Red Tails

"Make justice your aim, stand up against evil, listen for the cry of the lost, and defend the forsaken." Isaiah 1:17

Movie theatres have been long overdue for a movie like Red Tails, the heroic story of the Tuskegee Airman, the African-American pilots of the 332nd fighter group and the 477th bombardment units of the US Army in World War II.

The Tuskegee Airman stand out for two reasons: first because of the fact that, before the civil rights era, these men were able to overcame racial prejudice and unjust laws in the service of their country; and secondly, because they fulfilled their duties with incredible precision and success, above and beyond that of many other squadrons and fighting units during WWII.

Red Tails gives audiences a glimpse into this oft-forgotten piece of history by following the stories of a few of those pilots during 1944 and 1945. It is also a tale of what it means to live up to the call to "...make justice your aim, stand up against evil, listen for the cry of the lost, and defend the forsaken" (Isa. 1:17).

The Tuskegee Airman knew a thing or two about injustice and facing evil. Not only did they see the destruction and horrible acts of cruelty by the Nazis, but they also faced an unjust system of racial segregation and sinful racism from the very people they fought alongside from their own country.

Yet they continued to soldier on, despite the obstacles. Even though they were given an opportunity to travel overseas with the Army during WWII, they were reduced to insignificant roles and leftover missions, far behind enemy lines.

But thanks to the prophetic leadership of Col. A.J. Bullard (Terrence Howard) in Washington DC - facing off against racist military brass, the Tuskegee Airman are finally given an opportunity to step up on the battlefield. They are tasked with the job of defending bomber planes as they fly into Axis territory. In some respects, it represents another challenge: to dutifully defend by air the very soldiers who discriminate against them on the ground.

Yet despite this, they passed with flying colors (red, to be exact, as their P-51 Mustang aircraft bear the color on their tails). Through their aerial skills, they are able to truly "...stand up against evil, listen for the cry of the lost, and defend the forsaken," and that's just in the skies.

These brave men teach us a valuable lesson: that, to make justice our aim for all people, we must always stand against evil, listen for the cry of the lost, and defend the forsaken, even if those cries and forgotten souls are the people we dislike most. Their role in the war is simply to defend life. The movie shows us that it was tempting to be a hot shot hero (and some of the pilots on screen do succumb to that temptation) - but being a skilled wingman is what wins the war.

In our lives, it can be tempting to look for power and glory for ourselves. But in the end, sometimes the best thing we can do is be good wingmen.

Yes, there may be battles that we can easily win by ourselves. In the movie, the hot-headed Joe 'Lightning' Little (David Oyelowo) wants to single-handedly face off against the Nazis as well as the white racist airmen stationed near his unit in Italy. And while he is a skilled fighter (in the air and on the ground), he cannot truly claim victory on his own. He needs the other Tuskegee pilots, and he needs the other soldiers (white, black, or otherwise) in the route towards victory on any front.

We need one another. And even if we see injustice and evil, and hear the cries of the lost and forsaken, we can do more in concert with others than we can do on our own. It's tempting to be the brazen hero, but if we do it, we can crash and burn - which doesn't help anyone.

Instead, we must work together. The Tuskegee Airmen worked together to defend the WWII bombers they were assigned to, no matter how simple that task was in the grand scheme of the war. The white soldiers needed the Tuskegee pilots - and the Tuskegees needed each other - to win the day. And looking further ahead, the civil rights activists needed the heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen in their own march towards freedom.

And while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose holiday we celebrate this month, was a heroic figure of social justice, he needed thousands of men and women, white and black, to stand with him as his wingmen as he marched on Washington and declared "I have a dream..."

No matter how great we are, we all need wingmen. And we all need to be wingmen. Working together as a human race is our ultimate goal, so in whatever small ways we can, we must move in that direction by supporting, loving, and fighting alongside one another. And as one united community, we can truly accomplish the greatest things.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

"Purge the evil person from your midst and God will make His judgement." 1 Cor. 5:13

The new American movie version of Stieg Larsson's novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, can be just as harrowing to watch as the book is to read. It is not for the faint of heart.

This film, along with the other two movies in the trilogy that is expected to follow, is about how one reacts to the incredible violence thrust upon women by powerful men. To take us through this journey, the movies must show us the ugly actions and effects that such violence breeds.

