Millions of young people embraced Invisible Children. Some of you became organizers and fundraisers and missionaries. You brought them to our school. You wore the bracelets, got involved, and supported the effort with your money and your prayers. You inspired me. Being involved with Invisible Children helped compassion grow in many of you and made giving become a habit. I want to encourage you to continue to embrace causes and work for change that reflects the heart of Christ. The next time you think you hear God’s voice don’t dismiss it because you are afraid of being hurt or being wrong. Believe that the Kingdom is advancing and that God is calling you to be part of it.

 It is important to practice responsible stewardship but we should not let caution sideline us indefinitely. Momentum and timing is part of enacting change. By the time we’ve figured out whether or not we can trust the cause or the leader enough to invest, the momentum can be long past. Concern for picking a winner sometimes gets tangled up with pride and fear to the point that practicing discernment can become an excuse for never investing our lives in anything. I want you to know that God can work through imperfect organizations and people and that you can make a difference when you get involved. May we all learn to practice analysis without paralysis.

Our culture gives us all reasons to be cynical. Failures and imperfections are likely to go public, if not viral. In such an arena it’s no wonder you’ve learned to expect failure and to accept it. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Your generation is generally compassionate and forgiving. But you see the way people distance themselves from those who fail. You hear the jokes and the judgment. You see the veiled delight in juicy gossip. You see support withdrawn and backs turn when someone messes up. And you learn. I apologize that my generation has taught you to hide failure and fake perfection for the sake of acceptance. Know that Jesus came to redeem us not to make us look good in front of other people. Authenticity is vital to restoration. He is our hope for good and for change. Continue to act with hope.

I Cor. 13 points out that spiritual gifts, knowledge, faith, and charitable giving are nothing without love. That doesn’t mean they are nothing. They belong in our lives. They are, in fact, crucial to the survival of Christians and Christianity but love is the force that animates them.

I love these lines from Take my life and let it be:” Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love. Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee.” Keep moving at the impulse of His love. 

CONTAINS SPOILERS:

Hugo is a story about healing and restoration and rediscovering wonder. Rich visual detail, especially in the clock tower, create a setting that is surreal and wonderful. The setting gave the story a sort of fairy tale quality. 

In a place where time passes and trains move people along on their journeys,  Hugo, Georges and Gustav, the Station Inspector, are stuck. They’ve all experienced disappointment and hurt and can’t seem to move on from it. 

Hugo has lost his father and is on a quest to finish fixing the automaton that the two of them began restoring together. All he has left to connect him to his father is the automaton and his father’s notebook. Hugo keeps going because of his love for his father and his father’s love for him. It is his quest that connects him to the other characters in the story, but it is love that drives the quest. 

Nobody is a villain in this tale. Georges and Gustav play the role as the tale unfolds, but eventually we know their back stories and understand their issues. Like Hugo and Isabelle, they are dealing with loss. Their encounters with Hugo eventually result in healing and restoration for both of them. Even though Isabelle is dealing well with her status as an orphan joining Hugo in his quest impacts her as well. She needs more in her life. Love breaks down the barriers in all their lives and invites them back into wonder.

I couldn’t help comparing Hugo and Oskar of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: 

• Hugo is French and Oskar loves France
• Both lose their fathers and embark on quests to complete something their fathers began with them
• Both are convinced that there is a message from their fathers at the end of the quest
• Both are seeking meaningful legacies from their fathers
• Both are trying to solve a mystery 
• Both enlist helpers in their quests 
• Both form friendships with older, broken men that lead to restoration
• Both quests lead to connection with random people who are touched by their love and determination
• The mystery behind both quests winds up being part of someone else’s story rather than their fathers’
• Hugo and Oskar are both very self-reliant and independent
• Hugo and Oskar both are eventually able to transfer the trust and dependence they had with their fathers to another paternal figure

In a society where more and more children grow up fatherless, in a society where the odds are against boys who grow up without fathers, two Oscar-nominated stories in one year about boys searching for meaningful connection to their fathers seems significant. Perhaps both these tales can serve as reminders that all around us are children who need fathers and legacies, and meaningful quests and love. And sometimes we are those children.

No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Jn. 14:18

I kept not going to see The Artist. When I had the chance to go to a movie I chose something else. Every time. When I was a little kid I remember everyone telling me how great The Wizard of Oz was. After I saw it I was afraid to admit how much I disliked it. I was supposed to like it. I sort of feel that way about The Artist.

I get why I’m supposed to like The Artist.  It represents the roots of Hollywood itself. For a Hollywood-type to dis The Artist would be like a Christian dissing The Gutenberg Bible.

But a silent, black and white picture doesn’t really appeal to me. On top of that it looks like there’s a lot of dancing in it. I like plot and action. I love dialog. I don’t even mind if it’s subtitled. I tend to like movies that involve people talking to one another, so I’m not a big fan of survival movies with a cast of one.

While the Oscars were recording (because an hour and half is long enough) once again I didn’t see The Artist, I saw Hugo. It was awesome. I’ll blog on it in a few days. It made me incredibly happy.

This year was full of great stories with memorable characters. And dialog. I’ve already blogged about Midnight in Paris, The Help, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Moneyball, and Tree of Life. 

I still haven’t seen The Descendants but it’s next on my list. I loved one of the comments about it in the Oscars show. Someone said that it was honest and not over-dramatized or underplayed. That sounds appealing to me.

I haven’t seen War Horse. It didn’t appeal to me very much either. Even though it’s Steven Speilberg. And war.  I hear the horse lives but I have a problem with heart rending animal stories. They make me feel emotionally manipulated, in a cheap way. Most animal-in-peril movies make me feel like I’m trapped in a two-hour Arms of an Angel pound commercial. So somewhere down the road I might watch War Horse on Netflix and through my tears wonder why I didn’t want to see it.

It’s been a good movie year when nine films are nominated and I like at least five of them. I’ve had a great time at the movies this year. I’m fine with The Artist winning. The Oscars is Hollywood celebrating Hollywood after all.

I try to keep an open mind about movies I haven’t seen. What I see the day it opens says a lot about my taste. For me, The Help and Moneyball were my opening weekend movies. I might have liked some of the others more but the appeal came when people I trusted told me I’d love them. What I’m not in a hurry to see is a reflection of taste too.  So what were your opening day movies?

CONTAINS SPOILERS: Downton Abbey appeals to me the way Jane Austin does. It’s thoughtful reflection on the human condition and relationships makes the setting somewhat irrelevant. Nobles and servants alike deal with love, pride, fear, and the longing for significance and belonging. Yet the setting is what creates the tension in the story. Downton Abbey takes place in a time of tremendous social change. The characters are products of the social expectations and traditions associated with British peerage. The modern era is pushing against the way of life they’ve always known. Downton manages to weave social and historical perspective into its storytelling but story and characters are its heart.

Robert Crawley takes his responsibility as a member of the British peerage seriously. He feels an obligation to his servants, to the people in the community, and to the traditions of the nobility to which he was born. He is willing to lose his house to preserve the integrity of that system. His personal desires are second to his sense of honor. The butler Carson represents this same commitment to tradition on the other side of the house. Carson treasures his role and is fiercely loyal to the Crawley family. They both find significance in their roles, as does his mother Violet and housekeeper Mrs. Hughes.

Downton’s heir Matthew has made a place for himself in the modern world as a lawyer. He comes to Downton with prejudices toward the lifestyle of nobility. As he spends time learning about Downton from Robert, Matthew comes to appreciate Robert’s perspective. He is not won over by the philosophy of the peerage but by Robert’s grace and honor.

Though she thinks of herself as a modern, Mary is fiercely protective of Downton Abbey and her family’s image. Mary is willing to compromise her personal happiness to preserve reputation. Honor creates much of the tension in Mary’s and Matthew’s relationship. She may want to tweak the status quo but Mary is not ready to discard it. Mary’s says in the final episode of Season 2, “Sybil’s the strong one.  She really doesn’t care what people think, but I’m afraid I do.”

Sybil’s sense of honor is more about being true to herself than true to a system or meeting others’ expectations. Sybil becomes a nurse and marries Tom Branson, the Irish chauffeur who is also a socialist. While the rest of the Crawley family clings to the past, Sybil and Tom are more interested in embracing the future. They want to ride the tide of change and invite her family to ride it with them. Along for that ride are Matthew’s mom Isobel Crawley and gay footman Thomas Barrow, neither of whom are willing to accept their assigned positions in society.

