Some days it's really hard to not feel sad.

My Dear Mother

I'm not exactly sure how to start this post. I suppose it should be some sort of thesis statement with intrigue and wit...


...Here's a list of things about you that I'm thankful for.

(wit and intrigue be dammed)

1. Thank you for reading to me. For reading the books that taught...

life is going to be hard, but you can work through it

 look for Aslan in your own country

don't be afraid of your scars, be a hero instead

the bible is LONG, but FULL of great stories 

2. Thank you for being our local...

I think there's a certain confidence in a kid who's mom faithfully heals his wounds. A confidence to dare greater, climb higher, explore further, because he knows no matter what happens, mom is able to fix it.

3. Thank you for your laugh

Yes, even that one

4. Thank you for teaching us to love our siblings. 

Whether it was burning the belt, or grounding me when I was mean to Christopher, you were fiercely committed to us loving our brothers and sisters.  

5. Thank you for loving dad

5. Thank you for you.

I love you. 

-James

Psalm 22

Voice: Max Mclean, The Listener's Psalms and Proverbs (Unabridged) 

Music: Goldmund, Clement Danes

Ted, this moment already is gone. The whole Minnesota Tidal Wave thing happened five years ago, it's just a memory. And the rest of this? Never happened. Right now, Marshall and Lily are upstairs, trying to get Marvin to go back to sleep. Robin and I are trying to decide on a caterer. And you've been sitting here all night, staring at a single ticket to Robots vs Wrestlers because the rest of us couldn't come out. Look around Ted, you're all alone.


-How I Met Your Mother, The Time Travelers



oy, right in the feels.

Do You who live in radiance

Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin 

We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was Still we do love now and then

Did You ever know loneliness

Did You ever know need

Do You remember just how long a night can get

When You were barely holding on 

And Your friends fall asleep 

And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat 

Will those who mourn be left uncomforted 

While You're up there just playing hard to get

A defense of The Hunger Games and all of it's violence

So before I talk about The Hunger Games I want to spend some time thinking through a few bible passages and hopefully build a robust ethos for biblical thinking. Philippians is a great place to start, though I'm not going to start at 4:8. There is actually a theme throughout Philippians of what a proper Christian mind should look like. It starts in 1:5:

Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 3:7

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord

Philippians 3:12

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me–practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So here are a few thoughts for each verse above

Philippians 1:5

• Paul couples the exponential growth of love with knowledge and all discernment.
• Paul's first petition is that God would cause their love to abound more and more, accompanied by knowledge and all discernment, so that the Philippians’ love would find expression in wise actions that would truly benefit others and glorify God.
• As Christians grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus, they will increasingly be able to affirm and practice what is excellent.

Philippians 3:7

• Paul uses the phrase "surpassing worth" to describe his relationship to Christ
• Whatever we consider to be gain (good works, prestige, power) pales in comparison to the all surpassing worth of Christ.

Philippians 3:12

• Chapter 3 is all about the supremacy, worth, and pursuit of Christ, and Paul says if you are a mature or perfect thinker you would think this way. In other words, mature thinkers value knowing Jesus above everything else.
• The litmus test for mature thinking is measured by the degree to which you treasure and pursue Christ.

Philippians 4:8

• Philippians 4:8 has to be interpreted based on the previous passages. If we take 4:8 by itself, we have subjective adjectives with open ended definitions. 4:8 Doesn't tell us what is honorable, it just says we should dwell on it. It doesn't tell us what defines excellence, it just says we should think about things that are. So how are to find out what is excellent? Look back at 1:5. When love grows with knowledge and discernment we are able to approve what is excellent. Who makes our love grow? It is the one who began a good work in us and will carry it on to completion. That is why I said "As Christians grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Jesus they will increasingly be able to affirm and practice what is excellent". In other words, we are able to discern what is excellent because we are familiar with the MOST excellent thing! Jesus exudes excellence and as we follow him, we learn to recognize it in other places.
• How about "anything worthy of praise"? How do we know if something is worthy of praise? Well if we look back at 3:7 Paul says knowing Christ is of surpassing worth. So we would say something is as worthy of praise as much as it reflects the nature and character of Christ.
• And then most clearly in 3:12 Paul outright says that mature thinkers strain and press forward to attain the prize of Jesus Christ. So if 4:8 is about thinking well or maturely, we must conclude that all of those formerly "subjective adjectives" find their definition in Jesus. "True" is no longer a subjective thing. We know if something is true because it is in sync with the character/word of Jesus who is the truth. How do we know something is lovely? Does it arouse your affections for God, his glory, and the beauty of his gospel in Jesus? If so, then it is lovely. And we could go on down the list, but I think you get the point. He's saying you decide whether or not to focus/meditate/watch something based on how much it reflects the character of Christ.

