Until recently, I have avoided the movie theatre and consequently, I have not blogged on movies for quite some time. For those of you who read this blog, I sincerely apologize.
But not going to the movies and not blogging has allowed me to refocus on those non-virtual experiences that are integral to my life. During the hiatus, I moved my home from the north to the south suburbs of Chicago; during the hiatus, my ministry role in the Diocese of Joliet has expanded and developed in new and exciting ways; during the hiatus, I was able to spend time watching the small screen (television) and the closing arc for this season’s LOST, Scrubs, My Name is Earl, The Office, and my favorite, Heroes.
Those small shows have given me a new appreciation of serials, a storytelling device that allows viewers to verge into a cliff-hanger suspense experience, as opposed to two-hour films that wrap up rather quickly (with the exception of intentional sequels, trilogies, and sagas).
By not blogging, I have been able to rekindle the spirit and excitement of this ministry and this exploration of faith and film. I encourage you, this summer (when I will be writing non-stop because of the great summer movies ahead) to take your own break and rekindle whatever it is that fires you up.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
300
"Put your sword back in your sheath, for all who live by the sword shall die by the sword." Matt. 26:52
After seeing 300 a few days ago, I am still wrestling with reconciling its glorification of war, brutality, and violence with the fact that it was a really captivating, exciting, adreneline-rushing movie.
This film follows Spartan king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and three hundred Spartan warriors as they take a stand against an invading Persian army and hundreds of thousands of their fiercest troops at Thermopylae in 480 b.c.e. Regardless of being excessively outnumbered, Leonidas and his men fight to the death to keep these invaders from overrunning his homeland.
300 shows us that heroes take a stand no matter what the odds are, never letting size or numbers frighten them into submission or surrender. As the Psalmist sings, "Countless dogs surround me, fierce bulls encircle me... but the Lord is never far away." (Psalm 22:13, 20)
The legend of these three hundred Spartans is an example of active resistance to those that would put us down. Leonidas put the dignity of his people ahead of his own life; he knew his soldiers were outnumbered, but he knew that the people of Sparta would be enslaved, victimized, and terrorized if he did not take an active stance.
One could argue that this gives amunition to the agrument for war; if Sparta could wage a pre-emptive strike against the Persians, why can't the United States do the same to Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, or North Korea?
Why not? Simply put: we've evolved as a human race since 480 b.c.e.
In 2007, we have the priviledge of reading the non-violent teachings of Christ in our Bibles and of witnessing the examples of non-violent heroes of the past 100 years such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama. But Christ and these great warriors of social justice were doing the same thing King Leonidas did, taking a stand when all hope was lost and when death and sacrifice seemed inevitable.
In the New Testement, before Jesus was taken away by the violent Temple guard and the Roman military garrison, the disciples asked if this would be the one exception to Jesus' command of nonviolence. If ever there was a worthy cause to take up arms, wouldn't it be to defend God in human form? But even then, Jesus said, "Put your sword back in your sheath, for all who live by the sword shall die by the sword." (Matt. 26:52)
In 2007, two millenia after these words of non-violence, are we finally capable of being a more intelligent, more compassionate, more peaceful human race? In 2007, do we still have to resort to violence, aggression, and war to take a stand or make a point?
The movie 300 gave us a flurry of excitement and adreneline, but perhaps it wasn't because decapitations and slow-motion swordfights are fun to watch on screen.
Perhaps the flurry of excitement and adreniline that has entralled audiences is so riviting because we, too, crave to take a stand against those who take away human dignity. Perhaps it can give us strength and courage to take that stand, even if we stand alone.
And now that we are a human race that can solve its problems without war and violence, just imagine what we can do when we attain the courage that once permeated the battlefield at Thermopylae in 480 b.c.e. and that God now graces us with today.
After seeing 300 a few days ago, I am still wrestling with reconciling its glorification of war, brutality, and violence with the fact that it was a really captivating, exciting, adreneline-rushing movie.
