By DT
Selected thoughts from my 6/21 sermon.
I was sitting near the window in a small, local coffee shop the other day. Down the street shuffled a dirty, homeless-looking older man. His hair was greasy and wiry, stained orange by sun and probably alcohol. His clothes were discolored. I have to admit: my first awful thought was oh no, he's coming in here. I wasn't alone, though, everyone else gave him a corner eyed glance of annoyance as he hobbled through the door.
The man sat down in a corner seat and ironically I continued reading a very good book about Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. I heard a quiet squeaking noise. The old man is making balloon animals! Lots of them. My second awful thought why does he have to make so much noise! I'm trying to read!
The old man quietly and awkwardly handed out the balloon animals to the kids in the shop. As he did, the faces of the kids and adults brightened with surprise and humor. He asked nothing in return and didn't know how to respond when people said thank you. The entire atmosphere of the coffee shop was changed - kids running around with balloon animals, adults wearing goofy balloon hats. Everyone smiling. I realized how awful it is for me to frequently make quick judgments about others. But we all do this don't we?
Try this experiment: slowly read the following story. You're alone. You take a seat at a deserted bus stop downtown. A young guy is walking down the street towards you. He's wearing dark baggy jeans that are sagging way too low beneath his rump. A red bandana is tied around his head and his hair is in cornrows. He's got a silver chain hanging from his neck.
Quick. Think about the image you have in your mind. I didn't give you much information to go on but automatically you began to piece together a complete image of him. What race was he? Was he smiling? Frowning? Was he skinny or overweight? Did you feel safe?
We do stuff like this all the time. It's how our mind works. It's how we function in the world. We think in stories and images. In a split second we take in a situation and then make conclusions. We connect the dots and fill in the blanks. Most of the time it happens so quickly and so naturally that we are not even aware of it. There's nothing wrong with this. It's how we're wired.
We live in a culture that believes what is happening on the outside is more important than what is going on inside. We value external appearances and pay little or no attention to what is going on inside a person. We value image over substance.
If we're honest, we all know that we end up thinking just like I did in the coffee shop. This is something that is common to all humanity. In the depths of our souls we are mean, nasty, and harsh towards people. We assume the worst. We focus on people's faults and we are usually unforgiving of their mistakes. We categorize people. We stereotype. We judge. We condemn. We judge them for their mistakes and sins and then we throw the book at them. Bang! Guilty! End of story.
The ancient Greek storyteller Aesop wrote a fable based on his observations about people. It's called The Two Bags: Everyone is born into the world with two bags hanging around their neck. The bags are full of faults. The bag in front is full of their neighbors' faults, and the bag behind filled with their own faults. And so people are quick to see the faults of others, and yet are blind to their own failings.
Rather than offer people a welcoming, outstretched hand, we point a critical finger, we offer a clenched fist, or we have a judge's gavel ready to slam down.
Jesus also has something to say about this idea of judging and condemning. In his sermon on the mount he has been telling us who gets into the Kingdom of God and what it looks like to live there. Those who get in must have a righteousness that is not based on appearance. The world is broken but God is breaking into the world. Those who are followers of Jesus are marked by love. The greatest commandments are to love God and love other people. But our sin reveals itself as we act nasty toward each other, as we judge and condemn others.
Matthew 7:1-6
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person's eye. Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces."
Why are we so nasty towards each other? Our tendency is to be fault finders. We quickly point out the flaws and mistakes of others. We hold grudges, we are unforgiving. We focus on the negative. The awful part is that we usually feel better about ourselves when we do all this.
To live in the Kingdom of God, however, means that we are relate to each other in love. The image that we get from the sermon on the mount is a companion. We are companions on this spiritual journey. But, rather than offering people a welcoming, open hand, we offer them a gavel clenched in our fist.
Externally, this looks like exclusion. I worked at a church in the past that was not welcoming of certain teenagers. In our neighborhood there were many youth who dressed in gothic clothing or rode skateboards. Many of them would come to youth events during the week. However, they were looked down upon on Sunday mornings. People would avoid them, give them dirty looks, make cruel remarks to them. It's not surprising that these youth stopped coming to church. There was a disconnect from what they were hearing about Jesus and how they were being treated by his followers.