That's what I think about Philippians. Let's talk about violence or grotesque imagery. Can violence fall under the umbrella of Phil 4:8? If we take our subjective definition of true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, etc. The answer is probably no. Additionally if we are talking about something that is only violent and there is no other content the answer would again be no. However, as I just outlined, we should not interpret Philippians 4:8 with a personal definition, but rather a biblical one. Additionally, The Hunger Games is not exhaustively a violent endeavor.

In order to discern whether or not violence/grotesque imagery can fall under the umbrella of Phil 4:8, I look to the biblical account of Jesus' life. Did it contain violence? The obvious answer is yes. All four biblical accounts contain some form of violence and grotesque imagery. This is not an automatic endorsement from the Bible to become engrossed with violence. We must carefully exam why it is there, to what end it serves, and what we could lose were it removed.

There are a handful of events that we could choose from. Be it the slaughtering of newborns and toddlers in Matthew 2:16, Jesus making a whip and clearing the temple in John 2:15, the demon possessed man who cut himself and lived in a graveyard in Mark 5, Peter cutting off the servant's ear in John 18:10, or the entire arrest, trial, and murder of Jesus in all of the gospels. I am only going to focus on the crucifixion because it is so very clear to me why it is there, what end it serves and what we lose without it.

Why it is there

One could say violence is there because the bible is the most honest book ever written, and it does not sugarcoat anything. That is true, but the answer is more complicated than that. When Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin and Mark writes "Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, "Prophesy!" And the guards took him and beat him." he does not just want us to get the idea of what happened. He describes in great detail what they did. He could have just written "and the guards took him and beat him." Mark doesn't just want you to be informed, he wants you to weep. He wants you to feel the disgrace that Jesus went through. He wants you to get angry when Jesus is mocked. He does this by painting a very detailed picture with words about the kind of violence that Jesus endured. The betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus are THE MOST heinous sins ever committed, and the gospels record them with a ample description. Why? If we are to think only of just things, why does the bible carefully record such unjust actions? Is this lovely? Is this pure?

To what end does it serve?

The glory of God. There are tons of passages you could use, but here's the first I thought of:

Philippians 2:6-11

(Jesus) who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus was one with God, and already infinitely worthy of praise. He was King and Lord over all. Yet he becomes a peculiar King as we read on. He is a King who becomes a subject. He is a Lion who becomes a Lamb. He is God who becomes man. More than that, he suffers and dies, and even more than that dies a shameful death. And because he did all this, God, infinitely proud of his son, gives him highest honor. Total preeminence. Do you see the line of logic why God gives Jesus highest honor? He was God. What could be more glorious, more lovely, more beautiful, more worthy of praise than God? A God who humbles himself. A God who suffers. A God who dies. And a God who rises. By suffering, Jesus captures my desire, my love, my affection, and my allegiance because he is a God that was crucified and died in my place for my sins against him.

What do we lose without it?

The cross. The wrath of God is violent and terrifying. It is what we should receive, but God has shown us mercy and love by sending his Son to absorb his wrath so God could be both just and merciful. The Bible is the truest book ever written, and to truly see the justice of God satisfied, we must clearly see the horrific slaying of His Son. The most spectacular sins and the brightest glory are clearly displayed at the cross. And it is a very lovely thing.

So let me now say a few things about storytelling. I personally love movies, stories, and visual art. And I think the creative pulse comes from our Creator. More than that I believe every person alive on the planet is wired to find their deepest satisfaction in God. I get that from Romans 1:18-21, if you want, I can expound more on that, but this thing is so long already I've started to try and skip the parts I think you'll agree with.

So when we approach films and stories written by non-Christians we know at least two things are true. Whether they know it or not they long for God, and they are imperfectly reflecting his creative nature. Admittedly as Romans 1 says, they often suppress the truth and become futile in their thinking and it shows in their art. But sometimes they get a lot of things right, and sometimes they get enough things right that it can actually be used as a tool for evangelism. I get this from Acts 17:22-29. In it, Paul not only was aware of idols the culture had, but also used some of their poet's writings to talk about God in verse 28. This poem is actually talking about Zeus, which if you know anything about Zeus, this is a very a dangerous comparison to make. Zeus is a wicked god in many different ways, but Paul saw enough truth in him to say to the Athenians, "these things you like about Zeus, you like because they are actually true of the real God.". This, like the gospel accounts containing violence, is not an automatic endorsement to run wild with, but it is at least one legitimate form of evangelism.

