On January 10, I went and watched “The Lion King” in the Fine Arts Center. I haven’t watched this movie in a very long time, and I have only seen this film once before. So I was very surprised to see hints of the Kingdom of God in this film. It was a very interesting experience to see a film through a Christian perspective. While watching this film I saw longing, hope, sin, and redemption as the theme, but even though I saw these harmless themes could this be Disney’s way of selling their movie? Could it be they are selling their movies with these themes because Americans can relate to these Christian themes? Are they just using these themes because that’s what we the consumers want to see and learn? I have concluded that it doesn’t matter to Disney what they teach children unless it will make a profit; after all Disney is a part of the empire- with its sole goal of making money.
I believe this film incorporates some Christian ideas into their story because it is a good way of selling their movie. Who wouldn’t want to watch a movie where a character is evil or sins, yet still finds redemption? Redemption teaches a young audience hope, and this pleases the parents because the film teaches good values. So parents would then think it is worth the money to purchase products that relates to this film because it would remind their children of good values such as hope, and this in turn pleases the empire because we are being good consumers. The themes of sin and evil are seen in the film through Scar. Scar plots and kills his brother Mufasa, and then accuses Simba of causing his father’s death making Simba run away. Simba also has sinned. He has fallen into sin by being disobedient to his father because he longed to be king, and he thought to be king you had to be brave because his dad was brave, so he went to the land his father forbidden him to go. Later he was manipulated by Scar and was involved in a stampede, which caused his father’s death. He runs away and after he becomes an adult he has a chance to make amends. He finds his opportunity for redemption if he were to go back home with Nala and help rescue the Pride Lands. But he doesn’t take the chance because he sees no hope there for him because he does not want to face the guilt of his father’s death. But later he meets a wise old baboon who helps him to see that there is hope that he can rescue the Pride Lands and that he can find redemption while saving his home. Throughout this film these ideas of sin, brokenness, and redemption plays a big role in keeping the audience interested because it is appealing to the adults. It is appealing to the adults in the audience because they find comfort in knowing that their child will be forgiven and would still be innocent in the eyes of the Creator even after the child has sinned. This is a good thing for the empire because they can use the Christian themes to make money.
The film portrays life in the Pride Lands as happy and well balanced, which is evident in the harmonious lives of the animals in the Pride Lands and the fact that all animals are connected in the great circle of life. This idea that all the creatures in the Pride Lands are connected is like the idea of a Christian community, where in the Kingdom of God everyone lives as a community loving one another. Also the Kingdom of God is evident in the film when Mufasa tells Simba that “everything the light touches is [their] kingdom.” Also when Mufasa mentions the land where it is shadowed is not theirs, this represents the empire. This portion of the land is not claimed by the Kingdom of God, which shows us that the empire still exists and has a hold on the creatures/people still enslaved by the shadowed land/empire. There in that land it is desolate like the empire. The empire is desolate because in the empire the land is wasted by man-made things such as factories and corporations, which destroys the air and environment. Factories and corporations make the people still held by the empire lonely because people still trapped by the empire believe the false happiness the empire feeds them through ads, which makes them believe buying more things will make them happy. I believe this film is supporting the empire because the people who made the film know these qualities such as sin and redemption can make a big profit.
“The Lion King” was a good film, and it did portray qualities of the Kingdom of God, but the empire used that to its advantage to attract consumers like flies to a light to buy more goods relating to “The Lion King.” Through this film the empire shapes young children to be consumers because when a child likes a certain movie they are compelled to want goods relating to that movie. “The Lion King” has shaped many of us, but has it shaped us for better or for worse? I think “The Lion King” shaped us to learn good values, but also shaped us to be good consumers. The empire is a dangerous it leads us astray from the Kingdom of God, so even if a film is good we have to be careful and see why the empire is telling this story. And once we know why we can protect ourselves from the empire.
18 January 2009
The Lion King
An American classic, Walt Disney's The Lion King is the highest grossing traditional animated film in history, and it was the highest grossing animated film for all time until the release of Finding Nemo in 2003 (Wikipedia).
There are several messages that this movie really hammers home. Perhaps the most famous phrase from The Lion King is the "Hakuna Matata." It means 'no worries'! That is the key phrase that characters Timon and Pumba tell the young lion Simba. Simba mistakenly thinks that it is his fault for his father's death. But Timon and Pumba teach Simba the new way of thinking.
On a shallow level, "Hakuna Matata" seems to give the message that one shouldn't care about what happens; anything goes, who cares?, whatever. This could be a dangerous attitude and mindset because it encourages alack of responsibility and remorse.
But on a deeper level, it also talks about putting your past behind you. Someone (and I have no idea who) said that we cannot "...let our past mistakes define who we are." We cannot live our whole lives in a fit of self pity and dispair because of our past failures, but we must rise up and start anew; second chance.
