Tag Archives: Jesus

Castle 5.11

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Remember the emotionally charged cases that shaped the first season or two of Caste? Under the Influence was such an episode.  A DJ named Holly is found murdered. As the team begins to piece the case together, they learn that on certain gigs, Holly worked with a young man nicknamed Monster, whom Castle calls Cookie Monster, because of his age. He is a high school who has been working for a man named Shane, who at best is a mob boss. Monster, whose name is Joey, has been skipping school and getting involved in other questionable things.

This is one of those episodes when we don’t worry too much how whether or not they will get the bad guy, because we know they will. The investigation sets up to give us a chance to learn more about Esposito. The relationship that develops between Esposito and Joey reminds me of the relationship with Dick Tracy and the Kid. Esposito finds himself caring deeply for Joey. He goes the extra mile to take him in for a night to keep from being shipped to another foster home.  Even when Joey escapes through a window in Esposito’s place, Esposito still makes the teen a priority.

Esposito hits on what so many churches are missing these days. Churches for some reason expect young people to just come to church and to be “good, little Christians.” But, without wisdom guides and mentors. Young people need adults in their lives who will love them as they are, not as they think they “should be.” As Kenda Creasy Dean has pointed out for years, a partnership between adolescents and adults provides adolescents a means to be part of the broader Christian community. And isn’t that we want?

For so long the church has drawn an invisible line between “us” and “them,” the “saved” and the “unsaved,” the “adults” and the “youth.” Dean Borgman writes, “We often fail when we try to drag them into our world, teach them our values, and share our faith in our cultural way. It is we who must make a radical jump across class or culture to enter another world.” Jesus was the mode for this. Jesus did not draw lines between him and others. He erased the line. He did not drag others into his world, he entered theirs, and loved them where they were.

Eposito models this for us in this episode. If groups of people – or the church – did what Eposito did more often, our churches would be flooded with young people answering God’s call upon their lives.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

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wfrrIt’s hard to believe that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is twenty-five years old! The film hit the big screen in 1988. I was eight when I saw the film. Three of my cousins and I along with our Papa went to see the film. An amazing thing to see at the time on the big screen. These actors and animated characters sharing real space with one another.

The film is set in 1947 Hollywood, where Marvin Acme, the gag-gift king of town and owner of Toon Town, is murdered. The police come after animation film star Roger Rabbit as their main suspect. Private Investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) gets caught up in the middle of it, and eventually figures out that Roger is being framed. But by whom? And why?

Everything about this film – the plot, the dialogue, the look, the feel—is a 1940′s crime film. Everything, that is, except the Toons. Roger Rabbit is the first film that flawlessly combined real actors and animated cartoon characters. Walt Disney studios collaborated with Steven Spielberg (a known lover of animation) to make this flawless presentation possible. With direction by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) and animation by Richard Williams, we get a film that presents the animation in such a convincing way that it doesn’t distract from the plot. And that is the brilliance of this film. On the surface, it has a pretty seamless plot, but combined with new technology, it is nothing short of a masterpiece. The cartoon characters appear on screen occupying real space, just as the human actors do. And we are not talking about computer animated cartoon characters, these are hand drawn cartoon characters. The real deal.

Toon Town is a ghetto. When Eddie visits a club, where is going to snap some pictures of Acme and Roger’s wife, Jessica. There is sense that the toons who are working there are doing so for the humans. In fact, Toons are not allowed to patronize the club, though they serve drinks and provide the entertainment. R. K. Maroon tells Eddie at one point that Dumbo is working for him, on loan from Disney, and he works for peanuts, as he throws peanuts out the window. There is a certain level of prejudice and injustice directed towards the Toons. In fact, Acme is the one who owns Toon Town.

Eddie has had a strong dislike for Toon Town and its residents, holding on to his own bit of prejudice. It all stems from his brother being killed by a toon. You can see Eddie’s discomfort in the mere fact of Roger’s presence, not to mention working with him. But as the film continues, Roger grows on Eddie. Eddie learns that he cannot continue to hold a grudge against a whole population of “people” because of the act of one. Where grief had left him bitter and angry, his developing friendship with Roger helps Eddie learn to smile again, to enjoy life, and to see individuals—human or toon—for who they really are. In the course of it all, Eddie is finally able to make peace with his brother’s death.

