite movie of 2008.

This list is great not because the movies here are all Academy Award-winners. In fact, some of them were critically panned and booed on their release. Rather, this list is great because they are my friends' favorites regardless of anything or anyone else.

Our favorites are our favorites for many reasons. For Becky, it was 27 Dresses' proximity to such a special experience in her life this year; while for Sarah, it was Kung Fu Panda's fun and profound story of discovering your inner hero that made it perfect for her. For others, the reason can be as simple as enjoying the music, finding a actor or actress particularly attractive, or that it made us laugh like never before.

Favorite movies reveal more about us than they do about the films. Favorite movies remind us, in the midst of busyness, work, and stress, what's truly important to us in our lives.

So as we approach a New Year, take a good long look at your favorite movie or movies this past year - and ask yourself why they are so special to you. And when you find that reason, whether deep or simple, you will find what truly matters to you right now. Spend a moment in prayer, thanking God for that revelation, and resolve to make what truly matters to you a major part of the New Year ahead.

If each of us spent a moment doing all that, I can only imagine how great 2009 will surely be. For all those reading this blog post today, a blessed and happy New Year!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens... For everyone, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of all their labor is a gift of God." Eccl. 3:1 & 13

In a recent interview, David Fincher, the director of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, said of his film, "It's a movie about death." But when seen through the lens of faith, this movie is actually more about life.

This is a tale, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, about a man named Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) who is born old, but as he ages, he physically gets younger.

What I found most captivating was the great chapters in Benjamin's life. He grew up in the bustling 20s and the challenging 30s. He came of age just before and during the Second World War. He learned about want and loss during the 50s, and finally experienced true love (with his beloved Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett) in the excitement of the 1960s. After the birth of his child, he escaped to India during the 70s, only to return home to say his last goodbye's in the 80s and to finally lose his identity and memory in the 90s.

Each chapter, just like each decade, was unique. Benjamin always seemed ready to take on the next new challenge or take advantage of the next great opportunity - while being completely conscious of the present moment, exemplified by the scenes when he sees a gentle hummingbird buzz around the ocean in the midst of World War II or when he and Daisy take in the launch of an Apollo spacecraft as they drift away in a boat on a quiet Florida lake.

While the director David Fincher did focus a bit much on death and loss, he also knew that his movie went beyond that, saying "It's a grand love story that's steeped in death, in the things that we put so much effort into ignoring on a daily basis."

In our world, our own lives are often lived going forward, but always looking backward - asking ourselves "what might have been" or "what should have happened." Sometimes we focus obsessively on this past, so much so that we ignore the opportunities that lie ahead of us (and once we realize what we have missed in that moment, ironically we spend more time living in the past and regretting that mistake, too).

Benjamin's story is a great lesson for all of us. While he lives going backward, he always looks forward - to the next great chapter in his life. His love story is not just with Daisy, but with his life and everyone he had met along the way.

What if each of us lived our lives that way?

Sure we can't reverse the aging process like Benjamin Button, but we can learn to look forward to our next grand chapter while absorbing and appreciating the present moment. That's not to say we don't look back ever. But what if we looked back on our past with the goal of using that to improve our future.

So what chapter of your life are you living in right now? Are you taking in what it means to be alive in the first decade of the 21st Century? And are you ready to make your mark on the world in the next great chapter of your life?

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the eclectic book of Ecclesiastes is unique. In some aspects, the author Qoheleth sounds like the first quote from David Fincher saying that it's all about death, and all our work is in vain since it does not last. But in other aspects, Qoheleth also realizes that no matter our belief - whether a humistist notion that this is the only world we'll ever know or a Christian belief in eternal life - we need to experience and relish the life we have now.

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens," says Qoheleth, "A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to uproot..." (Eccl. 3:1-2). Similarly, every one of us will have great chapters in our lives - times for different occasions in our life. The question is how we will take them in.

After reviewing all the opportunities that life presents us, Qoheleth concludes by saying "I recognize that there is nothing better than to be glad and to do well in this life. For everyone, to eat and drink and enjoy the fruit of their labor is a gift of God." (Eccl. 3:12-13).

Perhaps Benjamin Button lived his life according to the third chapter of Ecclesiastes. He knew there was an appointed time for everything and he savored it and excitedly anticipated the next experience, right around the corner. I would like to think that I might live my life this way, and I pray in the New Year, you might also start living your life going forward, never backward.

Yes Man

"So let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more or less is sinful." (Matt. 5:37)

Around Chicago, December has been quite gloomy. We have had rain, sleet, snow, fog, ice, floods, extreme cold, extreme heat, and yes, even a tornado warning. Most days lately, though, have been overcast - a veil of grey has seeped across the Midwest landscape. Blah.

This melancholy weather is similar to the way that Carl Allen (Jim Carrey) begins the movie Yes Man. He lives a miserable life doing the same, mundane tasks over and over again, with little joy to show for it. In a sense, this gloominess makes Carl draw inward, avoiding people and saying "no" to any invitation and opportunity that comes his way. He just wants to crawl into his December-like hole and coast through the rest of his life.

