Authority

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The more cosmopolitan our culture becomes, the more influences vie for our allegiance. In many ways, this coming together of diverse viewpoints is a wonderful thing that strengthens our collective thinking. On the other hand, with so many options to choose from, one can be left swimming in a sea of ideas with no foundation on which to stand. This leads to a disturbing trend among Christians today. Quite often even long-time believers can be seen abandoning clear biblical teaching in favor of the latest popular idea.

It is not difficult to understand how this happens. We are all influenced by the people around us and most of us just want to fit in and get along. Many of the doctrines taught in the Bible and long-held in orthodox theology are out of favor in our popular culture. In addition, there are always voices in our culture that will claim the title of "Christian" while espousing viewpoints that are at odds with a biblical worldview and those voices lend credibility to a move away from biblical authority.

Certainly it would be foolish to expect those who do not claim to be Christians to hold the Bible as their authority over their lives but when those who do make that claim abandon the Bible, it is at their own peril. Being a Bible-believing Christian and holding true to a biblical worldview is not easy, nor should it be. Jesus said that those who followed him would have to take up their cross. He said that those who follow him would have to lose their lives for his sake. He said we would share in His sufferings. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

If you're still not convinced that the Bible ought the be the foundation for the worldview of anyone who claims to follow Christ, try reading it for yourself.

Dissonance

Lately I've been experiencing an uncomfortable disparity between what I believe to be true of God and how He interacts with His people, and how I feel about the current situation into which he has placed me, or allowed me to be placed at least. I know what the Bible says. He is always with me. He will never leave me. He is working all things together for my good. But, if I'm honest with myself. I don't feel like that. I feel like He's toying with me. "Haha! Lets see how much longer we can get him to twist in the wind before he breaks."

*sigh*

I'm thankful that as powerful as those feelings have been at times they have yet to penetrate the knowledge I have of God so that I truly believe such things of Him. So far, my belief in Him is steadfast but, somehow, the steadfast nature of my belief makes the dissonance that much harder to bear. The more firmly I cling to my hope in Him, the more it hurts that I don't see any change in my circumstances. That's not to say that I don't see any change. In many ways, I am changing, despite the pull of circumstances, in positive and healthy ways.

I suppose that experience does match up with my belief in God's character. Things like finances and job situations are simple matters and not high on His list of priorities. Growing my character, however, is much more complicated and a high value for Him. He wants me to be like Jesus and that is no small thing. Comfort and ease do not often build such character so I shouldn't wonder that I am uncomfortable and ill at ease.

Movie Review #10: The Social Network

Jon Rasmussen is writing a review of "The Social Network".

Now that you're up to date on my status. Lets get on to reviewing David Fincher's latest cinematic offering about Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of Facebook. I have to admit that I was surprised when I first saw a preview for "The Social Network". I've been quite familiar with Facebook for quite some time now but I had no idea that anything about it could possibly make for a compelling movie. Little did I know that lurking beneath the clean, addictive and wildly popular social networking site was a fascinating tale of desire, genius and the perks and perils of success.

The story of Facebook and the creative genius behind it, Mark Zuckerberg, is somewhat shrouded in mystery. As we are informed by the text at the end, most of the real-life counterparts of characters in the movie have signed non-disclosure agreements with regard to their dealings with Zuckerberg. This, for me, begs the question of how the story came to be known to Ben Mezerich, author of the source material. However the story that appeared on the screen got there, it is indeed compelling.

In "The Social Network" Mark Zuckerberg is the stereotypical nerd. He is socially awkward, incredibly brilliant and has difficulty with the ladies. When we meet him he is having a conversation with his girlfriend who attends another university near enough to Harvard for them to have met and had a relationship. Things do not go well and Mark goes home and, while drunk, hacks half of the servers on Harvard's network. All Mark really wants is recognition and status. His one ambition is to be invited into one of the ultra-exclusive clubs on campus. The clubs are cool, have crazy parties and all but ensure future financial success. As we follow him on his journey from that drunken night in his dorm room to two separate depositions for lawsuits brought against him by two different parties we see the rise of the youngest billionaire in the world and we learn that the title of this film goes far beyond defining what Facebook brings to the internet. What Mark understands is that Facebook is not creating a social network where none previously existed. Rather, it is digitizing a pre-existing network of friendships and acquaintances. The relationships that make up this network are not nearly as simple and clean as they appear on the computer screen.

Like any great film, "The Social Network" brings up fantastic topics for further discussion. Unlike the last film I reviewed, however, I very much enjoyed watching this one and highly recommend it. I will ask you to do me a favor though. Please don't just watch this film. Think about it. Talk about it. Blog about it. Because every film should invoke a specific response and what more appropriate response could there be to a film about Facebook than exercising the forum provided by the internet and adding your voice to the mix?

Movie Review #9: I'm Still Here

Until director Casey Affleck admitted, just days after its release, that the events depicted in his latest film "I'm Still Here" were fictional, no one quite knew for sure if two-time Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix had, in fact, retired from acting to pursue a career as a hip-hop artist. So elaborate was the ruse that whenever he was in public or on camera, Phoenix was in character as JP, a fictionalized version of himself. In order to give this film an adequate run-down I will need to approach it from multiple angles.

First, I have to admit that I honestly did not enjoy watching this film. That's not to say it was a bad film, as I'll explain I think that this film shows a particular kind of genius and I'm very glad I watched it this once. That being said, I have no desire to watch it again, nor can I truly recommend it to anyone else. I will give you fair warning. If you are in any way squeamish or easily offended by profanity and crudeness avoid this film entirely. Don't worry, you'll still be able to participate in the fascinating and worthwhile discussions it raises.

Which brings me to my next point which is the genius of what Affleck and JP created. Were it not for the visceral, negative reaction to this film that my movie-going companion had and the great lengths I went to to defend its makers I might not have delved deep enough to explain here what I suspect these young celebrities were trying to accomplish. What they did transcended the standard film making formula in ways that are indebted to mockumentarians Rob Reiner and Christopher Guest as well as Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat". However, what they made was neither a mockumentary (I don't believe they intended to mock anything) nor an elaborate prank meant to shock. It was certainly elaborate but the sense I got was that they wanted to create a portrait that would draw their audience in farther than the artifice of film generally allows. To that end they produced a character, not on a movie set but on the public stage. Then they filmed that character. What I think they achieved was a piece of art that accomplishes what only art can do, namely raise deep questions about real issues with the safety and distance of the media but the real, raw emotion of a group therapy session. It is a dangerous game to play, and it may end up backfiring on them, but at the very least it raises serious questions. It raises questions about deception and film. Is the deception of this film any different than any other film? If so, how and is that difference significant? Perhaps it also sheds light on the deception inherent in mass media. It certainly exposes the interactions between celebrity, media and culture by blurring those lines.