This film follows Spartan king Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and three hundred Spartan warriors as they take a stand against an invading Persian army and hundreds of thousands of their fiercest troops at Thermopylae in 480 b.c.e. Regardless of being excessively outnumbered, Leonidas and his men fight to the death to keep these invaders from overrunning his homeland.
300 shows us that heroes take a stand no matter what the odds are, never letting size or numbers frighten them into submission or surrender. As the Psalmist sings, "Countless dogs surround me, fierce bulls encircle me... but the Lord is never far away." (Psalm 22:13, 20)
The legend of these three hundred Spartans is an example of active resistance to those that would put us down. Leonidas put the dignity of his people ahead of his own life; he knew his soldiers were outnumbered, but he knew that the people of Sparta would be enslaved, victimized, and terrorized if he did not take an active stance.
One could argue that this gives amunition to the agrument for war; if Sparta could wage a pre-emptive strike against the Persians, why can't the United States do the same to Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, or North Korea?
Why not? Simply put: we've evolved as a human race since 480 b.c.e.
In 2007, we have the priviledge of reading the non-violent teachings of Christ in our Bibles and of witnessing the examples of non-violent heroes of the past 100 years such as Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Oscar Romero, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama. But Christ and these great warriors of social justice were doing the same thing King Leonidas did, taking a stand when all hope was lost and when death and sacrifice seemed inevitable.
In the New Testement, before Jesus was taken away by the violent Temple guard and the Roman military garrison, the disciples asked if this would be the one exception to Jesus' command of nonviolence. If ever there was a worthy cause to take up arms, wouldn't it be to defend God in human form? But even then, Jesus said, "Put your sword back in your sheath, for all who live by the sword shall die by the sword." (Matt. 26:52)
In 2007, two millenia after these words of non-violence, are we finally capable of being a more intelligent, more compassionate, more peaceful human race? In 2007, do we still have to resort to violence, aggression, and war to take a stand or make a point?
The movie 300 gave us a flurry of excitement and adreneline, but perhaps it wasn't because decapitations and slow-motion swordfights are fun to watch on screen.
Perhaps the flurry of excitement and adreniline that has entralled audiences is so riviting because we, too, crave to take a stand against those who take away human dignity. Perhaps it can give us strength and courage to take that stand, even if we stand alone.
And now that we are a human race that can solve its problems without war and violence, just imagine what we can do when we attain the courage that once permeated the battlefield at Thermopylae in 480 b.c.e. and that God now graces us with today.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
The Prestige
"Do not obsess about your life." Matt. 6:25
Competition feeds our society. Whether it's sports, politics, academics, or daily work, we are driven to compete against our peers and succeed no matter the cost.
The Prestige follows two illusionists Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) in their life's journey to outwit each other. The setting of the film is that Borden is accused of killing Angier in a magic trick gone wrong, and we follow their memories to see what has led to this disastrous end to two illusionists' lives.
What we see is that an obsession has overwhelmed both men. Stemming from jealosy and a refusal to forgive, the two illusionists carve out their careers in order to one-up the other. In caring more about their art than their lives, they push away and lose those who love and care for them. They destroy all things of value so that they can achieve their final success.
In today's society, this desire to outwit others and an obsession to win can kill us as it killed Angier and Borden. I am not saying that all competition is bad, but when we care more about winning than playing the game, we destroy ourselves.
In The Prestige, Angier's motivation was pleasing the crowd; he wanted to look good and get the applause. Borden's motivation was to do so well that no one could ever figure out how he did it; he lived a life of total secrecy from everyone.
What is our motivation to do our best work or to win the game? Is it because we want to prove something to others? Is it because we are so proud of our talents?
Competition for competition's sake is misguided. When we compete, let's pray not to become obsessed with winning. Let's not sacrifice our very lives for our jobs, our education, or the game itself. In the film, both men challenge each other to "get your hands dirty."
But at what cost?