In this particular story, we follow Swedish journalist-crusader Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) as he tracks down the forty-year-old case of a missing girl from a violent-prone family with a Nazi heritage that may or may not be part of the case. Alongside this case is the story of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an impoverished computer hacker who must survive by enduring sexual violence from her legal guardian. Their stories intertwine and once they work together, the fog clears and both begin to see things more clearly.

It's a complicated tale of intrigue wrapped up in solving another tale of intrigue - but at its core, Dragon Tattoo is a fascinating exploration into the human urge for sex and violence.

But the movie's tagline, "evil shall with evil be expelled," is taken from a Swedish proverb not unlike the Old Testament adage, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (Ex. 21:24). It plays with the notion that evil is best confronted by vengeful reactions. During the movie itself, we find that the serial killer that Blomkvist and Salander are tracking used vengeance-themed passages from the Book of Leviticus to justify his or her own crimes - as a sick use of Scripture to varnish their evil.

Throughout history, religious people have struggled with coming to terms with their past and their sacred texts - which preach peace in one place but showcase violence in another. This story introduces this struggle yet again... and asks whether or not it takes evil to stamp out evil (as some biblical passages might might indicate) or if there is another route.

The specific evil in question in this film is violence done to women: abuse, marginalization, discrimination, and rape. Lisbeth herself is well-aware of this situation, and because of these horrible experiences, becomes a hard-edged, sadistic, and mentally-troubled young woman - which in turn, leads to even more problems. That is, of course, until she meets Blomkvist.

Mikael Blomkvist is not a saint. But he crusades for those who have no voice, even to the point of persecution in the courtroom and in the media. While he may not like Lisbeth's style, he accepts her and treats her as she ought to be treated. Together the two of them work on the missing-girl case - and the edge starts to drip off of Lisbeth with each passing day.

Lisbeth originally thought that the Swedish proverb ("evil shall with evil be expelled") was Gospel truth (as evidenced in one difficult scene where she vengefully confronts her rapist) - until she met someone who showered kindness and respect upon her. Then another Gospel truth started to emerge for her, summed up in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians: "Purge the evil person from your midst, and God will make His judgement." (1 Cor. 5:13).

In other words, it's not for us to exact violence upon those who are evil - but instead, it's for God to make the final judgement. All we can do is purge them from our lives, distancing ourselves from evil but never allowing evil to overcome us in revenge.

It was Blomkvist's compassion that started Lisbeth down this path. All it took was for one person to extend that blind love towards another without question.

Imagine what good we can accomplish if we offered kindness and respect to all that we meet, whether we know them or not, whether we like them or not, whether we are disgusted with them or not? Imagine what kind of world that would be.

Violence breeds violence - and the law of the ancients ("an eye for an eye") seems pervasive many centuries later, showing up in silly Swedish proverbs and movie posters. Sure... it can be tempting to respond to rape and sexual assault with torture and murder. When the government uses the death penalty or other means of torture to punish its criminals (regardless of their crimes), is it not just perpetuating violence for violence? We must, and we can, be better than this.

Jesus, instead, calls us to respond in love. When Blomkvist responds to Lisbeth's harsh demeanor with respectful love, the cycle of violence gets derailed. Not that Lisbeth becomes a saint, but she certainly starts down a better path - while still being able to exact justice upon those who cause evil.

Of course nothing is ever as clear as day. Lisbeth confuses Blomkvist's kindness with romantic love, which leads to other messes that will need to be cleaned up in future movies. But for a moment, a ray of hope has lit up Lisbeth's life. For all the violence she has suffered throughout her life, the road to recovery will be long and winding (which makes for more films to explore those developments), but it's a start.

In our lives, can we offer a ray of hope to another? And if we ourselves are caught in an endless cycle of violence, can we stop for a moment and re-analyze our situation?

Purge evil from our midst if we must, but never mirror that which is destructive, no matter how righteous we might feel in doing so. Instead, let us be beacons of hope, love, kindness, and compassion in a world that experiences so little of this. Then, and only then, will the world start to turn towards the Gospel.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

"You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13

Poor Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). In almost every Mission Impossible movie, he is forced to save the world while running underground, apart from his superiors in the United States intelligence agencies, due to some internal department mess-up or conspiracy. And once again in Ghost Protocol, he's still on the fringe. Poor guy.

From the outset, he needs to be broken out of a Russian prison where he has been sitting and waiting for his release. But just as soon as he tastes freedom, the entire Impossible Missions Force (IMF) gets disavowed due to a bombing at the Kremlin.