I can't do this review justice without recounting the experience of my friend who accompanied me. He had not heard about Casey Affleck's admission that the film was fictional. He is a very compassionate young man who spends a great deal of his time around people broken by addiction who are struggling with many of the same issues facing JP in the film. As we sat there watching what he took to be a real life nervous breakdown and descent he became visibly upset. At one point he made a comment which made me realize he hadn't heard the news so I enlightened him. From then on a sense of betrayal was all that was left. Affleck and Phoenix had played on his heartstrings and then told him it was a lie. I am left wondering how many others had a similar reaction. That is the risk taken by these filmmakers and, no doubt, the debate will go on regarding their intentions and how successful they were in achieving those goals.

Waiting

Let me just be right up front about this in no uncertain terms.

I
HATE
WAITING

That is a general statement that you can take to the bank. If I'm put in a situation in which I have to wait, I am not pleased. Somehow, I'm beginning to get the feeling that God feels the need to change that about me. Otherwise, why would He continually place me in life situations in which I have no choice but to wait? Of course, I'm not talking about your every day, run of the mill waiting in line here. Oh, no! I'm talking about the continued financial viability of my family is on the line and I have to wait for Him to provide me with some means of actively earning money. Needless to say, this is not a position I would choose for myself. In need of a job in the middle of the worst job market in my lifetime. Stuck between two half-careers. Before this sinks further into ranting and self pity I will move on.

I don't like waiting because I like to be in control. I like to feel powerful. I like to determine how my life will go. When I have to wait I am no longer in control of my situation. I feel powerless. I feel weak. Aha! Perhaps we're getting down to it after all. One of the paradoxes of life lived in relationship with God is that when I am weak I am actually at my strongest. It makes zero point zero sense until I stop looking at myself and the world around me and remember that there's this whole God person who is actually in charge of everything. On my own I have a very limited amount of strength. We all do have some strength. Some of us leverage it into greater strengths than others through hard work and self-promotion. Others are in position to compile the strength of others for their own use. No matter how much strength we can accumulate, however, it will ultimately be a joke compared to the limitless power of the almighty creator of all that exists that is not Himself. So, when He decides that He is going to honor me by using me as a vessel it requires emptying me of all my pathetic "strength" so that He can fill me up with the power to move mountains.

So, here I am, empty. I'm waiting on God to do something with me. As the song says, waiting is the hardest part. The longer I wait, the more doubt creeps in. The longer I wait the more frustrated and angry I become. The longer I wait the deeper my faith has to grow in order to wait one more day. I guess that means that my faith will be deeper tomorrow than it was today. That is certainly worth waiting for.

Adventure

None of us likes being bored. The usual remedy in our culture is entertainment. When I'm feeling bored my first inclination is to seek out some diverting input. Whether it is television, a movie or a video game, I want to be entertained. I've become so accustomed to living in the entertainment-boredom matrix that I have forgotten that there is an alternative to both, adventure. For the purposes of this article I am going to define adventure as non-mediated, exciting activity. Non-mediated means that video games, exciting as they are, are not adventure. Adventure is something that happens in real life.
When faced with this renewed alternative, I have to be honest, I don't really want it much of the time. In fact, at times I will go to great lengths to avoid the adventures presented to me in my life and flee to entertainment, even when that entertainment is so banal it is boring. The irony is not lost on me. So, I question myself. Why don't I want adventure? Why do I prefer even boring entertainment?
The first reason that comes to mind is risk. Because Adventure is something that happens in real life there is a significantly risk level involved. I could get hurt, physically, emotionally, relationally. I could hurt others. I can't get hurt in a video game or watching television. The trade off, of course is quality of life. Adventure adds significantly greater quality to my life than mere entertainment ever could.
Avoid it as I will, adventure is thrust upon me anyway. I've said many times that following Jesus is an adventure and I was more correct than I knew. Even if, like me, you tend to avoid the risks of adventure, God will not let you stay in that fearful place but will regularly put you in circumstances that challenge you to step out in faith. God wants me to trust him and if I am constantly avoiding risk I have no need of Him. It is only when I have something to lose that my profession of faith really means anything.

Commitment

To make a decision and stand by it is a difficult task. It is avoided by some in our society as if it was the Bubonic plague. Many of us fear commitment. We don't want to get involved in anything that we can't get out of. Perhaps it seems like freedom to be so devoid of commitments. Often what many people think of when speaking of commitment is a romantic relationship. Marriage specifically is particularly frightening because it is supposed to be a lifelong commitment. We vow to live our lives committed to our spouse until one of us is dead. In this country, most of us break that vow. I have made that vow to my wife and I fully intend to keep it. There is another lifelong commitment I have made and I made it so long ago I barely remember it.

Twenty eight years ago, at the tender age of four, I made a decision. I decided that I wanted to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Obviously, at that point, I didn't fully grasp what that decision meant but it has shaped my life ever since. I committed my life to the one true creator God and as I grew to understand what that entailed I was faced, at various stages, with the decision to affirm that initial choice in light of what I learned. I sit here today and I make that same decision. I will entrust the one life I have to live to God. If my life is to have any meaning or significance it will be because of His work in and through me. None of this is new in my mind, here is what is new.

Something occurred to me, just today, as I was reflecting on this commitment I continue to make and the precarious position in which I now find myself because of it. I realized that if there is no God, no power above and beyond this finite existence who intends to empower and use me, I am in huge trouble. That conclusion might seem to be an obvious one considering the statements made in the previous paragraph. However, the reason I would be in huge trouble if God does not exist is not because I have entrusted my life to Him. Rather, the reason I would be in huge trouble is because no matter what I entrusted my life to it would ultimately be meaningless in a world without God.

I'm tempted to expound but I will refrain for the sake of time and clarity as I am writing this at 5am. Instead I will leave it at that unless someone has any questions.

Movie Review #8: Inception

It has been almost two hours now since I saw the closing moments of Inception and I still haven't fully recovered. In anticipation of watching Christopher Nolan's latest film I began composing the beginning of this review based on the assumption that Inception would be a good film. I cannot write what I had planned because Inception is not a good film. It is as close to being a perfect film as I have seen in many years. In every way I can imagine, this film excelled. It was written with such depth, heart and intelligence that, even in the middle of watching it I knew I would need to re-watch it many times to fully absorb everything that was going on and, what is more, I knew that I would want to re-watch it many times. I cannot recommend highly enough that those who are of sufficient age and temperament who think they might be interested in seeing Inception go to their local theater and do exactly that. However, I'm going to offer a free piece of advice before you go.