Nikola Tesla (played by David Bowie) advises Angier, "Go home. Forget this thing. I can recognize an obsession and no good will come of it." When Angier challenges Tesla because his own life was built on obsessing over his work, he responds, "I followed by obsessions too long. I'm their slave, and one day they'll choose to destroy me."
In the gospels, Jesus warns his disciples against their anxiety of succeeding; he told them, "Do not obsess about your life. Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you wear, what you look like. Is not life more than food and your body worth more than how you look?" (Matt. 6:25).
Jesus added, no one ever added a moment to their lives because of their obsessions. Psychologists today tells us the opposite is actually true: by being so anxious about these little things, we might end up living a shorter life.
If our lives are caught up in our work, our education, our competitions, our obsessions, then we will have wasted the life God gave us. Instead, we are called to let go of these obessions, and then we will have a clear focus on our interpersonal relationships, our family and friends, and we will have time to make this world a better place to live.
Competition feeds our society. Whether it's sports, politics, academics, or daily work, we are driven to compete against our peers and succeed no matter the cost.
The Prestige follows two illusionists Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) in their life's journey to outwit each other. The setting of the film is that Borden is accused of killing Angier in a magic trick gone wrong, and we follow their memories to see what has led to this disastrous end to two illusionists' lives.
What we see is that an obsession has overwhelmed both men. Stemming from jealosy and a refusal to forgive, the two illusionists carve out their careers in order to one-up the other. In caring more about their art than their lives, they push away and lose those who love and care for them. They destroy all things of value so that they can achieve their final success.
In today's society, this desire to outwit others and an obsession to win can kill us as it killed Angier and Borden. I am not saying that all competition is bad, but when we care more about winning than playing the game, we destroy ourselves.
In The Prestige, Angier's motivation was pleasing the crowd; he wanted to look good and get the applause. Borden's motivation was to do so well that no one could ever figure out how he did it; he lived a life of total secrecy from everyone.
What is our motivation to do our best work or to win the game? Is it because we want to prove something to others? Is it because we are so proud of our talents?
Competition for competition's sake is misguided. When we compete, let's pray not to become obsessed with winning. Let's not sacrifice our very lives for our jobs, our education, or the game itself. In the film, both men challenge each other to "get your hands dirty."
But at what cost?
Nikola Tesla (played by David Bowie) advises Angier, "Go home. Forget this thing. I can recognize an obsession and no good will come of it." When Angier challenges Tesla because his own life was built on obsessing over his work, he responds, "I followed by obsessions too long. I'm their slave, and one day they'll choose to destroy me."
In the gospels, Jesus warns his disciples against their anxiety of succeeding; he told them, "Do not obsess about your life. Do not worry about what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you wear, what you look like. Is not life more than food and your body worth more than how you look?" (Matt. 6:25).
Jesus added, no one ever added a moment to their lives because of their obsessions. Psychologists today tells us the opposite is actually true: by being so anxious about these little things, we might end up living a shorter life.
If our lives are caught up in our work, our education, our competitions, our obsessions, then we will have wasted the life God gave us. Instead, we are called to let go of these obessions, and then we will have a clear focus on our interpersonal relationships, our family and friends, and we will have time to make this world a better place to live.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Wild Hogs
God will always find you.
In the movie Wild Hogs, four middle aged men (John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy, and Martin Lawrence) are in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Each of them is wondering where their younger selves have gone. They've gotten slower, more cautious, more timid, and much more frustrated with the way their lives have taken them.
So they plan to escape their suburban existance for a week on their motorcycles and take a road trip cross country. They reunite their old biker gang, the "Wild Hogs," and head west.
But while they can escape the daily grind, in a small highway town called Madrid, New Mexico, they find they cannot escape their destiny. Because of a run-in with an aggressive biker gang near the town, they must confront this nasty group of angry bikers or else this quiet town will be terrorized and destroyed.