What the people in the church were saying was: You have to have to change before you can come in here. You have to change before we tell you about the Gospel. The people were forcing the youth to reach a certain standard but really they were making the youth become like them.
This is so wrong! Jesus came to us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8)! He does not ask us to change before he saves us. He asks us to come to him just as we are. He alone has the power to change us. He alone has the power to judge and redeem. Rather than asking us to change, he asks us to become more like him. Jesus asks us not to judge but to do as he did: he hung out with prostitutes, thieves, murderers, adulterers, homosexuals, the dirty, the poor, the sinners, the goths, the skaters.
Jesus is also concerned about what is going on in us internally. Even if we are not excluding people we still judge and condemn people in our hearts. We make assumptions - they will never change. We make judgments - what they did is so awful they should be locked away. We smile, we hold out a welcoming hand, but we are just drawing attention away from our own sins, flaws, and brokenness. We end up thinking we are better than others. We measure ourselves based on the extent of other people's sins. In our hearts we condemn people as irredeemable. We reject and exclude.
When we do, we miss the power of the Gospel of Jesus. No matter what we have done or are doing, no matter how evil we are, there is nothing we can do to make God love us less. There is nobody who has gone so far away from God that he can't bring them back. When we judge and condemn we are saying that the Gospel has limits. There are some who are out of reach, who are not deserving.
Don't get me wrong, God will judge sin. It is appointed for all of us to die once and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). However, Jesus came into the world to save sinners and we don't have the authority to judge people.
Why can't we judge? Not only are we NOT God, but in Jesus' words we are all hypocrites. We are just as guilty as the people we condemn. Most of the time we have done exactly what we are judging them for. Many times worse.
My first reaction is: but I have to fix them! Don't they know they are sinners? I have to judge what they are doing! I have to give them my wonderful solution. I have to change them! So we force our gospel on them. We give them something they are not ready to receive. Rather than coming alongside them as a companion, rather than trying to get to know their soul, we feel compelled to force Jesus on them.
If we had the power to change people's behavior, jail would work a whole lot better!
Last weekend some Mormon missionaries came to my door. At first we had some interesting conversation but when it was all said and done I felt pretty awful. We were each so convinced of the truth of our side that we did not allow space for the other. We became objects and love was not expressed. As I closed the door my emotions were all fired up and none of us knew each others names. They came to my door trying to convince me of their truth but I also tried to force mine on theirs. It turned into a boxing match of ideas. I wonder what it would have been like if I invited them in for dinner? They could tell me their story and I could tell them mine. We could interact as people, as companions.
Rather than offer people a welcoming, outstretched hand, we point a critical finger, we offer a clenched fist, or we have a judge's gavel ready to slam down.
Jesus asks us to live a different way. He asks us to give up our need to judge, to condemn, to point the fault finding finger. He asks us to extend ourselves in love and compassion. But the sermon on the mount is not a Dr. Phil self-help book. No, the reality is that we can't meet this standard of righteous living on our own. We can try hard to be nice, to smile, to be accepting, but Jesus is showing us that we are hypocrites in our hearts. What we need is a soul transformation. We need a new heart. That's what Jesus offers us. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to change us from the inside.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Books That Have Changed My Life
By DT
Someone asked me a very good question: what books have changed your life? In the moment I knew there were many but I had trouble recalling them. So here is my list after I've had time to look over my bookshelves. These books have deeply and profoundly changed my thinking.
Home to Harmony - I can't count the number of times I have read this book. A work of fiction, it is short stories about a Quaker pastor and his everyday interactions with the members of his church. This book is brutally honest. At times hilarious and other times very sad, it makes me cry a few times and always reminds me that people need Jesus and that we desperately need each other. It also gives me motivation to keep doing what we are doing.
"Occasionally, a simple book feels like home, and its characters become cherished friends. The town's characters include the wise Quaker pastor who narrates the book; a childless couple who spend their life savings (and then some) to save their niece from the grip of her alcoholic parents; and the narrow-minded church elder who 'knew just enough Scripture to be annoying, but not enough to be transformed.' This book is pure joy."
Wild at Heart - Although obviously written for my dad's generation, this book showed me how to think deeply about my soul as a man. It has helped me understand myself and my interactions with others. It's also what convinced me to start seeing a counselor. My one critique is that it assumes real men love sports and the great outdoors. This is just not true.
"Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this guide to understanding Christian manhood and Christian men offers a refreshing break from the chorus of voices urging men to be more responsible, reliable, dutiful… and dead. God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk."
Blue Like Jazz - Gave me permission to think outside the stuffy box of fundamentalist, denominational church that I had grown up in. Showed me that God is at work in the places we assume he is not and that the Gospel of Jesus is more powerful than we give it credit for.
"In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God."
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - A great parable about the human soul. We are capable of good things but lurking in the depths of our souls is something nasty, broken, and downright mean that reveals itself all too often. Our tendency is to hide, cover up, and make excuses for the evil that lurks in our hearts.
Animal Farm - Another great parable. Not only are we broken and awful at a soul level but the result is that our leaders, our groups, and our communities are just as broken. And we usually assume that what we are being told is true. This book always scares me because it shows what happens when we stop thinking wisely about the world and about what is true. This idea from the story says it all: "We are all created equal. Some of us are more equal than others." That is a scary thing to believe.
Solving Tough Problems - This book is shaping the way I think about arguments, disagreements, and conflicts. It has humbled me and has really made me compassionate towards those I assume to be wrong.
"There are no magical solutions here. This is not another 'how-to' book. Instead, Kahane provides us with the very personal story of how he grew from a young expert convinced of the need to provide the 'correct' answers, to an effective facilitator of positive change - by learning how to create environments that enable new ideas and creative solutions to emerge. This book explores the connection between individual learning and institutional change, and how leaders can move beyond politeness and formal statements, beyond routine debate and the defense of their positions, towards deeper and more generative dialogue."
The Shaping of Things to Come - Changed my thinking about the local church and about our place in this world as Christians. Reading it always fires me up and inspires creative thinking. This book is why we have been a part of church planting and it has also given words to the reasons we liked Apartment Life so much and were so good at it. Showed me the importance of seeping through the cracks and crevices of a society in order to be Christ to those who don't yet know him. Jesus moved into a neighborhood and became one of the people.
"Christendom is dying and needs to be removed from its life-support system. Starting with this frank assessment of the current church, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch present an alternative model for ministry in today’s postmodern world. Instead of mourning the demise of the Western church as the center of society, the authors explain how the church can be reborn through incarnational mission, messianic spirituality, and apostolic structure. Church leaders who heed the authors’ call will see death turned into new life through the creation of a vital, missional church."
Amusing Ourselves to Death - Why I hate owning a TV, why commercials make me angry, and why I don't fit in at mega churches.
"A withering and thought-provoking attack on television and what it is doing to us. Postman's theme is the decline of the printed word and the ascendancy of the 'tube' with its tendency to present everything murder, mayhem, politics, or weather as entertainment. The ultimate effect, as Postman sees it, is the shrivelling of public discourse as TV degrades our conception of what constitutes news, political debate, art, even religious thought. He explains that there is no need to fear George Orwell's vision of 1984, but rather to fear an older title of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. One which takes away freedom, the latter giving you all the freedom you want."
Fast Food Nation - Slow down! When we create a world where everything we want is fast, cheap, and to our liking we ultimately rob ourselves of quality and human dignity. This book did not teach me to mistrust big corporations but it did convince me that their love of money causes them to neglect our best interests.
"Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry both feeds and feeds off the young, insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease."
CLICK HERE to see my books and reviews on Goodreads.com
Let me know what books have changed your lives!
Someone asked me a very good question: what books have changed your life? In the moment I knew there were many but I had trouble recalling them. So here is my list after I've had time to look over my bookshelves. These books have deeply and profoundly changed my thinking.
Home to Harmony - I can't count the number of times I have read this book. A work of fiction, it is short stories about a Quaker pastor and his everyday interactions with the members of his church. This book is brutally honest. At times hilarious and other times very sad, it makes me cry a few times and always reminds me that people need Jesus and that we desperately need each other. It also gives me motivation to keep doing what we are doing.
"Occasionally, a simple book feels like home, and its characters become cherished friends. The town's characters include the wise Quaker pastor who narrates the book; a childless couple who spend their life savings (and then some) to save their niece from the grip of her alcoholic parents; and the narrow-minded church elder who 'knew just enough Scripture to be annoying, but not enough to be transformed.' This book is pure joy."