Don't worry if you feel like you're missing a lot of the detail that is being thrown at you about the world that Nolan and company have created for us. It is a rich and complicated world. Allow the mystery of how it all works to remain a mystery for now and to serve as a backdrop for the fantastic stories that are being told against it. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to think about it and, someday, to dissect it on DVD.

I won't go into detail about the story line or attempt to describe the ideas put forth in Inception. If you have seen a preview and are intrigued, that will be enough. If you haven't seen a preview either look one up or simply accept my recommendation and go see it. If you have seen a preview and aren't interested, um, frankly I'm surprised that you're reading this.

Inception was masterfully written, beautifully scored and edited to near perfection. The acting performances were outstanding and the overall direction was so outstanding that after seeing it I wondered allowed to those who were with me if there is a better director working today. With six fantastic efforts in a row, going back to the equally mind-boggling Memento, I can't think of any.

Patience

I have never been good at this. I want what I want when I want it. I'm not particularly unusual in that respect from most Americans but I can only really speak for myself and I am not patient. Granted I'm more patient now than I used to be but I'm still far from being what I would consider being legitimately defined as patient. I don't like to wait. I don't handle waiting particularly well. The problem is only increased when what I'm waiting for is critically important.

I've been waiting for a while now for God to direct me to some sort of gainful employment which I might participate in to support my family. Its hard to say for certain if I've grown more patient as a result of waiting or if I've merely resigned myself and given up caring as much. Suffice it to say, I'm becoming less anxious about it and, in that sense at least, I'm doing better. My hope, of course, is that I'm growing in patience and learning to trust that God will come through.

It is interesting to reflect on one's own character in light of trying to raise a child. I want to teach my daughter to be patient of course but in doing so I will be a hypocrite if I don't strive to be patient myself. I actually have to give her a lot of credit though because for being only 17 months old she does a remarkable job of waiting patiently when we ask her to. Sometimes I think she may actually be able to teach me to be patient. So, between learning from her and from the circumstances into which God has placed me for this season I hope to become better at waiting because God is wiser than I am and He knows that giving me what I want when I want it is not good for me. Therefore, I wait... patiently.

Redemption

I had a very interesting conversation this week where I was challenged to argue for the uniqueness of Jesus among, as he was described, other "enlightened beings". The wonderful gentleman with whom I had this delightful conversation believed, as many do nowadays, that all roads can lead to God. Whether you follow Buddha or Muhammad or Jesus, they all teach the same thing, he claimed. I tried to explain that while much of the moral code you would get from following any of these teachers is similar, the message Jesus teaches is unique. It has been said that all religions teach some form of karma. They teach that in the end, good and evil will be weighed and we will be rewarded for good and punished for evil. Even Christianity teaches this as the ultimate reality when it becomes institutionalized as a religion. What Jesus offers, however, is vastly different. The Bible fully affirms the truth of justice and that it is an attribute of God. God is holy and His standard for His creation is perfect holiness. Falling short of that standard is what the Bible calls "sin" and it is infinitely bad, no matter how seemingly small, because it is a transgression against an infinitely perfect God. As such, any and all sin is punishable by death. That is the standard of justice affirmed in the Bible. It is, in a sense, a system of credits and debits like all other religions but with a significant difference. Any debt is beyond repayment apart from the penalty of death.

That's where Jesus comes in. That justice is the bad news. The good news is that God, while upholding his justice, did not demand the payment for sin immediately but was patient with us. In His time He made the payment for us and offers us that redemption. Some, like my friend, object to the idea that Jesus is the only way to God, especially when so many others offer a way to God. That is where an important distinction has to be made between us finding a way to God and, uniquely in Jesus' case, God coming to us. The issue is clouded by the two millennia of history between when He came and the present time. Much has gone on, in His name, that does not represent the gospel He offers. If the standard, however, is what is written in the Bible and not what the religion of Christianity has done, the gospel becomes clearer.

What I came to realize during my conversation and afterward is that Jesus' uniqueness is found in the message of grace. He did what we could not do so that we could have a relationship with Him that we were otherwise incapable of having. To many that offer is unappealing. God is not someone they are particularly interested in having a relationship with. I suspect that is because they don't know who He really is. To others, the exclusivity inherent in the uniqueness of Jesus is just something they cannot accept. For those people, the problem is that so many people are born into cultures that have their own way of getting to God and, for that reason, will not accept Jesus. I think they are in good company. Jesus seemed to have a problem with that too. That's why He told His followers to go tell everyone about Him. He didn't come to found a religion that would teach people one of many ways to God. He is God come to us, all of us. He came to redeem. He came to take what is evil, painful and wrong about this world and make something good out of it.

Movie Review #7: Iron Man 2

I'll be honest, I'm not sure what to say about Iron Man 2. The directing was good. The acting was good. The story was good. I guess it was just good. Compared to its predecessor, it is inferior. Compared to the average action movie, it is superior. I suppose I would have preferred, as usual, a little of the time spent on extended action sequences channeled instead into character development. Scarlett Johansson's character, in particular could have used a bit more developing and not just because she was, how shall we say, easy on the eyes. In addition I would say that there was a great deal about the film that was predictable yet, somehow, not unpleasant or disappointing.

In his second outing on film, Tony Stark is facing new challenges. He is juggling new health challenges, antagonistic senatorial committees and a rival arms manufacturer played a little too perfectly by Sam Rockwell. Everything seems to be going Tony's way until a rogue Russian physicist decides to enact vengeance on him on a racetrack of all places. The path to sorting all these problems out takes Tony through Nick Fury's S.H.E.I.L.D. agency as well as his own family history.

This is usually the part where I expound on some insight for life that I gleaned from what the filmmaker was trying to say. I'm not sure if there was much in Iron Man 2 to take away that fits the bill. I suppose I'll have to settle for the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed watching it and look forward to putting the DVD on my shelf next to the first one.

Oh, and wait in the theater until after the credits.

Surrender

It occurred to me today to ask myself this question. What is there in this life that God does not want us to surrender to Him? For those of us familiar with what the Bible says, this is a no-brainer. Or is it? I mean, yeah, according to Luke 14:26 even our closest family, even our own lives are supposed to be subordinated to God if we want to be disciples of Jesus but how many of us have even begun to grasp what that means, much less put it into effect? There are many of us, especially in America, where we love our rights, who have boundaries in our lives beyond which we do not want God to go. Yes, God instituted marriage and loves families but does that mean that I ought to cling to my family such that I do not trust God with them? I have heard far too many stories of Christians walking away from God because they lost a child or their spouse left them.