And even though these four men aren't dangerous and strong-armed by nature, they find within themselves the call to stand up for what is right, and defend the peaceful townspeople.
This movie reminded me of the Old Testament prophet Jonah. In this recognizable tale, God calls the middle aged Jonah to action, but he tries to escape the Lord's request. He sails out west into the open sea, but God still finds Jonah and brings him back (through the help of a large fish). God wanted Jonah to preach to the ancient culture of the Ninevites for some special reason; perhaps Jonah was a skilled preacher or teacher, but whatever the cause, God saw in Jonah what he didn't see in himself. And because Jonah finally stood up for the Lord, a city was saved.
When God needs us, he will find us. And when he finds us, he calls us for a reason. And when we answer that call, great things can happen.
Like Jonah, God sees something deep inside ourselves that even we don't often recognize or acknowledge. God knows we are called to something greater, like the four suburban "Wild Hogs" were called to be brave and compassionate for the defenseless. God knew they had something deeper inside themselves: a strength that no one else could see.
And in the far west town of Madrid, they were able to prove God right.
The William H. Macy character especially embodied this spirit. He wasn't the most suave or the strongest of the group, but because he felt called to protect the townspeople (and in a special way, the local diner owner and his newfound love interest, played by Marisa Tomei), he stepped up to the plate and stood up against the rival biker gang.
So what is it that God is calling you and me to do?
Yes, life can be hard, and we are tempted to escape the pressures of work, home, and relationships and run away like the "Wild Hogs" did. But we cannot escape God, because he will always find us.
And when he finds us, what is it that you and I are called to do? Who are we called to protect? And where and when are you and I called to stand for justice? Wild Hogs teaches us that there is no better time to understand this message than right now.
In the movie Wild Hogs, four middle aged men (John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy, and Martin Lawrence) are in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Each of them is wondering where their younger selves have gone. They've gotten slower, more cautious, more timid, and much more frustrated with the way their lives have taken them.
So they plan to escape their suburban existance for a week on their motorcycles and take a road trip cross country. They reunite their old biker gang, the "Wild Hogs," and head west.
But while they can escape the daily grind, in a small highway town called Madrid, New Mexico, they find they cannot escape their destiny. Because of a run-in with an aggressive biker gang near the town, they must confront this nasty group of angry bikers or else this quiet town will be terrorized and destroyed.
And even though these four men aren't dangerous and strong-armed by nature, they find within themselves the call to stand up for what is right, and defend the peaceful townspeople.
This movie reminded me of the Old Testament prophet Jonah. In this recognizable tale, God calls the middle aged Jonah to action, but he tries to escape the Lord's request. He sails out west into the open sea, but God still finds Jonah and brings him back (through the help of a large fish). God wanted Jonah to preach to the ancient culture of the Ninevites for some special reason; perhaps Jonah was a skilled preacher or teacher, but whatever the cause, God saw in Jonah what he didn't see in himself. And because Jonah finally stood up for the Lord, a city was saved.
When God needs us, he will find us. And when he finds us, he calls us for a reason. And when we answer that call, great things can happen.
Like Jonah, God sees something deep inside ourselves that even we don't often recognize or acknowledge. God knows we are called to something greater, like the four suburban "Wild Hogs" were called to be brave and compassionate for the defenseless. God knew they had something deeper inside themselves: a strength that no one else could see.
And in the far west town of Madrid, they were able to prove God right.
The William H. Macy character especially embodied this spirit. He wasn't the most suave or the strongest of the group, but because he felt called to protect the townspeople (and in a special way, the local diner owner and his newfound love interest, played by Marisa Tomei), he stepped up to the plate and stood up against the rival biker gang.
So what is it that God is calling you and me to do?
Yes, life can be hard, and we are tempted to escape the pressures of work, home, and relationships and run away like the "Wild Hogs" did. But we cannot escape God, because he will always find us.