So Hunt, along with his new team of Carter (Paula Patton), Benji (Simon Pegg), and Brandt (Jeremy Renner), must figure out a way to avert nuclear war while not only being undercover, but being considered "criminals" by their own government. Yet they do their duty no matter the odds stacked up against them.

Would any of us do the same? Or when we're beaten down and disregarded by friend and foe alike, do we just want to crawl into some corner until it all passes?

Jesus knew this would happen to his disciples, too. He knew that, when the Romans came to imprison them, beat them, torture them, and seek to kill them, the temptation would be so strong to crawl into some corner until it all passed. He knew this is what could happen to anyone who is frightened or persecuted. It's natural and it's human.

So he looked at them and said, "Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." (Mk. 13:12-13)

Jesus was saying: persecution will come, but you cannot cower. People will dislike you, get angry with you, and disavow you, but you must persevere and keep going. He was telling his disciples, and he tells us, to be like Ethan Hunt on the run.

It might be tempting to lay low until things get better - but that is not what Jesus calls us to do. We must hone our inner Ethan Hunt and still fight for justice, defend the defenseless, and save the world even when things aren't going our way. We cannot wait for the rain to pass to step out into the street. If we are truly a disciple of Christ, we must take a risk even when life hasn't settled down and even when we're on the run ourselves.

Too many people procrastinate today. Too many people want to wait - or at least they say they're waiting, but in the end don't do anything. One of the reasons Jesus instructed the disciples to persevere was because inaction breeds more inaction. If we don't do anything now, we may not do anything later - even if the rain passes, the persecution ends, and the days get better. If we persevere in the worst days, we will overcome on the best days. But if we sit back and cower in hard times, we may not able to get back up in the good times.

That is why we love to watch the Mission Impossible movies. It's not just about the exciting action and adventure scenes like the ones where Ethan Hunt is clinging to a skyscraper in Dubai over a hundred stories in the air, though those are certainly fun. We love these movies because Hunt and his crew take action when the odds are against them - and if and when they come out on top, the victory tastes even sweeter.

So if we find ourselves saying, I'll get to that when things slow down or when things are going our way or when we get a bit more financially stable, let us remember Ethan Hunt... or more importantly, Jesus of Nazareth. Let us remember that they were able to save our world when things weren't going so well. And if we seek to follow in those footsteps, the same must be said of us.

Sure... it's an impossible mission, but God has faith in us that we're up to the task. Let's not let God down and accept our mission. Ready?

War Horse

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares..." Isaiah 2:4

War Horse offers a unique perspective on the First World War: seeing the bloody trench battles, the harrowing impact on the local population, and the tragedy of nations torn apart by violence, all through the lens of a simple country horse.

Joey, as the horse is called by its first owner Albert (Jeremy Irvine), is a gifted animal who is stronger and wiser than most everyone gives the creature credit for being. And due to this exceptionalism, Joey soon becomes a wanted horse - and is drafted into military service once the war breaks out in 1914.

What is remarkable is the impact this simple horse has on all the various owners it has throughout the war: it brings an air of peace, selflessness, confidence, and compassion in the midst of such bitter violence and hatred.

Could it be because so many people have a soft spot for horses? Or is there some internal urge for peace that this animal brings forth?

Consider that the first major task of this horse was a peaceful act: to plow a field so that people can eat and a family could survive their poverty. In some respects, this simple action defined what this horse was about - not being a lowly beast of war but a gallant horse of peace. Perhaps all the owners of this horse, whether they be English captains, French families, or German soldiers, heard in Joey the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "In the days to come...They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" (Is. 2:4)

Could it be that the horse reminded them that violence and anger is nothing compared to the promise of peace?

What is it, for us, that reminds us of Christ's call to nonviolence and love? Is it a loving family member, or a special token from our childhood, or is it a prayer we say to ourselves or a piece of art that calls out to us? Is it a Scripture passage or a song? Or do we have such things in our life?

War Horse reminds us to keep around us items, people, and experiences that call to mind the Gospel. For the various characters of the movie, the horse was that token. What will that be for us?

For when we surround ourselves with items that remind us of Christ, the Gospel, and his message of nonviolence, peace, and unconditional love, we become infused with that same energy. (conversely, when we surround ourselves with objects that speak of hatred, violence, and war, we are affected by them as well). This is why we fill our churches with images that call to mind the Gospel. This is why we fill our homes with items that remind us of love. This is why we fill our lives with people that make us disciples of the Lord.