Wild at Heart - Although obviously written for my dad's generation, this book showed me how to think deeply about my soul as a man. It has helped me understand myself and my interactions with others. It's also what convinced me to start seeing a counselor. My one critique is that it assumes real men love sports and the great outdoors. This is just not true.
"Helping men rediscover their masculine heart, this guide to understanding Christian manhood and Christian men offers a refreshing break from the chorus of voices urging men to be more responsible, reliable, dutiful… and dead. God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk."
Blue Like Jazz - Gave me permission to think outside the stuffy box of fundamentalist, denominational church that I had grown up in. Showed me that God is at work in the places we assume he is not and that the Gospel of Jesus is more powerful than we give it credit for.
"In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God."
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - A great parable about the human soul. We are capable of good things but lurking in the depths of our souls is something nasty, broken, and downright mean that reveals itself all too often. Our tendency is to hide, cover up, and make excuses for the evil that lurks in our hearts.
Animal Farm - Another great parable. Not only are we broken and awful at a soul level but the result is that our leaders, our groups, and our communities are just as broken. And we usually assume that what we are being told is true. This book always scares me because it shows what happens when we stop thinking wisely about the world and about what is true. This idea from the story says it all: "We are all created equal. Some of us are more equal than others." That is a scary thing to believe.
Solving Tough Problems - This book is shaping the way I think about arguments, disagreements, and conflicts. It has humbled me and has really made me compassionate towards those I assume to be wrong.
"There are no magical solutions here. This is not another 'how-to' book. Instead, Kahane provides us with the very personal story of how he grew from a young expert convinced of the need to provide the 'correct' answers, to an effective facilitator of positive change - by learning how to create environments that enable new ideas and creative solutions to emerge. This book explores the connection between individual learning and institutional change, and how leaders can move beyond politeness and formal statements, beyond routine debate and the defense of their positions, towards deeper and more generative dialogue."
The Shaping of Things to Come - Changed my thinking about the local church and about our place in this world as Christians. Reading it always fires me up and inspires creative thinking. This book is why we have been a part of church planting and it has also given words to the reasons we liked Apartment Life so much and were so good at it. Showed me the importance of seeping through the cracks and crevices of a society in order to be Christ to those who don't yet know him. Jesus moved into a neighborhood and became one of the people.
"Christendom is dying and needs to be removed from its life-support system. Starting with this frank assessment of the current church, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch present an alternative model for ministry in today’s postmodern world. Instead of mourning the demise of the Western church as the center of society, the authors explain how the church can be reborn through incarnational mission, messianic spirituality, and apostolic structure. Church leaders who heed the authors’ call will see death turned into new life through the creation of a vital, missional church."
Amusing Ourselves to Death - Why I hate owning a TV, why commercials make me angry, and why I don't fit in at mega churches.
"A withering and thought-provoking attack on television and what it is doing to us. Postman's theme is the decline of the printed word and the ascendancy of the 'tube' with its tendency to present everything murder, mayhem, politics, or weather as entertainment. The ultimate effect, as Postman sees it, is the shrivelling of public discourse as TV degrades our conception of what constitutes news, political debate, art, even religious thought. He explains that there is no need to fear George Orwell's vision of 1984, but rather to fear an older title of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. One which takes away freedom, the latter giving you all the freedom you want."
Fast Food Nation - Slow down! When we create a world where everything we want is fast, cheap, and to our liking we ultimately rob ourselves of quality and human dignity. This book did not teach me to mistrust big corporations but it did convince me that their love of money causes them to neglect our best interests.
"Fast food is so ubiquitous that it now seems as American, and harmless, as apple pie. But the industry's drive for consolidation, homogenization, and speed has radically transformed America's diet, landscape, economy, and workforce, often in insidiously destructive ways. Schlosser's investigation reaches its frightening peak in the meatpacking plants as he reveals the almost complete lack of federal oversight of a seemingly lawless industry. His searing portrayal of the industry is disturbingly similar to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, written in 1906: nightmare working conditions, union busting, and unsanitary practices that introduce E. coli and other pathogens into restaurants, public schools, and homes. Almost as disturbing is his description of how the industry both feeds and feeds off the young, insinuating itself into all aspects of children's lives, even the pages of their school books, while leaving them prone to obesity and disease."