And when he finds us, what is it that you and I are called to do? Who are we called to protect? And where and when are you and I called to stand for justice? Wild Hogs teaches us that there is no better time to understand this message than right now.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Heroes on NBC
"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit..." 1 Cor. 12:4
I have not yet blogged about television shows, but I feel compelled to write about one that has emerged as a great kernel of spiritual popcorn. Heroes, which airs Monday nights on NBC, is a show that captures the essence of what it means to be gifted.
On the show, as in many superhero stories, various characters possess special abilities (i.e. flying, becoming invisible, super-hearing, reading minds, etc.). But unlike most comic book plotlines, these characters are just plain, ordinary people. They are police officers, computer programmers, auto repair workers, high school students, hospice care workers, artists, and lawyers. The show follows each of them as they deal with their powers.
What a series like this reminds us of is that we, as ordinary people, possess our own special gifts.
We may not be able to melt steel with our eyes, but each of us can do something that no one else can do as well as we can. I'm not saying these abilities make us better than anyone else, but what is there something that we are proud of doing really well?
Often times, we ignore or waste these gifts instead of using them to better the world. We get lazy and we let our abilities get lost in our very busy and overpressured lives.
In Heroes, some of the characters are doing just that with their abilities. In a recent episode, a woman who can hear sounds from miles away decides to drown out her powers with music instead of finding ways to use this strength to help others. In another episode, however, a Japanese cubicle worker decides that because he can stop time and transport himself elsewhere, he should do more than just use this ability for fun and entertainment; instead, he feels a deep call to use this power to save the world from a nuclear threat.
We can learn a valuable lesson about our own "special abilities" from a television series like this. Spiritually, what power or powers do we have, and are we using them to better the world?
Are we using our gifts to make money or make life easier for ourselves? Even worse, are we ignoring our gifts altogether out of fear or because of life's many distractions?
In the apostle Paul's letters, he mentions giftedness several times and in several letters. He tells his audiences that each of them has a unique gift given by God to move the world towards the Reign of God. He wonders, though, are we using these gifts or wasting them away? He asks if we are up to the challenge of becoming the body of Christ in the world; in other words, will we each play our part in transforming society through the one or the several things we can do well?
Heroes asks us the same questions as Paul did twenty centuries ago. What will our answer be this time?
I have not yet blogged about television shows, but I feel compelled to write about one that has emerged as a great kernel of spiritual popcorn. Heroes, which airs Monday nights on NBC, is a show that captures the essence of what it means to be gifted.
On the show, as in many superhero stories, various characters possess special abilities (i.e. flying, becoming invisible, super-hearing, reading minds, etc.). But unlike most comic book plotlines, these characters are just plain, ordinary people. They are police officers, computer programmers, auto repair workers, high school students, hospice care workers, artists, and lawyers. The show follows each of them as they deal with their powers.
What a series like this reminds us of is that we, as ordinary people, possess our own special gifts.
We may not be able to melt steel with our eyes, but each of us can do something that no one else can do as well as we can. I'm not saying these abilities make us better than anyone else, but what is there something that we are proud of doing really well?
Often times, we ignore or waste these gifts instead of using them to better the world. We get lazy and we let our abilities get lost in our very busy and overpressured lives.
In Heroes, some of the characters are doing just that with their abilities. In a recent episode, a woman who can hear sounds from miles away decides to drown out her powers with music instead of finding ways to use this strength to help others. In another episode, however, a Japanese cubicle worker decides that because he can stop time and transport himself elsewhere, he should do more than just use this ability for fun and entertainment; instead, he feels a deep call to use this power to save the world from a nuclear threat.
We can learn a valuable lesson about our own "special abilities" from a television series like this. Spiritually, what power or powers do we have, and are we using them to better the world?
Are we using our gifts to make money or make life easier for ourselves? Even worse, are we ignoring our gifts altogether out of fear or because of life's many distractions?