And a second chance is what Simba gets. He gets a second chance at reclaiming a past friendship with Nala, a second chance to return to his friends and his family, and most importantly perhaps, to ascend Pride Rock and reclaim his rightful place as King.
This movie can be tied to God's Kingdom in many ways. I think that this movies "circle of life" idea can be associated to the "shalom" of God's Kingdom. This movie got it right because it shows how things are supposed to be; times of peace and prosperity and justice. In God's Kingdom there will be "shalom" and in this movie, there was always a push for things to be the way they are supposed to be.
This movie can somewhat be tied to the empire in that honestly, everything is not as it should be all the time. What with a power-hungry Uncle Scar who will stop at nothing to gain power, hyenas invading the Pride Lands, famine and drought, there is much work to be done as far as restoration and healing are concerned.
And thats not even to get into Simba's personal problems. He feels unready; unworthy. He feels ashamed of his past and struggles with who he was meant to be. Thankfully, he does finally find redemption and is able to take his place in the "circle of life".
There are several messages that this movie really hammers home. Perhaps the most famous phrase from The Lion King is the "Hakuna Matata." It means 'no worries'! That is the key phrase that characters Timon and Pumba tell the young lion Simba. Simba mistakenly thinks that it is his fault for his father's death. But Timon and Pumba teach Simba the new way of thinking.
On a shallow level, "Hakuna Matata" seems to give the message that one shouldn't care about what happens; anything goes, who cares?, whatever. This could be a dangerous attitude and mindset because it encourages alack of responsibility and remorse.
But on a deeper level, it also talks about putting your past behind you. Someone (and I have no idea who) said that we cannot "...let our past mistakes define who we are." We cannot live our whole lives in a fit of self pity and dispair because of our past failures, but we must rise up and start anew; second chance.
And a second chance is what Simba gets. He gets a second chance at reclaiming a past friendship with Nala, a second chance to return to his friends and his family, and most importantly perhaps, to ascend Pride Rock and reclaim his rightful place as King.
This movie can be tied to God's Kingdom in many ways. I think that this movies "circle of life" idea can be associated to the "shalom" of God's Kingdom. This movie got it right because it shows how things are supposed to be; times of peace and prosperity and justice. In God's Kingdom there will be "shalom" and in this movie, there was always a push for things to be the way they are supposed to be.
This movie can somewhat be tied to the empire in that honestly, everything is not as it should be all the time. What with a power-hungry Uncle Scar who will stop at nothing to gain power, hyenas invading the Pride Lands, famine and drought, there is much work to be done as far as restoration and healing are concerned.
And thats not even to get into Simba's personal problems. He feels unready; unworthy. He feels ashamed of his past and struggles with who he was meant to be. Thankfully, he does finally find redemption and is able to take his place in the "circle of life".
Mean Girls
Tina Fey's "Mean Girls" follows a high-school junior Cady on her first day of public school. Cady has grown up being home-schooled in Africa. She quickly makes two friends, Janis and Damian. Because Cady knows nothing of American teenage culture, she seemed to be the perfect candidate to be taken under the wing of the "popular girls," or the "plastics" as described in this film. Because Janis hates the group's queen bee, Regina, she encourages Cady into becoming a spy. Cady along with Janis and Damian form a plan to ruin Regina's reputation by robbing her of her slim body, attractive boyfriend, and loyal followers. In doing so, Cady loses sight of the person she was before entering public high school.
"Mean Girls" portrays the social clique system that is present in most high school environments, and how teenagers find ways to cope with it. It depicts how our culture is incapable of controlling inborn instincts of adolescent females to gossip, spread rumors, and threaten their closest friends in order is rise to the next social level.
A major theme of the movie is the culture shock Cady experiences after leaving her sheltered lifestyle for the corrupted modern world. It also tries to make a statement about negatively treating peers based on appearance or social standing. As well as it presents a major goal of a culture-bound high school environment, which is the instinct to form exclusive and judgmental groups, in hope to increase one's social status.
This movie illustrates the nature of evil and redemption by exposing throughout the majority of the film each of the main characters flaws. Evil tendencies were among all of them, not just one particular person. It demonstrated that the kingdom of God is messy, but redeemable through the ridiculously caddy and mean girls, who in the end become friendly and welcoming.
"Mean Girls" is a tremendously entertaining movie with plenty of humorous one-liners that represent how modern-day adolescence is, especially for females.
