Posts (page 2)
I finally saw Amazing Grace at the theater last week and was completely unimpressed. It is an awful movie, boring, and has massive plot holes and cinematic gaps. In fact, without the Christian audience hype, this movie would have gone straight to video.
Sure William Wilberforce was a great man and a giant in promoting morality within government and politics. I love reading accounts of the Clapham Sect and its conviction that government and faith are not at odds with one another but can be integrated in a way to redeem this fallen world. We need more people like Wilberforce working in politics and policy today.
Unfortunately, Amazing Grace did a poor job of handling the rich subjects of faith, social and political action, the false dichotomy of the secular and the sacred, injustice and inequity, and being righteous in an unrighteous system/world. It fails on so many counts to unpack these issues and simply gives the audience a glimpse of each one before moving on in its hurky-jerky search of a plot.
Speaking of plot, what was it? I kept trying to follow it, with its flash backs, pauses and apparitions and was hoping to see more of how the hymn tied in, but was left with two awkwardly placed renditions. Its author, John Newton, was relegated to a cheerleader for Wilberforce.
The most striking absence of plot is that of the issue of slavery. Where was the evidence in Amazing Grace that slavery was a social evil? I saw one slave in the movie and that one was dressed as a fine coachman. I saw a former slave and slave irons. The movie assumes that I already knew how awful slavery was in the 18th century.
With a subject matter so rich and able to move audiences as the slave trade, Amazing Grace brought little to move me. I don't want to take the tour of the slave ship, I want to see, hear, and smell exactly what it was like. I don't want to hear about the separation of families, I want to feel the tearing of bonds of love and heritage. I don't want to listen to how the opposition relegated the abolitionists arguments to economic ones, I want to see the inhumanity of slavery juxtaposed against the financial successes of the East India Company and those whom benefited from it - like M.Ps.
Now for the plot holes. How did John Newton go from not wanting to speak about his experience in the slave trade to dictating his memoirs? A rather abrupt and unexplained turn of events. Why did William Pitt's skin get mottled then he suddenly die without explanation? Whatever happened to all the poor eating Wilberforce's food? Whose baby was being carried in the field by Thomas Clarkson? Why was this baby in the movie?
According to Christianity Today, the producers were conflicted as to which movie they wanted to create; one about Wilberforce or one about Newton. It shows. The title is a reference to Newton, but the subject is about Wilberforce. And, because they attempt to do so much in the film, even the interesting relationship between Newton and Wilberforce gets short shrift.
Amazing Grace also fails to motivate those not already sensitive to current issues of injustice, like human trafficking. It fails to lay out a transcendent compelling case for social action on any area of unrighteousness, whether past or current. This is because the movie is not about injustice, not about the nexus of faith and politics, nor about what one man can do empowered by a vision given by God. Amazing Grace is a story about how a Christian wanted to see a movie about William Wilberforce. That is less than amazing.
Here are other glamorous looks for Susan. We haven't given them wig names so feel free....
This weekend marked a big style change for me. In order to support my wife, who is going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, I have done a little hair change. Here are the before and after photos:
(Note sassy 'real estate hair' wig on Susan)
Walking a tightrope between two kingdoms?
"..for I do always those things that please Him."John 8:29
We who follow Christ are aware of the fact that we inhabit at once two worlds, the spiritual and the natural. As children of Adam we do live our lives on earth subject to the limitations of the flesh and the weaknesses and ills to which human nature is heir.
In sharp contrast to this is our life in the spirit.
There we enjoy a higher kind of life; we are children of God. We
possess heavenly status and enjoy intimate fellowship with Christ!
This tends to divide our total life into two departments, as we
unconsciously recognize two sets of actions, the so-called secular acts
and the sacred.
This is, of course, the old "sacred-secular"
antithesis and most Christians are caught in it's trap. Walking the
tightrope between two Kingdoms they find no peace in either.
Actually, the sacred-secular dilemma has no foundation in the New Testament. Without a doubt a more perfect understanding of Christian truth will deliver us from it. The Lord Jesus Christ himself is our perfect example and He lived no divided life. God accepted the offering of His total life and made no distinction between act and act. "I do always those things that please Him," was his brief summary of His own life as related to the Father.
We are called upon to exercise an aggressive faith, in which we offer all our acts to God and believe that He accepts them. Let us believe that God is in all our simple deeds and learn to find Him there!
I have been thinking that Hillary has little chance to become president but I have changed my mind. Here is the scenario: Hillary and McCain are front runners in their own parties and both have not only high negatives but the intensity of their negatives are very high. The high negative intensity of Hillary is among Republicans and the high negative intensity of McCain is also among Republicans. This helps Hillary and hurts McCain.
Therefore, Democrats will nominate Hillary but Republicans will nominate someone other than McCain. So the whole race will depend on who besides McCain runs. Guiliani, OK. Romney, OK. Can they beat a united Democratic party for Hillary? Dunno, but scary.
Often, one of the big complaints of evangelicals is that they often speak into a political situation and come off all moralistic because they fail to "earn the right to be heard." That means that they have not built relationships or demonstrated any background or expertise on an issue.
I agree that we should earn the right to be heard but, when it comes to speaking to policymakers, everyone gets to be heard. If you are a constituent, most lawmakers will grant you an appointment or at least their staff will speak with you.