In the apostle Paul's letters, he mentions giftedness several times and in several letters. He tells his audiences that each of them has a unique gift given by God to move the world towards the Reign of God. He wonders, though, are we using these gifts or wasting them away? He asks if we are up to the challenge of becoming the body of Christ in the world; in other words, will we each play our part in transforming society through the one or the several things we can do well?
Heroes asks us the same questions as Paul did twenty centuries ago. What will our answer be this time?
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Oscar Recap 2007
From a spiritual perspective, I was very pleased with the results of the Academy Awards this year. Since no one movie took home more than four Oscars, it proved to be a truly balanced experience, showing audiences that there are many perspectives and facets to Hollywood.
Balance and diversity is something that has been forgotten in America today. We are either all on one side or all on another. I am grateful that the Academy showed us that balance in our movies and our appreciation of them.
Here is a sampling of what Oscar gave us this year:
Best Picture & Best Director:
The Departed & Martin Scorcese
By awarding two of the top awards to The Departed, the voters were conveying a message of uncertainty. In this phenomenal crime thriller, we aren't sure of who is on who's side. One of the most angry, foul-mouthed characters (played by Mark Wahlburg, who was nominated but did not win for Best Supporting Actor) is one of the film's heroes; on the other hand, one of the most gentle souls of the movie (played by Matt Damon) is actually the worst of the villians. A feeling of uncertainty pervades this film, but it adds to the swirl of emotions around the Christ-figure hero Billy Costigan (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) must endure to save the day; in fact, the lesson we learn from The Departed is that we are called to higher standards and that, to achieve them and to save the day, sometimes we have to sacrifice our own selves.
Best Actress:
Helen Mirren in The Queen
As an actress, I imagine it must be challenging to play a real-life person like Queen Elizabeth II, especially one as prominent and visible as she is. Helen Mirren did a stunning character study in this very private monarch, letting us inside her emotions and her personal experiences. What this role says is that you cannot judge a book by its cover, or a person by their public personna. We are quick to judge what we do not see. The British people quickly passed unfair judgment on Elizabeth II, but if they only knew her inner struggles, they might have re-thought how they treated her. The Queen, and Mirren's portrayal of that title character, is a spiritual lesson to all of us on how we react to each other and to have a more discerning heart when forming our opinions.
Best Documentary & Best Song:
An Inconvinient Truth & "I Need to Wake Up"
Al Gore was more prominent in the Oscar telecast this year than stars like George Clooney or Steven Spielberg. Combined with his two wins for his documentary An Inconvinient Truth, Gore was able to show the world that saving the planet is a very big issue. This film tells us that, spiritually, the care of God's creation is a very critical moral issue. Catholic social teaching has emphasized this fact since Vatican II, and it's a pleasure to see Hollywood finally catching up. It is also nice to see that a melodic call to action was the winner of the Best Song category with Melissa Ethridge's "I Need to Wake Up" taking home the Oscar. (And on a side note, the green movement scored a 3rd win with Happy Feet, an animated movie with an environmental message, as the Best Animated Film for 2006).
Best Screenplay:
Little Miss Sunshine
While the nominees in all the screenplay categories were fine films, none was more hopeful than Little Miss Sunshine. At the end of this heart-warming movie, we are reminded of the incredible value of family and how we are put on this earth to be there for each other. Each of the characters in this fun movie were looking out for someone else's best interests, often before their own. We can learn a valuable spiritual lesson from a family like this, and while I was sad it didn't win Best Picture, I am grateful its story was awarded the best screenplay of the year. A film like this gives us a hope that we can learn to be a better people for each other.
There were other good wins this year, but these are the ones that I particularly liked. They are an overview of the great spiritual messages imbedded in the silver screen in 2006. I pray there will be even more in 2007.
Balance and diversity is something that has been forgotten in America today. We are either all on one side or all on another. I am grateful that the Academy showed us that balance in our movies and our appreciation of them.