The Mission
The artifact that I chose was a movie. The movie was called, “The Mission” and it was playing in the Fine Arts Center. The movie is about a Jesuit Priest who is setting up missions around the Spanish states. He then moves deep into the South American Jungle to start another mission for the Guaraní Indians. At the beginning there is a man named Rodrigo who goes into these jungles and captures the native Indians and makes them as slave. When Rodrigo went back to his home town to sell the natives, he ended up getting into a large fight over a girl with his brother and ends up killing him. Because he killed his brother he felt so much shame and ended up going to the church. Father Gabriel decides that Rodrigo should travel to the mission and as his punishment carries a large sack of armor with him. They reach the mission and Rodrigo falls in love with the people. However, there is controversy as to whether the missions should stay or not, and in the end, the court decides to destroy all the missions. However, the mission deep in the jungles, where Rodrigo is decides to fight back. The entire mission gets destroy and the Spanish and Portugal people end up killing all the people who were in the mission. Even though the movie is very sad, at the end we see a little bit of hope. There is a small canoe filled with about six young children, which leaves us to belief that the mission and the Guarani Indians will continue.
This movie can be related to the class because we see that at the end of the movie the empire ends up winning. We can also relate it to the “engaging Gods Word” text. In that book we here about the creation, fall, and redemption. In the movie we see the missions being create and working well, and then we see the entire mission and everything that the priests had created be destroy. However, in the end we see a glimpse of redemption with a generation of young Guarani Indians who survived the attacks on them.
Golden Globe Awards
Last Sunday, I watched the Golden Globe Awards. The Golden Globe Awards show on TV stations around the world in order to acknowledge the incredible talent and success involved in movies and TV shows of the previous year abroad and in the United States. There are categories such as “best foreign language film” and “best actor in a motion picture, comedy, or musical.” It starts with interviews and commenting on wardrobe on the red carpet. Then it moves on to the award ceremony during which the actors, directors, and other film and TV crew eat dinner. As the awards were presented and actors and directors came to the stage to receive their award, my roommate and I noticed how drunk many of them seemed to be. One man even brought his drink on stage with him. In some ways this surprised me that this would be allowed, but I suppose this is just a small representation of the empire. It reminded me that in the empire, our society as a whole looks up to celebrities for no reason other than the fame and glamour that surround them. It really makes me wonder why we allow these people to get on the stage and make a fool of themselves.
Overall, the ceremony was a great display and recognition of the talent and diversity in God’s Kingdom. From the intricate dress designs to the variety of film and TV shows that received awards, it is obvious how much talent from God was at the award show. In order to produce such masterpieces, creativity and imagination were definitely necessary. It also showed that excellence and creativity are not limited to the United States and acknowledges the many cultures from around the world and the community that is formed when they all come together at the award ceremony.
As I was reading the Redemption chapter of Plantinga’s book, I came across this question: “Is it fraudulent for advertisers to sell us products by way of ads that titillate rather than inform?” (p. 101). In other words commercials these days attempt to get at our emotions and feelings to grab out attention rather than really being truthful to us as consumers which can certainly be misleading. I found that this was especially relevant to the commercials that showed during the award ceremony. For example, there were several credit card ads that gave no information on APR or the like that could prevent a viewer from choosing that credit card. Instead, it only showed what a person can get when he or she uses the credit card and promotes that money and spending money always equals happiness. It provides a false image for credit cards and neglects to address the fact that credit cards must be paid off. Similarly, a Cadillac commercial used a Grey’s Anatomy actress to try to lure in customers who admire her or the luxury that she presents as she drives the car. These commercials encourage us as humans in the empire to consume and buy unnecessary things and imply that this will lead to happiness.
Overall, the ceremony was a great display and recognition of the talent and diversity in God’s Kingdom. From the intricate dress designs to the variety of film and TV shows that received awards, it is obvious how much talent from God was at the award show. In order to produce such masterpieces, creativity and imagination were definitely necessary. It also showed that excellence and creativity are not limited to the United States and acknowledges the many cultures from around the world and the community that is formed when they all come together at the award ceremony.
As I was reading the Redemption chapter of Plantinga’s book, I came across this question: “Is it fraudulent for advertisers to sell us products by way of ads that titillate rather than inform?” (p. 101). In other words commercials these days attempt to get at our emotions and feelings to grab out attention rather than really being truthful to us as consumers which can certainly be misleading. I found that this was especially relevant to the commercials that showed during the award ceremony. For example, there were several credit card ads that gave no information on APR or the like that could prevent a viewer from choosing that credit card. Instead, it only showed what a person can get when he or she uses the credit card and promotes that money and spending money always equals happiness. It provides a false image for credit cards and neglects to address the fact that credit cards must be paid off. Similarly, a Cadillac commercial used a Grey’s Anatomy actress to try to lure in customers who admire her or the luxury that she presents as she drives the car. These commercials encourage us as humans in the empire to consume and buy unnecessary things and imply that this will lead to happiness.
V for Vendetta
The other night I watched the movie V for Vendetta. The movie was originally released in 2005 and stars Natalie Portman as Evey and Hugo Weaving as V. It was written by the Wachowski brothers from the Matrix trilogy. The movie takes place in the future (like 2030ish?) in Britain, and is essentially about a ‘terrorist’ named V who sets up a plot to destroy the British parliament building.