As an American, Cora is more open to Sybil’s marriage. She’s settled into being part of British nobility but never forgets her American roots. Robert recognizes Sybil’s marriage not only because he doesn’t want to lose his daughter but because Cora pushes him toward a modern perspective. Based on what Cora is wearing in the final episode of season 2 she’s an early adopter of fashion, which indicates her openness to change. The twenties at Downton should be fun to watch.

Honor also figures in the love stories. Tom and Sybil are uncompromisingly true to themselves. For them there is no honor in love without honesty. Their marriage seems to be just a much a social statement as an expression of love. Daisy also struggles over honesty in her relationship with William. Matthew is torn by his love for Mary and obligation to Lavinia. He is ready to settle for dishonesty rather than perceived dishonor.

Starcrossed lovers John and Anna face considerable and unrelenting obstacles to be together. Their love story is full of old-fashioned earnestness, sacrifice, and simple villains, while the Matthew-Mary struggles are more modern, internal, and complex. Much more Jane Austeny. Except for the part about hiding Mr. Pamuk’s body. That’s more like a Shakespearean comedy. It looks as if Matthew’s and Mary’s stars finally straighten out at the end of season 2 as they find a way to be together that doesn’t compromise either’s sense of honor.

Downton makes me long for a more gracious age. The dialog is crisp. Characters say what they mean to say. They manage to convey their feelings and express their thoughts with eloquence and deference to one another. It is unfortunate that rightfully discarding the shallowness of the many social conventions and prejudices of that time might also render manners, graciousness, and honor as obsolete social conventions. Those ought to be ageless. Like love and Jane Austen.

There is something romantic and alluring about the past. Most of us can personally identify with some time in history other than our own. Gil  is nostalgic for Paris in the 1920′s. He is attracted to the Lost Generation, a community of post-World War I artists, thinkers, and especially writers who lived bohemian lives on the west bank in Paris.

Gil dreams of becoming the novelist that Paris has always beckoned him to become.  He’s begun his novel and is now back in Paris.  He’s come to Paris with his shallow, materialistic California fiancé, Inez, and her equally graceless parents. They can’t understand why he’d want to leave his lucrative job as a Hollywood screenwriter for an unrealistic dream.

Gil’s journey back to the 1920′s is much more about gaining perspective about his present than it is about experiencing the past. When Gil meets Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Cole Porter, Picasso, Man Ray, etc., he meets them with the perspective of the present. He knows their impact on the future. They don’t. Being accepted as a literary peer by Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Stein, some of his heroes,validates Gil’s dream of becoming a novelist. Being in Paris forces Gil to confront the dichotomy between the life he is living and the life he dreams of living.

Gil’s Jazz Age soulmate Adriana is dissatisfied with her life in 1920′s Paris and sees the Belle Eqoque of the late 1800′s as her real golden age. Gil is equally dissatisfied with his 21st century Hollywood existence but begins to realize that  his frustration is not that he lives in the wrong age but that he is living the wrong life in that age. It may not have been so obvious in Hollywood but seeing his fiance in his beloved Paris reveals how crass and materialistic she really is. She does not belong to Paris and does not belong with a dreamer like Gil.

In many ways Gil is much more of a dreamer than any of the luminaries he encounters in his time travels. Gil’s humility and romanticism is just as refreshing among the somewhat jaded, self-important bohemian artists of the 1920′s as it is among his materialistic, neo-objectivist 21st century Hollywood peers. What Gil needs is a city and a soulmate that enable a dreamer to live out a fully realized life in real time. Through his surreal experiences with a Lost Generation Gil is able to find his real life. Midnight in Paris offers hope for dreamers. A dream deferred need not be a dream abandoned. And some dreams are real life options.

As a reader, a writer, and a dreamer, this was my movie. I highly recommend it!

Benjamin Mee offers romance advice to his 14-year-old son, “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”  What he seems to be talking about here is a leap of faith.

Benjamin is struggling in his relationship with his son, Dylan. Benjamin, Dylan, and 7-year-old Rosie are grieving the loss of wife and mother. Benjamin is stuck in the fourth stage of grief, depression and loneliness. Dylan is still dealing with anger. Whatever else changes in their lives the life they knew with Katherine is over. In what had to be 20 seconds of insane impulse, recently widowed father Benjamin Mee buys a zoo hoping to provide a new start for his two children.

Conventional wisdom says that big decisions like selling a house, quitting a lucrative job, moving the family, or investing in a high risk business shouldn’t be made in the midst of emotional upheaval. Yet it is a traumatic, life-changing event that pushes Mee into a life-changing decision. This is often the case. Most of us don’t embrace change when we’re comfortable and happy. We may try to improve and enhance the status-quo but we aren’t out to blow it up. Often change and risk comes out of dissatisfaction rather than contentment.

Benjamin experienced this moment that called for a leap of faith and he leapt. What happens next is not happily ever after either. The results of impulse are messy. The amount of work and expense is mind-boggling,  the  Mees don’t suddenly stop grieving because there are monkeys.

The picture of grief in We Bought a Zoo is heart-wrenchingly real without being maudlin. Matt Damon gave a genuine performance. The raw emotions and authentic relationships were believable and really drew me in. I was surprised by some of the negative comments. I think to enjoy this movie it’s necessary to check the cynicism at the door. Real people actually do act this way and feel this way. Most of us  lack the embarrassing bravery that makes this story so compelling. I’m glad Cameron Crowe was brave enough to tell it. And, as in all Cameron Crowe movies, the soundtrack was spot on.

Something about this movie inspired me to be open to big change, to hold loosely to the status quo, to stop trying to plan and control. God does not often send a bolt of lightning with an agenda attached. Many times  decisions have to be made under less than perfect conditions.  Sometimes the feeling that a particular direction is right is quite strong but not particularly logical. Those are the moments that take a leap of faith. Those are the moments I sometimes miss because I’m busy talking sense to myself. If the Holy Spirit nudges me toward one of those 20-seconds of courage opportunities, I want to have the guts to buy the zoo.

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is one of those stories that bears retelling. I remember watching the 1951 version starring Alistair Sim on TV as a child and being terrified of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  When the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge Marley’s deathbed scene I think I learned the meaning of mortality before I ever heard the word. It was my first sobering visit with one of Dickens’ ghosts.

I think the Muppets might tell it best, though Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse both do credible jobs. The most recent Disney offering starring Jim Carrey is pretty good as is the BBC version.  And I sort of liked Bill Murray’s modern version, Scrooged. With each viewing one of the ghosts has had something different to show me.

Until last night I had not seen the 1999 version starring Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. This time the Ghost that spoke to me was the Ghost of Christmas Present. He’s a sort of a Bacchanal Father Christmas whose joy is so infectious that it influences Scrooge as much as the joy in the loving homes they visit together. As the evening wanes he becomes more like Father Time than Father Christmas. The aging present is a powerful reminder that time passes so quickly and cannot be reclaimed.

Scrooge needed to process past regrets or see the effect on the future his greed and selfishness would have, but the present is when change happens. The events of the night before transform Scrooge. The next morning he could have rationalized that his nephew wasn’t expecting him, that he shouldn’t horn in on the  Cratchits, that he needed time to process, but instead he got up, manned up, and showed up for Christmas Present. He is awkward and unsure how to be a generous, joyous Scrooge after all those years of greed and selfishness but he doesn’t waste one more moment.

The movie ends with Scrooge saying that he wants to “keep Christmas all the year through.”  It isn’t enough to realize the need for change or even to follow through on the things we feel convicted to change. That change has to remain a present tense experience.

The Ghost of Christmas Present reminded me that time will keep passing. Each year the Ghost of Christmas Present will age and another Christmas day will pass that cannot be reclaimed. Christmas is not the time for regret or fear but for hope and reconciliation, for joy and generosity. The present brings the party. Joy is a “now” experience. Sing and dance, hug and laugh, give gifts and rejoice.