The word used in Luke to describe what our attitude toward our family ought to be is "hate". Taken at face value, this sounds like God wants us to hate the people closest to us and that certainly doesn't seem right. Of course, the idea is that compared to my love for Him it ought to be as if I hate my family. In reality I will love them better than I could otherwise because, as His disciple, I will be learning what true sacrificial love actually is and I'll be called to put it into practice with my family. I'll also have His limitless resources to draw from instead of just my very finite resources.

As difficult as it is to imagine the kind of scenario Jesus calls us to, where we love him so much its as if we hate the people we love most, I personally think the last clause in His statement is even more difficult to swallow. According to Jesus, I ought to love Him so much it is as if I hate even myself. Elsewhere He says that anyone who wants to save his life must lose it for His sake. The Bible even says that I am not my own but am bought with a price. If I am a follower of Jesus, the Bible says, I died with Christ and my life is now His. My life is not my own. Before God, I do not have rights, even to my own life and identity. I know how this idea can grate on us, especially in the Western world. We love being self-made, self-defined and self-sufficient. That is the goal we strive for and the beginning of our worldview. The Bible, on the other hand, paints a much different picture. According to the worldview presented there, I am God-made, God-defined and His grace is sufficient. This can be a bitter pill to swallow. So, most of us don't.

There is a posture that God has been teaching me over the last couple years. It is a picture of how He wants me to relate to Him and this life. Hold out your hands, face up. Imagine all the things, people, dreams, ambitions and circumstances in your life resting in your hands. Now close your hands around them. That is how we live our lives, grasping onto all the things God has blessed us with. Now, open your hands again. Those things are still there, you still hold them but in a posture of surrender. God is free to take what He wishes and, just as importantly, to add anything that is lacking. This posture requires trust. Trust in action is Faith. When we claim to have faith but grasp, we are fooling ourselves. God is trustworthy. Let's open our hands to Him. If what the Bible says is true, we will be overwhelmed by how good He is.

Pressure

In my mind, pressure is inextricably linked to motivation. Some people seem to thrive under pressure. They perform at their peak, innovate to accomplish tasks and often surprise themselves with what they are capable of. Then there are those of us who just fold like a cheap suit. My initial reaction is to put myself in the later category but I wonder if that isn't due in large part to the currently low state of my self appraisal. In fact, as I reflect on many of the jobs I've had in the past and much of my educational career I have actually performed relatively well under pressure, moderate amounts of pressure anyway. There seems to be a threshold, beyond which any additional pressure gets the best of me and I retreat. That threshold is not a static level but variable depending on my stress level and the type of pressure. For example, I seem to recall handling pressure when I worked in architecture and retail much better than when I worked in ministry.

There is something about working in ministry that lowers my tolerance for pressure. My best guess as to the reason for this discrepancy is that failure in architecture or retail does not seem to carry the same implications for my personal character that failure in ministry does. That is to say, if I fail in meeting a deadline in architecture or don't make a sale at the store it only reflects on my professional competence but if a ministry I am in charge of fails it feels like it reflects on my character in addition to my competence. All of this is bogus, however. The reality that so often eludes me is that, especially in ministry but in those other jobs as well, there is only one judge of my character and He accepts me because of what He has done for me. There is no amount of performance, pressure induced or otherwise, that could earn greater standing in His eyes and no amount of failure that could lose me His approval.

So, what implications does that have for pressure? I'd say that pressure is only pressure if you're under it. There is a nifty side-step that is available to those of us who follow Christ. All we have to do is realize that the only One who is over us such that pressure might be applied is God Himself and, miracle of miracles, instead of applying pressure, which He would certainly be within His rights to do, He has taken it all upon Himself and offers us and easy yoke and a light burden. So, when I feel pressure, like a whole mob clamoring for a new blog post, I just turn that responsibility over to Him and He empowers me to accomplish the task. Not to make myself great by my achievements but to make Him great by acknowledging Him in everything.

Movie Review #6: Clash of the Titans 3D

Before I get into the film itself, let me discuss the new 3D phenomenon. I admit that when Avatar reignited 3D I was very skeptical about the contribution that 3D technology would actually make to the cinematic text of the film. After watching Avatar I concluded that while some moments were breathtaking because they were in 3D, there were at least as many moments that were annoying and distracting. In the end I found that, on the balance, 3D was a wash. I suspect, however, that the only reason it as able to break even was that Avatar was made by James Cameron who is a master craftsman, especially with new, innovative technologies. If Clash of the Titans is any indication, my suspicions are totally confirmed. There were a couple interesting 3D moments but, most of the time, it was distracting and annoying. I don't like wearing the silly glasses with the super thick frames and I don't like having to focus on only one part of the screen. In addition, I noticed something else about 3D this time around. In a normal movie, parts of the frame will be in focus while others are out of focus. This is called depth of field. Often directors use focus to direct your attention. When you add 3D to a film, however, you will still have parts of the frame out of focus. The problem is that in real life, things that are out of focus in my vision come instantly into focus when I direct my attention to them. Not so in a 3D film. They are still out of focus and it bothers my eyes which are used to focusing as they please. In short, I'm not a fan of 3D.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Clash of the Titans either. The 1981 version was no great feat of cinema so I don't think I should have expected as much from this update as I did but, even so, I found this version somewhat lacking. It is clear to me that the director, Louis Letterier, took his cues from the Michael Bay school of directing in which substance and character development are sacrificed in favor of extended action sequences in which the audience never actually sees anything because the editing and camera movements are so frenetic. Overall I found that it lacked significant emotional impact, visual contrast or a satisfying plot.

In Clash of the Titans, we follow Perseus as he is caught up in a cosmic drama of human rebellion against the Greek pantheon and civil war within said pantheon. We learn early that his origins are mysterious and his motive for getting involved in the aforementioned drama is to enact vengeance upon the gods for his family. As the film progressed I found that his motive, which was the core momentum of the film, could apparently be swayed by the batting of some pretty eyelashes. Fortunately the girl behind them insisted he finish the plot, I mean quest.