CLICK HERE to see my books and reviews on Goodreads.com
Let me know what books have changed your lives!
Labels:
Books
Friday, June 19, 2009
Seven Pounds
By DT
We just watched Will Smith's film "Seven Pounds." A carefully constructed and well told story of redemption that ultimately left me deeply sad and disturbed as it messed with my mind. The summary of the movie: "Ben Thomas is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers."
At first glance, the movie works hard to celebrate self-sacrificing love. Those who watch the movie and don't think deeply about it's message will walk away a bit sad, maybe upset, but not without also feeling good, almost satisfied - which seems to be the film's goal. I think the filmmakers wanted to take you through some long, dark days in the life of the main character Ben Thomas - played by Will Smith - but contrast that by ending with the joy that sacrifice and redemption bring. However, they misunderstand redemption and so I walked away feeling deeply sad. That being said, the film raises some important questions about the value of a soul and the possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.
The strength of the movie is based on not knowing how the final scenes will play out so I won't give away the ending. I'll comment on scenes highlighted in the trailer. (And for once, the trailer gives away very little about the story so that we can actually enjoy the movie!)
The story opens with an emotional 911 phone call. Ben Thomas explains that there's been a suicide and the he is the victim. For the next two hours the film goes back in time to explain the circumstances of this phone call. This is all we know about his motivation:
Ben Thomas: [From trailer] In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine.
Something horrible and tragic has happened to Ben Thomas, something that he believes can never be forgiven. As the movie moves toward the very dramatic conclusion we learn that Ben is trying to find redemption for something he did. He is trying to fix the consequences of a huge mistake.
Ben Thomas: [From trailer] I did something really bad once and I'm never gonna be the same!
This is the tension that is so heavy and so well developed in the story. Is forgiveness possible even for the most awful mistakes and choices? Does redemption, making ourselves right again, lie in our response to mistakes? Can we find redemption through our actions? Ben Thomas believes he can. He decides to take his own life. The twist in the story is that he is not planning a typical suicide. He plans to redeem himself by helping others through his death - by giving away his money and body parts among other things. A sacrificial death that will bring life and opportunity to people. A noble, heart-stirring idea but it is flawed.
I felt sad for Ben because he believed that forgiveness and restoration for himself are impossible. He made a terrible mistake that destroyed not just his own life but the lives of others. The real question is: can God forgive him? Can God bring good things out of the tragedy? This is the first mistake of the movie. The power of Jesus provides forgiveness and the chance for restoration to anyone. Terrible tragedies happen (and they are almost impossible to live with) but we underestimate God when we decide that a tragedy is a conclusion. Ben takes on the role of God and judges and condemns himself. The reality is, only God has that role. Mercy triumphs over justice but the tragedy of Seven Pounds is that Ben does not believe it.
The second mistake of the story is the misunderstanding about mercy and redemption. Ben decides to die "sacrificially" and give his body and his money to "good" people as gifts. His desire is to change the lives of people because he has destroyed lives himself.
Ben Thomas [from trailer] It is within my power to drastically change his circumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve.
Throughout the movie, Ben is looking for people who "deserve" his gift. He creates various tests and observations to determine if people are good. Only the good deserve his sacrificial gifts, only the good deserve redemption.
This is why the gospel of Jesus is so unbelievable. It seems unfair. Philip Yancey put it into two sentences: There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
We don't get what we deserve. Ben Thomas probably did deserve to die: for his tragic mistake but also for the darkness that dwells deep in his soul. The movie assumes that we must make up for our sins and mistakes by doing good. But forgiveness, redemption, restoration, these are gifts from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. They are offered to us all. We don't deserve them but Jesus died so that we don't have to die. This is what the movie misses.
One critic said this: "The fatal flaw of the movie is this: Insofar as Seven Pounds aspires to present a picture of a kind of spiritual redemption, it reveals a profoundly misguided idea of redemption."
Another: "And so the movie appeals directly to the emotions and the tear ducts but bypasses the mind (Who needs plausibility?). And in doing so it, becomes manipulative. Which is a shame, because the story of a man who is at least willing to consider self-sacrifice in a quest for redemption has a lot of potential."