I thought that the movie was an extremely good example of Empire and how it can get out of control without really realizing it. The movie was interesting in that it was a story told from the point of view of the ‘other,’ rather than the dominate culture that typically writes history. As the movie progresses, the viewer learns more and more of how the government has actually deceived people to attain the level of power that the chancellor has.
I’m sure that people who have seen this movie or even know a little bit about it often think of the illusion to World War II and Nazi Germany. The government uses red and black flags and has a symbol that is very similar to a cross. The chancellor is also a very passionate, charismatic speaker- similar to Hitler. He is responsible for several horrible biological weapon attacks, and has the ability to cure the virus (which is how he becomes chancellor). He then uses the media to reinforce his vision of what a country should be. Their motto is extremely religious and reads, “Strength through unity, unity through faith.” The government uses a story of how ‘Godless America’ has turned into a ‘leper colony’ because things descended into chaos, this reinforces the idea that not only is the British government superior, but also that God is on their side and they are doing things the right way. The government constructs an extremely regimented and controlled society. Everyone has curfews and is monitored in everything that they do.
I think that one of the things that this movie does really well is to show how easily an empire can use the media, and subsequently stories in pop culture to reinforce views without questioning them. The empire teaches that different is dangerous- thus justifying their genocide of other races, sexual orientations, religions, etc. It teaches the general population to be complacent because if they start questioning things or try to do something different, everything will fall into chaos.
Then V comes along and messes up everything. He takes over a TV station and plays an extremely empowering video to the people of Britain. He explains how the empire has used fear and conformity to control the people beyond what they should ever allow, and that people have the power to change things back to what they should be.
This movie has some very encouraging Kingdom values within it. I think that it shows how it is important to stand up for what you believe in, even if that means dying for that belief. It also shows how it is important to question things and to not be just another mindless consumer lost in the mainstream. The movie offers a hope to those oppressed by the empire and allows them an alternative view of life that is possible.
One of my critiques of the movie is that V believes that violence can be used for good to bring justice to those responsible for the horrendous crimes against their own people. However, in the end V almost seems apologetic for what he has done. Evey teaches him how to love again. I think that this is an extremely powerful scene because it shows how love can even change the heart of a ‘terrorist’ and that redemptive violence does not solve everything.
I thought that the movie was an extremely good example of Empire and how it can get out of control without really realizing it. The movie was interesting in that it was a story told from the point of view of the ‘other,’ rather than the dominate culture that typically writes history. As the movie progresses, the viewer learns more and more of how the government has actually deceived people to attain the level of power that the chancellor has.
I’m sure that people who have seen this movie or even know a little bit about it often think of the illusion to World War II and Nazi Germany. The government uses red and black flags and has a symbol that is very similar to a cross. The chancellor is also a very passionate, charismatic speaker- similar to Hitler. He is responsible for several horrible biological weapon attacks, and has the ability to cure the virus (which is how he becomes chancellor). He then uses the media to reinforce his vision of what a country should be. Their motto is extremely religious and reads, “Strength through unity, unity through faith.” The government uses a story of how ‘Godless America’ has turned into a ‘leper colony’ because things descended into chaos, this reinforces the idea that not only is the British government superior, but also that God is on their side and they are doing things the right way. The government constructs an extremely regimented and controlled society. Everyone has curfews and is monitored in everything that they do.
I think that one of the things that this movie does really well is to show how easily an empire can use the media, and subsequently stories in pop culture to reinforce views without questioning them. The empire teaches that different is dangerous- thus justifying their genocide of other races, sexual orientations, religions, etc. It teaches the general population to be complacent because if they start questioning things or try to do something different, everything will fall into chaos.
Then V comes along and messes up everything. He takes over a TV station and plays an extremely empowering video to the people of Britain. He explains how the empire has used fear and conformity to control the people beyond what they should ever allow, and that people have the power to change things back to what they should be.
This movie has some very encouraging Kingdom values within it. I think that it shows how it is important to stand up for what you believe in, even if that means dying for that belief. It also shows how it is important to question things and to not be just another mindless consumer lost in the mainstream. The movie offers a hope to those oppressed by the empire and allows them an alternative view of life that is possible.
One of my critiques of the movie is that V believes that violence can be used for good to bring justice to those responsible for the horrendous crimes against their own people. However, in the end V almost seems apologetic for what he has done. Evey teaches him how to love again. I think that this is an extremely powerful scene because it shows how love can even change the heart of a ‘terrorist’ and that redemptive violence does not solve everything.