Pearce also lists groups of people who are frequent victims of rejection and disgust: “gay people, people who dress differently, people who act differently, fat people, people with drug additions, people who smoke, people with addictions to alcohol, people with eating disorders, people who fall away from their faiths, people who aren’t members of the dominant local religion, people with non-traditional piercings, people who just look at you or me the wrong way.” Maybe it’s because it’s Christmastime but as I read through Dan’s list I had this vision of the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. As a sometime inhabitant of the Island I appreciated Dan’s passion and kindness.

In Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer a flying lion called King Moonracer flies over the earth and collects all the unloved toys, and brings them to the Island of Misfit Toys. He says that a toy “will never be truly happy until he is loved by a child.” Some of the toys on the Island are obviously “flawed.” The train has square wheels on his caboose, and the elephant has spots (is it bad acne or a tatoo?)  Charlie-in-the-Box seems to have a pretty simple conformity fix (name change.) Maybe “Charlie” has an ethnic ring to it in the “in-the-box” community. There’s the Boat that can’t stay afloat no matter how many times he goes to rehab. The cowboy is ostrasized for riding an ostrich instead of a horse (I’m not going there). I’m not sure why the Bird Fish who swims instead of flies is a problem. Some birds fly… but maybe he’s from the wrong side of the track to fly. The story doesn’t tell us what’s wrong with Dolly, we just know she’s not loved or wanted. Apparently it was revealed on NPR ’s news quiz show Wait, wait…don’t tell me that Dolly suffers from depression brought on by abandonment issues.

Rudolph, who has a nose problem, and the elf Hermey, who would rather be a dentist than a toymaker, are misfits from Christmas Town who find their way to the Island. I like that Rudolph and Hermey form their own alliance and call themselves “independent.” It’s interesting that they were only welcome on the Island of Misfit Toys on a temporary basis since they aren’t technically toys. While King Moonracer seems to regret having to tell them they can’t stay, apparently even misfits have selection criteria.

Communities, even church communities, can create Islands of Misfits and maroon people on them. Sometimes this is the unconscious result of the way we form communities around what we have in common. What would cause someone who is trying to reflect the nature and attitude of Christ to bully another person, to reject and exclude and malign people, instead of loving them? I suppose sometimes it’s insecurity or fear or a misplaced sense of loyalty. Sometimes it’s pride. Sometimes it’s just plain meanness. Being loved and forgiven by God doesn’t make us automatically love others the way Christ does. But thinking about how Jesus would look at another person helps. If Jesus visited the Island of Misfit Toys I’m pretty sure a meal would be involved.

Not only is the stop-action cartoon a heartwarming Christmas classic, Rudolph’s musical playlist is phenomenal. So remember Dan Pearce’s admonition to love, watch Rudolph one more time, and play King Moonracer instead of Santa this year when you fill the chairs around the Christmas table.

Benjamin Martin (The Patriot) – Revolutionary War. Brings not only his experience, but his wisdom and regrets to his second war. He won’t fight until it’s personal, leads reluctantly as a citizen soldier standing with his neighbors. It’s not about power.

54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.(Glory.) Civil War. A black regiment led by an idealistic white captain learn to put aside distractions and disagreements and focus on the cause. When one fell another took up the flag, a symbol of their determination to win freedom.

Sergeant York – World War I. Kinda hokey but I love this guy. He resists violence but he fights when his default setting is peace and love for his fellow man.

Easy Company (Band of Brothers) - WWII.  Striking journey from duty to a true sense of the historical and ethical significance of their mission. I think my favorite part of the Band of Brothers series are the testimonials by the real veterans from Easy Company.

Walt Kowalski (Gran Torino) – Korea. Personal baggage is often a mark of a veteran but no baggage is so heavy that redemption cannot unload it. Beautiful picture of sacrifice and reconciliation.

Forrest Gump – Vietnam. Never forgets his experiences but doesn’t let his experiences as a veteran define him. He helps his friend Lieutenant Dan move on. Oddly, whenever I read the description of love in I Corinthians 13 I think of Forrest Gump.

President Thomas J. Whitmore and Russell Casse  (Independence Day) – Undetermined probably fictional war. Loved the president’s “we shall not go quietly” speech and the fact that this veteran president knew he belonged in the air with the rest of the airmen. Russell Casse I loved for being such a hilarious, damaged hero. I just had to put them in.

Matt Eversmann (Black Hawk Down) – Somalia. Smart, noble, and determined soldier who protected his outnumbered fellow soldiers until he was the last man standing, then suvived the onslaught. He’s a picture of doing what has to be done in impossible circumstances.

Michael Stroebl and Chance Phelps (Taking Chance) – Iraq. Counts the cost. Powerful reminders that human beings, children, parents, friends, and lovers fight and fall to advance the causes for which wars are fought.

Based on the true story of the Oakland A’s 2002 season, Moneyball looks at how baseball accords worth to its players. Faced with the loss of star players and Oakland’s very tight budget, general manager Billy Beane uses a statistical approach called sabermetrics to recruit undervalued players. Sabermetrics was developed by statistician Bill James who challenged the use of  individual players’ stats such as RBI’s as predictors of team success. Beane hires economics major Peter Brand to analyze statistics using James’ formulas so that he can make data-driven decisions about players. Brand says “Your goal shouldn’t be to buy players, your goal should be to buy wins. In order to buy wins, you need to buy runs.” Based on Brand’s recommendations Beane recruits players who have the potential to get on base.  

Oakland’s managers and scouts  feel threatened by the change, and doubt  the validity of Beane’s method. Not only do the traditionalists dislike having their assumptions challenged, they fear that reliance on pure analysis undermines the heart of baseball. For them the romance comes from remarkable plays and individual prowess that make legendary baseball heroes. Billy Beane understands. At one time in his life he was just such a hero. He says “How can you not be romantic about baseball?”

Using data does not negate the emotional, romantic side of baseball; it merely invites a new set of players into the romance. It invites computer nerds and economics majors. It invites a washed-up, exploited major-league baseball recruit cum manager named Billy Beane. Moneyball is really an underdog movie.

Statistics identify potential in underestimated players with skills that can provide the A’s with an opportunity to win. But human will was still a factor. Someone has to marshall the player’s talents appropriately for the experiment to work. Beane’s faith in the statistical method he employed that season brings the “romance” back into the calculations. As the players take their gifts and skills onto the field they need to believe that they are good enough to win, and Beane seeks to inspire that confidence in them. The need for human judgment also comes into play because statistics cannot predict the dynamics of personalities and attitudes upon team morale.

But Moneyball is not just about statistics over romance in baseball. The risk Beane takes with sabermetrics forces him to deal with past failures and personal baggage in his own life. His choice as a teenager to pursue major league baseball instead of college and his subsequent failure in the major league powerfully informs his attitudes and decision-making. Beane also struggles with his responsibilities as a divorced dad as he tries to maintain a secure, involved relationship with his daughter Casey.

Casey sings Lenka’s The Show several times in the movie. It expresses an sense of being both an observer and an unexpected participant in the show. Two lines in the song that resonate as themes in Moneyball and as growing  factors in Beane’s story arc: ”can’t do it alone” and “enjoy the show.”

Moneyball  focuses on the success of the team as an entity rather than the accomplishments of its individual members. It assigns greater worth to behaviors that contribute to team goals than to personal heroics. It celebrates belonging. It reminds us that success is a group effort. Our collective contributions to the families, churches, workplaces, teams, and organizations to which we belong are meant to advance us as a group from base to base until we all make it home. We are all part of the show together. Nobody is responsible for the whole show. Belonging can be unpredictable and challenging but it’s also a joy. Enjoy the show.

In Biblical terms Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12 present the “sabermetrics” of the Church. Romans 12:3-5 tells us to “be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”  While each of us matters and are individually valuable and accountable to God, His prize, His Bride, the entity through which He accomplishes His will is the collective Church.

Rod Tidwell’s “quan” incompasses respect, recognition, relationships. He says “show me the money” but quan speaks to a life of quality and quantity focused on the results of bounty rather than bounty itself. Quan approaches the idea of abundance. Rod’s “show me the money” is really aimed at having resources to sustain and bless his family through the fruits of his career. But Rod’s perceived lack of resources and respect causes him to forget the joy of the work itself and to lose perspective on how blessed is already is.