We just watched Will Smith's film "Seven Pounds." A carefully constructed and well told story of redemption that ultimately left me deeply sad and disturbed as it messed with my mind. The summary of the movie: "Ben Thomas is an IRS agent with a fateful secret who embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers."
At first glance, the movie works hard to celebrate self-sacrificing love. Those who watch the movie and don't think deeply about it's message will walk away a bit sad, maybe upset, but not without also feeling good, almost satisfied - which seems to be the film's goal. I think the filmmakers wanted to take you through some long, dark days in the life of the main character Ben Thomas - played by Will Smith - but contrast that by ending with the joy that sacrifice and redemption bring. However, they misunderstand redemption and so I walked away feeling deeply sad. That being said, the film raises some important questions about the value of a soul and the possibilities of forgiveness and redemption.
The strength of the movie is based on not knowing how the final scenes will play out so I won't give away the ending. I'll comment on scenes highlighted in the trailer. (And for once, the trailer gives away very little about the story so that we can actually enjoy the movie!)
The story opens with an emotional 911 phone call. Ben Thomas explains that there's been a suicide and the he is the victim. For the next two hours the film goes back in time to explain the circumstances of this phone call. This is all we know about his motivation:
Ben Thomas: [From trailer] In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine.
Something horrible and tragic has happened to Ben Thomas, something that he believes can never be forgiven. As the movie moves toward the very dramatic conclusion we learn that Ben is trying to find redemption for something he did. He is trying to fix the consequences of a huge mistake.
Ben Thomas: [From trailer] I did something really bad once and I'm never gonna be the same!
This is the tension that is so heavy and so well developed in the story. Is forgiveness possible even for the most awful mistakes and choices? Does redemption, making ourselves right again, lie in our response to mistakes? Can we find redemption through our actions? Ben Thomas believes he can. He decides to take his own life. The twist in the story is that he is not planning a typical suicide. He plans to redeem himself by helping others through his death - by giving away his money and body parts among other things. A sacrificial death that will bring life and opportunity to people. A noble, heart-stirring idea but it is flawed.
I felt sad for Ben because he believed that forgiveness and restoration for himself are impossible. He made a terrible mistake that destroyed not just his own life but the lives of others. The real question is: can God forgive him? Can God bring good things out of the tragedy? This is the first mistake of the movie. The power of Jesus provides forgiveness and the chance for restoration to anyone. Terrible tragedies happen (and they are almost impossible to live with) but we underestimate God when we decide that a tragedy is a conclusion. Ben takes on the role of God and judges and condemns himself. The reality is, only God has that role. Mercy triumphs over justice but the tragedy of Seven Pounds is that Ben does not believe it.
The second mistake of the story is the misunderstanding about mercy and redemption. Ben decides to die "sacrificially" and give his body and his money to "good" people as gifts. His desire is to change the lives of people because he has destroyed lives himself.
Ben Thomas [from trailer] It is within my power to drastically change his circumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve.
Throughout the movie, Ben is looking for people who "deserve" his gift. He creates various tests and observations to determine if people are good. Only the good deserve his sacrificial gifts, only the good deserve redemption.
This is why the gospel of Jesus is so unbelievable. It seems unfair. Philip Yancey put it into two sentences: There is nothing we can do to make God love us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.
We don't get what we deserve. Ben Thomas probably did deserve to die: for his tragic mistake but also for the darkness that dwells deep in his soul. The movie assumes that we must make up for our sins and mistakes by doing good. But forgiveness, redemption, restoration, these are gifts from God through the power of the Holy Spirit. They are offered to us all. We don't deserve them but Jesus died so that we don't have to die. This is what the movie misses.
One critic said this: "The fatal flaw of the movie is this: Insofar as Seven Pounds aspires to present a picture of a kind of spiritual redemption, it reveals a profoundly misguided idea of redemption."
Another: "And so the movie appeals directly to the emotions and the tear ducts but bypasses the mind (Who needs plausibility?). And in doing so it, becomes manipulative. Which is a shame, because the story of a man who is at least willing to consider self-sacrifice in a quest for redemption has a lot of potential."