Anberlin
Recently I attended Anberlin's concert at Calvin College. Going into the Concert I was a little leery about having it in the FAC. Sometimes the environment can hamper the experience of a concert and personally I'd rather be close to the band with a little more room. Luckily they lowered the pit providing a nice open area in front of the stage. The turnout was excellent for the concert. I'm pretty sure it was sold out, and for a good reason. Anberlin did not let anyone down. I'm not a huge fan of theirs but I was impressed by the show they displayed.
Before the concert I got a chance to go to a discussion panel with the members of Anberlin. Students got a chance to interview and ask the band questions without all the media nonsense. One of the questions/topics that stood out the most to me was when one student asked why they decided to identify with the mainstream market instead of the Christian. They responded that they want to be viewed as a band of Christians not just a Christian band. They are working in the mainstream music scene to bring the hope of Christ. They don't directly profess to Christianity in their songs, but there is still evidence of their faith in the lyrics. This is a band participating in tours like the warped tour, bringing music with hope to a scene surrounded by music and people who are angry and or crying out for more. Anberlin is most definitely a band working in the Empire for the Kingdom of God.
If Anberlin were to work the Christian music market they could make a good living. The Christian music market has a lot of profit in it. Instead of pursuing the money of the Christian market the band is pursuing footholds in the empire by going mainstream. This approach is no easy one and profits aren't always the best. One member said they've done shows where at the end of the night the band was paid three hundred dollars in profit. That's not much once it gets divided up. This is evidence that this band has their priorities in line. Its not all about making it big and getting rich. They have a much higher goal in mind.
Anberlin is doing a great thing in a time when people are crying out the most. The way they hold and display themselves is very intentional. They have definitely earned my respect. Given a chance I will be seeing them again.
Before the concert I got a chance to go to a discussion panel with the members of Anberlin. Students got a chance to interview and ask the band questions without all the media nonsense. One of the questions/topics that stood out the most to me was when one student asked why they decided to identify with the mainstream market instead of the Christian. They responded that they want to be viewed as a band of Christians not just a Christian band. They are working in the mainstream music scene to bring the hope of Christ. They don't directly profess to Christianity in their songs, but there is still evidence of their faith in the lyrics. This is a band participating in tours like the warped tour, bringing music with hope to a scene surrounded by music and people who are angry and or crying out for more. Anberlin is most definitely a band working in the Empire for the Kingdom of God.
If Anberlin were to work the Christian music market they could make a good living. The Christian music market has a lot of profit in it. Instead of pursuing the money of the Christian market the band is pursuing footholds in the empire by going mainstream. This approach is no easy one and profits aren't always the best. One member said they've done shows where at the end of the night the band was paid three hundred dollars in profit. That's not much once it gets divided up. This is evidence that this band has their priorities in line. Its not all about making it big and getting rich. They have a much higher goal in mind.
Anberlin is doing a great thing in a time when people are crying out the most. The way they hold and display themselves is very intentional. They have definitely earned my respect. Given a chance I will be seeing them again.
A Cinderella Story
Tonight I watched a Cinderella story with my friends on ABC Family. This movie has always been counted a favorite among me and my friends, but now i feel like I'm seeing it through entirely different eyes. This teeny-bopper movie is the typical hollywood portrayal of teen romance and life in high school, a completely inaccurate depiction of what life is like or could possibly be like.
When i think about the reasons i loved this movie so much, i've realized that the reasons i loved this movie are completely routed in the empire.
This movie is about finding "love" and transcending social groups within a high school setting. It's the typical hollywood love story. Filled with bullies, mean girls, and cheesy lines about finding true love. I think it gives a false portrayal about what it means about human purpose. These kind of chick flick movies are what lead teenage girls to believe that being beautiful, popular, and having the most handsome, popular guy as a boyfriend is what gives meaning to life, and is what will help them achieve true happiness.
It sucks us deeper into the empires deception of true happiness. The Empire convinces us that finding love, getting into a good college, being independent, and taking a stand are the perfect formula for happiness. The Empire teaches us that everything will always turn out happy. There are always happy endings. And we find these happy endings through the empire. The Empire will show us how our life should be, and it will teach us how to attain that life by becoming popular, beautiful, and by getting that guy that everyone else wants.
In the world of a Cinderella story, the main character Sam, faces all kinds of "evil" in terms of the Empire. She has a step-mother and step-sisters who order her around, treat her like a slave, and keep her from any sort of life. This is on top of the stereo-typical mean high school cheerleaders and popular guys. And it is their interference that is keeping Sam and the object of her affection, Austin, apart. The empire deceives us into believing that is always someone else's fault that things are not working out for us. Sam and Austin experience conflict with each other because all kinds of other outside sources. It has nothing to do with the fact that they do not communicate or hardly know a thing about each other.
The redemption in this story is when Sam goes to Austin and basically yells at him telling him "I want to be myself, I am okay with myself", and after taking some time Austin walks off the field of his biggest football game of the season to tell Sam exactly how he feels about us. I think that a comment made by my friend Rachael captures exactly what the Empire wants us to get from this movie "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed at the climax of this movie, when Austin kisses Sam, "I just love this part! I wish a guy would walk off the field for me and kiss me in the rain!"