I'm not sure how intentional it was on the part of the filmmakers but, as someone who is aware of the spiritual atmosphere in our contemporary culture I couldn't help but feel that even though the frustration, anger and rebellion that the human characters in the film felt was directed at the Greek pantheon of gods, the sentiment was intended to be applied to all concepts of God. It seemed that one could easily replace the gods with God and the people would have felt the same about Him. Naturally, I believe that those feelings are based on a misunderstanding of His character. The God of the Bible is not like Zeus. In addition, if the way the gods are portrayed is how the filmmakers view God (though, admittedly, I don't know if it is) then am I to assume that they view those who promote worship of God like the wild, insane street prophet in Argos? No doubt this is how some people view those of us who believe in God and I would be surprised if this movie would convince someone who didn't already think that way to start. It just makes me sad.

Marriage

Since I finally got to write a negative movie review (see below) I figured it was about time to write about something positive in my life. I know that for a lot of people in our culture marriage is not a positive topic. The failures of so many marriages have caused pain in so many lives that, for many, marriage is about as desirable as a root canal. Why is marriage so often the most painful experience when it ought to be a blessing? It is because there is no other relationship that we chose to enter into that approaches the depth of the marriage bond. As the Bible describes it, "the two will become one flesh". That is an intimacy that we don't find anywhere else. The problem comes, as always, with sin. When two people are that connected they have an incredible ability to do both great good and great harm. If we don't set out to do good intentionally we are more than likely to do damage. As I've said many times about marriage, whenever two fallen human beings are in that close proximity there will be conflict. Conflict is inevitable, damage is not. How we deal with conflict is probably the most important factor in the success of our marriages.

In my own marriage we've been through some rough times. My depression was awful for me but it was no picnic for my wife either. I was not available emotionally and I unintentionally communicated that she was not important to me. Two years of that lead to a deep chasm between us. As I came out of that state I saw that my marriage was not what I wanted it to be. I committed myself to making it as good as it can be. Over the last two years I think we've made great progress and we're closer now than we ever have been. There is still a long way to go though and I don't expect that we will ever quite arrive but there is no other human relationship into which I'd rather pour a lifetime of effort.

I've always understood that my marriage ought to be about more than just my wife and me but I recently heard a great perspective on marriage from John Piper. Marriage is intended to be a picture of how God relates to His people, specifically Jesus and the church. So, when my wife and I relate to each other we are supposed to show people how God relates to those who follow Him. That is a tall order to fill and, being imperfect, we will only ever fill it imperfectly. Having that as a goal, however, gives me a vision beyond my momentary needs and desires and puts our relationship in a context greater than ourselves. As someone who has difficulty being self-motivated, it is helpful to have a vision for my marriage that is about more than just me. I might not work hard at it for myself but I will be more likely to work hard at it for God, my wife, my children and all those who see my marriage and, hopefully, get a glimpse of God's love.

Movie Review #5: Repo Men

I have to say that I'm excited to write this review because after four glowing reviews I finally get to write a negative review. As someone who aspires to create film I do want to be humble even in my criticism of a film I don't think worked because I know that it takes a lot to create something and put it on display for the world. That being said, I don't think Repo Men was a good film and I certainly wouldn't recommend going to see it. I didn't have incredibly high expectations for this film. The premise was interesting but I knew it had limits to the depths it could reach and I was reasonably certain that I knew the general direction of the film before I even went. The first half hour was pretty much what I expected and, up to that point, it hadn't lost me. The second act, however, descends into ridiculousness. With absolutely no preparation, a major character is randomly introduced and is never properly explained or developed.

In case you missed seeing the trailers, Repo Men is set in the not to distant future when technology has reached a point where artificial organs are available to the general public. They are expensive but, as the salesperson will tell you, they will find a payment plan that fits your lifestyle. If, for some reason, the payment plan is too much for your lifestyle and you fall more than three months behind on your payments, Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker will come cut you open and take back your liver or lung or eye or whatever the company requires you to return. For some reason, in the future, this kind of wanton butchery is perfectly acceptable and no one seems to notice the trail of dead people left by these repo men. In fact, despite having a legal obligation to offer medical assistance, the repo men seem to have absolutely no intention of ever doing their job in a way that might possibly not end in their death. The first twist in our macabre tale comes when Jude Law needs a new heart. He certainly makes enough to pay for it with his butchery but now, pun intended, he's had a change of heart and just can't continue. The three months fly by and, before you know it, he's on the run from his co-workers. All that is in the trailers and was done about as well as can be expected. From that point on, however, the film becomes muddled and begins to make even less sense than it already did.

This is the second movie lately about a future vision of technology run amok, the other being Surrogates and, for my money, neither really worked. Perhaps if the repo men had some sort of qualms about what they did and were not merely thugs I would have been more engaged and the story could have gone in a deeper direction. Instead the filmmakers had only one direction to go, ultra-violence. They pursue that path with abandon and the last major fight scene is about as violent as any I've ever seen. Some of that is explained away but, for me, it was too little, too late. My thought, as I watched Jude Law fight his way down the hall was, "I wonder what he was thinking about his career as he was filming this scene".

Emptiness

It has not escaped my notice that the topics I've been writing about are getting increasingly grim. That isn't an indication of my personal descent, once again, into depression. I'm actually doing relatively well. I suppose it is because it is in these grim moments where we are tested. How will we respond when we've failed? What will I do when I feel empty? The topic of emptiness only came up because it's time to write and I couldn't think of anything specific. I've always said that I do best with a specific prompt. Given the option to write about anything, my first inclination is to examine what "anything" means. So, with nothing specific to write about, I ponder emptiness. It doesn't feel nice to feel empty, devoid of emotional and physical resources. Much of our culture is built around avoiding that feeling. We want to be empowered, productive and full. Some of us are better at this than others. For much of my life I was very good at it. Then I hit the end of myself and found that I had nothing left to give. I felt empty for a good long time and I'm not going to lie, it hurt. But, just like the failure I wrote of previously, finding myself empty was a blessing I couldn't have expected.

I learned from that experience. I learned what the Bible means when it says that when I am weak, He is strong and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. What I realized is that, as empty as I felt, the reality is that I had access to life that would fill me to overflowing. I just needed to be emptied of me first. I had to let go of my plans, my competences, my need to be right. I could not let go so those things had to be torn from me to make me a better man. So, I was emptied so I could be filled. If only it was a one-time emptying and filling I'd be set. The reality, however, is that that experience was just the first step in training myself to let go and take the bit. Like a horse, I had to be broken before I could be useful.