Labels:
Movies
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Dancing Politicians
This video from Coldplay made me laugh and then it made me think about how much importance we place on politics and how much misguided hope we think it gives us . CLICK HERE to see it on youtube.com
Thursday, April 30, 2009
A Puritan Prayer
A prayer from a new book I just came acroos: The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions.
Save me entirely from sin.
I know I am righteous through the righteousness of another,
But I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself;
I am Thy child and should bear Thy image,
Enable me to recognize my death unto sin;
When it tempts me may I be deaf unto its voice.
Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin.
Grant me to walk as Christ walked,
To live in the newness of His life,
The life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.
I abhor my body of death,
Its indolence, envy, meanness, pride.
Forgive, and kill these vices,
Have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart.
When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them,
And set my affection on some beloved object – Children, friend, wealth, honour;
Clean this spiritual adultery and give me chastity;
Close my heart to all but Thee.
Sin is my greatest curse;
Let Thy victory be apparent to my consciousness,
And displayed in my life.
Help me to be always devoted, confident, obedient,
Resigned, childlike in my trust of Thee,
To love Thee with soul, body, mind, strength,
To love my fellow-man as I love myself,
To be saved from unregenerate temper, hard thoughts,
Slanderous words, meanness, unkind manner,
To master my tongue and keep the door of my lips.
Fill me with grace daily,
That my life be a fountain of sweet water.
Save me entirely from sin.
I know I am righteous through the righteousness of another,
But I pant and pine for likeness to Thyself;
I am Thy child and should bear Thy image,
Enable me to recognize my death unto sin;
When it tempts me may I be deaf unto its voice.
Deliver me from the invasion as well as the dominion of sin.
Grant me to walk as Christ walked,
To live in the newness of His life,
The life of love, the life of faith, the life of holiness.
I abhor my body of death,
Its indolence, envy, meanness, pride.
Forgive, and kill these vices,
Have mercy on my unbelief, on my corrupt and wandering heart.
When Thy blessings come I begin to idolize them,
And set my affection on some beloved object – Children, friend, wealth, honour;
Clean this spiritual adultery and give me chastity;
Close my heart to all but Thee.
Sin is my greatest curse;
Let Thy victory be apparent to my consciousness,
And displayed in my life.
Help me to be always devoted, confident, obedient,
Resigned, childlike in my trust of Thee,
To love Thee with soul, body, mind, strength,
To love my fellow-man as I love myself,
To be saved from unregenerate temper, hard thoughts,
Slanderous words, meanness, unkind manner,
To master my tongue and keep the door of my lips.
Fill me with grace daily,
That my life be a fountain of sweet water.
Labels:
Prayer
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Experience Guide
By DT
Something I have discovered about myself but I don't understand: I have a deep desire to take people through memorable experiences - especially life changing experiences. There's no simple way to explain it. Maybe a story from my past will help?
I have always wanted to work for Walt Disney as a ride designer - what Disney calls an "Imagineer." I am enamored with the idea of creating rides that take people through an experience. There is so much that goes into creating a ride experience: the environment, the sounds, the colors, the smells, the movements. As a kid I created "rides" in my parents' garage and backyard. The garage was turned into the Tiki Room where I used flashlights for spotlights, a battery operated bird, fake plants, and a tape recording, yes a cassette tape recording, of the Tiki Room show. A refrigerator box on a wagon became the Star Tours motion simulator ride. In the backyard I created multiple versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean using our pool, sunken rocks, flashlights, and an inflatable raft.
Why? Because I wanted to take people through the experiences that I had at the Disney parks. I think this explains why I have always loved concerts and have always wanted to be a magician. When I experience something memorable - either good or bad - I love sharing it with people with the hope that they would experience it some way, too.
Who am I? What am I good at? How do I get paid to do i? I'm having trouble connecting my passions and skills with my career!
Something I have discovered about myself but I don't understand: I have a deep desire to take people through memorable experiences - especially life changing experiences. There's no simple way to explain it. Maybe a story from my past will help?