However, i think this movie has redeemable qualities for the Kingdom as well. Even though it is done in stereotypical teen movie fashion, it teaches a lesson about being yourself. I think its a good thing to learn to be satisfied with the person God created you to be and to love yourself. Sam is unable to find happiness before she is happy with who she is. I think this is true to life. Until you come to terms with the person God created you to be, you can't really be happy or know love. I think it also teaches a good lesson about overcoming adversity, Sam overcomes the evils in her life just as the kingdom can help us overcome adversities in ours.
This movie is probably not the best example of finding the kingdom within the empire. It is probably a really good representation of the empire and what the empire wants us to believe about life. I think it adds a lot to teen insecurities and has a lot more a negative influence than a positive one, and i think this class has helped me see that a little more.
Anberlin
On Friday night, I went to the Anberlin show in the FAC. I have been a fan of Anberlin since I was 14, and they have risen to the prestigious level of my favorite band. They have influenced me in so many ways; their music, their image, their scene, their conduct, and, most importantly in my mind, their portrayal of Christianity to the world. This has been an aspect of them that, as I have followed and learned more about them, that I have come to admire.
Anberlin has decided to not market themselves as a Christian band. To some, this is a huge turn-off, and for others even rises to the level of being an offense so great as to not like the band. Anberlin instead has decided to market themselves as just... a band. However, when someone learns about the members of the band, they will find out that all of the members are dedicated Christians. This fact comes through in their lyrics. Their lyrics, unlike "Christian" bands, do not openly admit to their faith, but they show that these men believe in something more, have morals and standards, and are proud of this fact.
When it comes to the Empire, it could be argued that since the band are not openly professing their faith in their lyrics or at their shows, as other bands such as Relient K or Underoath do, they are giving into the standards and indulgences of the Empire. To some, this means that the band are giving in to the Empire and are trying to just slide under the radar and pass unnoticed. And also, Anberlin's lyricist and singer, Stephen Christian, deals with some of his demons in his lyrics. He deals with breakups, confusion about life, and anger at others in his lyrics. These are issues not usually dealt with so roughly in other bands' lyrics.
However, on the Kingdom side, Anberlin never slides into darkness or evil to express these fears and feelings. They keep their level of "PG"-ness to a moral, respectable level. They show that Christians feel these emotions too, and aren't just smiling, Bible-toting spreaders of cheer. We are real people too, with as wide a range of emotions as everyone else. And they also show control in expressing these feelings. They don't cross into negative thoughts of depression or suicide, or use their anger as an excuse to sin. Also, their conduct on stage, in interviews, and in interactions with their fans show are completely positive, never allowing themselves to come across as arrogant or crass. They conduct themselves as men of character.
Because of these facts, Anberlin have earned my respect and admiration. They show that Christians can be relevant and involved in a rock scene known for sex and drugs without giving in. They stand up for what's right without being offensive. They show love, and don't judge. For these reasons, I believe that Anberlin are strong role models and icons for Christians to look up to and emulate.
The Movie "Wanted"
The movie "Wanted" is about a guy who doesn't know who he really is until he finds out that he is born assassin. After many hours of training and studying the targets that he has to kill, he goes out on his own and kills his targets. The movie is filled with various twists that keep the movie alive.
This movie is a prefect example of how the empire likes to take things way out of proportion. Many of the scenes throughout the movie portray events that are so incredibly unrealistic. This movie also is a perfect example of how evil is created in the empire. Many young people view movies like these and fill their brains with thoughts of hatred and evil. The empire that we live in is filled with things like this that pull us away from being the people of God that God wants us to be. I feel as though if some people saw this and were on the verge of doing something to someone else, that this movie would push them over the edge. I feel as though this movie could give people the frame of mind that doing the things that occurred in this movie were good thing and would cause these other people to want to be like the actors in the movie and do the things in real life that were acted out in the movie. From my perspective, the only thing that this movie says about human purpose is that we are all her to kill each other some time or another.
Most things that the empire produces for the the people that live in it have a negative effect on them. Unfortunately most things that the empire produces pull people farther away from their personal walk with God rather than bring them closer to God. Hopefully the empire will somehow change sometime and produce things that draw people closer to God rather than away from Him.
Posted by Brett Ellens
Wall-E
I decided to watch Disney and Pixar's movie "Wall-E" this weekend. "Wall-E" is the name of the last garbage compactor robot that remains on planet Earth after it is abused by humans. In the movie, Buy n Large Corporation, which somehow has control of the entire government, suggests the humans go on a five year cruise in space while robots clean up the Earth they have polluted and nearly destroyed. The earth is abandoned after the five years and said to be uninhabitable. The five year cruise turns into 700 years, as no life can be sustained on the planet. The people on the cruise ship, the Axiom, were normal sized humans but many years later are now extremely overweight. The "passengers" on the Axiom, ride around the ship in lazy boys and are pampered by robots all around them. In essence, they have "the perfect life" yet they are constantly being advertised to, just like humans are today. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a cup! Why not?