Jerry’s journey begins with the recognition that he’s lost something important in his work life. He refocuses his priorities on regaining joy and fulfillment in his career. Just as “quan” is more than money, fulfillment is more than success. Success is measured by salary and status while fulfillment is what is left when salary and status are taken out of the equation.

Four statements in Jerry’s “memo” or mission statement had a powerful impact on me in this viewing.

“You and I are blessed…we do something that we love.” While this may not be true of everyone, when we are so blessed it is important to try to keep that love fresh. Most people are working harder, taking on more responsibilities, and feeling more pressure to perform these days. It helps to find something to love about the job.

“I care very much about the fact that I have learned to care less.” Disillusionment and frustration can cause us to withdraw emotionally from our work. It is difficult to continue to care when we feel powerless to change a policy or impact a situation at work. It helps to discover who is impacted by the jobs we do and focus on those faces in spite of the imperfections and obstacles.

“We are losing a battle with all that is personal and real about our business.” Idealism is often sacrificed at the altar of expedience or profit. I believe that priority should be given to people.  Not only should our personal business encounters be gracious and respectful but our business policies should reflect that as well, even when it reduces the bottom line.

“I choose to reclaim everything that was once exciting about this job.” Becoming interested in the job again, finding ways to contribute and improve, seeing how our unique gifts and talents are suited to our work may rekindle some of the enthusiasm we’ve lost along the way. Attitude is key.

Not everyone has a “cool” job. We are not all sports agents or professional athletes but everyone has a job that impacts others. Everyone has a job that connects us in some way with people. The focus of the life of Christ was people. Jesus came to make contact, to demonstrate our worth to Him, to clean and restore us, to help and heal us, to protect and comfort us, to feed and clothe us, to celebrate and mourn with us, to teach and lead us, to advocate for us, to create something new for us, to inspire us and to give us hope. These are all cool jobs; and they are the very jobs we do when we approach our work in a way that is personal and caring and joyful.  Maybe we should view our jobs as part of being “calling according to His purposes.” And approaching our work this way might produce some spiritual quan.

Hilly Holbrook is what happens when Mean Girls grow up in the mid-twentieth century South. Hilly is the firmly ensconced queen bee of 1960′s Jackson society. She sets the trends. She pronounces who’s in and who’s out. Hilly uses her influence to hurt those who offend her and advance those who follow her. Hilly seems to honestly believe her own hype. She considers herself superior to others in her social circle which is considered superior to other white people in Jackson, where white people are considered superior to black people. Hilly represents the small-minded, mean-spirited face of Southern pride.

Even Skeeter refuses to confront Hilly. College has broadened Skeeter’s perspective and shifted her allegiances but she knows how it works. Hilly’s pride has to be preserved. Aibileen, Skeeter, and Minny work under the radar to accomplish their agenda. Skeeter and Minny employ some of the same passive-aggressive tactics Hilly uses in order to undermine Hilly. The toilets and pie are funny and Hilly has it coming, but what compelled me about The Help are the powerful acts of grace. Skeeter’s determination to operate outside her comfort zone and help tell truthful stories that might contribute to change is an act of grace.

Like most outsiders, Celia Foote sees Hilly’s group as the social pinnacle to which she aspires. She wants in, but she will never get in. If marrying Hilly’s ex boyfriend is not enough, Hilly considers Celia “white trash” and is determined to shut her out. Hilly not only rejects Celia’s friendship, she tries to make sure that Celia has no other friends. Celia is the most alone of all the women. Such as they are, Hilly and her crew have each other, Aibideen and Minny have a community and a church, Skeeter has her mom and the writing group of maids, but Celia longs for the companionship of other women. It is Minny, who has experienced segregation, abuse, and racism, who takes Celia by the hand, teaches her, and walks her through her pain. Minny’s compassion for Celia is an act of grace.

The Help emphasizes the relationship between black maids and the white children they help rear. When Skeeter returns from college she does not feel her journey to adulthood is complete until she connects with Constantine, the family’s long-time maid. Constantine’s support and kindness toward Skeeter is a legacy of grace. But Constantine has mysteriously disappeared. It’s  revealed that Skeeter’s mom Charlotte betrayed Constantine out of fear and pride. Though it’s too late to make amends with Constantine, Charlotte’s repentance, her willingness to change, and her support for Skeeter is an act of grace. Grace doesn’t always restore a situation but it always restores a soul.

Like Charlotte, Elizabeth Leefolt is intent on maintaining her status and meeting the standards set for her by other people. Elizabeth’s four-year-old daughter Mae Mobley does not meet the standards for beauty and grace expected of Southern society women, and Elizabeth is more interested in conforming than in comforting.  In embarrassement, Elizabeth rejects Mae Mobley. Aibideen’s daily liturgy to Mae Mobley, “You is kind. You is smart, You is important,” is an act of grace.

The Help inspired me to ask what acts of grace might counter the meannesses I see in the place and the age in which I live.

Along with good vs. evil, and the burden of being “the one,”  death is a looming theme. Dumbledore paints death as a great adventure. Voldemort fears it and seeks to power over it. Throughout the series and especially in this last installment beloved characters die heroic deaths in the battle against Voldemort. Loved ones grieve their loss. This is the nature of death.

Today I’m having a Princess Bride style argument with myself about “I am Second.” I admire the organization and appreciate what they are doing. I mean no offense, but I think their name should be “I am Third” instead of “I am Second.” If Jesus is first, shouldn’t others be second, and I be third?

But then, if I share this opinion on my blog, aren’t I, in practice, making myself second? If I was really third I would shut up and let I Am Second be second if they want to be second instead of pointing out that I think they should be called I Am Third. So they are probably right, my practical position is that I am second even though my philosophical position is that I am third.

I can’t help wondering what it would look like if I really decided to live like I am third.

Bridesmaids is a funny and somewhat crass look at friendship and competition among women involved in a wedding. Often a wedding party is made up of people who may not socialize together. When a group of women don’t know one another well but end up in an intimate social situation like a wedding insecurities are bound to surface. It’s already an emotionally charged event. I thought Bridesmaids was a refreshingly honest look at some of the ways weddings can heighten insecurities and make women crazy.

Lilian’s bridesmaids are Anne, her childhood friend, Helen, the wealthy wife of her fiancé’s boss, who has become a close friend, Becca, a newlywed co-worker, Megan, the groom’s sister, and Rita, Lillian’s cousin who is a dissatisfied wife and mother.The status of “best friend” changes over the years so when it comes time to choose the “maid of honor” one of the “best” friends is going to be hurt.

Lilian chooses Anne as maid of honor though she’s concerned that Anne’s recent business failure and break-up might make her role more difficult. Helen immediately begins encroaching on “maid of honor” turf, planning events and making suggestions. Anne resents her and refuses to be squeezed out. The toasts scene in which Anne and Helen compete to prove which one has the closest relationship with Lilian is just priceless.

Body issues are an area where many women feel vulnerable. Helen points out that she’s thinner than Anne. It’s difficult to find a dress that will flatter every bridesmaid. Megan is heavy and socially awkward but refuses to allow herself to feel diminished. I liked that this character, though a bit of a stereotype, was more than a just a caricature of a fat girl. When she tells her story it becomes clear that she is a secure survivor.

It’s expensive to be in a wedding. Helen has no concept of budget and either is insensitive to the strain her suggestions create for Anne or is deliberately trying to undermine her. Either way Lilian seems to be so enthralled with her new, more affluent lifestyle that she ignores Anne’s feelings. Anne feels angry and defeated when she can’t compete with Helen’s over-the-top shower and gifts.

Weddings are reminders of romantic ideals and hopes for the future. Ritaa seems focused on all the disappointments her 12 years of marriage have brought her. She is determined to disillusion newlywed Becca who still has stars in her eyes. Anne is harboring her own disillusionments and disappointments. When her business failed her boyfriend left her. She now finds it hard to trust that any relationship can endure. This is not a supportive attitude for a bridesmaid. Anne also has a hard time expecting something better out of the future. She refuses to believe that just because her bakery failed that she should continue to pursue her passion. She is stuck in her bitterness.