So to me, the issue is not being heard, instead it is being listened to. What makes the difference between being treated politely but insignificantly and becoming valuable to your representative? I think it is two things: earning the right to be listened to through building a relationship with your lawmaker and earning the right to be listened to by understanding that which you are speaking about.
Signing a petition, sending a fax, or calling your legislator are old methods of constituent contact that are easily managed by legislative staff. If the issues that are important to you are, well, important to you, then we should employ methods that are effective.
Another parable of Jesus regarding the Kingdom of Heaven is that of the mustard seed. Here, Jesus focuses on the seeming insignificance of a tiny mustard seed that, when full grown, become a major fixture in the garden.
Now I don't know much about seeds, plants and trees. But I do know that growing a tree is not a small feat. And to grow a tree from a seed, that is pretty much unheard of. Why? Because it takes so long for the seed to grow from a seedling, to a sprout, to a twig, to a bush, to a little tree, to a tree. Most trees are grown from cuttings.
I think the lesson of the mustard seed is that the Kingdom of Heaven's development is inconspicuous. It is something that can be easily overlooked and ignored. But, at the right time, the Kingdom of Heaven is something which is obvious to all as something positive and significant.
Kingdom politics should be under the radar, consistent over time, and quietly building building building. Kingdom politics should be less like a quick fix, less like a campaign, and less self serving.
What characterizes our current model of Christian activism and political engagement? I have seen it reactive, loud, and demanding. I have seen it scizophrenic, harsh and impatient. I do not believe these characteristics are consistent with the Kingdom of Heaven - particularly with the mustard seed metaphor.
I believe that praying for our leaders is very consistent with the mustard seed model of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is quiet and inconspicuous. It builds over time. And it is not obvious. Most people (including Christians) think prayer is a weak alternative to writing letters, making phone calls and signing petitions. Just like Jesus taught, I am looking forward to the day when my prayer becomes a haven for birds to build their homes.
In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven. "The Kingdom of Heaven is like..." is the often repeated introduction to a number of parables. Wheat and weeds, mustard seeds, hidden treasures, pearls, and nets. All qualify as metaphors for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Wheats and weeds. In this parable, Jesus uses a common agricultural problem to demonstrate the nature of his kingdom - the infestation of weeds in the garden that seem to spoil that which God has provided. God blesses us with something good - our relationships, our health, our community, our church - and we find out that it has somehow gone terribly wrong. Should we just cut our losses and move on or continue to do the hard work of living in the midst of, well, weeds?
This parable has particular application with much that goes on in Christian and conservative politics. Here we are establishing a perfectly good political agenda and empire when danged if those milk toast moderate squishes don't screw the whole thing up. How are we every going to see the completion of the Republican revolution with RINOs like Ahnold, and McCain getting all the press?
In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches to live in the midst of the weeds and moderates. Why? Because the field is the Lords, not ours. He knows who is in control and that, at the harvest, justice will be done and the Righteous Judge will separate the good and the bad.
Kingdom politics seems to indicate that we would do well to accept that fact that we are to live and operate in the midst of the weeds and moderates. Let us then pray for those with whom we rub elbows so that, in the final day, they would join with us in the harvest.
pol·i·tics 
[pol-i-tiks] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun (used with a singular or plural verb)
| 1. | the science or art of political government. |
| 2. | the practice or profession of conducting political affairs. |
| 3. | political affairs: The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics. |
| 4. | political methods or maneuvers: We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill. |
| 5. | political principles or opinions: We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair. |
| 6. | use of intrigue or strategy in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc. |
| 7. | (initial capital letter, italics) a
treatise (4th century b.c.) by Aristotle, dealing with the structure,
organization, and administration of the state, esp. the city-state as
known in ancient Greece. |
This is the definition of the word politics from Dictionary.com. I wanted to re-check the definition of politics to be sure that nothing in it's definition is contrary to an orthodox understanding of faith. You see, some people in their understanding of faith, politics, or both believe they are oxymoronic or diametrically opposed to one another. They see Jesus and the influence and work of government as incompatible. I don't see it.
To me, politics is amoral like accounting, music, sports, engineering, or any number of professions. And, like any number of professions, it can be used to glory God - or not. I have known wonderful Christian politicians and those who work in politics who are completely consistent in the walk with Jesus.
So what is the deal with politics and its compatibility with faith? If you say: "Look at how we currently do politics. How can you find any Christian virtue in it?" Then I say: "Stop considering unbelievers as unbelievers and start considering them pre-Christians."
Is there no possible world where we as Christians can do better in our witness for Christ in the area of politics and policy? This is not to say that I desire an American theocracy. Just that Christians come to portray a version of political discourse and involvement that brings honor to Jesus.
Someone explain to me why I can't be engaged in the political and a Christian?
1 Timothy 2:1-4 reads as follows: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
This is what 1 Timothy 2:1-4 means to me:
We are encouraged to pray for everyone, especially our elected leaders.
When we pray for our elected leaders it affects our community in wonderful ways.
Praying for our elected leaderst is a form of worship to God.
God desires the salvation of all men and the above works toward that end.
Therefore, praying for our elected leaders builds community, worships God and promotes evangelism.