Joey was able to bring a ray of peace into one of the darkest chapters in human history - so what is it that will carry us through our own darkest hours? Hold close to whatever that might be - and you'll be able to make it through your own war.

Silence in the Balcony

A Moment of Silence at the Movies

Since mid-November 2011, I haven't had much time to blog about the movies. In effect, it's been like a silent retreat. Not that I haven't seen any films lately. And not that there hasn't been any spiritual messages in those films. Quite the contrary.

However, due to time and work and the holidays, I haven't had much time to myself to pause, reflect, and then write out my theological reflections on the movies I've been seeing.

But as Oscar season is shaping up and as the award-worthy year-end movies have yielded some great spiritual lessons, I feel called to return to the balcony (also known as this blog) and take some time to engage us in conversations about the spiritual themes that run through all these films.

So thank you for your patience during this silent period. It's time, though, to let the pictures roll. See you around soon...

It's a Wonderful Life

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor..." Luke 4:18

At Christmas, one of the most popular traditions today is watching favorite holiday films - and for many, one movie in particular still stands out above the rest: Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

This charming tale tells the life story of George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a simple man from Bedford Falls, New York, who dreams of traveling the globe - but due to one circumstance after another, remains in his hometown to tend the family business: the Bailey Building & Loan. After years of hardship, on Christmas Eve night 1945, George reaches the end of his rope and contemplates suicide - until the angel Clarence (Henry Travers) is sent from heaven to save him from certain death.

Very little of the film is actually about the holiday, except that the movie's most critical encounter (George and Clarence) takes place on Christmas Eve. But in another sense, that date may be the least important connection to the feast and what it stands for.

George Bailey's life is, in fact, a wonderful reflection on what the coming of Christ is really all about. This understanding is captured in two passages from Luke:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior...He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones and lifted up the lowly. The hungry he has filled with good things and the rich he has sent away empty.

(Lk. 1:46-47,52-53) and

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free.

(Lk. 4:18)

This canticle of Jesus' mother Mary (Lk. 1), praising what God can and will do through her son, lays the foundation upon which she raises Jesus to become the man we call Lord. And in one of his first public addresses (Lk. 4), Jesus echoes his mother's song by laying the cornerstone of his own ministry in Galilee and Judea.

It is by these Gospel standards that our hero, George Bailey, lives out his life - and that we can do as well, at Christmastime and throughout the whole year.

As we see in Wonderful Life, George has grand dreams for himself. A natural explorer, he has saved up money for a trip around the world - and is just about to embark on this journey when tragedy strikes. His father dies, leaving his Building & Loan to an uncertain fate - and must choose between his long-hoped-for adventure and saving the family business from collapse. He chooses the latter.

Again, four years later, when his brother Harry (Todd Karns) returns from college, George resurrects his travel plans and hopes to leave the Building & Loan to Harry's supervision. But when his brother gets married and gets a job offer from his new father-in-law, George again defers, putting the dreams of his family before his own.

And on his wedding day, with a fantastic honeymoon planned out with his new bride Mary (Donna Reed), a Depression-era bank run occurs - and to rescue his customers from poverty, George uses his honeymoon savings and, in so doing, helps the low and middle class citizens of Bedford Falls through the crisis.

George always had a chance to escape, to make a wonderful life for himself, but he choose to help those in need - his family, his friends, and his community - sacrificing his dreams on their behalf. He followed Jesus' commands to the utmost: "Go and sell all your possessions and give them to the poor" (Mt. 19:21) and "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what he has left behind is fit from the kingdom of God." (Lk. 9:62)

In a season that is so preoccupied with receiving gifts from others, the lessons of George Bailey and the Gospels can be hard to swallow. So instead, we might minimize the impact of this film to sentimentality and the love the friends.

But Wonderful Life is a movie that should really challenge us. This is a prophetic tale of social justice just as much as a misty-eyed holiday classic.

George Bailey teaches us to look beyond ourselves and our wants - and to even look beyond our family and friends - and see instead how we can address the needs of the greater community. At Christmas, we are challenged not just to love our parents, children, and closest friends, but to take action for the poor, the disenfranchised, the sick, the marginalized, the helpless, and the dying.

It's not easy to do it. George Bailey could only take so much sacrifice - and on Christmas Eve, contemplated suicide. But the angel Clarence reminded him - and our God reminds us in prayer: "Whoever loses his life for the sake of the Gospel will surely find it again." (Mt. 16:25)

It's not easy to do it. But there are small steps we can take to move closer to that prophetic call. We can more intentionally work for social justice causes. We can find out who the poor and disenfranchised are in our local community, and work to help them. We can give freely to those who go without.