Bridesmaids made me think about how women deal with anger and confrontation. Women who feel threatened will often be passive-aggressive, competitive, catty, or undermining. Direct confrontation feels like a risk since it often comes off as combative or spiteful like Anne’s meltdown at the shower. When Megan confronts Anne it’s still awkward. I thought she did it like a man would. Later Anne and Helen have to confront one another and figure out a way to be friendly if not actual friends. It’s still awkward. Direct confrontation has always been awkward for me. Could that be true of most women?

SPOILER ALERT – This review contains spoilers.

STINGER ALERT – When you do see the movie stay until after the credits!

In Super 8 Abrams manages to tell an emotionally engaging story about his characters’ journeys without compromising on mystery, plot, or action. The mystery begins when a group of middle school students witness a train crash and find their science teacher in the wreckage with mysterious instructions for the group. It builds as two of the kids, Charles and Joe, actually watch what their dropped camera has caught on film.

Joe’s father, Deputy Jack Lamb wrestles with his own set of puzzling clues. There are mysterious power outages, all the town’s dogs run away, and then townspeople start disappearing. Meanwhile Jack and Joe are grieving the death of wife and mother and trying to establish some sort of working relationship without her.

The group of young filmmakers are provided with great dialog and emotional depth that reminds me a bit of Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me. Charles is a passionate aspiring young filmmaker who enlists his friends to make a Zombie movie. His long-time friend Joe finds a reprieve from his grief as well as an outlet for his art. Alice desperately needs to be a part of something good. And where else can Cary find a constructive outlet for his love of blowing things up? This kid is hilarious and brave. Martin and Preston are so believable as they struggle with their fears and the humiliation of giving in to those fears. Alice and Joe’s budding friendship/romance is sweetly awkward yet unexpectedly fierce when threatened. Super 8’s kids are on the brink of a time of tremendous change and growth both as young adolescents and as children at the dawn of the information age.

The late 70’s marked the entry of the high tech world into the public consciousness as new electronic technology began entering the consumer marketplace. Super 8 cameras would soon be replaced by VHS. Cell phones would make car CB’s obsolete. Being a geek would soon be cool. The young clerk in the convenience store explaining the Walk-man to the sheriff was just priceless.

Super 8 is told from the perspective of young eyes and open hearts through snippets of conversations and snapshot moments. Super 8 provides just enough backstory. It’s cool that film reels are used to fill in the history of Dr. Woodward’s and Nelec’s involvement.

If I have one criticism of the movie it’s that Nelec is more of a plot device than an actual character. He is a morally vacant,  full of hubris, military cliche when a story this good deserves a better villain.

In ET, Keys says to Elliot, “I’m glad he met you first.” Well Super 8 shows what happens when the military gets ahold of a much bigger, uglier, more aggressive alien. When the alien escapes 20 years later he has a generally negative impression of the human race.

The timing builds tension and creates a scary and disorienting experience for the characters and the audience. Abrams waits to show his hand. We don’t see the monster until well into the movie and only later do we know he’s an alien.

The emotional, relational mysteries unfold with the plot mystery. The details of the bad blood between Jack and Louis, Alice’s father are revealed slowly. Their struggle with blame and guilt take an emotional toll on their children. Their feud mirrors the intergalactic conflict between the monster and human kind.

Super 8 resolves as the root of bitterness is cut off. After all the nuances and hints Joe proclaims the moral of this fable clearly when he explains to the alien that “bad things can happen but you can still live.” Super 8 is a good piece of story telling with just enough sweetness and heart. And lots of stuff blows up. A near perfect summer movie.

The Tree of Life is a film, not a movie. Films make you work harder than movies. Some movies are also films. If it wins a Best Picture Oscar it’s usually a hybrid. Movies that aren’t films hardly ever win. Films win Oscars but not usually for Best Picture.

If the audience rating is high but critics hated it, it’s definitely a movie. If the critic rating is higher than the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes it might be a film.

If it’s a trivia question in a bar, it’s probably a movie. If it’s a trivia question on Jeopardy it might be a film.

If the wordless parts are car chases it’s a movie. If the wordless parts are ethereal looking women looking at trees, it might be a film.

If things blow up, it’s a movie. If cosmos blow up, it might be a film.

If it provides comic relief even if it’s a drama, it’s a movie. If it has absolutely no sense of humor it might be a film.

If the action is linear and the flashbacks are clearly marked, it’s a movie. If you have to figure out whether it’s real or not, it might be a film.

If the backstory and flashbacks support the plot it’s a movie. If the backstory and flashbacks are the plot, it might be a film.

If you have to figure out the theme from the story, it’s a movie. If you have to figure out the story from the theme which is also the tagline, it might be a film.

If the narration provides practical wisdom and explains things that would have made it longer, it’s a movie. If the introspective narration and wordless montages provide cosmic insight and make the movie longer, it might be a film.

I think I would have liked The Tree of Life better as a movie or a hybrid. Here are two people who represent the two ways to go through life. The wife represents the way of grace while the husband represents the way of nature. The wife and mother responds to life as a joy and a wonder, while the husband and father shoulders life as a burden and responsibility. Both indicate belief that these are the responses expected by God.

When faced with tragedy they both ask the same questions, the questions Job asks, “Why did this grief come to me? I’ve done all that God asked of me. Could I have prevented it by behaving differently?”

As he looks back on his life their son Jack realizes that he’s felt trapped in trying to live his father’s way, when his mother’s way offers him greater peace and satisfaction. That would make a great movie.

Instead, for me, each scene in The Tree of Life was presented as so profound, packed with meaning, and deliberately crafted that it became overwhelming and impossible to process. It is an overlong, tedious, but artistically beautiful film.

Well, artistically beautiful except for that whole ancient earth part with those CGI dinosaurs. I kept looking for Dennis Nedry from Jurrasic Park to come running out into the river pursued by the apes from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Focus intently on a problem until it’s solved: The Harry Potter movies represent seven years of Harry Potter working on a way to defeat Voldemort.  Harry’s commitment to solving the problem is reflected in his choices about his relationships and associations, how he develops his gifts and talents, and his educational plan.

Postponing short term satisfaction: Teacher Jaime Escalante  pushes his low-income Hispanic AP calculus students to come early, stay late, use vacation time, even sacrifice hours that could be spent earning  money at work in order to equip themselves with knowledge that will increase their chances for college scholarships and satisfying careers.

Reading critically: In Dead Poets Society Mr. Keating tells his students, “When you read don’t just consider what the author thinks, consider what you think.” As they discover how to read literature on a deeper level Keating’s students are powerfully and profoundly changed by the ideas they encounter.

Power of being able to lead groups of peers without clear delegated authority:  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off presents a character with an incredible sphere of influence. Ferris inspires and  leads not only his friends and acquaintances but even people in his school and community who have never met him.

An understanding of the extraordinary power of the scientific method in just about any endeavor: October Sky recounts rural West Virgina teen Homer Hickam’s works through hypothesis, trial and error, research,  and other methods of experimentation in his quest to launch a rocket after he learns about Sputnik.

How to persuasively present ideas in multiple forms, especially in writing:  The five teen characters in The Breakfast Club are from various social groups yet discover that they share common experiences and emotions which are memorably summed up in Brian’s essay.

Project management:  In Clueless Cher mobilizes her school for a good cause, puts in organized efforts as a matchmaker, and runs the house for her lawyer father.

Personal finance: Pretty in Pink’s Andie holds down a job and deals with the financial fallout created by her father’s unemployment and depression. Andie displays dignity and creativity as she tries to date uber rich Blane on a lower-middle class budget.

Desire to learn:  In Finding Forrester Jamal Wallace is willing to put up with personal abuse from unorthodox  tutor William Forrester in order to learn what Forrester has to teach him about writing. He takes a scholarship at an unfamiliar and sometimes unfriendly upper income prep school in order to gain a better education.

Relentless hard work: In Hoosiers Coach Dale’s players don’t scrimmage, they run relentless drills. Sure they have heart and are scrappy underdogs, but they win because they put in the practice time it takes to win.