That isn't a popular idea today, allowing oneself to be mastered by another. With our grim history of slavery and racial segregation, the idea of submitting to someone, even God, as a slave is abhorrent. We like to remind ourselves often that we are free people and that we have fought and won that freedom. I could not agree more that among humans, slavery is an absolute evil. I have no more right to subjugate my fellow man than I have to murder him. But, lets not forget who we're talking about here. I am not talking about submitting to the yolk of slavery by another mere man but God Almighty. When it comes down to it, if slavery to Him is bad, opposition to Him can only be worse but, as Jesus told us, we come humbling ourselves to slavery but are greeted as sons and daughters but that usually requires reaching a place of emptiness.

Movie Review #4: Alice in Wonderland

Ah, Tim Burton, you're so predictable some times. Whenever we go to your movies there are a few things we can expect. Johnny Depp with weird hair, speaking strangely. Your wife, Helena Bonham Carter, with weird hair, speaking strangely. A certain art direction that makes us feel like we're on the canvas of a painting that is in the process of being painted. The colors are vibrant and not particularly blended together yet. None of these things are bad in principle but I, for one, have begun to wonder how many times you can play these notes and produce an interesting film. When I went to the theater to see your latest, Alice in Wonderland, I admit that I was expecting to not be caught up in the world you created but distracted by so many familiar images. Well, you got me!

Alice in Wonderland, as created by Walt Disney animation sixty years ago, has become so much a part of the American culture that I, at least, thought I knew what to expect from Tim Burton's new live-action version. Just the same story but with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter with weird hair, speaking strangely. What I got was a new vision, still old art direction but, as usual, it worked. All the expected characters are there, the white rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat and of course the Mad Hatter. But Alice is more grown up than I expected and she faces challenges that are equally grown up.

The progression of the film is about as uneven as Johnny Depp's accent throughout the film and there are moments when the sound mixers ought to have turned up the volume on the dialog. But, let's be honest, Tim Burton's films are not about plot progression or sound mixing. They are about the art direction, the story and Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter sporting weird hair and speaking strangely. This movie delivers on all those things. The story is engaging even when we can't understand what the characters are saying and the art direction suits it well. So, for all my protestation of late that Tim Burton should do something different. I have to eat my words and say that I'm glad he didn't do so on this occasion.

Failure

For those of you who are good at math and understand a calendar, you'll notice that this post is late. It has been more than a week since my last post which was itself barely on time. This brings me to a topic with which I've become all too acquainted in recent years, failure. Now, don't get me wrong, its not that I didn't fail until a few years ago. I'm certain that I racked up my fair share of failures throughout my life. Its just that I wasn't all that acquainted with them. I think that the reason for this lack of acquaintance was a general lack of concern. I just didn't care about what I was failing at. Perhaps that is why I failed in the first place. The difference in recent years has been that I really did care about what I was doing, finally, and I failed anyway. Of course, I'm not talking about complete and utter failure, just some failures. Moving on...

Let's not kid ourselves. Failure hurts. It hurts our pride, our self image and, depending on the type of failure, it hurts others as well. But amid all that pain, there is a reality about failure that often goes unnoticed. It has been said that pain is the best teacher but in my experience, the pain of failure is the best of the best. Through my own failures I have learned more about myself, others and, most importantly, God than I have from any other source. To say that going through the pain of failure was unpleasant would be quite an understatement but in hindsight I would not give up that unpleasantness for all the tea in China. Not just because I don't like tea but because on the other side of that pain were lessons I don't believe I would have learned in any other way.

I learned that I am broken. Not that my failures and pain broke me but that I was already broken, I just didn't know it. I learned that that brokenness means that I am completely dependent on the grace of God to succeed and not fail. Again, not that this became the case but that this had always been the case, I was merely unaware of it. I am hopeful that these lessons are the beginning of true humility in my heart as this was a character trait I was sorely lacking. Just ask anyone who knew me before my depression. Humility would not be among the character traits they would have used to describe me. Not that I've achieved it yet but I'm hopeful that I'm growing into humility. If failure is what it takes to get there it is totally worth it.

Movie Review #3: Invictus

It should be noted at the outset that the opinion expressed in this review is not shared by the two gentlemen who accompanied me to the screening of this film. They both felt that there was something missing. A little of this, some of that, more of such-and-such. For my money, Invictus was as perfectly crafted as any film in recent memory. Eastwood builds the perfect balance of tension from the racial divide that defined South Africa for so long, the clear and present threat of assassination of that nation's first black president and a rugby team facing an upcoming world cup they have no business participating in, much less winning.

In the same way that Spielberg told the story of the holocaust through the specific lens of Schindler's List, Eastwood takes one chapter of Nelson Mandela's life to show how the courage of one man to forgive centuries of injustice inspired a nation to move into a new era. When Mandela took office, the challenge he faced was vast. South Africa was divided along very strict racial lines. The white Afrikaners had many fears, not the least of which was reprisal from a long oppressed black populace. The black South Africans were ecstatic with hope that finally they had a representative in the highest level of government. It was with great wisdom that Mandela realized that alienating the white populace would be detrimental to the future of the country he would now lead. In a very risky move he urged the sporting council, now comprised solely of blacks, to reverse their decision to do away with the name, colors and symbol of the national rugby team, the Springboks. Long seen as the white people's team, most black South Africans would root for any team that played the Springboks. Instead of abolishing the Springboks, Mandela enlisted their help and rallied his country around their rugby team.

This movie was about many things. It was about rugby, it was about the aftermath of Apartheid in South Africa it was about Nelson Mandela. What struck me the most, on a personal level, was the theme of forgiveness. We all struggle at some level with forgiveness in our personal lives. We're hurt by things that people say and do. It takes a conscious act of the will to forgive. It is an act of great courage. Now multiply those hurts to the scale of centuries of oppression, degradation and marginalization. How much courage does it take to be the first to stand up and forgive that much pain? As one of Mandela's bodyguards makes clear, he is not a saint, he is a man. If this man can forgive and lead a whole people to forgiveness and the beginnings of reconciliation, perhaps the hurts in our lives are not unforgivable.

Procrastination

I have exactly 29 minutes to post this in order to fulfill my requirements to post at least once every calendar week. It is typical of me to be doing something like this at the last minute. Almost every paper I wrote in school was written the day before it was due. I guess I've always been a procrastinator. It is a character flaw in me that I am simultaneously ashamed of and totally comfortable with. I have made virtually no effort to change it, ever. However, it is something I generally don't want people to know about me. I suppose that is because I fear that it is evidence of a more pervasive laziness in me. That is something I have worked to change but I am often disappointed at my lack of success.