Unnecessary or Necessary?

So now at long last we get to The Hunger Games. The main objection that most people have with The Hunger Games (at least that I've heard) is the violence. I think you even called it unnecessary or needlessly dark imagery. I'll do the same thing with Hunger Games as we did with the violence in the gospels.

Why it is there

The Hunger Games at it's deepest level is about a young girl who is trying to figure what it means to be human in a dehumanizing culture. Violence serves as the antithesis of true humanity. 24 kids are put into an arena and told to kill each other. This gives the heroine a very real evil to run from and resist. On the surface, The Hunger Games is a cultural commentary about how entertainment can devolve into sick obsession and a means of political control. Violence is there to be an object for the people's obsession, thus showing the audience in the theater how defective entertainment can be. It might even unwittingly encourage some to take an examination of their own entertainment.

What end does it serve?

It makes an impression on you. It makes you remember the people who die. If you hear about someone dying you might be able to forget or not think about it in a couple days or months. If you see someone die you remember it for forever. When violence is used in The Hunger Games, it is used in a very negative light. It argues for peace by showing you just how awful violence is, and makes you remember it. It grabs a hold of your conscience. It lets evil be evil and sugarcoats nothing.

What do we lose without it?

The whole movie. If there's no violence, then there is no hunger game. If there's no hunger game there's no reason for the heroine to go anywhere, and no question is ever posed about what it means to be human. You could make the argument that the filmmakers could not show the violence and have someone talk about it, but at that point you've really missed the point of a movie. People go to movies to see a story. Not hear or read it. If you're going to have conflict, then you need a villain, and if you're going to have a villain they need to be evil on screen. Evil needs to be a contrast to the hero/heroine who resists or overcomes. That's good story telling. In my opinion, most anything else is a cop out.

So, from a story telling perspective I would say yes, the violence was necessary. There are surely different degrees to which evil should be shown depending on the point the director is trying to make, but for the point of The Hunger Games, it was necessary to show the things they did.

So narratively this works but what about theologically? I'll wrap up where we began with Philippians. We define whether something is beautiful or worthy of praise based on how much it imperfectly reflects the character of Christ. Is The Hunger Games beautiful or worthy of praise? Let me take a minute to describe the heroine of The Hunger Games:

• She is a protector and a provider for her mother and sister
• She offers to take the place of her little sister who was picked to participate in the hunger games and certain death.
• She keeps her resolve to finish her mission though she is filled with fear
• She enters a world of horrifying perversion but refuses to participate in it
• Instead of killing her fellow contestants to get ahead she befriends some of them.
• She mourns death and honors the fallen.
• She forgives people who betray her
• She puts herself in harm's way in order to save her friends
• She sings to comfort her friends
• She loves nature and the beauty of creation
• The game continually pushes her to give up her humanity and murder her friends. Her response is self-sacrifice.

Is it worthy of praise? Is it excellent? I say yes. Violence and all. Not because violence is excellent, but because it enables Katniss to reflect the struggles Christ went through. Katniss can't enter a violent world if there is no violence. Katniss can't put herself in harms way if there is no harm. She can't sing to comfort her friends if they don't need comforting. She can't resist the temptation to murder if there is no one tempting her. It is no mystery to me why so many people love The Hunger Games and it's heroine. Nor is it a stretch for me to be like Paul and say "You have loved Katniss, would you let me explain the reason she resonates with you and why we all love her so much?"

-James

Trust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_AQ5EiWShU&feature=youtu.be


When talking about Women submitting to their husbands and following their lead Marcia says "I think it goes way back to the garden, we simply don't trust Adam."


A couple of thoughts:

1. I think she's probably right. Part of the curse that God gives to women is that they would desire to rule over their husbands, so submitting would be in direct opposition of their natural inclinations. (Gen 3:16)

2. I feel great guilt and fear that I'm not an "Adam" that's worthy of trust. I don't even trust myself, why would I ask someone else to trust me?

3. Jesus, I am a great sinner and feel like a failure as a son. I know you have bought righteousness and an identity for me that is perfect and flawless, but I don't feel like I've stepped into that. When you speak reality shifts to your command. You said "Let there be light" and there was light. I need you to speak truth into me that destroys my sinful nature and instability. My untrustworthiness, my sinful nature from Adam. Not so that people will come to trust in me, but that they would see your work, and trust in you.


-James