Jules Winnfield - Pulp Fiction. Jules recognizes that redemptive forces are at work though he has not yet connected the dots. He finds himself longing to change his role from avenger to shepherd.   They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. Rom 2:15

Charlie Babbitt - Rain Man. When Charlie realizes that Raymond is the secret friend, the “Rain Man” of his childhood, his self-centeredness and greed begins to break down. It’s not the moment of truth but the truth that leads to the moment.  Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Mark 12:34

George Bailey - It’s a Wonderful Life. George recognizes his existence makes a difference and that he was created for a purpose.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Eph. 2:10

Red - Shawshank Redemption. Andy’s hopefulness allows Red to become a man who can learn to live with freedom, though he has considered himself institutionalized.  Andy becomes the witness that inspires Red to “strip off the weight and  run with endurance.” Heb. 12:1

Melvyn - As Good as it Gets Melvyn’s desire to change doesn’t immediately transform him, but it breaks the chains of fear that have kept him self-absorbed, mean-spirited, and isolated. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Rom. 12:2

Juno – Juno’s decision offers reconciliation for a series of selfish, unwise choices. After mistaking Mark’s selfishness for coolness Juno recognizes and honors Vanessa’s mature and loving heart. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Rom. 12:9-10

Michael Clayton – George Clooney portrays a man who must decide whether to continue to serve a system. Telling the truth freed Michael Clayton from the life of lies and hubris he’s been living. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. Gal 5:7-8

Theo - Children of Men. Theo moves from cynical survivalist to a man with a mission of hope in a futuristic dystopia. He steps up when he realizes the role of protector of the future of humanity has fallen to him. Though he didn’t seek it out he accepts that he is “called for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14

Erin Brockovich – moves from wounded, powerless, & defensive to competent and committed as she realizes that she plays a significant role in bringing about justice. The love and admiration of her boyfriend breaks down personal walls and strengthens all her relationships.   Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 2 Cor. 3:12

Felix Bush - Get Low. Felix faces his guilt, loss, and his need for forgiveness by clearing the air with neighbors he’s ignored for years.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I Jn. 1:9

Darth Vader - Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Anakin Skywalker relinquishes the power of the Dark Side to gain reconciliation with his son and find peace in his final moments.  So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Rom. 8:6

Woody - Toy Story. In the first Toy Story Woody discovers that Andy’s love matters more than his own status. As the series of movies progress the toys face challenges and find strength through their bonds with one another and an identity as “Andy’s toys” that strengthen them even when their time with Andy is over. May God…help you live in complete harmony with each other… Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15:5-6

Walt Kowalski - Gran Torino. As he mourns the loss of his wife, Walt recognizes and rejects the shallowness of the world around him. His bitterness fades as he discovers grace and purpose by responding to the needs of his Vietnamese neighbors, and eventually coming to love them. Greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends. Jn. 15:13

Jesus - The Passion of the Christ. Jesus is the context though which we can really understand redemption and transformation. The powerful transformation, redemption, and forgiveness we see in other people’s lives can begin for us when we come to faith in Him. His prayer for us is this:  Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. Jn. 17:18-20

Happy Easter!

I just finished all five seasons of The Wire on DVD.  The Wire is an astounding artistic achievement and devastating social commentary. I think its going to take  several blog posts to discuss it’s effect on me. As profound as it is profane, fans of Dickens, Shakespeare, Classical Dramas, or the Bible will find echoes of those literary themes and characters in The Wire. It deals with big themes like power, compromise, deception, and redemption in the lives of broken people in a broken society. Baltimore is full of the social ills that plague modern society.

The beginning credits run to Tom Waits’ song Way Down in the Hole. Lyrics about about holding on to Jesus, avoiding temptation, and keeping the devil “way down in the hole” are sung against a backdrop of flawed characters and gritty street life. Many reviewers have identified the City of Baltimore as the main character in The Wire. The 2nd  and 3rd chapters of The Revelation of John call out churches in particular cities for sinful behavior, compromise, and sins of omission in light of the evils in each of those cities. Just as in the cities described in the Biblical Revelation, the devil is on the loose in Baltimore and its institutions are unable to stem the tide of evil. Season one establishes the police and drug cultures and carries their stories throughout all five seasons of the series. Different artists sing the theme song as subsequent seasons explore corruption and temptation in different city institutions: season two- unions; season three- city hall; season four- schools; and season five- the media.

The Wire presents a believable portrayal of each of these subcultures. It takes several episodes to get used to the vocabulary of the various cultures. Gang bangers, police, and even the press have their own jargon. Each institution holds to particular moral imperatives and characters have to adapt to societal expectations. The Wire is both a realistic, gritty revelation of city life and an epic about survival, power, compromise, temptation, and deception within each of the various subcultures and the lives of the characters that inhabit them. Within each of these instututions there are rules followers and rebels, characters motivated by self-interest and others who act for the good of others. Even some of the darkest characters have redemptive moments and some of the most admirable makes disturbing choices. The Wire is about keeping the devil in the hole in a city that seems well on its way to losing its soul. In many ways the characters are as much products of the city as they are independent moral agents. The message seems to be that the city is not salvageable but some of the characters might be.

So much of The Wire involves downward spirals in the lives of the characters, because those characters involve some instructive and masterful storytelling, but right now I want to look at five characters who have redemptive story arcs. Four also act as redemptive agents. Major Colvin, Roland “Prez” Pryzbylewski, Cutty Wise, and Reginald Cousins aka “Bubbles” initiate and respond to positive change in ways that impact their own lives and the lives of those around them. Major Colvin actually wants to address the city’s problems instead of juking the statistics so it only looks like he’s doing his job. Though his risk-taking, all-in attitude may not save the city, he does manage to save a little piece of it. Cutty Wise and Roland “Prez” Pryzbylewski  realize that the work they do will not turn the tide of evil in the neighborhood but they recognize that they might be able to make a difference in the lives of a few and that’s enough. The more powerful story for them is the difference their work is making in their own lives. “Prez” Pryzbylewski begins the series plagued by his own incompetence and anger. The right job provides purpose and fulfillment for his life. By series end it really does seem to be more of a calling than a job. Cutty Wise tires of violence but feels too mired in his past to get out. He determines to remain in the neighborhood as a positive presence. He is a sort of wounded healer as is Bubbles. Reginald Cousins, who goes by “Bubbles” has a gentle, humble, almost joyful attitude. He always has a younger street addict under his wing, trying to protect and teach. His redemptive arc is the most complete and one of the most satisfying parts of the series. The redemptive journeys of these characters are bright threads running through a very dark story.

The redemption story of Namond Brice is a little different.  The son of a violent soldier of the drug trade, Namond’s future is fortold in the lives of older drug kingpins like Avon Barksdale or Marlo Stanfield. He has the intelligence to run a drug operation but does not have the heart for the violence required of the job. Without intervention from people like Colvin, Pryzbylewski, and Wise he has no hope for change. Like a true recipient of grace Namond does not initiate his own salvation, but he fully embraces the opportunity.

At its core The Wire is a classic tragedy, but it does gives us hope that, at least for a few, the devil is down in the hole. These characters’ stories are reminders that the environment that creates our grief and temptation is not going to change first. Positive change in our own lives requires that we push against the tide. Change means risk and commitment. I’m reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 12:2 telling us to reject what seems inevitable and to refuse to embrace the circumstances and attitudes of a broken environment. Renewed minds discover purpose, develop gifts and talents, and seek good. The process of transformation spills that good over into the lives of the people around us and leads us toward the fulfillment and peace that comes with becoming the people God created us to be.

I considered including Jimmy McNulty as a redemption story. He certainly experiences a redemptive arc, actualy more than one, but maybe he deserves his own blog. Anyone with thoughts on McNulty?

Casey Abrams, the American Idol contestant facing elimination starts to sing but the judges won’t even let him finish. Randy Jackson announces that they’ve decided to use their save. And Steven Tyler makes it clear that the judges clearly disagree with the nation’s vote. Casey’s bends over and looks like he’s going to pass out or throw up. Host Ryan Seacrest steadies him.

Casey finally gets himself together enough to rush to the judges table and say “Are you really? Why would you do this? I can’t believe it.”
“I thought that they wouldn’t use the save, because there’s 11 people,” explains the shocked Casey Abrams. The timing does seem wrong.  Using the save on this night changes the dynamic of the summer tour. They’ve never had a “Top 11.”

After Casey finishes his round of hugs and congratulations he stands before the judges again.