One of the main themes of the movie involves humans and how the empire controls them. On the ship the passengers see an innumerable amount of advertisements, including clothing. "Try Blue! It's the new Red!" Lines like the one above show how ignorant and conformist the people on the ship are. The truth is that many Americans today are just like that. We want to be cared for and pampered. In "Wall-E" humans purpose is to buy things from Buy n Large to make their lives easier.
Buy n Large controls everything that happens on the ship. From what the passengers eat to what time of day it is. This movie may have a deeper message than simply the story of a doe eyed robot finding the robot girl of his dreams. It may be trying to tell us to fix things up or this over indulgence and dismay might happen to us. Buy n Large represents the empire. Both have the following qualities: consumerism, seduction, visions of utopia, conformity to cool, instant gratification, and most of all control. This film also shows the viewer that there is still hope. It tells us to keep recycling, caring for the planet, maintaining our bodies and minds and be good stewards to the earth God left in our care.
The film is crying out to tell us not be controlled by corporations and their advertisements. We should conform to Christ, not to society.
Anberlin
On Friday night I went to the anberlin concert in the FAC. Going into this concert I didn’t know that much about anberlin; only a couple of their songs. That made it a little difficult because it’s not always the easiest to understand the lyrics in a concert, but surprisingly I did get a lot out of it. One my of my friends told me they don’t consider themselves a Christian band but rather a bunch of Christians in a band. I could see this in their music and lyrics, which I didn’t find to be overtly Christian but defiantly had some Christian undertones. Overall I thought they had a great stage presence, the crowd really responded to the music, and it was a good concert.
I think that this concert and this band are defiantly crying out for the kingdom. For me it was more than the music and lyrics which pointed to the kingdom (which they did.) I think a huge part of what I liked about this concert, was the diversity in the crowd. I saw this diversity while waiting in line meeting these three guys from Ohio, in front of us during the concert seeing group of students from hope, and in general just noticing a lot of other people who defiantly weren’t from Calvin College. And together everyone was grouped to form this weird sort of community in the room, even if it was just for a night. Everyone was sharing and participating in the music and it is kind of a unique thing whenever that happens. Just joining together in community with strangers and sharing music (even if only briefly) is one way that this concert cried out for the kingdom.
The Office
I think that The Office is one of the funniest shows on T.V. The basic plot focuses around the random daily workings of a dysfunctional office staff at a small paper company in northern Pennsylvania. Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, leads the group in a very unique fashion. Instead of the conventional, boss-like performance Michael is fueled by the need to be appreciated by his employees. The rest of the staff participates in some ridiculous office antics as well. Jim is constantly taunting his desk-mate Dwight by faxing him letters from himself, or moving his desk into the bathroom. Angela is domineering in the way she leads the party planning committee, and has brought her coworker Phyllis to tears on several occasions. The other cast members offer more sarcastic remarks and impending office romances which add to the show’s humor. The Office is one of the best, current examples of a postmodern comedy. In the first few seasons the show had really no direction. It was basically a collection of arbitrary episodes that were relatively disconnected to one another. It doesn’t present any facts or concepts it just leaves the viewer thinking “thank goodness I don’t work there.” It doesn’t try to address any kingdom issues, or seek to answer any real questions about Creation or human purpose. It more or less shows a group of people in their daily routine-selling paper, and dealing with their idiotic boss. The Office does a better job of addressing empirical characteristics like seduction, conformity to cool, instant gratification, and surveillance. It is nearly impossible to look for a deeper meaning in The Office’s script. I don’t think it is capable of answering any of the probing questions presented in DCM. It’s just a good sitcom with enjoyable story lines, a humorous cast, and ability to make people laugh.
The Mission
As the DCM films are currently being shown, I thought I would take the opportunity to see the 1986 Warner Brothers film, The Mission. A short synopsis of the film provides a Jesuit priest, Father Gabriel, who faces difficulties in trying to spread Christianity to South American natives in a Spanish state that doesn't exactly approve of this action. Aside from Father Gabriel, a key character presented is Rodrigo Mendoza (Robert De Niro) who murders his brother and is later converted to Christianity through the help of Father Gabriel. Their attempts to convert the Guarani Indians is known as "The Mission" and is later threatened by Portuguese colonials who try to enslave them in their communities with support from the Treaty of Madrid. The film closes with Portuguese forces invading the natives territory and killing nearly everyone including the priests. The men responsible for leading the invasion try to convince the Cardinal that it was a just action, yet the Cardinal expresses unparallel feelings.