I do have my moments though. Once I get going, I'm a very good worker. For example, in my current situation, I have a number of things that I need to do. Things like laundry, dishes, errands and the like. Most weeks I will do little to nothing on most days but one or two days a week I will accomplish almost everything at once. I've always likened my work habits to inertia. If I'm at rest, I tend to want to stay at rest. If I'm in motion, I will likely stay in motion. I have never been a "self-starter" unfortunately every single employer in the known universe only wants to hire "self-starters". Given the variety of personalities in the world I would speculate that only 1/4 of the people on the planet are truly "self-starters". Most of us need to be motivated. For some, money is sufficient motivation. I suppose that is the only downside to the active steps I've taken to try to not conform to the world's pattern of valuing money. Money is not as powerful a motivator for me as it is for most people. Besides, even if it was, I doubt that I would ultimately be doing what I was made to do if I sought employment solely for monetary gain.

When it comes down to it, all of those rationalizations are meaningless. It doesn't matter what I would do naturally and its good that money isn't my motivation but that doesn't mean I don't need to motivate myself. The fact of the matter is, God has created me and called me for His purposes. I have two choices. I can sit around and give in to inertia or I can stand up and say, "Here am I Lord, send me" and go.

I made it! 11:45

Movie Review #2: My Blueberry Nights

The moment I heard that Wong Kar Wai was making a movie staring singer Norah Jones alongside actors like Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz there was no doubt in my mind this was a movie for me. I am a big fan of one of WKW's earlier films "In The Mood For Love" and have been wanting to see others but haven't had the opportunity until now. Norah Jones is one of my favorite singers and I was hoping for a performance as powerful as Bjork, another singer acting in her first film, in "Dancer in the Dark". While she did not come remotely close to that level I will say that Ms. Jones did a fantastic job and I came away from the film satisfied.

Elizabeth, as portrayed by Jones, is a young woman who has just suffered heartbreak in the form of a cheating lover. She meets Jeremy, a British import who runs a cafe in New York, played with all of Jude Law's not inconsiderable charm. The bond over blueberry pie and broken hearts but Elizabeth is not ready to move on with her life just yet. She has a lot to learn about herself and she can't do that eating blueberry pie in New York. She travels the country working in diners and bars and encountering a variety of people, all of them broken in one way or another. Through sharing their stories Elizabeth learns a little about herself and so do we.

To me, film has always been an art form. Yes, it is entertainment but that is not unusual in other genre's of art. Literature for example, has a wide variety of forms from the more accessible popular novels to poetry which appeals to a more narrow audience. Most films are more like novels, this film has more in common with poetry. If you're looking for a dynamic plot, driven by intense conflict or if you want action, My Blueberry Nights will put you to sleep. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a well crafted story that is about nothing more than one part of a character's journey, where the lessons she learns aren't exactly spelled out for you but require a bit of attention, then I would highly recommend that you watch "My Blueberry Nights".

Truth

I am relatively certain that if you were to ask ten different Christians to name the most fundamental belief in their worldview, you'd get ten different answers. Some would probably say the existence of God, others the resurrection of Jesus and so on. No doubt those are core beliefs of orthodox Christianity. I would like to make the case, however, that there is a belief that is logically prior to even a belief in the existence of God. I am referring to the belief in the existence of absolute truth. For most of recorded history, the belief in absolute truth was a given. Few, if any, doubted that beyond our perception there was truth being perceived. In our post-modern (and increasingly post-post-modern) society the belief in absolute truth is far from universally accepted and quite often rejected out of hand.

Before I move on to the main point, I think I'll digress a moment to expound on the current situation and how we arrived there. (Note: This is a simplified explanation of a very complex series of events) Before our culture made the post-modern turn the majority of people in the western world had very limited interaction with people who thought and believed differently than themselves. Much of that social segmentation was explicit and was expressed as bigotry, prejudice and racism. As those who fought against those harmful approaches achieved success, more and more people were exposed to ideas, viewpoints and beliefs that they would not have otherwise. Just to be clear, I believe that to be a very positive development. One fruit of this new, more cosmopolitan society was the notion that since not everyone agrees on one perspective but each of us, to some extent, has a unique way of perceiving the world then to claim that one's perspective is superior to another is arrogant and unjustifiable. Consequently, doubt was cast on the possibility of arriving at any kind of absolute knowledge. Pursuit of such knowledge was at the heart of modernism, hence the rejection of that pursuit became known as post-modernism. So, if absolute knowledge is impossible because each of us is bound by his or her own subjective perspective then we can never be certain that there is actually absolute truth to be known. Instead we are left with our own subjective, non-absolute truths that are true for me but may not be true for you.

So, what does all that have to do with Christianity? Well, if truth is only subjective and not objective and absolute then what does my claim that God exists amount to? Surely nothing more than my own subjective sentiments about how I feel. Some philosophers suggest that saying, "God exists" is less like saying, "the earth is round" and more like saying, "Yay!". Not a statement of fact but of feeling. Make no mistake, you Christians out there, many people you try to talk to about your faith have this mindset. What about us though? Is that sufficient for a Christian worldview? In case you hadn't guessed already, I vote no. I happen to agree with the apostle Paul when he says that if Christ did not rise from the dead then our faith is in vain. I take him to mean that if the person named Jesus, known to many as the Christ, did not really die and really rise from the dead then there is absolutely no point in being a Christian. If that is not a true-for-all-time fact about the universe then all the going to church, singing songs, praying and so on are worthless and we would be better off doing something else. Because if it is just a nice myth, then it has no power to change my life in any way. On the other hand, if it is true, if that did really happen, doesn't that change everything? Isn't anything possible?

Critics of Christianity today have much to teach those of us who call ourselves Christians. They complain about the way Christians live in the world and rightfully so. We don't live as people who truly believe that something as miraculous as the resurrection happened and we most certainly do not live as though the same power that accomplished that is in us (which, the Bible says is true). We are no different, much of the time, than the people around us who don't claim to follow Jesus. We are so caught up in the facts of life that we ignore the absolute Truth of the power of God to change that life.

Movie Review #1: Shutter Island

If a certifiable artistic genius does something "wrong" and makes "mistakes" can one be certain that they are actual mistakes? What if Mozart was playing a concerto and started playing in the wrong key? Would we, who do not share his genius, truly be able to tell, in that moment, if it was a mistake or merely genius beyond our understanding? If you do not believe, as I do, that Martin Scorsese truly is a genius in the art of film then you might be less than patient with some of the "mistakes" you'll find as you begin to watch his latest film, Shutter Island. The music is too loud, almost as if he's trying too hard to make you feel scared. This is a thriller after all. But, that is a rookie mistake. Isn't Scorsese better than that? There are some very awkward cuts, camera angles that don't seem to make sense, continuity errors. One might be tempted to think, as I did, that maybe Scorsese was off his game on this one. I am here to implore you to be patient. When you go see Shutter Island, and I recommend that you do, trust that Scorsese knows what he's doing. In the end you'll be rewarded.