“We just want you to get back to being the musician that you are,” Jennifer Lopez tells him. “No more antics. You deserve to be here.”
Casey doesn’t fit the “Idol” image and up until this point he hasn’t really seemed to care. He’s done what he wanted to do. Former judge Simon Cowell might have called his last two performances ”indulgent”  but current judge Steven Tyler compliments Casey on his “perfect pitch and …out of control ego.” Randy Jackson calls Casey “fearless.”

I don’t know Casey and don’t know whether his performance choices are about ego or musical vision. Casey has the sort of talent that musicians appreciate but may be lost on the listening public. The problem is that the public is looking for performance, perhaps even over musicality. Most of the viewing public don’t recognize the degree of difficulty in fellow performer Jacob Lusk’s vocal runs or whether someone gets creative and comes in on the 7th. The irony of ”Here we are now, entertain us” from Kurt Cobain’s Smells Like Teen Spirit was probably not lost on Casey but much of the audience didn’t get the joke (or maybe were just unwilling to be the joke.) I actually loved it but I don’t think I am in the majority. At the end of the day the audience does want to be entertained.

While the judges have called out some contestants for being off pitch, much of their advice relates to performance rather than musicality. They’ve entreated others to “connect with the song” or to “connect with the audience,” or both. They’ve made comments about appearance, energy, dancing, facial expressions, and stage presence. As entertainers the judges seem to understand that singing a song to a live audience is really about communication and connection. Performers make adjustments to their performances in order to draw in the audience.

There has been a lot of talk about presenting the “whole package.” This “whole package” has to do with the tension between being fearlessly true to personal artistic vision and making that vision accessible and relatable for the audience without pandering. Performance is not just about the music, it’s also about bringing the audience along on the  journey the artist is taking with a song. A truly amazing performance happens when both the performer and the audience become partakers in the same truth communicated through music, or any art form.

God puts music (or some other talent) in each one of us and provides us with opportunities to express truth through our gifts and talents. We sometimes let our own antics get in the way of real communication. We can become so focused on innovation or creativity or process that we forget that even in those pursuits we are contributors to a community.

God uses his one save, Jesus, on each of us then He sends us on tour together to communicate his love and truth. God work of transformation occurs when the lines are blurred between the performer and the audience, the servant and the served, and instead everyone present becomes a participant in the truth God is telling through a particular use of our gifts and talents.  What are some of the indulgent “antics” that hinder our communication?

Kate and her husband Alex run a trendy mid-century furniture store on 10th Ave. They purchase items at estate sales for a fraction of what they make reselling them.  Alex gleefully explains to customers who ask where they get their stuff, “we buy them from the relatives of dead people.” Business is good enough for Kate and Alex to purchase the apartment of their 91-year-old neighbor Andra so they can expand their home after she dies. Kate feels so guilty that much of her life hinges on the grief of others that she becomes obsessed with charity.

Kate’s comfortable lifestyle and wealth add to her guilt. She keeps $5 bills to hand out to homeless people she encounters on the street. She tries to teach her daughter Abby compassion by imagining difficulties and tragedies for the people they encounter on the street. For all her compassion Kate seems less interested in the individuals that need help than she is interested in being someone who gives.

Kate’s volunteering efforts fail. When Kate tries to volunteer at a nursing home and later a recreation center but is overwhelmed by sadness. Kate can’t process that people in nursing homes or children with Downs might experience moments of legitimate joy and accomplishment. She’s so grieved that she can’t interactive positively with the people she is there to help. Through her acts of charity Kate wants reassurance that she’s a “good person.”

The lives of Andra and her two granddaughters act as a fable for Kate. There were once two sisters, one selfish and one giving. Rebecca, the giving sister, shows up every day to walk her grandmother Andra’s dog, clean, pick up groceries, hang out and watch TV with her. When her grandmother is negative she tries to interject positive thoughts but it’s obvious she’s worn down by the constant barrage of bitterness. She keeps showing up because Andra is her grandmother and she recognizes that she needs help.

Her sister Mary takes care of herself and doesn’t feel an obligation to help Andra since Andra is so unpleasant. Mary is rather caustic herself and, in the wake of a recent breakup, is even more brittle. She’s self-centered and thinks first about how she is affected. Like Andra she often sees the negative side of situations and tends to blow small issues out of proportion. She doesn’t recognize it but she’s well on her way to becoming her grandmother.

Please Give explores the effect of Kate’s obsession on her marriage and her relationship with her daughter as well. As the family interacts with Andra and her granddaughters they are affected by their attitudes.

Mary comes off as the stronger of the sisters. Her rejection of Andra lines up with how Kate, Alex, and Abby see her so they initially relate to her though they admire Rebecca’s faithfulness toward Andra. Neither Alex nor Abby understand what’s going on with Kate and both feel shut out, but when each in turn look to Mary for support they both walk away damaged but wiser.

Abby and Rebecca form a comfortable friendship in which they walk the dogs and talk. They both seem to be searching for a realistic yet positive position for viewing the world. Rebecca and Kate share the trait of compassion. They have an exchange in which they reassure one another that they are “good people” because of it. Rebecca might well find herself falling into Kate’s pattern of guilty obligation until a different fable comes into her life in the form of one of her patients.

Once upon a time there were two old women, one bitter and the other encouraging. While Andra spews anger and rejects beauty, even in the face of illness Mrs. Portman keeps a positive outlook and speaks encouragement into the lives of those around her. She notices Rebecca and introduces her to her grandson Eugene who, like Rebecca, is a part-time caregiver for his grandmother. Mrs. Portman’s realistic, compassionate, positive style gives Rebecca a role model worth following. Mrs. Portman bears the problems she faces with realistic grace but doesn’t create problems where none exist.

While Kate is compassionate she is also negative. Both Kate and Andra overreact to life experiences, Kate with sadness and Andra with anger.

There is a scene in which Abby and Rebecca are walking dogs and carrying bags containing dog poo. Abby observes how odd it would be if they were walking down the street carrying bags of poo without the dogs. That’s sort of what Kate does. She carries the poo even when she has no dog. Andra and Mary may have dogs to walk but they refuse to enjoy the walk or the conversation, they just see the bags of poo.

Please Give reminded me that the attitude for giving is both generous and refreshing. These Proverbs seem like appropriate conclusions to the fables in Please Give:

Proverbs 16:24 Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Prov. 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

Prov. 11:25 The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Now I’m a fan of disaster and horror movies. Everyone knows at the start of the movie that out of the initial group of characters some of them are going to get killed along the way. One by one.  I wonder if Vegas runs a book on this sort of movie. Seems like there should be some sort of movie death pool where we can bet on the order and method in which characters in a movie are going to die.

The plot is that a storm floods a cave and its explorers are trapped and have to find another way out. This is the only part that is based on a true event. The story that Sanctum’s storytellers give us is so full of tired plot twists and stock characters that I had trouble taking it seriously. Cave explorer Frank is a picture of pride. He’s confident that his experience qualifies him, even obligates him to make tough calls…and only tough calls.  His goal is survival and everything and everyone not focused on that goal is expendable.

So the writers build a story around this scenario which includes that Frank and his son Josh have a troubled relationship, the cave exploration’s rich financier shows up with his girlfriend to seek some thrills, women panic, the water gets higher, a villain arises from the group, faithful friends are sacrificed on the altar of adventure and survival, and Frank becomes convinced that the only way to expedite the rescue is to sacrifice the wounded.

Survival and hopelessness are a brutal combination. Is it inconceivable that someone might get out and send help back to the injured? Is waiting it out with someone who is dying no longer considered humane? Death is presented as a foregone conclusion so that alleviating suffering or expediting death so the rest of the group can keep moving looks like the reasonable and noble choice. Survival is definitely a Darwinian affair in Sanctum.

Frank is  a poster boy for valiant acts of euthanasia. I might have bought in to the first one but three smells a little like an agenda to me, especially when the story arc, the coming of age moment for Josh is so tied to his buy-in to this philosophy. Three? Really? The first rule of Sanctum is don’t limp around Frank.