It was simple to notice the corruption the Portuguese provided by putting a halt on the mission and going to the extreme of killing hundreds of innocent people. I think it parrallels the story of Jesus in that the priests were spreading the Word of God to those absent of God in the lives and just like the Roman Empire, the Spanish and Portuguese colonials killed the mission that was to carry out this action. Along with this, I think the mission serves as the kingdom and the Spanish and Portuguese forces serve as the Empire. I say this because the priests mission followed Gods will and the priests have the purpose of converting the Guarani Indians to Christianity. The Spanish and Portuguese Colonials serve as the Empire because they are the centralized political power. They extend their power and rule over the culture of the Guarani Indians and end up eliminating their culture period. It was really interesting to see the connection between the mission and the kingdom and empire aspects presented in the film. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone intersested and would like to see it again myself.
It was simple to notice the corruption the Portuguese provided by putting a halt on the mission and going to the extreme of killing hundreds of innocent people. I think it parrallels the story of Jesus in that the priests were spreading the Word of God to those absent of God in the lives and just like the Roman Empire, the Spanish and Portuguese colonials killed the mission that was to carry out this action. Along with this, I think the mission serves as the kingdom and the Spanish and Portuguese forces serve as the Empire. I say this because the priests mission followed Gods will and the priests have the purpose of converting the Guarani Indians to Christianity. The Spanish and Portuguese Colonials serve as the Empire because they are the centralized political power. They extend their power and rule over the culture of the Guarani Indians and end up eliminating their culture period. It was really interesting to see the connection between the mission and the kingdom and empire aspects presented in the film. I would definitely recommend this film to anyone intersested and would like to see it again myself.
"Glamorous" by FERGIE
The song "Glamorous" by Fergie represents how some people live and how some people fantasize about living. I get the impression that this song is portraying the way that certain people live. Some people don’t have any money; they will never experience the pleasures and events that happen in a rock star life. I am obviously not Fergie and I don’t always fly first class, and I don’t have chaperons and limousines taking me places. I live in the real world where I have to work, I can’t just sing a few songs that other people have written for me and make a million plus dollars. I go to college, I work, I worry about bills, and how I will fend for myself in the future. Sometimes I wish that I didn’t have to worry about things but on the other hand I think that I learn a lot from it and it overall makes me a stronger person. I think that this artifact reaches out to the empire. It is glorifying worldly pleasures such as : money, fame, etc. This artifact gives me no hope; the one hope is that if I ever were to become famous I would be able to look forward to living the high life. But what comes after that? This song doesn’t say anything about the real world, and about what the focuses should really be about. I think that this artifact tells a lot about some of the origins of sin. Some people get so overwhelmed with money and fame and the glories of the world that they don’t stop to realize what life is truly about. I guess one way you could relate this song to the Bible would be the story of the prodigal song. He asked for all the money that was entitled for him and he left. He decided to live the high life until he was out of money and had nothing left. Are the people that make a lot of money and spend it on worldly pleasures truly happy, or are they just happy for that time being?
Eagle Eye
I recently watched the movie Eagle Eye. Eagle eye is a robot/computer used in the military that can hear every phone call, control every camera, and hack into any computer system. She can use any piece of technology to do what she wants, for example, control traffic lights and security systems. Eagle eye knows everything about everyone. She can find out what someone’s career is, where he or she lives, who his or her family is, and any other intimate detail about that person. Eagle eye had basically had control over everything.
In the movie, eagle eye’s main focus was to make sure that the Constitution was always being upheld, but she took it too far. The president made a wrong decision and that led to the death of many innocent people. Since this was an injustice, eagle eye took it upon herself to seek revenge and attempt to kill him. She was trying to kill him because she thought that it was better for the people if the president was dead. So she decided to rectify the problem by taking matters into her own hands.
In the end humanity was able to overcome the evil of technology by each doing their own part. Even though all of these main characters were chosen against their own will, in the end they were all willing to give up their lives to save many other people. This shows that good ultimately will overcome evil, no matter how bad it seems. No matter how bad circumstances seem, God will always work through the hearts of people to keep this world going. Good always wins.
In the movie, eagle eye’s main focus was to make sure that the Constitution was always being upheld, but she took it too far. The president made a wrong decision and that led to the death of many innocent people. Since this was an injustice, eagle eye took it upon herself to seek revenge and attempt to kill him. She was trying to kill him because she thought that it was better for the people if the president was dead. So she decided to rectify the problem by taking matters into her own hands.
In the end humanity was able to overcome the evil of technology by each doing their own part. Even though all of these main characters were chosen against their own will, in the end they were all willing to give up their lives to save many other people. This shows that good ultimately will overcome evil, no matter how bad it seems. No matter how bad circumstances seem, God will always work through the hearts of people to keep this world going. Good always wins.
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