It is through spending time and getting to know a Toon, that Eddie’s prejudice is curbed. Eddie’s own perspective of Roger and Toon Town changes, and he helps them assure the rights to Toon Town. Eddie is a lot like Jesus. Jesus spent a lot of time in his earthly ministry with sinners, outcasts, and the poor. Jesus spent time with and got to know the people that nobody cared about. Jesus saw past the social labels of individuals and saw the person. Eddie’s journey with Roger Rabbit empowers him to do the same.

Who have we restricted to a ghetto? Who do we need to spend more time with and get to know?

Lent

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The Christian season of Lent is a forty-day period, excluding Sundays, in which Christ followers join Jesus on his forty-day fast, spiritually walking in his footsteps.  Lent is a season of repentance and spiritual self-examination.  It is a time to draw near to Christ, and a time when we recall our brokenness and mortality.  This allows us to appreciate the blessings that come on Good Friday and Easter, when Christ dies for us and then is raised to life. (Adam Hamilton, The Way)

Led by the Spirit

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Read Luke 1:39-45.

Here we have two women. One young, the other old. Both pregnant. Both marginalized by society. Mary because she is unwed and pregnant. Elizabeth has been disgraced by her community because she is old and barren. Both of their lives are changing. One bears the messenger, and the other bears the Message.

During this visit, Elizabeth is the first to declare Jesus “Lord.” Luke does not tell us what Mary does, if anything, between the angel’s visit and Mary’s visit with Elizabeth. What prompted this visit? What was the motivating force behind her actions?

The short answer is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that calls to us to act, to move, or to change. It is the force that gives us our power to do good. It is the motivator that causes us to seek out wisdom guides or mentors along our journey. Elizabeth is such a person for Mary. A mentor, a wisdom guide, a prayer partner.

Who has the Holy Spirit led you to as a faith mentor? Who is your wisdom guide? Who is your prayer partner?

Mary Had a Baby Boy

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“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

My cousin is in the hospital awaiting the arrival of her first baby. As I’ve been talking with her and praying for her, I’ve also been thinking about what it must have been like that first Christmas. And the more I think about it, I think about how incredible the incarnation is. God became a human being.

God became a baby.

God became just like us. And in that moment, God was poor and helpless. The God of Creation became a crying baby boy. And the prophet Isaiah calls this baby, “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). Before anything else, Jesus was Mighty.

Before changing water into wine. Before teaching the masses. Before walking on water. Before raising Lazarus. Before the Cross. Before it all, the baby was Mighty. This baby is the Mighty One who saves. This baby is the Mighty One who will change the world.

The German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in a sermon preached to a church in Havana, Cuba, said, “But now it is true that in three days, Christmas will come once again. The great transformation will once again happen. God would have it so. Out of the waiting, hoping, longing world, a world will come in which the promise is given. All crying will be stilled. No tears shall flow. No lonely sorrow shall afflict us anymore, or threaten.”

Little Town of Bethlehem

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“As for you, Bethlehem of Ephrathah, though you are the least significant of Judah’s forces, one who is to be a ruler in Israel on my behalf will come from you.” (Micah 5:2a, Common English Bible)

Here is a look at the story of Jesus from the perspective of modern day Bethlehem.

Eyewitnesses

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“Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4-5, Common English Bible)

Excerpts from Max Lucado’s God Came Near:

Have you caught a glimpse of His Majesty? A word is placed in a receptive crevice of your heart that causes  you, ever so briefly, to see his face. You hear a verse read in a tone you’d never heard, or explained in a way you’d never thought and one more piece of the puzzle falls into place. Someone touches your painful spirit as only one sent from him could do . . . and there he is.

Jesus.

The man. The bronzed Galilean who spoke with such thunderous authority and loved with such childlike humility.

The God. The one who claimed to be older than time and greater than death.

Jesus.

Have you seen him?

Those who first did were never the same.

“My Lord and my God!” cried Thomas.

“I have seen the Lord,” exclaimed Mary Magdalene.

“We have seen his glory,” declared John.

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked?” rejoiced the two Emmaus-bound disciples.

But Peter said it best. “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”

What greatness of Jesus have you seen? What majesty have you been an eyewitness of? How are you an eyewitness of the Christ?

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

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This is one of my favorite hymns written by Charles Wesley.  I use it often as a prayer.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set they people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.  Israel’s strength and consolation, hope for all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

Born they people to deliver, born a child and yet a King, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.  By thine own eternal spirit rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit, raise us to thy glorious throne.

from the United Methodist Hymnal, #196

Dick Tracy (1990)

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Dick Tracy movie poster

On June 15, 1990, Entertainment Weekly writer Owen Gleiberman wrote this in his review of Dick Tracy:

“For over a decade — ever since Star Wars, in fact — American movies have been edging closer and closer to comic books. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Warren Beatty’s attempt to ace the summer-movie sweepstakes finally takes us all the way. More than Batman or Superman, Popeye or Flash Gordon, Dick Tracy has been fashioned as a live-action comic strip — a lavishly eye-popping Day-Glo gangster movie.”