It seems a shame that Cameron worked so hard to advance 3-D technology for this. I wish the story enhanced the wonder and thrill that the cinematography offered. I loved the opportunity to see the cave. Maybe The Making of Sanctum will be better than this spelunker kerplunker (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Maybe we’re just funny people but I tend to find more to relate to in romantic comedies than I do in the wrenching emotional disasters that a lot of dramatic love stories portray. It’s not everyone’s list but below is my top ten favorite love stories. I started to write a little synopsis about each of them but it occurred to me that they are all about the same thing: emotional risk taking. Romantic love is about stripping off the layers we put on to protect ourselves and revealing who we are to someone else. It’s about figuring out how to be a couple with another person without losing one’s own identity. It’s about discovering that the mathematical principles behind love are rarely 50%-50%. It about trusting the other person enough to be honest. It’s about thinking in terms of “we” instead of just “me.” To paraphrase Paul in Corinthians “Love is kind and patient. Lovers aren’t out for what they can get. Love causes us to forgive and not carry grudges. Love makes us considerate and trusting. Love makes us willing to absorb the inconveniences, the hurts, the disappointments, and the challenges.”

Most of us stumble over at least some aspects of love so we can be awkward and clueless, and that’s funny when it’s happening to someone else. From the omnipotent view we usually have in movies it’s much easier to see that love is reciprocated, that acceptance is an embrace away. As situations get funnier and complicated we may even whisper “Just tell her,” or “Call him,” as our screen couple struggles. It’s not so easy when it’s our own real hearts on the line. Maybe the appeal of romantic comedy is the reassurance that it works out sometimes. That risking pride and rejection for love pays off.

So, here’s my list of movies that inspire me to take risks:

Love Actually

Roman Holiday

Moonstruck

When Harry Met Sally

Elizabethtown

The Wedding Singer

Sense and Sensibility

The Princess Bride

As Good as it Gets

Say Anything

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS
The King’s Speech affirms Proverbs 11:2 & 15:33 which say that “humility precedes honor.” With a king for a father and a name like Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, Bertie has become accustomed to being treated with extreme deference. There are rules about how he is to be addressed, how far from him to stand, etc.  He is used to people adapting their schedules and practices to his expectations. He is firmly rooted in the pride of his position as Duke of Windsor, the Prince of his father King George V of Great Britain.

Royalty are usually trained to feel separate and above their subjects. One might expect that people who are in this sort of position of authority and power would have some trouble with pride. Yet submission seems to be a prerequisite to getting help, and Bertie needs help.

As a stutterer Bertie has trouble expressing himself in the public arena and as a father.  King George V has certain expectations and is impatient with his “defect.” Fortunately Bertie is second in line for the throne and doesn’t expect to have to assume kingly duties, so the matter doesn’t seem that pressing. When it becomes evident that Bertie is going to have to take the throne with the nation at the brink of war, the king’s speech becomes an even bigger issue. Bertie has to submit himself to a commoner, an Australian even, in order to get the help he needs.

Like Bertie, the biblical leader Moses was called upon to deliver inspiration and direction to the people he led at a critical time in their history. Moses apparently had problems with his speech as well: “I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you [God] have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled” Ex. 4:10. Perhaps this struggle added to Moses’ reputation for humility. Numbers 12:3 calls him the most humble person on earth.

Speech therapist Lionel Logue has some unorthodox methods which include psychology, physiology, and a firm conviction that in the therapy room everyone must be equal. His child patients call him by his first name. He insists on being on a first name basis with Bertie as well. He also insists that Bertie come to his shabby office. This is not how the Duke of Windsor is used to being treated. Psalm 18 says that God rescues the humble but humiliates the proud. Bertie sits in Lionel’s office on the threadbare sofa with the stuffing coming out and is eventually rescued.

In therapy Bertie constantly struggles against all his years of training. At times his pride gets the better of him. Bertie has a hard time allowing Lionel to treat him as equal. Bertie’s position as royalty has trained him to isolate himself and deny anything that might be perceived as emotional weakness. Bertie seems to think that his speech impediment must be viewed as purely physical in order for him to be considered worthy for the position he holds. He resists Lionel’s attempts to delve into personal areas that Lionel is convinced are key to his treatment.

Bertie’s view of how he is supposed to be as a royal person is a mixture of pride and a sense of responsibility to the position. Several times Bertie breaks with Lionel over what he perceives as Lionel’s lack of respect for his position, but each time he humbles himself and returns to therapy, putting the needs of his country above his personal pride. As his brother David gives in to what Bertie sees as selfish shirking of responsibility, Bertie measures himself against the demands of the position of king. It’s not a position he wants or feels equipped to take, but, out of love for his country, he agrees to David’s abdication. The weight of his need to communicate effectively becomes heavier.

While watching a film clip of Hitler, Bertie remarks on Hitler’s powers of communication. Bertie is keenly aware of the importance that his address has to the morale of the nation. He finally submits to Lionel’s treatment and shares humiliating personal details. It is through this very humiliation that Bertie begins to gain confidence in himself as a person.

Through his relationship with Lionel, Bertie not only develops better speaking skills but also sees the lives of those he rules at eye level. When Lionel’s lack of credentials are questioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury Bertie trusts Lionel’s results rather than demanding that Lionel occupy some sort of position that makes him worthy. As Bertie prepares himself to better serve in the position of king he learns that position isn’t everything. Bertie begins to understand the difference between positional authority and personal authority.

Personal authority is gained through character and experience.  It is developed through the submission that is necessary in the learning process. It comes from being able to admit need, and getting help. It comes from earned respect. It happens to the humble who speak out of the authority of principle and often hard-fought experience, rather than the power of position.

When Bertie addresses his subjects, he does so with the compassion of a king who has seen the inside of their homes and knows what they have to lose. He delivers it with the confidence of a messenger who is certain that his message is right. He delivers it with the humility of a king who has taken the position out of responsibility, rather than pride.

I enjoyed the movie Voyage of the Dawn Treader for the story it told. Dawn Treader is my favorite of the Narnia books so, of course, I was disappointed when my favorite parts didn’t make the screen. I do understand that telling a story like this one on screen will look different than telling it as a written narrative. Making the story a quest for swords and a battle against a defined and visible evil made it an easier story to tell. However I do think the movie failed to give the audience enough credit.

Having to struggle with temptation, distinguish good from evil and admit our faults is something everyone faces. Some of the best movies I’ve seen deal with internal struggles like this. The characters’ internal struggles with pride were evident enough without using green smoke as a visual cue for temptation and evil. It would be nice if green smoke showed up so we could know that evil is in the process of tempting or deceiving us. But we don’t. We face struggles without visual cues. We take internal voyages toward internal change and personal resolution. This is really the heart of the book and the place where I think the movie missed its mark.

That said, I think the struggle with pride and the journey various characters take to overcome it was portrayed in the movie. Lucy, Edmund, and Reepicheep deal with the pride that drives insecurity. Edmund feels second to Peter who is High King of Narnia and to Caspian who is its’ current king. Edmund believes that he has the same capacity to rule and resents his position as second to the king.

Lucy feels that she is not as attractive or popular as her older sister Susan. She struggles with this insecurity and feeling of unimportance.  As a mouse, Reepicheep feels he must always be the bravest and baddest in order to prove himself and earn the respect he wants. Reepicheep faces his insecurity by overcompensating. For each of them, who they are doesn’t feel like enough.

Lucy, Edmund, and Reep’s insecurities stem from hurt pride. We try to define what makes a person important. Beauty, power, and position often figure into the equation. Our perceptions of how we are viewed by others can cause us to reject ourselves and our roles.

I wish that the filmmakers had figured out a way to shoot Chapter 10 of the book just as Lewis wrote it. It’s the part in which Lucy uses Coriakin’s spell book to try and deal with her insecurities by herself. It captures the essence of this sort of pride and the internal struggles that go with it.

Eustace’s brand of pride is a little different. He feels superior because he deals in facts rather than fantasy. Even after he is proved wrong and lands in Narnia he won’t let go of his reliance on politics and education to get out of trouble. Eustace limits the terms in which he is willing to address his problems and experiences to what he can understand. Eustace has to encounter an experience that defies his logic and reveals his flaws before he can process the reality of Narnia and Aslan, much less to be personally affected by it.

The scene in which Eustace tries to change but realizes he can’t change himself was a little bit rushed but I was happy that they included that part. Eustace’s voyage from reliance on himself and this world’s limited man-initiated resources to his supernatural,  life-changing meeting with Aslan is a voyage worth taking.