It's not easy to do it. Especially at Christmas, it can be hard to think beyond our gifts and our family and friends. And when the Salvation Army bell-ringer is gone and the holiday food drives are over, the poor and hungry will still be there. It's not easy because the problems are often so big.

So as we celebrate Emmanuel at Christmas, it falls to us to carry on the mantle of Christ when we leave our churches and finish our holiday meals. Like George Bailey, we need to be reminded how wonderful our lives will be when we step up and serve the world, sacrificing our blessings for the sake of others.

It's providential that It's a Wonderful Life is still with us decades later. But the next time we see it, let's make it more than a cliche, more than a seasonal favorite - and make it our rally cry to be more like George Bailey in our world the other 364 days of the year. If we each did that, then all humankind may be able to say "it's a wonderful life" and for that, "glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and good will to all."

Tower Heist & In Time

"Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of the night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake... so, too, you must also be prepared for at an hour or day you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." Mt. 24:43-44

In the middle ages, tales of Robin Hood stealing from the rich became incredibly popular among the poor peasants of the English countryside. And during the Great Depression, movies about money-stealing gangsters were the favorite of low income Americans. Could it be that, today, in our recessed economy, we are once again drawn to stories about the downfall of the rich?

Two movies this month, Tower Heist (staring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller) and In Time (with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfriend), revolve around this very issue: the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer - and someone needs to stand up to this injustice.

Tower Heist is a comedy where a band of apartment complex workers, whose pensions were lost in a Ponzi scheme involving Wall Street executive Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), take matters into their own hands to redistribute Shaw's wealth to their fellow employees. While their actions are still criminal, one cannot help but root for the motley crew led by Murphy and Stiller. Too often, the richest 1% can get away from crimes that the other 99% must suffer for... and we cheer on those who try (albeit illegally) to balance the scales of justice.

In Time, in much the same vein, is an action thriller set 150 years in the future when money doesn't exist and the only commodity is time. Humans are paid in hours and minutes - and the more time given, the longer one has to live. What happens is that, even without physical money, the rich will still live longer and the poor will die sooner. The film follows one poor man living in the ghetto (Timberlake) who, after unexpectedly receiving a century of time, decides to set matters right and steal hours, months, and years away from those with time to spare.

Despite their divergent approaches, both movies remind us of what Jesus said in the Scriptures: "the poor you will have with you always..." (Mt. 26:11) - but also what he said about the proper placement of the poor in our world: "many who are now first should be last, but those who often finish last must be the first." (Mt. 19:30).

Too often, those who enjoy riches and power are so consumed with their wealth and dominion that they forget that God's kingdom is about equity and social justice. Even if we have limited income, temptation can come to each of us to squander or lord our possessions above those who do not. At one point or another in our lives, we have been guilty of misusing the gifts - spiritual or physical - that God has graced us with.

Our time on earth, Jesus also says in Scripture (specifically Mt. 25:31-46), will be judged according to how we helped the poor, the hungry, the suffering, and the marginalized in this life. Money, power, and prestige will matter for nothing.

So we cheer on our movie heroes (like the feisty band of misfits in Tower Heist or Timberlake and Seyfried's Bonnie-and-Clyde characters in In Time) just we would cheer on Christ, who redistributes favor based on those who deserve it most. Perhaps we should tune into that excitement we feel when the rich get their comeuppance in these types of films. Perhaps this is God's way of urging us to do what we can to tip the scales of justice in favor of those who need it the most.

So when should we start moving in that just direction? Right now. Not after the holidays or when we feel secure enough in our own financial situation. Not when things settle down for us or when we have the time to spare. Instead, God calls us to action as soon as we can.

In these two movies, the heroes had an impact because they didn't wait. They jumped into action when the need arose. "Be sure of this," Jesus tells his disciples, "if the master of the house had know the hour of the night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake... so too you must also be prepared, for an hour or day you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." (Mt. 24:43-44).

Let us make the most of the time given to us. In Time reminds us that those who think they have all the time (i.e. money and power) in the world do not really "live" - but those who recognize that their last moment could be around the corner live life to the fullest. The same should go for us.

As we do not know the day or the hour, we should make sure that the life we live now is lived to its fullest extent: by giving to the poor, loving the marginalized, deepening our relationships, forgiving our enemies, and taking in all of God's grand creation.

And that time is now.