We have come even closer to the comic book film as Gleiberman predicted. They are almost the norm, with success like The Avengers and the upcoming Man of Steel. Dick Tracy was a different kind of comic book movie for its time. Warren Beatty directed and produced this 1990 film adaption of Chester Gould’s classic comic strip. Beatty’s re-imagining is classic in style.

The Look

The film is shot in primary colors to reflect the comic strip which could only be printed in primary colors. The bold reds, blues, greens, purples, and don’t forget yellows, stand in contrast to the grotesque characters. The bold colors and the grotesqueness of characters is even sharper on Blu-ray. The colors had to jump off the comic strip to be noticed and to catch the reader’s eyes. They do the same here in the film.

There is rarely a scene without some kind of artificial effect. In addition it was completely studio made. It created a world that could never be, taking us away from reality into the world of Dick Tracy. It took us beyond our theater seats into the comic strip. The physical appearance of the characters in the strip and in the film, mirrored what kind of person that character is. Take, for example, Mumbles (Dustin Hoffman). Mumbles talks so fast that no one understands what he is saying. Flattop (William Forsythe) has a flat head.

Dick Tracy reminds us of the innocence of Gould’s comic strip where we did not live in suspense because Tracy always wins! In the film Big Boy Caprice (Al Pacino) pulls all the gangs in town together to create a unity in crime against Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty). But, there is a new boss in town. A mysterious figure with no face is working hard to frame Big Boy for kidnapping Tess Trueheart, Tracy’s girlfriend. In the meantime, Faceless has framed Tracy for the murder of D. A. Flecther (Dick Van Dyke). Tracy is arrested and put in the city jail. His buddies are “transferring” him to the county jail when they make a detour to rescue Tess.

Pacino’s performance as Big Bog steals the show. But, are we really surprised? I had totally forgotten Pacino was in this movie. Pacino is one of the greatest actors of our time. Pacino proves that his skill in acting is not always Scarface worthy. In fact the whole film proves to be a worthy film even with a PG rating. There is no obscenity, no blood, and no realistic violence. It all fulfills the innocence of the Gould comic strip.

The Kid

The heart of the film belongs to the Kid. At the beginning of the film, we see the kid pick-pocketing when he can. He steals a watch from a man in a diner that Tracy and Tess are about to walk into. Tracy runs after the kid who eventually runs home to a shanty where his abusive father is not impressed with the stolen watch and denies his son chicken. Tracy arrests the father for abuse, and takes the kid back to the diner for dinner.

Beatty’s Dick Tracy is perhaps more human than other portrays of the hero. We see this mostly through this father-son relationship that grows between Tracy and the kid. The kid helps Tracy out of more than one situation.  The kid gets an honorary detective certificate from the police force because he helps save Tracy’s life. The certificate says “The Kid”, and comes with the promise of getting a new one when he chooses a name.

The kid is an orphan searching for meaning and purpose in life. Before Christ, we are orphans like the Kid. The writer of Ephesians writes this, “He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:5-6, NRSV).  John Wesley preached that through Jesus Christ we are removed from bondage into adoption. This adoption is apart of the salvation story.  The emotional heart of the film comes when the kid chooses a name for himself and shows his new certificate to Dick Tracy. The certificate is made out to Dick Tracy, Jr. The kid feels adopted by Tracy and chooses his name as his own. As Christians, we do the same when we accept the adoption of Jesus Christ. The translation for the greek word for Christian is loosely translated as “little Christ.” We become little Christs when we accept the Lordship of Jesus.

The Temptation of Dick Tracy

If you watch closely you will see the three temptations of Dick Tracy. First, Big Boy, in his words “offers you to the keys of the kingdom.” Tracy, of course declines. Later, Breathless (Madonna), the lounge singer, tempts with her seductive powers. This temptation is a little harder for Tracy to resist. He kisses Breathless and as it would happen, Tess walks in to witness this moment of weakness. Tess leaves town Tracy, and Tracy just is not himself. Madonna’s performance is possibly the most questionable one in the film. In a film of unique characters, Madonna’s Breathless seems to channel Marilyn Monroe, possibly from Some Like It Hot.