I have always wanted to work for Walt Disney as a ride designer - what Disney calls an "Imagineer." I am enamored with the idea of creating rides that take people through an experience. There is so much that goes into creating a ride experience: the environment, the sounds, the colors, the smells, the movements. As a kid I created "rides" in my parents' garage and backyard. The garage was turned into the Tiki Room where I used flashlights for spotlights, a battery operated bird, fake plants, and a tape recording, yes a cassette tape recording, of the Tiki Room show. A refrigerator box on a wagon became the Star Tours motion simulator ride. In the backyard I created multiple versions of the Pirates of the Caribbean using our pool, sunken rocks, flashlights, and an inflatable raft.
Why? Because I wanted to take people through the experiences that I had at the Disney parks. I think this explains why I have always loved concerts and have always wanted to be a magician. When I experience something memorable - either good or bad - I love sharing it with people with the hope that they would experience it some way, too.
Who am I? What am I good at? How do I get paid to do i? I'm having trouble connecting my passions and skills with my career!
Labels:
Vocation
Friday, March 20, 2009
We All Wear Masks
This is a video created by some students of my teacher friend John Spencer. It's interesting how the students show that the labels given by society are often adopted by the person being labeled. The labels become a "mask" that we wear that hides our true identity and we begin to live according to the stereotypes of our label.
Labels:
Identity
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Holy Moments at the Urinal
By DT
My life is pretty full and super busy right now. I don't get a lot of time to sit and reflect on all that's going on and I get even less sleep. When I do get a moment to myself it really stands out and these random moments come up at unexpected times, like when I was standing at the urinal on Sunday at Lewis Elementary.
We have a preaching rotation at Lifehouse so it was my day to speak. The week leading up included many unexpected events that overwhelmed my schedule. My stress level increased rapidly as I flopped back and forth between studying and managing a crazy life with no time to adequately focus on either. So Sunday morning I found myself, as I usually do on Sunday mornings, with a brief moment of peace and quiet at the urinal.
I realized how deeply I still wrestle with perfectionism. I'm not so nervous anymore about speaking to a large crowd but I am still plagued by perfectionism - will people get it? Will I be clear? Will I remember everything? How many mistakes will I make? What will people think about me?
The problem with my perfectionism, besides my misguided desire to be perfect, it that it confuses my thinking about what is important. The question of what should I do with my life becomes what am I perfect at? Thinking about my sermon I knew that my studying and preparation were not perfect. I really wanted to have a few more minutes to practice. The broken part of my soul spoke up loudly to remind me that maybe I should not be preaching. I'm not that good at it so why should I waste my time with it? I think this is why I have given up and not passionately pursued many of my hobbies. I am constantly aware of my mistakes.
So my moment at the urinal became a holy moment. I don't know how God speaks to people. It's mysterious. But, the thought entered my mind that I am good at some things. My perfectionism does not have to rule my life. Hope briefly welled up in me: God will keep showing me what I am good at.
My life is pretty full and super busy right now. I don't get a lot of time to sit and reflect on all that's going on and I get even less sleep. When I do get a moment to myself it really stands out and these random moments come up at unexpected times, like when I was standing at the urinal on Sunday at Lewis Elementary.
We have a preaching rotation at Lifehouse so it was my day to speak. The week leading up included many unexpected events that overwhelmed my schedule. My stress level increased rapidly as I flopped back and forth between studying and managing a crazy life with no time to adequately focus on either. So Sunday morning I found myself, as I usually do on Sunday mornings, with a brief moment of peace and quiet at the urinal.
I realized how deeply I still wrestle with perfectionism. I'm not so nervous anymore about speaking to a large crowd but I am still plagued by perfectionism - will people get it? Will I be clear? Will I remember everything? How many mistakes will I make? What will people think about me?
The problem with my perfectionism, besides my misguided desire to be perfect, it that it confuses my thinking about what is important. The question of what should I do with my life becomes what am I perfect at? Thinking about my sermon I knew that my studying and preparation were not perfect. I really wanted to have a few more minutes to practice. The broken part of my soul spoke up loudly to remind me that maybe I should not be preaching. I'm not that good at it so why should I waste my time with it? I think this is why I have given up and not passionately pursued many of my hobbies. I am constantly aware of my mistakes.
So my moment at the urinal became a holy moment. I don't know how God speaks to people. It's mysterious. But, the thought entered my mind that I am good at some things. My perfectionism does not have to rule my life. Hope briefly welled up in me: God will keep showing me what I am good at.
Labels:
Hope
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