Life in the star-filled entertainment world is challenging for Christians. When Russell Brand, this year’s host of the MTV Video Music Awards, took the liberty to mock rock stars wearing purity rings, American Idol winner Jordin Sparks responded when she had the microphone. Would you have done the same? What would you have said?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,418885,00.html
Often times we hear the Romans 10:15 verse, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” One priest in Italy decided that a pageant often dubbed “Miss Sister 2008” or “Sister Italy 2008” might be a good idea. To see how it was received, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26379900/
Her books have sold over a hundred million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in the modern era. Until recently, Anne Rice’s name was synonymous with “popular vampire fiction.” Her gorey gothic romances have been adapted into Hollywood films and television productions.
More recently, however, to the chagrin of many of her fans, Rice announced her conversion (or re-conversion) to the Roman Catholic faith of her childhood. No longer a writer of baroque horror stories populated with blood-sucking fiends, she has dedicated the rest of her life to writing about her Lord, Jesus Christ.
Many Christians were skeptical when they learned that Rice plans to produce a series of novels on the life of Jesus. The first two installments have already become best-sellers (Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt
You might be surprised, as I was, that she’s remarkably reverent and orthodox as she weaves plausible and deeply researched narratives about Jesus. Rice has explained her path back to Christianity from atheism in numerous interviews. She offers a taste of her upcoming memoir on her website. It’s entitled “Called Out of Darkness” and I have high expectations.
Few, if any popular authors are as well informed about biblical studies as Anne Rice. Certainly, she has read much more in the field than most LCMS pastors. In First Things magazine online, Father Dwight Longenecker interviews Rice about her vampires, her Christian faith, and her books on Jesus. I commend it to you.
St. Paul wrote: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— think about such things (Phil. 4:8).”
Many Christians read this passage and focus on the pure & lovely. But notice that the first word Paul uses is TRUE. Think on the truth. Not every truth is delightful to behold. According to the pure & lovely standard, narrowly understood, one might need to exclude important scriptures such as the beheading of Goliath, the global destruction of the flood, the slaughter of the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel, or the torture and murder of Jesus. Those are horrifying scenes indeed. I know of people who have been deeply upset to learn of such excessive violence in Holy Scripture. In some cases, their very faith was shaken. The book of Ecclesiastes often takes fire for being, in the eyes of some, a hopeless text. The Gospels are blamed for inciting hatred against the Jews. The epistles of St. Paul have several rather harsh blasts of holy anger. My point is that the Bible itself contains much distasteful content. It is, at times, disturbing, unsettling, and infuriating.
Other important works of literature may not pass the pure & lovely test either, including the plays of Shakespeare (Macbeth, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus), Homer’s Odyssey, the novels of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Graham Greene, and John Steinbeck to name only a few.
Some Christians will disagree with me vehemently, but I think the latest cinematic Batman episode, The Dark Knight, written and directed by Chris Nolan, is a work of genius. Yes, it is dark. Yes, parts of it are hard to watch. But it tells the truth, at least part of it. An important part.
I’m no expert on the work of Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross, but I am familiar with his great work entitled “Dark Night of the Soul.” That phrase has come to refer to those times in the life of a person when God seems particularly distant, when the soul is alone with his corruption. That’s what this movie is about. The Joker is the archetypal man.
Much of contemporary culture is infused with a deadly optimism about human nature. And this is a demonic lie which blinds people to the depth of their need for someone more than a super-hero, a true white and noble Knight to rescue them.
Mutilation. Disfigurement. Anarchy. Random violence. Betrayal. It’s no Frank Capra flick. Chris Nolan did not make a “feel good” picture. But he did make a great movie that tells the important truth of mankind’s deep inbred narcissism. Without external restraints, we are worse than savages. Apart from restoration in Christ, all people are disfigurements. Deep beneath the veneer of civility, all human beings are unfunny clowns who appear to thrive on mayhem. At one point, the Joker says, “Madness is like gravity. All people need is a little push.”
One extremely useful insight the film conveys is the utter meaninglessness of evil. We don’t want to believe that. We constantly want to explain away our bad behavior, to make excuses, to justify ourselves. I steal because I’m poor. I hate because I’m ignorant. I kill because I’m a victim. Ultimately, that is just baloney. We do those things because we are bad. That’s all. Sinners sin because they are sinful.
The Joker says, “Do I really look like a man with a plan, Harvey? I don’t have a plan. The mob has plans, the cops have plans. You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one. I just *do* things.”
Alfred, Batman’s butler, gets it. He says, “Some men aren’t looking for anything logical. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
In the dark night of the soul, when God is absent, there is no meaning, no purpose, no direction. Even an evil direction would be more bearable than having none whatsoever. Of course, Chris Nolan’s masterpiece knows nothing of the dawn, the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16). But if you can sit through the 2 1/2 hours of “Dark Knight” and not exit craving the sunshine, you are made of cement.
The untimely death of actor Heath Ledger several months ago, makes his performance particularly bitter to watch. What a loss. His Joker strikes me as one of the most amazing on-screen performances I’ve ever seen. Of course, it goes a bit over-the-top. It has to. Otherwise most of us would scarcely notice. As Flannery O’Connor once said, “you have to make your vision apparant by shock, to the hard of hearing, you must shout. And for the almost blind, you draw large and startling figures.”
In my judgment, this is not a movie about Batman. It’s about the Joker. Which is to say that it’s about me. The Joker is a mirror, a truth-teller of unpretty realities.
I couldn’t resist! This link generates the sought after Gladiator names that we, admit it, all vicariously want!
After watching the new season of American Gladiators last night, I confess, I wanted to be one of those muscle-clad, super-metallic-suit-wearing, Amazonian female Gladiators that just annihilates the contestants. Call it healthy aggression. And mind you, I am a product of the original “American Gladiator/Bionic Woman/She-Ra” generation.
In good fun, if you check out the link, please do us the favor of posting your “Gladiator Name.” Mine was Elina the Destroyer.
Disclaimer: This in no way indicates any theological or evangelical tactics and training of the seminary…except for the class, “Crisis Pastoral/Diaconal Care”…haha, just kidding. 
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