Coming Apart to be Put Back Together

“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.”  Clive Staples Lewis said that.  Smart guy.

This last month has seen the gods of this world plummeting from Mount Olympus.  The church wasn’t the only place where abuse was a problem.  That much is clear today.  For decades we have heard of the Hollywood couch.  But this is different.  Even good, wholesome dudes like Matt Lauer, a husband and dad and two decade cornerstone of the Today show has been exposed as being an unfaithful man.  Men who take advantage of their power and money and use it to get what they want from women.  Horrible stuff.  Meryl Streep thanked “God” in an acceptance speech just a couple of years ago.  She clarified that she meant Harvey Weinstein.

My wife commented on the news of Matt Lauer’s firing with the comment, “This isn’t gonna stop.” And she is right.

The deal is this.

Every human institution is falling apart.   It was inevitable.  All the self-worship and fan-worship of the gods of this world is showing itself to be the vain and empty thing it is.  Without Christ and his heart-changing power, the evil of men is going to be constantly exposed.  Men are evil.  This isn’t gonna stop.  All twenty five million a year did for Matt Lauer was give him the delusion that he could get what he wanted and get away with it.  His heart has been exposed through his actions.   A long time ago the Bible said that we will reap what we sow.  If we plant carrots we are gonna get carrots.  That’s the way it works.  And when we sow selfishness we reap self-destruction.  Can you imagine how Matt’s wife and children feel?  It ain’t worth it.  All we do is end up destroying everyone we love with our selfishness.  I know many, many people who have absolutely shredded their lives and those they love by following their heart’s desires.  The problem is the heart is messed up and so is the desire that comes out of it.

Jesus is saving the world.  But in order to do that the pride of men must fall.  It is the wall up that keeps out the joy and love and peace of God.  I’m talking about the kind of life that Jesus said He would bring to those who want it.  A whole, lasting, firm, steady, pure, happy life built on real, solid love that He brings to the hearts of those who want it.  He said he would bring life that is life to the full.  The maximum.

All the castles of men built on the sand of their selfishness, lust and greed are falling down.  Only a life built on the Rock who is Christ will be the solid, long-lasting existence that we all really long for.

Jesus kind of knew what He was talking about.

So.  Dismantle the stupid walls of pride and greed and selfishness and power now.  Take it down.  Ed Stetzer this week said, “if the institutions of Hollywood, politics or the church are building walls to protect those who abuse at the expense of those who are being victimized, we need to take those institutions apart...brick by brick.”

The only way to rebuild society the way it should be, the way we all know it should be deep down in our souls, is to take it all down and then rebuild it.

Apparently it is all falling apart on its own anyways.

It starts with humility.  We have to come to God as we are and admit that we haven’t got it all together.  We have to admit we are selfish.  We have to come to the Cross where Jesus died and say, “Forgive me and remake me.”

When Dallas Willard paraphrased John 3:16 he worded it this way:

God’s care for humanity was so great that He sent his unique Son among us.  Every who builds their life on him will no longer have a futile and failing existence but will have the undying life of God himself.

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to lead a futile and failing existence.  I want a strong and happy life that withstands what this world throws at it.

So come unraveled.  Let the walls fall down.  Rebuild on Christ.

You’ll be glad you did.








  

JUSTICE LEAGUE REVIEW

You know what?  I went in with hopes that it would be okay.  You know---just okay.  I left feeling like I had actually watched a superhero movie with some good old fashioned comic book joy.  Looks like it was smart of Zack Snyder to get Joss Whedon's help on Justice League.  Zack is an incredibly talented, artistic director but his work is always brooding and dismal.  So for him to have the partnership of Joss Whedon (Firefly, Buffy, Avengers 1 and 2) seems to have had made the difference.  Rumor has it Joss re-shot 20% of the film after Zack Snyder left because of his daughter's tragic death.  My sympathies for Zack and his wife Deborah Snyder who was also the film's producer.    

Justice League had a few more advantages going in.  One is Wonder Woman.  Her presence alone adds some class.  Her movie was, well, wonder-ful.  The Flash is that character I didn't expect; quirky and a character who added a good does  of humor.  Aquaman is the bad-boy version of Thor in this one and I am sure the women dig him.  Batman is well played by Ben Affleck (another pleasant surprise), Cyborg is a cool guy and the Justice League's brooding Iron Man.  But I will tell you something that is even cooler.

Superman is back.  Big time.

That shouldn't be a spoiler to anyone.  I mean he died and came back in the '90s after saving Earth from Doomsday.  What I mean by Supes being back though, is that the joy of his superhero-ness is back.  He is the boy scout.  He is heroic.  He is just in time.  He smiles.  He laughs.  He isn't the dour-faced, lost, lonely and confused person.  He is Superman.

Another great actor in the movie is Danny Elfman's music.  He was a smart choice for composer.   From the opening scene the DC franchise has new life because of the music. That's because the man knows Superhero music.  His music set the tone.  It was an actual orchestra playing the music.  His music gave the film color.  He used just the right amount of nostalgia with the Batman theme and even those inspiring glimpses of those iconic three notes from John Williams' Superman score. Getting Danny Elfman on the team was indeed a wise move.