Here is a sampling of what Oscar gave us this year:
Best Picture & Best Director:
The Departed & Martin Scorcese
By awarding two of the top awards to The Departed, the voters were conveying a message of uncertainty. In this phenomenal crime thriller, we aren't sure of who is on who's side. One of the most angry, foul-mouthed characters (played by Mark Wahlburg, who was nominated but did not win for Best Supporting Actor) is one of the film's heroes; on the other hand, one of the most gentle souls of the movie (played by Matt Damon) is actually the worst of the villians. A feeling of uncertainty pervades this film, but it adds to the swirl of emotions around the Christ-figure hero Billy Costigan (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) must endure to save the day; in fact, the lesson we learn from The Departed is that we are called to higher standards and that, to achieve them and to save the day, sometimes we have to sacrifice our own selves.
Best Actress:
Helen Mirren in The Queen
As an actress, I imagine it must be challenging to play a real-life person like Queen Elizabeth II, especially one as prominent and visible as she is. Helen Mirren did a stunning character study in this very private monarch, letting us inside her emotions and her personal experiences. What this role says is that you cannot judge a book by its cover, or a person by their public personna. We are quick to judge what we do not see. The British people quickly passed unfair judgment on Elizabeth II, but if they only knew her inner struggles, they might have re-thought how they treated her. The Queen, and Mirren's portrayal of that title character, is a spiritual lesson to all of us on how we react to each other and to have a more discerning heart when forming our opinions.
Best Documentary & Best Song:
An Inconvinient Truth & "I Need to Wake Up"
Al Gore was more prominent in the Oscar telecast this year than stars like George Clooney or Steven Spielberg. Combined with his two wins for his documentary An Inconvinient Truth, Gore was able to show the world that saving the planet is a very big issue. This film tells us that, spiritually, the care of God's creation is a very critical moral issue. Catholic social teaching has emphasized this fact since Vatican II, and it's a pleasure to see Hollywood finally catching up. It is also nice to see that a melodic call to action was the winner of the Best Song category with Melissa Ethridge's "I Need to Wake Up" taking home the Oscar. (And on a side note, the green movement scored a 3rd win with Happy Feet, an animated movie with an environmental message, as the Best Animated Film for 2006).
Best Screenplay:
Little Miss Sunshine
While the nominees in all the screenplay categories were fine films, none was more hopeful than Little Miss Sunshine. At the end of this heart-warming movie, we are reminded of the incredible value of family and how we are put on this earth to be there for each other. Each of the characters in this fun movie were looking out for someone else's best interests, often before their own. We can learn a valuable spiritual lesson from a family like this, and while I was sad it didn't win Best Picture, I am grateful its story was awarded the best screenplay of the year. A film like this gives us a hope that we can learn to be a better people for each other.
There were other good wins this year, but these are the ones that I particularly liked. They are an overview of the great spiritual messages imbedded in the silver screen in 2006. I pray there will be even more in 2007.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Amazing Grace
“Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26
Amazing Grace follows the incredible career of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffold), the political activist who led Britain’s Parliament to the abolition of slavery in the early nineteenth century.
So what does this historical experience have to do with one of Christianity’s most popular and timeless hymns?
Wilberforce, it turns out, was also a protégée of John Newton, the composer of “Amazing Grace” and a former slave trader himself (before his conversion experience, which led him to compose the infamous song). Earlier in his life, William considered following in his mentor’s footsteps and becoming a contemplative preacher for the rest of his life (instead of continuing on as a Member of Parliament). He wanted to live a life in God’s grace, and figured a life of meditation would be the way to do that.
But Newton (in the movie, played by Albert Finney) wouldn’t hear any of it, nor would his friend, political ally, and future Prime Minister William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch). Newton and Pitt challenged young William that he could live a life in God’s grace and at the same time, live a life in the political world. Thank God for the two of them, as well his wife Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai); because of their encouragement of William, slavery was finally abolished in Britain, leading the way for other social reforms overseas and the abolition of slavery in the United States a few decades later.