That is until he learns to say "yes" (thanks to a Tony Robbins-like motivational speaker played by Terrance Stamp).

With the urging of an overzealous friend, he tries saying "yes" just a little more often - and finds that it ends with some good results (such as getting a midnight kiss from a kind stranger named Allison, played by Zooey Deschanel).

He continues his "yes" trend, and finds himself pulling himself out of his overcast rut. He learns to do things he never thought he'd ever do (bungey jumping, reuniting with old friends, helping the homeless, approving wild loans for poor, kindhearted souls at the bank he works for, and so much more), and he starts to love every minute of it.

While the method has its flaws (such as saying "yes" to a mail order Iranian wife or letting his friend trash his car), it teaches Carl an important lesson: make your life colorful.

It made me wonder, and it might make you wonder, if we have fallen into patterns, bad habits, introversion, or a general negative outlook on life. I know I have, and it's those times I find myself asking "Why are things going so bad?" - when the answer is staring me in the mirror.

What if we lived a life where we were more positive? Not a ooey-gooey smile-all-the-time giddiness, but really being positive about the situations presented to us? What if we first looked at the opportunities to any risk rather than the fears and concerns? What if we approached our problems with eagerness rather than anxiety? What if we looked to help others rather than helping only ourselves?

Perhaps every now and then, we need to be "yes men" - when a poor man asks for our help, when a friend asks to talk, or when an risky opportunity comes our way.

Like the parable of the talents in the Scriptures (Matt. 25:14-30), it was the servant who took the risk and said "yes" that reaped the greatest reward. Or like the disciples themselves who risked and sacrificed their livelihoods to follow Jesus - who said "yes" to His "follow me" - that had their lives forever changed.

Saying "yes" to new and bold opportunities, to those in need, and to exciting directions in our lives can make our world a lot more colorful - not bleak and frigid like a Chicago winter.

But saying "yes" isn't some kind of game, as Carl Allen was playing it in the movie. As Zooey Deschanel's character reminds him (not to mention other characters who try to get it into Carl's head), our "yes" must be a thought-out, genuine embrace of the new (even scary) world that awaits us on the other side of the word "yes."

Jesus warned his followers that saying an honest "yes" was a major sign of one's integrity. "So let your 'yes' mean 'yes' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more or less is sinful" (Matt. 5:37) said Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount. Being open and then embracing a positive outlook on life will surely have incredible results in our lives... so much so that Jesus wanted to make sure we were all aware of the power of that word.

We are called to say "yes" to the opportunities God puts before us: the chance to help the poor and suffering, the ability to grow friendships and relationships with all those we meet, the risk of making fools of ourselves for the sake of something greater, the fun and exciting ways that God has made this world colorful for His people, and a life of living the gospel always. It's these "yes" moments that will make us all forever blessed.

Quantum of Solace

"No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Reign of God." Luke 9:62

In Quantum of Solace, we see a new James Bond like never before. In most of the previous 007 films, it seems Bond either has recurrring amnesia or is just a cold-hearted man who moves on way too easily after tragedy and loss in each episode. But this Bond is different.

Picking up an hour or so after the last film (Casino Royale), Quantum has James Bond (Daniel Craig) still brooding over the loss of Vesper, whom he loved all too briefly. While he doesn't admit it to anyone, Bond has forgiven neither himself nor the people who trapped Vesper and sent her to her death. This is where this 007 is different - more human, more real.

But real or not, Bond has a hard time forgiving. Not that we would want him to forget what happened, as the earlier Bonds seem to have done (when one Bond girl dies and a few scenes later, the British secret agent is bedding another one). Rather, James Bond needs to forgive and allow that forgiveness to make him a better bearer of justice in the world.

Sadly, throughout the film, Bond becomes, as M (Judi Dench) puts it, "a blunt instrument" whose only thoughts are of vengence, not justice. By thinking back on the hurt he felt, he allows anger and retribution ("an eye for an eye") to fill his head - and becomes a killing machine in the name of the law.

But once he looks ahead rather than behind, he learns that true justice does not require equal punishment, but rather righteous justice where killing criminals is not the answer. By mentoring a young woman Camille (Olga Kurylenko) on her own need for vengence, Bond is able to see the error of his own ways.

Jesus once said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Reign of God." (Luke 9:62) At first, this seems harsh, but what he was getting at was that those who live and brood in the past cannot see clearly for what lies ahead. If we constantly look back, we won't be ready to go forward (and the Reign of God is all about transforming our world today in hope for a better tomorrow).

James Bond is called to be a bearer of justice in the world as a secret spy. He is called to protect the innocent and stand up against those who oppress the defenseless and hurt the weak. He is called to set the captives free and make this world a safer, more peaceful place. There is much responsibility in this, and if he dwells in his anger and hatred, he is no better than the criminals he hunts down.

By the end of the film, 007 starts to learn this gospel lesson. This Bond is on his way to becoming the best Bond of them all. He has much to learn, but give it a few more sequels, and we may see a forgiving, compassionate, and courageous champion of social justice yet. For us, when we stumble, God gives us sequels and second chances to learn to love and forgive so that we, too, might be pillars of justice in our own world.