The bad guy Steppenwolf?  He was lacking.  He is a flat character who wants to destroy and rule the world.  They should have got a human actor to play him.  The CGI was okay on him and in some places better than others.  Dark?  Yes.  Scary?  No.  Personality? None.  The thing about Luthor and Loki who were played by humans was that they were - uh - human.  Even Ultron, who was a CGI baddie, was human because of Joss Whedon's writing and James Spader's voice.  Humans are better.   Steppenwolf had a cool, menacing voice, but--meh.

There were other cool moments like the cameo of Marc McClure who played Jimmy Olsen in Superman the Movie. 

Stay til after all the credits.

At a reported budget of $300 million and only a opening weekend of $86 million, I hope that we get more of the League.  I want to see more.  But we will see.  I think the reports of the re-shoots and the fact that Man of Steel and Batman V Superman were flat in many ways hurt the League's initial profits.  It was a smart move to release Wonder Woman film earlier this year and that helped them make the $86 Million.

All in all I would say its worth a theater seat.   Nothing like a good old fashioned Superhero film.

'Nuff Said.

Can’t Trust The Bow or the Sword

I am feeling a little overwhelmed today.

Woke up that way.

The Psalms in the Bible take my focus off my problems and my inability to fix things and these ancient prayers put my focus back on God.

He can fix it.

Whatever the challenge is, He is up to it.

I love these words about us and Him from Psalm 44:  “Only by Your power can we push back the darkness; only in Your Name can we trample the forces of evil.  I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me.  You are the One who gives us victory...”

Human power can’t win the day. We are too limited and weak.  We have good days and bad days but all the good days together aren’t enough to smash evil.  God who fuels the sun without an effort and spun galaxies into motion—HE is enough.

Only by HIS power and only in HIS NAME will we see the change in this world.  HE is the ONE.  I’m just Bob.  He is GOD.

This is why we need to pray.  If prayer is the tendon that flexes the muscle of omnipotence then I choose to appeal to Him in prayer instead of choosing fear.

When I was a kid I was the church janitor.  One day I was vacuuming the pastor’s office.  My dad was the pastor.  I took the end off the vacuum hose, you know to vacuum the base boards, and then I got down to vacuum under my dad’s desk.  There under his desk was a big red sticker with stark white, block letters that said, “God is bigger than any problem I have.”

Good stuff.

Thing is though you could only see that truth when you were on your knees.

So whenever my dad knelt to pray in his office that was when he could see the truth that the God he was praying to was bigger than any problem he faced.

It isn’t by my skill with a man made tool or weapon or degree that the world changes; it is by the power of God stirring human souls to action and change and healing.

You, O Lord are bigger than any problem I have.  So in Your Name I come and ask for Your Power.

Amen.

‘Nuff said.

THOR Ragnarok Review

I really liked Thor and Thor: The Dark World.  Thor Ragnarok was a mixed bag for me.  I thought overall it was a movie with grand imagination, a terrific cast and a solid story.  I went to the movie with a friend and I think my friend nailed it when he said: "It was a little flippant."  

Flippant means: Not showing a serious or respectful attitude.  

Now I am know I'm talking about a Marvel movie.  But one thing that I think that Richard Donner, the director of Superman the Movie taught us, was that a director has to make sure the movie has  verisimilitude which is "the appearance of being real or true".  This is especially true when you are making a movie about an iconic character or a set of characters.  I felt like I was watching a cartoon much of the time.  

There was a lack of weight to the film.  For instance when it came to certain scenes like the sudden dispatching some of Thor's closest Asgardian buddies who we got to know and love in the previous two movies it was like, "Oh well, Hella is powerful and those good guys just couldn't stand up to her."  I think that is flippant.  When a director has inherited a universe like Thor, which was revealed in rich detail in the first and second movie I don't think it is a good idea to just summarily dismiss what has gone before.  So, Jane Foster, a major character in the first two films--Gone!  She dumped Thor.  That's it.  Or he dumped her.  I don't like Thor talking to the camera at the beginning.  And those really awesome Warriors Three? Nothing to see here.     

Production value was amazing, if not a bit cartoonish.  I always love the Hulk.  I love the humor in the film.  There was just a little too much of it.  I think the filmmakers were going for a Guardians of the Galaxy vibe.  They achieved it.  My brother and I absolutely loved Marvel's Contest of Champions when we were kids.  So I loved that.  

The music was very cool.  A great mix of electronic and orchestral.  I like that Thor's theme by Patrick Doyle was respected. 

Overall, I would rather Thor Ragnarok be what it is than Zack Snyder's bleak DC Movies.  Wonder Woman struck the perfect tone and I guess that balanced tone is what is missing in Ragnarok for me.  Maybe a more respectful tone.  Wonder Woman had the right mix of humor and heart mixed with the weight of a world in crisis. 

Having said all of this I must admit something.

My Thor Ragnarok experience may have been tainted by the news I came across right after church yesterday about the horrific shootings in Sutherland Springs, Texas at the First Baptist Church.  My heart was heavy.  I didn't feel very good after that. I wish I had seen Thor Friday or Saturday night instead of Sunday night.   

I usually go to movies to escape.  That news was hard to escape despite the fact that Thor Raganrok provided a lot of light-hearted escapism.

'Nuff said.