Had William lived out a life of faith without his works, a country might have missed an opportunity to come closer to the Reign of God.
But because one man lived out a life of faith through his works, the world was transformed.
In the New Testament, the epistle writer James tells his audience: “What good is it, my friends, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith alone save him?… For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also a faith without works is dead.” (James 2:14,26). Wilberforce teaches us through his experience in this film that action must be a part of our life of faith.
If we are singing “Amazing Grace” in our churches, but going home and doing nothing with our faith, then our faith is dead.
If we are praying hours on end, but are never ourselves the answer to anyone’s prayer, then our faith is dead.
If we are speaking about the mysteries of faith, but don’t stand for justice, act with compassion, speak out for the poor, actively oppose war and violence, or comfort those in pain, then our faith is dead.
It hit me as I watched this movie: perhaps you and I are not supposed to wait for God’s grace in our lives which will save and set us free; perhaps, instead, you and I are supposed to be that grace for someone else. Wilberforce was the amazing saving grace for the slaves of the early nineteenth century, all because his faith was manifested in his good works. Imagine whose grace you and I might be.
And just as abolition was the issue William Wilberforce and for this movie, what might our issues be today? That is our question to wrestle with: What are you and I called to act upon? In what way will our faith be put into action? What is our passion that will transform the world?
Amazing Grace challenges us to find our voice, discover our passion, and use our faith to act on that so that we might transform the world in our own day.
Amazing Grace follows the incredible career of William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffold), the political activist who led Britain’s Parliament to the abolition of slavery in the early nineteenth century.
So what does this historical experience have to do with one of Christianity’s most popular and timeless hymns?
Wilberforce, it turns out, was also a protégée of John Newton, the composer of “Amazing Grace” and a former slave trader himself (before his conversion experience, which led him to compose the infamous song). Earlier in his life, William considered following in his mentor’s footsteps and becoming a contemplative preacher for the rest of his life (instead of continuing on as a Member of Parliament). He wanted to live a life in God’s grace, and figured a life of meditation would be the way to do that.
But Newton (in the movie, played by Albert Finney) wouldn’t hear any of it, nor would his friend, political ally, and future Prime Minister William Pitt (Benedict Cumberbatch). Newton and Pitt challenged young William that he could live a life in God’s grace and at the same time, live a life in the political world. Thank God for the two of them, as well his wife Barbara Spooner (Romola Garai); because of their encouragement of William, slavery was finally abolished in Britain, leading the way for other social reforms overseas and the abolition of slavery in the United States a few decades later.
Had William lived out a life of faith without his works, a country might have missed an opportunity to come closer to the Reign of God.
But because one man lived out a life of faith through his works, the world was transformed.
In the New Testament, the epistle writer James tells his audience: “What good is it, my friends, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith alone save him?… For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also a faith without works is dead.” (James 2:14,26). Wilberforce teaches us through his experience in this film that action must be a part of our life of faith.
If we are singing “Amazing Grace” in our churches, but going home and doing nothing with our faith, then our faith is dead.
If we are praying hours on end, but are never ourselves the answer to anyone’s prayer, then our faith is dead.
If we are speaking about the mysteries of faith, but don’t stand for justice, act with compassion, speak out for the poor, actively oppose war and violence, or comfort those in pain, then our faith is dead.
It hit me as I watched this movie: perhaps you and I are not supposed to wait for God’s grace in our lives which will save and set us free; perhaps, instead, you and I are supposed to be that grace for someone else. Wilberforce was the amazing saving grace for the slaves of the early nineteenth century, all because his faith was manifested in his good works. Imagine whose grace you and I might be.
And just as abolition was the issue William Wilberforce and for this movie, what might our issues be today? That is our question to wrestle with: What are you and I called to act upon? In what way will our faith be put into action? What is our passion that will transform the world?
Amazing Grace challenges us to find our voice, discover our passion, and use our faith to act on that so that we might transform the world in our own day.
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