With Shutter Island, Scorsese tells the story of Teddy Daniels, a federal marshal on assignment to investigate the disappearance of a patient from a remote mental institution for the criminally insane. As the title implies, the institution is on an island which lies off the coast of Boston. The story takes place in 1954. Teddy is a war veteran who was present at the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. Very soon after the arrival of Teddy and his new partner, the simple story begins to unravel and we are led down a rabbit hole of ever unfolding intrigue. Nazi experiments, an unregistered patient, even clues to Teddy's own past. All of the events unfold masterfully and we, like Teddy begin to lose our grasp on what is and is not real.

When all is said and done, you will be able to look back and see that, for all its twists and turns, it is actually quite a simple story. The genius is in the telling of it. I recall hearing Scorsese musing about the importance of film once in an interview or an ad for something or other. Among other things he talked about how when we watch movies we might just learn something about ourselves. I get the sense that in this film, as I'm sure he does in all his films, Scorsese is trying to give us something to identify with, an avenue to go down and possibly learn something about ourselves. How do I deal with loss? How might I face the horrors of war, the atrocities of something like the holocaust, even my own evil acts? What if I just couldn't face it? Obviously, Scorsese can't tell me how I would answer those questions but instead shows how others might. Perhaps that is what is so powerful about telling stories, however we do it. Maybe in hearing others' stories we can better understand our own.

Man - Husband - Father

It just occurred to me that I might want to explain the title of this little experiment, uh, I mean blog, "Man - Husband - Father". Many years ago, as I was leaving high school and entering high school: part ii (aka: junior college), like most of my peers I was discovering who I was. At that point I took on these three words as a mantle of the identity I wanted for myself. The order is intentional as I believe one must be a real man in order to be a successful husband. Likewise, I believe it is essential to be a good husband (as far as it depends on you) in order to be a good father.

As a follower of Jesus, the definition of manhood I seek to live out is not the same as what you might see in popular media. It has very little, if anything, to do with material success, physical appearance or sexual prowess. Ultimately, real manhood has to do with character. By character I am mostly referring to the manner in which one lives out his life. (This applies to women to but since I'm talking about manhood here, I'll stick with masculine pronouns, thanks ladies) Things like integrity, honesty, fairness, patience, humility and courage. The bible has a great list (I love lists) of character traits called "The fruit of the spirit": Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. These are the things that I want to be true of me. On any given day I will be more or less successful at these but that is what I strive for. I am convinced that the only way that I will ever even get close to being that kind of man is by the power of God through the work of the Holy Spirit (hence "the fruit of the Spirit).

Moving on...

Ever since I was young I very much looked forward to being married. It is a cliche in our popular culture for men to be afraid of commitment. I was as far from that stereotype as you can get. I got a full 8 hours of sleep on the night before my wedding. I couldn't have been more excited to share my life with this woman! If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, let me assure you, she's fabulous. I knew going in that marriage would be difficult and I assumed it would be fun and rewarding. It is so much more than either of those things. I've come to learn that marriage is about way more than my wife and me enjoying each others' company. We have a purpose as a couple. Much like the definition of manhood, the purpose for marriage comes from God (who made both men and marriage). The way the Bible puts it, marriage is one of the ways God shows us how He relates to His people. That is a huge task! My marriage is supposed to be a picture of how Jesus relates to his followers! Wow... Um, nothing more to say about that at this time. So much more to say though.

Last year I had the most amazing experience of my life when my daughter was born. I wish the experience was as pleasant for my wife but, well, lets just say that we're trying to help her forget so we can have another one some day. So, now that I am a father, something I have also been looking forward to since I was a boy, I can see that my work as a father began long before Anne was born. I mean this in two ways. In one way, the day-to-day reality of caring for a baby and nurturing her is something I prepared for mentally and emotionally all along because it was something I wanted very much. The other way in which my work as a father had already been going on was in the lives of friends and younger people I met. I have always had a father's heart and have tried to take care of others. Many times I have had the opportunity to be present for someone whose own father either couldn't be or never really was. Again, I learned how to be a father mostly from my heavenly Father (that's God by the way, in case you haven't been paying attention) but not always directly. He has sent many men into my life who have shown me bits and pieces of what it means to be a father. Youth leaders, pastors, teachers were all great influences. In recent years my father-in-law has been a great encouragement. And last, but certainly not least (though I doubt he knows it), my own father showed me what it means for a man to sacrifice for his family, as well as many other important lessons.

So, these three words represent the heart of who I am and desire to be. First, I want to be a man of Godly character. Then I want to give myself up sacrificially as a husband to Cristen. Finally, I want to raise my daughter(s and sons) well and to be a surrogate father for those in need of one.

Beginning Something New

Let me start this off by being completely honest. There is one reason, and one reason only, that I am writing a blog. Her name is Cristen. About six and a half years ago I had the good sense to marry this amazing young lady and to this day she pushes me to be the best that she believes I can be. For some reason, that means that I need to type out some of the things I think about and publish them online for all the world (or at least the five or so people she'll remember to tell about this) to read. Cristen made me promise to publish a non-movie article at least once in every calendar week so, that's what you can expect. So, because I love her and want to make her happy, here we go.

This blog will have two main topics. First, the state of the Christian church in America from my perspective as well as random musings on my own spiritual journey. Second, because I am something of a film lover, I will be reviewing movies that I watch. Some new, some old, some good, some bad but that's what I'll be posting on here. The views on both topics will be unapologetically my own while at the same time attempting to be sensitive to any who might read them. I am a white, male, Christan with a background in philosophy and Theology. I also dabble in psychology and issues of race and culture.

For those of you brave souls who do chose to subject yourselves to reading my posts I want to say a few things. First, thank you! I know you have many other options of things to read, thank you for choosing mine. Second, I love feedback and welcome all comments, positive or negative and even more than comments I adore questions. Feel free to ask questions of any kind, on topic or off, personal or theoretical. I will do my best to answer. I don't claim to have THE answer but I will endeavor to provide AN answer.

I think that'll about do for an introduction. If I think of anything else I'll add it later. Maybe I'll go ahead and post a real article now. Or, maybe not, I love procrastination... :c)