The third temptation comes when Tracy is rescuing Tess. The mysterious figure with no face offers Tracy a place of authority in his city if only he kills Big Boy. Tracy again resists the temptation and we learn that Faceless is really Breathless. (For the Biblical account of Jesus being tempted three times in the wilderness, take a look at Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 3:1-13.) While Tracy represents innocence as good triumphs over evil, we are reminded that even a hero like Dick Tracy has to face temptations. And if Tracy has to face them, we know we do too. How will we respond?

Come Out of the Wilderness

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Read Luke 3:1-6.

John the Baptist choose the wilderness as his context for ministry. The wilderness was the place where the Hebrews wandered around for forty years. The wilderness was the place where Jesus was tempted for forty days.  Th wilderness is dangerous and inhospitable. It is barren, rough, and rocky. It is unstructured and chaotic. It is a place of challenges and tests. In the wilderness, John was preparing the way of the One who will refine and redeem.

Susan Mink writes that the wilderness “has long been a metaphor for a place of spiritual trials and transformations.”  The wilderness is the place of  preparation.  The wilderness is where we get ready for the change we are about to make in our lives. The wilderness, then, becomes the starting point for new beginnings and new life.  John’s preaching in the wilderness is an invitation to come out of the wilderness and into a new life, new beginnings.

What does your wilderness look like?  How are you preparing for new life and new beginning in Jesus Christ?

Today, consider your wilderness and journal about how your wilderness is preparing you for the coming Christ.

Pray

God of New Beginnings, may your Holy Spirit dwell in us during our wilderness moments.  Prepare us this Advent for the coming Christ Child who makes all things new.  Amen.

 

Got Support?

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Read 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13.

The Thessalonian Christians stuck out like a sore thumb.  They were not like anybody!  In their world, religion, business, and social position were all interconnected.  Because they worshiped Jesus Christ, and not those other gods, they were considered not a part of the “in” group.  They were no longer accepted in society.  They were outcasts.  Paul, in his letter to this church, gives thanks for them.  He does so because they haven’t given in to become like everyone else.

Gone were there friends, their connections, and for some even their families.  All because they choose Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

It may be hard for us today as 21st century North American Christians to understand this great loss due to our faith. The Thessalonian Christians knew that they were different because of Christ, and they remained strong in their faith despite all the crazy things people thought about them or did to them. This community faced its own set of challenges, but nothing could bring this community of faith down because of the cohesiveness they had together in Christ.  They knew Jesus and they supported each other.

Today, think about how you are in need of support from your Christian community.  What loss have you experienced that might make faith hard? But, also, think about how you can be supportive to others who may be going through a hard time.  Decide how you will be supportive in the coming week.  Journal about  your experiences.

Pray

Dear God of Hope, be with us today as we search our hearts for ways in which we need support from our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Help us to discern ways we can be supportive to others.  In all things, remind us that we are reflections of you in all that we do.  Amen.

Promise Fulfilled?

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Read Jeremiah 33:14-16. 

At the time in which Jeremiah shared his prophecy, the Babylonians had conquered Israel.  As a result, the Israel people were exiled all over the Babylonian empire.  Everything that God had promised to the people seemed to be gone!  What happened?  Where was God in this?  The temple was destroyed.  Their homes were destroyed.  Families were separated.  God was in this?

The people longed to hear from God.

How often do we ask the same question.  Is God in this? We are surrounded by destruction. There is great suffering in our community and around the world. Is God in this? There is bullying in our schools. Is God in this? There is so much conflict in our families. Is God in this?

As a prophet, Jeremiah is the voice box of God.  Jeremiah gives the people hope in the promise of a new leader; a kingly leader who will rule in the tradition of David, the greatest king of Israel.  We know this king to be the Messiah, Jesus. This is what we prepare for during Advent, the coming of the promised Messiah who will change everything!

What does hope mean to you?   What do you hope for?  In what ways do you need Jesus to change everything?

We are surrounded by a lot of noise and voices in our society, in our schools, and in our homes.  With all of these voices, it is hard to hear the voice of God, leaving us wondering if God is even around.  Today, create a space where you can listen to God speaking to you.  Listen for God’s voice of hope in your life. In a journal, write down what you hear from God.

Prayer:

Holy One who promises the coming Messiah, be with us and guide us as we prepare and wait this Advent season. Help us to hear Your voice in the midst of so many other voices demanding our attention. Help us to see you in the midst of destructive lives. Amen.